Archive for February, 2010

Tip Tuesday: Girls’ Night Out

Posted by Katie on February 23, 2010 in Tip Tuesday

satcLike many of us, you have a group of girlfriends that’s always been there for you during life’s best and worst — and on your special day — you wouldn’t want to celebrate with anyone else!

So in honor of Sex and the City star Kristin Davis (yes, today is her 45th birthday!), today’s tip is how to throw a girls’ night out birthday party!

Check out SheKnows.com for more details and other great ideas!

SPA NIGHT BIRTHDAY PARTY

Find a local spa that is open late and ask if they can accommodate a private party. Your best bet may be a spa in a hotel. Spa night parties are ideal for groups of six to eight. Print your own invitations featuring relaxing spa images, and invite your friends well in advance. Arrange for massages, facials, manicures and whatever other treatments interest your guests. Many spas serve wine or champagne, and allow you to arrange for catering. Keep the food simple and light — finger sandwiches or appetizers.

COMEDY CLUB BIRTHDAY PARTY

Your friends are always good for a laugh. For a birthday party, head to your local comedy club or see if any famous comedians will be performing close to the time of the birthday. Meet your guests at a nearby restaurant before the show for dinner, then head to the venue for a night of laughter and good times. Rent a limo to avoid issues with drinking and driving.

SLEEPOVER BIRTHDAY PARTY

Girls’ night out can actually be girls’ night in. You are never too old for a good old-fashioned slumber party. Break out the sleeping bags and air mattresses, and no boys allowed. Everyone should arrive to the party around dinnertime, dressed in their PJs. It will be like junior high all over again as you play games, eat pizza and do each other’s nails. Another terrific idea for a sleepover birthday is to center it around a theme, such as Sex and the City. You can play the Sex and the City trivia game or watch Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, along with all the men who go in and out of their lives, on DVD.

GETAWAY BIRTHDAY PARTY

Instead of just girls’ night out, make it girls’ weekend out! Head to Las Vegas or Atlantic City for a weekend of gambling, shows and good fun for your girls. Book a large suite for all of you to share or a block of rooms on the same floor of the hotel. Vegas is always a party, and there couldn’t be a better place to celebrate your birthday with your girlfriends.

Happy Birthday George Washington!

Posted by Katie on February 22, 2010 in General

GeorgeWashingtonLast Monday was Presidents’ Day but today is the official birthday of our nation’s founding father — President George Washington!

Often referred to as the “Father of His Country,” Washington is consistently ranked by historical scholars as one of our nation’s greatest presidents.

But it appears there were once some discrepancies about when to celebrate the birth of our first president…

While his birth is celebrated as a federal holiday on the 3rd Monday in February, according to the then-used Julian calendar, Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731. However, when Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, Washington’s birthday was placed on February 22, 1732.

Confused? Yeah, me too. But whether we recognize Washington’s birthday as February 11th, February 22nd or simply the 3rd Monday in February, the most important thing is that we celebrate the many accomplishments of the first President of the United States!

Happy 35th Drew!

Posted by Katie on February 22, 2010 in General

drewbarrymoreFrom all of us here at the Official Birthday Blog, I’d like to wish Hollywood A-lister, Drew Barrymore, a very happy birthday!

Drew has grown up in front of our very eyes, appearing in her first movie at age 5! Now all grown up, Drew is still a successful actor, but has recently added “producer” to her ever-growing resume.

Whether you loved her in Never Been Kissed, Charlie’s Angels, or her more recent portrayal of Little Edie in Grey Gardens, it’s hard not to think of Drew as little Gertie in her breakout role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

So on her 35th birthday, here is Drew the way you first saw her!

New Celebrity to Join the Movement — Birthday Girl Jennifer Love Hewitt!

Posted by Katie on February 21, 2010 in General

BD_Jennifer_Love_HewittExciting news! Another celebrity has joined the movement for more birthdays — Jennifer Love Hewitt!

Celebrating her 31st birthday today, Jennifer Love Hewitt is a popular actress, singer and producer. You may know her from her roles in TV hits like Party of Five and Ghost Whisperer and the films I Know What You Did Last Summer and Can’t Hardly Wait.

But what you might not know about Jennifer is that she’s committed to creating a world with more birthdays!

“The American Cancer Society’s work to saves lives gives people more of their most precious commodity: time. More time with their families and friends, more memories, more milestones . . . and more birthdays.”

Thank you for everything you’re doing to create a world with more birthdays, Jennifer, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Interested to see what other celebrities have joined the movement? Check out our celebrity gallery at morebirthdays.com/celebrities!

Celebrating 138 Years of The Met!

Posted by Katie on February 20, 2010 in General

metropolitan-museum-of-art-addressThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is celebrating its 138th birthday today!

The Met is home to more than 2 million works of art and is considered one of the most popular museums in the world with an average attendance of more than 4 million people a year — 60% of those visitors coming from places outside of NYC. In fact, the single day record currently stands at 52,333 visitors!

The Met isn’t just one of the most popular museums — it’s also one of the largest! The Met currently measures almost 1/4-mile long and over 2 million square feet — that’s a lot to maintain!

We are talking about 2,100 gallons of floor cleaner, 1,125 gallons of carpet cleaner and 40 cases of gum remover used by the maintenance staff in a span of just 13 months!

Happy birthday to the Metropolitan Museum of Art! We’re looking forward to celebrating the next 138 years!

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Posted by Katie on February 19, 2010 in General

rogers-767958That famous line began every episode of Fred Rogers’ famous TV show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood — and today we celebrate the show’s 42nd birthday!

