Plan the Best Sweet 16 Party for your Daughter

A Sweet 16 party is one of the biggest and most memorable parties for girls across the world. Celebrating a girl's 16th birthday is a time to make new memories with friends and family while also embracing her transition into adulthood. When you are planning a Sweet 16 party for a special girl in your life, keep these tips in mind.

Budget

Set a budget before you begin planning a Sweet 16 gathering, especially if you plan to hire DJ services and other forms of entertainment along with catering. Determine the number of guests you plan to invite to the event and how much food, drinks, and entertainment cost per guest (based on your current plans). If you are unsure of how to go about planning a Sweet 16 alone, consider hiring professional party planners to lend a hand.

Venue

Finding the perfect venue for a Sweet 16 celebration is one of the most important decisions you will make during the planning process. Visit and compare local venues along with their rental prices, accommodation capabilities, and the type of seating and entertainment available. Take the birthday girl's own personal preferences into consideration when selecting a venue on your own for a surprise Sweet 16 party.

Choose a Theme

Choose a theme that resonates with the birthday girl when planning a Sweet 16. What are her favorite colors? What type of music does she prefer and listen to most? Is your birthday guest of honor a fan of "glitz and glamour" or does she enjoy a low-key party atmosphere? Ask close friends and family members for input when deciding on which theme to go with when shopping for decorations.

Hire Professional Party Planners

Hiring professional Sweet 16 party planners NJ is a way to bring any vision for a party you have in mind to fruition. Professional party planners are experienced and work well with budgets, hiring staff, and delivering high-quality entertainment to any venue.

Planning ahead for a Sweet 16 and working together with professional party planners is a way to make the most out of a special bash for any birthday girl in your life.

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4 Essential Flowers Arrangements for your Wedding

Your wedding may be an enormous church affair or it may be an intimate event attended only by your nearest and dearest. No matter the size or the invite list, any wedding that you plan is going to feel overwhelming at one point or another. From taking care of the caterer to organizing the venue to making sure that everyone is on the right page for the rehearsal, you will discover that everything needs your attention! Before you fall over from exhaustion, however, consider your wedding flowers. When you are looking up the perfect flowers for you, Sydney has so many options but make sure to include the following key flower arrangements for your wedding day!

In the Bride's Hands

The bridal bouquet is an essential, and whether she is carrying it down the aisle or tossing it gleefully over her shoulder, it makes an impression! When you are looking for a florist in Beecroft or a florist in Pennant Hills, consider what effect you want to make. Consider a mounded bouquet for tradition's sake, or even a harvest bundle bouquet for something unique.

Bridesmaids' Bouquets 

With bridesmaids' bouquets, make sure that you keep it small and simple. Make them essentially smaller and slightly plainer versions of the bride's bouquet.

Boutonnieres for the Best 

Men All of the men in the wedding party should be wearing boutonnieres, especially if you are looking at having a formal wedding. To keep the boutonnieres masculine, choose darker flowers with sprigs of greenery.

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! 

When you are planning your wedding, be willing to get creative. The altar can have a centrepiece, as can the table for the bridal party, but don't forget the entryway and the sides of the aisle as well.

Are you ready for your wedding? There is so much going on that it might feel a little overwhelming. Whether you are still looking for the perfect florists in Sydney or you are on to your specific flower choices, take a moment to consider your options. There are so many great ways to incorporate flowers into your ceremony, so just think about where you want to see colour and go from there. These are the things that you will remember for the rest of your life, so make them count with Florist with Flowers on http://www.floristwithflowers.com.au!

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Hosting the Ultimate Baby Shower

Once seemingly solely the domain of over zealous Americans, baby showers have become increasingly popular and, like weddings and hen/stag parties, bigger and better! It's not usually a question of if there'll be a party, rather when the party is. Predominantly female only gatherings, they're the ideal opportunity to spoil the mum-to-be who'll soon to rush off her feet with her little one. 

Unlike the other female-centric ritual of the hen party, baby showers should be relaxing, comfortable, and fun. Bringing a touch of glamour will differentiate the event from just another day, and create something really memorable. Late nights are out of the question when the guest of honor will probably have ankles larger than their thighs by 8pm so something in the day such as afternoon tea is a safer bet. 

