Celebrate with Your Own Mardi Gras Party!

Mardi Gras is just three weeks away and if you are one who celebrates Mardi Gras now is the time to get planning for the big event.

While most people want to celebrate Mardi Gras on "Fat Tuesday," it poses a problem as many of us have to work on Wednesday. The solution is host your Mardi Gras event on Saturday, February the 9th, which is basically a week and half away.

We've got ideas to help you put together your Mardi Gras event.

1. First Determine Just How Mardi Gras will your party be?
Beads, Masks, Costumes? Do guests need to dress for the event or will you have all the accessories there? Will this be a dinner event or snacks and drinking?

2. Invite - Once you nail down your Mardi Gras party, spread the word via Facebook invites, evites, or emails should do the trick and ask for an rsvp so you can plan.

3. Mardi Gras Food 
Bring the taste of New Orleans to your party with Gumbo, a Crawfish Boil or Jambalaya, then balance with other party snacks. Drinks can include Hurricanes, specialty mixed drinks and beer.

4. Party Decorations
You can go all out with giant sized masks, scene setters and even make a decorative float but I find it easy to decorate with purple, green and gold balloon, streamers and beads. By grouping colorful balloon around you can brighten up corners and make your room seem more festive. We showcase a variety of Mardi Gras parties supplies on our page where you can find balloon, tableware, photo props and more.

5. Dress the Part 
As the Host or Hostess of a Mardi Gras party be sure to dress the part. Choose a festive Mardi Grass hat, vest, shoes or dress to welcome guests to your party, then have plenty of masks to provide intrigue. We have a variety of Mardi Gras masks and outfits and accessories for the occasion.

6. Beads, Beads, Beads
It's not a Mardi Gras party without beads, so pick up colorful Mardi Gras beads and either other them to guests when they come in, have guests do tasks to win them or plan for a bead toss at some point during the middle of your party. Beads come in all shapes and sizes, so we recommend getting a lot of basic beads but then be sure to have some unique beads that will act as conversation starters for your guests. Plus people always enjoy getting creative beads during the party and showing them off.

7. Mardi Gras Party Activities
There are to many Mardi Gras games but we have a few easy ideas. Do a Mardi Gras scavenger hurt and have guest search for beads, floats or various Mardi Gras items at your house or in the neighborhood (if you have placed them there. Set up a simple bead toss game that helps determine your mask or to win Mardi Gras accessories. We have various Mardi Gras trivia games on the site. Want something more to do host a murder mystery party at your party. Last idea if you have cardboard boxes and lots of decorations, streamers, paints, colorful paper and creative people consider a having teams create Mardi Gras floats, this would take a lot of prep time but you could group guests into teams and then after 30 - 45 minutes of building host your own your own Mardi Gras parade.

No matter whether your are hosting a small or large Mardi Gras party, these tips and ideas can help make your event special and your own. We wish you a safe and successful Mardi Gras!

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
PartyGameIdeas.com for Mardi Gras Games as well as of 475 other Party Games for Life's Celebrations.
Party Games may receive compensation from items purchased at linked web sites.

Tasty Super Bowl Party Dips for the Big Game

Next to the game, the Super Bowl is a time to set the bar for party dips and even set the stage for emerging party dip trends!

I know it is hard to believe, but Buffalo Chicken Dip didn't exist 15 years ago and it was at Super Bowl parties where these dips went "viral" to become party regulars!

Want to test a new party dip for the Super Bowl, see what is popular or just get the recipe for party dips. Well we've pulled together the top online resources to help you do that.

