Grim Reaper Costume Child

40th Birthday Party Ideas - Top 8 Dos And Don'ts To Make It A Milestone To Remember

Do you want to throw a 40th birthday party that truly celebrates the life of the guest of honor? Then it's time to focus on that special person and make this a happy occasion. Here are the top dos and don'ts to help get you there.

1. DON'T procrastinate. Get started right away. Give yourself enough time to come up with ideas, do the planning, and order anything custom or personalized. Make sure all the details come together with time to spare.

2. DO send out great invitations. The right invites will grab your guest's attention, set the tone for the party and generate excitement for the upcoming festivities. One good choice is photo birthday invitations with multiple pictures of the celebrant at different ages. Or, you could select a design that ties into your theme, highlights your guest of honor's interests, is funny or nostalgic. Just make sure it communicates that this is an occasion that can't be missed.

3. DO ask guests to contribute photos and stories about the guest of honor. Collect them all and put them in a memory book as a gift for the celebrant. Or, you could compile them into a PowerPoint presentation to be shown at the birthday party.

4. DON'T skip the birthday party favors. It's a nice gesture to give your guests a little parting thank you gift for sharing this happy occasion. Look for something inexpensive, useful, unique and personalized; maybe even with a photo of the celebrant. This kind of keepsake serves as a nice reminder of the wonderful celebration to all who attended.

5. DON'T make fun of the fact that he or she is turning 40. An over the hill party, complete with Grim Reaper decorations and wrinkle cream gag gifts, may seem like a good idea, but some celebrants may be uncomfortable with the joke.

According to a recent study conducted by MetLife, 65% of the population wish they were under forty. So, instead of teasing him or her about this milestone, make this a celebration of another year of growth. Why not throw a party commemorating the 19th anniversary of their 21st birthday. Unless you are absolutely sure he or she has no qualms about their age, stay away from the jabs.

6. DO look into alternatives to traditional settings for this milestone. A 40th birthday party at a restaurant, rented hall or even at home can be wonderful. But if you're looking for something unique, you might have the celebration at the zoo, botanical gardens, amusement park, ski lodge or beach. How about inviting guests to join you for a tour of a winery, day at the spa, or a hot air balloon ride? If there's something that the guest of honor loves to do or has always wanted to try, think about building your plans around that activity.

7. DON'T rule out a smaller celebration. Take into consideration the guest of honor's preferences. Would he or she love to be the center of attention at a big bash? Or is the celebrant the quiet type, who would enjoy a less crowded venue? You don't have to go over the top to make this 40th birthday party memorable. Plan a dinner cruise with a few close friends or an all night movie marathon featuring his or her favorite movies. You can emphasize the quality over the quantity.

8. DO consider a theme party. Invite your guests to a fiesta for the celebrant who is spicy at 40, and they will anticipate a fun-filled occasion. This celebration could be a tropical luau, retro 70's dance party complete with a spinning disco ball or a costume party where guests dress up as their true inner selves. Whatever direction you choose, everyone will imagine a lively night before they even get there. Going with a theme will help break the ice when guests arrive and will keep them talking long after the event is over.

So, plan in advance. Send out eye-catching, personalized invitations. Ask the guests to share pictures and memories, then send them home with cool party favors. Build the festivities around the celebrant's personality and interests. Make it unique. And give that special person a 40th birthday party they will never forget.

About the author: Linda Kling, as the owner of www.photo-party-favors.com, has offered ideas to people planning birthday parties and more since 1992. She recommends these Year You Were Born photo birthday favors, featuring your photo and fun facts from the year of your birth and these photo birthday invitations.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/40th-birthday-party-ideas-top-8-dos-and-donts-to-make-it-a-milestone-to-remember-1444400.html

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:
What is your child(ren)'s Halloween Costume(s)?!?
My son is 3 years old and he's going as "the grim reaper". He's so cute in his little hood. What will your kids be for Halloween??
- ANSWER:
  my daugher is 10 month old, she already walk since she was 8 and half month, and im exited that i brought her LION its sooo cute.. its a fully clothes on with the hair on the hand, feet, and On the head... cant wait!!!!
QUESTION:
Which of the following would you be willing to dress up in costume as for Halloween?
1. KISS band member
2. Gnome
3. 1960's Hippie (flower child)
4. 1950's Greaser (like Fonzie type)
5. Grim Reaper
6. M&M candy
7. Lady Godiva
8. Mr. Peanut
9. Rodeo rider (cowboy or cowgirl)
10. Wizard of Oz character (your choice)
More than one answer is cool...=)

thanx~
- ANSWER:
  I might be willing to try just about any of these, especially the Gnome. I'd park myself in your front yard just to see if you could tell the difference between me and the rest of your Gnomes. Also, I'd be interested to see what kinda " treatment " I might receive once you realized it was actually me...
QUESTION:
If you are a Christian do you celebrate Halloween?
I like to dress up; go to a party enjoy treats but never into the evil/scary costumes. I'm allowing my son a party with treats & pumpkins but I will not allow any grim reaper/witch type decorations. I explained to him that as Christians we do not celebrate evil in any way that this is for fun; as Christians we have to be mindful of what God thinks; than wondered if I should be skipping it all together. He also wants a skeleton mask; I'm trying not to make a big deal but in past always wore a character of his favorite movie/cartoon not an evil costume. What are your thoughts? As Christians what do you tell your children when most children in society enjoy this holiday? My church does have a "fall" festival with no costumes allowed; some churches have "fall" festivals with costumes allowed that aren't evil. I also know people who give out treats and play Christian music from their homes.

