Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with party

Help me feed my friends.

functionequalsform — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:39:48 -0800

Summer recipes for a hungry crew and a cook who kind of sucks at following recipes? Although I don’t cook for myself basically ever, I do like to make lots of food for lots of friends. I normally have “Family Dinners” about once a month for about 8 to 10 people.

However, I normally hold these dinners during the winter when there’s not much else to do. That means all of the dishes I can make for a ton of people are very… wintery. Beef bourguignon, bacon-wrapped chicken, sautéed pierogies and apples with pork, and the like.

This year, I have a huge patio that gets great sun. I’d like to have “Outdoor Family Dinners.”

Ain’t nobody wanna eat beef bourguignon in the summer.

The rub: I’m really bad at following directions to a T, but am pretty much a FREAKIN' GENIUS at making stuff up as I go along—using a recipe as a guideline to check in on. Typical ADD, I guess.

So. I need really easy, uncomplicated summer recipes that a.) I can screw around with 'til it tastes good, and b.) will feed about 10 people.

First on the agenda will be something like:

Appetizer: haloumi cheese salad with honeydew melon and mint.
Main: herbed roast chicken with a drop or two of truffle oil.
Sides: roasted broccoli with a squeeze of lemon.
Dessert: strawberry shortcake from the bakery across the street.

(Yes, I do the normal BBQs and potlucks. Family Dinners are something a tiiiiiny bit more formal.)

Thanks!

I don't want to exclude this friend, but I don't want him to come either

galenka — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:41:33 -0800

I am celebrating my grad-school graduation, and I have a friend who has been very good to me. But he also lacks boundaries, can be pushy, gets very drunk quickly, and causes me and others a lot of stress sometimes. He clearly expects to celebrate my graduation with me. What do I do? I have a friend, Maurice. Maurice is about 15 years older than me, he's male, I'm female. We know each other through a mutual hobby.

Maurice is a really good person. He is extremely caring and always tries to help. When my car broke down and I was stranded a long way from home with no money and no way to get back, Maurice happened to call me about another topic. He heard how distraught I was and immediately came and saved me, and lent me the money to repair my car. That's how wonderful of a person he is.

Maurice also has a hard time with social skills, sometimes. He is so caring that he is always observing and monitoring people for signs that they are okay. He also will come up with many solutions to the problems he thinks you have, and tell you about them. Over and over. One of my friends is a female who does not like leaving the house without full makeup. Sometimes she will take a while to get ready because she is doing her makeup. Maurice has been known to comment about it repeatedly, and decided my friend must have a low body image or be too anxious. He has offered her many solutions to help with her "anxiety" and repeatedly lectured her on how she should follow his solutions. This friend is also close to my age.

Maurice is a follower of a certain philosopher, and he will lecture you about this philosopher and how the philosophy can solve the problems that Maurice thinks you have. Maurice gives people multiple half-hour long lectures about this philosopher and he repeats himself over and over. I completely believe that he only wants to help people and he believes he will make their lives better by teaching them about this. But.

If you bring up objections to Maurice about his behavior, and tell him the things he says bother you, he will say that if you studied this philosopher you would not be bothered anymore. In fact the fact that you are bothered at all means you need to study this philosopher.

He also will make morbid comments about death, especially in happy moments. Like we should all enjoy this moment and live in it because we're all going to die at the end of our lives.

Lately Maurice has been asking me what I am doing to celebrate my graduation. He said if I did not plan anything then he will and surprise me. I told him seriously not to do that.

I hate the idea of excluding Maurice, he really is a wonderful man and he has been an amazing friend. But he has really upset at least one of my friends who will be there. I also have been under a lot of stress these days and I very much do not want to hear morbid comments about death. I don't even want to hear it once, it would ruin my mood completely. I also do not want to hear about his philosopher at all. Even without those specific things I'm just worried about how it will go. I am under a lot of stress anyway and I really don't want the extra stress.

The party will be very small, around 10 people or less. Maurice knows everyone who would come and would hear about it if I didn't invite him.

Help.

Upbeat songs for a kick-ass end of the semester cook-out?!

switcheroo — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:26:13 -0800

Looking for the happy-go-lucky-est pop/rock “oldies” you know of. The semester is finally ending and we need some good tunes to chill out to! I can never remember (or even hear) the names of the awesome songs on the radio. Help me out with your most upbeat songs, please!

