Want to get in the spirit for Mardi Gras? I’m sure you’ll be going to some sort of festival or or Mardi Gras party this evening, but if you ‘d like to plan one for yourself, check out these ideas for how to throw a great and festive Mardi Gras party! We have found some great music and recipe ideas that are all pretty simple! We hope you enjoy them and have a fun & safe Mardi Gras!

Music: We’ve found some awesome Southern Bayou music that is perfect to listen to at your Mardi Gras party. You can listen to it for free online. Just check out this Songza playlist! to get it started!

Our Favorite Gumbo Recipe: Gulf Coast Gumbo
We found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and had to share it with you. Here’s how we followed their recipe to feed 20 guests:

• 4 pounds medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 5 large tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning TM
• 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 (6 ounce) cans crab meat, drained
• 1 pound andouille sausage, diced
• 2 tablespoons file powder

Directions

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Refrigerate shrimp meat. Place the shrimp heads and shells in a large pot, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Cover, and simmer over medium low heat until liquid is reduced by half. Strain out the shrimp heads and shells.
2. Select a large stock pot capable of holding all the ingredients. Add oil to the pot, and heat over medium high heat. Using a long handled spoon, stir in flour; cook and stir for several minutes until dark brown. At that point, the flour suddenly puffs and absorbs the oil. Slowly stir in chicken broth and an equal amount of water. Place chicken in the pot. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning, and salt. Boil for about 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
3. Remove chicken from the pot, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove bones, and chop the chicken into about one inch pieces.
4. Add chicken meat, shrimp broth, crab meat, sausage, and shrimp to . Add the file powder, and stir from the bottom of the pot. When the gumbo comes to a boil, remove from heat. Continue to stir from the bottom for 1 minute. Serve.

Masks & Beads: You’ll be needing some masquerade masks & beads to go with the theme of your party; and most Michaels, Ben Franklins, and Walmarts have them if you are looking for something last minute! Or you can make a feathered mask yourself by buying a plain plastic or paper mask from a craft store, and then gluing purple/green/yellow feathers, sequins, and jewels to it!

You don’t hear of too many people actually having “President’s Day” parties, or celebrating the day other than having a day off from work or school. However, if you want to do something fun and crafty to create “President’s Day Awareness” (for your kids perhaps), then you’ll definitely want to check out some of these unique and easy to make craft ideas. Also, in lieu of the winter being so long, having a cabin fever or colonial theme party would be just as fun for those who are more into entertaining than crafts.

George Washington Powdered Wig

Making a powdered wig out of cotton balls and other house hold items is a great way to teach your kids or students about how previous presidents lived in the past. After digging around to see what we could find for this project, we really liked Kaboose’s idea the most for this. Here’s how you make a George Washington powdered wig:

Materials:
1/2 Bag of Cottonballs
1 Paper Painter’s Hat
White Glue
4″ x 2″ Black Felt
Scissors

How To Make It:
Stuff the painter’s hat full of paper towels, to make it easier to work with. Then, glue the cotton balls onto the entire hat, starting in the front, and working your way to the back. Cut your felt into 4 long strips, and glue 2 of them to the center of the bill of the hat (over the cotton balls), in an upside down “V” shape. This will be the tail of the bow. Fold the other two strips in half and glue the ends together to form the bow ties. Glue the bow over the tail and allow to dry completely. Wear the hat with the tail in the back. Thank you Kaboose!

President’s Day Weekend Colonial Theme Party

Another idea for those who are more into parties than DIY crafts would be to host a President’s Day weekend party! It could be a cabin fever party, or a colonial theme party! Your friends will praise you for your uniqueness if you pull this one off!

Food Ideas:
Southern Fried Chicken
Cherry Pie
Baked Smithfield Ham
Yams & Mashed Potatoes
Canned or Fresh Green Beans
Patriotic Cupcakes (Try vanilla frosting with red and blue sprinkles)
Mead or Wine

Decorating:
Red and White Table Cloth
American Flags
Red, White, and Blue Carnations
Patriotic Music (If you dare!)

