India Schools

Celebrate Your Daughter’s Birthday with a Spa Themed Soiree! A spa themed birthday party is a wonderful choice for young girls and especially for tweens!  It is also a terrific theme to turn a typical sleepover into something special – one that I used for my own daughter’s ninth birthday this past year!  Here are some easy plans to turn your home into a luxury spa! Spa Party Invitations From Blue Whale Invitations – I just love this spa party invitation that’s die cut just like a spa mask!  The mask is composed of 2 paper layers, hot pink on top and pink and white polka dotted on the bottom.  It’s finished off with a satin ribbon “elastic band” and satin bows! (pictured top) From Tiny Prints – this is a charming invitation that features the faces of three spa party girls on a watermelon colored background! (pictured right) Print Your Own – this option is a cute card that you can buy blank and print at home!  The card’s printing surface is a towel wrapped turban style on a “cucumbered” girl! From Birthday in a Box – Spa Day personalized invitations , offered at a terrific price and combines both girls in sleeping bags and spa treatments! (pictured right) Spa Party Decorations Set the stage for your spa party with some zen-like instrumental music, just like the real thing!  (Try  Source to the Sea ) Next you’ll need to make your home take on the unique scent noticeable the minute that you enter a spa by using a reed diffuser or scented candle.  (I’d recommend a reed diffuser , especially if younger girls will be at the party! Dimmed lights and a tabletop fountain will complete the spa look! Spa Party Paper Goods From Plates and Napkins – Some very cute slumber party paper goods can be found at Plates and Napkins , including pink and green polka dotted items, as well as plates featuring beauty accessories and a cute bunch of girls having sleep over fun! Not Paper Goods – I love having an excuse to add to my dish collection and sometimes it’s nice to have party dishes that can be used again and again!  Two perfectly girly choices include:  a set of four plates decorated with desserts and another set of four cupcake plates , cleverly packaged in a cupcake box! Spa Party Supplies When I had my daughter’s party, I enlisted the help of a “mobile spa” and so many of the supplies were provided, including eight white terry robes that were borrowed just for that night!  Depending on how carried away you’d like to get, here are some resources for spa essentials! Terry Robes Pink Terry Slippers Foam Spa Masks – these masks will add a touch of whimsy to your party!  Crafted from foam and imprinted with a cucumber over each eye, these masks will have the girls laughing and make for a great photo op! Headbands – to pull the girls’ hair back off their faces, I made their party favor do double duty!  I ordered spa party favor packs that included, among other things, a pink stretchy headband.  I took the head bands out of the package and had the girls use them at the party! Spa Party Activities You can incorporate as many or as few of these ideas as you’d like! Manicures/Pedicures Make and Apply Facial Masks Make Your Own Lipbalm Make Your Own Bath Salts Make Your Own Body Glitter Plan to have lots of fresh towels and washcloths on hand, as well as nail polish remover and basins of warm water if you’re short on bathroom space! This is definitely the time to call for back up help, whether you appeal to your own friends or enlist a few teenaged girls! Spa Party Menu Your guests will feel like real grown ups if you serve a menu that’s similar to a true spa! Fill a glass pitcher with ice water and garnish with lemons, limes or oranges Tea sandwiches or wraps Smoothies Fresh fruit kabobs Tiny cupcakes or petit fours Spa Party Favors This is one party where the supplies that you’ll need for the event, like robes and slippers, as well as what the girls create at the party, like bath salts or lip balm, will be terrific take aways! I suggest purchasing a solid colored gift bag for each guest and encouraging them to collect their spa supplies and creations in their own bag!  For some added personalization, consider adding to the bags: A custom sticker , depicting a girl with a green facial mask in a sleeping bag, thanking guests for coming to the party! A laminated bag tag that can be personalized for each guest! These suggestions should be able to get you sailing smoothly through a night of pampering and dining!  But, definitely plan to have movies, board games and video games on hand to fill any lulls in the action! Keep your guest list small (eight was two too many at my daughter’s party!), your helper list big and enjoy a memorable birthday!

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Spa Themed Birthday Party

Of all the existing materials in this world, how do designers know what to choose for their creations? And why choose one material over another? The first answer that springs to mind is rather common: every object is made of something we are used to, in a word, traditional uses for existing materials and objects

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How do designers know what material to choose for their creations?

