Archive for December, 2009
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Life’s a Beach–A Shore Theme in your Outdoor Space

Friday, December 25th, 2009
Twentieth century American architect Phillip Johnson once said, “I hate vacations. If you can build buildings, why sit on the beach?” Mr. Johnson evidently didn’t how to relax, but as another summer is slipping away, you can. Did you visit the beach this year? Do you wish you had? Either way, you can create a seaside feel in your outdoor space and enjoy memories of the shore at home! Here are some quick tips.

Color
Your choice of color will be the biggest stress-reliever in your home “beach.” The relaxing hues of the beach are sun-bleached and sand- and water-washed. Think cool and inviting water, lapping on the shore; the pale sand underfoot; the tall pale green beach grasses; the pale pink and coral of shells; the white clouds in a the blue sky.

For your blue, try Kelly Moore’s Essence of the Sea or Sail Away, Beauti-tone’s French Blue, or Benjamin Moore’s Robin’s Egg.

If you prefer brighter colors use bright pink or orange, especially in striped fabric or small accessories such candles.

Furniture
The beach calls for casual wooden seating. Try folding wooden chairs with colorful striped canvas slings, set under a pale colored canvas umbrella that you’ve propped in a large bucket of sand.

Fabric
What do you take to the beach? Canvas tote bags, terry towels and flip-flops. Use these fabrics for cushions, throws and the seating itself. Install decorative hooks on a wall, and hang beach towels as “art.”

Motifs
Many beach goers return home with a collection of shells, beach rocks and smooth bits of colored glass. If you have such a collection, use them to good effect in your outdoor space. Clean up your treasures by running them through a cycle of the dishwasher in the utensil basket. You can also rub baby oil into rocks to bring out the shine that you saw under the beach sun.

The most obvious way to display your shells and pebbles is in a clear glass dish or jar, or a flat plate. Try filling a saucer with them and inserting a votive candle. Or if the shells themselves are large enough, pour candle wax around a wick in the shell cavity itself. Shells can be used in attractive tic-tac-toe games, for stamping fabrics and many other purposes.

You can easily change the feel of your beach theme by the use of different motifs. Perch a sea-gull on a piece of driftwood draped with a piece of fisherman’s net and use a lighthouse or two elsewhere in the space, and you’ll be reminded of a coastal fishing village. Folding sling chairs, an umbrella and pots of beach grass give a recreational feel to your space. Or combine the lighthouses with sailboat silhouettes for a more urban shore look.

Whatever kind of shore you prefer, use these ideas to recreate it at home. Put on a recording of ocean waves lapping on the sand, kick off your shoes and enjoy the beach!

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Preschool Art Projects – Under the Sea

Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Under the Sea

No preschool curriculum is complete without a wide variety of art projects. Arts and crafts give children a method of expressing themselves creatively, as well as allowing them to develop fine motor skills such as cutting, pasting, and drawing. Certain themes, such as the ocean and the creatures that live in it, lend themselves perfectly to preschool art projects.

Ocean life is full of fun shapes and colors which are replicated in these preschool art projects. First, here’s a project where the kids create stained glass ocean animals by using tissue paper with contact paper or waxed paper.

Look through books about the ocean and its life forms for inspiration first before letting the children create their own sea creature forms from contact paper or waxed paper. Once they have cut out their shape, decorate the shapes with tissue paper to create a stained glass effect. Remember to use glue if waxed paper is being used.

Create your own Aquarium!

In conjunction with the ocean life theme, organize a field trip to a local zoo or aquarium to observe fish in their habitat. After the field trip, try one of these preschool art projects on fish and aquariums.

Children can create a paper plate aquarium from a paper plate or Styrofoam meat tray. First, paint a blue line about three-quarters of the way up the plate or meat tray, and paint the area below the line blue. After the paint has dried, the children can decorate their aquariums with fish and other ocean life with paint, construction paper, magazine clippings, yarn for algae- basically let their imaginations run wild.

