Birthday Party Idea: Play Taboo Game

Taboo Game - AreYouGame.com: "Here's truly unspeakable fun! You've got to think fast, talk fast and avoid saying TABOO words. If your team shouts out the correct secret word, you get a point. But be careful! Your opponents will be looking over your shoulder, making sure you don't say any of the TABOO words. If you do and they catch you, they sound the buzzer and score the point! Includes 504 TABOO cards, card holder, buzzer, timer, score pad. 2 AA batteries required (not included). For 4 or more players.

A 1990 Mensa Select Award Winner.

Joyce from LaMarque, TX
I need more cards, I've played this game so much.
A year ago a friend bought this game to a party. I loved it so much on my way home I went to the store and bought one. I have played it so much with family, friends and anyone who visits me, that I need more cards. I wish I could buy cards in different editions. My family ranges in ages from 8 to 55, and we all love this game. I've given a copy of this game to every household I frequent to make sure I can play wherever I go."


A family birthday party needs entertainment for a wide range of ages and this game fits the bill. The only way I see this not working is if there's a party-pooper / spoilsport type in the crowd. See if you can assign him or her the job of serving refreshments or something, whatever floats their boat and keeps them happy while the rest of you play and laugh yourselves silly. CLICK HERE

Teen Party Game

BirthdayZ by ShindigZ: "To Speak or Not to Speak?

Give each player a bag or goodie box with 10 small treasures in it (candy, chocolates, little favors). Have bags labeled with players' names, so they don't get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the forbidden words or phrases:

* Choose 5 or 6 words or phrases related to the theme of your party.
o For example, for a New Year's party, you might select: MILLENNIUM, NEW YEAR, TWELVE, CENTURY, TIMES SQUARE
o For a luau, you might select: PALM TREE, LEI, COCONUT, BEACH, TROPICAL
o For a Retro Party, you might select: GROOVY, DISCO, FAR OUT, SMILEY FACE, PEACE, YEAH BABY
o For a Wedding Shower, you might select: BRIDE, GROOM, GIFTS, HONEYMOON, RECEPTION

(Select words or phrases that would be natural for guests to say considering the occasion.)

To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a treasure from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of goodies at the end of the game is the winner! Lots of fun!"


In a birthday party, your words might be CAKE, CANDLES, AGE, WISH, and so on. Visit this site for tons of great party tips!

Birthday Memory Book

Celebrate a Hero - Personalized Birthday gift - Birthday Memory Book - 50th birthday: "Imagine being told why you are special and loved.

Celebrate someone's birthday with a gift book that is filled with thoughts and wishes from family and friends.

It's the one gift that will be treasured forever! This is about giving the best present in the world -- love and appreciation!"


Now here's an idea that really knocks me out. Imagine the look on your birthday celebrant's face on seeing a book all about them from their loved ones. The nice folks at Celebrate a Hero make creating a memory book an easy project the whole family can have fun with! Check it out.

Karen

Birthday for the Boss: Blueberry-Hazelnut Streusel Coffee Cake

Watch Out for Mama: Blueberry-Hazelnut Streusel Coffee Cake: "I made this last night for my boss's birthday breakfast today. It turned out great. Our resident domestic diva (NOT ME, believe it or not -- we have a real Martha Stewart type on staff here) even asked for the recipe. I was very flattered. So here it is.

Blueberry-Hazelnut Streusel Coffee Cake"


Here's a different kind of birthday cake. She gives the complete recipe. Sounds yummy!

Karen

Ready-Made First Birthday For Frazzled Parents

First Birthday Theme Parties: "First birthdays are the magical celebration of the transition from baby to toddler. Select from one of our themes below or consider one of our preschool themes.
Use this occasion to start your own birthday tradition such as planting a tree, taking a picture next to a favorite object, saving a momento from each year, making handprints, or saving a newspaper clipping."

Children love family traditions. What better time to start a new tradition than on the very first birthday? But, come on, there's so little spare time when knee-deep in baby-care!

Birthday in a Box offers a great solution, with seven choices. I particularly like the Baby Einstein package, but there are six other choices.