Look What I Found – Edible Easter Grass! For years, before adding the candy treats, Easter baskets have been stuffed with all sorts of fillers, from cellophane grass to shredded paper and more!  But today, the most unique option is available – edible Easter grass!  It may sound crazy, but this is a really fun basket innovation.  Imagine your children’s surprise when not only are their chocolate bunnies and jelly beans edible, but their basket filler as well!  ( Edible Easter Grass , $3.50) Consider adding this latest creation to your baskets this year! You may also enjoy: Felt Chocolate Bunnies Guilt Free Easter Treats Fun Storage for Stuffed Animals Cute Felt Cake Kits Tags: edible easter grass , basket stuffing , filler

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Edible Easter Grass

Tip of the Week -  Grow Some Wheatgrass! At this time of year, we are all thinking of Spring and looking for signs that a new season is on its way!  But until those flowers are actually blooming outside, consider growing some wheatgrass inside!  Some people grow wheatgrass as a cat treat and others to make juice, but I love it for its bright, fresh green color and decorating possibilities! Where to Purchase Seeds or Kits Whether you plant your grass seeds in a low, flat tray or in a set of small pots, with light and watering, the grass should sprout in about 7 to 10 days!  You can pick up the wheatgrass seeds at your local garden or pet shop, from an online resource , or you can let Uncommon Goods do all of the work for you!  At Uncommon Goods , you can purchase a handcrafted pot complete with soil, seeds and instructions! ( Wheatgrass Planters , $38, pictured top) Once your grass has sprouted, you can display your greenery just as it is or nestle faux birds, bunnies, eggs or Easter accessories among the blades.  Either way, you’ll be able to enjoy a lush lawn long before the real thing is ready!

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Grow Some Wheatgrass

Terrariums – Tabletop Gardening All Year Round! During a visit to the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show,  I found that my very favorite garden shop, Terrain , had a shop among the boutique booths and was thrilled!  It took just minutes to select a terrarium featuring tiny plants nestled in moss and covered with a glass cloche with a bird finial!  The first sign of spring in my home! I started thinking about how popular terrariums are right now and then remembered my mother in the 1970’s tending a terrarium planted in a giant water cooler bottle – using a long handled grabber of some sort to get the plants into place!  What’s old is always new again! Creating Your Own Terrarium If you’d like to try to create your own terrarium, it’s relatively simple!  Here’s what you’ll need: 1.  A Container Containers can be open to the air or covered, like mine is, with a glass cloche.  Here are some examples ranging from something found in your kitchen cabinets or purchased at a specialty site: Cloche – My bird finial cloche from Terrain Apothecary Jars Glass Terrarium with aged terracotta base Glass Pear English Garden Style Edwardian Conservatory From Your Kitchen or Garage:  mason jar, glass cookie jar with a metal lid, open glass dish, brandy sniffer or old fish bowl/aquarium. 2.  Now layer the following: Small pebbles or gravel for drainage (about 1”) Activated charcoal that acts as an air filter in a closed terrarium.  You can pick this up at a pet shop that sells supplies for aquariums! (about ½ “) Spaghnum moss – to prevent the soil from settling down into the pebbles/charcoal (from a florist or craft store) Potting soil (about 2 – 3”) Overall, the drainage and soil layers should comprise ¼ of the container

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Terrariums – Tabletop Gardening!

Easy and Delicious Mushroom Dip Ingredients ½ cup sour cream 8 oz cream cheese 1 pound fresh mushrooms – chopped and sautéd in butter 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 8-10 slices cooked, crumbled bacon Directions Mix and scoop into oven proof dish Bake at 350 degrees farenheit for 20 minutes Serve with crackers

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Delicious Mushroom Dip

Pre- chewed pencils!!! We know it is a bit daft but – hey! No need to spend time chewing your pencil – Just get down to some concentrated thinking and who knows what you might come up with. Discourages chewing of the pencil They make a funny gift Dimensions: 17.5mm x 0.7mm (HxD) BUY THE PRE-CHEWED PENCILS NOW

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Pre-Chewed Pencils from Concentrate – £ 1.49

How to Host a Fabulous Oscars Party! The glamour and excitement of the Oscars is contagious, so consider inviting some friends to join you for an evening of star-gazing! The 82nd Academy Awards presentation will be held on Sunday, March 7, at 8 p.m., ET and calls for no less than our Oscars party that is all sparkle and shine! Getting in the Oscar Mood Oscar nominations will be made on Tuesday, February 2 at 5:30 ET, so c heck out the official award website, oscars.org for the full listing along with history and trivia. Go to the movies! Try to make sure that you’ve seen at least a few of the most commonly nominated films

