TODAY'S THRIFTY TIP: Saving on Birthday Parties: Young children love balloons and they can serve double duty as not only the decorations but a take home gift. I have found that It is often much cheaper to buy your own balloons and then take them to the local grocery store to have them filled for you. If you are needing a lot of balloons, check into the price of renting a helium tank to save money.
BONUS TIP: Don't Schedule the Party at a Mealtime. You'll also save money by holding the party at a time of day when you will not be responsible for providing a meal (from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, for example). Serve simple snacks or stick to cake and ice cream.
***** THRIFTY DEAL: SHARK POWERED SCOOPER You've probably seen this on TV or at the store for $39.99. We got another great deal for you. Here we got a closeout and once we sell out of these they're gone. You can get teh Shark Powered Scooper from us for $12.99 or get two of them for $19.98. What's even better is that the replacement bags that you would pay $4.99 for are just $1.99! Check it out and grab two. One for yourself and another one to keep for when you need a housewarming gift. Best, Anisa PS If you have problems placing an order online, you can always call us toll-free at 1-800-711-1361 ext 772. Please note we are available M-F 8:00am to 5:00 pm Central time.
----------- SHARK POWERED SCOOPER TV Price: $39.99 OUR PRICE: $12.99 or get two or more for $9.99 each The Shark PS380 power scooper picks up all types of household messes! Safely picks up broken glass, and is perfect for pet messes and more. Simply release the bag, press the button, and your mess will be devoured directly in the bag. The unit has a built in light for easy visibility, and features a compact design. Includes an attachable household extender, attachable carry strap, and 2 rolls of biodegradable bags (we have replacement bags available at the lowest price too). Check this out at: Today's Deal of the Day
Hosting a Cocktail Party
The Cocktail Party is becoming HIP again.
Cocktail parties used to be groovy. Now, they are becoming HIP. Often glamorized as a ritzy affair by Hollywood, the cocktail parties of today are taking on a smooth relaxed and friendly tint. As the saying goes, "you can never keep a good thing down" become particularly true with a good cocktail party. Serving wine and beer are still popular choices, but there has been a comeback in the popularity of mixed drinks.
The great thing about cocktail parties is they are designed to be short and sweet. The typical timeframe for a party is 2-3 hours, which means that even the busiest of people can occasionally serve one up. These parties are designed to be fast moving and are a better choice of getting people previously un- introduced into mingling and meeting.
Hosting a cocktail party allows you the freedom to experiment with a pretty wide variety of food on your menu. Everyone will be eating only small little tastes, and if they don't like something then you can be sure that there will be plenty of choices for them.
Food aside, the most important part of a cocktail party is of course the cocktails. A tour of the hippest nightclubs this side of the moon reveals there are a handful of popular drinks on the cocktail circuit. Below is a list of the ones you should include on your menu:
Cosmopolitan - A light pink drink popular with the women. It saw a re-insurgence when the popular HBO series Sex and the City starlets starting downing them.
Dirty Martini - Not that kind of dirty for those that have a dirty mind. It's not "clean" because of the addition of olive juice which gives the drink a salty bite.
Chocolate Martini - How is it that chocolate finds it way into everything? It's good for those that have a sweet tooth - but looks different than what you may expect.
Apple Martini - Great taste and fulfills a daily food group requirement.
All those martinis are going to require the proper glasses - put the paper cups away and save them for the weekend barbecue. Try these Stainless Steel Martini Glasses. Martinis stay cold longer in stainless steel! This set includes 2 Martini glasses, and 2 picks with olive figure. Each glass stands 7" high, 4 3/4" diameter. Gift boxed.
Besides these classic standbys you can dive into the world of exotic mixers - always a hit. Oh, what's that? You aren't versed in the world of tropical splendorific drinks? Don't worry. You can find out all you need to know about dozens of great tropical drinks with Elixirs Exotica More lost recipes from the Golden Age of the Tiki Bar from the Polynesian Pop Scholar and Mixologist Jeff Berry, co-author of the praised Beachbum Berry's Grog Log -- dubbed "The best bar guide for tropical drinks ever published!" by Joe Bob Briggs. Packed with vintage graphics on every page and everything you need to know about making the perfect tropical drink.
Don't worry if you don't have all the cool necessary items to throw your party. Have no idea where to find a Tiki stirrer or an 8" wooden drink muddler? Not to worry. There is an Ultimate Home Bar Set-up Kitavailable online that will give you 22 separate items to outfit your bar the same as your local pub down the street. You will be the master of the bar with all this equipment. The kit includes everything from a set of 6 shot glasses to 24 KegWorks coasters.
