Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

As a single, 20-something, St. Patrick’s Day was a mandatory occasion for heading to the closest Irish pub, but today with a husband and three children, I celebrate this holiday as my parents did when I was young!  That is, with a meal of corned beef, Irish soda bread, Irish potatoes (the candy version) and green jello – (don’t ask how that became a necessary tradition!).

Even though this fun holiday falls on a Monday this year, consider preparing an Irish feast for your crew!  Corned beef is an age old dish, but it became the meal of choice for March 17^th in the early 1900’s, when a newspaper comic strip character named Jiggs declared that Corned Beef and Cabbage was his favorite Irish dish.  Ever since then, Americans have chosen this meal as their classic St. Patrick’s Day’s fare!

So even if your family isn’t Irish, go ahead and serve dinner in your dining room!  Light some green candles, add some green food coloring to a soda treat for your children and whip up an Irish Manhattan for the adults!  You might not be at a local pub, but you’ll definitely have a special celebration!

Cheers to a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

You may also enjoy:

• Have Fun with April Fool’s Day
• Host an Easter Egg Hunt
• Create a Fabulous Easter Basket
• Grow Some Wheatgrass

Tags: st. patricks day, ideas for celebrating st. patricks day, st. patricks day recipes, how to celebrate st. patrick’s day, family, fun, recipe, recipes, corned beef and cabbage

Busy Bee’s Valentine’s Day Round Up:

Your Guide to a Fabulous Valentine’s Day!

From Gift Guides to Fun Tips to Party Plans, you’ll find it all at Busy Bee Lifestyle!  Take a look now and get inspired! -

• The Sweetest Valentine’s Day Gifts
• Clever Valentine’s Gifts for Kids
• Valentines Day Tips and Ideas
• Valentine’s Day Treats for School Parties
• Treat Your Kids to the Sweetest Valentine’s Day Party
• Coffee and Conversation:  Host a Valentine’s Day Coffee for Your Friends!
• Host a Valentine’s Day Cocktail Party
• The Cutest 5 Minute Valentine’s Day Craft
• Have Fun with a High School Musical Valentine’s Party!
• A Letter Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift

Sending Our Best Wishes for a Truly Sweet Valentine’s Day!

Sunday, February 14th – the Year of the Tiger!

This year Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Sunday, February 14th and the date ushers in the Year of the Tiger!  The Chinese calendar is based upon a 12 year cycle with a different animal assigned to each year and it’s believed that people share characteristics with the animal of the year of their birth.  So those born in the years 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010 are believed to have charismatic personalities, love a position of power, straight forward, outgoing and sometimes suspicious!  It’s also believed that what takes place on New Year’s day will affect the year ahead – so:

• wear new shoes to start 2010 on the right foot
• don’t speak loudly or scold your kids
• avoid bad luck by making sure that you don’t drop your chopsticks

Share in the Festivities

Your family can share in the festivities of the Chinese New Year with some fun and easy ideas!  Set your table with a red cloth and serve favorite Chinese dishes whether from your kitchen or a local restaurant.  Paper lanterns, chopsticks, fortune cookies and “lucky money,” which is money in lucky red envelopes, will complete the scene!  If you’d like to turn your dinner time celebration into a real party, there are some fun products that will add to the festive atmosphere!  Oriental Trading offers:

• Year of the Tiger paper plates and napkins (Chinese New Year Party Set)
• a very cute tissue paper Chinese lantern kit (Chinese New Year Lantern Kit)
• “lucky money” red envelopes to be filled as you like (Chinese New Year Red Envelopes)
• a set of 78 bamboo fortune telling sticks! (Fortune Chopsticks)

I love any opportunity to share special times with family, and perhaps a festive meal on February 14th will be just the thing for your family during these cold and dreary days!  Here’s to good luck in 2010 for all!

Finding New Christmas Traditions!

If you were to ask my children about their favorite parts of the Christmas season, their answers would all stem from the traditions that we have honored year after year!  From a drive through the light show at a local farm, to our annual trip to Macy’s in Philadelphia for the same Christmas Light Show that I saw as a child (pictured), to our Christmas Eve Open House, these are what make our family’s season so special.

With this in mind, I’m always on the look out for new traditions that families might like to add to their celebrations and so here are my latest finds!

Santa’s Magic Pen

From Hallmark, this charming book and pen set put a fun twist on those letters to Santa!  The book tells the story of a magic pen that instantly allows kids to send a message to Santa.  There are special pages in the back of the book for recording each year’s letter so that kids can look back, year after year, to see what they’ve wished for! (Santa’s Magic Pen, available in Hallmark stores, $29.95)

The Peppermint Pig

Dating back to the early 1880’s, this tradition centers around a pink peppermint candy pig!  After Christmas dinner, the hard candy pig is tucked into a red velvet bag and is passed from guest to guest around the table.  Each person is called upon to recount a tale of good fortune from the past year while giving the pouch a firm tap with a small silver hammer!  The delicious broken peppermint is shared by all and warm memories enjoyed! (Pink Peppermint Combination Pack, $14.95)

I hope that these ideas will inspire you to add something new to your family’s Christmas season!  Both of these items would also make terrific gifts for the children and hostesses in your life!

And Please Visit This Week’s Tip Sponsor, Mail A Wreath, and enter to win a $50 VISA Gift Card!

