I just attended a 25th anniversary and it was great... my younger cousin (20) hosted the event in honor of her parents (my aunt and uncle). Now keep in mind she is a full time university student paying her own tuition on a small budget. Because she was on a very tight budget she decided that she would have an open bar (which is fine by me as I am there to celebrate the 25 wonderful years that my aunt and uncle have shared.) Secondly she decided she would have everyone pay for their own meal... this is how she worked it out... she asked for $35 from each guest... $20 to go towards the meal, which was very good... and the remaining $15 from each guest was pooled together and given as one gift from the entire family to be put towards my aunt and uncles trip to Hawaii. I know it seems we paid for everything... but that is not the case... I think people sometimes overlook the other hosting details that add up... such as the venue, decorations, favors, cake, centre pieces and etc. She also hired a photographer, which I think is more important paying for than the bar... the photos are lifetime memories that will help remind our entire family of the amazing time we had that day/night. I am happy she kept my aunt and uncle in mind that day... it was there day and if that meant I had to spent a little bit of my money to make sure it was everything they dreamed, then so be it I LOVE MY FAMILY. I almost forgot... we raised $1800 toward their trip to Hawaii. Pretty good, eh! (Yes I'm Canadian.) Think about it! If I had to go out and get a card that's $5... gift wrap and bows $10-$15... a gift is approx. $50 or more if you want something worth buying... this would have added up to a lot more money. So basically I saved... I paid $35, $20 to my meal, $15 toward the Hawaii pool and approx. $12 on drinks the wine was free and set on the tables. So if you do the math based on buying a gift at $50 and the card and bow at $15... I saved $23, WOW! Sure she could have left the bar out all together, but I think it's best she gave her guests the option to have a few casual drinks or not. I mean really what does it really cost for a few good casual drinks approx. $15. Just my opinion! Have a good day!

Annie the cake is [was] so pretty. You did a great job with the transfers, especially for the first time. A hint for you and Di is if you mist, mist the cake insteadking/msg0623463521068.html"> Your Name: Your Email Address: Subject of Posting: Message: Optional Link URL:    Name of the Link: Information about Posting You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account. Please review our Rules of Play before posting. Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos. After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it. Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use. We have a strict no-advertising policy! If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum. If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help. Learn more about in-text links on this page here Return to the Cooking Forum Most Recent Posts winter gardening â¢Â by gldno1 Can they be saved? 4 months before/after pics â¢Â by greenclaws Should I repot my snake plant ? â¢Â by purpleinopp Health benefits of 'Aloe Vera' â¢Â by katkin Help â¢Â by purpleinopp Wettable sulfur for spider mites - but not as spray â¢Â by WinterCat Is my Whitney ok? What should I do? â¢Â by purpleinopp chili peppers â¢Â by ChickenCoupe 2015 tomato choices â¢Â by VerticalGarden What's wrong with my snake plant? â¢Â by purpleinopp Explore GardenWeb Ann's Cream Cheese Babka Perfect for Holiday Baking Feeding Hummingbirds Will they survive the winter? ItsTheDetails' Kitchen Reveal 1939 Cape Cod Tranformation Â

Dont feel bad about sending the boys home. Most parents will feel better knowing that it is not a boy/girl sleep over. For activities you could have a Dance Revolution contest. The Dance Revolution is Very popular. It is an activity that the boys and girls can do. Do you have mall close by? You can send the kids on a scavenger hunt at the mall. Break them into groups with a parent for each group to supervise. Have them hunt things like a napkin from McDonalds and a reciept from JcPenny. They dont have to buy anything. They could ask people for their reciepts. Some malls may have ideas for scavenger hunts if you call mall information. As for the spa party for the girls. Do you know someone who works for a salon. They could help with hair and makeup. My mom has a friend who works partime at a Macys counter. I have a bag of perfume sample that i could send to you if you would like them. They would make a great addition to the girl goodie bags.

I think you should go for it and I don't think it's tacky at all. I wish more people would do that. Personally, I don't like to make a fuss for my b-day and so I don't for others but I love to b-day parties especially when I know this is what they want. Just last week my boss had a b-day. She emailed everyone and asked that everyone bring something for making sub sandwiches, each person brought one thing to put it together. It turned out great. She bought her own cake and had them write "It's my birthday." We thought it was great fun!