Men dressed in black tuxedos, woman adorning brilliant dresses with diamonds the size of walnuts on their fingers, clinking glasses and Sinatra crooning away in the background. Most cocktail parties are so ridiculously filled with egos, stuffy attitudes and high noses. If that's not your idea of a good time, then join us and learn some ways on how to throw a swanky cocktail party. You'll need Cocktail Party Accessories One of the great reasons to throw a cocktail party is the give the all to rare occasion to get dressed-up and looking gooood. We're not talking about sending out invitations with the mandate of tuxes and gowns. Remember, that is what is to be avoided. Dressing up should be fun and the less snooty the better. Encourage your guests to arrive in creative fancy dresses or in a thrift-store formal type of way. Make sure that you have small costume accessories for those few guests who always turn up wearing their normal everyday clothes.
Listening aids For the traditional party, music is pretty much there just to set the tone of the party. However, a party can become good fun if you can inspire a bit of dancing later on. The key is to start the party off with some ambient type of music, switch over to some lounge music on occasion. After a couple hours, start to ramp the volume and mingle in some dance tunes. Buy Disco & Party Lights at Discount Prices! Keep the volume at a level where conversation can still transpire. Later in the night when conversation has all been but forgotten and bodies start to merge, fully pump the music, dim the lights, and let nature take its course.
All-in-one casino set holds Roulette, Craps and Texas Hold'Em in one attractive case.
Place your chips on the foldout Roulette board, spin the deluxe cherry wood Roulette wheel and drop in the ball for authentic Monte Carlo-style action.
Play Craps on the surface inside the aluminum storage case.
Turn over the playing surface for a Texas Hold'Em "table" and use the included 200 Poker Chips. Also comes with Dealer, Big Blind and Small Blind chips.
The card shoe lets you run the table like a Vegas dealer!
Unlike lesser models with minimal features and limited play options, this advanced dartboard includes five LED displays for accurate scoring across 35 different games (with a total of 152 game variations), in addition to four XO-scoring Cricket displays.
Up to eight players can play at once, and a Virtual Opponent mode can be activated for single play and practice.
The board includes optional realistic sound and vocal effects with an adjustable volume control, and a patented handicap feature allows players to compete at the level appropriate to their skills.
An auto-sleep function turns the board off when not in use. Includes 12 soft-tip darts and a built-in dart holder; additional tips available below. Game play instructions, set-up guide, and AC adapter included. 28" H x 21" W x 2 1/2" D. (15 lbs.)
64 different ways to win a bet. Illustrated. 21 pages. Paperback. Impress your friends and family with these great magic tricks/illusions/slights of hand! (Unless noted, items shown with books are not included, but may be purchased separately below). ("64 Winning 'Betchas' - Bar Bets, Stunts, & Party Gags" - Book)
The perfect gift for the guy who is still looking for love in all the wrong places! Great risque party fun for birthdays of all ages. Make your friends and family laugh with this great over the hill birthday / retirement gag gift! While every attempt will be made to provide you with the color sheep of your choice, in the interest of timeliness, we will occasionally fill your order with whatever color is on hand. (Inflatable Party Sheep a.k.a. Blow up Sheep Love Doll)
Young artists can create beautiful pictures while they have fun learning colors and numbers. Each kit contains 8 felt tip markers with numbers, 4 coloring cards and 2 frames for displaying finished pieces. Age: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 Manufacturer: Alex
Shake and spray a stream of brightly colored foamy material! Each can contains 3.0 ounces. Order includes one can--colors as available only.Age: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,Adult Manufacturer: Toysmith
Glitter! Glamor! Gems! Shine! Every princess will beg for a pair of these simply fabulous slides. Kit contains more than 170 gems and glitter. Dazzling is just not strong enough a word to describe these shoes.Warning: Choking Hazard - Contains small parts not suitable for children under 3 years. Age: 4,5,6,7,8 Manufacturer: The Bead Shop
Everything you need for a fantastic face painting party! Includes 10 bright colors, sponge applicators and an assortment of 5 paint sticks for fun designs.Age: 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,Adult Manufacturer: Alex
