Try weighting your sea creature mylars so that they float just above the water of your pool!
Cut the ribbon on your mylar to the depth of your pool, plus a few inches. Tie to weight and drop weight into your pool. Now you have a medley of creatures enjoying your pool and amazing your guests!

Hang flowered leis from trees, porch umbrellas and fences along with white stringed lights for a tropical evening glow!

At an adults-only party, float candles in margarita glasses along your table. For a twist add a drop of food coloring to the water.

Put plastic favors/toys in air-inflated balloons and drop into pool. Send kids on a “treasure hunt” to redeem their loot. For more challenge, perform as a relay race with a “pink balloon” team and a “yellow balloon” team.

This is a great game for anyone who loves fun!
Set up a volley ball net or tie a colored rope between trees to serve as one. You need 6-8 people per team and 3-4 beach towels per team, as well as a bunch of water balloons. With two people holding beach towel lengthwise, nestle a balloon in the sag at the middle. Move the towel in unison to catapult the balloon to the other side where the other pairs should try to catch it in their towel. Keep score like a volleyball game. This takes a while to master, but that’s the fun of it!

Make virgin mixed drinks for the kids, or if you just prefer an alcohol-free party!
Serve in a variety of our tropical plastic cups, such as a coconut, champagne glass or any of your margarita glasses.
Try:

Cherries Julius
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. grenadine
Add ice and blend until smooth. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and orange wedge. Secure with a fancy toothpick or umbrella!

Pina Lagoon
4 oz. Coco Lopez (cream of coconut)
8 oz. pineapple juice
1 drop blue food coloring
Add ice and blend until smooth. Serve with pineapple and cherry garnish.

Berry Lemony Slush
6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup frozen of fresh strawberries
3 tbsp. sugar
Blend with ice until smooth. Garnish with lemon slice and strawberry.

Limalicious
6 oz. frozen limeade
1 can Mt. Dew
Blend with ice until smooth. Top with scoop of lemon or lime sherbert and lime wedge.

Apple Picking! Take the kids apple picking as a unique, fall birthday outing. Then return to the house to enjoy other apple activities!
Call:
Honey Pot Orchards: 978-562-5666
Carver Hill Orchards:  978-897-6117
Shellburne Farm:       978-897-9287

As a great activity and to replace a goody bag, set out a caramel apple “bar”. At the beginning, place popsicle sticks and melted caramel. Then set out shallow bowls of each topping. At the end have a cookie tray set out to put apples on. Write their name next to their apple. Wrap in cellophane before the kids leave and send them home.

Your basic fabulous Caramel Apple
Melt caramel slowly in a double boiler (as you could your Merckens chocolate).
Use McIntosh or orchard fresh apples for caramel dipping. Pierce with Popsicle stick into core, then swirl in melted caramel, roll in whatever toppings desired (see recipes below), place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Must be refrigerated for at least one hour. To speed the process, place in freezer for half the time.

Super spiced up Caramel Apples
*Snap-Cracke-N-Crunch: Dip in caramel, then roll in rice crispies bits, then drizzle with melted milk chocolate.
*S’more, Please: Dip in caramel, then crushed Graham crackers and mini marshmallows. Drizzle in milk chocolate.
*Englishman: Dip in caramel, then roll in toffee bits, and drizzle with milk or dark chocolate if desired.
*Sprinkle Circus: Dip in caramel, roll in rainbow jimmies, then drizzle with white chocolate.
*Big Kahuna: Dip in caramel, roll in shredded coconut and/or crushed macadamia nuts. Drizzle with white chocolate.

*** Roll in crushed macadamias, peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, chocolate jimmies, malt bits, and anything else your heart desires!!!

Spiced Apple Cider
Serve in a punch bowl. For decoration, pierce an apple with cloves in a pattern and float in punch.
1 gallon naturally sweet apple cider
1 cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 tbsp. Whole cloves
1 tbsp. Whole allspice
½ tsp. Mace (optional)

Tie cinnamon, cloves, allspice and mace together in a coffee filter tied to a string. Combine cider and brown sugar in a large pot. Add spices. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Then turn heat down and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove spice bag from pot. Spiced Apple Cider may be kept warm in a crock-pot (slow cooker) on low setting. Yield 18 servings.

