Monkey Motion, Bungee Trampoline
Have you ever been bungee jumping? One of the casinos in Reno put in a ride called the Big Rush where people are lifted 180’ in the air and free fall with a bungee cord. The ride has proven very popular and as you drive by on the highway you can almost always see someone taking the plunge. Personally, as someone who is scared of heights, the whole idea terrifies me.
Monkey Motion combines the thrill of bungee jumping with the fun of bouncing on a trampoline. The great attraction is tons of fun, and for those people, like me, who don’t feel comfortable falling from a great height, it is a lot less scary than taking tall rides like the Big Rush. The distance isn’t nearly as far and the trampoline landing is nice and soft. Monkey Motion allows users to fly up to 25’ in the air, which is still quite a distance!
Monkey Motion can be set up with up to 4 stations, to reduce the time people have to wait for their turn. The activity is fun for kids and adults of all ages. It is a great addition to all sorts of events including fairs, outdoor concerts, and parties.
Want to see how much fun Monkey Motion can be? Check out this product video on u-tube.
Having a Beach Themed Party
The weather may be warm and sunny, but alas Arizona is nowhere near the beach. Those of us wanting to cool off on a hot summer day have to make due with a lake, a pool, or the sprinklers.
The beach may be far away, but there is nothing to stop you from creating a beach themed party. Here are some ideas to make your party a whale of a good time…
Get beach themed invitations to invite the kids to your beach party. Be sure to tell them to bring a suit, sunglasses, sandals, sunscreen, and a beach towel. They may not get too wet, but what kind of a beach party is it if you don’t dress the part?
Get sea shells, beach balls, beach toys, decorated plates, cups, and decorations at the party, craft or dollar store. Make or buy a cake with an ocean or fish theme. It can be simple as decorating the cake sand brown or sea blue and putting seashells or plastic sealife, ocean, reef, shark, or whale figures on it.
Pick an outdoor setting with lots of space. Get out the beach toys and set up a sand box for the kids to make sand castles. Set up a wading pool so the kids can cool off when they get hot (be sure to keep an extra close eye on little kids around the water. You could also consider having your party at a pool or a lake, but remember having kids around the water requires extra supervision.
You can rent the Sea Creature Toddler Play Center which is an ocean themed inflatable for toddlers and little kids. Larger kids may prefer the Seaworld Bounce House or surf at your party with a surfing machine.
Beach parties are lots of fun and with a little imagination you can have one far away from the beach. Arizona’s warm weather makes it a great place for an outdoor party.
Celebrate Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Have any plans yet? There are many events around Arizona for moms to celebrate the special day, or you can plan your own special event to make mom feel appreciated.
How many people are going to be included in your mother’s day celebration? Is it just you and mom or are there others who will need to be included? Some families are small but other families are really big. My own grandmother had 7 kids who each had kids of their own and now some of those kids are having kids too. As a result our family gatherings get pretty large.
Brunch is a traditional meal for Mother’s Day, though most mom’s will appreciate any sort of break from preparing food. If you decide to make mom breakfast in bed or a different meal at home, be sure to plan on cleaning up after the meal as well. The celebration loses something if mom has to do the clean up after it is done. If clean up is an issue, it may be a better idea to bring mom out to eat or pick up food.
If your Mother’s Day celebration is too big to have at home, there are many other options available. Many restaurants have banquet space and would be happy to accommodate your group. Just be sure to book in advance since Mother’s Day tends to be a busy occasion for restaurants.
If you are on a budget and you like doing things yourself, consider having your Mother’s Day party at the park. Picnic areas are available at the parks to reserve and on a first come first served basis. Since Arizona has nice weather most of the year, picnic’s are almost always pleasant; however, a shelter is never a bad idea just in case and so guests can get out of the sun. If there is not a shelter available at the place you have picked for your party, you can rent a tent. You can also rent tables and chairs if you need them. If you have kids involved in your party the park is great as playgrounds provide built in entertainment or you can rent an inflatable for the kids to play in.
Looking for the perfect gift for mom? Flowers, chocolates, and jewelry are popular traditional choices, but each mom has different tastes. Perhaps mom would like artwork created by her kid(s) or a personalized creation using photos. Use your imagination and what you know about mom to pick her the perfect gift. Mother’s Day is a great time to let your mom know just how much you appreciate her, and letting her know how much you care is the best gift you can give.