From the matching decorations to the food and favors, you don't want to miss these special baby shower guides that will help you turn the shower into one-of-a-kind! Get customized Print & Play games, decoration tips, ideas, food, special touches, favor ideas and more... all to match your Theme! "
Hollie Wildwood and Andromeda Petite love to dress up their straw hats and meet for tea under the warm afternoon sun.Age: 3,4,5,6,7,8 Manufacturer: International Playthings
Critters can have a real birthday bash with the included tree stump table and 4 "critter" chairs,birthday cake with removable candles, birthday "presents", "Happy Birthday" banner,4 birthday hats that really fit critters and lots more to eat and drink! Age: 3,4,5,6,7,8 Manufacturer: International Playthings
Now children can have their own party with a Calico Critter theme! Thiscolorful party set comes equipped to host a party of 12! Age: 3,4,5,6,7,8 Manufacturer: International Playthings
Create dimensional works of art with a new reclosable tub full of colorful craft materials! Contains buttons, pom poms, sequins, wiggly eyes, feathers, colored gravel, pipe cleaners, construction paper, scissors, stickers, glue and more. Ages: 3 Manufacturer: Alex
All kinds of cutters, molds and super soft modeling dough to have a bucketful of creative fun! The large reusable tub includes 6 colors of modeling dough, 12 dough cutters, 4 jumbo cutters, 3 dough extruders, 4 cutting and sculpting tools, plastic rolling pin and play mat. Ages: 3 Manufacturer: Alex
Hands-on fun for creative little ones! Includes finger paints and lots of cool tools to create unique patterns and effects. Includes 6 jars of finger paint (3 oz./88 ml.), 5 stamp shapes, 2 foam pattern painters, suction cup ball, rubber spike ball, plastic pattern tool and a mess-free mat. Ages: 3 Manufacturer: Alex
A beautiful tea set for throwing great parties! A pretty porcelain set that's the perfect size for little hands - and just right for hosting tea parties! Our dishwasher-safe 12-piece set includes 4 cups, 4 saucers, 1 teapot, 1 teapot lid, 1 sugar bowl and 1 creamer.Age: 8 Manufacturer: Small World Toys
Flower microphone stand and bse adjusts to 40" high. Flower holds sheet music. Features 2 effect pedals - echo & robotic with volume control. Has output plug to play music on external device. Compatible with Music Maker. Requires 4 "AA" batteries, not included. Age: 6 Manufacturer: International Playthings
The colors, patterns and 3-D snake figures inside these 2" hi-bounce balls have amazing detail!Order includes one ball ,types as available. Ages: 3" Manufacturer: Toysmith
This ice bucket has a series of LEDs built in to the base that shift through all seven colors of the visible light spectrum, illuminating favorite vintages for a vibrant display at parties. The colors shift hue in a continuous sequence, or, at the touch of a button, a particular color can be “frozen” in place as preferred. The bright LEDs last for 50,000 hours (more than 5 years of continuous 24-hour use) and the frosted polycarbonate bucket diffuses the light for a warm glow without glare. The sturdy bucket keeps ice well insulated to maintain the chill on champagne or chardonnay for two hours, and aluminum handles make it easy to transport. The bucket comes with four rechargeable AA batteries that provide six hours of use on a full charge , and an AC adapter is provided for recharging. Hand rinse clean with mild soap and water. 12" H x 11" Diam.
Need somewhere to place your freshly baked casseroles, pigs in a blanket and fluffy mashed potatoes before serving? Then stop snapping that bubble gum and plug in this Typhoon 18-in. Triple Food Warmer. It’s so retro, yet functional as it houses three separate burners to keep up to three dishes warm for serving buffet style or for those late dinner arrivals. Complement it with other Shocking Pink accessories to complete your retro kitchen.
The Multiplayer Electronic Trivia System
A home version of the popular Buzztime® electronic trivia competition found in restaurants and pubs, this fast-paced, interactive video trivia system connects to your television, allowing four players to challenge their general knowledge using wireless handheld controllers.
Players compete to be the first to select the correct multiple-choice on-screen answer before the built-in timer runs out. Game options include multi-player competitions, team play, and solo play, while hint prompts assist players with the more difficult questions.
Set includes four controllers (twice as many as other sets) and four additional 550-question memory cards, which bring the total number of game questions to 2,950 in categories such as Sports, History, Televis ion, and "Everything." Includes an 8' A/V connection cord. Console requires four AA batteries; controllers each require two AA batteries. Ages 10 and up.