After the aquariums are sufficiently adorned, tape another paper plate or meat tray facing the aquarium. Don’t forget to cut a small hole at the top of the second plate or tray to create a hole that allows the children to peer into their aquariums. Another option is to tape a layer of plastic wrap over top of the aquarium tray to represent the glass.

Here’s another fun ocean life craft called “3-Dimensional Sea Creatures”. To begin, give each child two cutout shapes of an ocean creature, or have them cut and create their own creatures from construction paper. Encourage them to decorate the sea creatures with glitter, googly eyes, paint, yarn, fabric, or whatever else is in the craft supply closet.

Once the creatures are decorated, connect the two halves and stuff the inside of the shape with cotton balls for an exciting 3-dimensional effect. If desired, tape a large sheet of blue paper on the wall and everyone arrange their sea creatures in the water together.

Play Dough Urchins

One of the ocean’s most interesting creatures is the sea urchin. The children can create their own personal urchins from play dough and toothpicks. Play dough can be made by combining 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of warm water, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon oil, ¼ cup of salt and food coloring.

Stir all ingredients together over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pot from the heat and knead the dough until it has blended completely. Place the dough in an air-tight sealed container or plastic bag until ready for use.

All of these preschool art projects provide teaching opportunities in many areas as well as providing the chance for imaginations and creativity to soar. Enjoy them and modify however you need to encourage the participation of all of your children.

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Microgaming Slot Machines Guide: Casino Slots Games That Have Geographical Themes

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Slot machines are the most popular form of casino entertainment, both at land-based casinos and on Internet gambling sites. Microgaming, the major software provider for the online gambling industry, has launched over 200 slot machine games over the past decade. Each of these slots has its own unique theme, ranging from American Indians to Japanese dining to wealth and high society. This article summarizes ten of Microgaming’s 3-reel and 5-reel slots games that have geographical themes, including 7 Oceans, Frost Bite, Island Style, Jungle 7’s, Cabin Fever, Kathnandu, Mermaids Millions, Muchos Grande, No Worries, and Pharaoh’s Tomb.

7 Oceans is a 3-reel, single payline slot machine. It is based on the 7 oceans of the world. 7 Oceans accepts coins from $0.25 to $5.00, and the maximum number of coins that you can bet per spin is 3. The maximum jackpot is 5000 coins. 7 Oceans is an ideal game for the beginning slots player.

Frost Bite is a 3-reel, single pay-line slot machine with an Arctic theme. Frost Bite accepts coins from 25¢ to $5.00, and the maximum number of coins that you can play per spin is 2. One Frost Bite symbol doubles your payout and 2 Frost Bite symbols quadruple your payout. If you hit all three Frost Bite symbols on the pay-line, you will win the maximum jackpot of $1,600.

Island Style is a 3-reel, single payline slot game with a tropical island theme. It accepts coins from $0.25 to $10.00, and the maximum number of coins that you can bet per spin is 3. The maximum jackpot is 2400 coins.

Embark on a treacherous adventure along the Inca trail.  Jungle 7’s is a 3-reel, single pay-line slot machine with an exploration and adventure theme. The coin range is 25¢ to $5.00 and you can bet up to 3 coins per pay-line per spin. With a maximum bet of $15.00, you could win a possible jackpot of $75,000 (15,000 coins).

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, Cabin Fever is a game that might appeal to you. Cabin Fever is 5-reel, 20 pay-line video slot machine all about winter. The minimum coin size is 1¢, which makes the game appealing to low rollers. Two or more Wild Blizzard symbols on the pay-line create winning combinations. Two symbols pay out $15, three symbols pay out $100, four symbols pay out $1,000, and all five Wild Blizzard symbols pay out $5,000.

Kathmandu is a 5-reel, 9 pay-line video slot that has an Far Eastern theme. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. The game accepts coins from $0.01 to $0.50, and the maximum number of coins that you can bet per spin is 250. The maximum jackpot is 6,000 coins.

