Parties
7 Sunshiney Summer Party Game Ideas
As soon as the weather starts to turn warm, even just the first hints of spring, I start to get itchy. I love fall and actually really enjoy our cold Midwest winters, but I still [read more]
Blog
Gift Exchanges
Gift Exchange Etiquette You Should Know
I love hosting parties. Yet in the midst of planning, there are multiple balls in the air to juggle. Let’s face it—as a party planner, gift exchanges can be overwhelming. Without the right tools to [read more]
Gift Exchanges
Disney Lovers Remind One Another They Are Never Alone
Relax. Take a deep breath. In. Out. Ahhh. Now think of your happy place and the people you’d love to be with in that place. I’m sure it is a moment filled with laughter, joy [read more]
Gift Giving
How to Find Secret Santa Gifts Everyone Wants
When I was a kid and beginning to buy presents on my own, it was easy to get gifts for my dad. He loved collecting old bottle openers, so I’d find them at local flea [read more]
Gift Exchanges
How to Have Fun During Quarantine with Secret Santa
It all started with DJ D-Nice hosting Instagram Live dance parties weekly. Then GRiZ, an up-and-coming Detroit DJ, and 23 other artists hosted a 24-hour dance and reconnect party online. While that might not be [read more]
Gift Exchanges
Secret Santa Tips to Help You Get Started with Your Gift Exchange
So, you’re running a gift exchange for your next party. That’s a great idea! Gift exchanges are an incredible way to bring people together, to engage in some light mystery, and to make a great [read more]
Gift Exchanges
How to Run a Gift Exchange From Home During Social Distancing
When social distancing swept over the world, taking us away from our normal lives, a strange paradox took shape. We began to connect more than ever. I now have weekly video calls with friends and [read more]
Gift Exchanges
5 Ways to Connect During Social Distancing with a Secret Santa Generator
When I was a kid, my friend, Dawn, moved to California. It happened when long-distance phone calls and snail mail were the only options to stay in touch. Still, we would mail trivia and fun [read more]
Wishlist
Wish List Suggestions for Making Everything Simple
When I was a child, I had a simple wish for a holiday gift exchange. I asked for a calligraphy set so I could begin learning the craft and sharing homemade cards with others. My [read more]
Gift Exchanges
How to Socialize During Coronavirus With Long-Distance Games
Every Saturday since social distancing started here in Illinois, my friends and I meet for an afternoon happy hour online. Some live a few blocks away, some in other cities. It’s great to connect, and [read more]
Gift Exchanges
How Does a Name Pairing Generator Work?
For someone who spends most of my professional time online, I used to be weirdly resistant to doing things on the computer. Maps? I was good with paper maps (even though it was super inconvenient). [read more]
Gift Exchanges
Coronavirus: How to Stay Positive and Connected with a Gift Exchange
For some reason, most of my family members have birthdays over the same two-month period. Some even share the exact same birthday! So, for over a decade, we celebrated all birthdays together as a family. [read more]
Gift Exchanges
Top Gift Exchange Ideas for All Ages
One of the best events we’ve hosted involved numerous family members and friends honoring a newly-engaged coworker. With a Caribbean-themed party and gift exchange, we went all out. My parents didn’t even know the couple [read more]
Misc.
Cycling Group Going The Extra Mile For Frontline Heroes
As we find our “new normal” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, stories of kindness, generosity and hope are emerging like spring blossoms all around us. Tales of ordinary folks doing the extraordinary sure [read more]
Wishlist
Can You Make a Wish List for All Websites?
I’m a history fan, and one thing I love is how important the mail order catalog was toward settling the West. Before, if you wanted a shovel and the local store didn’t have one…well, you [read more]
Gift Exchanges
5 Gift Exchange Party Ideas to Get You Started
“Congratulations! You’re running the office gift exchange!” I recently had the pleasure of telling that to a co-worker as we were planning a remote office party. We’d been working from home for a while, so [read more]
Gift Exchanges
How to Draw Names Randomly Online: A Guide
“Random” is one of those words that carries an air of, well, chaos. If you do something randomly, it seems like you’re doing it without rhyme or reason. Even its old definition, which meant “rushing [read more]
Gift Exchanges
5 Creative Gift Exchange Themes to Liven Up Any Party
Recently, some friends invited us to a Harry Potter-themed party. They were very excited about it! My wife was very excited about it! I was very excited about… seeing people! But here’s the thing: I’ve [read more]
Wishlist
How to Create a Wish List Online—the Easy Way
My wife is a great list-maker. I am not. So sometimes, if she’s going to the grocery store, she asks me to write down what I need that week. I haphazardly think of the stuff [read more]
Holidays
5 Out-of-this-World Star Wars Secret Santa Ideas
I don’t want to date myself, but I was excited to see Return of the Jedi in the theaters. I was young enough to be terrified of the Sarlacc and pretty freaked out by the [read more]
Gift Giving
Useful Wish List Ideas for Guys
Have you ever started this conversation with the guy in your life? “What do you want for your birthday?” Of course you have. The answer—for this or any special occasion—is almost inevitably, “I don’t know. [read more]
Gift Exchanges
What are the Benefits of a Random Name Drawing App?
A few years ago, we were doing an office Secret Santa and were pulling names out of a hat. When my friend Hedda reached in to pull the last name, she fished through it before [read more]
Gift Exchanges
A Guide to Secret Santas for Teens
Are you planning a party? They can get boring if you don’t have a theme or any games. Have you ever had a Secret Santa gift swap? They’re a lot of fun and a great [read more]
Holidays
5 Best Earth Day Gift Ideas for Work Parties
I volunteer for the Party Planning Crew at my job. A few years ago, we were trying to plan an Earth Day party, and things started to get out of hand. We were going to [read more]