Birthday Party Resources

There is a ton of useful material available online for planning parties. Birthday parties are no exception.

Planning tools, printable invitations, activities, menus and party favor ideas are just a few of the many free resources available to help you plan and execute an awesome birthday party for any age.

Some of the best creative ideas and resources I found are available at the following sites.


About.com: Family Crafts
Free, Printable Birthday Supplies and Decorations
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/holidaypartyprintables/a/birthdayprint.htm


Party Saviors
25 Party Ideas with an invitation, scene, activities, prizes, party favors, menu, beverages and music suggestions for each party theme. Includes several birthday party themes.
http://www.partysaviors.com/Parties.aspx


Gimp
Awesome, Free Image Manipulation Program – Highly recommend this free software for anyone that enjoys creating their own graphics, editing photos, etc. Who needs the expensive Adobe program? Not me, I prefer to use this free editor for all my business and personal image editing.
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/


Lemonade by Laura Lamond
Party Ideas and Activities by Theme with Planning Tips
http://www.greensim.com/lemonade/parties.html


PartyBluPrints Blog
Ideas and Inspiration for Celebrating Life – Party Ideas
http://www.partybluprintsblog.com/category/party-themes


Pinatas
Party Supplies for All Occasions
http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3717050-811055


PartyPop
Birthday Party Theme Ideas and Tips for All Ages
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/


BuyCostumes
Party Supplies and Birthday Party Kits
http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3717050-5021361


ShopChristi.com
Personalized Gifts, Jewelry, Party Favors and Supplies for All Ages
http://www.shopchristi.com/
or http://www.shopchristi.com/birthday.html for birthday theme category.


I hope you find this information helpful. I often tweet about this type of information on my twitter page at http://twitter.com/shopchristi. Follow me on twitter for the latest information on cooking, crafts, decorating, party ideas, shopping suggestions and lots more.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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Anniversary Celebration Ideas

My husband and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in May of this year.  It is hard to believe.  The time seems to fly by so fast.  I want to make it extra special for both of us.  I found some really good information on planning a romantic evening without breaking the bank, finding gifts for both him and her, traditional wedding gift ideas and more.  If you're planning an anniversary celebration for yourself, your parents or friends or attending an anniversary party, it's well worth your time to check out the following websites. 


Anniversary Idea Blog
"Stuck for an Anniversary Idea? - 7 Unique Ways to Celebrate Your Day" http://www.anniversaryideablog.com/
Creative, fun and inexpensive anniversary date ideas.


Sweet Love Gifts
"Sweet Romantic Anniversary Ideas"
http://www.best-wedding-anniversary-gift-ideas.com/romantic-anniversary-idea.html
Inexpensive, romantic gift ideas for each other.


Alicia Crowder, Featured on ShopChristi.com
"Get Her a Great Anniversary Present"
http://www.shopchristi.com/gethergranpr.html
For men: How to shop for a great anniversary gift


ChristianBlog.com
"Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts"
http://www.christianblog.com/blog/greybear/anniversary-gift-ideas/
List of appropriate gifts by year.


Stew Leonard's
World Famous Gift Baskets. Fresh and Delicious. Satisfaction Guaranteed.
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-3717050-10508569
From healthy to sweet, this site has gifts for the happy couple, including: gourmet gifts, fresh fruit, fresh baked, gift towers, popcorn & munchies, gourmet meats, and wine gifts.


Anniversary Gift Idea
"Romantic Anniversary Gift"
http://www.anniversary-gift-idea.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/romantic-anniversary-gift/
Great information pertaining to men buying gifts for her.


ShopChristi.com
Anniversary Gifts, Party Favors and Supplies perfect for 25th Anniversary, 50th Anniversary or any anniversary celebration!
http://www.shopchristi.com/anniversary.html
This is my online gift shop.  Enter coupon code: BUYNOW for a 10% discount!


MyWeddingFavors.com
Find hundreds of elegant and unusual favors - 100% guaranteed low price!
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-3717050-10387236
Large variety of party favors for Anniversary parties.


Anniversaries are a time for celebration and romance! Whether it is your one year anniversary, 10th anniversary or 50th anniversary, you'll both want it to be extra special.

I hope you find this information helpful. I often tweet about this type of information on my twitter page at http://twitter.com/shopchristi. Follow me on twitter for the latest information on cooking, crafts, decorating, party ideas, shopping suggestions and lots more.



My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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Taco and Spanish Rice Cooking Adventure Success - Recipes Included

Mexican food is my absolute favorite. I've always wanted to know how to make authentic Spanish rice. After years of making Spanish or taco rice from a package, I decided to attempt my own recipe. Why stop there? Why not attempt my own taco recipe too? So last night I tried both.

If I do say so myself, the rice and tacos were awesome! I simply could not believe that it worked. The Spanish rice turned out just like my favorite Mexican restaurants. The tacos were mouth watering. My hubby loved it too!

Tonight, I created supreme nachos with the leftovers. The nachos were quick and easy to whip up since I did all the work the night before. All in all, one night's adventure created two tasty, inexpensive meals!


