Once a location is selected, it’s time for decorations. Banners, streamers and hanging decorations are always a plus. Not only does it announce what the party is for and lets the team and family members know they’re in the right location but it also sends a message of congratulations to the players.

   After the location is decorated and tables are set up for sitting at, make sure you set aside at least two more tables. One table will be for the food, cake and utensils (themed to the particular sport) while the other table will be for the trophies or medals. This is table is particularly important, it gives the children to stand up in front of everyone with the coach and have them talk about their achievements for that season and then get rewarded for it. Hard work pays off!

When it comes to kids, it’s all about having fun as soon as they walk through the door. Having a decorative archway for them to walk through covered with balloons or streamers going down to the floor is a great start into their party zone. Valentine’s Day is all about the hearts so cover the walls and hang some from the ceiling. Banners, balloons, lights, garland and streamers are some great ways to spread the colors red, pink and white around too.

For snacks and crafts, push the desks together to make big tables that can be covered with red or pink plastic table covers (easy after party clean-up) and then sprinkle candy, stickers and confetti on them for decoration.

In the craft corner, teach them how to make a heart by folding paper in half, cutting half a heart and unfolding it or have them make their own Valentine’s Day cards for friends and family members. Also, a great way for the kids to have fun while having their snacks is by giving them Glow straw bracelets. They’re glow in the dark straws that become a bracelet when they’re done.

Last but not least, who can forget goody bags? Why not fill it with items that will bring smiles for hours to their faces. For example: teddy bears, heart shaped clappers and bracelets, finger lights, LED rings, necklaces, fans and sunglasses.

People do watch the Super Bowl for one of two reasons though. Besides watching the game, fans also look forward to all of the new creative commercials and the halftime show.

This year halftime show was headlined by Madonna who was joined by Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. The networks haven’t had any major problems during halftime performance since the 2004 Janet Jackson nip slip incident until last night. M.I.A. flipped off the viewers during her performance. It was said that she got caught up in the music. NBC and NFL networks have been continuously apologizing for the incident.

As for the commercials, it has been averaged that $3.5 million were spent every year in just commercial advertising alone. With 111 million viewers watching, these were ranked the top 5 best and worst commercials of Super Bowl 2012.

Top 5 Best Commercials
5. A Dream Car for Real Life – Kia Optima
4. 2012 – Chevy Silverado
3. Transactions – Acura
2. Matthews Day Off – Honda
1. It’s Halftime in America – Chrysler

Top 5 Worst Commercials
5. David Beckham Body Wear – H&M
4. Enjoy Better – Time Warner Cable
3. Coke’s Polar Bears
2. The Cloud – GoDaddy
1. King’s Court – Pepsi

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post?id=12363

http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/14261.html

http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/14401.html

     There are many items that can be reusable for a party, even themed parties. The trick to having year round party supplies is to get items that can be used for most occasions. For example, the colors of the Super Bowl teams this year both include red and blue which are also two of the colors used to celebrate 4^th of July, with the red being used during the Christmas holiday season as well as the blue being used for Hanukkah. Having various singled colored or multi-colored decorations will help you be prepared for most holidays/occasions, whether their planned or spur of the moment.

     Typically, when a groundhog comes up from his hole from his long winter slumber, he looks to see if he can find his shadow. If he does see his shadow, he takes that as a sign of bad weather to come or in our case, 6 more weeks so winter and crawls back to his hole for an extended sleep. On cloudy days, where he wouldn’t normally see his shadow, he sees that as a sign of spring is coming upon us and comes out of his hole to prepare.

     Many have wondered, where does this tradition come from? It actually originated in Germany with hedgehogs or badgers. When the German’s came to America and settled into Pennsylvania, they continued the tradition with groundhogs. February 2, 1886 was the first official Groundhog Day that was published in The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper. Since then, the country relies on that little critter to tell them their weather horoscope.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/groundhog-day-2012-punxsutawney-phil-sees-shadow-6-more-weeks-of-winter/2012/02/02/gIQA9Hb7jQ_blog.html?wprss=capital-weather-gang

http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/punxsutawney/a/groundhog_day.htm

All over the Midwest, people saw 10-24 inches of snow, 1 inch of ice and winds up to 60 mph causing tornadoes to touchdown in Texas.