The show first debuted on February 19, 1968 on the National Educational Television network but soon moved over to PBS in 1970 where it ran 21 more years on the network.

After 895 episodes, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is the 2nd longest running series on PBS, after Sesame Street.

So on its birthday, I’d like to show you a little blast from the past. Check out Mr. Rogers in action!

Fun Fact Friday: World's Largest Birthday Cake!

Posted by Katie on February 19, 2010 in Fun Fact Friday

cake44When Las Vegas celebrated its Centennial Birthday in 2005, they wanted to do something big to celebrate. And in true Las Vegas-fashion, they took the celebration to a whole new level!

Las Vegas set out to build the world’s largest birthday cake!

It took 14 hours and more than 1,000 volunteers to build the 130,000-pound cake, but it was successful — beating out the previous record set in Fort Wayne, Ala.

So how big is the world’s largest birthday cake? It’s 30,000 half-sheet cakes and nearly 40,000 pounds of frosting big to be exact!

To learn more about the world’s largest birthday cake and exactly how they built it, check out www.lasvegas2005.org!

Happy Birthday to 80’s Sweetheart Molly Ringwald!

Posted by Katie on February 18, 2010 in General

sixteencandles_sequel2Brat Pack member Molly Ringwald is celebrating a birthday today!

Made famous by a series of John Hughes’ films, Molly was America’s most popular teenage girl in the 80′s. Whether it was Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, or The Breakfast Club, we all had a moment when we fell in love with Molly.

Molly took a hiatus from acting in the 1990’s until recently when she returned to star in the ABC Family show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager — and based on the show’s ratings — America is thrilled to have her back!

But a lot has changed since Molly’s teenage years — she’s now a wife and proud mother of 3 young children!

Happy birthday, Molly! Here’s to many more!

Theme Thursday: 50’s Party!

Posted by Katie on February 18, 2010 in General

grease3We’ve talked about tips for an 80’s-themed party here on the blog — even a 60’s-themed party — but never a 50’s-themed party!

You see, I was inspired by John Travolta. Today is his birthday which got me thinking about Grease — one of the best movies ever made in my opinion. Ok, so I may have inserted my personal opinion into this post just a tad…but a 1950’s-themed party is a great way to celebrate with the kids!

Here are some tips I got from www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com to help you pull off a great 1950‘s birthday party!

Invitations

Lets get creative with your fifties party invitations. I have included a couple of suggestions here to help you create excitement for your 50s party guests.

First, you can cut out a circle (that looks like an album record) from black construction paper. If you want your 50s party invitation to open like a regular card, then you have to fold the paper over and cut the circle leaving an inch or two on the folded side uncut.
Next, you can use gel pens to write your party details. (Gel pens work great on black paper). You invitation wording can say “It’s a Rockin’ Sock Hop! Put on those poodle skirts and leather jackets and come join the fun! Do the “Locomotion” and head on over to (your child’s name) house for some Rockin’ Sock Hop birthday party fun!”

For a second fifties party invitation idea, put a picture of a 50′s style car on the front of the card. On the inside of the card, you can write “Cruise on over to Big Al’s (or use your child’s/husband’s name) Diner for a Hot Roddin’ good time.” Next, add all your party details like date, time, location, and RSVP.

Here is another idea for your wording: “Hey, all you T-Birds and Pink Ladies! (Your child’s name) is turning (age) and she (or he) is hopelessly devoted to you being there. So grease back your hair, guys! And grab your saddle shoes, girls! Because it’s time to Rock ‘n’ Roll!

Make sure to ask all your guests to wear 50′s party attire.

Decorations

The best color combination for your fifties party decorations would be teal, pink and black.

Decorate your front yard with balloons and streamers in before-mentioned colors. Decorate you front door with a banner “Welcome to Big Al’s (or name of your choice) Diner!” Draw any 50s theme items (e.g. cars, jukebox, album records, etc) on the banner to make it look more authentic!

Hang old album records from the ceiling. Place old pictures around your fifties party area. You can also use musical instruments or music note decorations to go on the walls. Cover the floor with balloons in coordinating colors. Also, if you have any old memorabilia – spread it around your room.

Have some fun with your party table area. Hang 50s theme posters on the walls (e.g. soda drinks, hamburgers, hot rod cars, etc.) Cover the table with checkered tablecloth. Put catsup, mustard, and relish bottles on the table. Have classic soda glasses for everyone.

Hang Saxophone Mylar balloon as a centerpiece in the middle. Cut out Coke signs from the Coca-Cola box and spread the signs around the table. You can create price tags for all your food items. For example, root beer floats can be 10 cents, burgers – 15 cents, etc.

Play music of Elvis, Buddy Holly, or Grease Soundtrack in the background.

Read more »

Break Our Your Air Jordans! It’s MJ’s 47th Birthday!

Posted by Katie on February 17, 2010 in General

michael_jordan

He’s been called, time and time again, the greatest basketball player who ever lived — and he’s celebrating a birthday today!

Whether you love basketball or can barely tolerate it — you have to appreciate the abilities of a truly amazing athlete!

Here are just a few of Jordan’s individual accolades:

  • 5 MVP awards
  • 10 All-NBA First Team designations
  • 3 All-Star Game MVP awards
  • 10 scoring titles
  • 9 All-Defensive First Team honors
  • 6 NBA Finals MVP awards

Talk about impressive stats!

He was truly one of the most impressive athletes to ever lace up gym shoes! And for those of you who never had the opportunity to see Air Jordan hit the court, here is a little clip to show you just what you missed!