PARTY THEME: HOST A SPRING PLANTING PARTY AND BUILD A GARDEN!

Martie Duncan March 31, 2015

Need a great party plan for SPRING? When the weather starts to get warm, most of us are ready to freshen up outdoor spaces or get the garden started after a long winter. My Planting Party is one of my very favorite party ideas. It is not only fun- my number one criteria for a party- but it's also a great way to get kids and adults together to grow vegetables which will result in greater interest in healthier eating and the benefits will continue to grow and grow! Any occasion is right for a planting party: a birthday, wedding, bridal shower or wedding party at your house, neighborhood party, family reunion, or community garden day. You really don't need a reason to host a planting party. It's one of those do-good, feel good types of parties that I love!

Other dates to consider are Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (the last week of April in most states) coming up and Mother's Day. Wouldn't it be wonderful to makeover your mom's patio or yard with some colorful new flowering or vegetable plants? Get my ideas for a spring yard makeover get-together...

GETTING STARTED

Many schools, youth organizations, and neighborhoods are growing community gardens. But if you don't have that movement happening in your area, start one! You don't need a lot of people. You can start small. Ask a couple of neighbors to participate and split the cost and the responsibilities of maintenance.

hosting a planting party for a community garden

how to build a community garden or host a planting party

There are plenty of sites with information on community gardens including tips on everything from getting started to funding. First you'll need a site. Once you have that, the rest is easy.

AMERICAN COMMUNITY GARDENING ASSOCIATION

URBAN HARVEST

ABC NEWS: HOW TO START A COMMUNITY GARDEN

THE PARTY PLAN

Think old-timey barn raising-- remember when neighbors would help a family build a barn? Friends would show up with tools and the barn would go up. The family would feed the guests or everyone would bring pot-luck. This is the same premise. Invite friends to come build a garden or plant an existing space.

GUEST LIST

If it is a community garden, invite the neighbors who will want to share in the chores and in the results. Start small; with one or two families. Once the garden is established, you can add to it each year and the planting party becomes an annual event.

If it is your own backyard garden, promise friends some of the harvest in return for lunch and a fun day outside. If the party is for a birthday or Mother's Day, guests can bring plants as gifts or contribute to a fund to supply them.

SUPPLIES

Provide all the tools you will need to plant and ask guests to bring what they have, too. You will want to have the ground tilled and prepared before guests arrive. Tillers can be rented in many home improvement or equipment rental stores. You will want to have a "survival kit" for guests including sunscreen, bug spray, wipes, bandanas, and inexpensive gardening gloves. You can find all of these supplies at the dollar store.

FOOD AND DRINKS

The host provides lunch and plenty of cold beverages. Keep it simple. Offer a picnic menu of sandwiches, a chilled salad, some fruit, and some homemade treats. My salad in a jar is perfect for a quick lunch on work day. You can prep in advance and store in the fridge or a cooler until it's time to eat. Put the dressing in the bottom of the jar. Guests simply shake it up and grab a fork. Get the how-to for my salad in a jar...

Have some Popsicles on hand for a mid-afternoon treat and for the adults, my Sangria Pops are refreshing and fun. Get the recipe for my Sangria Popsicles...

A big dispenser with chilled water, lemonade, and/or Sweet Tea (I'm from the South where Sweet Tea is essential) will keep everyone hydrated and happy. Plus, the serve-yourself option always makes hostess duties easier. Or, if you don't have a large dispenser, fill up a tub, wheelbarrow, or large planter with ice and chill your favorite beverages. I personally like the wheelbarrow because you can move it around easier. As the sun shifts, you can move the drinks into the shade so the ice won't melt.

DECORATIONS

While not mandatory, decorations certainly make the event more festive. Look at the pretty decorations from our own Garden Makeover party. Garden supplies that guests can take home after the party are a great idea. I love these colorful ceramic toadstools from JJ Potts. You don't have to set the table if you have a big crowd- just let everyone serve themselves. The place settings look fancy but they are paper or melamine- very easy for clean up afterwards.

Neutral colored painter's dropcloths found at the hardware store make an easy tablecloth (even the edges are hemmed) and your flowers for the garden can be used as a centerpiece.

PARTY THEME: PLAN A GIRLS NIGHT ‘IN’ PAJAMA PARTY!

Martie Duncan May 31, 2014

NEED A BREAK? CALL THE GIRLS FOR A PAJAMA PARTY COMPLETE WITH ALL YOUR FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURES!

Photography: Arden Ward, Arden Photography

You’ve shuttled the kids, cleaned up after the new puppy, crammed for a test, put up with some real pain in the neck at work, and/or got your heart stomped on yet again. Your whole attitude needs an overhaul. There’s nothing better than a night with the girls to kick back, relax, and talk it over. Instead of going out on the town, why not stay “in” and indulge in all of the guilty pleasures you don’t get to enjoy very often? Junk food favorites, gossip magazines, Sex in the City, Desperate Housewives, and Cosmopolitans were on the agenda for this party but your gang can design your own brand of fun. Cooking, cards, karaoke, or your favorite cheesy romantic comedies can be the cornerstone for your girls night in party. Everyone can wear their pajamas and come ready to relax!

