|
20 Jun |
|
|
10:48 am Posted by Kristy |
Whether you’re counting down the weeks of your pregnancy, coming off the exhausting first six weeks, or nearing the one-year mark, you can never start too early planning baby’s first birthday. Few other milestones compare to this first marker for establishing important traditions.
But Baby won’t remember at all, so it’s important to make the celebration memorable in tangible ways you can share later when Baby becomes Child. Children love learning about themselves through stories, photos and memories that come from you.
Furthermore, the importance of documenting the day is a cornerstone in building traditions that connect a child to his or her family and shapes identity. “Traditions and keepsakes are symbols of how important your child is to the family, and they’re what help you to create a family identity,” explains one expert on Parents.com, who has spent the past 25 years studying families to uncover the key components strong, close families.
You can find a lot of great tips and ideas on Parents.com that run the gamut from party theme ideas to preparation and survival tips to keepsake ideas. Here’s a few of our favorites: Survival tips
- Charge all cameras and video recorders the night before
- Make or serve a special birthday cake
- Keep the party short (1-2 hours max)
- Choose metallic (mylar) balloons over latex to avoid choking hazards.
- Don’t do it all yourself. Trade preparing the cake for preparing the food or vice-versa, depending on your preference.
- Take pre-party pics of baby and cake before the mess and tears arrive.
- Give baby room for downtime. It’s a big day with a lot of attention and can be tough for a little one to handle.
- Ask for helping hands, assigning specific duties ahead of time so you aren’t flustered. This could include comforting baby, caring for older siblings, serving and/or clean-up
Creative Ideas
- Dress up birthday invitations by attaching a single candle.
- Create a homemade Birthday Wishes album for guests and family members to fill out.
- Attach a 1″ photo of baby to toothpicks or coffee stirrers to stick into cupcakes
- Recycle baby food jars to create giveaway favors such as votive candles or mini planters
Keepsake Crafts
- Journal If you are still pregnant, consider procuring a recipe box with enough cards for the first 365 days so you can jot down some special memory of baby’s first year, one for each day.
- Storybook Collect pictures from the first year to create a photo-illustrated poem or story of baby’s first year. Rhyming is optional!
- Time Capsule Gather newspaper headlines from baby’s 1st birthday, throw in special pictures of baby’s room, house, family, and any other special item from the first year.
What are your traditions? If you are looking for special first birthday party invitations, visit LookLoveSend.com. All of our party invitations are original, artistically inspired designs that are printed on high quality card stock that will give substance to baby’s special day. Subscribe and receive 20% off your first order with us.
|
20 Jun |
|
|
7:59 am Posted by admin |
Top Ten Hottest Party spots
Not headed to one of the Top Ten Hottest Party spots this summer? That doesn’t mean you can’t heat things up with a party of your own. Sunshine, abundant seasonal edibles and easy outdoor living are great reasons to gather.
But don’t party alone. There are all kinds of occasions for inviting others to join you. And, don’t be surprised if you receive more wedding invitations and birthday party invitations this summer than at any other time of the year.
What kind of invitation should you look out for?
Birthday Parties…650 million birthday invitations get sent during summer.
- Birthdays are the #1 reason people party during the summer.
- Summertime babies are HOT—summer sees 1.1 million births in the U.S.
- A majority of women are Birthday Party Planners (64%). Expect printed, mailed invitations.
What else?
Weddings…250 million wedding invitations.
- Weddings are the #2 reason people party during the summer.
- More weddings occur during the summer months than at any other time of year.
- Nearly half (44%) of wedding budgets go to self-adornment: rings, gowns, and tuxes!
Paper mailed by post still trumps e-cards sent via Internet.
- While 41% plan their wedding using social media, paper invitations outnumber e-cards 20 to 1.
- Most popular invitation card sizes are roughly 4×6 and 5×7.
All told, nearly 1 billion invitation cards hit the mail each year. You can sit around and wait for yours, or heat up the summer now by ordering your own today!
Embed this image on your site:
|
19 Jun |
Introducing Suzanne Cahill, Designer of Fantastic Wedding Invitations |
|
5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
We are excited to introduce Suzanne Cahill as a member of the LookLoveSend graphic design team. 