Karen

Birthday Atop A Mountain

Granite Rants: "So we moved back up the ridge and after a brief bit of investigation, found an area offtrail that provided enough flat open space on which we could pitch our tent. Indeed, at this elevation finding a suitable ground for placing a tent is not simple. Stunted spruce trees are often space about 2 feet from each other. The forest is incredibly dense in this environment and to find an area that has broadly spaced trees and flat open ground free of rocks, stumps and roots is not an easy task. However, we did find an area that was not perfect, but would suit us and allow us to set up the tent - then we could cook dinner and eat! I brought with us a backcountry stove and firing it up was easy. Dinner wasn't haute but it was hot and that's what mattered. Also, my wife was a sweetheart and packed in a special treat for me - M&M brownies with a candle on top (it was my birthday). It was truly a fantastic moment and she made it better.

The sun was setting and we were very close to one of the best vantage points in all the Whites - the airy perch known as West Bond."


West Bond is what we see in the picture. What an unusual and gorgeous setting for celebrating a birthday!

Karen

Serving Alcohol At A Birthday Party?

Party Ideas For you: " Wine and spirits can set your party off or create great problems

Wine and spirits can definitely make you the host with the most but can also be your biggest headache. First rule at least with the current laws in the US, is to watch your guests consumption or make arrangements for housing them (my preferrence) or to set up some type of designated driver for them.
The other problem can be that nice people on occasion become 'not so nice' after a few alcoholic beverages. Just a word to the wise."


Perhaps your local friendly bartender could give advice on how much alcohol per person to plan for.

Karen

Birthday Slide Show

dinnerware center: "A Night of Nostalgia
A great idea for any anniversary party, big or small, is a slide show. Start the show of with pictures of the couple when they first met and progress through the years of children and grandchildren. Don�t be surprised to see a few eyes get misty during the show. Add some memorable quotes throughout the show, and play some touching music that reminds them of certain times in their lives."


I see this great suggestion for an anniversary party could work for a birthday, especially when the celebrant hits a milestone birthday or has had an especially life-changing year.

Karen

A TV Fight Night Birthday

Bailey G AZ: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRUMAN ! ! ! ! !: "Truman came over, having some friends over for the big fight on HBO - wanted to know if I wanted to come over for beer. Lots of people there - average age though - 24. Lots of boxers from Truman's gym, including some of the ones that I saw fight at the only fight I've ever been to... "


Here's an idea for the sports fans with birthdays. Of course, it's just a matter of luck if a fight or sporting event falls on the special day!


Karen

A Birthday Outing To Park And Zoo

Just A Picture: "Yesterday Patrick and I took our nephew to Irvine Park for his birthday. It was fun-filled day full of bike riding, lizard hunting and exploring what the park had to offer."


Here's another great way to spend a birthday besides party and cake. Would someone you know love this?


Karen

Moorish Birthday Cake How-To

Sarah Discovers How to Eat: My Mother’s Birthday Cake: "A Moorish Cake


Last night, after the difficult day of looking for supplies, I started on Mum’s birthday cake. The Moorish Cake is in the Basics Etc. chapter, and is bascially an orange-flavoured almond sponge with an orange syrup poured over after baking."


A different kind of birthday cake, from Nigella Lawson's How To Eat. Check out the photos of the process!

Karen

A Simple Birthday Gift--Love

Not Just Another Pretty Face: 28 March- My 24th Birthday: "28 March- My 24th Birthday


I'm so happy, my 24th Birthday was one of the best and most memorable ones ever. It was filled with people that I care about and things that I enjoy doing. Many unexpected people remembered my birthday and I have never felt so loved in my life. So popular, so accepted."


Here's a young woman who knows it's all about love.

This makes me feel remiss for every time I didn't call a friend on his/her birthday! A simple, "Hi, I'm thinking about you on your birthday" warms their not only their heart, but also yours.

So, who ya gonna call? Leave a comment. Inquiring minds want to know.

Karen

Mother's Birthday Gift: Recipe Book of Memories & More

musings: For Mom: "For Mom
My sisters and I are getting together to celebrate my parent's milestone birthdays this year. My mom is quite an extraordinary cook. For her birthday present, we've put together a recipe book of memories, quotations, pictures, menus, and other memorabilia to help commemorate her passion and her love."


What a great gift for a mother with a passion for cooking!