Happy birthday - Not Put away the balloons and streamers. Save them for your 6 year old niece's or nephew's birthday party. Swanky parties are about keeping it simple. Your goal is to keep people moving around and mingling. This usually means keeping them on their feet and off their arses. A couple of Comfortable seats are ok. Giant sofas are not. Put away any extra furniture that makes your mingle room reminiscent of a obstacle course. Space is a cocktail party's friend.
If space is a cocktail party's friend, then lighting has to be it's companion. Never use green lighting. Let's repeat that - never use green lighting. And if you live in a econo-box apartment that uses white overhead fluorescent lighting - for heaven's sake turn them off. Nobody looks good in white fluorescent. Try to get some kind of low lit ambience thing going on. If you can use some candles then go for it. Make sure that they are ensconced in glass to avoid getting that natural light started, otherwise known as a fire.
The center of the cocktail party is of course the BAR. Having 2 bars is ideal. Have one set-up as a do-it-yourself area, where your guests can make their own drinks like gin and tonics, vodka and tonics, whiskey and cokes, and the debauchery standard: tequila shots.
Don't have a bar? Don't worry: Have a look at the KegWorks.com Maximizer Portable BarThe Maximizer Portable Bar is perfect for any environment whether inside during a party or poolside entertaining friends. It combines all of the features you expect in a premium bar at a very affordable price. Its sleek design blends in with any d?cor and its smart construction offer many features to make serving easier.
The ergonomic 2-step bar and countertop is designed for ease of drink preparation and serving and the large 56" serving area keeps condiment caddies within reach without blocking prep area. Maximizer's durable sold molded countertop is easy to clean and includes a convenient molded-in bar mat well. The Built in cutting board makes it easy to do last minute condiment preparation and can be removed for thorough cleaning. Six bottle stainless steel speed rail included.
The swanky party is the opposite of a presidential affair or some high white collar gathering. Swanky parties are fun and if done correctly are a whole lot of fun. You're guest list should exclude those who can't define swank or don't own anything velvet or of thrift-store lineage.
Tailgating has become on of the great traditions of America. No, not the tailgating you're thinking about when you follow the car ahead of you with less room to pass between than a fly. We're talking about the one where there is enough food to feed a few football teams.
Planning for this type of party can be a bit difficult because of the fact that it's on the road. It requires a slightly different approach than the typical backyard barbeque party. The biggest factor: preparation. It's pretty simple to run inside to grab the missing mustard when you're having a backyard party, it is quite another thing to be stuck in a packed-in parking lot with mustard nowhere in site - except maybe of course on the next guy's table.
Picking the proper portable grill is essential. At the very top, the king of all tailgating grills is the Crown-Verity TG-1 The Tailgate GrillThis grill will make you the hit of the entire parking lot causing a long stream of admiring passersby - make sure they don't drool on your burgers.
Just hitch up the Tailgate and take your cooking skills anywhere there's a road or trail. Then fire up all the cooking area you need over six independently-operated burners. Built-in insulated stainless steel wells keep beverages, dishes or garnishes cold...even in the hottest parking lot.
Crown-Verity grills are like nothing else on the market. They offer the discriminating buyer every feature imaginable, including 18 gauges, commercial grade 304 #4 stainless steel throughout. And 850?F of cooking heat in less than 10 minutes, with the top down. Make sure that you have both takes full because this much power uses a lot of fuel.
Besides planning there are a few other things to do. If you are an avid camper than you probably already have a good idea of what's needed. As with most outdoor functions, make sure that you have plenty of fluids to drink. No tailgate party would be complete with having some kind of beer.
Making sure that the beer stays cold is top priority. Even with your deluxe grill - your friends will flee your tailgate if the beer is warm. Second to keeping the beer cold, is making sure that you have enough of it to make even the heavyweight drinkers forget about the game. Best way of making sure of that is to Get a keg!
You have the deluxe grill, the keg - now keep the keg cold with a Tailgate Kegger Kit from Kegworks.com. The kit includes a tap for the keg as well as a thermal bag to lock in the cold crispness and keeps the keg's temperature stable. The pump cylinder is made of steel and is 8" long. Plastic faucet head w/hose. Example Beers: Budweiser, Miller, Coors Light, Sam Adams, Fosters, Labatts, Molson, Milwaukee's Best, Busch and just about anything brewed in North America.
Tailgating is the perfect way to meet people that share your similar interests, and are as crazy about sports as you are. Plus, everyone at a tailgate party wants to have a great time. Remember that there is an air of competition in the parking lot. People will go all out to show off their cooking skills by preparing some pretty interesting dishes. But don't worry, with the above gear you will be the talk of the game.