Suzanne will be sharing her great design talents in the form of fantastic wedding invitations, adorable birth announcements, and fun birthday party invitations. We hope you will search the LookLoveSend site, query by designer, and check out her work.
Suzanne is from the greater Boston area where she loves collecting books, illustrations, textiles and pottery – in particular from the 50s, 60s and 70s era. She draws inspiration from these collected objects, finding beauty where others may not immediately see it. Her work is as varied as the object she collects, as can be seen in the striking ‘Bold Butterfly‘ wedding invitation design shown below. Each design is perfectly suited to its occasion and demonstrates the breadth of Suzanne’s artistic talent and design vision.
Suzanne has worked as a designer and illustrator for almost 20 years in the corporate world, for newspapers, and as a freelance designer. She also loves photography, creating jewlry, and taking on crafts and restoration projects with her family.
If you have a milestone moment coming up and need a beautifully designed and easily customizable announcement or invitation, consider LookLoveSend. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order.
|
18 Jun |
|
|
5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Multiple-choice question: the diaper cake is:
(a) A hand-crafted tower of baby diapers adorned with ornamental ribbon and baby items.- (b) A highly-functional yet attractive baby shower gift that can be thoughtfully customized for the new baby.
- (c) A unique centerpiece for the baby shower table that is sure to impress.
- (d) All of the above.
The answer, of course, is (d) all of the above. The diaper cake is a delightful and original gift offered by numerous online sites with a variety of styles and additional customization options. However, if you have a little Martha Stewart and a lot of patience inside, consider making your own diaper cake for a fraction of the cost and the opportunity to create a highly personal and memorable gift.
The materials list for the most basic diaper cake is quite simple:
- 1 – 2 cartons of disposable diapers depending on size (a 3-tier cake requires approximately 50 newborn size diapers).
- A tray, cake stand, or cutout cardboard base
- Decorative ribbon and small items such as a pacifier, rattle, brush, booties or teddy bear.
- Rubber bands and a cardboard tube for construction.
- A superb tutorial to create the elaborate pink and green floral diaper cake shown here is featured on the Homemade by Jill
- . With additional floral accents, this sophisticated design is slightly more complex but particularly spectacular when complete.
So consider trying to put together a diaper cake for the next baby shower that you attend. If you run into any construction problems, rest assured that all materials can be nicely arranged in a basket as an alternate gift presentation option!
If you are hosting the baby shower, checkout the growing selection of baby shower invitations on LookLoveSend. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order with us.
|
17 Jun |
|
|
11:35 am Posted by Kristy |
Can anyone forget Steve Martin’s character in the movie Parenthood, when he does a last-minute stand-in guest appearance as “Cowboy Dan” on behalf of his hyper-anxious, socially awkward little boy? If only all of us had a Steve Martin character for back-up at all our parties.
Choosing a theme for your child’s birthday party is the biggest hurdle in party planning. Once you’ve settled on an idea, it’s onto the birthday party invitations, and the rest is a cake walk!
Many of us have experienced firsthand that overzealous thematic details are not the same as a crash-test. Just because we’ve found the perfect clip-art for the party favor bags doesn’t mean we’re prepared for the pitfalls of popular party themes.
The experts at Parenting.com offer a few guidelines to consider when planning a themed birthday party. If you’re in the planning stages, enjoy these theme ideas and crash-test your next party by considering their expert tips:
- Arts & Crafts For moms who treasure crafty creations, making stuff easily doubles as party favors, but introduces mess and boredom for some kids. Expert Tip: Prepare with smocks and alternative activity for early finishers
- Sports & Games Moms with active kids love the low cost, group interaction, especially with professional help available at venues like bowling alleys, skating rinks, and some gyms. Just watch out for injuries and tentative or shy individuals who might need extra guidance. Expert Tip: Bring extra adults, ask about a facility’s insurance, and focus on teamwork rather than winning.
- Field Trips & Outings The potential entertainment and educational value of museums, live performances, and such is tremendous, but cost, transportation and age-appropriateness are considerations. Expert Tip: Bring extra adults for supervision and be clear about transportation in your party invitations.
