When you invite people into your home, you want to impress them with a fabulous spread that will have them talking long after the event is over. But there’s so much to consider when laying out food choices – any vegetarians? any allergies? anything kids won’t eat? Well, here’s the answer you’ve been seeking out for your gathering. Whether you’re hosting a family holiday get-together, a birthday party, or a baby shower, here are some fail-safe hors d’oeuvres that will work for any party.
Chips and Salsa
This all-time favorite snack food also doubles as great hors d’oeuvres for any kind of party. Salsas are available in hot, medium, and mild, as well as fruit flavors like peach and mango. Chips come in various shapes and sizes from your traditional large triangles to smaller scoopable cups. Don’t just limit yourself to white corn chips. Blue or red chips are delicious and add color to your party table.
Fruit Platter
A variety of fresh fruits is sure to please any of your party guests from kids to those with special food needs. You can purchase one from your local grocery store, or you can choose a mixture of fruits yourself and lay them out on a platter. Berries and melons always make a great addition. Carve watermelon, cantaloupe, and honey dew with a melon scoop and mix with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Arrange green and red seedless grapes around the edges of the plate and add juicy, fist-sized strawberries that will have everyone clambering for more. Slice up a kiwi, starfruit, peaches, apples, and/or bananas to add to the dish. One thing to remember about apples and bananas is that they will both oxidize (turn brown) once cut. To avoid this, slice these just before serving and then squeeze fresh lemon juice over both. Add side dips like melted chocolate, plain yogurt, or fruit flavored yogurt to kick things up.
Pinwheels
These tiny roll up bites are easy to make, can be filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, to accommodate all tastes. Simply get small tortillas and spread cream cheese or Boursin on them. Then layer either ham, turkey, roast beef slices and roll up like a cigar. Add multiple toothpicks across the roll and then slice into small pieces and serve on a plate. For a vegetarian alternative, use alfalfa sprouts and/or thinly sliced cucumbers in place of the meat.
Chicken Skewers
An easy hors d’oeuvres to pass and serve is grilled chicken on a skewer. You can cook these ahead of time and keep them warmed in the oven. Skewers are cheap to buy at the grocery store and hold up well on the grill and in the oven. Guests can easily walk around, eat, and chat with this party pleaser. Have a couple of dipping sauces handy as well, like barbecue sauce, Thai peanut sauce, or simply Ranch dressing. For the vegetarians in your crowd, slice zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise and grill on skewers for the same effect. Just have a plate or basket handy on the table for people to put their empties.
These hors d’oeuvres are easy to prepare, appeal to a variety of guests, and are appropriate for any kind of party.
Criss White writes about babies, pregnancy, and party topics, like how to plan a baby shower menu. For more articles, visit Criss’s website for baby shower ideas and other party planning tips.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
5 Foods You Probably Wouldn’t Serve at a Party
Parties are a time for celebrating—a wedding, a baby, a birthday—and for mingling and having fun with friends and relatives. If you want your guests interacting and having fun, you want to make sure you serve menu items appropriate for the party atmosphere. Some foods just don’t belong at a party unless your guests are octopus and have eight arms! Of course, many things are obvious as to what you wouldn’t serve…cow’s tongue, liver, pickled pig’s feet. Let’s be realistic, though. There are things you might serve at one party that you wouldn’t at another. For general parties, it’s best to avoid even some simple items.
Here are 5 foods you probably wouldn’t want to serve at a party:
- While we all love spaghetti and it’s a great crowd pleaser, it’s probably not the best thing to offer guests at a birthday party or baby shower. Who wants to walk around with a plate trying to balance everything while twirling pasta and splattering red sauce all over the place? Besides, if you miss your mouth, you’re liable to make a mess either on you or your hostess’s carpet. It’s best to leave the spaghetti dinner for sit down meals for the family.
- Unless you’re throwing a backyard barbeque-themed party for a birthday boy/girl or a mother-to-be, it’s not a good idea to serve messy barbeque at a party. If you serve ribs, people will have to eat them with their hands, then they’ll need a lot of napkins or wet-naps to clean up. Also, what do you do with the bones? Pulled pork, brisket, and barbequed chicken all have the same problems. While we love these type of foods for the Fourth of July or a big football game, they’re just not conducive to a party setting where people are mingling and/or playing party games.
