What to Imprint on your Favor - Part 3

The imprint is just as important as what the item you select is. We recently had someone order beach towels, which is a great party favor especially where they were located and especially since summer was right around the corner. They then imprinted “I (image of a heart) Mark” on the towel. They took a great item that definitely would have been used and made it in to something that will hardly ever be used. Can you imagine a boy lying on the beach with a towel with that design imprinted on it. Before you decide what to imprint, ask your 13 year old, if they received this as a party favor with someone else’s name in the imprint would they use it, if they say no, don’t do it.

Size also matters when doing your imprint. On some items it is always better to go for the subtle look rather then the maximized imprint. For example if you were doing a mug there is nothing wrong with making the imprint as big as possible, of course you are limited by the size of the mug, but this is an item where I would maximize the imprint. But on the other hand there are some bags with 8” x 8’ imprint areas if not bigger, if you were to maximize the size on the imprint we suggested above, it would be overkill and probably once again would be something that a 13 year wouldn’t use.

What to imprint on your favor - Part 2

There is nothing wrong with adding some art work to the image, but once again, remember these are very status conscious 13 year old kids, who won’t use anything that makes them look anything but cool.  A reliable party favor specialist should be able to have their graphic artist create something that is subtle, yet interesting enough to appeal to the 13 year old mind.  The absolute worst thing you can do is put a picture of your child on a party favor.  No one will use it and the chances are that if anyone does use it, it will be because they have drawn a mustache or beard on the picture and they think it is funny.  Not exactly how you want you child’s special day to be remembered. 

Another thing to keep in mind when imprinting is the more colors you use the more expensive the item will be.  The image may look really cool in 5 colors but the cost could get prohibitive.  Again a reliable party favor specialist should be able to create something using only one color, some halftones plus incorporating the color of the item into the design that will make it feel like more then one color but not add to your bottom line.

What to imprint on your favor - Part 1

BarMitzvahFavors.com has done thousands of parties over the years and from our experience most bar/bat mitzvah age kids will go to so many parties and will receive so many party favors it is really hard to make yours stand out and be used. If you want the favor to be kept and used the first thing you must do is keep it simple when you choose what to imprint on the item. An imprint like this

“I HAD A BLAST AT

DAVID GOLDSTEIN’S

BAR MITZVAH”

Sept. 10, 2012

almost guarantees that the item will find a permanent spot at the bottom of a kid’s closet if not the garbage when they get home. A good alternative would be

DG’s Party Rocked”

9.10.12

It is always a good idea to use a numeral date like we show above versus writing it out.

When Should You Order Your Party Favors

The most optimal time to order your favors is when you have all your replies from your invitations.  This is usually around 4 weeks before your party.  This way you will have your favors in plenty of time to do any wrapping or tagging you might want to do.  Also while we have never not delivered ordered favors on time, it gives us some leeway in case a problem does crop up.  For example, several years back when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we had ordered some favors from one of our vendors in that area.  Their shop was completely destroyed in the storm before they could ship our order out but because our customer had ordered early we were able to find another vendor to produce the favors and they were delivered on time.  The lessen to be learned here is place your order as early as you can.

Taking the above into consideration there are plenty of people who for whatever reason either forget to order the favors or decide at the last minute to hand something out.  In most cases we can still get the favors delivered in time.  Depending upon how late you order we sometimes have to go without a proof if you are imprinting or we have to order the goods without an imprint.  Earlier this year we actually had someone call us on a Tuesday for a party that weekend.  We were able to find an acceptable favor at a vendor who offered 24 hour service and the item was delivered that Friday.  We made a party giver very happy and since then she has referred two of her friends to us, thankfully both were ordered in plenty of time.

In closing it is always better to order your party favors as early as you can but for those procrastinators out there, we can still help you, just give us a call.

Bar Mitzvah Favors Or Bat Mitzvah Favors - What to Give and How Much to Spend!

Before the recent financial crisis there seemed to be no limit on what parents were spending on their sons or daughter's Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It seemed to be a "can you top this" situation where one party was more extravagant then the next. The decorations were over the top, bigger and more elaborate venues were being used, bands with 10, 11, 12 members, food from the top chefs, and party favors that were unforgettable all without a budget in mind.

We went to a Bat Mitzvah held in an airplane hanger. This venue obviously started out as an empty space, they had to lay flooring throughout the hanger, bring in tables and chairs, ovens for the chefs, lighting for the whole area, build walls around the area being used, a sound system, set up parking areas and god knows what else to make this a usable place to hold a party. They had an elaborate video made, that included a trip on a private plane and numerous other settings. They had a huge band and then to close the night they actually had the original or what is left of the original "Village People" perform. They had all kinds of things for the kids to win, electronic items, clothing, etc., etc. They gave out several party favors when the whole affair was over. Was the party unbelievable, absolutely! Was it over the top, absolutely! Did everyone have a great time, absolutely!