Super Bowl Dips

From major food companies to stay at home mom recipes we have a mix to match many tastes. Want to put a foodie spin on your Super Bowl dip this year, then consider a dip with crab, seafood, hot spices, or jambalaya to the mix. Our advice if you are doing something new is make it first and taste it, before you make it on a large scale.

a. Velveeta and Rotel (diced tomatoes & chilies) offer very cheesy dips at rotelvelveeta.com
This dip takes less than 5 minutes and they also have Cheesy Spinach bacon Dip, nacho ideas and more.

b. Nabisco offers a PartyinPlay.com website where they offer items that go with Ritz crackers, Triscuits and Wheat Thins. We found the Game Day Grub section (4th section on the page) to offer the best ideas including: Bacon-Guacamole Dip, Cheesy Sausage Dip and Warm Reuben Spread - These take longer but look yummy.

c. Frito Lay who makes Lay's Potato Chips and Tostitos offer some great ideas too including
Garden Veggie Salsa, Avocado & Lime Black Bean Salsa, Salsa & Bacon Dip, and the offer a tasty Nine Layer Dip recipe too. It sounds so good. And gluten free recipes too at Frito Lay recipes.

d. Buffalo Chicken Dip has become a Super Bowl Staple.
If you haven't tried buffalo chicken dip then I suggest you add it to your game day today list and enjoy one of my favorite dips. Franks Red Hot offer the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip.

e. Campbell's also has great dip recipes at Campbell's Kitchen
Some of the more interesting party dips and a few non-cheese include Queso Style Bean Dip, Spicy Avocado Dip, Garden Vegetable Spread and Hot Crab Salsa Dip

f. Hummus Dip
Want a healthier dip for the Super Bowl that only takes 10 minutes? We found it 10 minute hummus dip!, we found three hummus dips for you.

g. Hot Pizza Dip 
If you aren't ordering pizza for the big game then consider this dip as a tempting substitute. A crowd pleaser that likely won't last until kickoff.

h. Spinach Dips
Spinach dips can be served chilled with bread or heated to eat with nachos. So tasty and delicious we had to include several recipes. Spinach Dip - cool (ready in 4 hrs, Spinach Dip - cool ready in 15 minutes, Spinach Dip - heated, Spicy Artichoke and Spinach Dip, Artichoke & Spinach Dip

If you are not sure what party dip to make for the Super Bowl, we suggest that you go with something simple and easy first and if you want to test something new consider making a small batch and see what people think.

Have a great Super Bowl Party and if you need a Super Bowl party games or activities to go with your event be sure to visit Party Game Ideas Super Bowl games on our site.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
PartyGameIdeas.com for Super Bowl Party Games as well as of 475 other Party Games for Life's Celebrations.

5 Super Bowl Party Tips for Success

The Super Bowl is just over a week away but if you are hosting a Super Bowl Party now is the time to get ready. Here are a few Super Bowl party tips to help you prepare for Super Bowl Sunday.

1. Make sure your invites are out and you have an idea of whether you expect 10, 20 or 30 people for the Super Bowl.

2. Multiple TVs - With large Super Bowl parties of 20 or more guests not everyone may fit in one room, however squeezing everyone in is sometimes part of the fun. Solution: Have two or three tvs ready to go so guests can watch in comfort and these work great just in case young children would rather watch something else.

3. Plan Food and Beverage Responsibilities
Let guests know if you are supplying the food, drinks or if they are expected to bring something. In many cases, I've found that the host makes a few key items like wings, chili or burgers and they ask friends to bring  side items and snacks to be shared. The same goes with drinks, the host gets beer and / or mixers and then if guests want a special drink they can bring it themselves.

If you have a last minute Super Bowl Party, no worries, you can always order pizza, wings and ask guests to byob.

4. Party Supplies and Decorations
If you are a fan of the Football and the Super Bowl but not of the Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers, then go with Super Bowl or generic football decorations for your event. Check out our Super Bowl Party Supplies.

If you are fans of Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers, you can pick up some cool team specific partyware for both teams but it is selling fast. 49er party packs, balloons, fathead wall stickers and more. For the Baltimore Ravens we have Ravens party packs, giant helmet stickers and balloons plus team Super Bowl apparel.

Crafty Decoration Idea: If key items like balloons and other accent pieces sell out, consider printing out images of the team logo on your printer, cutting out the image and using tape to apply it balloons, serving bowls and other accents. Just a few here and there can add a festive touch to your party.