- The same as above goes for Sloppy Joes. They’re great for dinner with the kids, but they’re called “sloppy” for reason. The meat and juices can fall out of the bun, making it a mess not only for your guests to try and eat (and carry on a conversation), but for the hostess, as well, if you start finding greasy chunks of ground beef in your carpet or furniture.
- Anything that requires cracking, peeling, or shelling. This would include most shellfish. It’s fun to boil up a batch of peel-and-eat shrimp or steam a Maine lobster. However, your guests don’t want to “fight” their food while they’re at a party. You can serve these seafood delights in other formats if you’d like. Just don’t expect party goers to peel, shuck, crack, or shell anything. It’s a mess and who wants to wear a restaurant bib at a party?
- Anything on a skewer. Okay, now this might contradict some of those awesome appetizer recipes you may have come up with. However, meat or vegetables on a stick can cause a problem for your guest. First, they have to hold it. Secondly, they have to gnaw the item off of the skewer, oftentimes with the appetizer sticking to it. Finally, what do they do with the skewer when they’re done? Do they carry it around? Search high and low for a garbage can? Stash it in your favorite banana tree plant? No, no, and please…no. If you can avoid anything on a stick, all the better.
Criss White writes about babies, pregnancy, and party topics, like how to plan a baby shower menu. For more articles, visit Criss’s website for baby shower ideas and other party planning tips.
Here are 5 foods you probably wouldn’t want to serve at a party:
- While we all love spaghetti and it’s a great crowd pleaser, it’s probably not the best thing to offer guests at a birthday party or baby shower. Who wants to walk around with a plate trying to balance everything while twirling pasta and splattering red sauce all over the place? Besides, if you miss your mouth, you’re liable to make a mess either on you or your hostess’s carpet. It’s best to leave the spaghetti dinner for sit down meals for the family.
- Unless you’re throwing a backyard barbeque-themed party for a birthday boy/girl or a mother-to-be, it’s not a good idea to serve messy barbeque at a party. If you serve ribs, people will have to eat them with their hands, then they’ll need a lot of napkins or wet-naps to clean up. Also, what do you do with the bones? Pulled pork, brisket, and barbequed chicken all have the same problems. While we love these type of foods for the Fourth of July or a big football game, they’re just not conducive to a party setting where people are mingling and/or playing party games.
- The same as above goes for Sloppy Joes. They’re great for dinner with the kids, but they’re called “sloppy” for reason. The meat and juices can fall out of the bun, making it a mess not only for your guests to try and eat (and carry on a conversation), but for the hostess, as well, if you start finding greasy chunks of ground beef in your carpet or furniture.
- Anything that requires cracking, peeling, or shelling. This would include most shellfish. It’s fun to boil up a batch of peel-and-eat shrimp or steam a Maine lobster. However, your guests don’t want to “fight” their food while they’re at a party. You can serve these seafood delights in other formats if you’d like. Just don’t expect party goers to peel, shuck, crack, or shell anything. It’s a mess and who wants to wear a restaurant bib at a party?
- Anything on a skewer. Okay, now this might contradict some of those awesome appetizer recipes you may have come up with. However, meat or vegetables on a stick can cause a problem for your guest. First, they have to hold it. Secondly, they have to gnaw the item off of the skewer, oftentimes with the appetizer sticking to it. Finally, what do they do with the skewer when they’re done? Do they carry it around? Search high and low for a garbage can? Stash it in your favorite banana tree plant? No, no, and please…no. If you can avoid anything on a stick, all the better.
Criss White writes about babies, pregnancy, and party topics, like how to plan a baby shower menu. For more articles, visit Criss’s website for baby shower ideas and other party planning tips.
Decorating Your Cake with Fruit or Other Healthy Toppings
Everyone loves cake on their lips…but not on their hips. Candies and chocolate and icings are full of sugar and fat. Not everyone in attendance at your party will want to indulge on such a treat. You could be stuck with miles of cake or cupcakes that might go to waste because your guests are watching their waist. There are ways to have your cake and actually eat it too when you decorate your cake with fruit or other healthy toppings.
