Party Planning Ideas

Turning 40 is certainly a milestone, but it's one that elicits a wide range of emotions. Still, the occasion needs to be celebrated! If you know someone special who is about to enter their fifth decade, why not take the time to plan an incredible and unforgettable shindig?

It's safe to say most guys are comfortable with turning a year older. Because of this, you may want to infuse the event with fun, humorous jokes. For instance, why not purchase a number of balloons with phrases such as "Over the Hill" or "Old Man" on them? Small details like this are bound to elicit scores of laughs from party attendees.

Women, of course, can be a bit more sensitive about the big 4-0. If this is the case, you'll want to find scores of birthday party favors that highlight her interests but keep her new age secret. Personalized candy wrappers are a fantastic idea, but try to emblazon them with images of the birthday lady as opposed to those terrifying two digits.

Birthday parties are a great way for your little one to live out his or her dream for a day. And what little girl doesn't dream of being flung into her storybooks? For your daughter's next birthday, make that wish come true and throw her a fairytale fiesta!

On the invitations, encourage guests to dress up as their favorite princess. Use either an inexpensive red sheet or a few strands of red streamer to represent a red carpet. Place it out along the front steps and watch as your guests beam when they arrive. You'll want to lay a pink or purple cloth over the dining table and sprinkle glitter and confetti over it.

A fun variation on pin the tail on the donkey is put the slipper on Cinderella. Print out a pair of glass slippers for each guest and have them try to place them on a blown-up picture of the princess.

Some party favor ideas include personalized candy wrappers for each "princess" in attendance or individual bubble containers. There are lots of small fairytale-themed items out there, so get creative!

As your child starts getting older, he or she is going to start asking about sleepovers. What was once a source of tears and late-night pickups is now an anticipated and begged-for rite of passage. It's almost inevitable that your little one will soon be asking throwing a birthday slumber party! Here are some tips to help the children while away the night.

Birthday party favors like flashlights and small teddy bears can follow the theme. More personalized gifts, such as a child-sized nightcap, is sure to be adored by all. These are surprisingly affordable, between three and six dollars a pop.

If the weather is nice, take the kids to the backyard for a game of flashlight tag! For safety, you can turn on some outdoor lights, but make sure they can still play. A campfire will capture little imaginations in a jiffy, and who doesn't love s'mores?

It might be tempting, but you'll want to avoid scary stories, especially if you've got a younger crowd. Kids have a great time getting spooked out but there's always one who can't sleep, meaning you'll have to make an apologetic phone call in the middle of the night if you aren't careful.

As your child starts getting older, he or she is going to start asking about sleepovers. What was once a source of tears and late-night pickups is now an anticipated and begged-for rite of passage. It's almost inevitable that your little one will soon be asking throwing a birthday slumber party! Here are some tips to help the children while away the night.

Birthday party favors like flashlights and small teddy bears can follow the theme. More personalized gifts, such as a child-sized nightcap, is sure to be adored by all. These are surprisingly affordable, between three and six dollars a pop.

If the weather is nice, take the kids to the backyard for a game of flashlight tag! For safety, you can turn on some outdoor lights, but make sure they can still play. A campfire will capture little imaginations in a jiffy, and who doesn't love s'mores?

It might be tempting, but you'll want to avoid scary stories, especially if you've got a younger crowd. Kids have a great time getting spooked out but there's always one who can't sleep, meaning you'll have to make an apologetic phone call in the middle of the night if you aren't careful.

If you're throwing a dinner party where a lot of your guests are meeting for the first time, it can be difficult to get the entire group talking. Of course, you want everyone to feel comfortable with each other in order to avoid a quiet, awkward meal, so have your guests play a couple of these games before dinner starts to get all party attendees familiar with each other.

The classic Lie Detector game is a great way to get things going. The rules are simple: your guests take turns coming up with three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is false. The rest of you vote on which one you think is a lie. This is a great way to get everyone to provide some quick and interesting information about themselves!

For something a bit more competitive, the "No Game" is an exciting way to zap some conversation into a party. Give each of your guests some kind of trinket, like a lei or a fake mustache. If they get someone else to say the word "no," that person has to give up their trinket. If you give away personalized gifts with names on them, it adds another layer as everyone can easily see who outsmarted who. As the game goes on, the things the losers will say to get the winners to utter "no" get pretty wacky!