4th of July Fun Facts

We love trivia. Here are some fun facts gathered from Pier 1 Imports about the 4th of July

• Over 74 million families will barbecue on this day. Will your family be one of them? Who wears the apron in YOUR family?
• Over 150 million hot dogs will be eaten on the Fourth. That’s one hot dog for every two Americans. Please make mine with mustard and onions.
• The most popular sides at the 4th of July BBQ? Potato salad and baked beans.
• Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
• John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826.
• The only American president born on the 4th of July was Calvin Coolidge (b. 1872).
• The Liberty Bell weighs 2000 pounds and cost $225 to make.
• In 1959, the very first Pepsi 400 race was held. This event is hosted by NASCAR every 4th of July or the Saturday of 4th of July weekend
• In 1916, four immigrants are said to have been arguing who among them was most patriotic on this 4th of July. The four decided to settle the dispute with a hot dog eating contest, thus sparking the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest held annually on the 4th in Coney Island.
• In 1870, Congress made July 4th a national, but unpaid, holiday for all federal employees.
• America has its own places of patriotic pride, as shown by the multitude of places within the United States with patriotic names. For example, at least thirty cities include "liberty" in their names, such as Liberty, MO and Iowa's Libertyville, North Liberty, West Liberty and New Liberty. The United States also is home to thirty-two "Eagles," eleven "Independences," five "Freedoms," and even a "Patriot" (residing in Indiana).

Sweet Tunes For Your 4th Of July Bash

Music plays such a huge role when it comes to planning any get together. Even when it's lightly playing the background, choosing festive songs to match your party theme is a must. And now with music programs like iTunes, you can make your own custom mixes with just the click of a mouse.

Here are some great 4th of July tunes to set tone for your big bash...

• Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
• 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky
• Proud to be an American – Lee Greenwood
• America – Neil Diamond
• America the Beautiful – Ray Charles version
• Ballad of the Green Berets – Barry North
• Color Me Red, White and Blue – Dolly Parton
• God Bless America – Kate Smith or Celine Dion (our favorite Canadian!)
• Living in America – James Brown
• My Baby is American Made – Oakridge Boys
• Peaceful World – John Mellencamp
• Some Gave All – Billy Ray Cyrus
• Star Spangled Banner – Jimmy Hendrix, Whitney Houston and a host of others
• This Ain’t No Rag – It’s a Flag – Charlie Daniels Band
• This Land is Your Land – Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary
• Travelin’ Soldier – Dixie Chicks
• Undivided – Bon Jovi
• Rodeo – Aaron Copland
  
• Stars and Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa

Give A Green Gift: Garden In A Box

Looking for a unique gift to send a client as a thank you? Here is a great idea that is completely green. Put together yourself or talk to your local gift basket company about sending a "green" gift consisting of a planters box, soil, seeds and gardening gear. Give the gift of life, plant life, that is.


CREATE THIS LOOK...


Planter: Smith & Hawken Windsor Window Box
Crafted from durable resin to lend the appearance wood without cracking or rotting.
Price: $169








Trowel: Smith & Hawken Trowel
Guaranteed for life, our English trowel is ideal for excavating, shaping and digging small holes for planting.
Price: $25








Hand Fork: Smith & Hawken Hand Fork
Guaranteed for life, our English hand fork is ideal for light weeding and digging in shallow soil.
Price: $25








Gardening Gloves: Essential WorkArmor Gloves from Target
Save Your Hands with this Gardening Glove Set. Great for the Green Thumb in Your Life. Made of Resin
Price: $29.99








Planter Starter Kit: Buzzy Porcelain Kitchen Herbs Grow Kit
This do-it-yourself growing kit makes it easy to enjoy cooking with fresh basil, parsley, chives, marjoram and thyme.
Price: $12.99

Urban Fitness

Condo living is becoming more and more popular in big cities. As a result, individuals are finding themselves in beautiful high rises with incredible views, but small square footage. As the norm, city dwellers also tend to be focused on fitness and health. This is one of the reasons they like living in the city because it gives them the opportunity and excuse to walk more rather than take a car or other form of motorized transportation. But if a city dweller, who is also devoted to fitness, wants to workout, and prefers the privacy of their home for additional exercise, how are they supposed to comfortably fit a home gym in such tight quarters? This is a question Life Fitness had when they went to Gabriel Prero asking for a new design for urban spaces. Gabriel Prero is an industrial designer, who turns incredible concepts into realities. With the task at hand, Prero came up with the below sleek and stylish Otto-Bench, which also doubles as an inconspicuous long modern ottoman. We're impressed. See what you think.