- Guest Stars As long as your guest shows up, you can keep large groups entertained. We think it’s worth checking out specific ideas on Parenting.com for some age-appropriate entertainers. Expert tip: Just remember your back-up “Cowboy Dan” if your guest is a no-show:
- Restaurants Make-your-own or getting a behind-the-scenes tour involves kids, but cost, finicky eaters, and room to expend energy are considerations. Expert tip: Check out eateries with private rooms and know about specific menu items with wide appeal ahead of time.
Once you’ve settled on the theme and are comfortably prepared for possible pitfalls, get your invitations out. Start by looking at the growing collection of original birthday party invitations at LookLoveSend.com. All invitation cards are printed on high quality paper. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order!
|
16 Jun |
|
|
5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Burgers and beer…
Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails…
Dessert and wine…
Summer is a time for parties and beverages are a natural extension of the food menu selected for the celebration. But setting up the bar for your next summer party doesn’t have to break the bank. Reduce your bar tab by following any of the simple suggestions below:
-
Rather than stocking a full bar, consider selecting just a single liquor, such as vodka with a wide assortment of mixers.
- Create a signature drink to honor the special party guest or occasion, if you have one.A pitcher of sangria or punch-filled bowl can both be beautifully adorned with fresh fruit as garnish, and also provide an opportunity to add non-alcoholic mixers to increase servings at a lesser cost.
- If your celebration includes a champagne toast, select a more inexpensive sparkling wine such as an Italian prosecco for less than $20 per bottle.
- Provide interesting non-alcoholic beverage options such as natural fruit sodas, homemade lemonade, and a variety of sparkling waters.Arrange these drinks in buckets of ice for a more enticing presentation.
- Consider discount stores such as Sam’s Club or BJs for your beer and wine needs.Find out ahead of time if the store will accept any unopened bottles for return after your event.
So keep your food and beverage pairings, just adopt one or more of these suggestions to help reduce your next summer party bar tab. Cheers!
Need ideas for your next summer celebration? Checkout our summer series for great party theme ideas. And if you are looking for unique invitations for your next summer party, see the growing selection of party invitations available at LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order.
|
15 Jun |
|
|
12:49 pm Posted by Kristy |
One of the first orders of business once we’re settled with our new baby at home is to send a widely anticipated photo birth announcement to friends and family. Birth announcements have become an expected rite of passage for new parents. We’ve offered some tips and tricks for capturing that perfect baby photo for your announcements, but why bother spending the money?
For starters, birth announcements fulfill several goals, including:
- Announcing your baby’s arrival to family and friends living far away. Even if they already knew of your pregnancy, everybody loves to put a face with a name!
- It is all about the name. Identifying your baby’s formal, full name clears up Question No. 2 (Question No. 1 always being, Girl or Boy?). Everybody likes to weigh in on the name, privately or not!
- Adding stats to the team roster, like weight, length and time of birth.
But….just what are you willing to shell out for what seems like yet another, perhaps frivolous, albeit expected, new baby expense?
A lot of your answer depends on the length of your mailing list, and therefore, on your budget. In few short weeks you feel the dollar drain: diapers, wipes, creams and lotions, baby formula, burp cloths, bibs, growing onesies, bottles, should we stop? If you’re lucky, you received many big-expense items at your baby shower. But day-to-day essentials chip away your monthly budget.
So now comes the 25, 50, 75+ announcement cards you want to mail! (And add 49 cents per card!) Let’s justify this expense with some perspective. (TIP: jot these down. You may need this for a later dinner-table discussion):
- Your baby is only born once
- Birth announcements are your gift to your baby, introducing him or her to your world
- A beautifully printed birth announcement is a keepsake, likely either framed or in his or her baby book.
- What do you spend on Christmas cards year after year?
That said, it is ultimately up to you how to approach the world of baby announcements. At LookLoveSend, birth announcements are all original, artistically inspired designs that beautifully frame your baby’s photo or multiple photos. All announcements are printed on luxuriously weighted and textured papers, with custom envelop linings. The resulting product is a high-caliber, classy statement of your pride and joy. You may find cheaper solutions elsewhere, but your satisfaction will be guaranteed with a birth announcement from LookLoveSend.com.
|
14 Jun |
|
|
5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Planning a bridal shower for a small group of women and want to choose something that is unique and memorable? Consider a spa bridal shower so the bride and her closest circle of female friends can all be pampered in style.