Fruit
Fruit is not only a healthier option than candy cake toppings, it’s also colorful and provides various shapes and textures to your cake. Depending on the theme of your party and the colors that are dominant in your decorations, you can dress up any cake with fresh or dried fruit. Slice strawberries long ways, use wedges of star fruit, sprinkle blueberries or raspberries, or section oranges or mandarins for bright, vivid additions. If you decide to use fruits in a decorative manner on your cake, be aware that fresh fruit will moisten the cake and help it spoil quicker. You’ll also want to make sure that the fruit flavors don’t clash with each other, the cake itself, or any icing you choose to put on it. Stay away from fruits that oxidize too quickly (apples, pears, bananas) as no one wants to eat a cake with wilting brown fruit on top.
Fruit Jams
Have you ever wondered how your bakery gets those fruit-covered tarts to look so shiny and wet with flavor? The secret is…fruit jam. It’s nature’s paint. If you take apricot or raspberry jams, or any other flavors, and heat them in the microwave for a minute or so, it will form this vibrant and delicious glaze that you can dabble over fresh fruit or over a bare cake itself. Get a new paint brush ad become the DiVinci of your kitchen as you slather the sweetness over a pound or angel food cake. Try sugar-free jams to reduce calories even more.
Whipped Toppings
Instead of plopping gobs of fat-laden, sugary-sweet icing on top of a cake, you can use a simple ingredient fresh from your grocer’s freezer: whipped topping. Cool Whip or generic store brands provide a sweety, yet less fattening icing to cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. Replace the heavier frostings with a layer of fat-free or reduced calorie whipped topping. You’ll have to serve the dessert immediately after “icing” to ensure freshness. You won’t miss out on any taste, even though you may save your waist.
Nuts
Nuts provide extra protein for us, so why not toss a handful of chopped favorites onto your next cake. German chocolate cakes slather on walnuts to the icing, but you can do it without the chocolate. Add coconut slivers, almonds, ground peanuts, roasted macadamia, or chopped pecans with your other decorations. Be careful, though, to inform your guests of the nut toppings as some people are allergic to tree nuts and ground nuts. Put a sign out next to your cake as an FYI.
No matter what kind of party you’re hosting, you can find healthy alternatives to top your cake instead of the lardy icing.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys baking for parties and special occasions. With the right baby shower cake sayings, cakes with healthy toppings are one of the best baby shower ideas for your party. Criss also enjoys reading and travel when not writing.
Fruit
Fruit is not only a healthier option than candy cake toppings, it’s also colorful and provides various shapes and textures to your cake. Depending on the theme of your party and the colors that are dominant in your decorations, you can dress up any cake with fresh or dried fruit. Slice strawberries long ways, use wedges of star fruit, sprinkle blueberries or raspberries, or section oranges or mandarins for bright, vivid additions. If you decide to use fruits in a decorative manner on your cake, be aware that fresh fruit will moisten the cake and help it spoil quicker. You’ll also want to make sure that the fruit flavors don’t clash with each other, the cake itself, or any icing you choose to put on it. Stay away from fruits that oxidize too quickly (apples, pears, bananas) as no one wants to eat a cake with wilting brown fruit on top.
Fruit Jams
Have you ever wondered how your bakery gets those fruit-covered tarts to look so shiny and wet with flavor? The secret is…fruit jam. It’s nature’s paint. If you take apricot or raspberry jams, or any other flavors, and heat them in the microwave for a minute or so, it will form this vibrant and delicious glaze that you can dabble over fresh fruit or over a bare cake itself. Get a new paint brush ad become the DiVinci of your kitchen as you slather the sweetness over a pound or angel food cake. Try sugar-free jams to reduce calories even more.
Whipped Toppings
Instead of plopping gobs of fat-laden, sugary-sweet icing on top of a cake, you can use a simple ingredient fresh from your grocer’s freezer: whipped topping. Cool Whip or generic store brands provide a sweety, yet less fattening icing to cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. Replace the heavier frostings with a layer of fat-free or reduced calorie whipped topping. You’ll have to serve the dessert immediately after “icing” to ensure freshness. You won’t miss out on any taste, even though you may save your waist.