Host an Easter Egg Hunt
Spring is here again and Easter is right around the corner. If you are organizing an Easter Egg hunt this year for your church, family, friends, or another group, here are some tips to help you get started.
First consider where you are going to hold your Easter Egg Hunt. Will it be in your back yard, at a church, at a park, or in another place? You can hold an Easter Egg hunt pretty much anywhere as long as there is sufficient space for the people who are attending and any activities you have planned. However, if you are holding your party at a public venue, like a park, you will need to keep an eye on things and wait to hide your Easter Eggs until right before the hunt to make sure they don’t get picked up by people who are not part of your event.
Decide what kind of eggs and treats you want to hide. You can use hard boiled eggs that are decorated before the egg hunt. If your party is long enough, decorating the eggs can be part of the event as well, but make sure there is sufficient time for the eggs to dry. You may prefer to use plastic eggs if they are going to be hidden in advance, you are worried about spoilage, or you just want things to be simpler. Plastic eggs can be filled them with treats and toys or hidden empty.
Make sure there are plenty off eggs for all the kids who are participating. You will probably need to limit the number of eggs for each participant so there are no egg hogs. One idea is to have a dozen eggs hidden for each child then have each child use an egg carton to put their eggs on instead of using a basket to make sure no-one takes more than their fare share. If cost is an issue, have the parents bring a dozen decorated eggs for each child who is participating.
Make sure that each child has a basket or some sort of container for their eggs. If there are a lot of kids involved, have different areas or different times for kids of various ages so you don’t have the older kids getting all of the eggs. One ides if you have a limited number of eggs is having the parents hide the eggs for the older kids who would find the eggs then re-hide the same eggs for the younger kids.
If you are serving food with your Easter Egg Hunt, decide if you will be making the food, having it catered, or having a pot luck. Make sure the space you have chosen for the event has sufficient facilities for food prep and dining. You can rent tables and chairs if needed. Pick up Easter decorations, table clothes, plates, and other holiday items at a local dollar store or party store.
Hope your Easter Egg Hunt is a big success!
Baseball and Hot Dogs
If you have fond memories of going to the ball park to watch a baseball game, they probably include eating a hot dog while you watch the game. There is something about baseball and hot dogs- they just go together. Even people who might normally pass on a hot dog are tempted when they go to the ball park.
Have a kid playing little league? There is no reason to limit the hot dog and baseball experience to the big leagues. You can rent a hot dog roller and cook your own hot dogs to serve up to the players and other parents. Having hot dogs at their games will make things that much more like the big leagues. Have a friend or relative who plays baseball in an adult league? Hot dogs at their games are likely to make things more fun too.
Hot dogs can also be a great fund raiser for your baseball team. Be sure to check for permit requirements if you intend to sell food at your event.
Other great concessions to offer at a baseball game include popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, and sno-kones.
Planning a Baby Shower
Spring is here and there are a lot of babies being born. If you are close to an expectant mother, you might be called upon to hold a baby shower. Or if a friend or relative is having a baby, you might decide you want to volunteer to hold the baby shower.
Decide on the guest list for your event. Talk to the expectant mom to determine who you should invite. Are you going to include “the guys” and children in your guestlist? Many baby showers are women only occasions, though sometimes men are invited as well. Most men, however, choose not to attend and let the women have this as an event just for the girls. If the expectant mom has children already or a lot of the guests have kids, you may choose to have a kid friendly event. On the other hand, this might be a good occasion to leave the kids with the guys so the women can have some time to themselves.
Pick a date that will work for you and the mom to be. Make sure it works for any guests who must attend and let them know as soon as possible so they can reserve that date for the event.
Pick a location. Many baby showers are at the home of the host; however, you can also hold the event at a restaurant, at a park, in a banquet room, or in any other space that is available for events. Where you decide to hold the event will be determined in part by how many people you expect to attend. If you have 10 people coming, your home might be an easy place to hold it, but if you are expecting a hundred people, you will probably need more space unless you have a very big house or yard. If you are having a large outdoor event, rent a tent and tables and chairs if your venue does not include them.
Find out where the expectant mom is registered. If she has not registered yet, make sure she does so. Babies R Us is a popular choice. You can also register at many department stores. Not everyone will buy things on a guest list, but it does help prevent to many repeat items and encourage people to get what the mom really wants.
