Fast, Easy Graduation Party Food Ideas

Here are some of the quickiest, easiest and most practical ideas for throwing a graduation party without the hassles.

For easy cleanup afterwards, stock up on plastic forks, knives, spoons and serving utensils, paper or plastic cups, plates and table clothes.

Easy finger food suggestions

veggie tray and dip

tortilla roll ups

antipasto tray

fruit salad or fruit and cheese kabobs

shrimp and cocktail sauce (look for the prepacked party trays at your local supermarket)

deviled eggs

The main graduation party menu

6-foot long hero sandwiches - from Sam's or Costco.

Two words - Pizza party! Have it delivered.

Backyard garden party - A good idea for morning or early afternoon get-togethers, with guests filling up on finger sandwiches, scones, bite-sized desserts, tea and coffee.

Taco bar - Prepare the fixings the night before. Include shredded lettuce, cheese and tacho shells - set up the meat filling in a large crockpot or on a pan warmer - and let guests serve themselves.

Have a cookout - More work for mom and dad, but several pounds of hamburger and jumbo packages of hot dogs should do the trick. Don't forget the chips, dip and potato salad.

Drinks - Have plenty of ice on hand to fill up coolers with soda, water, beer or wine. Hint: label each cooler so guests know exactly where to find their favorite beverage without asking.

Graduation party desserts - Besides a quick graduation sheet cakes, cupcakes are the easiest dessert to serve. Buy them prepackaged and mound them in a pyramid on a serving tray and let guests serve themselves. Or try your hand at making the ever popular graduation cap cakes.

Your fastest, cheapest bet? Hit your local Dunkin Donuts.

More about quick and easy graduation party food around the Web:

• Graduation Party Menu Planning
  
  
• Graduation Party Food Tips
  
  
• Graduation Party Tips - About.com

Cinco de Mayo Party Game Ideas for Kids & Adults

You've got the nachos, the cerveza and mariachi music all set for a great Mexican fiesta. But what's a party without the fun and games? 

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, check out some of the best fiesta icebreakers and party games for both kids and adults:

Spanish Word Scramble - Pass out a sheet of jumbled Spanish words and see who can unscramble the greatest number of words correctly. Have pity on those unfamiliar with Spanish by using the most commonly understood words, i.e., casa, mucho, nada, senora, etc.

Find the Worm - Place gummy worms in bottles of water or sodas. The first one to jug-a-lug to the bottom - and eat the worm - is declared the winner.

Pass the Sombrero - A bit like ‘musical chairs’ but instead party guests have to try on a sombrero. Play Mexican mariachi music as the game begins and when the music stops the guest wearing the sombrero is out of the game. For extra laughs, give eliminated players the option to perform a Mexican hat dance to get back into the game. 

Nachos-Eating Competition - Have several bowls of nachos and party dip ready for guests to pair up into teams. One team-member must stand behind the other, acting as their ‘arms’, who must feed the nachos to their partner. The first team to empty their bowl is the winner. Provide bibs and floor covering and be prepared for a big MESS - and loads of great laughs (and have the camera ready).

Mexican Hat Dance - Turn up the mariachi music and have each person place a sombrero on the ground and dance around it. Whoever doesn’t get dizzy and dances the longest wins a prize! Or, hand out several prizes for most original dance, funniest dance or most unusual. 

Fiesta Scavenger Hunt List - Below, some ideas to get partygoers embarking on a Mexican party theme scavenger hunt through the house or the backyard. Set up the game so it can be played either individually or in teams, with each item assigned a point value. The person or team who scores the most points wins a prize! Happy hunting... 

• sombrero
  
• decorated pottery
  
• miniature Mexican flag
  
• cactus plant
  
• tissue flower
  
• gold foil covered chocolate “pesos”
  
• Mexico map
  
• bag of tortilla chips
  
• toy maracas
  
• box of taco shells 
  
• bottle of hot sauce
  
• lime
  
• avocado

How to Buy Mother's Day Flowers

The guests have been invited, the food ready and the table set. Forget anything?

Sometimes the most important gift for mom is the last thing on our minds as family get-togethers on Mother's Day are filled with details, details!

Fortunately, the proliferation of flower stands - now often found tucked into unlikeliest of places - have been a godsend for buying last-minute bouquets (and has probably saved many a marriage or family relationship in the process.) Think Walmarts, the local mall, the supermarket, or even outside a local train station.

Here in New York City, probably the quickest way is to walk down the street to pick up flowers at any number of local corner grocers.

Otherwise, keep stress levels low by logging on to order from a variety of top online flower stores offering a bunch of ideas for delivering Mother's Day flowers pronto.

What to order - Mother's Day Flower etiquette

Carnations - The traditional flower for Mother's Day dating back a century or more, carnations in red or pink are the time-honored way of saying Happy Mother's Day. Just don't make the mistake of ordering white carnations, They are the traditional flowers that honor mothers who have passed on. (Embarassing to say the least, and painful at most when mom hits your over the head with them.)

Roses - The more modern tradition, roses have the "wow" factor that carnations lack. They're also faux-pas proof and come in a wider variety of colors. White roses are fine, with a single red rose in the middle symbolizing mom's special place in your heart.

Gerbera daisies - In many parts of the US, these colorful relatives of the sunflower (also known as Gerber daisies) make up the traditional Mother's Day bouquet. Bold, bright and sunny, they outshine regular daisies and always make a more lasting impression.

More about Mother's Day flowers around the Web:

The Best Mother's Day Flowers to Give

Carnation - The Mother's Day Flower

Colour Meanings of Mothers Day Flowers

also see in Chiff.com Party Ideas: Mother's Day Party Ideas