5. Super Bowl Games 
While the Super Bowl game is the big event, you may want a few games and activities prior to the game. One of the most popular Super Game activities is called Super Bowl Squares where guests randomly select squares from a 10 by 10 grid for a set dollar amount and then during the game winners are chosen depending on the score at the end of each quarter. Get the details on Super Bowl Squares here.

We offer a few other ideas including Super Bowl Challenge Game where you see if your guests know who has won every Super Bowl, Super Bowl trivia games that are based on the Super Bowl and even Super Bowl commercials and a few other ideas to keep guests active during the 6 hour pre-game show!

The Super Bowl comes once a year and with just a little planning now you can be ready to host a successful party. I would recommend you plan your menu before Sunday, so you can look for deal and get coupons in Sundays paper and shop for basics early in the week because items will sell out.

Good luck , have fun and be safe.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
PartyGameIdeas.com for Super Bowl Party Games as well as of 475 other Party Games for Life's Celebrations.

How Do You Say Merry Christmas? A Fun Trivia Game on How the World Says Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel all say the same thing but in different languages.

This Christmas Trivia Game is like taking a trip around the world and sharing the spirit of the holidays with everyone.

When I was reviewing Merry Christmas Around the World, I was able to get about one third of the answers before I became stumped and had to start thinking which Merry Christmas went where. For me that is a sign of a good trivia game, when you get enough to get started and then are challenged to figure out what goes where.

I can tell you this, I did not score a 100% on Merry Christmas Around the World, but it was fun even though I got 4 answers wrong.

This Merry Christmas party game is good for Language Classes, Groups that do International Foreign Student Exchanges, Church Groups, Teen Sunday School Classes and anyone who enjoys a challenge. A nice little extra is that you can Personalize these game for your group, party or holiday event.

Plus this party game is so unique that it should be a challenge for your Christmas trivia experts and enjoyable as you score the results and pronounce the answers.

My only disappointment with Merry Christmas Around the World is that there should be a pronunciation key so when you reveal the answers you know how to pronounce them correctly.

Merry Christmas Around the World is a printable game you purchase and print out from your computer. You can purchase just this game or get the entire Christmas Game Collection that includes 70 other games the range from Winter, Christmas, Christian Christmas and New Years party games so you have fun activities for the entire winter break.

For even more Christmas Games including Do It Yourself Games and Gift Exchange Ideas visit Party Game Ideas.

Happy Holidays,

Sarah - The Party Games Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Christmas Games.  Party Game Ideas may receive compensation if products are purchased on linked web sites.

Have $5? We've Got Your Christmas Party Game Solved

What can $5 get you these days? Coffee, a newspaper and a donut.

But $5 can also get you, a Christmas Party Game that can have groups of friends, family members and co-workers working together, laughing and having fun for 30 minutes to an hour of more!

It may sound like a story from Christmas past but it's not, it's Christmas Jeopardy!

This Christmas Jeopardy game will get everyone involved as you and your groups try to answer Holiday Trivia questions in order to Win.

There are a variety of Christmas Categories and 25 questions per sheet and with each question taking a minute (you can reduce it to 30 seconds to speed things up) an average game can run 15 - 30 minutes and with 6 different boards that can be an hour or more of Christmas party fun.

Reason we like Christmas Jeopardy
- Small groups can enjoy by playing as individuals
- Large Groups of co-workers and families can play as teams
- Play like real Jeopardy and Keep Track of the Score
- Play with the goal of getting 5 in a row
- 6 Different Boards so you can play lots of rounds
- Personalize this Game for your Party or Group
- Competitive Game so guys enjoy playing it
- For a Limited Time - It's $5

Not sure why but we keep coming back to the fact it is just $5.
Here is how to get and personalize your Christmas Jeopardy game.

So if you still don't know what to do at your business holiday lunch or your holiday dinner party with your best friends or just want to have a party game so the guys can be competitive; Christmas Jeopardy is the perfect fit.

And you get all this for only $5.