Mermaids Millions is a 5-reel, 15 pay-line video slot with an oceanic theme. There are plenty of mermaids, treasure chests, sea horses, and even King Neptune himself. Two or more King Neptune symbols on the pay-line create winning combinations. Two symbols pay out $2, three symbols pay out $500, four symbols pay out $2,000, and all five King Neptune symbols pay out $7,500.

Muchos Grande is a 5-reel, 15 pay-line video slot machine with a Mexican theme. Muchos Grande is a comic world of hot peppers, egg plants, avocados, chili, rattlesnakes, and a nutty donkey. Two or more Gold Coin symbols on the pay-line create winning combinations. Two symbols pay out $4, three symbols pay out $120, four symbols pay out $1,200, and all five Gold Coin symbols pay out $9,000.

No Worries is a 5-reel, 9 payline video slot that has an Australian theme. It was released in October, 2007. No Worries accepts coins from $0.01 to $0.20, and the maximum number of coins that you can bet per spin is 90. The maximum jackpot is 5,000 coins.

Journey to the land of the Pyramids and king-sized treasures! Pharaoh’s Tomb is a 5-reel, 20 pay-line video slot with an Egyptian theme. The coin range is 1¢ to $1.00 and you can bet up to 20 coins per line. With the maximum bet of $400.00, you could win a king-sized $120,000.

So there you have it, ten 3-reel and 5-reel Microgaming slot machines that have geographical themes. Whether you play slots online or at a land-based casino, remember to gamble only with the money you can afford to lose. Decide beforehand how much you wish to spend, and don’t exceed your spending limit should you lose. Finally, have fun and quit while you are ahead.

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Pi

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

When planning a children’s birthday party, do not forget that the key to a successful one is for the kids to have fun, fun, fun! And what translates fun better than playing party games and contests. One unique and enjoyable game that you can never go wrong with is the piñata!

The piñata game is a contest that simply works by first suspending a piñata from the ceiling. Then, each kid is given a chance to break the piñata bank with a sturdy stick. For the fun of it, the child is blindfolded and is made to turn around two or three times before being positioned in the direction of the piñata. Adding to the merriment are the cheers and shouts of direction from the crowd while the blindfolded contestant swings back and forth with all his or her might hoping to hit the cache. The thrill comes with anticipation on who gets to smash the piñata and release all the goodies inside.

Piñatas can come in different shape and sizes. The simplest form may be in a form of a clay pot with candies inside but more often than always, we look for something fancier, the type that could indulge and delight the kid in all of us. It is best then that you find one that relates with your party theme. There are a myriad of suppliers offering to make customized piñatas that suit your party needs. However, you can always opt to make one yourself. The project may be messy and require your time but then again, it might be a good chance to work with and have a bond with your kids prior to the party.

Making a piñata is fairly easy and you need not spend too much on supplies either. You will basically need a piñata pattern, an inflated balloon, old newspapers, scissors, glue, sticky tape, cardboard, tissue papers, strings and crayons. Do not forget the goodies that you will fill the piñata with. Think candies, chocolates, little toys and even pennies.

Get the inflated balloon and cover it with Paper Mache. Paper Mache can be made by first combining ¾ glue to ¼ water. You can also choose to have 1 part flour and 5 parts water combined and brought to a boil for your mixture. Then dip the newspapers, which should have been cut and torn in strips measuring six inches in height and one inch in width, in the mixture. Layer the newspaper strips on the balloon covering it but do not forget to leave a small space for your opening. Let the first layer dry before setting in a second one. Make three to four layers.

When dry, pop up the balloon and take it out. This will leave a hole on the space that you did not cover with mache. Place the goodies and treats inside the piñata thru the hole. Cut the cardboard in the shape of your hole and use to cover it. Seal with the sticky tape and lay layers of paper mache on it then let dry. Make holes on the side and slide in the strings to hold the piñata. Paint your piñata in different colors with the crayons and voila, you’re ready for your party!