FOOD

Mini Cheeseburgers and Pigs in a Blanket are so easy, you don’t need a recipe. Nachos are always a hit but cheese or chocolate fondue is even better. Ask everyone to bring their favorite guilty pleasure treat but double check with everyone to make sure you don’t end up with four plates of Rice Krispy treats.

MAKE A LUSH CANDY DISPLAY OF HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TREATS PLUS FAVORITE CANDY IN YOUR PARTY COLORS

OLD SCHOOL PIGS IN BLANKETS ARE EASY AND ALWAYS A FAV

SLIDERS ARE SIMPLE TO MAKE OR YOU CAN GET THEM FROM YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT.

FONDUE IS FUN-DO! WHITE AND DARK CHOCOLATE FONDUE IS SIMPLE AND DECADENT. DIP FRUIT, MARSHMALLOWS, OR BITES OF CAKE, ETC

DRINKS

Serve a signature cocktail or drinks that fit the theme for the evening. Since Sex in the City was on the agenda for our party, Cosmopolitans were on the menu. Rim each glass with pink sugar found in the cake icing section for a festive touch. Pre-mix a large pitcher of your signature drink so you don’t have to play bartender all night. That way, you only have to refill the serving pitcher when necessary.

SOMETHING PINK DRINK BAR WITH COSMOS, SPARKLING ROSE,  AND INDIVIDUAL BOTTLES OF ITALIAN SPARKLING SODA — SOMETHING PINK DRINK BAR WITH COSMOS, SPARKLING ROSE, AND INDIVIDUAL BOTTLES OF ITALIAN SPARKLING SODA

Get my recipe for a classic Cosmopolitan.

DECORATIONS

Put out lots of pillows, throws and comfy blankets so guests can cuddle up on the coach to watch the movie. You don’t have to go to a lot of trouble for decorations, just use the food and drinks to dress up the table. Colorful candies and treats in one color can be used as decorations by displaying them in clear bowls and vases. Lollipop sticks from the craft store make a doughnut or marshmallow sculpture to add height and interest to your table. Grab a bouquet of flowers in your party colors at the grocery and pull it apart to use in assorted vases. For an informal party like this one, use stylish paper plates and napkins to cut down on clean up.

ADDING LOTS OF HEIGHT AND DIFFERENT TEXTURES MAKES ANY BUFFET LOOK BETTER

USING CRAFT STICKS FOR SKEWERS GIVES VISUAL INTEREST AND HELPS GUESTS TAKE ONE EASILY...

I ALWAYS USE MY FOOD AS DECORATIONS WITH A SIMPLE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT LIKE THESE HOT PINK GERBERA DAISIES TO PULL IT TOGETHER — I ALWAYS USE MY FOOD AS DECORATIONS WITH A SIMPLE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT LIKE THESE HOT PINK GERBERA DAISIES TO PULL IT TOGETHER

MAKE ANY STORE BOUGHT BOUQUET LOOK EXPENSIVE BY PULLING IT APART AND PUTTING IT IN SOMETHING UNEXPECTED LIKE THIS CANDLE HOLDER

ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to watching your favorite movies, you can easily make and watch your own! Use pictures of your past good times and make your own movie using an app or software. With iMovie, you can even do this on your iPhone or iPad. Add your favorite tunes from back in the day as a soundtrack.

GUILTY PLEASURE FUN: ASK ALL THE GIRLS TO BRING FAVORITE GOSSIP OR FASHION MAGAZINES TO SHARE

Call the gang and treat yourselves to a girls’ night IN party; it’s a chocolate covered attitude adjustment just when you needed it!

SUMMER FUN: HOW TO MAKE A S’MORES BAR!

Martie Duncan May 14, 2014

Want to add a little DIY fun to any outdoor party or just make some memories on a summer night? Build a S’mores bar! It’s really easy to create some old school fun… and who doesn’t love S’mores?

S'mores Bar design for a large party or wedding

S'mores Bar for a large party or wedding

First question: what kind of party are you having? Casual? Elegant? Don’t worry. You can create a S’mores bar with unique ingredients to suit the style and theme of your party. Use containers and vessels to suit the decor and mood of your event. Since this one was very rustic, we used wood, tin and burlap to decorate the table and display all of the toppings.

Make a S'mores bar for your weekend get-togethers!

Add different toppings to your S'mores Bar

I like to make the marshmallows easy to reach so I create a little “sculpture” with them. For roasting, use something you can put into the fire— wooden skewers work well, but only if you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes first so they don’t burn up. Since you are using skewers or pointed objects, make sure you have adult supervision when you have children on the guest list.

Select ingredients that will suit your menu. Traditional s’mores ingredients include: Hershey bars, graham crackers, and Jet-puffed marshmallows. New twists include: Nutella chocolate hazlenut spread, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, raspberries, coconut toasted marshmallows or peanut butter. Add different types of cookies: Biscoff, Almond Thins, and ginger snaps are all good choices but any flat cookie will work.

Now, simply toast up your marshmallows to the desired degree of doneness. I don’t like mine too burnt, but I know some of you do. Spread Nutella on your cookie. Layer sliced strawberries or raspberries. Add your toasted marshmallows and top with another cookie spread with Nutella. Your guests will love this variation on a campout classic!