TACO MEAT RECIPE

2 lbs. hamburger meat (ground chuck works great)
1 onion (diced small)
1/2 bell pepper (diced small)
can of diced tomatoes
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
pinch of chili powder
salt
pepper


Combine hamburger meat, onion and bell pepper with seasonings in a skillet.

Cook on medium-high heat until well browned.

Drain in colander and serve.


SPANISH RICE RECIPE

2 cups cooked rice
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
pinch of chili powder
2 tablespoons picante sauce
salt
pepper


Use the taco meat skillet drippings for extra flavor.

Melt butter in skillet.

Add rice, seasonings and picante sauce.

Cook on medium-high heat until the desired crispness is achieved.


ENJOY!

I hope you find this information helpful. I often tweet about this type of information on my twitter page at http://twitter.com/shopchristi. Follow me on twitter for the latest information on cooking, crafts, decorating, party ideas, shopping suggestions and lots more.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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Favorite Web Links for Crafts, Decorating & Recipes

Crafts, decorating and cooking are a few of my favorite past times.  I spend a good amount of time searching the web for new and fun craft ideas, decorating projects and recipes.  It is time to share some of my best finds with you.  I recommend you check out the following websites for helpful information:


CRAFTY WEBSITES

FamilyCrafts.About.com - http://familycrafts.about.com/ - This is my all time favorite craft site!  Free crafts for kids and fun family craft projects and activity ideas.  Featured Writer: Sherri Osborn, About.com Guide to Family Crafts.  My boys' and I made several of the craft projects on this site.  It provides excellent instructions that are easy to follow.

Crafts.Suite101.com - http://www.crafts.suite101.com/ - If you're looking for new & unique craft ideas, along with a few old favorites, Suite101.com is the place to find them.  Feature Writer: Lauren Flanagan
 
ActivityVilliage.co.uk - http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/index.htm - "Welcome to Activity Village, where parents, teachers and children will find coloring pages, kids crafts, home school resources, puzzles, printables, jigsaws, sudoku for kids and much, much more ... Now over 5000 pages of activities for kids!"  This is an awesome resource for anyone with children.
 
Celebrations.com - http://www.celebrations.com/ - Fabulous parties made easy!  Creative ideas and tips for crafting an awesome party.
 
KidsCrafts.Suite101.com - http://kidscrafts.suite101.com/ - Great site for kid craft ideas to occupy your little crafter or to turn a rainy afternoon into a fun crafty experience for the family!  Featured Writer: Susan Caplan
 
MyCraftCorner.com - http://www.mycraftcorner.com/ - "At My Craft Corner we are building a thriving online community to encourage and support crafters whether they craft for fun or profit!"
 
CreateForLess.com - http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-3717050-10286113 - Awesome site for craft supplies!  "50,000 brand name craft, sewing & scrapbooking supplies at 30-50% below retail."
 
S&S Worldwide - http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-3717050-10436725 - Great site for kid's arts and craft supplies, craft kits, games and party supplies.
 
 
DECORATING WEBSITES
 
About.com: Interior Decorating - http://interiordec.about.com/ - This is my go to website for anything pertaining to decorating.  It includes DIY projects, creative ideas on a budget and tutorials for decorating. 
 
StyleAtHome.com - http://www.styleathome.com/ - Decorating, organizing, projects, recipes and lots more helpful ideas for the home.  
 
CanvasonDemand.com - http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-3717050-10682542 - They will turn your digital photographs into gorgeous works of art.  Unique and creative way to decorate your home.
 
GalleryDirect.com - http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-3717050-10713541 - Affordable contemporary art for everyone!
 
 
COOKING RECIPE WEBSITES 
 
Eat Well Save Money Recipes - http://www.eat-well-save-money-recipes.com/ - "Italian Cooking Recipes to help you Eat Well, Save Money, and Be Happy" - My hubby is Italian.  I love to find new recipes on this site.
 
CDKitchen.com - http://www.cdkitchen.com/ - Love this site for it's large variety of recipes.  It includes kid-friendly recipes, desserts and many more mouth watering ideas.  I cooked several of these recipes myself.  All were delicious!
 
Great Party Recipes - http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/party-recipes-blog.html - "Finding the right party recipes, ideas, and tips at the right time is like finding gold nuggets. The Party Recipes Blog presents exactly what you need when you need it."
 
Pillsbury Baking - http://www.pillsburybaking.com/ - This site is great for fun and easy recipes!
 
Teaching-Tiny-Tots.com - http://www.teaching-tiny-tots.com/toddler-recipes.html - Excellent resource for toddler recipes, fun activities and crafts.  My boys' and I made the chocolate covered pretzels for Christmas.  They turned out awesome.  We packaged them in clear bags with ribbon for gifts to our friends and neighbors.
 
 
I hope you find these links helpful.  I often tweet about this type of information on my twitter page at http://twitter.com/shopchristi.  Follow me on twitter for the latest information on cooking, crafts, decorating, party ideas, shopping suggestions and lots more. 
 
My website is www.ShopChristi.com.  Check it out!

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