Someone else is already bringing the Bug Juice . . .

bookmammal — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:47:21 -0800

We're throwing a camping-themed birthday party for a co-worker next week. I need to bring some treats! My co-workers and I are VERY BIG on themes for birthdays. Next week we're throwing a camping themed birthday party. I don't camp! Please help me come up with some ideas of snacks/treats that I can bring that incorporate a camping theme! Bonus points if I can give it a fun name--like "Campfire Cupcakes". The idea is not to necessarily bring foods that would be actually eaten while camping--more along the lines of snacks that can be given fun camping type names or that would resemble camping gear or supplies. For example, someone is bringing a bowl of different sizes of pretzel sticks and will call it "Campfire Kindling". We will, of course, also have "Bug Juice". Please help me think of some other ideas!

Adult birthday ideas in the Seattle area

Safiya — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:09:52 -0800

My husband is turning 30 in about 2 months and I need to plan a party for him in the Seattle area. I have no idea what I'm doing. I informed my husband ages ago that if he wanted something more on his birthdays besides dinner and a movie with me, he had to plan it himself. I am not a person who cares much about birthdays, and am terrible at planning events/wrangling people. However, he has informed me that I am basically obligated to plan something for his 30th. I know he would prefer it if I was able to surprise him.

We don't actually live in Seattle, but I'm thinking about having it in that general area because it's convenient for friends and family. I don't have any idea of what to do in the city, and hope you guys can give me some inspiration. I would like to do something fun/adventurous/quirky, followed by a casual dinner. I don't have much money to throw at this, guests would be paying for their own meals, and I could pay a couple hundred dollars for the "event" at most (if it was something where each person was expected to pay a reasonable entrance fee themselves, our guests would be fine with that).

Guests will probably range from kids to his parents, who are pretty cool. We will also have our baby (ten months old) in tow, but Grandma can take care of him if I want to join in the fun. Due to said baby, it will be an early night. I don't know how many guests, probably about 8 - 12. It would be best if I didn't have to pin down an exact number ahead of time, because I know from experience that's nearly impossible.

Husband likes: running, movies, video games, books, outdoor activities, karaoke, casual but good food, having one or two drinks, rock music.
Husband doesn't like: watching sports, dancing, "partying."

So hit me with your ideas for fun, unique activities and restaurants!

How do I become a Wizard?

justalisteningman — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:39:52 -0800

How do I become a Wizard? (for party planning purposes, as opposed to real magical ones). So, I want to throw a party in a month or so.

I want everyone (who wants to) to dress up as a wizard.

In my ideal, I want people to have fake long white beards, wizard staffs, wizard hats, wizard cloaks and wizard pipes.

However, crafts are very...difficult for me. I need help.

For this, I turn to you.

I have a beard. What's the best way to turn it into a white/gray wizard's beard?

For those without beards: what's the cheapest way to get or make a beard?

How do I make a wizard cloak? On the cheap?

How do I find or make a wizard hat? On the cheap?

I've got the staff part down. I'm going to a park nearby and finding one. Others will be advised to do the same or make their own.

Of course, this is open to interpretation. Aside from the questions above, I want to ask: what would you do to become an awesome wizard if you had a month to prepare?

And from a larger party planning perspective: What drinks would you prepare? What decorations would you put up? What music would you play? In general, how would you make a wizard party? I'm thinking of having some brew-happy friends make something specific for the party. What recipes or recipe names would you suggest?

As part of the party, I want to raise money for a non-profit I used to work for a couple years ago.

The money would go to a $2000 business loan for a farmer in rural Africa. I was actually friends with this farmer when I was there (he was one of the most boss farmers in the region btw, for how much capital he had) On the day I left, he gave me a magic plant, and told me to wash my face over it 3 times a day, and it would carry my prayers up to heaven for me. Part of me want to incorporate this very specific memory into the party in some way. I would also like suggestions as to how to do this, or if this is a weird idea, a suggestion to not do it.

Even if that idea is weird, or if you have a better one, do you have an idea to couch the raising of money for this into the broader wizard theme?