What to Wear:
We know that it can be really expensive to actually find some colonial looking clothes, but all you really need is a (home-made) powdered wig, or a top hat from your closet! And if you really want to get into it, I’m sure you can find some funny looking colonial looking dresses at a thrift store somewhere.

Looking for an idea you could whip up for your loved one this Valentine’s Day? It’s always tough to be creative and original every year. But you don’t have to spend as you think you have to to surprise someone on that special day.

Make Valentine’s Day about the other person. Of course you want to surprise that special someone on the day of love! But what the heck do you get them or do for them? You can spend a whole lot of money on someone very easily, even if it may not be necessary. Do something from the heart. Since you know your partner better than anyone else, you will need to think of something personal, and that can be done on a weekday this year. What better way than to make them a dinner at home from the heart?

Every restaurant that night will be packed full of starry eyed couples on dates. Spend the night at home pampering each other with a home made dinner, wine, desserts, flirting, and a movie. We suggest you try to make chocolate covered strawberries as Valentine’s! What you make to go with it is up to you, but here is our favorite chocolate covered strawberry recipe to melt your lover’s heart.

Ingredients
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions
Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-covered-strawberries-recipe/index.html

A great way to turn an event into a fun and interactive social setting is to add a casino theme. Playing the casino games creates interaction between people who may not have socialized at an ordinary event. Everyone has a chance to have a fun and unique experience when you host a casino themed party.

When searching for a casino rental company there are a few basic things you should require from any casino company:

First – Is the casino company a licensed business, insured, and have a gaming certificate? (A legal requirement for all businesses that rent gambling equipment. The client could be federally liable for hosting an event with an uncertified business.)

Second – Do they have referrals? Any company that does not list their past clients on there website may not be reliable.

Third – What extras do they include? Most casino rental companies will include a gift, or case of wine with rental. You can raffle off the gift or wine at the end of your event.

Lastly – Do they look professional? The last thing you want is to hire a subpar company that may show up late, or not provide the casino theme you have imagined. Since most casino events are annual or a one-time event be sure to look for a reputable company, with quality equipment, and can provide a legal service. Good Luck With Your Event!

For Great Casino Rentals in your area check out www.AceHighCasinoRentals.com

A BBQ can be a great way to gather friends together and enjoy the gorgeous weather while it lasts. If you do not have a BBQ yourself, ask a neighbor or a friend if you can borrow their portable grill or plan it at a friend’s house that already has the grill.

Make it a potluck affair. Everyone bring a little something to share with your friends to add a little variety to the event. From drinks to dishes there is always something to bring to a potluck BBQ. You don’t necessarily have to keep to the norm. Try an ethnic dish with flavor and flair! This is a fun way to try new things and be a little bit of an adventurous eater. When bringing an unusual dish it is important to not try something too spicy or have a mild version of the same thing.

Outdoor games: Spice up an outdoor BBQ with some awesome outdoor games. It may no longer be pool weather, but there are still plenty of great outdoor games to keep your guests entertained. Games like corn hole (bags), horse shoe, or Frisbee. These games do not require much supplies or preparation. It is a great way to enjoy your company and the outdoors.

As a vendor it is important to step out of your comfort zone and try out new party themes to work and promote. There are many opportunities to make money and grow your business; the struggle is finding what best fits you.

As a caterer you can strive to work smaller events along with your larger gigs like weddings. Try to advertise for less formal events as well. Many smaller parties cater from restaurants as their form of dining for their in house event. If you can create reasonable prices, you can deliver much more than a local restaurant. A major issue with throwing a party at your house is the set up and clean up necessary. If you can provide the service not only to cater for a small function but also to provide the pre and post party needs you can hit an entirely different clientele. It is difficult to get into the smaller party scene but once you get in and have a quality review and experience the word will quickly get out.

