6. Planning a party for your pet; the ultimate guide! by Louise Birkens

Pets have increasingly become valued family members and many of us could not imagine going through life without our beloved animal. Pets provide us with fabulous companionship and loyalty above and beyond that offered by most human beings! We provide everything our pets need including nutritious food, a warm bed and our unrivalled attention; so why is it that when our pet’s birthday rolls around each year, we drop the ball as far as celebrating this day with our best friend goes?

One theory is that people don’t know where to begin when planning a birthday party for their pets, another is that they think that pets don’t really care if they have a party or not. I am a firm believer that pets appreciate any type of attention, whether it is from their careers or other party guests. Also as a rule, most dogs love the chance to play with other dogs and eat lots of yummy treats! So armed with this knowledge, you can be sure that planning a birthday party for your pet is a fabulous idea.

Before you do any planning, you have to think about the guest list. If you own a chiuwawah then be mindful of other breeds of dog that you will be inviting because the last thing you want is for the guest of honor to feel uncomfortable and threatened by larger and more aggressive dogs. It is best to stick with dogs of similar breed and size for this exercise to be a success. Keep in mind also that dogs are not humans and their behavior can sometimes fall short of our expectations and this is especially true when they are put in situations that they find frightening or threatening. Dogs may nip and bite when they are scared, and cats can lash out and give you a nasty scratch.

Don’t let this put you off though; a dog or cat party can be a fun and rewarding experience if planned properly. The first thing to consider is getting the pet to human ratio correct. I suggest more humans than pets and only stick to pets that your pet is familiar with as this will make them feel a little more secure. If you are holding the party at your house, keep in mind that dogs and cats are very particular about their territory and can get a bit stroppy when other pets try to spray their scent in these areas. You may have a spraying war on your hands especially if there are too many male pets at the party. I suggest keeping the amount of pet guests to a maximum of 3 or 4 and the human guests to a maximum of 6 to 8. Dogs can get confused and may resort to nipping or jumping when they are confused or frightened and this may be undesirable for your human guests.

Once you have figured out your guest list, be sure to stop by http://www.allfreeinvitations.com/ to download and print your free pet party invitation. You can then choose your date, fill out the invites and pass these onto your guests and get on with the fun task of planning the special day!

Pets are not very particular about decorations so it is possible to save money here and keep decorations to a minimum. You can then spend most of your budget on food and games for your guests and pets. Games such as races and tug of wars are good choices for dogs and their owners.

When it comes to foods, I suggest that you stick to foods that are reasonably good for your pets and try not to have too much junk food as your guests may throw this up in their career’s cars on the way home! Also remember to cater for your human guests by providing easy to hold finger food as their attention may be focused on keeping an eye on their pets to ensure there are no fights or other incidents and so a sit down meal may not be appropriate in this case. When preparing food for the pets, be sure to provide foods that do not have strong smells, as your human guests may find this unpleasant.

I suggest that the party be no longer than an hour so that pets don’t get sick of each other’s company. Be sure to leave any pets off that list that are known biters and fighters as well as bitches that may be on heat as this is just asking for trouble. If you keep these simple hints in mind when planning your pet party, you will be sure to plan a fabulous and successful party that is enjoyed by both bipeds and quadrupeds. Article courtesy of All Free Invitations dot com. I am a lover of parties and party planning. My website http://www.allfreeinvitations.com/ is a fabulous resource for party invitations and advice for planning a killer party! Be sure to stop by for hundreds of free party and event invitations.

7. Tips When Organizing A Birthday Party by Mike Selvon

If you have ever planned a birthday party, then you probably know, depending upon your personal circumstances, that it can be difficult to come up with a way to make it a great birthday for the honoree. However, many times there are things that you can do to help ensure it will be a success, such as with the party planning. If you are looking for a theme for your party, then consider the gender of the individual, their age and personality before making any final decisions.