This question isn't open to badger my faith; go elsewhere if you feel inclined to do so!
- ANSWER:
  I think that Halloween in America is something culturally different than the pagan holiday it originally was. There is no use in taking away something fun from your child. It will just make them see God as strict and boring and may make them turn away eventually.
  
  If the intention in your heart is to have fun with friends then that is what Halloween is about to you. If the intention in your heart is to worship Satan on Halloween then you should worry about what God thinks of celebrating it.
QUESTION:
Is it just me, or do we need to send these lazy trick-or-treaters to candy-scoring boot camp?
In my fifteen or so Halloweens, I've always remembered it as a magical parade of carefully chosen disguises worked on beginning in September so they're sure to be perfect come Halloween, ensuring that the kind candy-givers shan't recognize the little beggar at their doorstep until they'd been walking the endless streets, their little perfectly-picked shoes through the sole until it actually became a mission to get up the front steps to their reward for WORKING so hard.

That is, until my own brother snubbed his zombie getup for his usual Aeropostale (Wow, maybe he was going in costume... That's another issue, though.) hoodie, saying his friends were "Only maybe (as in, if they bother to dress up at all.) wearing masks, anyway," to go hit up a few houses for a pitiful quarter-pillowcase of spoils from a very generous (if you consider "fun-sized" generous) neighborhood, leaving me home (Not by choice...I'm under cruel and unusual punishment.) to give out candy to THE PASSENGERS OF SEVERAL SUVS in my ridiculously safe, very walkable suburban neighborhood, which just put me over the edge. I was only saved by the flawless Michael Myers, who would stop walking (WALKING, people) every few steps to stare eerily at his next destination (I thought something was wrong; that he'd passed out standing or something. He just stared through dark eye holes at me through my vestibule window for at least two minutes before going to beg silently on my porch, then walk in his perfect Myers gait to repeat at the next house, first stopping on the corner to take another creepy moment. He gives me faith in ghoulkind.)When, society? When did we ditch the costumes to bring true horror to Halloween? When did we decide that, on the one night where it's okay to talk to ax murderers, children had to be carted around so as not to risk harm to your little Grim Reaper (Because he's so convincing, with that elaborate -- black nylon cloak-ish thingy? ), or your Hulk's delicate feet (because you know, if his converse-covered feet go, all he has left are toy fists that are apparently diseased, as the color green appears no where else on the body.)

I'll wrap it up now. I would just like to say that, on a night of breaking curfew, dispersing all the contents of your bathroom closet around the streets, and panhandling without license, there are but two rules to follow.
1) Your only job is to dress up and beg. So do it. I (Or my parents, when I'm not under their house arrest.) take the time to sort through several bags of candy, ensuring that there is an ideal and plentiful selection for you ravenous little monsters. All I ask is that you actually LOOK like a monster, or the believable character of your choosing.
2)The streets are supposed to be flooded with children, not traffic. Unless there is a physical limitation (And no, your overprotective mother who is too dependent on the car to just hold your hand while you walk doesn't count) preventing you from walking forty feet to the next driveway, make sure your alter ego wears comfy shoes and can accommodate weather well and get strolling. No, the fact that you can't be a decent hooker without 1000-inch spike heels (I'm talking to you, disturbing sixth-graders.) isn't an excuse. Go buy some fairy wings and a flowier dress, and lighten up. Be a kid, dammit. Get some blisters. Everyone knows Smarties are the magic pill for that.

Anyone with me?
No, I don't expect anyone to read through all of that. I just figure someone as passionate as me may read it and like not feeling alone. Or feeling amused.
Yes, I'm a fast typer. And bored.

To the people blaming economy: You don't have to spend a dime on a costume. What ever happened to some old clothes and a pair of scissors?
Haha IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE READING ("Hell, now that I came off of my sugar high, I wouldn't feel like reading this.) : My idea's pretty much summed up in the last paragraph.
- ANSWER:
  I LOVE and wholeheartedly AGREE with your essay! I am WAY past trick-or-treating years, but even my kids were raised with Halloween "etiquette!" They knew they better say "trick-or-treat" before they even THOUGHT about opening that bag to receive whatever was bestowed upon them....and they darn sure were appreciative enough to say "Thank You" to every door-greeter. We walked....it made it more fun & exciting. Getting in & out of a vehicle with costume, or lack thereof, seems tedious & bothersome. Slows the whole thing down if you ask me! Economy hurting costumes?... My foot! I bet mom has lipstick to give you a big clown smile & a red nose. Add over-sized clothes....stuff with a pillow. Ta-Dah!.... Borrow dad's work-boots & be a plumber or mechanic or what-ever!.... How about overalls & a hat & some straw? Poof! Instant scarecrow! ...I could go on & on as well...it's called IMAGINATION kids & it's about time mommy & daddy forced you to use it more often....or maybe mommy & daddy forgot what it is? And to those who answered you without actually reading what you had to say? Why?.....Are you busy thinking up next year's costume? LOL!