Kids Drink Alcohol

Some of the best parties of our lives were celebrated during our childhood birthdays. There is something about the simplicity of a children’s party that brings us back to the days when there was nothing to think about and to plan for.

Everything in the party was set out for us by our parents: the sweet Spaghetti, the hotdog skewers with marshmallows, the chicken lollipops, juice that came in tetra packs, give-aways, loot bags, games, the traditional pabitin, and the mascot.

Sometimes, it is good to try and get that feeling back again. For your next birthday party, why not let your hair down, and throw yourself a kiddie party that will allow you to go back to that little place in your dreams, where love is the priority, and you have the license to believe in un-reality. Here’s how:

Ambience: A children’s party has always had the same elements: a dose of fiction, a lot of color, and simple decors. For an adult-kiddie party, I suggest you use the same stuff. Hang some paper-chains on your walls, or long strips of crepe paper on your ceiling; have balloon sculptures and make everything colorful. Instead of matching your tables and chairs, why not go crazy and rent different-colored chairs and tables, to add to the fun, festiveness of your party? Oh, and don’t forget to tie balloons to each of the chairs.

Food: Although I’m tempted to tell you to serve all your childhood favorites, I’m afraid being too literal with this theme would just come out cheesy. So instead, I suggest you give your childhood faves a modern, more adult twist.

Instead of serving the usual Spaghetti, why not turn your recipe into more sophisticated paella. You can decorate it to make a little more festive by putting slices of hard-boiled eggs. And in lieu of the hotdogs you usually put on your spaghetti, maybe you could try putting some Bilbao Sausage?

You could also serve some chicken lollipops but give it a twist: make Buffalo Lollipops. You can find a lot of recipes o n the internet; just make sure that you try them out before your actual party.

Instead of serving hotdogs on sticks, grab some chocolate balls or soft truffles and some cherries and put them in festive red skewers. These choco-cherry balls are sophisticated and posh, and can be eaten while waiting for dinner.

If you want a sophisticated centerpiece to double as an interactive dessert, try having a chocolate fountain. This chocoholics addiction fix is now a staple in kiddie parties, and doesn’t really cost much. But since this is an adult party, try pouring some brandy or rum on your choco mix.

Drinks: Remember to keep your drinks colorful. I suggest you make green, red, purple, orange, and blue martinis. The recipes are quite simple, and if you are on a tighter budget simply mix powdered juice with vodka. It always tastes great. For a more festive flair, put them in purified water dispensers, so your guests could fill up anytime they want.


If you’re serving some punch try and make the ice more festive. Take some surgical gloves and fill them with colored water (food coloring plus water). Tie a secure knot at the opening and then freeze. When you are about to serve your punch, peel of the surgical gloves and dunk them in the water. This is a good conversation piece. Your guests will keep on guessing how you managed to shape your ice into a hand.

Music: Play something that sounds young and hip, without getting too kindergarten. Play music from the effervescent Mika or from the cutesy Lenka. If you want to play something more mainstream, Miley Cyrus is your best bet. If you can’t stand her, try some of her friends: Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, or Ashley Tisdale.


Photo Wall: You can set up a photo wall for your click-crazy friends. To give it a kiddie touch, print out some cartoon characters on a tarpaulin. If you want a more adult cartoon try using images of the Simpsons or Family Guy; for a more edgy photo wall try the characters from those cute toki-doki bags.

Cap it Off: Require your guests to wear party hats. These make your party more festive, casual and silly. If this doesn’t put your guests into a more youthful mood, nothing will.

Candies Anyone? Leave a bowl filled to the brim with candies and chocolates by the door. This could serve as your welcome treat for your guests, and they will enjoy the idea of having a lot of sweets nearby.

I hope you follow these tips and throw the most outrageous kiddie-themed adult party ever. Trust me; you’ll be the object of envy at the playground.

Confession: I could always suggest the elements to make this kiddie party work, but the most important thing here is that you let your hair down and really bring back your five year old self. No insecurities, no problems, just plain old fun-- and then, you will truly have a great time.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) at 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday, 6 to 9 PM.

For comments, suggestions and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph

Oprah and the Black Eyed Peas: Amazing

One of the most amazing videos i have ever seen. At first, i was like "what's up with Oprah's gold mic?"

and then i was like: "what's up witht hat girl dancing alone...?"

and then what followed was simply magical. :D

Alcoholic Sachets

First, there was SPAM in sachets, and then sardines in sachets, the next thing i knew, they had marlboro sachets as well... i thought they had crossed the line until i saw this.

Weird.

Just. Plain. Weird.

Jollibeer? Really now?

From the people who gave us the best-tasting chicken in the Phillies, and the tough, burnt, fast-food lumpia shanghai comes another first in Philippine fast-food: Jollibeer! Woohoo! I guess it goes well with their burgers..but i'd like to try it with the McSisig...hahaha

I can't wait to order this on my next trip to Jollibee (especially since i havent visited a branch in like 2 years). I'll be waiting the cashier to ask me to "go big time" hahahaha...and i'll be ..yeah!

You want an order of projectile vommit with that sir?

September 16 is National Play-Doh Day

Play-Doh was my favorite toy when i was younger. Somehow I enjoyed that I was in total control of the world I made. And then I grew up and realized, that was not always the case in the non-dough world. But it was good until the illusion lasted. I love Play-Doh so much, I even tried tasting it.

Yes, it IS salty.

Anyway, we are celbrating Play-Doh today! The best toy in all the land.... Make sure your friends play with these everyday, and maybe they'll turn out like me: an alcoholic partyphile! Yahoooooo!

Hand me my Play-Doh Martini!

