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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeart Radio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that theme parties aren't just for kids.
When you're planning a gathering, It can be fun to think beyond the time and place and consider whether a theme could make your party feel more special.
So I recently helped my daughter plan a spa-themed birthday party.
We ordered tween-sized robes, face masks, nail polish, all that good stuff.
By thinking through the theme, she knew she would have more fun with her friends than if she just invited everyone over for pizza and a movie.
Now, of course, that would be fun too, but the spa part would make it more memorable.
I think she's on to something, and not just for 12-year-old birthday parties.
A theme can elevate almost any gathering.
We know this instinctively with seasonal parties.
Around this time of year, you might just get invited to a Halloween costume party.
Come Thanksgiving, you and your family will gather to express gratitude, alongside expressing your desire for more pie.
December might bring cookie exchanges.
You figure out a time and place to get together.
But for seasonal parties.
You also know there is something else making the gathering coherent, which is one reason that people feel so festive.
Even though sometimes the holidays and their parties can be exhausting, I would argue that adding themes can elevate gatherings any time of year.
For instance, if you are celebrating an adult's birthday, you can choose a theme that relates to the birthday boy or girl, either as a young person or today.
Maybe you choose the year a newly minted 50-year-old graduated from high school and invite people to wear clothes reflecting that year.
It goes without saying that that year's top 40 hits should be playing on the stereo.
Or maybe you choose the person's current passion as a theme.
Gathering the friends of a budding chef at a culinary school for a class, followed by dinner.
Or maybe the person is an outdoor games enthusiast.
And you can build the party around cornhole or gaga or something like that.
Of course, you don't have to have an occasion like a holiday or birthday to throw a themed party.
If you and your friends all love crafts or wish you could find more time for crafts, have a crafting party.
You could set everyone up to do the same craft, say sculptures with copper wire or making friendship bracelets.
Or you could provide tables, chairs and snacks and invite everyone to bring their own craft projects to work on.
Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, urges hosts to think about the purpose of their gatherings, and that can help you decide on a theme party that might be right for you.
She points out that a category of party isn't a purpose.
In other words, potluck dinner or even costume party doesn't really qualify as a purpose.
Go beyond what you are doing to also consider why you are gathering in the first place.
Think about your hopes and your intentions for this gathering.
Do you want to create an occasion for laughing and having fun together after a stressful season?
Do you want to help your friend circle get to know each other better?
Maybe a crafting party will let you and your friends tap into your creative side and spend an afternoon doing something for the love of it, not because it's productive.
Maybe the 50 year old's 1991 themed birthday party will remind him that he's known his friend group for a long time.
Getting together with friends and family is great, but you don't have to settle for just picking a date and a time and a default place.
Instead, think about why you want to get together and consider whether a themed gathering might help you achieve that purpose.
A theme can give your party a focus and perhaps a sense of playfulness and fun, too.
You'll create connections and memories that go deeper than they otherwise would.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Today's tip is powered by National University.
As a listener of Before Breakfast, you know my goal is to help you make the most of your day without sacrificing work or family time.
That's why I'm so happy to introduce an institution that shares the same values.
If you are thinking about going back to school, you're probably wondering how to fit it all in.
National's flexible online formats, four- and eight-week courses and monthly class starts help you begin your degree sooner, finish faster and do it all on your own schedule.
So you have more options for managing work, family, and school.
With over 150 degrees, credentials and certificates to choose from, they have a program that fits your career goals.
Learn more today at nu.edu.
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