Send out invitations to the event. Baby showers are an event like weddings that people normally send written invitations too. The invitations should include the names of the invitees, the location of the party, and where the bride is registered.
Pick up decorations for your event. Dollar stores and party stores have a wide variety of baby themed decorations and accessories for parties. Decide what games you want to play and pick out prizes for any games. Get a guest book.
Choose food for the event. Are you going to have cookies, cake, snacks, or a whole meal? Are you going to buy the food, make it, or have the event catered? If you are having the event at a restaurant, they will probably be preparing all the food and you will just need to make selections from a catering menu.
When you are getting close to the event date, check and see who has RSVPed. Contact anyone you have not heard from in order to put together an accurate guest list.
At the baby shower, be sure to have someone make notes of all of the gifts and givers when the mom to be opens her gifts. You can make the notes in the guest book to help keep things simple and organized. Also be sure someone is taking pictures.
When everything is done, congratulations are due not just to the expectant mom but also to you for holding a successful baby shower.
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
Whether or not you are Irish, St Patrick’s Day can be a fun holiday to celebrate. And since it’s the only major holiday in March, you sure don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to have a party! So get out your green clothes, and lets get planning!
If you want to make party planning easy, consider having your party at an Irish Pub or Restaurant. Keep in mind that many of these are likely to be having their own parties on St. Patrick’s Day, so if you want to have a separate event, you may have to have your party on another day and you will definitely want to book your event pretty far in advance. Here are some possibilities:
Phoenix
Frank Murray’s Turf Irish Pub
602-296-5043
705 North 1st Street, Phoenix
Rosie McCaffreys
602-241-1916
906 East Camelback Road, Phoenix
Seamus McCaffreys
602-253-6081
18 West Monroe, Phoenix
Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant and Bar
602-997-2323
9201 North 29th Avenue # 52, Phoenix
Scottsdale
Skeptical Chymist
480-609-8677
15688 N Pima Rd, Suite #C6, Scottsdale
Tempe
Rúla Búla Irish Pub
480-929-9500
401 South Mill Avenue, Tempe
Even if you don’t have your event at an Irish Pub or restaurant, you can cater your food from one. Traditional St. Patrick’s Day fare includes corn beef hash, potatoes, and Irish ale.
If you are not having your party at an Irish restaurant, you can still decorate for the occasion. Pick lots of green. Check your local dollar or party stores for inspiration. You can find banners, table cloths, paper plates, balloons, and more all with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. If you want floral arrangements, pick ones with shamrocks and lots of green.
Considering having an Irish Dance? Book the band early, because this is the time of year that all of the Irish bands are busiest (and charge the most too). You can also get a DJ and play prerecorded music, but having a live band can make any event extra special.
If you need a dance floor, tents, or any other equipment for your party, be sure to contact AZ Party Rents.
Fund Raising with a Dunk Tank
Trying to figure out a good fund raiser for your school or organization? Have you considered having a Dunk Tank?
Because of the Arizona’s year round sunny weather, Arizona is the perfect place for all sorts of wet events. Dunk Tanks are a great for fund raisers. Have one by itself or use one in conjunction with another event such as a car wash or a fair. Patrons pay for a chance to throw the ball and dunk a person in the tank.
So who should you dunk? Depends. The more well known, loved or hated, the person is, the more people will want the chance to get them wet. You can also have multiple people taking turns getting dunked, especially if your event is over an extended amount of time. For instance, if the dunk tank is raising funds for a sports team, you could have each of the team members and the coach take turns in the tank.
If you want to conserve water, consider having a balloon splash or a silly shower. Both options work similarly to a dunk tank in that someone gets very wet.
As fun as it is to throw the ball and dunk the person in the tank, if it is a warm day, you might find people want a chance to get dunked too. Dunk tanks are lots of good wet fun!
Host a Solo Art Show or Booth
If you are an artist, at some point in time you will probably want to put your work on display. You can sell your work online or place your work in galleries. Another possibility is to host your own art show or have a artist’s booth at an event.
The first thing to consider is where you want to hold the show. Perhaps the simplest solution is to rent a gallery since they are already set up to hold artwork. If you are a painter, photographer, or other artist working in 2-D media, you can hang your work on the walls and be done with it. Sculptors will probably need pedestals for their work which the gallery may or may not provide.
