Top Patio Party Ideas To Consider When Organizing a Party

The patio is considered to be one of the most versatile places in a home, as it can be a family area, an unwinding area, and even a party area. And since we are talking about parties, the patio area is easily the most practical party venue - with some imagination and a few tweaks, you can throw a glamorous party right in your backyard, letting you save on money on venue rental in the process. But planning for a party is not easy. You have to think of a theme and know how to apply changes to match the theme of the party you are considering. If you are thinking of throwing a party on your patio, here are a couple of cool ideas.

Sweet Summer

The Sweet Summer look is of course made as a party idea during the summer. Basically, all you need to do is serve summer drinks and consider buying summer looking decorations such as beach balls, a portable swimming pool (if you don't already own one), and a nice light torch. You really want to create the entire summer essence and that can only be done with the right decorations. You could also consider buying an umbrella to block the sun and to also complete the summer look.

Elegant Castle

The Elegant Castle look is also a really great party idea that you could consider doing. Basically, all you need to do is purchase portable glass tables and chairs along with elegant white lights and white balloons to really achieve the superior elegant look. Also consider creating or purchasing your own personal mini castle to really get that cute castle look. This idea is perfect for people in all ages as the entire castle with an elegant look can suit anyone's party. Be sure to also purchase a white canopy to really get that elegant appearance.

Pretty In Pink

The Pretty In Pink style is obviously the party theme for girls, especially for young girls who adore the color pink so much. Basically, all you need to do is purchase these decorations such as pink balloons, pink portable chairs, pink beanie chairs, pink pillows, and simply everything pink. This type of party is made for girls, so you could consider inviting only girls to this type of patio party. You could also have pink plastic plates and pink silverware to really get the pretty in pink essence. Also have your guests to wear pink so the party really is super pink in photos.

Outdoor Theater

The Outdoor Theater party theme is a more sophisticate theme that teenagers and young adults would like. All you need to do to create this unique theme is have beanie chairs on the ground, along with flat couches with pillows to replicate the look of actual public outdoor theaters. After that, place a television or projector where all the couches and beanie chairs can see it and showcase all types of movies on it. You could also place a long table near the couches and beanies and serve snacks on them so that they can really enjoy the movies you show.

Garden Party

The Garden Party is the perfect theme for adults, as gardens are known for being very sophisticated. All you need to do is buy a couple plants and flowers to decorate the entire patio with. Simply place flowers on the chairs and tables to really get the perfect garden look. Also consider placing a couple flowers on the umbrellas of each table and at the sides of the entrance to the patio.

Carnival Theme

If you have kids who want to go to the carnival at their birthday, then instead of spending so much money bringing all their guests to carnival where food and games are so expensive, you should just bring the carnival to them. You need to hire a clown, a cotton candy stand, dunk tank, and make really fun carnival games such as coin toss and pie eating contests. This type of party theme will really be like no other carnival your child has been to as it is their own personal carnival without having to wait in long lines or pay expensive game fees.

Of course all patio spaces are not complete with some kind of seating for your guests to set and enjoy the party. Check your local big box like home depot of target for some great deals or for a longer lasting outdoor furniture look online for where you can find the perfect brand for your style and use.

No matter how cool these hip patio party ideas are, know that they are just a good starting point. The best idea is one that you personally imagined and realized. Good luck with your party!

7 Simple Tips In Finding Happiness

This is for my friend who seems depressed.  He sleeps for more than 12 hours a day.  He always feels sad and tired.  He feels that he is hopeless or worthless and in relation to this he wants to die.  He has a difficulty in concentration.  He is very irritable.   He has unexplained headaches everyday and often on other parts of his body like his leg too.  He has a loss of appetite.  I've been watching him like this for five years.  Too bad that he and his family is in denial.  I do understand that its easy to blame others or make excuses.  But, I hope my friend reads this.


1. Be Satisfied and Thankful For The Little Things Life Has To Offer

The little things can be anything.  It can be a person , place or an object.  Remember, although they can be measured differently like based on a price tag,  you can always have your own way of giving them value.  Being rich or poor has nothing to do with this.  Always be glad for every knew experience or the things you learn.  Through this, there will never be a boring moment in your life.  


Whenever I treat my friend out for a dinner or bring him to a cool new place.  He will often shrug and tell me its nothing special.  He always tells me with a disappointed face that he couldn't eaten something more delicious if he wanted to or go somewhere better if he wanted to.  I have never seen him happy or excited about anything.  When I ask him what he thinks about something, he'd be forced to say that it's "okay".  He feels that by inviting him, I should be the one to be thankful for his attendance.  


On the other hand, I'd be happy over a scoop of cheap ice cream or even just a box of chocolates.  I could be happy just by hearing my favorite song on the radio and the like.   I'm also always eager to learn and try out knew things.   That way I could am happy everyday because there will always be something wonderful in a day. 