Vanilla Cider Shake
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 quart naturally sweet apple cider
4-6 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)
Freshly ground nutmeg
Let a pint of vanilla ice cream soften at room temperature. Put ice cream and cider into a blender and blend until frothy and well mixed. Stir in nutmeg. Pour into tall glasses and top with a scoop of ice cream, if desired. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Yield 6 one-cup servings.

Small children can’t participate in some of the activities?
Check out:
http://www.bestapples.com

Easy Applesauce Cake
¼ cup sugar
1 2/3 cup applesauce
2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 eggs
1 (17 oz.) pkg. Yellow cake mix

Blend sugar and cinnamon. Grease 10-inch bunt or tube pan and dust with about 1 tbsp. of sugar/cinnamon mixture Blend cake mix, applesauce and eggs until moistened. Beat as directed on package. Reserve 1 ½ cup of batter and pour remaining batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture; then top with reserved batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until done. Cool 15 minutes top side up, then invert on serving plate.

It’s hard to bring an ocean-loving kid’s birthday to the beach, especially if they have more than three friends! So why not bring the beach home with these summer party ideas!

There are a few games, crafts, activities and themed foods that make this party complete, read on to learn…

• Decorate with seaglass, seashells and colored glass marbles on the tables. If you don’t have your own, you can purchase these at craft stores. Be sure to hang streamers in blues and greens. Party Works also carries ocean themed mylar balloons!
  
  
• For snacks, buy goldfish crackers to munch on (hey, that’s easy!) Another easy treat is to make blue Jell-O jigglers following the package directions. Once the Jell-O is cool, but not set, insert Swedish fish below the surface. Later, cut into random, puddle like shapes.
  
  
• Make punch out of blue Kool-Aid, sprite and white or yellow sherbet. Freeze Swedish fish in ice cube trays to float in the punch. If you want, you can float a small toy boat.
  
  
• Octopus Ice cream sundaes: Arrange licorice so 4 pieces cross in the middle of the plate, plop two scoops of ice cream on top of X part. You can make a face with icing gels or candy, too!
  
  
• To bring your cake into the theme, add blue food coloring to batter before you cook it. Frost it a light blue color. Then, going up the sides, using the star tip and writing tip, make coral and seaweed in bright colors. On top stick some toy fish and dolphins and float a boat!
  
  
• A great craft idea is to purchase seashells with holes in them from a craft store, providing the kids with cord let them create their own jewelry.
  
  
• Find ocean themed coloring books or print them off the Web. Using cotton swabs, Elmer glue, and colored sand, let the kids “color” their pictures. Do this the same as when using glitter. Make sure the colored sands are in wide mouthed bowls so the kids can easily tap the excess into them.
  
  
• Octopus tag is a great game to play outside. Before the party, make two lines from spray paint or rope about 20 ft. apart. The inside of the lines is the ocean, which is where you can be tagged. One player is the octopus; the other “fish” stand behind one of the lines. The octopus yells “swim, fish” and all the fish have to run and cross the other goal line while the octopus tries to tag them. Anyone who gets tagged has to join hands with the octopus and become its tentacles. During the next round they run together and more kids add onto the tentacles, forming a snake. The last kid free is the winner.
  
  
• “Who am I?” is played by taping a picture of an ocean creature to each child’s back. Each child tries to determine what they are by asking the other kids yes/no questions such as: “Do I have fins?” Do I have to come up for air?” The first kid to correctly guess wins the game, but he can keep playing by answering other’s questions. This could also be played as “Ocean Charades!”
  
  
• A great favor to make for the kids to bring home is sweet sand pails. Buy small galvanized or plastic sand pails. Fill bottom with candy rocks. In top put in fish/shell shaped chocolates and candies. Also, make starfish and fish shaped sugar cookies. Wrap in cellophane bags and tie with raffia.

As a child, I recall having sleepover parties in my family’s tent in the backyard. It instilled in us girls a sense of freedom and adventure, even though we were never more than 10 yards from the house. It’s an exiting alternative to the traditional sleepover party!