Nuts
Nuts provide extra protein for us, so why not toss a handful of chopped favorites onto your next cake. German chocolate cakes slather on walnuts to the icing, but you can do it without the chocolate. Add coconut slivers, almonds, ground peanuts, roasted macadamia, or chopped pecans with your other decorations. Be careful, though, to inform your guests of the nut toppings as some people are allergic to tree nuts and ground nuts. Put a sign out next to your cake as an FYI.
No matter what kind of party you’re hosting, you can find healthy alternatives to top your cake instead of the lardy icing.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys baking for parties and special occasions. With the right baby shower cake sayings, cakes with healthy toppings are one of the best baby shower ideas for your party. Criss also enjoys reading and travel when not writing.
How to Write Your Own Invitation Poem or Sayings
The thought of writing your own invitation poems is probably making you feel excited and a bit embarrassed at the same time. Your own verses will be unique and adding to the originality of the invitation. At the same time, you risk falling into the trap of clichés and inappropriate verses.
Writing your own invitation poems is far less complex than you imagine it to be. All you need is a good idea and the will to experiment and modify your verses. Taking some time to think about it and to write several poems is the best way to come up with a successful invitation poem or saying.
Explore Available Invitation Poems and Sayings
Before you attempt writing your own poems, you should become familiar with styles and ways of expression.
Explore other invitation poems. Browse through various websites. You will discover poems and sayings that have been written for nearly any type of occasion or invitation: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers or family reunions.
See what type of invitation is most appropriate. Is the fun and jolly tone good enough for the type of event you are going to organize? Or maybe you are looking for something more emotional?
You should also pay attention to the length of each line, the overall length of the poem and the words that are used to create the rhymes. You will become familiar with invitation poems and saying and you will feel more comfortable writing your own lines.
It is fine to get influenced by the works of others. If you like a particular poem very much, you can attempt creating something similar. Use your own words to achieve the same style and tone.
What is It that You Want to Express?
Ask yourself one question – what is it that the poem or saying added to the invitation has to achieve?
Knowing what you want to communicate will help you once you start writing. The poem can be just a fun addition that sets the tone. Important information like address, directions and RSVP information can be added beneath.
Usually, invitation poems and verses explain what type of party will be held and if guests are expected to bring a specific gift, participate in some activities or dress in a special way. This creative part of the poem gives people a party preview.
Decide what you want to say, take a deep breath and start writing.
Write Several Poems
Very few people will be able to create the perfect poem from their very first attempt. You may be a lucky one but even if your first attempt is a failure, you should keep on trying.
Once you sit down in front of the computer, you should try to write at least a few poems. Let your thoughts flow. Refrain from censoring yourself or trying to direct your thoughts in a certain direction.
Let it all out. Write until you have said everything you have to say. Once you finish typing, you can begin editing the poems. Delete the ones that you consider to be entirely inappropriate. Others can be used as they are or modified to suit your needs better.
After you finish writing, you should take some time off. Go out for a walk or deal with some household chores. It is important to take your mind away from the writing process. Looking at the poems and sayings after some time has passed will give you a fresh perspective and a chance to be more objective.
Remember to have fun when writing invitation poems and sayings. This is the most important ingredient of the creative process. Your poems will be cute and memorable as long as you put your heart into them.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys coming up with creative poetry ideas for special events, including invitation poems and baby shower cake sayings. For more baby shower ideas and special occasion poem ideas, visit Criss’s website.
Writing your own invitation poems is far less complex than you imagine it to be. All you need is a good idea and the will to experiment and modify your verses. Taking some time to think about it and to write several poems is the best way to come up with a successful invitation poem or saying.
Explore Available Invitation Poems and Sayings
Before you attempt writing your own poems, you should become familiar with styles and ways of expression.
Explore other invitation poems. Browse through various websites. You will discover poems and sayings that have been written for nearly any type of occasion or invitation: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers or family reunions.
See what type of invitation is most appropriate. Is the fun and jolly tone good enough for the type of event you are going to organize? Or maybe you are looking for something more emotional?
You should also pay attention to the length of each line, the overall length of the poem and the words that are used to create the rhymes. You will become familiar with invitation poems and saying and you will feel more comfortable writing your own lines.
