How to Set an Informal Table

Setting a table properly can be a daunting task. Where does each piece go and what do you need to have on the table for each course? Here I will describe how a table would be set for a meal consisting of a soup course, salad course, entrée and dessert.

Start with the dinner plate. This is the largest piece of the table setting and the one around which everything will revolve. You may place the napkin in a ring on top of the plate.

Next, place the silverware. Forks are always placed to the left of the plate. They are placed in an outside-in pattern based on the order in which they will be used. The first used, in this case, a small salad fork, will be placed on the outside. The dinner knife is set closest to the plate on the right side. Ensure that the cutting edge faced inward. It is appropriate to use a steak knife if the entrée is meat. Next, place the spoons. These are placed in the same pattern as the forks, from the outside in. In our example, the soup spoon would go on the outside and the dessert spoon, which would be used last, would be placed between the soup spoon and dinner knife.

Drinking glasses of any kind are placed above and to the right of the dinner plate.

These are the basics of setting a table. However, you may also wish to include a salad plate, bread plate and butter knife, dessert spoon and fork or a cup and saucer.

A salad plate is placed to the left of the forks. The bread plate is placed above the forks. The butter knife should be placed diagonally across the edge of the bread plate and the handle should be closest to the dinner plate. You may place a dessert spoon and fork above the dinner plate or beside the plate, following the rules stated above for the placement of spoons and forks. Dessert spoons and forks, therefore, would be found closest to the dinner plate, as they will be used last. Finally, a coffee cup and saucer would be placed above and to the right of the knife and spoons.

You have now placed every piece of dinnerware, cutlery and glasses you could need for an informal dinner experience. Now you can sit back and enjoy the food and the impeccable table you have set. Enjoy!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Mitchell

Choosing Sports Teams Fairly Makes For Fun Outdoor Games

Playing an outdoor game should be fun and exciting for everyone involved. If you allow kids to choose their own teams, you may have to deal with some hurt feelings-kids are not the most diplomatic of creatures, and someone will always be chosen last. To avoid hurt feelings-and to make sure that teams are evenly matched, consider the following methods:

• If the children are all around the same age, then use a random team assignment. Use small items of similar shapes, but different colors to select teams. You can use marbles, poker chips, checkers, or any other small, colorful item. Add enough of two contrasting colors to a hat or bowl, and have players select without looking. Players choosing a "white" marble are on one team-and players choosing a "black" marble are on the other team.

• If you are doing a planned event, make team lists in advance, and assign the children to teams. You can sort them into teams, making sure that abilities are evenly matched, and also separate any potentially troublesome pairs at the same time. When you are ready to play, just read off the team lists, and get started.

• If the kids playing are of different ages and abilities, you will need to balance the teams out-a team of 5 year olds is not going to last long against a team of 10 year olds. Have the kids line up by age or height, and then assign the first student in line to "Team A", and the second to "Team B", and continue alternating until all of the children have been assigned a team.

• If you do choose to allow the kids to form their own teams by choosing one team member at a time, make a rule that the last children chosen are automatically the "captains" for the next game. Alternatively, if you are working with a group of children you are familiar with, select the children who are usually picked "last" to be the team captains.

Once teams are selected, you can help kids remember "which" team they are on by supplying colorful jerseys, t-shirts, or armbands if needed. If you are doing an all day or all week program like a summer camp, you can assign teams for the duration of the event-most children will remember what team they are on after the first few games are completed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denise_Sanger

How to Plan "The" Graduation Party

Maybe your kid just graduated from pre-school or said their last good-byes to the one hour recess every day from elementary school. Maybe they are leaving the funny hair and awkward stages and graduating high school. Or maybe they are graduating college or university starting their life in the world. They all deserve to have a graduation party to celebrate and recognize them for their hard work and commitment.

When deciding on throwing a graduation party you pretty much plan like any other party. You might have to put more thought in to who to invite.

It is easier to figure out who to invite when your children are younger. It can be a bit tricky the older they get. If you are dealing with older kids or young adults have them involved in this aspect. Although figuring out the guest list if you are throwing a surprise party can be tricky. In that case you are going to need a few people to help you with the guest list.

You don't want to leave any one left out or miss inviting them, maybe at this point you can recruit a friend from school to help you figure out who should be there, because even if you know your child and their friends there might be some more friends that your child would like to invite. Plus, the opposite it true; a school friend would be able to let you know who to avoid inviting. Maybe the person you are throwing the party for is married. In that case you may also need someone that is in the guest of honor's spouse's family. Think about any hobbies, and or clubs the guest of honor might be a member of, and invite those people.

When you have figured out the guest list it is very and I mean VERY important that on the invite it should clearly state that it's a surprise party, because we don't want someone to ruin that surprise by contacting the guest of honor about the party.

Selecting decorations for a graduation party is pretty easy these days considering that most party stores have so many to choose from. Have you thought about choosing items that have the same color of the school, or maybe getting a cake shaped like the actual graduation year? Why not throw a Luau or choosing another theme like a masquerade ball or a flash back party. Ultimately you are the one that knows the guest of honor best. It is all about them so decide on a theme or organize the party so that you know they are going to enjoy it. If anyone should have fun and let loose at their party it's the person you are organizing it for.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isabelle_Schwimmer