2. Be Optimistic

It is undeniable that there will always be something bad to happen in our lives.  But, there will always be something good corresponding to it.  Its like the common expression of the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"  My friend always saw the glass half empty.  In fact, he is always searching for the wrong or bad things that he misses out on all the good things.  Even if there is no problem at all, he finds one and makes it a big deal.  Our minds are very powerful.  We have the power to turn the outcome of our life with our mindset.  If you are not convinced then I suggest that you test it out like I did on my personal experiences.


3. Learn to Let Go

This is the counterpart of being optimistic.  You should always learn to let go.  A lot of people are afraid of optimism because it can result to disappointments and annoyance.  Well, why would you let those things irritate you or make you waste your time and energy?  Sometime, we even let them anger or let us hate them.  You already know that it will do no good so when bad things happen learn all you can from it and then throw it out and forget it ever happened.  Some people like my friend find it difficult to let go.  He even reasons his pride as an excuse.  We should learn to forgive and forget.  Some ask "How can I forgive when it hurts so much?"  Truth is, it hurts more when you hold it in and don't let go.  


4. Share the Blessing and Build Relationships

If you have learned to value other, share your blessings with them and feel the happiness twice by making them and yourself happy.  The more people you help and share with, the more it will increase your self-worth.  A simple way of sharing happiness with others is simply smile or greet them and notice how many of them will respond positively.  It's better to be fooled than be fooled.  So try to trust others and show sincerity.  Through this, you can build relationships with others and they can help you whenever you are in need.  No matter how alone you may seem, I'm sure you have your family to start with.


My friend never understood this.  He was always expecting something in return in every action he did.  He could never understand and feel the joy of simply giving.  It is because he never learned to recognized the value of others around him.  


5. Navigate Your Life, Keep Yourself Busy and Be Productive

Always do something with your valuable and limited time.  Make a goal for yourself and feel the happiness it will bring once you achieved it.  A lot of people look at work as negative when it is actually something good.  It is by setting our goals and reaching it that we find meaning in our lives and we learn to value ourselves.  Moreover, by being idle, you are letting your body depreciate.  It also allows a lot of negativity to flow into your mind.  Being productive means trying our best and getting read or blames and excuses.  It's so easy to escape from responsibilities or our mistakes by blaming others or making excuses that we never learn from it.


6. Have Faith

Remember to keep the faith.  Always pray to thank and ask for guidance whenever you are lost or confused.  We are not perfect and we will always need divine intervention.  


7. Reflect and Meditate

Always take time to appreciate and recollect your life experiences.  Sometime, you can find similarities and differences in each occurrence.  Take note of them and acknowledge your actions and mistakes and learn from them.


Perhaps, you have more tips on finding happiness? 

Our Lazer Xtreme at Market! Market! Experience and Guide Tips

When we were young, my cousins and I used to play lazer tag often at Shangri-La Mall's Q-Zar and Megamall's Laser Quest. I remember, I even asked Santa for a Lazer Challenge toy set but he never gave me one=( I really loved playing it as a kid. So I really had to convince Kurt to play with me because everyone else thinks its too childish for my age. After years of persuasion and Cash Cash Pinoy (I already purchased in advance!), I finally got Kurt to try it >:) Kurt was surprised I bought for 4 games hehehe!

So one summer day, we had the long commute from Taft to Market! Market! in Taguig. First we had to take Pedro Gil to Guadalupe Jeep (14 php) then from Guadalupe to Gate-3 (10 php). We then found Lazer Xtreme at the 4th floor.

 

Personel Collecting Tickets to the Orientation Room

       Upon entry, we went to the counter to get our game tickets for the next game.  We placed our belongings at their locker (200 php refundable deposit required).   Then we entered the orientation room.  We were squeezed in with a group of call center agents.  We were the only first timers in the group.  When we watched the introductory video, I then realized that lazer tag was not how I recalled it. There was a rule that no running was allowed. I don't recall such policy when I was young...

Orientation during our 3rd Game

      From the video here are the basic we learned:

• No running, no climbing, no lying nor crawling on the floor, no covering of opponents’ pack sensors, no physical contact,no rude language and based on the video you can't duck either
• You may be aimed at the front (200 points), back (150 points), shoulder (50 points) (also learned after our 3rd game that you could also get hit in the phasor or your gun)
• You can destroy a base (200 points)
• Game lasts for 15 minutes
• You get disarmed for 3 secs. where you get hit 
• You need to hold the gun with 2 hands or it won't work (Usually those with low scores commit this mistake)

Selecting out gears

Stacy Gearing up

Kurt Gearing up

Everyone in the Gear Room

We were then asked to gear up. Kurt and I chose the color RED.  Soon, the door to the game room opened and we were given 10 seconds to secure our safe spot.  We thought we were divided into 2 teams as the guide said. But as the game started, I was being shot by my own team mates. What was going on? When the scores were showed, we soon found out that there were 3 teams: 11 GREENS, 7 REDS and 4 PINKS. The pinks had the highest score. That's when we figured that they were not friendly fire but actually pinks. How ignorant could we be right? But somehow it felt weird that the teams were a bit uneven.