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Sunday Night Football Fever

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Sunday Night Football is the name of the television program that shows Sunday night matches of National Football League (NFL) of American football. This trend of telecasting Sunday matches of NFL started in 1987. Since then it was telecasted in three television channels during various periods. It was broadcasted in ESPN from 1987 to 2005. Then it was also aired through Turner Network Television channel from 1990 to 1997. Later, from 2006 onwards, NBC television network has been showing these games.

An Overview Of Sunday Night Football
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Sunday Night Football is one of the most popular television shows in the USA. It is not just a live telecast of the matches. There is a balanced preview before the start of the match. Also, there will be an in-depth analysis of the match and the match facts after the end of the match.
Each Sunday, 17 American football matches are played in NFL during the season. Followers of NFL eagerly await Sundays to watch the matches of their favorite teams.

Nowadays, Sunday Night Football has become more interactive by providing prizes for viewers for predicting the results of the match or the best player of the game. The matches can be viewed through the internet also. The live videos of the matches are streamed through the official websites of the telecasting channels. Normally, the companies charge the viewers for availing this service.

The television channels that broadcast these games normally first telecast curtain raiser shows, providing history of the league and a preview of this year’s league. Once the league starts, one can witness an avalanche of programs during weekends. There are several star studio experts of NFL games who provide insightful opinion about the matches. The show is spiced up with excellent theme music and a title song. Also, new camera angles and special replays have added to the viewing pleasure of Sunday Night Football.

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School Homecoming Prom Dance Party Ideas Themes

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Is your student body planning a high school prom, dance, or party? Do you need ideas for your themes? Well look no further we can help spark your creative juices by going over several factors that determine a successful prom.

High School Homecoming

Most High School Homecomings are organized by Student Council Advisors. Now the main idea for a homecoming is to promote school spirit. The planning that goes into a homecoming or party is not as involved as your High School Prom. This does not mean that the decorations should get overlooked at your schools homecoming. We will discuss those ideas later.

High School Prom

At a majority of High Schools, their Proms are planned by the Junior Class Prom Committee. The prom is the send off for the school’s upper class students. There can be two separate proms depending on the size of your junior and senior class. Some schools in different districts go as far as to combine proms due to smaller class sizes. Since the High School Prom is a formal event, it is usually receives more attention and funding.

High School Homecoming Dance Ideas

So you and your committee are looking for ideas for your homecoming, dance, or party. Your themes depend mostly on the traditions of your school. Try to tie in what your school mascot. If your party or dance is something more casual, then it may be predetermined. The basic ingredients for successful school homecoming dance are music, hype, and energy. The company you hire for the Michigan DJ can make or break your ticket sales for the next dance depending on how the music was balanced. How well your committee hypes the party will determine the outcome as well. Do not forget that the energy level at your school homecoming dance will be based on how much decorating your group does.

High School Prom Themes

Your High School Prom theme deserves more attention than the typical High School Homecoming. This means spending more time selecting a reputable venue location, caterer, photographer, and Michigan DJ Company. Here is a list of High School Prom themes for you to choose from.