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the squeaky-voiced, youngest of the Joe-Bros...Nick Jonas and to the sexily funny, Jennifer Tilly aka the voice of the Bride of Chuckie. :D If you can read this, I LOVE YOU !!!!

Partyphile Pinches Pennies

Partying can take its toll on the pocket. Sometimes, you get hooked with the fun, fabulous feelings you get when out partying that you forget to check on your budget. And then you wake up and it’s a week before your next birthday, and you don’t have enough moolah for the most fantabulous party ever. What does one poor partyphile do? Here are some money saving tips for your next birthday party.

Stay Home: If you want to save a lot, opt to throw your birthday soiree at home. Renting a place for your party costs a lot, so it would really help you save some bucks if you throw your party in your own crib. However, you have got to get ready for some hard work; especially if your friends could get rowdy after a couple of drinks. Partying at home involves (as you probably already know) a lot of after-party cleaning up.

The key to throwing a soiree at home is keeping the party in one space. If you decide to party in the garage (trust me, it is so much easier to clean up afterwards) keep the party there. Don’t let the party spill over to the living area, dining room or kitchen. Keep your guests, their stuff, and all your gifts in the designated party place. Allow no one to trash the rest of your house. It will not only save you time and energy (for cleaning up), it will also make the party more fun; with all the guests within your sight. Trust me, you don’t want to worry about your guests on your own birthday.

Great Gifts: When your friends ask you for gifts you want to receive, don’t actually blurt out products you’ve been eyeing. Instead, suggest that they could bring some alcohol or some finger food. That will not only save them a buck or two, it will also help you keep your guests satisfied at a lower cost. You could even ask them to bring specific types of alcohol like vodka or gin, so you could prepare, in advance, other ingredients you could mix with it.

Street Party: If you are on a tight budget and don’t know how to cook, you might want to try throwing a “street” themed party. You could buy some street food and serve it on nice platters. I recently attended a party where they serve fried intestines, kwek kwek (deep-fried eggs coated with an orange batter), cheap siu mai (those you could buy on the streets for 3 pesos a piece), and fish balls (which, oddly, never resemble balls). You could even hire a cotton candy man or sorbetero to serve some dessert on your party.

Good Food: Sometimes, all you need for a simple party is some good pulutan. Usually, people look for something salty when drinking so serve some peanuts, kropek, green peas, or chicharon. These Filipino favorites are cheap and super easy to find. Even on a tight budget, you could get creative and serve some cheap and easy dishes on your next party. I recently attended a party where they served simple crostinis with cheese and herbs. You may also try serving some instant sisig which comes frozen or in a can.

Carpool Party: If you are on a really tight budget, you might want to gather some friends whose birthdays fall on the same month as yours and throw a party together. What you can do is list all of your common friends and invite all of them, and then invite some of your individual guests. The key is deciding how many guests you can invite (aside form your common friends/guests). You can choose to invite ten or twenty personal guests aside from the group’s list of common friends. This is sure to save you a lot of money, but you’ve got to get over the fact that you’re sharing a cake.

Go DJ-less: You do not need to hire a DJ, all you need is a CD (or mp3 player) with gorgeous party tracks. You could even download a DJing software so you could mash up songs, or minimize the time spent waiting for the next song to start playing (because dead air just creates a lull in the atmosphere of the party). If you don’t have a gorgeous sound system, ask your friends to bring theirs over.

Forced Drunks: Serve some Gin or Vodka with juice (the ones that come in little sachets, ready to be mixed with a liter of water). This is the cheapest drink I could come up with, and it is easy to get the taste right. Plus, vodka and gin isn’t exactly easy to handle, so this will surely give your guests their alcohol fix in no time. If your friends, like mine, have acquired a high tolerance for alcohol, require all of them to drink a shot (or two, as I do) of pure vodka/gin as they enter the party. No “chasers” allowed. If this doesn’t get them buzzed in no time, I don’t know what will.

Taper the List: Maybe you should even consider tapering your guest list. Invite people that matter, and people you actually like. Do not invite guests just because you were introduced before or because you happen to move in the same circle, invite your real friends.

Invites Only: Make invitations. If your budget is really, really tight, just print out your invites on some colored paper from your home printer. Tell every single one of your guests that only people with invites are allowed to go to your party. If they did not get an invite, then they are not invited. And then require everyone to bring their invitations and present them at the entrance. I know everyone knows about this rule but sometimes, we partyphiles can’t get it through o0ur thick skulls. Again, explain to everyone that your guest list is very limited, and only real friends are invited; and tagging along uninvited friends are not cool.

Blow Out: If you can’t afford a gorgeous why not try sticking that candle on something crazily creative like a cupcake, a macaroon, a slice of pizza, puto (rice cake), a cup of rice, mashed potatoes, or even a lechon-shaped bread? This will set the mood for your party and tell your guests that it is going to be a fun and crazy night.

Remember, you are throwing a party to celebrate, and what you are up for is a fun night with people you hold dear to your heart. You are buying an experience, not just food, drinks and give-aways. So don’t worry if you can’t throw the most expensive party; just make sure that fun is your number one priority. Create a “log book” where guests could leave you simple birthday messages which will surely keep you smiling until your next big party.

I hope you find these tips useful and practical, and I hope you actually follow them for your next birthday party. And since I have helped you save up, maybe you could send me an invite? I swear I won’t tag along my uninvited friends.

Confession: Although a fun night with all your friends makes for a great birthday, sometimes, all you need for a great party is a cupcake, a candle, a pack of instant pancit canton, and the person you hold closest to your heart.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile-- the radio show on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesdays, 6 to 9 PM.

For comments, suggestions, queries, party invites, and more confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph.