Creating a Stand-Out Summer Soiree

Summer Party Season
Your summer soirée will be a sure-fire hit with this invitation!

(ARA) - Who wants to spend their summer at the same old barbecue gatherings? This season, break the mold and throw a summer soiree to be remembered. Here are some suggestions:

Introduce your friends and create new connections. Snap a Polaroid of guests as the arrive, then pin the photos to a board. Invite guests to use colorful string to link their pictures to their two closest connections on the board.

Create an iced coffee station to give your guests a smooth, café quality iced coffee experience. Simply cold brew Seattle's Best Coffee's Seattle's Best Blend and combine with water, ice and your favorite syrups or sweeteners. Shake it up in a cocktail shaker and watch your guests line up to create one of their own!

SUMMER ENTERTAINING

( ARA) - Want to throw a summer party that creates just the right atmosphere and leaves your guests raving about your ingenuity?  The secret to making any party a success, say professionals, is to use personalized touches that delight and enchant your guests. And the carefree days of summer are perfect for celebrating with a party.

From the eagerly awaited last day of school until Labor Day, you’ll find plenty of reasons to have fun. Whether it’s a back yard barbeque or a more formal party, personal touches will help put guests in the right mood and let them know you value their company.

Any Occasion
Start with the guest list, including a variety of ages and a mix of listeners and talkers. Carefully consider their preferences, and then turn your attention to the food and decor. Build your menu around dishes you know will please your guests, and won’t keep you in the kitchen for hours.

Charm your guests with an unexpected personalized touch by using M&M’S Milk Chocolate Candies, available in vibrant hues that make perfect decorations, centerpieces or party favors. Choose from more than 200,000 color combinations to match the colors of weddings, school teams and party themes -- whatever suits the occasion.

Continue setting the stage with little touches that appeal to the senses. Luminaries along the front walk, a festive door hanging, or scented candles and flowers throughout the house or outdoors help turn a party into a celebration.

Showers
Delight the bride-to-be by decorating for the shower in her wedding colors. Use matching candies on flower shaped cookies or decorative cakes. For a fun activity, fill a glass jar and give it to the guest who guesses the amount inside.

To break the ice at a baby shower, create a personalized crossword puzzle on decorative paper. When guests arrive, ask them to mingle and figure out the answers. Keep it fairly simple: mom's and dad’s names, baby’s name, words that reflect your party theme, mom's favorite colors, and so on. Make guests feel special by using their names in the puzzle, with something unique about each one as the clue.

For an easy-to-serve dessert, adorn “baby block” petit fours with candies in pink, blue or the colors of the nursery. To personalize a party favor that will send guests home with a smile, fill small baby bottles with the theme-colored treats. Who doesn’t love a sweet gift?

Formal Parties
For a formal affair, less is more. The elegant simplicity of rich colors, a traditional table setting and quiet background music will set just the right tone. A sit-down dinner is an intimate and relaxing way to serve a few guests, while a buffet is more practical for serving many. Linen, lace or even an heirloom quilt will give your table a distinguished look. For a classy but fun touch, create a centerpiece by arranging decorative bowls and candles on a beveled mirror. Fill the bowls with candies in black and white, maroon and cream, or purple and silver.

Festive Events
When it’s a lighthearted feel you’re after, think outside the box. If your dinnerware is in short supply or isn’t perfectly matched, create an artistic style by mixing dinner and stemware patterns. Use household knickknacks and everyday objects as servers -- pretty bowls, baskets, even children’s plastic buckets -- and fill them with candies in your special colors to provide an attractive accent.

Birthday Parties
Let your child personalize his party by helping create the theme. Then, turn your imagination loose.

If the guest of honor enjoys treasure hunting, use gold spray paint to turn rocks into “gold” nuggets. Hide them in the sandbox or yard and see who can find the most.

Or, have a summer beach blast. Inspire your color theme by looking at books of tropical fish. Fill plastic sand toys with  candies in color combos to match, such as yellow and dark blue or black, bright blue and pink, aqua green and orange. Hang aqua streamers from the ceiling to give a “watery” feel. Use a fish-shaped cookie cutter to make fish sandwiches, served with fish crackers and a blue drink. Fill fish net goody bags with color-coordinated treats for party favors.

And for those celebrating “over the hill” birthdays, black candies are a perfect way to carry out the theme, all in good taste.

Holiday Themes
Summer holidays offer three more reasons to celebrate the season. Observe Memorial Day in a meaningful way with a picnic. Bring photo albums to reminisce with relatives or create a time capsule to carry personalized mementos for future generations.

For the Fourth of July, have kids express their independence by decorating T-shirts with red, white and blue fabric paint. Create “daytime” fireworks with sidewalk chalk. Plan a menu of old-fashioned hamburgers and hot dogs. For dessert, decorate a sheet cake with candies in the shape of an American flag.

Labor Day is the perfect time to celebrate the end of summer. Have fun in the sun with lawn toys such as hoola hoops, jump ropes and Frisbees. How about every child’s favorite summer pastime of bubble blowing? Give the family a sense of stepping back in time and make your own ice cream, letting the kids take turns at the crank. Assemble an assortment of candies in summertime colors and let guests decorate their own sundaes.

Creating happy memories and leaving a lasting impression on your guests means throwing a party they won’t forget. And whether you prefer down home or sophisticated, big crowds or intimate gatherings, the secret to great celebrations is simple: make it personal.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Learn more about Playground Safety Surfaces

Summer Headgear & Hats
Sun, Moon & Star Hat
Mystical Blue Sky! Sun, Moon & Star hats add a great look to your party. This popular felt hat stands three levels high.

Fun at the Beach Hat
Fun in the Sun! Colorful felt beach hat is a bucket shape. Feels like summer all year round.

Summer Sunglasses
Neon Sunglasses
All Time Favorite! Rubber neon glasses come with assorted neon arms and a color mirror lens. A great party favorite!

Palm Tree Eyeglasses
Keep Out the Sun! Shade your eyes with our Palm Tree eyeglasses. Use as a napkin ring at your Luau party to accent the decorations, as well.

Black Wrap Glasses
The Look of the 90's! Black wrap glasses are an instant hit. For a hot look, select this very popular sunglass.

Jumbo Sunglasses
An Oldie But Goodie! Jumbo glasses have been given out on the dance floor for years. They are very popular for the party scene. Assorted per pack.

Sun, Moon & Star Masks
Great Assortment! You are the Sun, Moon and Stars when you decorate your guest in these masks. Mix with our other assortments for your party.

Aviator Sunglasses
Come Fly With Me! Aviator sunglasses are great for a laugh. They're sure to make your guests look silly in pictures. Here's a new look to an old style.

Child's Star Sunglasses
Be a Star! Brighten up the party with our metallic child size star shaped glasses. Great favor.

Gold Wrap Glasses
The Golden Wrap! Wear these matte gold frame sunglass with mirror lenses and look like a Movie Star. A great look, a great glass at a great price.

Child's Wrap Sunglasses
Hot Looking Glasses! Our colorful child size wrap glasses make a great loot bag favor.

Silver Star Glasses
Be a Star! Our silver glitter star shaped glasses make everyone a star at your event. Great in the sunshine, too.

Heart & Star Sunglasses
Assorted Sunglasses! This colorful assortment contains both heart and star glasses in different colors.

Neon Star Glasses
Be a Star! Our assorted star shaped glasses will make everyone a star at your event. Great in the sunshine, too.

Gold Star Glasses
Be a Star! Our gold glitter star shaped glasses make everyone a star at your event. Great in the sunshine.

Palm Tree Eyeglasses
Keep Out the Sun! Shade your eyes with our Palm Tree eyeglasses. Use as a napkin ring at your Luau party to accent the decorations, as well.

Cat Eye Glasses
The Look of Neon! Assorted neon colors accent our latest sunglasses. The interesting shape of our cat eye glasses will brighten your event.

Inflatable / Toys
24" Inflatable Sun
Inflatable Sun! Add a smile to your party decorations with this 24" inflatable sun, and let the sunshine in.

Accessories
Sun Moon Star Necklace
Back to the Seventies! Our silver Sun Moon and Star Necklace assortment will be a great accent to your party.

LED Star Pendant
Sun, Moon and Stars! Light up your party with our LED pendant. Watch as you move and see the 3 colors flash at once.

Party Kits / Decorating 
Tropical Wall Mural
Hawiian Sunset! Our 8' high by 14' wide Tropical Wall Mural comes as eight easy-to-handle panels printed on heavy mural paper make decorating a snap. A great backdrop for pictures when Luau's your theme.

Palm Tree Decoration
Palm Tree Decorations! Accent your tropical party with these over 5' metallic palm trees.

Luau Salt and Pepper
Luau Fun! Accent your table with our Hula Girl and Palm Tree ceramic salt and pepper shakers. Great Gift, too.

Metallic Luau Kit
Tropical Paradise! Decorate for your Luau with our fantastic Tropical Paradise decorating kit. Filled with banners, parrots, palm trees and fish.

Summer Recipe Ideas - Serving in Style
Whatever event you want to put into motion this summer here are a few recipes, ideas and tips that will help with your plans.

Sweet and Sour Spareribs

2lbs. Ribs 2 T. vinegar
2 small cloves garlic (minced) 2 cup pineapple chunks (drain and save juice)
¼ cup brown sugar 2 T. cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce

Cut spareribs n 1 ½" squares. Combine all ingredients except pineapple and cornstarch.  Cook 1 hour. Pour off excess fat. Place meat in separate bowl. Heat liquid. Add pineapple juice to liquid. Bring to boil. Thicken sauce with cornstarch. Cook until thick. Place ribs on platter. Pour sauce over spareribs. Arrange pineapple chunks on top. Serve hot. Yield 4 servings.

Luau Fever!
Everyone loves a Luau, and it's the perfect celebration for summer no matter where you live! This wide selection of luau parties and accessories offers everything you need to surround you and your guests with the magical ambience of the tropics. These themed luau ensembles make decorating so easy, even the most décor-challenged host will look like a pro! There are also have fun luau wearables--including coconut bikini tops, grass skirts, and leis—plus luau balloons and inflatables, décor, banners and garlands, cups and stemware, picks and straws, and serving pieces. Just add people, food, and drink, and you're all set for a fantastic time!

Smorgasbord Slaw

2 cups sugar 2 medium green peppers (chopped)
1 cup vinegar ½ bunch celery ( chopped)
½ cup water 1 ½ tsp. Mustard seed
½ T. salt 1 ½ tsp. Celery seed
1 large cabbage (shredded)
2 medium red peppers (chopped)

Combine sugar, vinegar and water. Boil 5 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle salt over cabbage. Let stand 1 hour. Add peppers, celery, mustard seed and celery seed. Add cooled vinegar mixture. Mix well. Chill. Keeps well a long time. Yield 3 quarts.

Cool Treats for a Sizzling Summer
Plastic Stemware
Margarita Glasses are excellent containers for refreshing beverages or heat-quenching sundaes, while these Fluted Champagne Glasses make parfaits all the more inviting!

Refrigerator Pickles

3 onions
12 – 15 6" cucumbers

Wash and sterilize 3 quart jars. Slice washed cucumbers and onions in layers into the jars. Pack well.
Syrup:
4 cups sugar 1 ½ tsp. Celery seed
4 cups vinegar 1 ½ tsp. turmeric
½ cups pickling salt 1 ½ tsp. Mustard seed

Mix sugar, vinegar, spices together. Do not heat. This syrup should be cold. Stir syrup well and put over cucumbers and onions. Cover. Refrigerate at least 5 days before using.

Lemon Picnic Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 pkg. Instant lemon pudding mix
¾ cup oil 4 eggs
¾ cup water

Combine cake mix, oil, water and pudding mix and beat 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat thoroughly. Pour into greased and floured 9x13x2" pan. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. While hot, prick entire top with a toothpick. Pour over glace made with the following:
Glace:
2 cup confectioner’s sugar 2 T. melted butter
1/3 cup orange juice 2 T. water
Combine all ingredients and beat well. Pour over cake.

ENJOY!

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Cool Treats for
Summer Heat

Summer Party Packs

Toys and Fun Stuff

Beach Party Items

Beach Party Paper Goods

Beach Party Banners
Hula Party Banner
Tropical Paradise Banner
Luau Party Banner

Beach Party Mug
All You Need Is Sun! Having a beach party? Why not use our 16 oz beach party theme Lucite mug for your drinks. It looks like a moving coaster under your mug. Washable and reusable.