It is fine to get influenced by the works of others. If you like a particular poem very much, you can attempt creating something similar. Use your own words to achieve the same style and tone.
What is It that You Want to Express?
Ask yourself one question – what is it that the poem or saying added to the invitation has to achieve?
Knowing what you want to communicate will help you once you start writing. The poem can be just a fun addition that sets the tone. Important information like address, directions and RSVP information can be added beneath.
Usually, invitation poems and verses explain what type of party will be held and if guests are expected to bring a specific gift, participate in some activities or dress in a special way. This creative part of the poem gives people a party preview.
Decide what you want to say, take a deep breath and start writing.
Write Several Poems
Very few people will be able to create the perfect poem from their very first attempt. You may be a lucky one but even if your first attempt is a failure, you should keep on trying.
Once you sit down in front of the computer, you should try to write at least a few poems. Let your thoughts flow. Refrain from censoring yourself or trying to direct your thoughts in a certain direction.
Let it all out. Write until you have said everything you have to say. Once you finish typing, you can begin editing the poems. Delete the ones that you consider to be entirely inappropriate. Others can be used as they are or modified to suit your needs better.
After you finish writing, you should take some time off. Go out for a walk or deal with some household chores. It is important to take your mind away from the writing process. Looking at the poems and sayings after some time has passed will give you a fresh perspective and a chance to be more objective.
Remember to have fun when writing invitation poems and sayings. This is the most important ingredient of the creative process. Your poems will be cute and memorable as long as you put your heart into them.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys coming up with creative poetry ideas for special events, including invitation poems and baby shower cake sayings. For more baby shower ideas and special occasion poem ideas, visit Criss’s website.
How to Make an Ice Cream Cake
You don’t have to visit your local bakery, grocery store, or even specialty ice cream store to get the perfect ice cream cake for your party. Depending on the type of event you’re hosting, you can design your own homemade ice cream cake that will be tastier, more fun, and less expensive than anything you can pick out of a retail freezer. Here’s how you can make an ice cream cake.
What you’ll need…
Cake pan/mold (get one that reflects the theme)
Plastic wrap
Three gallons of ice cream (mix and match your favorites)
Ice cream scoop
Bowl of warm water
Store bought frosting, optional
Fruit or candies for decoration
Cake plate
Let’s say you’re making this ice cream cake for a baby shower or infant’s birthday. You can get a cake mold in the shape of a teddy bear, rocking horse, baby, building blocks, whatever you can find at the store.
Take the cake pan and spread a very large piece of plastic wrap down on the inside of the mold. Press the plastic wrap into the design.
Allow ice cream to soften to room temperature before working with it. Take the first flavor (we’ll say strawberry) and scoop it into the mold until it’s completely full. Smooth out the ice cream. Then, dip the scoop into the warm water and remove the inner parts of the ice cream, leaving only a shell around the edges. Return unused ice cream to the container. Place first layer of ice cream in the freezer for forty-five minutes.
Remove mold and add your second flavor of ice cream (we’ll say chocolate.) Do the same with the second flavor as the first. Once the mold is full, remove the inner portion and return it to the carton, leaving a second shell of chocolate inside the strawberry. Return mold to freezer for another forty-five minutes.
Repeat steps with third flavor (we’ll say vanilla), only fill the entire middle with the remaining flavor. Then let the mold stay in the freezer for two to three hours to get good and solid.
Before you’re ready to serve, remove the ice cream mold from the freezer. Using the loose ends of the plastic wrap, lift it from the mold. This should come out easily. Flip the mold onto a cold cake plate. At this point, you can frost the cake with a store bought frosting or just leave it as it is. You can also spruce it up with candies, cherries, peppermints, drizzles of caramel, chocolate, or strawberry, or any of your other favorite ice cream toppings.
Serve immediately by slicing with a sharp knife dipped in warm water. Your guests will wonder how in the world you managed to make this. They’ll think you’re a culinary genius. You’ll never tell just how easy it was. So whether your are making the cake for a party, like a baby shower or birthday, or just for fun, just follow the simple steps above for a special treat that everyone will love.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys preparing food for parties and special occasions. With the right baby shower cake sayings, ice cream cakes are one of the best baby shower ideas for a summer party. Criss also enjoys reading and travel when not writing.