First, you need a tent and some sleeping bags, most kids can bring their own. It’s also ideal to have a fire pit with lawn/beach chairs set in a circle around it. Make the kids “camp-worthy” snack, such trailmix, the fixings for s’mores, hot dogs and mud cups.

Make invites by folding the top 2 corners of the template on back down to form a tent with flaps, write the info inside the flaps and embellish with woodland critter stickers!

For “atmosphere” (especially if weather turns your camp-out into a basement camp-in) find one of those nature CDs that has the sound of rain, thunder and frogs croaking. Also, if family or a friend plays the guitar, have them lead the kids in some favorite songs around the campfire.

If your campsite is in, or close to the house, plug in white Christmas lights and drape them around trees. If the kids are old enough, you can have citronella lanterns and candles around the site, and leading back to the house (ya-know, where the plumbing is!). Speaking of safety, make sure to watch kids during dark games and know how many kids should be there!

A menu can’t get much easier than s’mores, hot dogs and trailmix, but making cups of “mud” for dessert. Buy clear plastic cups (the better to see the dirt with!) and layer them with instant chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, gummy worms, and a mix of Cool Whip and chocolate pudding. Be sure to have a few worms hanging out the top!

For some games before it gets dark, divide kids into groups of three to five; give each a compass and a list of instructions. The instructions for each group should be different but lead to the same place. The instructions should involve things like “take three giant steps east” and “skip north until you reach the swing set.” Each set of instructions should be equally easy/difficult, as this is a race. Set tokes or flags along the way to ensure that each team followed their instructions. At the end point have a flag or some kind of marker like a forest animal stuffed toy with a prize, such as bouncy balls or glow sticks.

Another game is flashlight tag, which can be played once it’s dark. If you have a large yard limit the playing field so no one gets lost or scared. The person or team who is “it” gets flashlights. When they shine the beam on someone, that person becomes “it”. This can be played for as long as you want. If you have lots of kids you can have three kids be "it" to make it fairer.

You can also set up a scavenger hunt through your property that lets the kids find their “rations.” If you have less than ten kids, have them do it all together, if you have more, make two different courses and have a race. Start with a clue, an empty backpack and one big flashlight. The clue should be a bit tricky, such as: “here the cat sits all day, watching birdies eat and play.” This clue would lead them to the ground under a birdfeeder (make sure there isn’t more than one!). Here they would find some of their supplies, such as a lantern or some snacks or glow sticks! Have an adult accompany the kids so that they don’t spend too much time heading in the wrong direction or trying to decipher the clue. With each prize there should be another clue which will lead them to more “rations” such as the fixings for s’mores, or all their sleeping bags. One of the kids can put all the small things in the empty backpack.

Feel free to alter this format depending on where you live, the weather and the age of the kids. Now rack your own brain for memories of camping pastimes, games and foods. Then come back to Party Works for supplies!

There are a few classics that most of us expect at a Fourth of July cookout. Why not try them with a new twist?

Appetizers:
Chili & Cheese dip
2 cans Hormel chili (bean or no bean)
1 pkg. cream cheese
½ bag shredded taco cheese

• Put everything in a small casserole dish and microwave for a minute at a time, stirring in between.
• Serve with tortilla chips.
• P.S. This takes literally 5 minutes and everyone loves it!

Dilly-Crab Dip
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup light sour cream
1 cup flaked cooked crabmeat or crab flavored flake fish (surimi)
1 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. shredded lime peel
1 tsp. lime juice
A dash of: hot pepper sauce & ground red pepper
4 cups fresh veggie dippers

• Stir everything together except veggie dippers and refrigerate overnight
• Serve in a halved artichoke for pizzazz!

Side Dishes:
Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad
1 cup dry elbow macaroni
1 ½ cups cubed, cooked ham
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. diced pimiento
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet pickle relish or chopped sweet pickles
1 tbsp. milk
Dash pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, halved

• Cook pasta according to package, drain, rinse and then drain.
• In a large bowl combine pasta, ham, cheese, peas, celery, onion and pimiento.
• In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, pickles, milk and pepper.
• Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
• Chill for 4 or more hours; add more milk before serving if necessary. Arrange tomatoes on top.