Please note this is a limited time offer that runs through December 31, 2012.
Printable Christmas Jeopardy was noted in Top 5 Printable Christmas Party Games and Christmas 20 Questions. Holiday Trivia Games for the Office Party also supplies party game ideas for groups.

For even more Christmas Party Games and Ideas including Do It Yourself Games and Gift Exchanges visit Party Game Ideas.

Happy Holidays,

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Christmas Games.  Party Game Ideas may receive compensation if products are purchased on linked web sites.

Top 5 Printable Christmas Party Games

Curious about what the most popular organized printable party games are... well good news we have the Top 5 Printable Christmas Party Games and why I think they are so popular.

Coming in at Number 5
Christmas Charades and Pictionary
Fun, enjoyable and let's you play without having to come up with all the ideas yourself. Just print, cut and you are ready to play.

Also, we have a third idea for this printable Christmas game and that is "One Clue Guess" where a player gives one clue and the team must guess the answer. Get more details by checking out the Salad Bowl Game - which is perfect if you want to play 3 rounds using the same set of clues from this game.


At Number 4 is
Christmas Jeopardy
Want a little competition for the Holidays? Well Christmas Jeopardy challenges your holiday knowledge in a variety of categories and is a unique way for families and groups of friends to see who is the King or Queen of Christmas Trivia.

Complete as individuals or team and see who can Name that Carol, Answer Questions about Santa or see who knows Reindeer Games. Game includes 6 different game boards so you can have lots of fun.



Dim the Lights as We Announce Number 3
Christmas Movie Trivia Games
While most people watch a movie once or twice, never to see it again. Christmas movies are the stuff of lore and are enjoyed over and over and over again. It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, The Santa Claus, Christmas Vacation, Elf and others bring back memories, emotions, smiles and laughter. Once you've heard "You'll shoot your eye out" or "I triple dog dare ya" it's hard now to remember them without a smile.

You may also like Classic Christmas Movie Trivia from the 40's & 50's

The Runner Up Is... At Number 2
Christmas Song Scramble
Games don't have to be difficult to be popular, just fun. And holiday music fits right into that theme, you can't avoid hearing Christmas music in stores, on the radio, in your house and basically anywhere you go.


And the Number 1 Printable Christmas Party Game is...

Christmas Bingo
Bingo is a classic game that can be enjoyed whether you are 5, 50 or 93! The rules are simple, the winner is random and once you get past the 5 call a person can yet BINGO at any time. What we love about Christmas Bingo is that now you can purchase just the right amount for your event choose from 12, 25 and 40 bingo card packs for your holiday event or just an afternoon with friends and family. Plus we now offer Christmas Carol Bingo!

Being an avid Bingo lover since I was a child, I think it is the perfect Holiday game whether you play with 5 people or 40 people Bingo is still great fun.


There you have it the Top 5 Printable Christmas Party Games this year and if you haven't seen one you want,  don't worry here are more printable Christmas Party Games.

For even more Christmas Party Games and Ideas including Do It Yourself Games and Gift Exchanges visit Party Game Ideas.

Happy Holidays,

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes

5 Christmas Gift Party Games for All Ages

Christmas Gifts are often part of the party decor and social activities like gift exchanges, but they can also be party of the fun by incorporating Christmas gifts into party games.

While we do have a variety of Gift Exchange ideas, we are going to showcase holiday party games that involve Christmas gifts or at least boxes wrapped like Christmas presents.


Christmas Gift Stacking Relay Race
This fast paced gift stacking game requires balance, speed and a good team of careful handlers as you must race to carry, stack and move gifts fro one point to another. This game is a favorite for kids but can also be hysterical for adults, especially to you place items inside a few of the gifts!. Get game details, variations and learn more about Christmas Gift Stacking Relay Race.

Unwrap the Gift Game / Pass the Parcel
This Christmas Gift game involves passing a gift and when the music or timer goes off a player gets to unwrap one layer of wrapping paper. As each round progresses, you get closer and closer to the prize inside. We have some interesting twists to this game that make the kids want to pass the gift around like a hot potato rather than to try to stall and hold onto it. Check out game details, variations and learn more about Unwrap the Gift Game.

