Retro Housewife Party

I don't even know how to play bunco, but this looks like a fun night!

Amy at The Motherload recently threw a Retro Housewife Bunco Party, complete with Sloppy Joes, mandatory apron-wearing, rice krispy treats, and game-fun galore!

She also shared some helpful tips:

Don't be afraid to use prepared foods you just pop in the oven (i.e. tater tots) alongside your main couse. Fast, easy and fun!

Cake stands can help keep bread fresh and add height to your presentation.

Fill up one side of your sink with ice and use it instead of a cooler to hold drinks. (Now why didn't I ever think of that?!) It definitely beats dumping out the water from a cooler...and you could even repurpose the melted ice to wash dishes!

When entertaining in a small space, you have to be creative. Get rid of all clutter and unnecessary items, even if it is just for the night!

We've hosted game nights before, but this is taking it to a whole other level. The key here is not leaving anyone out: if the guest didn't have an apron, she provided one! I also love the idea of a regular game night with a different theme each month! It reminds me of those murder-mystery dinners--you can really go all out on a theme quite cheaply if everyone pitches in!

Idolicious

One of the purposes of this blog is to encourage folks to celebrate the goodness in life in whatever form that may take, be it a special occasion or just an excuse to party for any reason. And I do mean ANY reason.

Keely Scott who blogs at Queen Anne's Lace posted about her American Idol Fantasy League Event Tuesday night.

It just shows that all you really need to have a memorable evening is a group of crazy friends and a TV show that you both love and love to mock. With a homemade "American Idolschmidol" banner, some fantastically awesome themed door prizes including a custom-made David Archuleta wall clock, a visit from Ryan Seacrest, Jason Castro cookies complete with dreds, and, of course, the free entertainment in the form of America's favorite popularity contest, you know they had a blast.

Be sure to check out the all-star cast of characters in her group photo. If you are familiar with the Square Peg Alliance, you might just recognize a few faces in the crowd (though I'm still trying to figure out who might have been in the gorilla suit!)

Question: if you were going to throw a television-show themed party -- which show would you choose and how would you celebrate? I'm going to think about throwing a LOST-themed party for the season finale...complete with Dharma Initiative-logo cookies. What about you?

Free Stuff = Free Party

Over at Wise Bread, Linsey just posted about her experience with a service that lets you throw house parties for free!

Apparently, when a new product releases or a new TV series debuts, the companies behind those products and services will send thousands of households tons of free stuff to promote their "new thing." You can receive this free stuff just by applying for parties you are interested in and sharing those things with friends and neighbors!

What a great way to throw a themed party right in your own home for little or no money. Having a House Party would provide a fantastic opportunity to reach out to your neighbors. I mean, who doesn't want free stuff? And by choosing and applying for the ones you are interested in, it means you can choose things you think might appeal to people you know. Also, the privacy policy seems pretty sound--at least, they allow you to send a letter to opt-out of third party requests for your personal information.

Go check out the House Party website. If you have tried this, please let me know what you thought about the experience in the comments.