| How to Organize a Birthday Party for Kids Posted: 08 Apr 2022 09:00 AM PDT Kids' parties can be more fun than adult parties -- you don't have to be so serious and you can let your inner child out with them. Plus, by the end of the day when all the kids' energy has come to a halt, and they fall asleep, you're right there, laying next to them, taking a little nap yourself! [Edit]Planning Party Basics - Pick a theme with your child. Though it may seem unnecessary, having a theme will help you know what decorations to buy, what food to prepare, and what games to plan.[1] Character parties are popular (think Sponge Bob or Scooby-Doo), but general themes work, too (pirates, fairies, princesses, cowboys, etc.). Unless they want something that just isn't appropriate, allow them creative freedom. Sit down with your child at the table with a pen and paper and write down all the ideas you both like.[2]
- Some themes will obviously be more difficult than others. Go with your child to a couple of party stores and see what's available or go online. It'll be easiest to pick a theme based on what you have at your disposal. Most parents aren't Martha Stewart; you certainly don't have to be.
- Nail down the specifics. There are a few questions you'll have to address: When is the party going to be? How long will it last? Where is it going to be? Is there anything going on communally or culturally that would prevent other children from coming? What time of day works into your schedule?
- Take your child's age into account. Generally, the younger the child, the earlier the party. You do not have to entertain all day--a few hours is more than sufficient. If you're not having it at home, consult the desired venue to see what times are available.
- Get invitations (that match the theme!). Once you have them picked out, it's time to finalize the details. Check your schedule to make sure there are no girl scouts or work meetings during the time you're thinking. On the invitation, put the start and end times, address, what each child should bring (swimsuit, etc.) and if there will be a meal so parents can plan accordingly.[3][4]
- As for guests, a good rule of thumb is the child's age plus 1.[5] And if parents can come along, great! It's best to have a couple others to help with monitoring and clean up.
- Have your invitations in the theme of your party. The other children will probably get excited, too. Your child can hand them out at school (if possible to do it discreetly) or you can give them to the parents if your child is too young (or forgetful!).
- Your child shouldn't hand them out in front of those not invited -- it might make the others feel bad. Give them to the teacher to put in the take home folder or have your child put them in desks or lockers.
- Buy decorations.[6] For everything from table cloths to pinatas, a party store is your best bet -- or else you'll end up bouncing around town for days looking to piece it all together. And if they don't have a specific something, ask! They may be able to order it for you.
- It's always an option to make your own if you're DIY handy. And your child can always help if you want someone to blame the poor penmanship on! As an alternative idea, a few children can come over a bit earlier to make decorations themselves, if they'd like.
[Edit]Organizing Activities & What to Eat - Plan some games. These are the building blocks of a good child's party, so start thinking up craft projects, look into renting an entertainer, or utilize the facilities at an outside venue. Look in your phone book or online for party rentals or places near you. For younger kids, have a loose schedule to keep things running.
- Don't be afraid to go super theme-oriented. If you're having a Wild West party, have them pan for gold in the sandbox. Conduct a scavenger hunt with theme-related clues and a final prize.
- Don't be afraid to go super simple. Nowadays, kids aren't playing the old school games they could be. Instead of having them all plop down in front of the Wii, have them Capture the Flag, play Red Rover, Blind Man's Bluff, or have relay races.
- Bingo is also a great birthday party game for a big group.[7]
- For older children, have more free time. The older the child, the less structured the party should be. Kids will likely want to do their own thing at one point or another. If they express this, don't stress. More free time for you and the other parents!
- Make party favors interactive. Instead of giving them a bag of small toys that will get played with for three minutes and then shoved in a drawer, have them make the party favors themselves! The kids will feel more involved and like they were a part of the party.
- They could make potato print t-shirts, simple masks, jewelry, fishing rods, badges -- the list goes on and on and on. This requires a bit more forethought, but will pay off in the long run.
- You could have this be the first activity -- so children that come earlier have something to busy themselves with while the others slowly file in. Any late arriving child can take the necessary materials home with them if they'd like.
- Let the kids take home the decorations. This is an easy and quick idea if you have something with a general theme, like princesses or baseball. And it allows for minimal clean up!
- Plan the party food.[8] When it comes to parties, one thing is timeless: cake. Will you bake one or buy one? Or two?! Cupcakes are easy and super trendy as well. Whatever you choose, either get the order in early or go grocery shopping for the ingredients ahead of time. Make the food theme oriented, too!
- Despite what logic dictates, cake isn't enough. You'll need food food too -- make it easy on yourself and get some pizzas delivered or get a fast food restaurant or catering company to take care of everything. Finger sandwiches and lunch bags with sandwiches and fruit, jellos, or chocolate chip cookies are great choices, too.