Most country houses will offer a discounted rate for baby showers booked in advance so shop around. Similarly, if something more contemporary is desired head to a hotel specializing in lunch spreads and arrange a menu comprising all of the mum's favourite foods (and avoiding those she can’t have – no liver, soft cooked omelettes, or delicious blue cheese fondues). 

Cakes and pastries are not optional – never try to get between a pregnant woman and a cupcake. Surprise guests by avoiding the predictable pink or blue choices and choose either neutral shades or go all out with a rainbow selection. If this is the baby shower to end all baby showers why not splash out on a silver cake stand and matching silver candlesticks,  which can be kept as gifts after the shower. This is a nice idea for mums who've already got other children and don't necessarily need so much baby 'stuff'. 

For more traditional silver baby gifts, a personalized silver rattle will always be treasured for years to come. The best thing about silver is that it'll become an heirloom piece, treasured for generations, much like silver wedding gifts – which the baby's gifts can be selected or personalized to match. 

Finally don't forget the bubbly. Hire a mixologist to invent a non-alcoholic cocktail especially for the event, meaning nobody will feel left out if Champagne corks start popping. It could even be worth sourcing a photographer for the day who specializes in baby showers to capture all of the special moments. The most important thing to remember however is to tailor the day to suit the woman who's celebrating – and if she likes nothing more in the world than a Sunday pub lunch then why not do that, make the day all about her.

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Sweetie Ruth is now 16

At 16

Younger!

My Ruthie has turned 16 today, the age they calls 'sweet sixteen' and from her pics above I could say she's just not sweet but very nice as well.  Actually when I looked back some of her pictures from younger days she hasn't changed much (just look how she maintains her cheeky smile).  I always joke her that her face stays the same throughout the years....she's still the same cute, pretty and full of cheeks girl who always hugs and kiss me. 

She told me that she'll never stop hugging me until she's old.  We had an advance celebration yesterday and I'll talk about it some other time as we're so happy about our lunch-dinner date together with the whole family.    We enjoyed our bonding time together and I pray

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Mom's Day

This is a late post of our celebration of Mom's day last 2 weeks.  We celebrated on the evening of 11th to avoid the crowd and to allow ourselves more time to enjoy our bonding.  We have fellowship on Sunday and it would be so late if we will have dinner at 8-9pm.  Anyway it's just a simple dinner with husband, kids, my sister and of course my Mom.  We always do it together - two Moms' celebration every year in one dinner.  Strolling through the mall near us we just ask them where they want to eat.  Since the kids like halo halo and cakes we ate at Goldilocks to enjoy what they want.

After dinner Mom and sister went home because Mom was tired already and wanted to rest earlier while we enjoyed the remaining few hours at the World of Fun.  Kids just love celebrating occasions with playing at the arcade as our final stop over.  Well the kids in us prompted us to play also and I enjoyed baseball and basketball so much, of course with my kids beside me.

Here are some pics to cap the bonding and fun:

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4 Cake Ideas For Your Child's Next Birthday

The most important part of any child's birthday is the cake. Depending on the theme, there are many creative ideas, from ice cream cakes to themed cakes, which will make the event special and memorable. Here is a look at four cake ideas that will make any child happy.

 

Castle Cake

A castle cake is perfect for a young girl's princess party. It is an extremely easy cake to make with only a few ingredients. The cake begins as a traditional double layer square. A person can use an 8 X 8 inch pan. The exterior of the cake is frosted with any icing flavor. The top of the cake is decorated with a few upside down ice cream cones. These cones can be dipped in melted chocolate or frosted with icing and rolled in sprinkles. Various candy pieces can be used to make the cake appear like a building with windows and a door. A drawbridge can be made with a graham cracker.

 

Basketball Cake For The Sport's Enthusiast

Most little boys love sports. This birthday cake will be perfect for any child who loves to play ball. The best part is that this cake can be decorated for any sport that uses a round ball. A person can take a round, oven safe bowl and bake a normal cake inside. Two of these cakes can be joined to form a giant ball. The end result can be decorated like a soccer ball, tennis ball, basketball, or baseball. It may take some imagination, but the cake will make a great centrepiece.

