Fifteen Minute Friday

So today I had to come home from work. I was just to sick to try and make it through the day. I stayed in bed ALL day long....except for trips to the bathroom. The house is a wreck...I'm having company one week from today and my energy is GONE.  Isn't that the way it always seems.

It's time for a SUPER plan.

First and foremost, I have been staying up WAY to late...bed at 9:00 or 10:00 is a must!  I waste a lot of time later at night on the computer because it is hard to shut my brain down. I am more of a night person than a morning person but when you have to get up early you can't afford to miss even that one hour of sleep! It's time for a regular bedtime.!!!

Tomorrow it's time for a delegation plan....what hubby can do and what my daughter can do...laid out very plainly for the week ahead. Even if they don't get it perfect...I can add some last minute touch ups and it's better than starting from square one.

Also tomorrow if I feel better, it's time for lists and a food plan. What do I till need? What will I pick up last minute?


Sunday it will be time to plan the table setting, locate the items I need for that and have them stashed somewhere handy or Friday evening.

Last but not least...it's time to remind myself WHY I like entertaining and focus on the love of family and friends. That's always and energy boost!

My theme is You Put the Sun in my Sunflower.....so somewhere along the way I need that bouquet of sunflowers or the centerpiece!!  Wish me luck!  Hopefully I'll be back next week with some pictures of the dinner party.

Frugal Friday: The Casino Party

Hosting a party can be a costly adventure but it doesn't HAVE to be! You can have some awesome decorations and great food with a little advanced planning. Today I want to share some of the pcitures from our recent Casino/Vegas party!

Sometimes the little details can make a party "pop". Since the party was casino/Vegas I used lots of cards (Dollar Tree ...two packs for a buck)  I used them in a variety of ways and places. Above you see a couple framed cards. (Dollar Tree frames...a dollar each....and I can just reuse them! Or remove pics from some you have and replace them with cards!)

You really can't get the full effect of this decoration from this picture. We used red and black curling ribbon and huing dozens of cards from the ceiling. It looked neat when you were standing in the room under all of them.

Here's another use for the cards....We created a backdrop for our table. Paper money (one package from Dollar Tree was more than enough. The bills were very large and in different denominations) and cards played a central role in our garland.

Another view of the table...(without any food). I used a basic black and red theme. Table cloth, napkins plates and plasticwear...all in red and black from the Dollar Tree. The tiered plates are something I already have. I like to use the tiered holder and add whatever colored plates work for the event I'm hosting! This adds a little height to the table and can double as a centerpiece.

To add some varying height to the table I created this "big money" dish using a roll of toilet paper and taping the big money around it! Add a plate and viola....a cute seriving dish!  The mints are wrapped in dollar bill like wrappers. (Dollar store...a dollar a bag!)

I also used dice from the dollar store but I forgot to toss them on the table before taking a picture.  I bought tickets from Dollar Tree also so everyone got a ticket entered into the drawing when they arrived. We drew for prizes through out the night. Some of them came from Dollar Tree and I also purchased lottery tickets that people could roll dice and try to win!

The BIG MONEY glasses were one of the prizes from the ticket drawings.....bought at the Dollar Tree for a dollar.....aren't they funny!

My grandson Evan wore this white t shirt with SECURITY printed across the back!

So there you have it ....my Dollar Tree decor for the casino party...We also set up poker and black jack tables. We had a betting jar for people to pay a dollar and try to guess how many rocks were in the jar...closest one won....all of 12 dollars....but it was still fun, easy, and cheap to set up. I printed the little tickets (where they wrote their guess) off the computer!

Entertaining is so much fun and doesn't have to bust your budget!

Summer Fun with V8

V Fusion by V8 comes in seven delicious flavors: Strawberry Banana, Peach Mango, Pomegranate Blueberry, Acai Mixed Berry, Cranberry Blackberry, Goji Raspberry, and  Grape Raspberry. Yummy flavors for some summer fun!

Make some freezer pops with these and give your kids some healthy freezer pops instead of ones choked full of sugar!  They're low in sodium and no high fructose corn syrup or added sugars!  

Now how about some adult fun? Add a shot of rum or perhaps a flavored vodka and liven up your next patio party.  These look pretty in clear glasses where you can see the summery colors! Pop in a little umbrella and you will feel just like your in some tropical paradise.



Summer Bash Plans: Mardi Gras Madness

So the date for our annual summer bash has been set....it's earlier this year...June 18th. Our theme is Mardi Gras Madness and I think it will be a great time! Plenty of beads, masks, feathers and fun!

I'm still working on decor plans (decorating outside is really difficult) and the menu. I'll be sharing it with you here at Month by Month. I've been picking up some decor items for a while now since we set the theme way earlier!  I seriously need to think about lighting...that is always a problem.

Color scheme is easy...purple, green, and a golden yellow. I think I will get tissue paper in those colors and make some fun little treat bundles. But I better get busy....the time will get here quickly. I'll post some pics of the party favors once I start making them.