$50 VISA Gift Card Giveaway!  Need extra cash for holiday shopping?  Check out MailAWreath.com’s Busy Mom’s Christmas Sweepstakes.  Three Instant Gifts for participants.  (Hurry! Only 3 Days Left! Mail A Wreath)

Other Christmas Traditions:

• Christmas “Tree” Ornaments
• Christmas Eve Fun
• Fun Holiday Activities for Kids
• Why Do We Stuff Christmas Stockings

Top Notch Tailgating!

• In last fall’s Tip of the Week, Try Tailgating, I encouraged Busy Bee readers to cook up some pre-game fun by hosting a tailgating party!  Generally speaking, tailgating is a terrific and inexpensive way to entertain, but if you want to take it up a notch, here are some clever enhancements!

Invitations

• Paperbuzz – for a great assortment of tailgating invitations, take a look at Paperbuzz for designs which include a die-cut football and a really cute football field with goal post!  For adults, I just love the invitation featuring a bloody mary with a football on its stirrer!  This card can be printed at home or by Paper Buzz!

DIY Invitations

• Die-cut Football – Consider creating your own by cutting football shapes out of corrugated cardboard.  Write the party details on the back and trim the card with white shoe laces woven through punched holes!
• 3-D Box – In the “over the top” category, purchase small square cardboard boxes, line the bottom with Astroturf cut to fit and add small, toy football figurines.  Write the party specifics on the inside of the lid, toss in some football confetti and seal the box with clear strapping tape.  Address the outside of the box and send your creation through the U.S. mail!
• Felt Pennant – You could also make a pennant out of felt with the tailgate information written on the back.
• Plastic Footballs – Lastly, try using a permanent marker to draft invitations onto small plastic footballs, picked up from the Dollar Store!

Serving Ware

• Lillian Vernon has some fun footbal themed serving pieces that are really appealing.  There is a dolomite chip bowl where the interior sides depict fans in the bleachers and the bottom is a field!  Dip is served in the included football shaped bowl! (Stadium Snack Server Set, $24.98)
• Also available from Lillian Vernon is a coordinating set of four football shaped snack plates (Stadium Platter & Football-Shaped Bowl,$19.98)  Don’t forget that if you decide to invest in some of these pieces, you can bring them back out on Super Bowl Sunday!
• Mariposa also has covered the “football field!”  This company, one of my personal favorites, offers finely crafted aluminum football shaped serving bowls, in three sizes. ($40 to $124)  I also really like the square cocktail napkin box bearing a 3-D football to weigh down the napkins ($42) and the football dip spreader! ($17)  All are available at Silver Impressions.
• On Your Own – In the “no cost” category, consider serving your snacks inside of a plastic megaphone or an upended football helmet!

Cookbooks

If you’re looking for some new recipes for your upcoming tailgate, take a look at these two resources:

• Tailgating published by Gooseberry Patch ($4.95 at Gooseberry Patch)
• Fox Sports Tailgating Handbook by Stephen Linn. (Fox Sports Tailgating Handbook for about $12)

Desserts

• Clever Cake – Bake a football stadium shaped cake!  This clever cake mold will allow you to bake an adorable and easy dessert that can be decorated in team colors! (Nordic Ware Stadium Pan, $31.50)
• Custom Cookies – Serve custom made cookies from Super Cookie! This site offers an assortment of football themed cookies such as helmets, shoulder pads and yard markers, along with a single oversized football cookie! ($15.99/tub of 23 small cookies or $30 for the large football at Super Cookie)

Get Comfortable

Stadium seats and blankets are really the icing on the cake!

• Stadium Seats – Pick up several of the practical and comfortable stadium seats!  These seats are crafted of padded canvas, provide full back support, have a convenient carry strap and can also be used as a tote bag with thermo-guard insulation! (Stadium Seat, $25)
• Stadium Blankets – Classic plaid fleece blankets from Wrapables would also be great additions to your tailgating supplies!  These blankets are available in two different color plaids and include an easy carrying strap!  The current sale price is pretty terrific, too! (Plaid Blanket, $16.95)

Party Favors

• For the kids – fill a basket with color coordinated pom-poms, small footballs, and plastic megaphones. (Football Assortment, $9.99 for 50 pieces)

• For anyone – fill cellophane bags with solid chocolate, foil wrapped footballs!  Tie the bags with team colored ribbon! (Chocolate Footballs, $32.20 for a 5 lb bag)

I am always on the look out for exciting products and ideas and I hope that some of my “finds” inspire you to take tailgating to the next level!  Consider “claiming” a fall tailgate as your signature event that family and friends will look forward to every year!  Happy Game Day!

Party Resources:

• Fine Stationery – Party planning made easy with personalized invitations from FineStationery.com
• Oriental Trading – Fun party supplies. Free Delivery on orders of $59 or more.
• Favor Affair – Use coupon code FREESHIP175 at checkout for free shipping (ground only).
• Birthday in a Box – Choose from more than 100 party themes, or shop for individual party decorations and favors.
• Celebrate Express – Free Shipping on orders $75 or more
• ShindigZ – Save 10% on party supply orders of $100+ ShindigZ.com with promo code SZCJC9
• Cool Party Favors

You may also enjoy:

• Try Tailgating
• Host a Super Bowl Party
• Fun Fall Family Activities
• Perfect Party Quantities

Tags: tailgating, ideas for tailgating, tailgating invitations, recipes, party ideas, tailgating party ideas, football party ideas, how to host a tailgating party, how to tailgate, upscale tailgating