 

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

When a child's birthday falls in the summer, a great theme would be an ice cream party. Instead of opting for one large birthday cake, some children prefer the idea of individual servings. A fun idea is to make ice cream cone cupcakes. Most children will love eating cake from a cone and not a pate. These items are simple to make and can be personalized for every child.

A person prepares a boxed mix and lines a muffin tin with ice cream cones. Each cone is filled two-thirds full. The tin is carefully carried to the oven and baked as directed. When finished, the cupcakes are removed until fully cooled. The tops are frosted. Each child can decorate his or her own cupcake with sprinkles or other candy pieces.

 

Building Block Cake

This is a great idea for any child who loves to play with Lego blocks. A person bakes a normal rectangular cake and cools it until it can be removed from the pan. The cake is cut into small squares and rectangles. Each piece is iced with a different color and topped with M&M's of the same color. This makes each piece look like a Lego block. When finished, the cake is reassembled like a puzzle back into a rectangle and served. Each child can enjoy an individual block.

Getting creative for a child's birthday can be fun. For a memorable party, it is always wise to make a unique cake. The above ideas are just a few ways to make the day special. In the end, the child will appreciate the fact that the cake was made with love.

Mandy is a stay-at-home mum with 2 children in primary school, in her past time she loves to garden, travel, bake and write blogs for other stay at home mums or just anyone who is interested in arts and crafts ideas.

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Mom's 80th Birthday Celebration in Tramway Buffet

  

Buffet Table

 

 with me, kuya & redge

 kids & grand kids

 grandkids

 

 buffet for desserts

 

buffet for meals

 

 

This is a late posting of my Mom's 80th birthday last May 30.  We're so blessed to celebrate her birthday and so thankful that at her age she's in the best of health in body and in mind and I must say still beautiful. Her happiness lingers in her eyes as she spends the day with the closest family, her children (us), her grand kids, in-laws and relatives.  

We were planning her birthday as early as January but decided before month of May that we'll have it somewhere nice and cozy instead of having it in our house.  We want to enjoy the moment of bonding with the family that we've chosen a simple cozy buffet restaurant so everyone can relax while enjoying the chit chat and food.  

As expected we all had a great time especially the little boys who were tricked by my brother to eat 10 dishes or desserts or they will pay charges lol.  Kuya did it because Matt didn't want to eat most of the times so with Kuya's little game he made Josh and Matt taste most of the dishes in very small portions.

Mom was so happy and relaxed as seen from her glowing face and told me and Redge that it's better than having it at home.  Of course it's better as once in a while we love eating in buffet or eat-all-you can restaurant because you can have more dishes and desserts in a not-so expensive price.  

Btw that's in Tramway Buffet Plaza in Shaw Blvd. where you can eat all you can for the price of P288/head.  We're able to avail the discounted price of P238 at that time. This is too long I'll share the dishes on my other blog.

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Wishes for Redge

Just an excerpt from my FB message last Aug. 19 to my one and only baby sister in this world. She’s also my first best friend. 

"Here's sending the best wishes to the best and only sister I have, the second Mom of my kids and to the person whose always at my side wherever... whenever... whatever...next to Mom and Ed. As we always say to each other since we're kids that we'll stick to each other whatever it takes...we're sticking quite nice :) Happy bday sis! God bless and take care always! Love you!"

When she was able to read the message she was super touched and told me that it’s like a blog post and she was really glad to do all those mentioned above for me. We’re her life and she’ll be my side forever. Now I’m thinking what will I give her for her birthday, got any idea?

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Tips For Throwing An Amazing Party

 

Party decorating can be an easy, but expensive task. To some people party decorating is a difficult task because they don’t know what to purchase and where to receive the best deals. There are a few steps that should be taken before thinking about decorations and throwing an amazing party. Determining the celebration is important so that the host will know how far they should take the decorations. Many people tend to over decorate an event and it comes out looking messy or cluttered. 

Determining the theme or the color is important because the biggest mistake that anyone can make is buying the wrong decorations for an event. The theme will set the mood for the event. Knowing what the theme will be will make the host more confident about picking out the right decorations. At a party a person wants to try their best and impress the guests by showing off their decorating skills. One of the most commonly used decorations is a centerpiece. The center piece can create the center of attention. The center piece will make the table look beautiful and help correspond with the theme of the event. The host can design a center piece if they would like or buy one. Buying a center piece will make the job easier and making one will save money, but that is up to the host. Lining up furniture against the wall to make space is a bad idea. Creating a design in which the furniture will be set up gives the party a good look and makes it seem planned. 

