How to Plan a Family Game Night

Family game nights aren't just fun, they're a good way to reconnect as a family. With the hectic pace of life and work today, taking the time out to spend time together with your family is a good way to take time out and relax.

Favorite Board Games

The following board games are great for family night. If you are in need of some games to get things started and are on a tight budget, check out the local Goodwill or other thrift store for sweet deals on games. (Just make sure everything you need to play is still in the box!)

• Pictionary
• Charades
• Clue
• Scrabble
• Card games
• Cranium
• Scattergories

Game Stations

If you are blessed enough to have extended family close by, you might want to make family game night a big bash once or twice a year—or even once a month. With different game stations, you can accommodate all age levels.

Fair Play

Remember that couples and close friends always have an advantage in game play. It's best to separate any groups of players that might have an unfair advantage. Of course, is if it's every family member for himself, this won't be a problem.

Game Night Necessities

Some games require paper, pens and other consumable materials. Make sure you stock up on these items in advance of game night. Ask for a volunteer scorekeeper to tally points, but keep a close eye on the scorekeeper's math!

Finally, don't forget the food. Game night is much more fun with snacks to get your munchy fix. Non-greasy finger foods are easy to eat while playing, and they won't get your game pieces covered in grime. Some of our favorites include: fresh whole fruits, nuts, unbuttered popcorn, pretzels, and raisins.

What's your favorite family game night board game?

Photo credit: idesign-er

Progressive Dinner Party Tips & Suggestions

If you're tired of the same old cookouts and dinner parties, you might want to try hosting a progressive dinner party with your friends.

What is a progressive dinner party?

At a progressive dinner, several different friends plan and host an entire meal. Each course of the meal is served at a different participant's house, and all the partygoers move from home to home during until the even concludes.

Progressive dinner parties can be a lot of fun, plus they break down party planning activities so everyone shares a little bit of the responsibilities for the party. You can include as many different courses as you like, but here are some suggested courses:

• hors d'oeuvres 
• cocktails
• appetizers
• soups
• salads
• entree or main course
• desserts
• after dinner drinks

Tips for Planning a Progressive Dinner

Four to five stops works best. Unless you're planning to go all-out, four to five different stops will be enough to fill up your evening. Remember that the more stops you add, the later your dinner party will last. 

Plan enough time for each stop. Each course will require a different amount of time to complete, but you can generally plan 45 to 90 minutes at each home for the different dinner courses. Don't forget to calculate travel time between homes.

Consider making it a monthly event. A monthly progressive dinner is great for groups of friends that want to keep in touch on a regular basis. With larger groups it's also a great way to divvy up the entertaining costs and prepping responsibilities.

Try a themed dinner. Try coordinating with all hosts to plan a themed menu. You could try themes by inspired by country's cuisine, a holiday, or even a movie. The possibilities are endless!

Have you ever hosted a progressive dinner? What tips do you have for first-timers?

How to Give a Wedding Toast

Pinwhirls Pinwheel Wedding: Photo Courtesy Customer Emily O.

Whether you'll be giving a toast at the rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception, it's important to avoid those cringe-worthy speeches you always see in bad wedding comedies. The whole point of the wedding toast is to honor the bride and groom.

How to Give a Wedding Toast

Try these tips, and you should be able to deliver lovely and short speech while avoiding any awkward or embarrassing moments.

1. Celebrate the couple. You might think that sharing jokes from the past is a great way to entertain the crowd, but it's too easy to stray into dangerous territory. Humor makes for a great toast. Youthful indiscretions you shared with the groom in high school or college, however? Those are not fodder for a wedding toast. Go for short anecdotes about fun times you shared with the couple while they were dating.


2. Don't deliver your toast toasted. Aside from the difficulty you may have with slurred words after a few too many glasses of champagne, giving a speech under the influence is never advisable. Saying the wrong thing at a wedding toast can ruin friendships for a life time. If you plan to indulge, wait until after the speech is done.


3. Keep it short and sweet. The toast is not an opportunity for you to steal the spotlight or take over the celebration. A good rule of thumb is two or three minutes for a toast. Anything over five minutes is usually considered unnecessarily long.


4. Remember the other guests at the wedding. The wedding toast is not your opportunity to establish yourself as the couple's favorite. Don't go there.


5. Get help from friends and family. Friends and family of the bride and groom are usually full of great stories that can become a part of your wedding toast. If nerves have got the better of you, ask for some help. You can also run ideas by other guests if you're not confident about the toast you have prepared.

Casual Party Planning Checklist

The easiest way to plan a party without a hitch is to use a checklist. While this checklist is a little to basic to get you through something like a wedding, it is great for smaller and more informal parties. You can use it for all kinds of events from graduations and birthday parties to wedding showers and baby showers.

Casual Party Planning Checklist

One Month Before the Party

• Create your guest list.
• Mail invitations or send e-vites.
• Choose a theme and select whatever party decorations, music, and games you might need; then start shopping for any items you'll need.
• Plan your party menu and hire a caterer, if you'll be using one.

Two to Three Weeks Before the Party

• Purchase disposable tablecloths, plates, and plastic utensils or launder linens and dishes for a more elegant party.
• Purchase non-perishable food items on your list.
• Prepare any items on the menu that can be frozen ahead of time.