Get Hip Get Green Bags

You've probably already noticed or are already using these completely reusable bags for grocery shopping, packing a picnic, carrying books or whatever other useful need they are great for. Get Hip Get Green brings reusable shopping bags to a forefront of both “E”s: environmentalism and education. With three styles of bags that encourage users to get- hip- get- green and love-this-planet, Get Hip Get Green sells bags to help alleviate the amount of other bags that are regularly discarded and not recycled. The bags are great for multi-use. We even used similar bags last year at the Northwest Event Show, and we're still using them for various purposes to this day.

About Get Hip Bags...

• Each Bag comes with hangtag that explains just some of just some of the issues facing the environment today.
• Each Bag holds the equivalent load of 3-4 plastic bags or 2 Paper bags.
• Each bag is made from non-woven polypropolene and is 100% recyclable.
• Five of our Bags will hold the contents of a completely filled grocery cart.
• Each bag has a bottom stiffener that protects groceries and that can be easily removed for a quick wipe down.
• World wide we consume nearly 1 million plastic bags per minute. By using my bag you can help reduce this startling statistic.

Get your very own hip bag by clicking here.

Make Plans for the Ultimate 4th of July Shindig

Can you believe the 4th of July is only a few weeks away? There is not time like the present to start gathering ideas and making plans for America's favorite holiday. Here are a few simple tips to get your creativity and patriotism flowing...

It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t got a Theme!
The best part about the 4th of July is that the color scheme and entertainment are already in place. You know you'll be decorating with red, white and blue, and of course you'll be watching fireworks, so a lot of the pressure of planning the details are relieved. All you have to do is get the decorations ready and plan the ultimate summer menu. When it comes to the 4th, you can't go overboard, so we say bring out the stripes and stars and go flag and streamer crazy.

Plan the Menu
Did you know that on the 4th of July, 74 million families will barbecue their meal? You will probably contribute to that number so planning the ultimate BBQ meal is key. Prepare one or two meat offerings like southern-style sliced brisket, slabs of meaty baby back ribs or smoky-sweet chicken. Delicious sides like potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and of course, corn-on-the-cob are traditional favorites. We also suggest making red and blue tinted cocktails for the adults and non-alcoholic kool-aid drinks for the kids. Head over to the Food Network and search under 4th of July for hundreds of recipes that you can easily prepare for groups large and small.

Take a Picnic to the Park
These days many people live in townhouses and condos so throwing a backyard bbq is out of the question. But just because you don't have a backyard, doesn't mean you should spend the day indoors. Head outside and pack up a blanket, food, and decorations and head to a local park. Start the partying early in the day and organize a group softball, volleyball, or bocce ball game and then stay for the public fireworks. It will be a lot easier to find parking if you head out early.

Go Coastal with a Beach Potluck
Fresh air, cool water and the sand in your toes! Call your friends, organize a potluck menu and gather together your beach gear. Everyone should bring their favorite dish along with their bathing suits, towels, blankets, frisbees, beach balls and – of course - the sunscreen. Grill hotdogs and burgers or have a traditional clambake! Finger foods work best here – like chips and fresh fruits as well as canned sodas and beer. Build a campfire (if your beach allows them) and roast marshmallows or make s’mores for a fun dessert treat. Don’t forget a trash bag! You definitely want to leave the beach as clean as you found it! If you live in Seattle, head to Alki Beach. For those willing to travel, head to Lake Chelan in Central Washington. Our pick...Wapato Point.

Above Photos from Pier 1

This Round Is On Me

How often have you played a round of golf, and by the third hole you begin to get anxious for the food and beverage cart to make a visit? It happens all the time. There is something about golf (perhaps it's all the yelling at the ball to stay in the fairway and not the bunker) that makes you parched after just a short while. If this sounds familiar, let us introduce you to the Designated Driver. The Designated Driver is a nifty golf club drink dispenser. The head of the Designated Driver Kooler Klub looks just like a real club! The shaft of the club champ fits easily into your golf bag and holds 48 ounces of cold or hot beverages (enough to satisfy a thirsty foursome). A keg-like pump mechanism on the cooler club dispenses the juice from the insulated drink caddy out the top.

The Designated Driver is available at After 5 Catalog and retails for $49.99.