New Potato Salad
3 lbs. tiny new potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
2 tsp. dried dill weed
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2-6oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
¾ cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. chopped dill pickles

• Boil potatoes until tender, drain, cool and cut into bite size pieces.
• In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon-pepper seasoning and dill.
• Fold potatoes, eggs, artichokes, onion and pickle. Cover and chill for 4 or more hours.

Dinner:
Cut up kielbasa and put on platter with cold hotdogs; let guest roast them on stick around an open fire.

Dessert:
Make sugar cookie dough, divide in half, color one with red icing coloring and one with blue. Using a large star cookie cutter and a small one, make star cookies and stars with the center punched out. Alternate colors, and cook the star “middles” as bite size cookies. When cookies have cooled, ice the full star with white icing and top it with the center-less star, to make a sandwich, with a window.

Strawberry Shortcake

• Make biscuits from Bisquik, following the directions on the box, except add a dash more milk and ¼ cup of sugar.
• Chop 1 cup Merkens white chocolate. Mix half into the biscuit mix, Form biscuits and roll then in sugar. Bake as directed.
• In a bowl, beat a pint of whipping cream, once soft peaks form, beat in one package of Marcapine (or cream cheese) and 1 cup powdered sugar.
• When building shortcakes, halve biscuit, layer on a scoop of whipped mixture and some berries, and whipped mixture. Sprinkle leftover white chocolate, garnish with chocolate dipped strawberry if desired.

Activities:
It’s good to have some games to keep kids occupied and help adults to loosen up!

Dueling Nozzles (or wet soccer)
Each team gets a hose and tries to push the ball across its goal line with the spray. The hotter the game gets the more creative the defensive strategies. A well-timed body block can be a cool trick. And keep an eye on that back line for hose interference!

Try a new twist on the Three-legged race by binding partners together through sharing a pair of sweat pants or pantyhose.

Water Balloon Baseball
Blow up tons of water balloons and put them in laundry baskets or other safe containers. Get a baseball bat or whiffle ball bat, find a large enough area for the game, and set up bases. The two teams take turns batting and fielding as usual, but the batter has to hit, and break the water balloon, once they do, they try to run the bases without getting tagged by the fielders. Each player scores a point for breaking the balloon, and another for making it around the bases.

Décor:
Fill jars with red, white and blue candies for centerpieces; stick a small flag out the top. Set tables with traditional red and white table covers, add accents with blue plates and cups. Setting up white pillar candles around the space can do wonders for the ambience. Consider floating candles in old canning jars. Fill the bottom with blue marbles and tie a red bow around the neck.

Make sure to have some red, white and blue balloons, try accenting the latex with silver-star mylars.

Want to make the easiest bag or basket of Christmas goodies that will have all your friends and family thinking that you are amazing?

Try some of these recipes and presentation ideas.

“Bark” is the easiest candy, it can be made by melting two pounds of white, milk or dark chocolate in a double boiler, then, when it’s melted, add one bag of filling or more to suit your taste. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spread out chocolate mixture to about ¼ to ½’ thick. Pop it in the fridge or freezer for ten minutes or until solid. Break into bite size pieces.

Some combinations to try…
White chocolate & crushed Oreos… dark or milk chocolate & crispies or malt…white chocolate & almonds & dried cranberries or cherries… white chocolate & lemon candy bits… white chocolate & peppermint crunch… s’more, white chocolate, crushed Graham crackers & mini marshmallows.

Another easy treat is to dip anything and everything in chocolate, some things like strawberries and bananas can’t be packaged but are great for a party.

In white chocolate you can dip: Oreos, strawberries, candy canes (then roll in red nonpareils)… brownies pieces…

In milk chocolate: pretzels… strawberries… bananas… nuts… peanut butter and Ritz sandwiches… chunks of angel food cake… caramel bits or squares…small sugar cookies.

In dark: pretzels… nuts… strawberries… bananas… caramel.

For prettier presentation try spooning your bark into silver or gold petitfore papers and sprinkling nonpareils or dragees on top while they are wet…

For sophisticated treats, dip spoons in chocolate to use as coffee or cocoa stirrers; you can buy flavoring from us. Things like crème de menthe butter rum and Valencia orange are good mixed into milk or dark chocolate. Melt a pound or so of chocolate, separate it into cups and mix a few drops of favoring to each cup. Buy colored plastic spoons and dip into chocolate then hold level so they are full but not dripping over; place level on a tray covered in wax paper. It’s good to trademark each kind, so people know, like drizzle green chocolate over the crème de menthe, or stick mini marshmallows into the pan. When they are cooked, stick in small plastic bags individually and tie with curling ribbons. Make sure to test one yourself!