- If it's a nice day outside and you have a grill, kids love hot dogs and hamburgers. Don't forget the buns, mustard, and ketchup!
- If there will be other parents or adults attending and watching over the kids, have food for them, too. They may not be so keen on chicken nuggets and Sprite.
- Plan the party drinks. Soda pop, lemonade, and juice are all pretty standard. And if you'll be outside a lot, a cooler filled with bottles of water or cans of soda will surely be appreciated, especially if it's hot outside. And, of course, milk goes great with cake. If it's autumn or winter, have the kids play outside and come in for cider to warm them up.
- Have glasses (and cutlery in general) that are safe for the kids to use. Things may get broken -- so don't break out your fine china. Be prepared for a mess.
- Plan the goodbye. Give the other parents your cell phone number on the off chance they're running late, early, or sending someone else to pick up their child. Establish protocol for the safety of every child.
- As the child leaves, take note. Have them say goodbye to everyone, gather their things, their party favor, and mentally check them off their list. Never let the child leave on their own or with an adult you don't recognize.
- If you are planning outdoor games, have one or two simple indoor games prepared too, in case it rains.
- Plan for more games than you think you'll have time for. Younger kids tend to get bored easily and take less time with games than you think.
- If you want to, you can have different games set up at once, and the kids won't be bored. It will be like a mini carnival, and they can pick which game they want to play.
- You can set games up the night before the party, that way they are ready to go on the day of the party.
- Set up an activity at the beginning that can be joined as the children arrive. Doing a craft works well. They can make masks for themselves, decorate hats, or just coloring.
- Scatter some beach balls around your yard. Little kids and babies will keep themselves busy and entertained.
- You can also contact a painter and set him for the day of the part do that he can paint tattoos on the child.
- You can hang painted styrofoam balls from a ceiling or tree for a space party (use acrylic paints or spray paint), spray paint pebbles gold for a pirate party (and have the kids find the gold throughout your yard) or you can purchase silk butterflies, and adhere them to walls, trees, and fences for a girl party. Just think of all the things that you can do for the theme, and go with it.
- If you have a theme party then make it into a plot. For example: if it's a car themed party, have a car break down so in every game they play they can get a "tool" to fix the car. It's an easy way to have a goal but no competition.
[Edit]Warnings - Make sure beforehand if anyone attending the party has food allergies.
- If you're having a party for young children, and babies will be present, make sure the prizes and games in the goody bags are safe and they cannot choke on them.
- Competitive games may upset younger children. Allow everyone to be a winner at some point.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Mint in a Pot Posted: 08 Apr 2022 01:00 AM PDT Mint plants are the perfect starting point for a herb garden. They are usually contained in a pot because they are extremely invasive, sending out runner roots to take over the surrounding soil. Choose one of the 600 varieties of mint, and give it plenty of water and sun to keep your mint plant thriving. [Edit]Choosing Mint Varieties - Choose peppermint if you want a brighter, strong flavor for tea or general use.[1]
- Pick spearmint if your garden, patio or windows get a lot of light and heat throughout the year. It is used very commonly in the Southern United States.
- Plant pineapple mint if you need to plant mint next to other plants. It is one of the less invasive species of mint.
- Opt for lemon mint if you like a refreshing citrus flavor in lemonade or iced tea.
- Try apple mint for a more subtle flavor with fresh apple hints. This variety is popular in fresh salads and drinks.[2]
[Edit]Starting a Mint Plant - Go to your garden supply store to buy a mint seedling. Mint does not germinate from seed too easily, so only the most experienced gardeners should start from seed. Plant directly into potting soil or compost after you bring it home.[3]
- A garden store will have more varieties of mint; however, you may be able to find mint seedlings and plants at your local farmer's market and supermarket.
- Take a cutting from a mature mint plant. Ask a friend if you can harvest from an existing mint plant or find one in a local garden. Cut approximately above a stem junction with sharp scissors. Make sure the cutting is at least long and remove most of the leaves.
- Opt to use a mint that is purchased from the fresh food section in your supermarket. It is not guaranteed that you will be able to grow a plant from each cutting, but it is a good way to use leftover mint if you are willing to experiment.
- Fill a clean glass with water. Place freshly cut sprigs in the glass to grow new roots. Keep it in a warm, sunny place and wait for white roots to grow out of the cut stem.[4]
- Add water as needed to keep the glass full.
- Wait until the white roots grow several inches long before planting. They can even extend to the bottom of your pot depth.
[Edit]Choosing a Pot - Shop for a pot that is at least 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. A mint plant needs plenty of space to grow.[5]
- Choose a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. A mint plant thrives in well-drained soil. Purchase a saucer to place below the pot to avoid staining your windowsill or patio.