Safety First

When you plan an event, retreat, team building activity or the like you should always have a first aid kit with you on site. Here is a sample of the ultimate first aid kit perfect for work, events or even your home.

The IntelligentFirstAid "talking" kit, designed by medical and educational experts, combines supplies, visual instruction cards and now an audio module for verbal guidance to manage the most common injuries, at home, at work, or at play. The kit is separated into individually labeled and color-coded injury packs so the user has all the supplies and easy to follow instructions for managing a specific injury. The audio module in each injury card takes the technology a step further. By the squeeze of a button, the module narrates step-by-step instructions to manage the injury, pausing and repeating when necessary for accurate response.

Click here to listen to the "bleeding audio."

Obviously this kit is not an excuse not to take a first aid course as well, something we definitely recommend, but the kit does help eliminate the panic of feeling like you don't know what to do.

The kit retails for $129. Click here to order.

A Burnless Flame

Candles add an extremely elegant touch to your evening event. In low light, the gentle flicker of candles sets the stage for a blissful evening. But, unfortunately, due to safety concerns, many event facilities do not allow candles to be used on site. So what are you to do if you had your heart set on a hundred flickering lights?

Meet Ashley Danae Designs. Ashley Danae Designs creates flameless candles that are made of wax and have a deliciously light vanilla scent. The candle’s "flame" flickers like a real candle, but instead of burning down to the wick, you need only a fresh pair of batteries to recharge their light. Unless you walk right up to the candle and pick it up, you have no idea the candle is not real and the best part is you'll never have to replace it.

Ashley Danae's candles also come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and styles. Just check out some of the samples below.

Five Easy Ways To Live Green From HGTV

1. Looking for an excuse to replace that bulky computer monitor in the home office? An LCD flat panel model uses as little as a third of the electricity of conventional tube-based models, saving you on your power bill the equivalent of leaving a 50-watt bulb on all year.

When buying large-screen TVs, the savings comes from LCDs and rear-projection models, which use less than half the energy of plasma TVs.

2. You knew grilling was a healthy way to cook vittles, but did you know it was good for the air? Outdoor grills take less energy than electric kitchen stoves. They also keep heat out of the house, lowering air conditioning costs.

Stick with grills that use propane or natural gas; they emit 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per hour while a charcoal grill belches 11 pounds of the air-polluting compound for the same.

One more thing: dine on reusable plates made from bamboo, not disposable paper ones. The trees will thank you.

3. If you feel a little woozy after painting the bedroom with latex-based enamel, choose a product low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) instead. New designer colors and improved quality make these safer paints equivalent to standard ones and they benefit your health as well as the planet’s.

If you don't mind a paint fume buzz, try recycled paints. Filtered, reprocessed latex keeps harmful chemicals out of the landfill and at $5 to $7.50 a gallon, they’re a bargain. Colors and finishes are sometimes limited, though..

4. Skip the pesticides and use nature's method of bug-eradication: other animals. Install birdhouses to shelter feathered friends who dine on pesky beetles and grubs. Put out egg cases of Green Lacewings or Praying Mantises (less than $15, www.mastergardening.com) and they’ll gobble up aphids. Bats, and toads will dine on mosquitoes; attract them with bat houses ($25) and toad houses you can make yourself by overturning flower pots.

5. Organic food tastes better and it’s kinder to the earth. Thirty percent of the fossil fuel used on farms goes into the making of fertilizers.

Get greener by buying items grown or produced within 100 miles and you’ll reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to ship food. You can get fresher food and help small-scale agriculture by shopping at neighborhood farmers’ markets.

Get more of these HGTV Green Ideas by clicking here.

Hot Trends In Catering

We found this article regarding the current trends in catering and would like to share a piece of it with you. Click here to read the full article.

Hot Trends in Catering
By Diane Welland M.S., R.D.

Over the last ten years, catering has gone through something of a revolution. Driven by high expectations, increasing demand and more competition the industry has undergone tremendous change. Not only have catering services grown in importance, becoming a vital source of revenue for many noncommercial operations, but the events themselves have gone through a major overhaul. Increasingly viewed as part of the evening's entertainment, today's customers seek a "dining experience" for even the smallest catered function.