Once you’ve made a variety of these goodies, you can dress them up by drizzling another color of chocolate over them and sprinkling sanding sugar over that, or just go right to packaging.

If you have three different types of goodies, try packing them in their own boxes, a large, medium and small, then stack them in a pyramid, labeling them in your finest handwriting or typed labels, with what the box contains and how to enjoy it (i.e. with the spoons, “stir into hot coffee or cocoa for a splash of flavor”). Then, tie a ribbon with a label around the entire sack.

Or you can package these in inexpensive holiday themed mugs or cups, or in festive cello bags, however you do it, your thoughts and efforts will be appreciated!

A good holiday party activity is to decorate sugar cookies.
Provide baked cookies in the shapes of stars, Santas, snowmen, snowflakes, trees, etc. Then mix tubs or royal icing and color, stick a few knives in each, and provide containers of nonpareils, jimmies, sanding sugars, dragees, and holiday themed candies. You may want to put a cheap plastic table cover over your table and one on the ground if you have young and messy guestlist! Take note: this activity suffices for a dessert dish so you don’t have to make the kids a cake!

A new twist on an old game is Pin the Nose of the Snowman. Attach three white felt circles onto a blue poster board and add small black circles to make eyes and mouth and attach a black paper hat. Scarf and stick arms are nice if you have time. Make a bunch of long orange triangles out of cardstock and attaché the sticky side of the Velcro to the back. Play like pin the tail on the donkey.

Cutting Snowflakes is an age old winter craft. Precut white squares, ten fold paper in half, then in half the other way, then fold from corner to corner to create a 45 degree triangle. Next, cut outside edge to round. Cut shapes out of folded edges, being careful not to cut all the way across. Let the kids hang them in a big window or take home to their parents!

A fun way to open gifts by turn, is to open them lottery style as you read “T’was the Night Before Christmas”. Directions are as follows: Choose key words from the story, such as Christmas, mouse, mamma, nap, stockings, St. Nicholas, etc. Select as many different words as the number of presents there are to open. Write each of these words on folded slips of paper and put then into a Santa hat. To begin, distribute all of the presents to the proper recipients. Allow each person to draw words from the Santa hat to equal the numbers of presents in front of them; having them put one word on top of each present. Your guests will then listen as the story is being read, and when they hear the word that is written on one of their slips of paper, have them call out “Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Stop the story long enough for the person to open the gift that has the matching word on top of it then continue the story, repeating this procedure until all of the gifts have been opened. Be sure to read all the way to the end of the story because you wouldn’t want to miss the ending!

Peppermint Popcorn
1 lb. Merckens white melting bits
24 cups popped popcorn – about 3 microwave bags
½ - ¾ cup peppermint crunch

In a microwave or double boiler, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. In a large bowl combine popcorn and crushed candy. Pour coating over the top; toss to coat. Pour onto paper lined cookie sheet. When hardened, break apart.

Pastel Pretties
24 oz. Merckens while melting bits
2 cups pastel miniature marshmallows
2 cups Fruit Loops
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

In microwave or double boiler, melt candy coating. Stir in marshmallows, cereal, pecans and coconut. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper.

Easy Turtles
1 lb. Nestle’s Caramel
Pecans
½ lb. Merckens Cocoa Lite melting bits

Roll pieces of caramel into walnut sized balls working quickly as the heat from your hands will cause the caramel to get sticky quickly. Place on waxed paper and flatten with palm of hand – Insert pieces of pecan into caramel resembling ‘head’ and ‘legs’ of a turtle. Melt chocolate. Spoon over turtles, making sure to let caramel and pecans to peek out. Let harden.

Raspberry Fudge Balls
1 cup (6 oz.) Merckens Cocoa Dark melting bits
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup finely crushed vanilla wafers
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
¾ cup finely chopped almonds

In microwave or double boiler melt chocolate. Cool slightly. In mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in wafer crumbs and jam. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in almonds.

