Super Bowl Party

Are you READY for some football??? 16 weeks later and its time for the XLV Super Bowl! What does that mean?? Partying with friends and family...watching men in tights! :-)

You don't have to be a football fanatic to host a super bowl party. Supply food, drinks, fun, and the game. Just don't interrupt the fanatics with too many questions during the most important game of the season.

My favorite part of the Super Bowl is always the commercials. This year a 30 second slot is expected to cost $3 million. What recession? ;-)

The first thing in planning a party...invites!

Due to the Super Bowl coming up in less than two weeks. Evite is the perfect option for FREE Superbowl inspired e-invitations.

Set the arrival time about 60 minutes prior to kick off. KIck off starts at 6:30pm. Christina Aguilera will perform the National Anthem and the Black Eyed Peas are the scheduled half-time performance.

Super Bowl parties do not need a lot of decor as the main attraction is the T.V. and the game. However, what fun would a party be without decorations. You can keep it simple or go all out, completely up to you. The guest list could be intimate or as large as you like. Kid-free or kid friendly. Haute Kature will offer a few suggestions to assist you in planning an impromptu/last minute Super Bowl Party!

You can go with solid colors of the teams playing, or utilize team inspired party tableware Target carries a nice selection of football serveware online and in stores.

1.) Hostess gives great ideas for table top decor.

Here's a tutorial on making a football field table cloth.

Wrap a cereal box with football inspired wrapping/scrapbook paper that matches the assigned colors. Then glue Astro Turf to the top of the wrapped box. Add ribbon around the areas where the Astro Turf meets the box so it appears seamless. This could be used to showcase food.

The Dollar Tree has megaphones and foam footballs that can be places around the table.


2.) Chocolate Rice Crispy Football Treats from Make and Take


3.) Referee Cupcakes - for all the Refs watching the game ;-)

4.) Football Cupcakes-really easy and cute to make.

5.) Cheerleader Cupcakes-really really cute...colors are perfect for Green Bay Cheerleaders.

6.) Penalty Flags- These are lolipops wrapped with yellow napkins and wrapped with ribbon. Awesome addition to any party.

7.) Redzone Refresher- this vodka mixer is a referesher for the potential disappointments that may arise during the game.

8.) Green cocktails- Sticking with the color theme.

9.) Yellow Cocktails - Sticking with the color theme.

Add colorful balloons to the room and kitchen. If you have any football equipment, bring it out to add to the decor.

:::Menu:::
Simply doing a pot luck and encouraging guests to bring food will cut costs. A typical super bowl party includes: water, soft drinks, beer, gatorade for the Refs ;-), pizza, nachos, buffalo wings, John Madden reccomends spare ribs. Epicurious has some great game-day recipes.

:::Minor Details:::

If kid-friendly...
-print football inspired coloring sheets
-have crafts to keep them busy
-decorate football shaped cookies
-set up a TV and DVD player for them to enjoy a few football inspired movies

1. Remember the Titans
2. The Water Boy
3. Jerry Maguire
4. The Blind Side

Winter Beach Party

Burrrr…its so cold out and many just don’t feel like going out. Having a Winter Luau/Indoor Beach Party is a fun alternative to the brisk outdoors. This party is fun for adults and children.

::::Invites::: Since most of us separate our winter and summer clothes, give your guests at least a two week notice when inviting them out, so they can pull out their bathing suits and flip flops.

:::::Dress Code:::: Beach Attire, Shell Bra, Coconut bra, Hawaiian shirts, Hula skirts, Sarong, Muumuu’s, flip flops or water shoes.

::::Décor:::: Fun fun fun…bright colors to mimic the sunshine and flowers that we are missing thins time of year. Hang up beach balls, pool floats, and beach umbrellas, around the house. Use beach towels as table covers. Bring out your plastic outdoor furniture if there’s room. Unroll beach mats for extra seating. Place fishbowls around the house with Beta fish. They usually range from $2 to $7 and you can always give these away as favors. Wine glasses serve as great chic fishbowls ;-) You could save the fish bowls to serve snacks.

If hardwood floors, you can put a plastic paint tarp down and fill a few plastic children’s pool with water or sand. Or just use a blue tarp to look like the ocean water.

Turn the heat up to about 75-80 degrees in the house, to make a warm weather atmosphere. Use heat lamps too, if you have them. Provide a private dressing area for your guests to change into their beach attire. 

Have a bowl with party favors of flip flops, sunglasses, leis, beach hats, beach buckets and shovels, swimming glasses, Frisbees, bubbles…so that your guests will be able to engage in beach fun upon arrival.

 ::Possible Menu:: Hawaiian pizza, fruit salad, ice cream cake. (luau theme) Or fire up the grill with hotdogs and hamburgers to side with baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, finger sandwiches, corn on the cob, and an ice cream cake. Seafood always works. (Make sure to check if any guests have seafood allergies.) Goldfish crackers out of a beach bucket. Nothing says summer like ice cream. You could even create a sundae bar with various ice creams and toppings (sliced fruit, nuts, flavored sauces, whipped cream, and candy.

Vanilla Ice cream sprinkled with graham crackers can be designed delicately into an edible sand castle.

Add frozen fruit to juice and serve with parasol umbrella sticks.

Serve guests out of picnic baskets or have a buffet style set up.

Activities for the minors:

·      Painting sea shells

·      Decorating sun visors (always in stock at $1 Tree)

·      Water balloons in a heated garage

·      Sand building contest using play-doh

·      Limbo contest

·      Hula hoop contest

·      Gone fishing

o    Have the kids fish for gummy worms with fishing poles (tooth brushes with floss tied around with a paper clip attached)

*Minors at heart…should try these activities too =)

The ideas are endless…this party could stem into a theme party of Spongebob, Little Mermaid, Nautical, and Pirates and lost treasure.