In an effort to appease these clients, menus have gotten bigger, better and more sophisticated than ever before. Variety and excitement are buzzwords in the industry and creative chef-manned stations and buffets specifically tailored for each event are the norm rather than the exception. To attract and keep customers, caterers must not only follow the latest, "in" foods in restaurants; they must also create their own trends. As a result, many catering chefs are experimenting with a wide range of international cuisines and fusion dishes, along with a number of exotic or specialty ingredients. Here are some of the hottest, "happening" foods and catering trends in cities across the country. Some are based on what's "in" in restaurant cuisine, while others have evolved purely from the catering field.

Read more...

Brand Yourself

As advertisers, we are always attracted to really incredible branding and pieces. We found some recent incredible and futuristic marketing pieces from a company called Blutsbruder. Blutsbruder Design is an acclaimed design studio with a roster of international clients. Specializing in art and advertising print productions with a focus on visual effects, Blutsbruder Design provides both the creative direction and the final implementation of the image. You'll often see them create incredible 3D artwork using digital retouching and photo enhancing. Check out some of our favorites from their portfolio. We love the way they think outside the box to create truly eye-catching branding pieces. Bravo!

Oldie, But Goodie Summer Flicks

The 4th of July is just around the corner, and since the weather has been less than stellar as of late, now is a great time to dive into your movie vault and pick out some films that truly capture the heart of the American spirit. You'll be singing the "Star Spangled Banner" in no time at all. Here's what's on our list right now...

The Patriot: Starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger.
Movie Tagline: Before they were soldiers, they were family. Before they were legends, they were heros. Before there was a nation, there was a fight for freedom.
Why we love it: Oh the drama! If you like war pictures, The Patriot is one of those films that leaves a huge impression on your heart. Combine the war scenes with the tear jerking portrayal of a father-son relationship and even grown men will be crying with this one.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Starring Jimmy Stewart & Jean Arthur
Movie Tagline: Romance, drama, laughter and heartbreak ... created out of the very heart and soil of America.
Why we love it: Is there anything more American than Jimmy Stewart? Enough said.



Yankee Doodle Dandy: Starring James Cagney
Movie Tagline: A musical portrait of composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan. From his early days as a child-star in his family's vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life-story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs.
Why we love it: Don't worry, this movie has nothing to do with the New York Yankees. An old-fashioned musical with James Cagney. It’s all red-white and true blue through and through!

Saving Private Ryan: Starring Tom Hanks
Movie Tagline: In the Last Great Invasion of the Last Great War, The Greatest Danger for Eight Men was Saving... One.
Why we love it: Yes, the first 30-minutes are very hard to watch and yes, you'll probably cry the entire movie. But, this story of a brave band of WWII soldiers and their mission to save one young man is a must-watch, must-cheer, must remember film. A heartbreakingly honest tribute to The Greatest Generation.

Independence Day: Starring Will Smith, Harry Connick Jr. and some pain in the you-know-what aliens.
Movie Tagline: On July 2nd, they arrive. On July 3rd, they strike. On July 4th, we fight back.
Why we love it: There’s no turning on your heart strings here, just some good, old-fashioned alien whopping – on the Fourth of July, of course!


1776
Movie Tagline: In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. As George Washington sends depressing messages describing one military disaster after another, the businessmen, landowners and slave holders in Congress all stand in the way of the Declaration, and a single "nay" vote will forever end the question of independence. Large portions of spoken and sung dialog are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual participants.
Why we love it: Yes, it’s a musical. But it’s also a great way to learn about the birth of our nation. And you’ll be humming the tunes when it’s over.

Rocky I, II, III, IV: Starring Sly Stone
Movie Tagline: His whole life was a million-to-one shot.
Why we love it: It's all about the American dream as we watch a fighter from the streets of Philadelphia achieve his dreams. We get pumped just thinking about it.



Pride of the Yankees: Starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig
Movie Tagline: It's the Great American Story!
Why we love it: You can't celebrate American movies without highlighting the greatest baseball film of all time. Sorry this one happens to be about a "New York Yankee," but more importantly about a man with the true American spirit. Lou Gehrig ended his career on July 4, 1939 with his now famous speech. This film celebrates good-old American values without a whole lot of flag waving. A great watch.

Did we miss your favorite patriotic film? Let us know!

A Drizzling Hot Summer

We're sitting here looking out the window and wondering, "will the sun ever come out?" It is June 11th after all. If you too are feeling our pain, here is a little humor to lighten the load.

Blogwatch

We love searching the web for the best event planning blogs out there. Inspiration comes from many sources and we'd like to share some of our recent favorites with you to check out also.