Also, photographers can branch out into smaller events such as birthday parties and Anniversary events. These events are filled with memories and it is important to have quality photographs to remember all of these special moments. Having family and friends take photos throughout the night does not necessarily cut it. Photos are easily lost or never distributed among the party guests and hosts. Try to alter fees by not printing the photos and only sending them through a disk. This way the client can receive the photos at a reasonable price while you are not losing profit.

It is challenging to get into different aspects of the party industry as a vendor but switch up advertisements and keep quality connections and networking to ensure you get the most business throughout the entire season.

What ways are you branching your business out to gain more revenue all year?

It’s 2012, the world may be ending so we think it is time for everyone to retire the common New Year’s resolutions and get creative. Here is a list of the 10 most interesting New Year’s Resolutions we could find:

1. No Drinking From A Can (No Health Reason, Just to Look Classy Drinking Bottles)

2. No Watching Commercials (It’s Time to DVR Everything)

3. Survive the Zombie Apocalypse / End of the World

4. Boycott the House Phone (Let the Mobile Takeover Begin)

5. Don’t Drive Away With The Gas Pump (Someone has to be the one that does it)

6. Go Back To School (To Avoid Paying Student Loans)

7. Gain Weight (There is Always a Reason to Put on Mass. Examples: Sumo Wrestling, To Make Your Significant Other Look Thinner, etc.)

8. Stop Quoting Commercials (Shows and Movies too)

9. Drink All The Alcohol In My House (This Way There is No Temptation When I Give Up Drinking)

10. Google Everything (Just to point out when other people are wrong)

If you have a great New Year’s resolution, post it here for everyone to see.

Top 10 Christmas/Holiday Movies:

1. Home Alone & Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
2. It’s a Wonderful Life
3. Elf
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
5. Scrooged
6. A Christmas Story
7. The Hebrew Hammer
8. The Nightmare before Christmas
9. Bad Santa
10. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Here are a few other great holiday classics that didn’t make the list:

The Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street, Die Hard, Soul Food, Call Me Claus, Eight Crazy Nights, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, and of course we cannot forget Gremlins.

If you can think of other great holiday movies that we didn’t mention please post them to the comments for our readers.

Throwing a Tea Party can work in several different situations. It is a great way to gather the gals and enjoy some quality bonding time while having some great food and drinks.

A tea party can vary from extravagant to casual but no matter the style the treats are often the same: a great variety of tea as well as scrumptious tiny snacks and bite size treats. By keeping the snacks and food smaller it is a great way to provide variety that everyone can try a little bit of everything throughout the day.

A tea party is appropriate for bridal showers, baby showers, Sunday afternoon get-togethers, and birthday parties of all ages. These parties can also be inexpensive. Tea parties are a great way to get away from the norm and experience a fun and fancy theme.

If you are not ready to take on all the planning and catering for a tea party that you are hosting, choose from any quality vendor that we offer. Many catering companies offer small h’orderves that may be perfect for your event. Also, there are some companies that are geared directly towards theme parties that have the resources to make your event spectacular.

Keep up the planning and enjoy each moment.

What makes your thanksgiving memorable? Is it the tradition? Is it the family? Or is it the fact that it is the one day you can be sure you don’t have to work? No thanksgiving is necessarily perfect, but it will always be special when it is spent surrounded by loved ones.

A traditional thanksgiving is always memorable and a great way to bring the family together. But it is also fun to switch it up sometimes. If the typical Thanksgiving is getting old with family and friends try something new. Head out to the mountains and do some camping with the big group for Thanksgiving. It may be unorthodox and the silverware and food may not be as extravagant, but the experience will be well worth it.

If you live in a very cool climate and camping is not necessarily an option to spend the night outside try a picnic theme Thanksgiving. Eating outside in a different environment can be a great experience for the entire family. Just changing up the scene can mix up the typical Thanksgiving. Try to do it at different family member’s houses each year to even out the load. Everyone brings a little something to share to ease the load from the host.

There are a bunch of different ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey and plenty of dishes to experiment with and share with your friends and family. Tradition is important but it is also very fun to switch up the norm and try a little something new each year.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving Season?