Making a sign that welcomes the guests or guide them through the party can easily be made. The signs will give the guests something to look at and keep them busy while the host is floating around to mingle. Setting down place mats will make it easier for the clean up afterwards. Paper place mats are available in store and are easy to dispose of. If the event will be celebrated yearly plastic place mats can be cleaned off and kept for next year to save money. The most favorite type of decorations is balloons. Balloons are not only for children events they can be used to celebrate any event. If the event is specialized there are companies that are able to customize balloons with special writings on them. The guests will see the host has put in a lot of effort into making the party a success. Making a balloon chandelier is a good idea to give the event a more classy look and creative style. These tips should help any host have the most successful party no matter what the event is. The guests will talk about it for a life time.

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Sakbay and Pinning Ceremonies

Ed had his recognition,sakbay and pinning ceremonies last week March 27 at URS Morong prior to his graduation day. His Mom was there to accompany him on stage on the pinning ceremony. She came all the way from Montalban to be with his youngest son. I was there also with Ed’s cousin and we were just lucky to enter the theater arts center because some of the students don’t have their parents with them and we were paired with them. I was glad that I was able to go inside because I was able to witness the whole ceremony and had some pictures also.

I’ve experienced several ceremonies with our kids but watching Ed and his Mom on stage gave me unexplainable feeling. I observed that Ed and MIL were equally happy too. We’re all proud that after two years Ed has finished the course. Wait it’s not his graduation day, it’s only the sakbay and pinning ceremonies. I will have another post for his graduation day which is 2 days after these ceremonies. 

will post some pics later :)

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Gen Turned Teen!

This is a late post of my daughter Gen's 13th birthday. I had mixed emotions when my youngest daughter turned 13 which also means that she's entering the teenage years and adolescence period. I'm happy that she's turning into a nice young lady but a little sad that I'm letting go of the baby in her. Realizing that your daughter is not a baby anymore is like accepting that soon she'll be having other world aside from her family and in the future she'll meet someone special. Well maybe I'm just being sentimental over this thing but I'm just used to having two little girls and now both of them are teens. Anyway I still my little boy and really thankful that God has blessed us with another kid besides my two girls. 

Back on Gen's birthday we celebrated it at Sta. Lucia where we had fun at the arcade (as always)before we dine at their fave food resto at KFC. We bought the cake before we dine and started eating it there as my kids can't resist the yummy taste of Gen's choice of Black Forest Cake. We're the last to go out the mall, really maximized our time there :) 

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Showing Your Love and Care

 

I dropped by nearest salon to have my hair massaged and hot oil and noticed that no one’s there. The staff told me that this month is a little low peak unlike last Christmas season when most of the girls and ladies want their hair subjected to special hair treatment. She told me that the high peak again will be next month in time for Valentine’s day. I’m sure that next month will be so festive that girls wants to be prettier and people will suddenly becomes romantic at heart. This special occasion has the power to turn people to be sweet and nice as they can to their loved ones and sweethearts.

Well sweetness should be paired with special gifts like flowers, chocolates or personalized valentines jewelry to mark the special occasion and to show caring thoughts. For those couples who may want to settle down it can also be the right time for the guy to propose marriage and give the most precious engagement ring. Just writing these things makes me feel that love is in the air.

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Party Invitations

It’s the start of the longest holiday but before that season there are occasions in between. In school there are plenty of activities on occasions such as United Nations’ Day and Halloween. Well now that Josh is in grade school already they don’t have Halloween party in their school so I’m not expecting an invitationbox.com halloween party invitations these days.

I still remember two or three years ago when I was so busy preparing for his costumes which is usually the Robin costume his cousin gave him and Spiderman costume which was offered by a Mommy friend in other school. It’s a big event in his preparatory school where they play, compete for the best costume and enjoy having various candies around. I’ve written about all these on my other sites as I have tons of pictures to share with.

