Spa Bath - Take Mom Away

There was a time where Mother's were proclaimed goddesses and worshiped - Imagine that! Now we take advantage of this “Hallmark” holiday to honor the special mother or mother-figure in your life.
Mother’s Day is a time for children helping dad make breakfast in bed for mom, and hand-made crayon cards. It’s a time for mom to kick back and let other’s wait on her, for a change and give back a little of what she gives to them all week.
This is the busiest day for flowers and restaurants, and phone systems are jammed with children remembering their mothers.  This year, May 8^th is Mother’s Day.
This year you can try something a little different, but you may want to get a move on – it’s only two weeks away. What about indulging your mom with a Hot Air Balloon ride, or take her on a sailboat ride that includes a Sunday brunch.
 If mom still has young ones at home how about giving her a day away from the kids. If she is like most mothers she will not know what to do with herself.  Give her a spa getaway or a weekend retreat and furnish her with a couple books she has been dying to read but never had enough time.
If you can’t afford a get-away, take the kids away and give her a nice spa gift basket so she can let bath bubbles take her away.
If you want to help the kids come up with ideas for Mother’s Day gifts,  check out Mother’s Day Central for craft ideas.
No matter what you do for her,  she will undoubtedly feel loved – and just remember, if you forget Father’s Day is next month, and what goes around comes around!

Stag Party Without the Stagger

Most people believe a Bachelor Party, or Stag Party, has to be about strippers and night clubs. Although that seems to be tradition, especially for the younger men, there are hundreds of other things men can do to celebrate the last days of bachelorhood before they become a married man.

Depending on the area you live in, and the interests of the groom-to-be and his friends, a night out, or weekend away, before the wedding does not have to end with a hangover during the ceremony.

Many larger cities have places to go for activities like indoor skydiving, go-karting or paintball. What about test flight simulators, where you can pretend to fly a plane or do visual stunts? Someone can even set up a Scavenger Hunt, if the groom is interested in mystery. Some men would enjoy a wine tasting or trip to the spa (it’s not a woman thing).

Outdoorsmen may enjoy a relaxing fishing trip, going to a Nascar race, boating, white water rafting, ATV riding, scuba diving, baseball game or rock climbing. You should gear the party toward the individual.

The best man throws the party, and friends and relatives of the groom are invited – usually men only. If money is tight you plan something close to home or as inexpensive as possible. If you can afford it, a get away is great – planning travel and expenses.

The night before the wedding is NOT the best time for a stag party. You may think it will help the groom to de-stress, but it probably will cause problems with the bride-to-be and more stress on the nervous groom. Plan it for at least a week ahead. If you want to include people from out of town, take into consideration their travel time and expenses so they can make plans for the party and the wedding.

Make arrangements ahead for someone to take people home if their drinking gets out of hand. Hire a limo, or a car service for the night to take people home safely.

Don’t allow anyone to get carried away. Humiliating the groom by doing something stupid that can be regretted later is not funny (Don’t shave his head, or get him so drunk you can take incriminating photos for him to use later on.). The best man’s duty is to protect the groom. If the groom says “NO,” stop! This is his day, and his wishes should be held up.

Costs can be split between everyone attending the party (except the groom), but make sure they are aware of that before they attend.

Enjoy the night, surprise the groom with all kinds of creative things, keep it under control and have fun. You want to make it a night to remember – for all the right reasons.

Start Clucking At Your Hen Party

A Hen Party if the English equivalent of a "Bachelorette Party" in the United States, and the female version of a Bachelor Party. It allows the bride-to-be to spread her wings one last time before she becomes an “old married lady.”

Since Hen Parties are all about fun, the maid and/or matron of honor has the responsibility of planning this event. Taking the bride’s taste and wishes into consideration it can be a sizzling night at a male strip bar, or a weekend getaway spa event that allows the bride to relax after all the hectic preparations for her wedding.

Women, being a bit more sensible then men on this account, hold their traditional night of revelry at least a week before the wedding - not the night before. This allows them time to calm down (and maybe get their sea legs back) before making that trip down the aisle.

Most hen parties include clubbing of some sort, crazy costumes, and lots of fun and games (A good example is the movie “The Wedding Date” with Deborah Messing and that hot Dermot Mulroney).

Choose a venue that everyone invited can attend (under age guests will not be allowed into a bar), so plan your activities accordingly. Start out with a meal together before you take to the road for drinking and such, and make sure you have a designated driver selected to make traveling to your destinations and home safe.

Favors for the Hen Party could include light up faux engagement rings, manicure sets, or special shot glasses. For entertainment, hold a treasure hunt to find all things diamond shaped. If you choose a specific theme – make the costumes and favors match the theme.

Overall, it should be a fun evening or weekend of relaxation after a hectic and frazzling time of putting a wedding together.