After the first round, I still didn't understand a lot of things:

• Whose base is whose?  I guess I was accustomed to the game play wherein each team has their own base and they have to defend their own base.  I guess there is no such system here.  There were only 4 bases regardless of the number of teams.
• I always get hit but I can't find who is hitting me.  (We found out after our 4th game that if you are above, you can easily shoot players below like sitting ducks and if you are below your laser beam can't reach those on top)
• Why do some players vest change color?  (We realized after our 3rd game that the vest color changes to the color of the attacker when a player is disarmed)
• How come I was hit twice before being disarmed? (We realized after our 2nd game that sometimes when you get hit at one part of your vest the others still light up and can get hit at before you get disarmed and Kurt says that the vest and gun vibrates if you get hit at but I don't feel it at all)

After skipping one game round and having cold ice tea from the snack bar, we decided to play again. This time we were playing with kids and their dads and we lost. We knew the color rule this time but we lacked team work and navigation. Kurt wanted to move, I didn't. The family trio kept on ambushing us lol=p There was also a little boy who had the vest until his little shoes, he was too cute to shoot but his vest light was always off though.

      

On the third game, there were 4 teams composing of kids to teenagers mostly chinese.  BLUE (5 players), RED (6 players), PINK (5 players), CYAN (Kurt and me).  We still lacked coordination.  The REDS were ambushing us in the lower middle while the the PINKS and BLUES target us from the upper left and upper right grounds.  We were like sitting ducks in an open field.  Defenseless and always disarmed.  But we learned something during the game, if you shoot players consecutively, your phasor makes sound remarks like " Well Done or Good Job".  Here's our score cards showing how much of a loser we were.  As usual though, Kurt had a way higher score than me. In this game we were beaten by a little kid who ran around fast.

  

Kurt's Scorecard as Flash

Stacy's Scorecard as Archer

On our last game, we were squeezed in with a group of 15 high school students.  We were divided into two teams:  PINK for the 8 girls including me and BLUE for the 9 guys including Kurt.  During this game, I was in a solo flight.  I was always on the move.  I roamed around several times up and down.   After learning from the 3rd game that even phasors could get hit, I abandoned my old tactic of hiding and shooting with only my phasor exposed.  We felt that of all games we played, this game had the most even distribution.  My score also got higher after all the other rounds we've played.  After a few minutes wait, we were given our scorecards.  I noticed my card has "Mine Tagged You 4".  So I asked what does it mean.  We were told that there are random spots in the game where there are sensor mines and if you come across such, you will get disarmed even if no one hits you. 

Kurt's Scorecard as Lithos

Stacy's Scorecard as Falcon

We realized that game play and team distribution has a lot to do with the game.  The strategy of placing yourself above or below also has its ups and downs.  Like if you are below, you are like sitting ducks from those above but if you are above, players can easily see you and ambush you.  

The guns now are lighter and I could see actually see the lazer beams.  The Lazer Xtreme venue is cool to have two levels to play with.  It was very safe and easily visible even in the dark. 

During the game, I have to admit, I sometimes accidentally clashed in with other players.  (Guess that's what the rules were for) When I was a little kid I recalled the Q-Zar or Lazer Quest grounds to be bigger.   Perhaps because it only had a two teams and only a few player capacity.  But it was okay since confrontations is a practice of reflex.  ts a race towards the trigger and whoever gets disarmed loses though sometimes both of you get disarmed and its a draw.

Overall, the game was fun.  Although, paint ball was more challenging because of the bullet restriction (you'd conserve your ammo or drain your cash).  For a trigger happy and pain-sensitive player like me who is on a tight budget, lazer tag is the best option.  Lazer Xtreme game rates: 170 php on weedays and 190 php on weekends.  We will probably come back for more!   They have a new branch at Alabang Town Center (ATC).  Any idea if its bigger?  If it is we will probably try it out despite the distance=)

While we were there, there was also a party going on in the function room.  Perhaps for kids, having a party at Lazer Xtreme is an awesome and unique idea too.  Think about it... You can shoot your peers and tease them about it haha! 

Need more tips?  Check out: Silkenhut's Lazer Xtreme Experience

LazerXtreme

4/F Market! Market!

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

856-6467 or 69

http://www.lazerxtreme.com.ph