What you’ll need…
Cake pan/mold (get one that reflects the theme)
Plastic wrap
Three gallons of ice cream (mix and match your favorites)
Ice cream scoop
Bowl of warm water
Store bought frosting, optional
Fruit or candies for decoration
Cake plate
Let’s say you’re making this ice cream cake for a baby shower or infant’s birthday. You can get a cake mold in the shape of a teddy bear, rocking horse, baby, building blocks, whatever you can find at the store.
Take the cake pan and spread a very large piece of plastic wrap down on the inside of the mold. Press the plastic wrap into the design.
Allow ice cream to soften to room temperature before working with it. Take the first flavor (we’ll say strawberry) and scoop it into the mold until it’s completely full. Smooth out the ice cream. Then, dip the scoop into the warm water and remove the inner parts of the ice cream, leaving only a shell around the edges. Return unused ice cream to the container. Place first layer of ice cream in the freezer for forty-five minutes.
Remove mold and add your second flavor of ice cream (we’ll say chocolate.) Do the same with the second flavor as the first. Once the mold is full, remove the inner portion and return it to the carton, leaving a second shell of chocolate inside the strawberry. Return mold to freezer for another forty-five minutes.
Repeat steps with third flavor (we’ll say vanilla), only fill the entire middle with the remaining flavor. Then let the mold stay in the freezer for two to three hours to get good and solid.
Before you’re ready to serve, remove the ice cream mold from the freezer. Using the loose ends of the plastic wrap, lift it from the mold. This should come out easily. Flip the mold onto a cold cake plate. At this point, you can frost the cake with a store bought frosting or just leave it as it is. You can also spruce it up with candies, cherries, peppermints, drizzles of caramel, chocolate, or strawberry, or any of your other favorite ice cream toppings.
Serve immediately by slicing with a sharp knife dipped in warm water. Your guests will wonder how in the world you managed to make this. They’ll think you’re a culinary genius. You’ll never tell just how easy it was. So whether your are making the cake for a party, like a baby shower or birthday, or just for fun, just follow the simple steps above for a special treat that everyone will love.
Criss White is a professional writer and enjoys preparing food for parties and special occasions. With the right baby shower cake sayings, ice cream cakes are one of the best baby shower ideas for a summer party. Criss also enjoys reading and travel when not writing.
5 Physical Activities Pregnant Women Should Avoid
Pregnant women are the vessel for all things that may carry to their unborn child. It’s very important that any mom-to-be take extra care of herself, physically, emotionally, and health-wise. While you’re watching what you eat and the vitamins you take, a pregnant woman also needs to not participate in particular events that may affect the baby.
Here are 5 physical activities pregnant women should avoid.
Thrill seeking – it may seem obvious, but during your pregnancy, you should stay away from any physical activities that raise your heart rate, increases your blood pressure, or puts you in physical danger. It’s best to avoid things like roller coasters, mountain climbing, SCUBA diving, snowboarding, skiing, etc. There’s nothing wrong with moderate exercise, but stay away from the more dare-devil thrills.
Cleaning cat box – while we love our furry friends that live with us, they do carry fleas, ticks, dander, and other possible allergens that could adversely affect your unborn child. During your pregnancy, have your significant other change the cat litter or the flea collar.
Hot tub/sauna – resist the urge to participate in any physical activity that may relax you too much. Hot tubs and saunas can raise the body’s temperature exponentially. Best to avoid this type of activity while pregnant. Also, Reflexology is thought to be something to stay away from, as well, as touch and pulse points on the body could trigger early labor.
Household cleaning – pregnant women don’t have to avoid cleaning altogether, but should evade cleaning products that may contain warning labels with words like “poison” or “dangerous” or “harmful.” Good old ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda can handle most home cleaning challenges. Or, have your partner take over the household chores during your pregnancy.
Excessing sun exposure – it’s best if you stay out of direct sunlight and avoid sunburn. Also, you should stay away from tanning beds and tanning booths that direct UV rays at your body. You don’t have to forgo that summer beach trip, but avoid overheating by staying under an umbrella or cabana. The better you feel, the better your baby will feel.
And the best advice during your pregnancy is to talk to your doctor, be open and honest, and let him/her know your exercise regime, diet, and any other life changes that could affect your baby. Always get your doctor’s advice first and foremost.
