Turkey Takeout

For event planners and those who love to entertain, it is all in the details.  As you prepare for your Thanksgiving events and entertaining, consider adding those little pieces of flair.  In searching for some tidbits on Thanksgiving celebrations, I came across the idea for a very useful favor and delicious takeaway for your holiday guests... turkey takeout containers.  What a win, win!  As the host, you rid yourself of an overstuffed refrigerator for the remainder of the week and your guests get to take home the turkey goodness you prepared for them (and in chic containers nonetheless).  Brilliant, I say.

Takeout Containers, seen in Country Living. Photo Courtesy of: Gridley & Graves. Casa-diseno-blog.com

Your guests will head home with full tummys and happy hearts just from spending the day with you... and giving them leftovers guarantees they will remember the good times and sentiments of thankfulness shared around your Thanksgiving table.  The icing on the cake is, placing these leftovers in fun to-go containers both shows your attention to detail and makes the leftover eating experience an event in its own right. 


Check out Home Design with Kevin Sharkey for other creative turkey takeout containers and Casa Diseno Blog for a reference of the to-go containers pictured as well as other favor ideas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kate Sepe joins Let's Party Magazine.com as the Event Trends Blogger with a background in nonprofit event planning and management. Kate is currently a Special Events Manager with the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. Kate is a board member with the International Special Events Society (ISES) of Arizona. She expresses a true love and passion for the event industry and is thankful for the opportunity to share unique ideas and popular trends with readers. 

Delish Vegetarian Menu Options for your Thanksgiving Feast

Photo courtesy of cestlavegan.com

When creating an event menu, as planners, caterers, etc... we always take into consideration our guests' meal preferences.  In most cases (if not all), we provide a vegetarian option to our plated meals and multiple vegetarian options to our buffets and stations on the notion that our vegetarian friends should not only have options, but hearty ones at that.  In fact, the trend today is to provide elegant and creative veggie delights in all menus, giving even the average carnivore a moment to second guess their meat-loving inclinations. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, have you considered your vegetarian guests?  If you need a few suggestions or are just interested in cooking up some delectable veggie dishes, here are a few resources for vegetarian and vegan menu options (these are sure to appeal to all guests while mixing up the traditional Thanksgiving food expectations):

C'est La Vegan: Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas 

NBC Washington: Creating a Thanksgiving Vegetable Cornucopia

Foodie Roadshow: Want to Make a Vegetarian Happy This Thanksgiving? 

Martha Stewart: 22 Meatless Thanksgiving Recipes 

Enjoy! 

Kate Sepe joins Let's Party Magazine.com as the Event Trends Blogger with a background in nonprofit event planning and management. Kate is currently a Special Events Manager with the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. Kate is a board member with the International Special Events Society (ISES) of Arizona. She expresses a true love and passion for the event industry and is thankful for the opportunity to share unique ideas and popular trends with readers. 

Mitzvahs...Made Simple!

Event professionals Toby Indech and Damita Curry have joined forces to create the Valley’s first and largest mitzvah trade show, Mitzvahs Made Simple Expo & Fashion Show. The one-day event will showcase local entertainers, specialty caterers, photographers and videographers, as well as designers and décor.

"As an event consultant and a mother, I know the enormous amount of planning time involved to create a mitzvah-celebration weekend,” says Indech, of Living Energy Events and Productions. “[Mitzvah families] stress about ensuring our celebrations are incredibly special with memories that last a lifetime for our whole family. Turning to the right team of vendors to make your celebrations run smoothly is paramount in the planning process."

For those unfamiliar with the practice, mitzvahs (‘bat’ for girls and ‘bar’ for boys) are a rite of passage in the Jewish tradition in which a child becomes an adult in the eyes of the community. After a year of studying the Torah, the child takes part in a religious service, followed by a celebration.

Just what that celebration entails, well that’s only limited by the imagination- and of course, the parents’ pocketbook.

A New York couple recently spent $1 million on their daughter’s Plaza Hotel celebration for 400 based on Britney Spears’ Circus tour, complete with a copycat Spears outfit, contortionists, stilt walkers, and a troupe of Cirque du Soleil performers (New York Post).

Luckily for parents with a more, ahem, limited budget, a mitzvah celebration can still be a spectacular event, with the help of the right professionals.

“Coming to trade shows like Mitzvahs Made Simple saves families time and money by offering a day to shop local, highly specialized vendors who can show them what's possible within their budget and answer their questions in a no-pressure environment,” Curry says. “Families can take advantage of exclusive specials and promotions that are not offered any other time. Generally speaking, families can save 15% to 20% shopping at an expo, compared to planning all on their own without guidance.”

Mitzvahs Made Simple Expo & Fashion Show is Sunday, November 14th at the Hilton Scottsdale, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, from 12-4 p.m. A fashion show is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. A special family rate is available through the event website, MitzvahsMadeSimple.com.

Extending Your Thanksgiving Decor to Include Some Childish Fun

As we welcome these early days of November, our thoughts turn to the beginnings of the 2010 holiday season. With Thanksgiving only a few short weeks away, many of us are considering our plans: guests, menu, table decor, etc. Over the next couple of weeks we will look at these Thanksgiving plans from all angles in hopes of getting you prepared for your holiday feast and celebration.

While searching for ideas for this first Thanksgiving post, I came across a blog, Sheek Shindigs that focused on the younger generations and their Thanksgiving contributions. While this day is about togetherness with family and friends, we sometimes forget the little ones and their role in the holiday. I don't know about you, but as a child, I never like being sent to the "kids table" on these holidays and always wanted to be a part of the action and adult-centered universe. Sarah Younger, Owner and Designer of Sheek Shindigs, offers ideas for getting the little ones more involved. Her design inspirations, pulled from great resources like Better Homes and Gardens and Parents Magazine, not only incorporate children in crafting, they also help create a child-centered universe that is the equivalent of the adult one. Creating a "kids table" that reflects the holiday with age appropriate materials and decor gives your little ones a great feeling of importance and inclusion, while adding that element of childish fun.

Check out Sarah's Thanksgiving inspirations on her Blog, Sheek Shindigs.

Kate Sepe joins Let's Party Magazine.com as the Event Trends Blogger with a background in nonprofit event planning and management. Kate is currently a Special Events Manager with the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. Kate is a board member with the International Special Events Society (ISES) of Arizona. She expresses a true love and passion for the event industry and is thankful for the opportunity to share unique ideas and popular trends with readers.