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Thinking of throwing a last minute Galentine’s party this year? Of course you are, you beautiful tropical fish. You celebrate your lady friends. We’ve put together a list of everything you need to throw a Girl’s Night In Galentine’s party Leslie Knope would be honored to attend.

1. Invitations are key to any event, and a Galentine’s party is no exception. While you won’t be skipping work to brunch it up, this Tuesday evening, get your girls to your place by sending a digital invitation from Etsy!

2. “OH! I just LOVE your Valentine’s Décor,” said no bro ever. Ladies. LADIES. This is your chance to go all out for your girls. Raid the Dollar Spot at Target, fine a sequin table runner on Amazon, grab some grocery store flowers and get decorating. We like our events to be cohesive, so while we focus on our food tables, we also make sure to add decorative touches to every room guests enter. We love putting out red and pink hand towels in the bathroom or using a decorating kit to add flair to any room.

3. What is Galentine’s Day without some Parks and Rec inspired snacks? You’ll want to mindful of the Chris Traegers in attendance and have a few healthy options, but the main focus should be literally everything else. Because Leslie consumes roughly 300 waffles a year and in her honor, we suggest offering waffles with chocolate dipping sauce. No celebration would be complete without Treat Yo Self cupcakes from Sprinkles, Red Vines and loads of chocolate candy.

4. Give your girls plenty of Insta-worthy photo ops with a wide backdrop, props and selfie sticks! We love to kick it old school and bust out games like Pretty Pretty Princess and Mall Madness, but classic chick flicks are always a great way to end an evening.

5. You don’t need to write 5,000-word essays for each of your lady loves, instead grab some gift bags and fill them up with your favorite things. Our go-to girlie gifts include our favorite Korean sheet masks, chocolate, nail polish and festive socks! Don’t forget a hand-written note telling your BFFs how they are “poetic and noble land-mermaids.” If you really want to up your Gal gifting game, consider giving a donation in her name to her favorite girl power cause like this one!

Just because Galentine’s is days away doesn’t mean you can’t throw one incredible party for your girls. We all need a little love and a last-minute girls night is just the thing. Share your ideas with us and let us know how you celebrate February 13!

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I did a fabulous youth group Christmas party this past weekend! The theme was lumberjack Christmas. I had such a fun time brainstorming ideas! Buffalo plaid everything was a must! I decided  to build a small scene for the tablescape! I wanted to have the illusion of being in a forest, so I used a bunch of small fake trees and garland in the background. I layered it with fake snow, and some fun miniature lumberjack characters and woodland creatures. The truck with the christmas tree really added a nice touch. To pull the whole theme together I did a simple background of hanging buffalo plaid deer cut outs and an adorable deer garland. The wood slices were used for food display and made the perfect last addition to the table! Check out some of the pictures below!

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1. Serve homemade cookies, scones, and mini cupcakes on tiered platters — you can make your own serving tiers if you don’t have one. This vertical arrangement opens the table for more guests (and more treats).
2. Pull out your fanciest china for this party!
3. Instead of one floral centerpiece, decorate the table with small flower arrangements using a surprising mix of vessels such as juice glasses, tea pots, or mason jars.
4. Cover your serving table with white tablecloth or sheet; this helps to make your color scheme really pop!
5. Place pots of hot water around the table, along with a box of assorted tea bags, for guests to customize their own cups.
6. Use cubed sugar instead of the ordinary loose variety, and you’re sure to see pinkies up!
7. Hand out scarves and hats to guests for fun photo opps!

Happy Planning!

Cheers!

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• Plan ahead. Easter morning is typically jam-packed with activities, so you need to make sure your brunch fits seamlessly with your family and friends’ other plans. Talk with your loved ones to create a morning schedule. Do you plan to attend religious services, and if so, at what time? Do you hope to hunt for Easter eggs at sunrise or in the afternoon?
• Make a guest list. Give some thought to how many people you want in your house on Easter morning. Make your life a little easier by sending an Evite — many classy options are now available — rather than snail mail invitations at least two weeks in advance. Preparing food and beverages for your family is more than enough work, but you can certainly extend your guest list to include friends. Just keep in mind that most people consider Easter a family-oriented holiday, so friends may have plans with their own families.
• Create your menu. Once you have RSVPs for your brunch, sit down and create a menu and grocery list. Your life will be much easier if you choose several menu items that you can make ahead and reheat for brunch, since you don’t want to feel rushed on Easter morning.
• Plan crafts for kids. Even a delightful brunch will only delight the kids for a max of 30 minutes, unfortunately. Make sure you’ve prepared a few activities to keep the children occupied. Save a few hard-boiled eggs for the kids to decorate on Easter morning, or help them make these adorable little acorn people, since nothing says spring quite like a nutty craft.
• Decorate the night before. Once you’ve bought the groceries, preprepared your menu items and set aside craft supplies, it’s time to decorate. Bring out your nice china, silverware and cloth napkins, and put placards at each table setting. Place fresh Easter lilies or tulips on your table as a centerpiece. It’s also a great idea to place bowls of assorted fresh fruit on the table (although you won’t want to set them out until Easter morning).

With a little planning, it’s possible to wake up on Easter morning and partake in the festivities with your family instead of slaving away in the kitchen. All that’s left is to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Happy Easter!

Cheers!