Excellent Events

Not too long ago, I finished my first marathon. It was quite an effort but it was rewarding. Now, I am wondering what to do next – another marathon, an Olympic triathlon or something completely different? No matter what, I will keep running. And if you are thinking a marathon is too daunting, a fun way to compete is the marathon relay.

In a marathon relay, you and three to four of your friends each take part of the marathon and only run a section of it. I did one last December with my sister and three of my friends and it was great. Runningrelays.com is great website that even has Random Team Name Generator that helped us figure out our own team name – the Questionable Motley Crew. It also has lots of tips and tricks for running relays of all lengths. If I can find a team, I’ve even been considering running the “Capital 2 Coast” relay that goes from Austin to Corpus Christi, Texas.  ...read more

As the final installment in this summer’s family reunion series, I want to showcase another one of my reunion must-haves: banners.

With relatives flooding in from all parts of the country, one of the biggest challenges is to get the whole clan to the event site. By posting an oversized, “can’t miss” visual at your meeting spot, family members will know immediately that they’re in the right place. And trust me…a bunch of balloons just won’t do – especially if the event is at a crowded park. Plus, if you change locations over the course of your reunion, banners are easily moved and reused – and everyone will already know what to look for. ...read more

For part two of the family reunion series, I’m going to tackle a big challenge – how to keep everyone informed, organized and entertained leading up to and throughout your events. Let’s jump right in! ...read more

I’m sure many of you will be participating in one of the most time-honored traditions of summer – the family reunion! I myself am looking forward to catching up and spending some quality time with my extended family during our own reunion later this summer. As the party planning continues up until the big weekend, I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve come across for planning the perfect family get-together.

First up: the invitation.

Let’s say you have decided to be part of the planning committee for this year’s reunion. First, decide on a date and location and compile the guest list. Remember to check that you’ve included new additions to the family, name changes or updated addresses for anyone who might have moved. Once these major items are set, you can start thinking about how to get the word out!

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This is Part Two in a three-part series on celebrating the upcoming Fourth of July holiday in style! Today’s guest blogger, Kelli, is a mom of 3 active boys.  You can find her blogging about homemaking, parenting, and organization at her blog, 3 Boys and a Dog. Be sure to follow Kelli on Twitter to be kept in the loop about everything from product reviews to giveaways!

Are you looking forward to Independence Day? Down here in the south, it is a BIG family day.  We BBQ, swim, eat watermelon, and hang together all day and most of the night.  I have many memories of awesome July Fourth days from my childhood and strive to give my kids memories of their own.

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This is Part One in a three-part series on celebrating the upcoming Fourth of July holiday in style!

The Fourth of July is coming up, which means cookouts and picnics and neighborhood get together. I am in Texas which also means the temperature will be somewhere between 100 and one million degrees outside, depending on the heat index. It is entirely possible I will become stuck walking through melted asphalt at some point during the day.

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The class of 2010 will soon be sporting caps and gowns and parading across stages everywhere.  And whether the students in your life are graduating from pre-school, high school, college or a post-graduate degree program, they deserve kudos and celebration.  

From big graduation parties to intimate family gatherings, here are some ways to make it festive and fun. 

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At my work, the “pregnancy bug” seems to be going around. Whether it’s their first or second child (or their sixth in some cases!), expecting mothers agree having a baby is an exciting time. All the planning and preparation can be overwhelming, especially when added to the unbalanced hormones. Baby showers are a welcomed escape because you get to leave the planning to someone else! Many women have multiple showers thrown for them by family, friends, and co-workers.  

A few years ago I threw a baby shower for a close friend of mine and I wanted every detail to be perfect. When it came time for celebrating my own pregnancy, I could truly appreciate all the time, love, and effort that go into planning such an event.  

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I want to share one last idea before my wedding. For my ceremony, I decided to give little bells as our wedding favor, partly to pay homage to my last name one last time and also because I love the sweet, cheerful sound they make.  

I put them in baskets for my nephew to hand out to our guests just before my new husband and I get ready to say goodbye and hop in the vintage car we’ve rented. They’re small silver bells and I’ve made little tags to tie on each of them that say “Ring this bell for a fond farewell” on one side and “thank you for being part of our special day” on the other side.” After our guests send us off, they can keep the bell as a reminder of the day. 

Here’s how I made the tags: ...read more

As a follow-up to Jenny’s post from last week, I thought I would share with you some fabulous shower ideas I’ve come across. Whether you’re planning for a boy or a girl or need to keep the party gender-neutral, Creative Party Place has some wonderful inspiration and ideas to create a perfect party experience. From themes and decorations, to games and spreads, this site is adorable. I love the variety of themes they offer like the “Bumble Bee” shower or “Nautical” shower. MyPunchbowl is another amazing one-stop party planning site worth checking out as well.  ...read more