Bonus points for creativity, cheapness, incorporation, and helping people make something for themselves. I want ( and I would like others) to put a lot of thought, effort, and enthusiasm into this.

Small town bachelor party

gregoryg — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:26:06 -0800

Bachelor party, challenge level: wholesome time, tiny Midwestern town, Thursday night, 7 people total, best man (me) arriving in town a few hours before. At this point all that's decided is a barbecue, and at some point going to one of the 3 bars in town. The groom seemed amenable to games of vague skill (himself mentioned bowling and ping-pong, neither of which are available in town that night), but I want to avoid a handful of 20 and 30-somethings sitting around playing Apples to Apples.

In my mind the constraints have made me think "low key," but I'm starting to realize that this may be the wrong line of thinking. So I'm interested in activities, themes, or any other quirky or not-so-quirky idea that you have that makes small town Iowa on a Thursday more interesting than just another night at the bars with some friends.

Also, Collin if you're reading this, stop it!

Down the drain

corn_bread — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:34:49 -0800

For 6 weeks, due to a broken septic tank, we have been unable to put any water at all down our drains. This has involved driving to the gas station/grocery store/town park/etc every time we had to go to the bathroom. It has meant keeping buckets in all of our sinks for tooth brushing/dish washing/etc that we have to empty in our driveway whenever they fill up. It has meant either showering at the pool or, if in a rush, stopping up the drain in the bath tub and showering before work and then bucketing out the water when returning home. It has basically been like living in a 250k tent with climate control and real beds. On Monday (purportedly) it will finally be fixed. We want to have a big, water-usage themed party (sorry, environment) to celebrate this miraculous victory. Please help with suggestions. Some ideas for the party so far: slip & slide, alcohol shot ice block luge, spicy food that makes you shit a lot (we're thinking of having Taco Bell cater). We would love more ideas, because we want to make this EPIC.

How does it feel? Eh, a little too obvious is how.

too bad you're not me — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:11:56 -0800

Help us build our goth-prom-party playlist! We’re having a mashup party—gothic meets 80s meets prom. We’ve got streamers, balloons, a disco ball, and a spiked punch bowl covered. We’ve also got a running play list, but are worried it’s not long enough. We’d ideally like 4 hours of music (9:00 pm – 1:00 am), but are stuck around 3 hours. Here’s the playlist in question: Black Prom

Tracks that work:

+ Kanye - Monster
+ The Faint – Worked Up So Sexual
+ Massive Attack – Teardrop
+ Beyonce – Sweet Dreams
+ Lady Gaga - Marry the Night

These tracks are dark and danceable. Some of them would be heard at traditional prom and some would not. We’re basically looking for dark and danceable, or dark and poppy. Dirty bass, crunchy guitars, synths, and driving beats are all good.

Tracks that do not work:

+ Overly obvious choices like The Cure – Friday I’m in Love or New Order - Blue Monday
+ Overly aggressive bands like Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails

I’ve already looked through these threads, and some of them are helpful, but also not quite the vibe we’re after:

Too Halloweeny.
Too much goth and not enough dance (but has some good suggestions).

Anyway, this might be the longest post for a music request, but any suggestions would be really appreciated!

Help me plan the most awesome party ever!

Youremyworld — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:37:26 -0800

Looking for unique, fun, cost effective ideas for Harry Potter themed 31st Birthday Party. Due to unforseen circumstances I was unable to have a party for my 30th last year. After a lot of thought and encouragement from my pals I have decided to have a 31st instead.

I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and have read all the books and seen all the movies quite recently so I want to have an adult HP theme party (kid friendly too).

I'm looking for ideas that are faithful to the stories and also not too expensive. I've done lots Googling and have come up with a few things but I want this to be the most awesome party ever. It will not be a dress up party and it will be held at my parents house who have a large outdoor entertaining area (Oct - spring in Australia)

Some ideas so far are:
A sorting hat filled with house badges (buttons) for each guest to choose on arrival
A potions display
Honeydukes Candy Bar (this is top of my wish list and would be greatful for ideas on how to pull it off)
Helium balloons decorated like owls

Activities for kids also welcome.

Thanks!!

Politely parenting my kid's playdates?