Criss White is a professional writer that writes about pregnancy and other party planning topics like food for baby shower parties and other baby shower ideas. Criss enjoys hosting parties and cooking when not writing.
Here are 5 physical activities pregnant women should avoid.
Thrill seeking – it may seem obvious, but during your pregnancy, you should stay away from any physical activities that raise your heart rate, increases your blood pressure, or puts you in physical danger. It’s best to avoid things like roller coasters, mountain climbing, SCUBA diving, snowboarding, skiing, etc. There’s nothing wrong with moderate exercise, but stay away from the more dare-devil thrills.
Cleaning cat box – while we love our furry friends that live with us, they do carry fleas, ticks, dander, and other possible allergens that could adversely affect your unborn child. During your pregnancy, have your significant other change the cat litter or the flea collar.
Hot tub/sauna – resist the urge to participate in any physical activity that may relax you too much. Hot tubs and saunas can raise the body’s temperature exponentially. Best to avoid this type of activity while pregnant. Also, Reflexology is thought to be something to stay away from, as well, as touch and pulse points on the body could trigger early labor.
Household cleaning – pregnant women don’t have to avoid cleaning altogether, but should evade cleaning products that may contain warning labels with words like “poison” or “dangerous” or “harmful.” Good old ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda can handle most home cleaning challenges. Or, have your partner take over the household chores during your pregnancy.
Excessing sun exposure – it’s best if you stay out of direct sunlight and avoid sunburn. Also, you should stay away from tanning beds and tanning booths that direct UV rays at your body. You don’t have to forgo that summer beach trip, but avoid overheating by staying under an umbrella or cabana. The better you feel, the better your baby will feel.
And the best advice during your pregnancy is to talk to your doctor, be open and honest, and let him/her know your exercise regime, diet, and any other life changes that could affect your baby. Always get your doctor’s advice first and foremost.
Criss White is a professional writer that writes about pregnancy and other party planning topics like food for baby shower parties and other baby shower ideas. Criss enjoys hosting parties and cooking when not writing.
Planning for a Family Reunion on the Beach
You’ve been chosen to arrange a family reunion at the beach and need to know how to pull it off. Not a problem. It’s all about organizing, attention details, and planning ahead. Reunions are fun and festive and a great time to catch up with those relatives you’ve lost touch with and see how cousins have grown up. The key is to plan something that will appeal to the group as a whole for fun and fellowship.
Here are some great tips for planning a family reunion, party, or vacation on the beach.
Location, location, location
So you know everyone wants to have the reunion at the beach. How do you choose the right one? Take a look at where your family and relatives are scattered about. What beaches are close to the majority of people? Where is some place that a lot of people have wanted to visit? What beaches aren’t overrun with crowds or partiers that would be best for your event? You can even choose a beach close to you for convenience in the planning process.
Banquet Space
Once you choose the specific location, you need to find an ideal space to host your reunion. You can look at banquet space in a hotel, VFW halls, churches, etc., but since you’re at the beach, why not build the theme into the party space? Visit local restaurants that might be on the beach or overlooking the water. Price out options where your family can watch utilize the beach setting for volleyball or cooking out during the day and watching the sunset or stars at night. Be sure you write out all of your requirements (bar, menu, music, handicapped accessibility, bathrooms, etc.) so you can interview venues to find the best possible one for your reunion. Have a backup indoor location in the event of rain or inclement weather.
Accommodations
Contact a beach hotel in your location of choice and speak to the sales department. Negotiate a room block and reduced rate for your group. Don’t over-promise filling rooms. It’s always better to error on the lower end to fill the block of space. Get quotes from several hotels and, if needed, play them off each other if you’re trying to get into a particular space. Find out what amenities are offered for extra benefit like free parking, breakfast included, a pool, free wi-fi.
Invitations
Pick an invitation with a beach theme to relay what’s in store for your family. Send out a “save the date” card so everyone knows it’s coming up. Then, follow-up with the formal invitation two months before the event. Keep a spreadsheet of who is or isn’t coming to help with your headcount and activities you’re planning.