Mint Chip Cheese Balls (Great Hostess Gift)
4 pkgs. (8 oz. Ea.) cream cheese softened
2 cups finely chopped pecans
12 oz. Merckens Cocoa Lite melting bits finely chopped
½ cup Peppermint Crunch, crush any large pieces
Red and green sprinkles

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; add the pecans, chocolate and peppermint pieces. Divide into 4 portions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape each portion into a ball; roll in red and green sprinkles if desired. Serve with chocolate wafers. Store in refrigerator.

Orange Cappuccino Creams
12 oz. Merckens White melting bits
6 tbsp. Whipping cream, divided use
1 ½ tsp. Orange juice
½ tsp. Orange extract
1 ½ tsp. Finely grated orange peel
¼ cup Finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. Instant coffee granules
4 oz. Merckens Cocoa Dark Chocolate melting bits

In microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate with ¼ cup of cream, orange juice, extract and peel. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in walnuts. Cool 10 – 12 minutes. Using a small spoon fill foil or paper candy cups 2/3 full. Chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine coffee granules and remaining cream in saucepan. Cook and stir until coffee is dissolved. Add chocolate, stir until melted. Spoon ½ tsp. Over white chocolate in each cup.

Nutty Citrus Candy
1 lb. Confectioners sugar
1 pkg. (12 oz.) vanilla wafers, crushed
1 can (6 oz.) orange juice concentrate, thawed
½ cup butter, melted
1 ½ - 2 cups ground walnuts

In bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, wafer crumbs, orange juice and butter. Mix well. Shape into ¾ -inch balls, then roll in walnuts. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Tiger Butter
1 cup Merckens Cocoa Lite melting bits
2 cups Merckens White melting bits
2 cups Merckens Peanut Butter Flavor melting bits
½ cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Line jelly roll pan with foil. Melt 3 kinds of chocolate separately. Pour peanut butter flavor in pan, spreading level. Sprinkle on peanuts. Pour melted white and cocoa lite on top, drizzling each randomly. To marbelize, use knife to pull chocolate through in wide curves… Refrigerate until set. Break into pieces.

Cashew Caramel Clusters
1lb. Nestle’s Caramel
1 tbsp. Water
2 cups unsalted cashews
½ cup Merckens Cocoa Lite melting bits
½ cup Merckens White melting bits

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. In double boiler, combine caramels and water, stirring until smooth. Stir in cashews until coated. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Melt chocolate separately. Spoon each into separate food storage bags – seal, snip corner and drizzle over candies. Let stand until firm.

The Original Party Works Peppermint Crunch Bark
In microwave or double boiler, melt 2 lbs. Merckens White Melting Bits. Stir in 1 lb. bag of peppermint crunch. Pour on foil lined cookie sheet. Let set still until hardened. Break into pieces and MUNCH!
*Hint – any combination of chocolate/mixins can be used. 2 parts chocolate to 1 part mixins. Suggestions: M & M’s, tiny crisped rice, Heath Bar Crunch, Malted Milk Pieces, dried cranberries, dried cherries and any choice of nuts. Miniature marshmallows can be used by sprinkling on tip and stirring slightly with knife before chocolate hardens.

Coated Cookie Drops
1 pkg. (20 oz.) Oreos
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream cheese, softened
1 ½ lb. Merckens White Melting Bits
Red and green melting bits optional

Place the cookies in a blender or food processor – cover, process until finely crushed. Beat cream cheese and crushed cookies until blended. Roll into ¾ - inch balls. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Dip the balls to coat. Place on waxed paper until hardened. Drizzle tops with colored chocolate or edible decorations glued on with a little melted chocolate. 7 ½ dozen

Dipping – Dipping – Dipping
1 lb. Any Merckens flavor chocolate – Melt
Dip: potato chips, pretzel, pretzel rods, candy canes, marshmallows, Oreos, 2 Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter inside – etc.

NOTE: We included the word "microwave" in our instructions - Start by melting small amounts of chocolate on high, one minute at a time. Microwaves have different wattages, therefore, we cannot be responsible for mistakes and always favor the use of the double boiler method!!!