Bardolph — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:28:25 -0800

My preschooler is getting just old enough to have a proper social life (playdates, birthday parties, etc.). I've got some specific questions about the parental etiquette expectations surrounding these kiddie get-togethers. Since my husband and I are busy introverts, we've never really done any parent meetups or playgroups or any kind of organized socialization; little B (4ish) has played with other kids pretty much exclusively ad-hoc on the playground, or at school/daycare. As she gets old enough to get invites to more directed kinds of socializing, though, I'm wondering what the current conventions are for parent involvement in this stuff. Specifically:

--Playdates: must we stop by and introduce ourselves as parents a couple days before the date? May we, if we'd like to from a safety standpoint? Can we ask where the kids would be playing? Should we provide this info unasked if/when other people are checking us out?

--Likewise, on playdates at other people's houses, is one of us expected to stay there the whole time? If not, is it OK for one of us to stay there, just to keep an eye on things? May/should we follow the kids around the house, or do we stay seated in whatever adult space we're offered? If we do stay, do we have to chat with the other parent the whole time (ugh), or is it cool to bring a book or some work or something?

-- For playdates at our house: must/should we invite the other parents to stay? If they do stay, do we have to hang out with them the whole time? (please please say we don't)

-- Ditto birthday parties: do we stay? Do we help? Must we chat? Do we follow the kids?

-- Post-encounter thank-you notes (from us/her): required? expected? And in response to which invites?

-- And lastly, any other do's/don'ts we should be aware of?

As you may have guessed, I'm kind of dreading the whole thing, both from a safety standpoint (just read Protecting the Gift, which is very eloquent on the potential for creepy sexual violence from friends' random elder brothers, uncles, fathers, etc.) and in terms of the social requirements for myself-- so it'd be particularly helpful to know what the bounds of decorum are on the high-supervision, but low-social-engagement, end of the spectrum. Location, if it matters, is middle-class suburban USA. Thanks!

Tell me what you did last summer

Urban Winter — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:41:11 -0800

A bunch (8-10, possibly more) of friends and I want to rent a beach house or similar living situation for Thursday-Monday over the summer, either late June/early July or early August. Where should we go and how can we find affordable housing? A few notes about what we are looking for:

- We will be driving to Location from upstate New York, and do not want to travel more than 10 hours each way, absolute maximum.
- Beach, beach, beach. Did I mention beach?
- We don't want to have to use the cars when we get there. Walkability to attractions is important.
- We range in age from 23 to 30, mostly in the mid-20s range, and are looking for a place geared toward people our age. However, we are not, for the most part, wild partiers. We're more "crowded niche bar" people than "hazy nightclub" people.
- While we primarily want to spend our time at the beach, we would also like a place with other things to do. Boardwalk, parasailing, etc. We are an educated group and are also interested in museums and similar events.
- Warm/hot weather. The ocean is cold enough; we don't really want to get out of the water and feel colder than we were when we went in. (This is more of a concern the earlier in June we go, of course.)

Regarding the house... Assuming we have a group of at least 8, we will have a budget of $1000+ collectively, which I assume will be plenty for four nights (we want to arrive late Thursday and leave Monday afternoon/evening).

- We want a place as close to the beach as possible. A few blocks at most, ideally.
- Ideally we'd like more than one bathroom for obvious reasons
- One member of our group has some pretty severe allergies. Not enough that he'd die or anything if we got a place with some mold in the basement, but out of consideration for him I'd like to minimize the sniffles and general unhappiness that comes with having an allergic reaction.
- We stay up late, we're on the noisy side, and we'd rather not have people after us for it. Thus why we're staying away from hotels.

Just to clarify, we're not going to party-wreck the place. We're out to have a good time, but we're conscientious too. The place will be in fine condition when we leave.

So, help us out! Where should we go, where should we stay, and what might be fun to do when we get there?

Ideas for indoor activities for an employee party

a girl and her dog — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:42:37 -0800

I'm in need of ideas for indoor activities for an end of the season work party for a large group of seasonal employees. So far I have plans for a photobooth and possibly karaoke.
Biggest previous success was a mechanical bull (not feasible this year).