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Host an Oscars Party

Celebrate Chinese New Year 2010 Sunday, February 14th – the Year of the Tiger! This year Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Sunday, February 14th and the date ushers in the Year of the Tiger!  The Chinese calendar is based upon a 12 year cycle with a different animal assigned to each year and it’s believed that people share characteristics with the animal of the year of their birth.  So those born in the years 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010 are believed to have charismatic personalities, love a position of power, straight forward, outgoing and sometimes suspicious!  It’s also believed that what takes place on New Year’s day will affect the year ahead – so: wear new shoes to start 2010 on the right foot don’t speak loudly or scold your kids avoid bad luck by making sure that you don’t drop your chopsticks Share in the Festivities Your family can share in the festivities of the Chinese New Year with some fun and easy ideas!  Set your table with a red cloth and serve favorite Chinese dishes whether from your kitchen or a local restaurant.  Paper lanterns, chopsticks, fortune cookies and “lucky money,” which is money in lucky red envelopes, will complete the scene!  If you’d like to turn your dinner time celebration into a real party, there are some fun products that will add to the festive atmosphere!  Oriental Trading offers: Year of the Tiger paper plates and napkins ( Chinese New Year Party Set ) a very cute tissue paper Chinese lantern kit ( Chinese New Year Lantern Kit ) “lucky money” red envelopes to be filled as you like ( Chinese New Year Red Envelopes ) a set of 78 bamboo fortune telling sticks! ( Fortune Chopsticks ) I love any opportunity to share special times with family, and perhaps a festive meal on February 14th will be just the thing for your family during these cold and dreary days!  Here’s to good luck in 2010 for all!

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Celebrate Chinese New Year 2010

Win an Adorable Recipe Box and Take Out Box from Tatutina! Enter to Win! Enter to win an adorable recipe card box and take out menu box in the pattern of your choice from Tatutina ! For years, I have owned the cutest, wooden box that is hand painted with fun foods and labeled, “Take Out Menus.”  And of course, it is overflowing with menus of all sorts!  This clever box is created by a company called Tatutina and came back to my attention recently when I was looking for a cute treat box for my little dog Oliver!  At Tatutina , you’ll find a wide assortment of decorative items and storage solutions all adorably hand painted with bright colors and whimsical designs!  We’re thrilled to be able to bring you this fun contest! How to Enter: To win a recipe box and take out menu box of your choosing:  Check out the fabulous choices of boxes at Tatutina and leave a comment below sharing your favorite recipe or menu take out box design and why it’s your favorite! For additional entries up to 3 total: – Share the giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you’ve done so. – Tweet the giveaway and leave a comment telling us you’ve done so

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Tatutina Contest: Enter to Win an Adorable Recipe Box and Take Out Menu Box from Tatutina

Tip of the Week – Throwing a Party is as Easy as One, Two, Three! I read a terrific article about entertaining in a recent issue of Every Day with Rachel Ra y magazine that was, to say the least, highly entertaining!  Clever and experienced party givers compiled a list of the “must have” statistics when giving a party that are well worth sharing here! Party Planning Tips 200 napkins are needed for a party of 15 30% is the number of guests who will RSVP 12 noon:  is when brunch becomes lunch 3 is the number of bags of ice you should buy 50 degrees is the temperature when outdoor entertaining should be over for the season 60 minutes is the proper amount of time between the start of the party and the serving of dinner 20 minutes is how long hosts should wait after dinner before serving dessert 4 hours is how long food can sit out without refrigeration 67% is the average invitation acceptance rate 80% is the number of guests who will take you up on the offer of coffee or tea Many thanks to Rachel Ray for her delicious recipes and now, for this invaluable party advice!  Cheers to happy and prepared hosts everywhere!

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Interesting Party Planning Tips

I leave for work a little after 6:00am, and by the time my break rolls around at 9:30 I’m ready for a breakfasty snack. Fruit is good, but having access to hot water made me think of instant oatmeal , the kind that comes in little packets flavored with yummy maple and brown sugar.

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Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

For all you Laptop Lunch Box fans, here’s 10% off if you visit their website and enter coupon code ” veganlunch “! So many of you have written me over the years asking about the Laptop Lunch System. It was the lunch box I bought for my son in his first year of school, and the one that is featured in all of my early blog pics and most of the photos in my books. I fell in love with it that first year because it was well-designed, easy to clean, easy for my little 1st-grader to open and eat from, and it always made his lunches look cheerful and attractive.

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Laptop Lunch Box Coupon

“Design” is a funny old thing. It’s easy imagine that designers sit all day long and wait for their muse to strike, others think that designers are constantly seeking for inspiration reading books, visiting museum, learning all kinds of artsy stuff.

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Philippe Starck: Designing not for art’s sake, but for the benefit of the customer

We wish you a Happy New Year! Did you know that 2010 is the international year of the bottom?* Countries all over the world will be thinking of ways to make their posteriors as cozy as possible. This, of course, is not true. However, we all know it’s not that nice sitting on a hard surface for too long – but for some reason, nearly all the chairs in school are hard, and a little bit uncomfortable.

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Happy New Year: The Future of Schools – Nice Soft Seats and Robot Teachers?

