OVERVIEW and CLASS #1 : 

CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAYS. BUDGET-FRIENDLY THEMES. GAMES AND MENUS

Too often today’s mothers find themselves becoming worried, frazzled, or intimidated at the prospect of a child’s birthday party: worried whether their child (or the other children) will like it; frazzled by the anticipated number of guests and the ensuing mess in their home; intimidated by the over-the-top parties given by many of her fellow parents. Our speaker, a mother of six ranging from kindergartener to teen, quickly allayed the fears of her young-mom audience with a PowerPoint presentation, complete with pictures of her children’s birthday celebrations. She suggested that the party’s theme be taken from the child’s own personal interests, activities, and temperament. Among the many practical tips (learned both from her mother and from her own experience) were eating outside whenever possible; getting help from older siblings, especially with games; using your imagination and not being afraid to be original! Memorable parties, she stressed, do not require a huge outlay of cash or time and effort, just good planning and some imagination!

CLASS #2: 

GIFT WRAPPING WITH A FLAIR FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Whatever the gift, it can be made more special to the recipient when wrapped beautifully, with obvious care and thought. Having wrapping staples organized and stored together and close at hand make this frequent chore far more enjoyable. Our presenter gave, and also demonstrated, many examples of what materials can be used for wrapping for different occasions: paper, fabric, cellophane, foil, etc. in their many shapes and forms. For the innumerable kids’ birthday party presents, the newspaper comic pages or brown paper bags decorated with crayon pictures and messages are easy and fun, and often right at hand. Wrapping baby shower presents in cloth diapers and fastened with decorative safety pins combines pretty and practical for the gift. All the attendees, using a variety of wrapping materials, ribbons, fasteners and decorative finishing touches, wrapped a box of their choice. Pictures of gift-wrapped items were also displayed on a board in the classroom to provide still more examples of how to wrap with a flair.

CLASS #3: 

CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP, MAKING GOOD COFFEE & TEA, SETTING AN ATTRACTIVE TABLE

Friendship is one of life’s greatest joys. In this session the presenter encouraged the attendees to welcome their friends frequently to their homes for good conversation and simple refreshment. Being able and willing to do this, especially on an impromptu basis, presupposes that the hostess can do this with a minimum of time and fuss….not having to clean off a sticky table, island counter, finding clean cups or placemats, etc. Knowing how to make a good cup of coffee or tea for a guest is a skill every woman should have. Having a ready table setting with attractive linens and dishes underscores the importance any hostess should give her friend’s comfort and innate worth as a human being. Moving between the kitchen, where the ladies watched how to make good coffee and tea and the dining room, where they viewed a display of casual and more formal table linens, napkins, and accompanying dishes, this session aimed to promote homes open and inviting to all our friends. The day, and the session, finished with a freshly-brewed cup of coffee or tea, a piece of delicious coffee cake and lots of good conversation!