Recently in Birthdays Category
For me, it started with Groupon. I remember when this social group discount site was just starting out in a small market. Now it has spread all over the country and several others, bringing with it unbelievable prices and finds for lavish spas, decadent culinary delights and more.
These group-buying Web sites work with companies to offer daily deals on anything from house cleaning to yoga classes.
I'll admit that I was an addict for a couple months. There were just so many deals too good to pass up. And none of them broke the bank!
There are plenty of offers and deals in the San Gabriel Valley. Here are a few I have yet to enjoy in Pasadena.
I scored a few hair laser removal group discounts that made me feel better about my strapless gown before my wedding. Definitely needed in a time where I couldn't afford to shell out a couple hundred bucks per session.
Then, I discovered Living Social, Tippr and LA Weekly's VOICE Deal of the Day. More recently Daily Candy, a social cultural website geared specifically towards various metro areas, launched its own Daily Deals for its Los Angeles edition.
The market is definitely expanding for these sites and who wins - us, the consumers!
Go ahead and plan that birthday outing, girl's night, date night, or get a great gift at a great price with the help of these sites. Let your imagination soar without the bill following suit.
Tippr's latest deal is perfect for a great birthday gathering, bridal shower or bachelorette/bachelor party or get it with the excuse to get friends and family together: $49 buys you an in-home or in-office wine tasting party for up to ten people from PRP Wine International for up to ten people. Check out the details HERE. This offer expires in two days and about 5 hours since this has been posted. ENJOY!
Got any other places you get discounts, coupons or deals for celebrations? Share!
In honor of Earth Day today, I will focus on how to incorporate "green" into your party planning beyond just "reduce, recycle, reuse."
From the beginning of the planning process, you can start to help reduce waste and your carbon footprint by focusing on the invitations. One of the most eco-friendly ways is by electronic invitations.
Although, a great idea, keep in mind this may not work for all celebrations, or for all your guests who may not be tech-savvy or let alone have access to a computer at all. There are various sites that offer electronic invitation programs such as Evite and social networking sites MySpace and Facebook. These programs are easy to set up for the planner and offer ease for the guests to reply and communicate, as well as have access to all the party details one can squeeze in there for guests.
Birthday parties, backyard bbq's, pool parties and other non-formal celebrations are perfectly suited for evites, but many consider it a faux-pas to send wedding invitations electronically.
If you are truly committed to going green for your wedding, consider doing both. More acceptable forms of electronic invites are being set-up through sites that offer couple's their own wedding website (www.OurWeddingDay.com, www.mywedding.com, www.weddingwindow.com), where they can send out save-the-date emails, keep guests up-to-date on the planning and also offer an RSVP tracker, where guests can reply. And for guests that may not have access to a computer, look for invitations made from recycled paper and use soy-based ink, or create your own with pressed flowers or other raw, natural materials.
For food, look into caterers or food vendors that use local, organic or sustainable ingredients in their meals. The price may be slightly higher for some items, but just think of the difference you are making on the local farming community and feel good about what you are, and are not, putting into your body.
As far as drinks and libations, there are more and more brands of juices and wineries going organic as well, be sure to look for the seal of approval by the USDA's NOP (National Organic Program). How about squeezing your own juice, using local produce of course, ahead of time and freeze until ready to serve.
For weddings, one of the first things a couple can do to "green" their big celebration is to start with the rings.
Aside from going with a family heirloom or vintage jewelry for the engagement and wedding bands, there are also many jewelers that use recycled gold or silver and lab-created diamonds and stones that not only help the earth but help communities ravaged by the jewelry and diamond industry.
One of those companies is Brilliant Earth, a jewelry company dedicated to providing quality jewelry that originates from "pure sources and harvested using socially responsible practices." They also work to change the image of jewelers and educate consumers "about the social and environmental issues affecting the jewelry industry." The company also donates a share of their profit to help the underdeveloped communities affected by the jewelry industry. Brilliant Earth guarantees their diamonds originate from "conflict free sources of the highest ethical standards."
In honor of Earth Day, Brilliant Earth will include a limited edition Green on the Inside charm necklace with any ring order as a special gift now through April 24. The recycled sterling silver charm necklace features their signature Flower Charm Pendant and a bezel-set ethical origin green sapphire on a delicate cable chain. One complimentary necklace per customer.
Many couples are also opting to give back to the world and their communities with their registries. At www.IDoFoundation.org, a couple can find many ways to personalize their special day and give back to charity at the same time. Couples can select the charity of their choice from thousands of nonprofits and either start a gift registry to donate to a special cause as a gift to you, start a registry where stores like Macy's, Mikasa, and Cooking.com give back up to 10 percent to your charity of choice when you register for gifts through I Do Foundation, or support a charity with a donation in your guest's names as a wedding favor.
For more ideas, check out Brides.com for their essential guide to an eco-chic wedding.
GOT ANY GREEN IDEAS TO SHARE? POST A COMMENT BELOW!
By Elvira, the quinceañera's mom:
To start, I will say that my three daughters didn't want a traditional quinceañera party, you know, the big thing. They all just wanted a regular party like it was any other birthday.
With the youngest one, I asked her to at least have some pictures taken with a nice dress, something that I regret not doing with my other two daughters. At first, she didn't want to do it but once she thought about it more and went to a photo studio to look at pictures, she liked the idea.
So began the planning for the photo shoot and the party. My daughter asked my sister, who lives in Ensenada, Mexico, if she would be her madrina and get some "recuerdos", favor mementos, for the party at the park that she did ask for.
Then, she asked my good friend, a friend of the family that has known her since she was a baby, if she would be her madrina for her ring - a quinceañera ring - which of course, my friend said she would love to.
We went to downtown Los Angeles to look for a dress for the photo shoot. She wanted purple so she tried on a few dresses in different shades of purple and eventually decided on a lilac dress. It was also not too expensive (about $200) - thank God!
After she got the dress and other accessories for her photo shoot outfit, I got to thinking. I know she told me she wanted to have a kid-like party at the park, to have fun because she said "I don't want to grow up," but I want to show her that even if she doesn't want to grow up, a 15th birthday is the celebration of a girl becoming a woman (and she is, unavoidably), so I decided to throw her a surprise party, after the party at the park.
A big celebration complete with a dj and dancing, dinner and cake, and all that. Almost like the traditional quinceañera party but without the church ceremony or choreographed waltz dance. It would be hard to ask her to rehearse that without blowing the surprise.
Though I wanted to throw a great party for my daughter, with my limited funds being diversified for other things, I looked to my family and friends for help. They loved the idea and were happy to help.
I also decided to make all the decorations myself with the help of my co-conspirator/friend Rosemary. We made the flower arrangements for the table centerpieces. I first thought of using fresh flowers but with little free time on the day of the party, I went with silk flowers instead. We have all the decorations and other items hidden in Rosemary's garage for the time being and everytime I get something new for the party - napkins, decorations, etc. - I take them to the "secret hiding place" so my daughter doesn't see them at our house.
As the day gets closer I get excited and nervous at the same time. I'm hoping that she has a nice time on her birthday and that she likes the surprise party. Sometimes I feel as if I failed my two older daughters for not having a big party or a surprise party, but I know (and hope) they can see that the situation was different at that time, and so was I.
[P.S.: Mom, we are grateful for the memories you gave us, there is nothing missing. And it's always a great party when we're surrounded by family! - your eldest daughter]