Booking space and services at a local day spa may be the simplest option, but if cost is a concern, why not host from home and bring the spa to you? As long as your bridal shower is not scheduled on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of prom season, many aestheticians are happy to make house calls for a group event. Negotiate with your spa or salon ahead of time to secure fixed pricing for a pre-determined set of services. Try to book two or more aestheticians to ensure that all guests get a turn in the beauty chair.
The services don’t have to be elaborate; simple manicures and pedicures, facial masks, and maybe a short massage for the bride. Create a calm atmosphere by playing soft music, bringing in some fresh flowers, and lighting aromatherapy candles. 
Setup a refreshments buffet that is simple and light, perhaps some finger sandwiches or salads, fruit, a champagne- or fruit-based punch, and sparkling water with lemon or cucumber slices to evoke the feeling of a spa. Decorate the cake with fresh flowers and fruit to keep with the overall spa theme. For favors, allow your guests to select from a basket of spa items such as candles, nail polishes, small lotions or other beauty products.
As the spa bridal shower is something for each guest to enjoy, it is not unreasonable to ask guests to chip in and support its cost (bride notwithstanding, of course!) Just be sure to make any funding requests very clear on the invitation or confirmed when each guest responds to the invitation.
If you are hosting a bridal shower – spa-themed or other – checkout the growing collection of bridal shower invitations at LookLoveSend. And subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order with us!
|
13 Jun |
|
|
4:59 am Posted by Kristy |
Schools not already out for the summer are wrapping up the school year across the country. Only a few weeks remain for schools making up days due to this winter’s multiple record-breaking snowstorms.
If you’d like to announce your high school senior’s upcoming graduation to far-flung family and friends, consider ordering a photo graduation card to honor him or her. Most teens today share news by texting and through social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. But you can make an impression.
Why Spend on Graduation Announcements? Beautifully printed and mailed graduation announcements lend substance to this achievement in a way high school seniors might not have thought of themselves. A graduation announcement demonstrates the value you place on this important milestone. It’s a way to share your pride with people important in your life and theirs, amid all the distractions and pressures of end-of-year parties, summertime employment, vacation plans, and their pending futures.
LookLoveSend’s growing collection of photo graduation party invitations can easily be adapted for graduation announcements. These cards are printed on premium weighted paper and are artistically designed with plenty of space for a graduate’s senior photo. With a few simple wording adjustments, they make an impressive announcement of a graduate’s future plans.
Graduation announcements are just 24 hours away! Even if graduation is within a week or two, there is still plenty of time. LookLoveSend is running a special promotion to turn around orders quickly. Place your order any day between Sunday and Thursday, and it will be printed and shipped it within 24-hours when you write “24 hour turnaround” in the Special Instructions box.
Don’t Overdo the Mailing List You can mail graduation announcements up to two weeks or more after the event. Sending an announcement is not a signal for a gift, but it’s best to send to family, friends and others who would be genuinely interested in hearing the news. Sending a graduation announcement which not a party invitation could make lesser acquaintances feel that you or your graduate are fishing for gifts and money. On the other hand, graduation party invitations may double as graduation announcements. Mailing invitations to those who probably will not attend is perfectly acceptable.
|
11 Jun |
|
|
5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
“I promise to love you for richer, for poorer, when the Sox are winning, and when they are losing”. Don’t be surprised if you hear wedding vows along these lines at the next wedding you attend. Wedding ceremonies today are becoming more personalized as couples plan weddings that reflect their hobbies, tastes and likes.
In addition to hand-written vows, another trend is for someone who isn’t a judge or other ordained official to perform the ceremony. Asking someone close to the bride and groom to preside over the ceremony is extremely meaningful for the participants and likely to result in a very heartfelt and memorable ceremony. And the process to make this happen is surprisingly simple via either of two options.
- Register for free online ordination with the Universal Life Church Monastery. According to a “Gen Wed” article in Brides magazine (June 2011 edition) this site receives approximately 750 requests per day for free online ordination, which is more than double the rate in 2002.
- Submit a minimal fee and letter of recommendation to your designated state authority; guidance for what is required by state can be found on many sites.
If you are planning an intimate wedding, consider personalized vows and a loved one as your officiant to perfectly set that tone. For wedding invitations and other stationery needs, check out LookLoveSend’s growing collection of designer cards. Subscribe to our mailing list and receive 20% off your first order.