Blind Christmas Gift Stacking 
Want a puzzle type game that is fun, challenge and frustrating? Well our Blind Christmas Gift Stacking party game might be just the party game you are looking. This Christmas game is all about communication as one team member must instruct the other team member how to properly stack the Christmas gifts in order to complete the task without that person seeing the stack of gifts. Need a Team Building exercise concerning communication, well this would fit the bill and be in the holiday spirit. We offer ideas for easy and difficult game play, so that almost all ages can play this party game. Game details for Blind Christmas Gift Stacking.

Guess How Many Christmas Gifts?
Having a corporate event where you will be handing out Christmas gifts and prizes, then Guess How Many Christmas Gifts are in the Big Box might just be the perfect holiday party game for your crowd. If your group is not into running around, playing trivia and singing, this simple party game requires little effort and often a fun result. It requires one giant box that gifts go in and then guests are asked to submit how many gifts they thing are inside. It could be 1, 22 or 202 for all they know. Check out some clever ideas for Guess How Many Christmas Gifts?

Gift Wrap Relay
Want your party guests to feel like Elves, then consider the Gift Wrap Relay where guests must race to wrap the Christmas presents nicely and very fast. It may not be a fun game for parents that have lots of presents to wrap but it should be fun for kids. We share a few ideas to make the game safe for kids. Learn more about Gift Wrap Relay.

We have a for other Christmas Gift party games plus over 50 other Christmas Party Games at Party Game Ideas.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Christmas Games and more.

A Dinner Dare turns into a Fun New Christmas Game Idea for Kids

Recently at a networking event, the people at my table ask what I did and I said I run a Party Games web site. Then they said you think up party games? I said yes.

Then cam e the challenge can you come up with a party game using things on this table? Well I looked around and thought, hmm and then I said lets select three items and I will have a game for you by the next meeting.

The items from that were selected for this Party Game challenge were a:
1. Dinner Plate
2. Drinking Straw
3. Paper

Well a week went by and I kind of ignored my commitment, but then I saw a straw and when I was out to eat and started thinking how could I make a party game from a these three items.

I was a little stump, by then it hit me while watching a Christmas Holiday Special. Snowflakes.

Yes Snowflakes were the key to making a Christmas party game for kids.

And then the next challenge, how do you tie the straw and plate into a party game that is both fun and challenging. So I had to basically, make paper snowflakes, grab a straw and get a dinner plate and lay them out.

Once I did that it came to me, you must use the straw to get the snowflakes on the plate. This Christmas party game seemed simple and in my mind was easy. You just blow on the snowflakes, they fly up and land on the plate. Easy!

Then I took my idea and tested it, I blew on the snowflakes and they went under the rim of the plate. I used the straw to blow under the snowflake in order and the snowflake still didn't lift the snowflake.

Hmm, so far I had Christmas party game but it I couldn't make it work and therefore it wouldn't be any fun to play. Would this challenge end in a lame game or failure?

After some careful thought and a few test runs I hit upon how you could get the snowflake up and try to land it on the plate. Plus with snowflakes fluttering in many directions, it now became interesting and silly too. The game was coming together.

The next step was to create the rules and how to play instructions for this new Christmas party game and name it. The name was easy Snowflakes on a Plate, which is the objective of the game. The rules came easy to plus we came us with variations of the game based on whether you play as an individual or as teams.

The Game is now done so Check out the game details for Snowflakes on a Plate here and let me know what you think. We even added a video on this one too, it's a little silly but it was fun to make.

So now when I go to this month's networking meeting, I can show them the party game idea they helped me create, Snowflakes on a Plate. I hope they like it because I do.

Be sure to check out Party Game Ideas for over 50 other Christmas Party Games.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Christmas Games and more. Party Game Ideas may receive compensation via sales made from linked products.

Make Your House Decorations the Life of the Holiday Party

You've seen videos of houses that set the Christmas lights to music and it looks amazing, but how can the average person set this up so that their house is part of the Christmas Party?