Karen

Bad Night Birthday

Rock N' Roll All Night And The Everyday: R.I.P. Dimebag Darrell: "I always cranked his music to get psyched for a show. 2 days before he died, we were playing Istanbul Turkey for the first time. After the show, we had a 6 hour drive to the next town, Ankara Turkey, where we had a gig on December 8 (Ralph Santolla's birthday, & the night Darrell & John Lennon were killed). On the way to the show, at about 4 in the morning, we stopped by the side of the road to get gas & something to eat. Unbelievably, they had about 30 cassettes for sale. One of these cassettes, on the side of the road in Turkey, was Pantera's 'Far Beyond Driven'. This was crazy we thought"


Go here for insight into rock life according to Sebastian Bach in his tribute to Dimebag Darrell. Wow!

Birthday Present for a Knitter

Jennifer Knits: Another Diversion: "The scarf looks a little wrinkled because I have been carrying it around in a birthday present from my sister:



Thanks Marie for the beautiful knitting bag! It has lots of pockets on the inside for carrying around needles and patterns and stich markers with enough left over to conceal the rest of the detritous I carry around every day. This present will be getting much use."



What a perfect birthday present for a knitter! If she's lucky it's big enough to carry the Harry Potter scarf she's knitting AND the latest Harry Potter book!

Checkerboard Birthday Cake

The Yum Blog: YumYum Bakes a Spectacular Cake!: ". Through a series of events, I found myself committed to baking a cake for a fellow co-worker’s Fourth of July Birthday. She had seen a picture of this red, white and blue ‘checkerboard’ cake in a magazine, and I mentioned that I had a set of three cake pans and the ‘checkerboard’ insert at my apartment. I intended to lend them to her, but she convinced me to make the actual cake, and when another co-worker challenged my ability (“You don’t cook or bake!”), I was hooked."



This is a sugary 4th of July version of a checkerboard cake and it was a great hit. The cook offered a brilliant idea for a healthy version, too. Way to go!

Birthday Pie Instead of Cake

Earnest Recipes from a Reluctant Cook: "I baked three buttermilk pies for Andrew's 17th birthday simply because this was his third 17th birthday celebration. Everyone was tired of cake. The pies drew rave reviews. Add white Blue Bell ice cream on top and everyone, especially Andrew, asked for thirds. Success!! "


What a good idea! I know a man who would love a birthday pie every year. He drools anytime anyone says the word "pie." Slurp!

Let Them Eat Cake

i want a little bit of everything...:

everyone, say hi to......

: "The very first year in anderson, Celene got me a cake (one whole cake) for my birthday, and there were only TWO of us!!! thank goodness Janice 'tagged' along, and we ate the cake behind J8! haha. that was a very memorable birthday i had! "


Here's one way to party--eat a whole cake with a friend or two. Maybe best for college students, but I see the appeal!

Birthday Love Notes

Lovingyou.com: Romantic Birthday Ideas: "'Our' Birthday
It was my birthday but by the end of the night it seemed like it was his. I planned this for awhile to surprise him even though it was my birthday and not his. It was an evening at home and I did the usual champagne, candles and snacks, etc. What I also did was write out about 30 love notes and coupons to my future husband, then roll them up and insert them into a balloon and blow them up. The notes were all different. Some told him to kiss me or rub my back. Some were coupons for him he could redeem at a later date, and some were just me telling him how much I love him. I placed them all over the place. In the tub, on the bed, in the sink, under tables, etc. I also dressed in a very sexy nightie and silk robe. When he walked in he was in shock. I handed him a pin and explained in order for him to know what to do he needed to pop a balloon. This went on for about 2 hours. He was having a ball looking for a balloon and popping it to find out his next mission. He was actually disappointed when they were all gone. It's months later and he still has all the notes. "


Great link here, people! Look at Renee's story. She found a simple, yet amazingly effective way to celebrate her birthday--and it turned into a gift for both of them!

Is July 14 Your Birthday? Which US President Shares It?

Georgia Nicols' horoscopes for July 14: "IF JULY 14 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president (born in 1913), shares your birthday. You have an amazing influence over others whether you try to achieve this or not. You have charm, intelligence and the power of persuasion. Most of you will use this for a higher purpose. The year ahead is full of fresh starts and new beginnings."


How's your day going so far? Happy birthday!