A Dream for Us
A Kiss is Just a Kiss
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Night at the Oscars
A Night in the Clouds
A Night of Mystery
A Night on Treasure Island
A Night to Remember
A Night with the Stars
A Red Carpet Affair
A Stroll down Broadway
A Taste of California
A Taste of International Flavors
A Walk in the Clouds
An Affair to Remember
An Evening in (Place)
An Evening of Stars
Arabian Nights
Between Your Heart and Mine
Big Band
Born to Be Wild
Box Office Bliss
Bright Lights, Big City
Broadway Backstage
Can’t Fight the Moonlight
Captured in a Dream
Caribbean Nights
Carnival
Carried Away
Casablanca
Casino de (School Name)
Cherished Moments
Come What May
Cupid’s Ball
Daring to Dream
Deep Blue Destiny
Depths of Love
Destiny Awaits
Destiny Awaits
Enchantment under the Sea
Escape
Eternal Elegance
Everything You Want
Fire and Ice (Worlds Collide)
Fly Me to the Moon
Forever Tonight
From this Moment
Garden of Enchantment
Glamour and Glitz or the 20’s
Got to Believe in Magic
Greek Paradise
Happily Ever After
Heaven in Your Eyes
Heaven on Earth
Here’s to the Night
Hollywood Night of the Oscars
Hollywood Nights
Horary for Hollywood
Hour of Enchantment
I Believe
I could not ask For More
I Promise you the Stars
If only for one Night
I’ll Always Remember You
In The Still of the Night
In the Still of the Night
It Might Be You
It’s a Jungle Out There
Larger than Life
Let the Good Times Roll
Magic under the Stars
Magical Memories
Mardi gras
Masquerade Ball
Memories of Tonight
Memories to Last a Lifetime
Moonlight In Paradise
Moonlight on the Nile
Moonlight Rendezvous
Moving On
Mystical Journey
Mystical Twilight
New York, New York
Night in New Orleans
Night with the Stars
Nightlife 200-
One Sweet Night
One upon a Time
Our Treasured Night
Paint the Town Red
Paradise Awaits
Parisian Romance/Escape
Picture Perfect
Putting on the Glitz
Remember Me Always
Retro Romance
Romance in the Park
Saturday Night Fever
Save the Last Dance for Me
Saving Forever for You
Shores of Venice
Show Me the Meaning
Simply Forever
Simply the Best
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Space Odyssey
Springtime in Paris
Stand By Me
Star Struck
Starlight Fairytale
Still the One
Sunset Serenade
The Perfect Prom
The Way You Love Me
These are the Times
This Magic Moment
Time after Time
Time of My Life
Tonight is the Night
Tonight’s Dream…Tomorrow’s Memory
Tropical Paradise
Under the Sea
Underwater Paradise
Unforgettable
Unforgettable
Voices That Care
Waiting for Tonight
Waiting for Tonight
Waltz under the Blue Moon
What Dreams May Come
When You Believe
With Upon a Star
Written in the Stars
You’ll be in my Heart

The Ultimate Dance for your Students

Selecting a theme and going over ideas will help guarantee a fun and memorable event. This is a key component in producing an unforgettable prom or homecoming dance. First, think about the type of prom you want to have, whether you want it to be romantic, fun, or mysterious. Most schools develop themes that generally set the guidelines for the prom colors and decorations. Some schools have become more creative by revolving the entire dance party around the theme and ideas. This goes all the way down to the students costume attire to decorations. Whatever theme your committee chooses, make sure it fits the personality and customs of your student body.

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Fabulous Party Themes For Unforgettable Events

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

The Party Themes makes the party more entertaining and exciting. These features a great idea on how to design a simple yet elegant party to make the most of it rules as unforgettable one.

WHAT IS THEME PARTY?

The theme party is an organized party at a particular theme. It is a party wherein the whole part has a subject or idea. It determines the way the guest’s kinds of outfit, food decorations and if there’s a game provided.

HOW TO ORGANIZE?

Mostly any party does not happen by accident because the fabulous party takes a deal of work to plan and organized. Just about anyone, the steps in organizing and planning parties are very simple and can be easily completed successfully. Meaningful party is fun for all.

THE STEPS TO CREATE A FABULOUS PARTY:

1. Determine the guest list, the date and time of your party. The most ahead invitation is to send an email message as preparation memo to vacate their time of future event to happen. You should have a one theme of a party to help you focus the definite details.

2. Think and decide on whether you will be playing games or not. If decided so, have an organized games. Prepare a back up games in case the party is feeling stifled.

3. Send your invitation to your friends and guest with complete information of when, where and what type of party are going to be held.

4. Settle the food and beverage you want to serve in your party. Choose a sit down dinner. If you plan to cook, make sure to have all ingredient of food delivered. If possible hire a caterer.