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First Birthday Plans

My friend is planning for her son’s first birthday few months from now and she’s very busy looking for suppliers to attend to her needs. First she’ll get invitations and she’s thinking to get it from Checkerboard since she wants a quality and nice invitations for her son. For other requirements like reception, food, clothes, giveaways and others maybe she’ll just ask for referral so she can arrange everything easily. First birthdays are really tasking but it’s fun and enjoyable as well. Anyway for Moms like me It’s worth it also.

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My Special Day

For my birthday last Dec. 21 I had two celebration.  First was in my bes' JennyL's house with my family, her family and our high school friends.  We had it on the 17th, 4 days before my real birth date.  We had fun reminiscing our high school days and the happenings after that.  It was full of chikas, updates and we felt like we're the same high school girls that we were several years back.  We had our silver HS alumni last Dec 18,2009 and after that we kept on seeing each other on occasions especially at holiday season.

On my real birthday we went to the mall as per request of the kids, dined at their fave resto and played at the arcade.  We all played and it was so fun celebrating my bday like a kid. Kids were so happy competing with the scores and  we went home when we got tired.  They chose the cake and continued the celebration at the house.

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Getting Ready for the Special Day

My cousin will get married on Saturday in our hometown in Laguna and it’s going to be a big one because I learned that they’re getting ready with their hogs from their farm. Last few weeks were kinda busy for them as they’ve prepared the bridal gowns and dresses for other entourage. They were scheduled to dropped by here last month when they went to Ongpin for their wedding rings and Bridal Jewelry because I gave them the names of my Auntie’s favorite store there. It’s an authentic jewelry store there where hubby and I also bought and have our own wedding rings engraved. Well they were happy with the referred store and quite happy with their finds. It’s only few days left before their big day and they’re very excited about it. We’re now making plans on travelling for that day.

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Geared Up for Halloween

When we dropped toy kingdom last weekend we saw that the store is fully geared up for the coming Halloween as it looks like a haunted house and not a toy store lol! The store is full of frightening masks, kids halloween costumes and accessories to make the coming season complete. I’m glad that Josh wasn’t scared of all those things as he keep on smiling on each frightening costumes and masks he passed by. We’re not there to look for costumes though but to look for his fave robots. We ended buying Almanac books for their collection and also a gift to my brother. Books are for all ages and Almanac is not an exemption.

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Sis Bday!

Last Thursday was my only sister's birthday and she celebrated it in the church bible study together with DD Ruth. It was fun even if we extended our midweek service time. They always celebrate their birthdays together because they were born one day apart only. I remembered my sister telling me when I was pregnant with my eldest that she wants me to deliver my baby on her exact birthday. Well I was a few hours earlier, 6 hours to be exact before the 19th day of August which is her birth date. In the house we feasted for two days, the 18th with a cake from RR and on the 19th with our favorite ice cream of course both with spaghetti because we're a pasta family lol!

They had a separate date on the weekend after that where little sister accompanied Ruth and Gen on the arcade and had some shopping spree for their personal things. Kids were happy, always when they're with their Tita Mama. Still pondering on my gift for her.

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Matt's 7th Birthday!

Last May 6 the youngest kid of my brother turned 7 and we celebrated it in the kids' fave fast food Jollibee. It never cease to amaze me the kids' happiness when they celebrate their birthdays on this red happy bee's restaurant. Well when Josh celebrated his 5th birthday more than a year ago in his school with Jollibee foods his school mates were equally happy. There must be something on the red bee lol!

Matt Matt was excited and very entertaining every time a guest comes in and when the game started he was very cheerful and energetic. Josh didn't participate in the games because he wanted to watch his cousin's birthday games. I was thinking that he's considering if he also want to celebrate his 7th birthday on September in the same place.

Anyway here are some more pics I want to share:

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Always With Love

My kids were so excited with Valentine's day and they made some real cute cards for me. Well since Josh is just a little boy just some hearts here and there on the card is enough for me. As they say it's the thought that counts, he even planned to buy me some chocolates but he told me his money is in my bank lol! This lil boy always makes me laugh whatever whenever! Ruth made a very beautiful card with much creativity on the fold up images inside the card. She has a habit of filling up the cards inside and out never missing spaces to put some words and design and I love it! This occasion is not a formal occasion to us just as long as the family is bonded together and always with love we're Happy!

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