Fun Products Inspired by the Colors of Pantone! With the recent announcement of the Color of the Year for 2010, a fabulous shade of turquoise, I thought that I’d take a look at some of the fun gifts inspired by these classic color charts! Mugs Choose your favorite shade from this assortment of ten colors!  Or, an entire set of ten!  ( individual mugs , $14.99) Travel Accessories Each one of these items is really practical, but pack a punch of color with creative flair! Laptop/Messenger Bag , $88 Passport Cover , $23.99 Coin Purse , $16.99 Luggage Tags , $14.99 Wallet , $39.99 Book Bag , $44.99 Playing Cards Bring a touch of class to your card games with this colorful card set by Roger La Borde. ( Playing Cards , $13.99*) T-Shirts Match your preferred strength to the relevant Pantone colour and get that perfect cup every time!  ( Pantone 4 Coffee T-Shirt , from $25.14) Cufflinks and Key Rings Designed to resemble the iconic Pantone chip, these cufflinks and key rings are made of stainless steel and feature coloured enamel in seasonal colors.

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Fun Pantone Inspired Products

Color Trends for 2010! Each year, we’re treated to a wonderful array of new trends, ranging from food to fashion to color!  Color predictions, in particular, have always held great fascination for me!  What will we be seeing in home furnishings?  Clothing?  Paint colors?  The answer is delivered every January from a company called the Pantone Color Institute! Pantone Colors Pantone has been around for 45 years, first creating a color spectrum that allowed industry wide color matching and now providing the definitive word on the year’s color to watch!  The color of the year is a product of study on how color influences thought, emotion and physical reactions taken into consideration with the current social climate. 2009 – Mimosa For example, the color of the year for 2009 was Mimosa – a warm, optimistic yellow reflecting hope in a time of political change and economic uncertainty – just think of Michelle Obama’s inauguration ensemble! 2008 – Iris In 2008, the winner was Iris, a shade of deep blue with hints of purple.  The blue was felt to be reassuring in a complicated world and the purple added a mystical and spiritual touch! 2010 – Turquoise So without further ado, the color for 2010 is a gorgeous turquoise blue!  Turquoise, according to Pantone, “combines the serene qualities of blue with the invigorating aspects of green.”  Like the turquoise waters of tropical islands, this color is said to be soothing and provide an escape from the everyday world

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Color Trends for 2010

Tip of the Week:  Send A Sophisticated Invitation by Email! If you’ve ever hesitated to send an invitation by email, the wonderful and sophisticated choices offered by Paperless Post might just change your mind!  The invitations and cards that you can send from Paperless Post look just like the real thing, including an “envelope” that needs to be “opened” before reading the enclosed information. Invitation categories include Modern Casual, Modern Formal, Classic Formal and Classic Casual and the designs are everything that you would expect from the real deal, right down to lined envelopes!  The site also allows you to add a photo, deliver your invitations directly to the guests’ inboxes and to easily monitor replies

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Paperless Post

Look What I Found: A Charming Gift from Timree! Sometimes it’s the little things that really do mean the most and this gift is no exception!  Tiny, hand painted round dishes from Timree , a boutique in Newport Beach, California, measure about four inches in diameter and are unique, decorative and actually even practical! For babies, the small dishes feature a pacifier and are personalized to make a special place to keep a binkie safe and clean!  ( binkie dish ) Another dish is perfect for your best friend, with a bouquet of flowers and the inscription “You are So Special to Me.”  ( best friend dish ) Teachers can be gifted with a dish detailed with push pins, paper clips and the words, “I’m lucky to have a teacher like you!”  ( teachers dish ) College girls will love the dish personalized with their college logo and colors ( college girls dish ) There’s also one for brides ( brides dish ) and perhaps funniest of all, there’s a special dish, with a version for boys and girls, that begs kids not to lose their retainers!  ( boys dish ; girls dish ) These dishes are just charming and the personalization options will turn the gift into a true keepsake! ($36 – $42 at Timree )

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A Charming Gift

New Year’s Traditions Around the World! Noisemakers and champagne comprise the basics of a New Year’s Eve celebration at my home, along with a moment or two for remembering the past year and its special moments.  But it’s really interesting to see how this same event is celebrated around the world! I recently wrote about the South’s tradition of serving the dish Hoppin’ John , which includes black-eyed peas to represent coins or wealth and pork for prosperity.  But there are many more fun and interesting traditions from every part of the globe!  Perhaps you already observe one of these “good luck” practices in your home or are looking for some new ways to welcome in the New Year! Holland – Doughnuts are the required food to remind us that we have come “full circle!” Peru – residents of this country walk around their neighborhood with an empty suitcase to insure travel in the coming year!   This would be a pretty funny sight to see! Portugal/Spain – twelve grapes are eaten, one at each strike of the clock at midnight, for a year’s worth of good luck!  Martha Stewart’s clever twist on this tradition is to thread the 12 grapes on a bamboo skewer and serve each in a glass of champagne just before midnight! Germany – dessert is a marzipan pig, again a symbol of prosperity! Greece – again to dessert, St.

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New Year’s Traditions Around the World!