If you are getting a booth at an event or hanging your work in a venue which does not ordinarily host art shows, you may have to get more creative with your display solutions. If the work is being shown outdoors, you will probably want to tent your display to avoid having your work get damaged by the elements. For outdoor events, pick a tent with removable fabric walls to provide additional protection for your work in case of inclement weather or wind.
Wherever you display your work, you can use traditional easels to display paintings and other 2-D creations or you can get creative and build modified easels to show multiple works in one space. For a more professional look, you can purchase, build, or rent display panels to hang your work. Sculptures can be displayed on pedestals regardless of the venue and shelves and tables can also be used. Just be sure the artwork is displayed in an attractive matter since the visual appeal is what will sell the work.
In an ideal world, patrons would just show up to an opening, however, publicity is generally necessary to get people to come to any event. If you are hanging your work at a well publicized event, a lot of the advertising work is being done for you. Regardless it is still smart to notify any past clients and fans of your work. If you have a Facebook page, a Yahoo group, or an email list, make use of them to publicize your event. For a more personal touch, you can also send written invitations, fliers, or post cards in the mail. A magazine or newspaper ad may be a good idea as well if the budget allows. While you can never promote any event too much, keep in mind the more you spend on an event, the higher your break even sales number will be.
On the day of the event, offering appetizers and beverages can be an additional draw. It is traditional for galleries to serve patrons wine at openings, but if the liquor laws prohibit serving wine at your event, consider sparkling cider instead. Keep in mind that with any food and beverages around artwork there is always the risk of an accidental spill.
Be sure to collect contact information from the people who come to your event. You can put out a guest book or have a raffle for a piece of art or other in demand item. Raffles tend to get more names and numbers because everyone wants something for nothing. It’s also a good idea to have business cards, fliers, or other take away promotional material so interested parties can contact you about work after the event.
If the event is a multi-day function, security may be a concern. If the facility is not secure enough to leave your work unsupervised, consider taking the art down at the end of each day and putting it up each morning. A locking trailer or a security fence may also be a solution. Regardless of the precautions you take, there is always the possibility that work may be damaged or stolen during a show. You might want to consider investing in show insurance for your work if it is particularly valuable.
The goal of most art shows is to either gain sales or commissions, but not every show will have immediate results. After your show ends, consider what was successful and what could be improved for the next show. Send a note to any contacts you garnered at the show thanking them for visiting and giving them your contact and web information. Be sure to add new contacts to your database of people to send studio updates and show invitations. Each show should build on the previous show to help garner sales, commissions, and publicity.
Have a Western Bash
Always dreamed of being a cowboy? Why not put a western theme on your party?
At AZ Party Rents, we have all kinds of great western party rental options- and we serve the entire Phoenix area!
Start by picking the location. Nothing says West like the Arizona outdoors. Consider renting space on a ranch or at the fairgrounds. Pretty much any venue you can be around real horses and cattle will add to your event. You might even want to arrange for horseback riding to be included in your party. Rawhide Western Town in Chandler is one great setting for western events. Fort McDowell Adventures in Fort McDowell also offers western settings for events.
If your party is taking place in an authentic looking location, your decorating work is half done. However, you can add a western feel to any event with the right décor. Straw bales make great benches and piled up you can use them as tables too. Put an old Western saddle, assorted western tack, ropes, and a bull skull around for an extra touch of the west. If your event is indoors, landscapes and Western paintings, prints, or posters in rustic frames make nice wall decorations.
Pick a country or folk music group or songs that fit the atmosphere. You might hire a singer guitarist or a banjo player. With the right music, you can turn your party into a barn dance whether or not you are using an actual barn (a barn makes a great setting for a western event by the way).
For entertainment consider having a mechanical bull, a much safer alternative to riding a real rodeo bull. Another great inflatable for western parties is the Wild West Obstacle Course.
Put together a menu with Western inspired entrees. Steak, hamburgers, corn, and beans are good choices for the menu or you can serve Southwest and Mexican food. If the event is outdoors make it a barbecue or even better cook the meal over an open flame with s’mores for desert. If you are hiring a caterer, discuss the options they offer that will compliment your western event.
Be sure your invitations or promotions make it clear that your event is a Western event so guests can come dressed for the occasion in their boots and cowboy hats. You might have a few extra hats on hand for anyone who forgot their hat.
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