- Purchase an additional, much larger, pot if you want to pot mint and other herbs together. You can submerge the whole 12-inch pot in a larger pot, next to other herbs. Keep in mind that many species of mint will still find a way to take over the entire pot through the holes in the bottom of the mint pot.
- If you want to plant it with other herbs, you will want to separate the herbs later in the season.
[Edit]Planting Mint in a Pot - Purchase gritty compost from a local gardening store. You can also combine potting soil with rich compost. Mint plants need rich and well-drained soil to thrive.
- Fill the lower third of the pot with compost and potting soil.
- Set your mint cutting or seedling in the pot. Curl the roots if they are too long for the pot.
- Fill in the area around the mint with potting soil. Pack the area just enough so that the mint stands on its own.
- Line a portion of your outdoor garden with plastic if you want to plant your pot in the soil, but want to discourage it from spreading. Then plant the entire pot into the garden soil, allowing the pot to extend five inches above the surface of the soil.[6]
- If possible, avoid planting it in the garden. Place it on a patio or on a windowsill to avoid spreading the mint plant.
- Insert several wooden dowels next to the plant to give it support. These can be removed once the plant is thriving.
[Edit]Caring for Mint Pots - Water the soil so that it sinks down to the roots. Water it whenever it is dry for the first year. It should always have moist soil.[7]
- If you experience hot weather, you may need to water it several times per day.
- Keep it in an east-facing location. It does best with six or more hours of sunlight, but also likes to be shaded from hot afternoon sun. If you have very little sunlight in the winter, it may die back.
- Wait until the mint plant is full and the leaves are large before cutting and using the mint. Once it is doing well, frequent cuttings keep the plant full and the leaves strong in flavor.
- Cut the top half of the plant with sharp scissors. Cut one cm above a stem junction and below any flower buds. Don't cut more than one-third of the leaves at one time.[8]
- If you allow your mint plant to flower, it will put the nutrients into flower production and slow down leaf growth.
- Divide your plant every few years. Cut the soil into fourths, and then plant each section into a new 12-inch pot. It would be best to give them room. If you don't divide it, the plant will suffer and the leaves will not grow steadily.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Mint seedlings
- Sharp scissors
- Large, mature mint plant
- 12-inch pot with drainage holes
- Saucer
- Potting soil
- Compost
- Windowsill
- Water
- Glass
- Wooden Dowels
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Straighten Your Hair Without Chemicals Posted: 07 Apr 2022 05:00 PM PDT If you have wavy, curly, or otherwise hard to tame locks, you may stare at people with straight hair enviously and think you'll never be able to have such easy-to-manage hair. Fortunately, straightening your hair without using damaging chemicals and other unnatural products is easy! You just need to learn some tricks for straighter hair and create some simple at-home hair straightening products. [Edit]Blow-Drying Hair Straight - Detangle your hair while it's wet. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently remove tangles without breaking your hair. Curly hair tends to tangle as it dries, so continue to comb it throughout the drying process.[1]
- Part hair into four sections. Create one section from the crown of your head forward, one over each ear, and another from the crown of your head to the nape of your neck. It's best to dry the lowest layer of hair, closest to the nape of your neck, first. Use hair clips to keep the upper layers of each section of hair separated. Comb each section gently, taking care not to snap hair strands in order to remove tangles before you begin drying.[2]
- Blow dry each section. While brushing with one hand, follow your brush with the electric dryer. Use the nozzle attachment for your blow dryer to help smooth out your hair. Move the blow dryer to-and-fro from the top to the bottom of each section in even motions. Once each section of the bottom layer of your hair is dry, let down another layer of hair from each section. Continue this process until all the layers of your hair are dried.[3]
- If your hair texture is on the straighter or finer side, you may be able to use cool air to straighten your hair. This takes a little longer than blow drying with heat, but it prevents potential damage to hair that occurs with the application of heat.[4]
- Use a round brush if you want a slight bend at the ends. If you want your hair to be totally straight, stick with a Denman brush. However, if you want your hair to curl slightly under or outward at the ends, use a round brush as you blow dry your hair. Using a round brush can also add extra volume at your scalp.[5]
- For maximum straightening results, a Denman brush is the best choice—it will give you a sleek finish from root to tip.[6]
- Wrap your hair around your head. This may seem like an unlikely way to straighten hair, but it actually works very well. Part your hair horizontally from ear to ear. Comb the front section down so it covers your face, the sides so they cover your ears, and the back straight down the back of your head. Starting from the top, comb the hair around your head in a circular motion, using a little tension to keep the hair smooth and taut. Continue from the top, working your way either clockwise or counterclockwise around your head.[7]
- When the last section of hair is wrapped, your hair should look like a flat beehive.
- Use neck strips to keep the hair in place, then sit under a hooded dryer anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on how thick and long your hair is.