For example, for a "Sweet 16" get together, consider a Glamour Shots type of party complete with gowns, gloves, makeup, etc. This is a perfect birthday bash for your teen as they can get dressed up in whatever they want and apply make-up and then be ready for their close-up. It is a good idea to start gathering different types of clothes and shoes; a thrift shop is ideal for choosing some clothes.
It is advisable to have each girl bring their own brush and make-up or you can purchase individual kits for each girl and let them keep them as party favors. You can make a copy of the pictures and include them with a thank you note from the lucky girl.

Having a movie night theme for a birthday is clever and fairly easy to plan. For example, the invitations can be made to look like a movie ticket or you can design them to look like a movie reel with all of the details of the birthday party on them.

Have someone dressed up in a tuxedo standing outside the door where the guests can hand them their ticket and they can check to see if they are on the "list." No movie night theme birthday bash would be complete without a red carpet so check around and see if any carpet store has scraps of carpet available.
For an unforgettable winter birthday bash consider a beach theme. For the invitations, purchase several beach balls and write the party information on them in permanent ink with instructions to blow them up when they are received.

You can also ask everyone to come dressed in beach attire, Hawaiian shirts, etc. You can hang beach towels on the walls, scatter some seashells around the room and hang fish nets for an authentic feel.
For a truly amazing effect, if you don't mind the mess, you can cover the floor with sand.

Need a great idea for a party planning theme for your teenager's birthday? Consider a Medieval Time birthday party complete with the King and Queen standing at the door to greet the guests. Invitations can be done in calligraphy style, rolled up as a scroll and tied with a ribbon; add a birthday cake in the shape of an elaborate castle and it will be an unforgettable party.

A whole world of information about the birthday party eagerly awaits you from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our birthday quotes blog.

8. Getting the Best Gift Deals During a Recession by THELMA UGHANZE

Many think it is impossible to find affordable gifts during a recession. However the opposite is actually the case. surprisingly enough it is during an economic downturn that one can find bargain prices more readily on items. With a little awareness, discipline and strategy one can find themselves spending less money while still getting high quality products.
Compare Pricing: Businesses are in need of sales during this time so in order to attract more customers they lower prices and have sales. So to get the best available prices on products do a little price comparison between stores on gift items you would need. That way you can take full advantage of the slow economy. 

Give-Aways and Freebies: To make room for new inventory, businesses have to unsold products off the selves so it is quite common to see retailers offer free merchandise with purchases. You can turn the extra item into a gift and give to a love one during an occasion. Turning free products into presents is a very strategic way of gift-shopping without actually spending money.
Close-Outs: Unfortunately during a recession many retailers are not able to stay in business and have to close down. Although this is not positive news, you can see their bankruptcy as an opportunity to turn their loss into gain. Many of the unsold products are drastically discounted and become more affordable. Buying stuff at close out prices is the biggest advantage of a recession so take full advantage of it. 

Off-Price Retailer: Off-price retailers are stores where name-brand items are sold at below market prices. Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls, are a few examples of these types of stores. Usually bigger, more expensive stores sell their overstocked products to off-price shops therefore making merchandise more affordable. That is why they would be excellent locations to find fashionable, valuable presents during any time of the year, especially during economically unstable times.
For more helpful information, I invite you to subscribe to my free newsletter 'Gift Shopping, Gift Buying' where I can give you more tips on how to save money and find quality affordable items that 

Thelma Ughanze is a "Gift-Shopping Guide" who specializes in helping people find great gifts for any occasion of the year. Her main objective is to educate the public on how to easily and effectively shop for gifts, and how to stay in any shopping budget. On her website she introduces innovative, affordable gift ideas that people can benefit from and that will make excellent gifts for any time of the year. Find out more go to http://giftgrease.com/ribbon-gift-cards.html

9. The Sexiest Gift to Give by THELMA UGHANZE

What more can I say about chocolate? It is the sexiest gift anyone could give simply because it's sweet, rich and luscious nature helps to release inhibition and bring out the beast in all of us. Chocolate, particularly of the dark class, has been known to release chemicals in the brain that aid in relaxation and pleasure. So it is only natural that this candy and sex would go hand in hand, but there are other more tantalizing reasons why this dark sweet would make a very sexy surprise to anyone.