I would love to hear about your best suggestions for indoor games or activities that would be fun to partake in and fun for non-participants to watch. The weather forecast is crummy, but had it been good I was hoping to set up some dodgeball, soccer, capture the flag, etc...

Some details.
- Age range 16-75
- Alcohol tends to flow pretty freely for the over 21 crowd
- 50-75 attendees

Friend Ettiquete: Missing the Wedding, Do I Make the Bachelor's Party?

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:18:15 -0800

Is it worth it to fly home for my friend's bachelor party? My friend is having a bachelor's party next weekend. He (and all my other childhood friends) live back home, in another city that is about a 1.5 hour/$375 flight away. I have not lived in this city for about 8 years (I am currently studying at a university), although I come home to visit my family and friends with some regularity.

Unfortunately, I already have to miss his wedding, which is a destination wedding in Hawaii next month. I would otherwise go, but the week of the wedding is the first week of a new job (and mandatory job training). I feel pretty badly about missing his wedding — we grew up together and we were close friends for many years. Most of my other close childhood friends are going to the wedding, although they have also had jobs for some time now and have no problem booking the time off / money. Similarly, since they still live in my hometown, making the Bachelor's Party is no problem for them as well.

So — I'm wondering how important it is to nonetheless make an event like a Bachelor's Party, especially if I can't make the wedding. I could do it time wise, although my exams (intense law exams) start on the Thursday following the weekend, which would mean that I would basically fly home for the party then fly back the next morning.

I want him to know that I still value our friendship and that I wish him all the best with his marriage — I think making an effort is important. Any ideas on the right thing to do?

A Dirty Dancing themed karaoke surprise

rachaelfaith — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:47:17 -0800

How do I hire someone in New York City that can provide a very unique service for a bachelorette party? This would involve specific timing, possibly a costume, decent voice, decent looks, heaps of charm. I'm sure there is someone in the Manhattan area who can and will do this. I have no idea how to find them.

I would like this person to show up at a karaoke bar (private room) at a scheduled date, burst into the room at a specified time (coordinated via text), sing along convincingly to "The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing, while teasing/flirting with/serenading a bachelorette.

Swayze lookalike would be lovely, but I am not expecting it. Floppy Swayze hair would be preferred, though.

Where on earth do I advertise this one-time, very brief gig? I would go to Craigslist, but my many past experiences with Craigslist hires have not been super reliable. Some sort of Broadway-related agency?

Also, what do you think the payment for this should be? I was thinking about $50 would be right, for about 5-10 minutes of actual work.

Help make this weird bachelorette surprise happen!

Hamburger Dinner Party

Fairchild — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:53:48 -0800

How can I keep hamburgers and hotdogs warm after grilling and how can I melt cheese on burgers that are kept warm but not hot? I have read that you can keep cooked burgers and hotdogs warm in a beef broth mixture in a crockpot set on low. This is fine but how will I melt the cheese on the burgers? Will they be hot enough after they come out of a crockpot set on low? This seems like a silly question, but I am unsure.

If I wanted to keep the burgers warm in a dry oven set on "warm" (under 200 degrees) how long could I do this without them drying out?

Any tips on keeping hot dogs and burgers warm are appreciated.

Ideas for a Friends-themed anniversary party?

chudmonkey — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:35:43 -0800

What tips or suggestions do you have for throwing an anniversary party themed after the sitcom Friends? Specifically, can you think of a suitable coffee-house or other venue in Calgary, AB? Hey Gang! This coming June, I'll be celebrating 10 years together with my awesome wife. Since we're both devotees of Friends, I have it in my head to surprise her with a small gathering of loved-ones and a Friends-themed party.

I'd love to know any ideas you might have about touches for such a party. Possible guest attire; items or decorations to have present; food or drink to serve; games to play; music to feature... all brainstorms will be very appreciated, and no reference to Friends is too obscure.

Special bonus points if you can think of the perfect venue for this party in Calgary, AB. I feel like a coffee-house is the obvious venue choice, but I don't know what my city offers in terms of Central Perk similarity. Ideas for a non-coffee-house venue will also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Help me throw the best Birthday Party for my wife

IndigoSkye — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 06:26:32 -0800

My wife is approaching a milestone birthday and she's drawn up a list of people she would like to invite. Originally, we were going to have it at our house, but when the invitee list passed 150, we decided we don't want that many people roaming through the place. She wants to cancel the event, but I want to throw her a party anyway. Realistically, our total budget is around $1000 which has to include food for the guests. Other than reserving a section at a public park and having a BBQ (not a bad idea except for the heat and bugs), what are some other low cost options for a big party. We're in Orlando, Fl if you have any specific advice for the area.