[Edit]Using a Flat Iron - Choose a flat iron. The most important element to choosing your straightening tool is to find one that feels natural and makes straightening easier for you. However, a good rule of thumb is to select flat irons that are thinner for short hair and thicker for long hair. Before choosing a flat iron, consider the thickness or type of your hair. Thicker hair may require a wider flat iron to straighten a relatively small section, as this hair type makes it more difficult for heat to penetrate the layers of hair. If you have finer or wavy hair, choose a lower heat setting to avoid frying hair.[8]
- Set your iron to the right temperature. Flat irons can heat up to or higher. If your hair is thick or coarse, you'll want to choose a high heat setting between . If your hair is fine or damaged, use lower heat between .[9]
- Test the heat by clamping your flat iron onto a piece of white paper. If it scorches the paper, it's too hot for your hair.[10]
- Start with dry hair. You can either blow dry or allow hair to air dry as you wish. An effective blow dry will enhance the smoothing process prior to blow drying. If you use a protectant spray, blow drying can actually make your hair healthier and easier to manage. This is largely due to the fact that blow drying prevents tangling that may occur when hair is allowed to air dry, and by brushing as you dry, the cuticles of hair are flattened making hair appear sleeker.[11]
- Separate hair into layers. Make sections on both sides of the head, one in the front, and one in the back. Lift and separate the top layers of each section, and clip them to your head, keeping them as straight as possible and leaving only the very bottom layer of hair free in each section.[12]
- You'll do this the same way you did when you were blow drying the sections of hair, except as you straighten you'll work with smaller subsections.
- Iron each strand. Starting with the bottom layer, select strands that are slightly thinner than your flat iron. You don't want hair to get pulled or broken by attaching to other parts of the iron. Gently move the iron from the top of hair, as close to your head as possible, all the way to the tips of hair.[13] Continue until each strand is straightened. Typically, you'll need to go over each strand at least three to four times, depending how curly your hair is.[14]
[Edit]Finding the Right Styling Products - Use a heat protectant. Even if you're trying to avoid using chemicals, there are excellent products available to help you achieve the sleek look you're after. One of the most important aspects of styling hair of any type is protecting it from the damage of heat. Heat protectants are available in a variety of forms, but they all coat hair and allow you to style without damaging your locks.
- If you're blow drying and flat ironing, you may need to reapply your protectant before you begin ironing.
- Curly hair typically responds best to a cream-based or moisturizing heat protectant.
- If your hair is frizzy, look for heat protectants that add weight to hair and avoid volumizing products.[15]
- You can even make your own protectant spray at home to ensure the product is 100% natural.
- Apply smoothing serums after heating. These are great products to keep hair smooth and shiny after styling, but it's very important that they not be used to protect hair from heat. In fact, serums will boil when heated, and they can significantly damage hair. Instead, choose a natural smoothing serum that utilizes natural oils to avoid adding unnecessary chemicals to your hair.[16]
- Choose the right shampoo and conditioner. In most cases, curly haired people need to find a shampoo that will clean their hair without drying it out. Look for shampoos that use gentle cleansers. The right conditioner is essential when it comes to straightening hair and maintaining a sleek, natural appearance. The chosen conditioner should add weight to hair, so the style holds. Look for shampoos and conditioners that are specifically geared toward straightening hair.
- It's best to find two shampoos and conditioners that provide the result you're looking for. Overtime, hair chemistry changes. When you notice your hair no longer feels better after cleaning, switch shampoos to reset your hair's balance.[17]
- If your hair is very damaged, consider adding a deep conditioner to your hair care routine once a week or every other week.[18]
- Research keratin treatment ingredients. Some of these products claim to be natural, but they contain harsh, damaging chemicals. However, if you choose keratin products with the right ingredients, they can offer easier to manage hair. Most of these treatments don't actually straighten hair, and those that do typically rely on the harsh chemicals. However, keratin treatments do make hair more manageable, significantly reduce frizz, and soften the tightest of curl patterns. Essentially, keratin products make it easier to straighten your hair.
- Before you buy, make sure the keratin treatment does not use formaldehyde, ammonia, peroxide, or thioglycolate.
- Many keratin products contain amino acids that are also great for hair. These are natural and preferable to chemical solutions as they improve your hair's health while making curls more manageable.[19]
- Using a shampoo and conditioner meant to tame your hair will help keep a straight style longer.
- For guys who want to straighten their hair, it's better to use one of those clamp brushes that fold up. It has a bristle side and then a comb on the other. Clamp your hair about two cm from your scalp and then blow dry.
- Don't straighten your hair when it's wet. It can fry your hair.
[Edit]Warnings - Make sure not to straighten too much on the ends because this causes them to become damaged.
- Use a heat protectant spray to prevent damage, if you straighten with heat.
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References |
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