Best Home & Decor Blogs

Shelterrific - Where People Who Love Their Homes Click
decor8
The Style Files

Best Blogs For Men

Uncrate

Best Blogs For Those Who Love Gadgets

Gizmodo

Best Blogs for Plant Lovers

You Grow Girl

Best Party Planning Blogs

Simply Stated
Notes on a Party
Totally Tabletops

Are You The Next Van Gogh?

We love DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects. Whenever we find a way to let our creativity flow we love to share it with you. As event planners, innovation is key and any outlet that allows us to showcase our creative spirit is a huge bonus. If you are an artist at heart, you'll love this fabulous service that allows you to showcase your artwork like the pros. Zazzle custom canvas prints are printed using the latest and most advanced technologies to give you the most vibrant colors and highest detail possible. Design your own museum masterpieces from your paintings, digital art and photography that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

You can choose from matte or gloss canvas. Both options are fade resistant and available in 5 different sizes. All you have to do is download zazzle's design-and-drop tool to prepare your file. You can add text, adjust colors and finalize your artwork until it's literally picture perfect! Plus it ships in 24 hours so you can upload today and receive your artwork by tomorrow.

Just think how great it would be to have a family portrait printed on canvas and placed on the mantel above your fireplace. Or how about a painting of your favorite destination spot so you can dream about a vacation even in the drawls of a Northwest rainstorm. Whatever you do, be creative and choose a piece that reflects your personality or something you hold dear to your heart. These make a great gift to.

If the canvas prints are a little out of your budget or you'd like to give it a try in a smaller format, try zazzle's DIY posters too. See below.

Plan a Golf Themed Father's Day

Go green, that is, hit the greens this Father's Day. We've found some great samples of golf inspired party decorations suitable for any father, grandfather, uncle, brother or significant person in your life. Golf is a great theme for any Father's Day because most anyone can play. Who cares if you are not Tiger Woods! Who is? Just get out there, and enjoy an activity everyone can try. And if playing an entire 18 holes isn't your style, consider renting portable miniature courses from Golf-To-Go, featured in further detail on banquetevent.com. But if the real thing is more your speed, read about Oki Golf's courses featured at banquetevent.com as well. As a side note, if you are planning an upcoming golf tournament this summer, read our how-to on how to put together a successful event.


Top Row: Floral arrangements by Aria Style
Bottom Left: Golf luggage tag favor from Beau-Coup
Bottom Right: Personalized Golf Balls from Beau-Coup


Top Left: Golf cocktail napkins from Plum Party
Top Right: Rent portable greens from Golf-To-Go
Bottom Left: Golf invitation from Doriann's
Bottom Right: Golf Ball Truffles from Plum Party

Get INSPI(RED) This Father's Day

There are thousands of Father's Day cards to choose from each year. Finding the card that says exactly how you feel can be a daunting task. So this Father's Day, give a card that also gives back.

Check out these cards from Hallmark in their (PRODUCT) RED™ line. These cards literally help eliminate AIDS in Africa. There's no extra cost or special effort from you. The contributions to Global Fund comes right out of Hallmark's profits. Make a difference. Choose Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED™ and see how far a card can go.

Here are just a few samples of the Father's Day cards available at your local Hallmark right now.




THESE CARDS ARE MADE WITH RECYCLED PAPER.
20% recycled fiber.

Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with a robust online presence and community. This new all green network launched yesterday and on-air content will reach 50 million homes with more than 250 hours of original green lifestyle programming. Both online and on-air, Planet Green's content is entertaining, relevant, and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. By representing a broad range of ideas and perspectives, Planet Green is taking an active role in generating conversation and motivating individuals to take action when it comes to improving the environmental status of our planet.

Click here to find the channel in your area where Planet Green will air.

1% For The Planet

Businesses and corporations now have a simple way to contribute to a greener planet through a unique philanthropy opportunity. 1% For The Planet, a non-profit organization, acts as a conduit for action by working with companies willing to donate just 1% of their profits to various causes created to preserving the planet. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well.

Learn more about this organization at onepercentfortheplanet.org

One Percent for the Planet has also teamed up with Jack Johnson on his 2008 World Tour and All At Once, a new social action network connecting nonprofits with people who want to become active in their local and world community. All At Once comes to life online at www.AllAtOnce.org and at every Jack Johnson concert in the Village Green, a collection of interactive booths where you can get educated, get inspired, and connect face-to-face with us and other local, national, and international non-profits.


All At Once from coreindustries on Vimeo.