In the Chicagoland area, many cars had to be stranded. Drivers on Lake Shore Drive were at dead stops for a record of 12 plus hours due to the amount of snow coming down in a quick amount of time. The drivers all had to abandon their cars and be taken by buses to shelters to wait out the storm or some found their way home.

People living in the Midwest and East coast areas were getting a few days off due to school and office closures, along with roads being closed for cars and buses with the exception of motor vehicles and snowmobiles. Airports and railroads were also closed down. It was a time to just be home with the family and play in the snow after shoveling out of one’s home.

With the weather this year being much warmer than normal for the date, does anyone predict an early spring or are we going to have a late winter?

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_31_%E2%80%93_February_2,_2011_North_American_blizzard

A great way to show your team spirit is simply by wearing the colors; loud and proud. If you want to be flashy then a sequin or LED hat would be perfect along with some LED sunglasses in your team’s colors. Face painting and body painting are also time honored traditions that a lot of people have fun with when watching a sporting event. Use the paint to write your team’s name on your face or cover your body in their colors. The sky’s the limit to how much fun you can have!

But don’t forget about when your team scores a touchdown, you want everyone to know. Cheering plus noise makers will really boost the energy and excitement of the game along with letting everyone know exactly who you are cheering for. These are just some fun ways to get ready and celebrate the big game with friends and family.

For the past 10 years, fans from around the country have been setting aside time on the last Monday in January to twist and stomp, often in unison, as they commemorate what’s known as Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.

Sealed Air

Bubble Wrap is big business. Manufacturer Sealed Air operates in 52 countries, employing 17,000 people and earning annual revenue of more than $4 billion.
The day, known as BWAD, was begun in 2001 by a couple of bored radio DJs in Bloomington, Ind., supposedly looking to fill the news void between Martin Luther King Day and the Super Bowl. During that first BWAD, the radio station held a “Bubblympiad” that included events such as a Bubble Wrap popping relay and Pop-a-mole.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/31/get-ready-to-pop-its-bubble-wrap-appreciation-day/

So how can you celebrate?

The easiest way is to get lost on BubbleWrapFun.com, and pass that Web site along to your friends and family. The site is filled with online games, trivia, and more, all related to bubble wrap.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/25/bubble-wrap-appreciation_n_435205.html

SO GET A POPPING!!

http://www.windycitynovelties.com/236123p/football-toss-game.html

http://www.windycitynovelties.com/211638p/football-field-table-cover.html?ProdRec=Yes

http://www.windycitynovelties.com/14020p/square-blow-up-vinyl-inflatable-football-fan-cooler.html

The Midwest’s only and the nation’s largest indoor all-sail boat show arrives January 26–29, 2012 at Chicago’s famous Navy Pier. The Progressive Insurance Strictly Sail Chicago is a must-attend event for all sailors and has become one of Chicago’s favorite boat shows. The 2012 Progressive Insurance Strictly Sail Chicago Show offers more boats, more gear, more seminars and more fun than ever!

The fun begins Thursday, January 26th and will not end until the final bell sounds on Sunday, January 29th. This four-day sailing extravaganza features the latest and greatest the sailing industry has to offer. You’ll find the latest boat designs and their designers, the newest sailing gear, accessories and hardware from the industries top suppliers and the most up to date charter information, all from more than 250 exhibiting companies from around the globe.
When: January 26–29, 2012

Where: Strictly Sail is located at Navy Pier, Festival Hall A&B, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago IL 60611.

Show Hours: 11am–8pm Thursday & Friday, *New Weekend Hours*

10am–7pm Saturday, 10am–5pm Sunday

Weekday Adult Ticket $12.00** Weekend Adult Ticket $15.00**

Kids 15 and younger FREE (must be accompanied by a paying adult)

Strictly Sail Yacht Club Memberships (4 day pass) $75.00. The SSYC 4-day show pass includes access to the members-only lounge featuring coat check, internet access, cash bar, comfortable seating, snacks and much more. Available For Purchase Online Only. 

Any Two Days $24.00** Available For Purchase Online Only.

Family Pack $25.00 includes two adults and two children any day. Available For Purchase Online Only.

Strictly Sail Yacht Club Pass, Two Day Ticket and Family Pass are available online only.

**Buy your tickets online and included in your paid admission is a one-year subscription to one of the following magazines:   Sailing World or Cruising World, Islands, Parenting, Flying, Ski ($7.00 value)

http://www.strictlysailchicago.com/attendees/about.aspx  <Check out more info on the event!