Gift ideas for corporate gala party favor?

little miss s — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:57:12 -0800

Gift ideas for corporate gala party favor? Every gift which is given, even though is be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection. -Pindar It is my company's 10th anniversary. For some unknown reason I volunteered to find ideas for a promotional item to send to all of our partners as well as for a party favor for attendees at the big party gala ball thing. The promotional item can't exceed $2 at a quantity of 1000 and the party favor $10 at a quantity of 350.

After some internet searching, I have found that everything is super cheesy and really impersonal. I know I can't really personalize a gift for 350 - 1000 recipients but I want something a little more interesting and thoughtful than a keychain.

I found this for the promotional item that I thought would be cool with a little message saying something like "a little bubbly for you to share in our 10th anniversary celebration" but food items are poo pooed because they are temporary. Marketing wants something that will be a keepsake.

I like this for the party favor but I have to present 4 ideas.

Have you received a promotional item or party favor that you thought was super cool or have a great idea? Oh, and of course both must have our company logo on it.

Possibly pertinent, veterinary medicine.

Help me throw a cool Ms. Pac-Man party for 30-something suburbanites!

Duluth?! I Hardly Know Her! — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:38:01 -0800

For a charity auction, my family "donated" a Ms. Pac-Man party for 16 people. The winners are 8 couples in their mid- to late 30s who each paid a decent bit of money to come to our house and be entertained for a night. We have an old-school Ms. Pac-Man cocktail table and a tournament will be the centerpiece, but I want to put on a great party and give these good people their money's worth. What great ideas - whether general grown-up party ideas or specific Ms. Pac-Man ones - will make that happen? My budget is not unlimited but assume it is large. I recognize that I may be beanplating this, but I do not have much experience throwing a party for grown-ups (and particularly where the attendees have paid for an invite). Our attendees are all friends of ours but do not necessarily know each other. They are all fun people and I think will be up for the inherent silliness of the event. We all live in the same small community.

We are already planning to have pizza - we originally thought maybe Pizza Hut for nostalgic purposes but are thinking maybe quality trumps nostalgia - and to get trophies for each participant. Obviously we will have drinks and snacks. But I am hoping there are some "can't miss" things to include or some Pac-Man specific trinkets or touches that might make it fun. "Don't do this" ideas are welcome too.

How to word a party invitation without sounding tacky?

Oriole Adams — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:45:58 -0800

My husband mentioned to me some years ago that he'd never had an actual, cake-and-candles, friends from the neighborhood invited, hats and horns birthday party in his entire life. I'd like to give him a small surprise birthday party for his upcoming birthday in late March, but I have questions about how to actually word the invitations. I'm planning only to invite about six people - different friends that he hangs out with and some couples that we both have known for years. (We both work from home and have for the past 10 years, so our social circle is a bit small.) Even with the relatively small number of people, I couldn't figure out a way to invite everyone to our house (Mr. Adams would obviously notice all the cars parked out front, etc) so I'm thinking of hosting it instead at a nearby Chinese restaurant that he and I have frequented for the past decade.

I've attended parties for folks at restaurants over the years and sometimes I had to pay for whatever I ordered and sometimes I didn't. In this case, I plan to pay for the food for the attendees. Is that something I should mention when I invite people? How to phrase it? "You're invited to (details of date and location and occasion) and the food is on me!" Is it crude/tacky to assure the invitees that they won't have to pay for dinner? I know that one of the potential guests has been out of work for a while and lives almost an hour away, so I'm thinking that reassurance that he won't have to pay for dinner on top of his gas might encourage him to attend.

As you can see, I'm rather clueless as to how to proceed. I read Miss Manners regularly, but I don't know that our invitees necessarily do and are clear on what a restaurant party invitation means. Would you be offended if you received an invitation that clearly spelled out that dinner and drinks were covered, and all that was requested was your attendance?