Was it necessary to do all this, how can anyone count anyone else's money or tell them how to spend it, but I can guarantee since the latest financial hit there are a lot less of these kinds of parties going on across the country then there used to be.

With parents cutting back on how big and how elaborate of a party to give, they are also cutting back on what they spend on their party favors. Even though supplying party favors is our business and of course we make more when people are able to spend more, we understand and appreciate what is going on in the country. We also understand it is not how much you spend on your party favor but what you give and how you imprint it (to be covered in another article).

Your budget is your budget, spend what you are comfortable spending. Take beach towels as an example, this is a great gift, but depending on how you decorate the towel it can get a little pricy. In this case think about imprinting with a one color imprint versus embroidering them. Another example is a drawstring bag, you can get one for $7.00 or $8.00 or one for less then half that cost. Does the more expensive one maybe have an extra pocket or sharper looking design to it, probably, but in these financial times you have to think is it worth the extra money? In some cases it will be, in most the less expensive item will work just fine. Your child has their heart set on a sweatshirt, think a crew neck one versus a hoodie with pockets, less expensive but very desirable as a party favor.

But don't make the mistake of choosing your end of the night giveaway solely on cost. We have so many parents contact us and the first thing they say is "this is my third bar mitzvah, I just want something cheap, so I can be done with this". You can get something less expensive but still have some usefulness to your child's friends. Why even buy something cheap just for the sake of giving something out at the end of the night that will be thrown out the next morning. A good online party favor company should have a large selection of bags and other items that are less expensive, but with the proper decoration would still be appreciated by your child's friends. Of course if you really are on a tight budget, think about doing a white t-shirt with a one color imprint, inexpensive and who can't use another t-shirt, whether it is to sleep in or play sports in.

Just remember these are 13 year old kids, do they want to receive a party favor at the end of the night, most definitely. Do they really care how much it costs, absolutely not. They just want something they can use.

The Dress

I'm just back from a beach vacation which I throughly enjoyed. Whenever I take a beach vacation I like to take a book to read on the beach. Usually something light and easy to get through quickly. Anyway it turns out that in the book I chose there is an upcoming Bat Mitzvah. The mom and daughter have very different ideas about what they want from this special occasion. The mom wants a low key meaningful experience and the daughter wants all the bells and whistles. The mom is conservative and still thinks of her daughter as her baby and the daughter feels that becoming a Bat Mitzvah means she is becoming a young adult. Which is hard to argue with since that is what becoming a Bat Mitzvah is about.
So where do you draw the line? I personally feel that you need to let your daughter have some input regarding the party. Of course this does not mean that she should be wearing a dress that is inappropriate or that you have to blow your budget not only for the Bat Mitzvah but for the whole year. As much as it is difficult to see our children growing up it is part of the process so you need to find a happy medium. Your daughter does not need to look like a sex goddess she should feel like a teen princess. This is after all her special day and you want her to shine not only through the service but at her celebration. So just think back to when you were her age and whether or not you were being Bat Mitzvahed remember the aches and pains of growing up. It wasn't easy then but it truly wasn't as hard as now.

It's Summer !!!

I love this time of year school is out, the clocks don't need to be set, and we don't need to be on such a structured schedule. Everything slows down a little the snowbirds go home, we can get into restaurants and you don't need to hound the kids about homework and studying. I could live without the humidity but other than that what could be better.
I also find that summer is a great time to try some new recipes.

So I'll share one I just found I haven't tried it yet but is sounds so refreshing.

Cucumber-Avocado Yogurt Soup
This recipe will serve 4-6 people, but can easily be doubled for a crowd.

2 medium or 4 small cucumbers (best to use organic or English cucumbers)

1/2 avocado, ripe (it would also be fine to use a whole avocado, if you really love avocados)

1 8-oz container plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon lime juice

Soy or skim milk, or water, to thin soup if necessary

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Peel cucumber and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Chop coarsely and add to blender.

2) Remove pit and scoop out avocado flesh and add to blender with cucumber. Add yogurt, lime juice, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. If soup is too thick, add milk or water in small increments to thin soup to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3) Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with salsa.

Salsa Garnish for soup
This is a great garnish for soups, or even to eat with chips alone.

1/4 cup chopped bell peppers (various colors)

1/4 cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed

1 tablespoon diced red or sweet onion or sliced scallions (green and white parts)

1/4 cup diced unpeeled cucumbers, seeds removed

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers, seeds removed (keep some seeds if you want it spicy)

Splash lime or lemon juice

Splash olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, taste, and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and garnish soup with salsa. Serve any extra salsa with chips or bread.

If you try it let me know what you think.