One Week Before the Party

• Clean the house. 
• Remove clutter to create more space for guests.
• Rearrange or remove any furniture that you want to protect.
• Let neighbors know about the party if you expect it will affect parking on your street.

One to Two Days Before the Party

• Decorate indoor party areas or outdoor areas that are covered.
• Buy perishable food items.

The Day of the Party

• Finish cooking last-minute menu items.
• Prepare a place for coats.
• Set out any food that doesn't spoil 1-2 hours before guests arrive; wait to set out any food that may spoil quickly.

Using a checklist will help you stay organized and get your party off without any snags. Are there any items you would add to this checklist? Tell us in the comments!

5 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Colors

When planning for your wedding, it's normal to want everything to be absolutely perfect from the location to colors to the family and friends gathered around you to help you celebrate your big day. If you haven't decided on a color palette yet, here are six great tips to help you choose your wedding colors.

Customer Photo Courtesy Tracy M.

Picking the Perfect Wedding Colors

1. Take in the Scenery. Your wedding location is one of the first places you should look for inspiration. After all, if the colors you choose don't coordinate with your surroundings, you're likely to be disappointed. Lime green and orange probably won't look that great in a church with teal and purple accents.

2. Start with One Color. Stop worrying about color combinations, if the task is overwhelming. Think about one dominant wedding color that you want to use. Once you've found your main color, then move on to picking one or two accent colors.

3. Consider Your Flower Options. It can be extremely difficult to color match intense hues with traditional flowers. Make sure your color options can be reproduced by mother nature if you insist of real floral bouquets. If you're up for a new spin--pardon the pun--on wedding flowers, consider Pinwhirls bouquets and pinwheels that look great in any color combinations.

4. Carry Swatches. Once you've picked your wedding colors, get them on swatches and carry them with you in your planner or purse. You'll never know when you'll stumble across something and wonder if it matches your colors. This method makes takes the guesswork out of finding decorations, stationery, apparel and accessories that coordinate perfectly with your wedding color theme.

5. Use Color Effectively. When it's time to decorate, make sure your colors are noticeable. Using elements of color repetitively in every aspect of your wedding and reception will create a dramatic scene as well as give a sense of continuity and flow to the entire day.

Planning a wedding is a big deal, and with so many colors to choose from it's no wonder brides find it difficult to settle on their favorite palette.

We want to hear from you! What colors did you go with for your wedding, and how did you choose them?

25 Graduation Gifts that Won't Break the Bank

Last week, we talked about graduation party tips for those anticipating a little party planning this coming May. But what if you've been invited to a graduation party?

It's common to get a gift for any graduate, but especially for a high school graduate as many will be preparing to live away from home for the first time. So leave the fancy cars and European vacations for those independently wealthy relatives of the grad, and consider these thoughtful but affordable graduation gifts:

25 Affordable Graduation Gifts

1. Books
2. Rolled quarters (for the laundry facilities on campus!)
3. Sheet sets
4. Hot plate
5. Small microwave oven
6. Photo album or digital photo frame
7. iTunes or Phone card
8. Briefcase
9. Desk calendar or monthly planner
10. Space-saving storage accessories
11. MP3 player
12. Printer or ink refills
13. Charging station for electronics
14. Compact tool kit
15. Lunch tote
16. Shower caddy with supplies
17. Jump drive
18. College themed T-shirt or sweatshirt
19. 30-minute recipes or Bento recipes cookbook
20. School supplies
21. Headphones or earbuds
22. Watch
23. Customized survival kit (think coffee, favorite snacks, mini sewing kit, etc.)
24. Personalized diploma frame
25. Restaurant gift cards

If you're still having trouble coming up with the right graduation gift, think back to your own graduation. What items were the most useful or the most loved?

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You can get great graduation party invites, banners and more printed on custom papers that match your grad's school colors at Pinwhirls.com!

Graduation Party Tips & Supplies

It won't be long and the class of 2012 will be celebrating graduation. You just can't celebrate graduation from high school or college without a great party. We've got some great graduation party tips for you as well as some fun ideas for creating fun DIY graduation party supplies with Pinwhirls.com products.

Graduation Pinwheel Party Favors

Graduation Party Planning Tips

Dont' Be Afraid of Trying Something Unique: Mortar boards and tassels are the standard in graduation party decor from banners to cakes and invitations. To change things up, try decoration with items that symbolize the grad's hobbies or major -- like yellow and gold music notes or red and black lab coats and beakers.

Use Photos for a Collage: You can affix photos to poster board or create a digital slideshow presentation featuring the graduate's accomplishments and activities while at school. Include everything like soccer practice, choir, the senior trip, and parties with friends. Ask family and friends to contribute photos if you need help collecting some fun candid shots.

Games and Activities: If you have the room and budget for music and a dance floor, go for it! You could also feature a trivia game that includes questions about the graduate. The person who answers the  most questions correctly gets a prize and a special photo opportunity with the grad.

Graduation Party Supplies

For the perfect graduation party, don't forget these party supplies:

• Invitations
• Banners & Pennants
• Cake and Cupcake Toppers
• Thank You Cards