Food, Decorations, Entertainment
Depending on the venue you go with, you’ll want to decide on food that will satisfy the majority of appetites in your family. Be sensitive to those with food allergies or issues such as lactose intolerance, diabetes, vegan, or vegetarian. Talk to the banquet manager to see what decorations they will provide. Most restaurants will include linens of some sort and candles. Bring your own items to spruce up the space with the beach theme – a surfboard, flippers and snorkel, sea shells, nets, sand, sea creatures, etc. Play up the decorations and have fun with it. Also, look into hiring some sort of entertainment for the evening festivities. Consider a DJ or a live band. Again, work with your beach theme to make the party sparkle. Get everyone dancing, doing the limbo, or joining in one of those crazy line dances.
Finally, arrive at the beach ahead of everyone else to make sure everything is in place and ready to go. Remember, no family is perfect and there will be people who complain about this, that, or the other. Your job as the planner is to keep things moving, shine a smile brightly, and make sure people have fun. Stay at the beach an extra day or two to pamper yourself for a job well done. So whether you are just getting together with family, having a baby shower or special event, or just want to get away for awhile, just remember these tips for your next beach trip.
Criss White is a professional writer that writes about food and other party planning topics like food for baby shower parties and other baby shower ideas. Criss enjoys hosting parties and cooking when not writing.
Here are some great tips for planning a family reunion, party, or vacation on the beach.
Location, location, location
So you know everyone wants to have the reunion at the beach. How do you choose the right one? Take a look at where your family and relatives are scattered about. What beaches are close to the majority of people? Where is some place that a lot of people have wanted to visit? What beaches aren’t overrun with crowds or partiers that would be best for your event? You can even choose a beach close to you for convenience in the planning process.
Banquet Space
Once you choose the specific location, you need to find an ideal space to host your reunion. You can look at banquet space in a hotel, VFW halls, churches, etc., but since you’re at the beach, why not build the theme into the party space? Visit local restaurants that might be on the beach or overlooking the water. Price out options where your family can watch utilize the beach setting for volleyball or cooking out during the day and watching the sunset or stars at night. Be sure you write out all of your requirements (bar, menu, music, handicapped accessibility, bathrooms, etc.) so you can interview venues to find the best possible one for your reunion. Have a backup indoor location in the event of rain or inclement weather.
Accommodations
Contact a beach hotel in your location of choice and speak to the sales department. Negotiate a room block and reduced rate for your group. Don’t over-promise filling rooms. It’s always better to error on the lower end to fill the block of space. Get quotes from several hotels and, if needed, play them off each other if you’re trying to get into a particular space. Find out what amenities are offered for extra benefit like free parking, breakfast included, a pool, free wi-fi.
Invitations
Pick an invitation with a beach theme to relay what’s in store for your family. Send out a “save the date” card so everyone knows it’s coming up. Then, follow-up with the formal invitation two months before the event. Keep a spreadsheet of who is or isn’t coming to help with your headcount and activities you’re planning.
Food, Decorations, Entertainment
Depending on the venue you go with, you’ll want to decide on food that will satisfy the majority of appetites in your family. Be sensitive to those with food allergies or issues such as lactose intolerance, diabetes, vegan, or vegetarian. Talk to the banquet manager to see what decorations they will provide. Most restaurants will include linens of some sort and candles. Bring your own items to spruce up the space with the beach theme – a surfboard, flippers and snorkel, sea shells, nets, sand, sea creatures, etc. Play up the decorations and have fun with it. Also, look into hiring some sort of entertainment for the evening festivities. Consider a DJ or a live band. Again, work with your beach theme to make the party sparkle. Get everyone dancing, doing the limbo, or joining in one of those crazy line dances.
Finally, arrive at the beach ahead of everyone else to make sure everything is in place and ready to go. Remember, no family is perfect and there will be people who complain about this, that, or the other. Your job as the planner is to keep things moving, shine a smile brightly, and make sure people have fun. Stay at the beach an extra day or two to pamper yourself for a job well done. So whether you are just getting together with family, having a baby shower or special event, or just want to get away for awhile, just remember these tips for your next beach trip.
Criss White is a professional writer that writes about food and other party planning topics like food for baby shower parties and other baby shower ideas. Criss enjoys hosting parties and cooking when not writing.
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