"Everybody who's currently intestate, MAKE SOME NOIIIIIISE!"

julthumbscrew — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:34:20 -0800

I want to host a "will party", which will feature yummy snacks, refreshing drinks... and access to all of the resources needed for end-of-life planning. Is this doable? HOW? Intestate-rrific details inside... A number of my family members and friends have been thinking about Their Inevitable Demise lately (because they've recently had babies, or are getting older, or are of a morbidly contemplative bent). Many have expressed a desire to get their shit together re: having a will/living will/advance directive/etc. I share this desire. However, none of us have taken any steps towards this goal.

While mulling this, I got an idea: why not throw a Will Party? I could invite everyone over - as WELL as inviting a (paid-by-the-hour, of course) paralegal or lawyer, and possibly a notary. I could purchase a copy of one of the popular "make yer own will at home!" programs. Everyone could draft up their will on the PC, have it reviewed by a legal professional, THEN have it notarized! Then we could all do shots! Woo, party!

Reasons Why This Might Work: most people I know have very, very, VERY simple estate-planning needs. No one is wealthy. No one owns much beyond a home/car/401(k). No one comes from a wealthy background. No one has any sort of all-consuming family drama. No one has any long-term illness. No one is oe'er-dramatic about death.

Reasons Why This Might NOT Work, and How to Overcome Them: that's what I need you to tell ME! What am I overlooking? Why might this be an awful idea? What other sort of resources would be available? If my plan is flawed, what sort of changes and/or advance planning MIGHT make it feasible? Thanks, Hive!

Superb Owl Sunday Party

enfa — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:59:38 -0800

I'm hosting a football-free celebration of man's finest feathered friend, this Sunday. What owl tributes and puns do I need on the menu, on the television, on the stereo, and as decor? The current itinerary & menu includes:

Videos and pictures found on metafilter and reddit.
Viewing of the (terrible) Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and the corresponding episode of 30 Rock, s05e14.
Owl Pellet Dissection
Owl S'Mores
Tootsie Roll Pops
Owl Cheese ball
Wise potato chips
Wise or Otherwise - board game

What am I forgetting? The crowd will be adults, with the chance of a couple kids under 10. Venue is a house, near Boston. I have a vehicle, Amazon Prime, Netflix, excellent public libraries, and insatiable appetite for making terrible jokes.

Help me create a fun scoring system for a party

VeniceGlass — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:08:38 -0800

So we've got a chocolate-tasting party next month, with about 50 people attending. We divide into dark, semi, milk and (yes, sorry, purists) white, around 20 types. I've done this before (really fun) but used paper and pen, tallying up the winners at the end of the night. This time I was thinking of giving guests a few of something to hold - poker chips? - and have them drop them into jars or something near their favorites. I'm not so hot on the poker chips in a glass jar idea, though, since you can't see them from far away, and it doesn't really have much volume in the jar. Any fun ideas?

How do we make our gigantic wedding feel intimate and special?

firstbest — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:11:59 -0800

What are ways to make a really large wedding feel intimate and special? My boyfriend and I just engaged (yay!) and we are super excited to be married to each other. We're also super excited to have a wedding: we're taking a relatively relaxed, guests-first approach to the ceremony and reception, with the goals of the whole thing feeling (1) intimate, (2) special, (3) really, really fun. All this was eminently doable when we thought the guest list was going to be 75. But now, many difficult conversations with our parents later, we're facing down a guest list of over 250, and I'm at a loss as to how to still hit our mood/vibe/emotional atmosphere goals. I guess the "really, really fun" part will take care of itself with the open bar, good DJ, and cool location. But how can we introduce elements that indicate intimacy and special-ness with a group this size? I can't imagine having enough time to interact with everyone personally in a meaningful way. Have you been to any large weddings with elements that helped offset the scale? Do you have any genius solutions? Activities/objects/favors/furniture arrangement? Let's pretend money is not an issue and scale down from there.

Some general background: We've been together for 6 years. The wedding is this summer, and includes access to outdoor space. No, the list can't be cut any further. Yes, we are okay with the contents of the list, they are all people we know and like/love (giant families, lots of friends). Yes, we have already arranged for a pretty rad photo booth.