Letter J is for JOINING IN THE FUN

 Do you dislike most parties? or are you excited about the prospect of a party? Do you see yourself as the life of the party or as a wallflower? Regardless of which one best describes you- you should try something new this year- and join in the fun- if you are not a party type person have one or go to one, if you are a party person do something like join a group at your local Barnes and Noble or library or church.

   When I moved into a new neighborhood 5 years ago, I didn't know anyone- I had a BBQ and invited the entire block. Everyone came. I was so busy playing "hostess" that I never got to talk to many of the women in the neighborhood. I realized I had not "joined in the fun" I was "providing the fun". So I tried a different approach, I started a book club. ( now, your rolling your eyes and saying I dont' read) well if you do read - read on and if you don't read.... then what about a Survivor party or a American Idol party and you all get together and watch the finale of your favorite show with games and food- that are geared towards the shows you love.
It takes a bit of planning to arrange a complete Survivor event, but there are so many levels of Survivor theme party ideas that you can bet at least one of them will be within your power to complete:
Start out with a fun homemade invitation, using tropical island clipart plus a time & date for your fellow Survivors to come visit you on your own Mystery Island for fun, games & lots of laughs.
Divide guests into Tribes the day before the party. Designate each Tribe with different colored bandanas, leis or armbands - and let the games begin!
Easy party games ideas might include a scavenger hunt, relay race, or a Dirt 'N Worms eating contest. And for a giggle-inducing immunity challenge, present your guests with the ultiimate Survivor trivia contest.
Decorations, of course, can stick closely to any of the island themes used in the reality TV show. These might also include outdoor backyard candles or torches used to set the mood. Tropical foods like gourmet rice and seafood dishes, and plenty of coconut desserts, are sure-fire hits - and don't forget generous helpings of Frozen Daquiris for the adults or Virgin Pina Coladas for the kids.
Send your Survivors home happy with a goodie bag of gummy worms, seashells or individual pots of lucky bamboo to complete the theme.
On the Web, help yourself to other fun ideas including tips on DIY decorations, Survivor party food & drink recipes and more ideas for games & activities. Have fun!
  If you do read- put flyers up to your neighbors or invite your co-workers. I picked the first title when I started the club but now we all bring a title we want to read and put it in a hat. We choose a new book and a hostess and date at the close of every party. We also bring a knosh and when I host I always have a quiz,crossword or game related to the book.
  A fellow blogger that I follow read the book Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and she had a book club themed party- Here are some of her great ideas, I am adapting for my book club night in May
from: teachingheartmom.blogspot.com (search firefly lane book club).

The book was such a perfect read for book club. I decided to go with and 80's theme since so much of the book took place in the 80's. I encouraged people to dress 80's or bring pictures of themselves in the 80's. All participants were put in a drawing for a Rubik cube.

For food, I asked the girls to bring a appetizer if they would have rather been friends with Kate and a dessert if they would have preferred Tully as a friend... If they did not read the book, I asked them to bring a bottle of wine.

The object of the game was to collect fireflies by completing given tasks on the card. The people with the most fireflies after all the cards had been read were the winners. The winners got a prize. I used Seattle type prizes, such as: Starbucks Mugs, the book Larry Gets Lost in Seattle, and the DVD Sleepless in Seattlemade up a game that contained 80's activities, book discussion questions, and thoughtful questions about friendship.. All the questions were placed in a baggie. All players sit in a cicle and pass the bag aound. Each person takes their turn pulling a slip of paper from the bag. The slip of paper could have various 80's task on it or a book discussion questions.

- name the 80's movie this quote was in

-name these 80's toys
-play 80's charades
-name that 80's tune
-hum an 80's song...

.
I think these are great ideas. Don't think that sounds fun for a girls night out - you could even at wine LOL

Did you know that  some librarys have book club kits available for check out? Each kit has multiple paperback copies of the chosen title, a discussion guide, suggestions for starting a book club and information about the author. All in one convenient kit!  (they don't come with ideas like the ones above but you could find some on line or you could make up your own)
So I hope I helped you think of things you enjoy to join in the fun, pampered chef parties, Stampin parties where you scrapbook or work on cards? So this time when you hear someone talking about a party? or get together either plan one yourself to be more on the comfort level, or jump out of your comfort level and go.
  SO don't let months go by think of something today- not JUNE now. I bet you will be JUMPING for JOY that you did- JOIN in the fun- doing something different that you enjoyed. Drop me a comment and pictures if
you have had a themed book club night I love sharing ideas.
Tomorrow's letter is K and I will be writing about Kindergarten and my Kindergarten memories.

If you read the book...

If you started reading the book Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah or if you had already read it, did you enjoy the letters from Kate and Tully in the back of the book well, her blog has even more. I thought that it was the perfect culminating project to have you got to www.KristinHannah.com search around and then you will see at the top the word BLOG there when you click on it you can see the rest of Kate and Tully's Letters. If you don't live in the dark ages like me you can even go to her pink ipod icon and go to the itunes store and get all the 80's songs from the book.
 Enjoy the reading and writing of letters don't let it become a dying art form.

Book club meetings

I moved to orange county NY from Dutchess County Ny 5 years ago. When I moved into my "norman rockwell meets desperate housewives" (coined phrase by a neighbor) I decided to start a book club. I was married with no only my stepson who was 12. We chose books from best seller lists and THe new york times lists, we had crosswords, quizes and discussed the book and then we talked about being women, moms, sister, husbands mothers, neighbors. When my son was born, I got very sick I have lupus and I was feeling terrific the entire pregnancy but boy the fatigue afterwards so I stopped going to book club. I did miss it a bit, I tried to keep my eyes open at the end of a day of working, cooking, and breast feeding for a good read, but it didn't happen. A year or two later I was ready to go back and was glad they had continued it with out me. We have a few knoshes and talk about the book.
Every summer we read a biography and every December we have a cookie swap and talk about the last book. This time I had no time to read the book and I debated going if I had not read the book, but I have learned I can learn a lot about life by going to this group meeting because I am one of the youngest members, I am in my 40's my other neighbor is in her 30's the rest of the young at heart ladies are 50-68.
So last night, I went it was so cold, I wanted to stay home but I had made my 2 dozen cookies and I was determined.
As I mostly listened to them talk about Life after the book discussion was over I realized every one of us was dealing with something.
One women who lives alone was dealing with her mother and dementia.
One women who lives with her husband and her mother, is dealing with her husband losing his memory after he had battled cancer and a fall from a 15 foot ladder a few years back.
A few women were chatting about there hormonal teenagers
Another women told us things she has seen in the ER that would break your heart.
Another lost her mother this year.
All of them had stories and all of them were laughing.
I try hard to be a positive person, I enjoy my job, have nice friends and I know my son's neurofibromatosis is not as bad as some, and he is not on chemo, but marriage life is difficult and bringing up a son with learning disabilities and special needs takes a toll.
I was grateful for the meeting and it reminds me I started it for a reason, and as much as my husband gripes at me for going and what do we do there for 3 hours, I say it's only once a month.
The next book we are reading is The sweet potato queens, if you want to join us or if you want to read at home and post questions about the book to my blog.
I kept quiet. I listened. reflected and laughed when appropriate.