5. List down all supplies needed for your party such as tables, chairs, silverwares and napkins. Plan the decorations and where you want to set up the furniture including the tables and chairs. Establish a proper scheme decoration to complete all things at a time.

6. Purchase all the items you need for food, supplies and decorations about three days before the party to avoid spoilage of food. Study the recipe you will be serving and clean the place the day before your party. Pay attention to clean the bathroom because it is a particular place where all guest usually comes in and out.

7. Don’t over react to messes. Enjoy and mingle with your friends during the party.

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Take Your Pick in Sensational Party Themes

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Have you ever considered having a party and coming up with the decors and embellishments yourself? For those with a good sense of creativity and artistic skills, having to do these themselves will not only bring joy to them but also as an avenue to showcase their sense of creativity. Hiring pros to do the job for you will not be easy on the wallet. Even pretty decors don’t come cheap. If you can do this yourself, you will not only save money but you will also experience a feeling of joy and accomplishment. If you don’t have time to prepare for the party then you need to be making a trip down to the thrift shop. There, you can find party decors for cheaper prices and you can also buy in bulk to even more discounts.

If ever budget will not be a problem, search the Web for those online party sites that offer a range of party products and order from them. For sure there will be plenty of choices to choose from and they also offer discounts depending upon the total quantity of your order. There are also some decorations and party props (like backdrops, additional wall decors, lights and sound effects) that can be rented for a minimum fee. You can also hire a party host or party actors that could spice up the whole event and render further entertainment.

Establishing a certain theme for your party will help you choose the kind of decorations and props that you will incorporate in the party. If the party will be catering to children, wonderful themes normally include those that are taken form television shows and movies where they could easily relate to like Harry Potter, X-men, Spiderman, Dora the Explorer, Disney and Looney Tunes characters, Sesame Street, Spiderman, Pokémon and Pirates of the Caribbean (who could ever forget Captain Jack Sparrow?).

As for their counterparts, adults (and those young adults) can chose form the following exciting themes as stated below:
Disco Fever Theme Loud colors and music is the main must haves for this theme. You should also have a wide open space that can serve as the dance floor. A disco is incomplete without a glittery disco ball.

Circus Theme This theme would come to life with clowns and gypsies. Booth like cotton candy and kissing booth should be around too.

Tropical Theme (think of Hawaiian set up, coconut palms, flowery shirts and shorts, grass skirts, flower and shell garlands, refreshments serve on partially opened coconut fruits, a Caribbean backdrop complete with the depiction of sun, sea and sky)

Rock and Roll Theme Get inspired by rock and roll groups such as KISS and Scorpions. Motorcycles, boots and leather jackets are must haves.

Arabian Nights Theme Deserts, sands, full moon as well as camel and magic carpets are the essentials.

Royal-Inspired Theme (think of kings and queens, princes and princesses and other royal blooded men and women, crowns and scepters, jewels)

Safari theme There should be lots of trees and greens as well as wild animals depicted.

Sports Theme (think of jerseys and baseball caps for designs, bats and all kinds of sports balls, sports drinks that will serve as substitute for cocktails)

Time-inspired Themes (you may choose from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s or ’80s and from there think of the stuffs that are associated with a particular period)

Hollywood Theme (think of the red carpet, flashy cameras, elegant clothing)

Ultramodern or Futuristic Theme (think of high technology attires and stuffs, you may also use glimpse of the galaxy or the universe or the Milky Way for the backdrop or wall designs)

Las Vegas Theme What more will depict Vegas than casinos? Should also have lots of lightings and even roulette.

Egyptian Theme Dress like the pharaoh, have hieroglyphics on the walls and even miniature sphinxes and pyramids.

Cultural-Inspired Theme It could be anything from Chinese New Year with dancing dragons, Deewali with lots of lights and even traditional Spanish festive.

You can go an extra mile by having party shots for the event. This way, your guest will be thrilled that they not only get to spend such a wonderful time but also have something to remind them of it years after. Party photo albums makes a great party favor.

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