One of the more interesting types of balloon decorations is the “exploding balloon”. Well they don’t really explode as you would normally think of an explosion but it does provide a great effect. An exploding balloon is a large balloon stuffed with many small balloons so that when the large balloon is pierced, the small balloons spray in every direction to make it look like an explosion. Typically you use a 36” clear balloon stuffed with 60 to 70 five inch balloons.

The difficulty is if you want to pierce the balloon from a distance or to have multiple balloons explode at once. You could have a person stand next to each balloon with a stick pin. Well maybe not! For a professional who decorates for large events many times a year, there is a “Balloon Exploder” http://www.conwinonline.com/shop/shop.asp?pid=86200 kit that works well but this is expensive for some one wanting to decorate their own event.

So an alternative is to use the DIY Exploding Balloon. The idea is to be able to burst one or more large balloons at a specific time and from across the room. It is very surprising to the guests when the balloon explodes in the center of a wedding or anniversary reception.

For more information, go to DIY Exploding Balloon for assembly instructions.

The tradition of releasing white doves at weddings and funerals has become increasing popular. You may be surprised to know that white doves are domesticated birds that can not survive in the wild. These Ringneck Doves come in a variety of colors, are easily kept in captivity, have a gentle nature but don’t last long outside the cage. So why would anyone want to release these beautiful white doves knowing that their existence would be short lived.

To the rescue comes the white racing or homing pigeon. White racing pigeons and the white doves look much the same, the difference is mainly in size. Doves are smaller with pointed tails while pigeons are stockier with rounded tails. Most people will not be able to tell the difference.

So the popular white dove releases at special events are said to be “dove releases” but any ethical business will use the white racing pigeons. These racing pigeons will more easily survive after being released. These pigeons have been selectively bred to return home immediately after being released, safe and sound.

If you are planning a special event and want to symbolize the love, devotion, peace and unity of the white dove, always use a White Dove Release Professional and the white racing pigeons.

Here is a topic that needs more attention. Parents, usually mothers, can get depressed when faced with their child’s upcoming birthday party. There is so much to consider; the number of guests, the location, the entertainment, the competition with their friends birthday parties and the ever increasing cost. When the parent wants the best for their child and can’t bear to have them be disappointed on their birthday, it is very easy to fall into the “got’ a have” circumstance. Is this today’s culture or is it some type of obsession?

In many cases, the party costs have gotten “out of hand” with custom cakes at $1000, party rental places at $500 for four hours, an entertainer at $300 and party favors at $20 per guest. There are birthday parties that rival weddings, costing tens of thousands of dollars. The driving force is the parent’s need to provide the best or the need to compete with your their friend’s birthday parties or both.

Younger children do not care about the expensive cakes, the over-the-top entertainment or how their party compares to their friends party. These children just want to have fun. Older children who request the extravagant party and have no real sense of costs, parents just need to take control.

Here are some ideas to help keep the cost under control:

• Make the cake and other food items yourself. A standard cake usually tastes just as good as or better than your custom designed cake anyway.
• Keep the guest list to only close friends and family.
• The location can be your home or backyard or the local park.
• Choose a mid afternoon party time to save from serving a full meal.
• For activities, do art projects and yard games.
• Make the invitations yourself.
• Plan a budget and stay with it.

Remember that the way to keep the cost of any event low is to keep thinking on a smaller scale and be more active in the planning, the cooking, the creating and the activities.

I was recently asked what I would suggest when an honored guest did not cooperate for an anniversary party in their name. Karen and her siblings were planning a 50th anniversary party for their parents. The planning had taken several months. The party was going to be at a banquet hall, rented just for the occasion with the family and a few friends invited, about 50 people total. Karen’s mother was excited about the party but her father was less enthusiastic. He did not want most of the friends, if any, invited and only wanted the immediate family to be in attendance. He preferred not to have it at the banquet hall but just a small gathering at their home. He actually preferred to not have the event at all. And yes they have been happily married for 50 years.

I have seen this situation before, with both anniversary and birthday parties. For any number of reasons, an honored guest refuses to cooperate or even attend the event. It might be that the honored guest does not want to be reminded of their age, a little fear that only a few people will show up, does not like to be the center of attention or maybe for health reasons.

If this is a birthday party and the honored guest does not want to be honored, so be it. Forget the party, simple as that. However for a 50th wedding anniversary, especially if one of the happy couple would like to be honored, some type of arrangement should still be made to focus on the event. An anniversary is an important date, especially the 50th. This could be a dammed if you do and damned if you don’t type of situation. But in the long term, I believe the anniversary couple will appreciate some anniversary celebration, especially provided by their children. It would be a big disappointment to them if nothing was done to acknowledge the event.

There are several potential solutions to this problem. First try to find out exactly why the person does not want to celebrate the anniversary. It is reasonable to scale down the event, including the number of guests and a change of location. It could be as simple as dinner at a local restaurant with a private dinning room. Remember it is certainly best to keep the parents home as untouched as possible. It is no fun for the anniversary couple to have to spend weeks cleaning and getting ready for a bunch of house guests for their own party.

Another possibility is to send the anniversary couple on a vacation. Purchase the airfare and hotel accommodations to one of their favorite locations. An all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean may be ideal.

Bottom line, save the frustration and speak with the honored guest early in the planning stage. Give them a few weeks to consider the options and then plan to party.