Well we stumbled across 2 Options
GE Wireless Light and Sounds of Christmas which is a synchronized light and sound system.

This systems comes with 44 Christmas tracks and plays in three modes light show, unison and lights steady on. Hmm as a bonus there are some Halloween tracks to so you can use it for another holiday.

I love the idea of the music and lights but I wish it could be connect to any song you want rather than holiday songs. The set up seems easy, but we haven't seen a review. The list price is $299, but Christmas Light system is currently (Today 12/4/12) on sale for under $170 and when I was on the site there was a promotional code to get shipping for $1.99. Please note I cannot guarantee pricing, discounts or quantity available.

The other outdoor Christmas Light musical system (can work indoors too) is Mr. Christmas Lights and Sounds of Christmas.

Mr. Christmas offers two different products. The Mr. Christmas Lights and Sounds of Christmas runs around $130 plus shipping and offers a main controller and six outlets which can each handle 1,200 lights and is not wireless. It offers 20 holiday songs from which to choose from.

This model is cheaper but you'll need to string all your lights to a central for this one which could be a bit of a headache. Amazon had 44 reviews with an average rating of 4 stars, so most users are happy with their purchase.

The Mr. Christmas Wireless Christmas Light system appears to be the GE system. I checked all the specs and they match. Amazon prices ranged from $170 - $180 plus shipping. The reviews for this model and disappointing compare to the $130 version, but most reviews are from 2 - 3 years ago, so things may have changes and it appears that replacement parts are now available where before it seemed to be an issue.

We like the idea of adding music to your Christmas lights and it sounds like it would be great during a party, but after reading the reviews consider whether going wireless is worth it as you might be able to save money and put on a holiday show for less.

For more Christmas Party Games and Ideas visit Party Game Ideas

Happy Holidays,

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Party Game Ideas may receive compensation if products are purchased on linked web sites.

Martha Stewart is Ruining Christmas Parties

I love Martha Stewart and her crafts, cooking, decoration tips and her show, but Martha Stewart is ruining Christmas parties!

There I said it and here is why.

There was a time when people would host a Holiday or Christmas party, invite guests, decorate house, make finger foods and offer holiday beverages. However with Martha Stewart it just seems that the bar is raised to perfection that anything else is a failure.

1. First Martha Stewart claim is "It's Easy"
Almost everything Martha does on the show is easy or simple. Well of course it is when, you a. have a staff to prep things for you and b. don't have a house full of kids that live in the house.

2. Nature is Free and at Your Door Step
In a recent centerpiece idea, it was noted that you just need to walk outside and collect branches about this big. Well I well out to find branches and I couldn't really find any, (I guess my neighbors yard workers are very good.) Overall it took me going to two parks, being barked at by several dogs and stepping into a big puddle just to 20 sticks that would work. Yes, it was free but no fun to collect.

3. Her Finished Product Always Look Amazing
Often Martha Stewart will take a the finished product and place it on a table that is set perfectly for this item. The plates, the napkin holders and accent pieces all work, but when I placed my craft project on my table it didn't look like the picture at all.

My BIGGEST problem is after I invest all the time and effort, which recently was able 4 hours for a centerpiece project, it killed my mood, spirit and made me feel like a failure.

After doing the project and hoping for a Martha Stewart moment, ta-da "It's Beautiful" my mood and attitude  sunk because I focused so much on making it that it carried over into making the food.

I just wasn't having fun making the food and socializing in the kitchen, then I had to remind myself that the centerpiece isn't the reason for the food or the joy of Holiday Party and that Martha Stewart doesn't rule my happiness and maybe, just maybe next time...

I need to purchase a centerpiece, except that I don't have to be perfect or ask the kids or guests to make something, so I can enjoy being the Happy Hostess at my party.

Happy Holidays

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Follow me on the Party Games Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
Party Game Ideas for DIY Christmas Party Games, Holiday Party Themes, Printable Christmas Games and more.