After you finish your 'goodies', come to Party Works for all of your packaging. We have cello bags, wire ties, ribbons, stickers, boxes, trays, etc. Presentation is everything!!!

1. How long do latex helium balloons last?
   10-12 hours and must be picked up the same day as needed.
   
   
2.  How long do mylar balloons last?
   3 days to 50 weeks, depending on how well they are treated. We guarantee them for 3 days.
   
   
3. What is your return policy?
   21 days with receipt, unopened current merchandise. Markdowns are final sales as are seasonal items.

The Basics

• If space permits, host parties at home.  Although hiring an entertainment complex or restaurant to organize parties makes hosting as easy as dialing a phone and writing a check, a simple gathering in a child’s home, planned with the child’s input, says “Happy Birthday” more sincerely than the glitziest party orchestrated by a stranger.
• If the convenience of a hired location outweighs the benefits of an at-home party, you can still personalize the event.  Make the cake, provide your own prizes, and plan a game that centers on the honored child – so his or her celebration is not a clone of every other “Birthday Burger or Pizza Palace” party.
• Keep your parties short and active.  Generally, limit parties to two hours.  Sustaining momentum longer than that is a challenge for even the cleverest host, and it’s always preferable to send guests home wishing the party had been longer – than shorter.
• On party day, follow a plan so you know where you’re going, and what’s next.  Otherwise, your young guests will become distracted, and you’ll lose their cooperation.
• Expect the unexpected.  If the birthday girl drops the cake on the kitchen floor, don’t weep.  Instead, salvage the undamaged portions and proceed.
• As a rule, the number of guests should equal the age of the birthday child.  But tender feelings take priority.  Include friends who play together regularly.  It’s not okay to exclude a close friend because of a recent tiff.  Nor is this the day to convene a dozen kids who’ve never met before.  For toddler parties, invite the parent, too.

Preparation
Planning the theme

• To select a party theme, talk the party over with your child.  Choose one of his or her interests as a theme:  horses, soccer, or ballet.  Or, consider more general themes:  teddy bears, outer space, or a safari.  For little tykes, focus on a favorite color or activity:  puzzles, tricycles, or painting.  Although themed parties may sound complicated, they actually streamline the planning by providing a framework for decision-making.  Invitations, decorations, games, and food all can center around the theme.  A jumble of unrelated games and crafts adds to party chaos, while a theme gives the birthday celebration coherence.
• If the child chooses a theme around a movie or cartoon, consider what the show is about to help carry the theme throughout the party, for example, a Bob the Builder party can be broadened to a construction theme, with the emphasis on ”Bob”.
• Take the theme as far as you can; for a princess party request that everyone wears fancy dresses, let them make tiaras to wear, and address them as “Miss Katie” or “Princess Katie”.  When their parent arrives to pick them up tell them that their “Royal coach” is here to pick them up.  Having kids dress the part makes for really fun pictures.  Take a group one and have it printed to send out in the thank you’s.
• Goodie bags don’t always have to be bags filled with candy and trinkets, try to fit them into your theme as well.  For a campout party give the kids flashlights and compasses in burlap bags, tied with green ribbon.

Put the accent on activities

• Choose activities that match your child’s pleasures and temperament.  Mild child?  Subdued party.  Wild child?  Order fine weather and let them eat cake – outdoors!
• Give surefire classic activities (such as playing dress-up, running a relay, going on a treasure hunt, or breaking a piñata) a thematic twist.  For example, pass a stuffed bear as “hot potato” for a Teddy Bear Party.  For a shipwrecked castaways theme, have partygoers follow clues to find a coconut and trinkets.  Then, crack open the coconut – an experience kids will remember. 
• For the youngest partygoers, begin gently with a craft or cooperative activity, such as decorating a cardboard box “house” or drawing scary monsters with sidewalk chalk.  Then, arrange three or four play centers – with clay, water toys, or cupcakes to decorate.  You’ll probably need an adult or teen to staff each of the centers.
• For older kids, begin with a relay or partner-obstacle course to get blood pumping and kids laughing.  Follow next with a calming activity, and then continue to regulate the excitement’s ebb and flow to keep the fun coming but hysterics at bay.
• Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.  Get ideas from game books, online party sites, and PARTY WORKS “party of the month” idea sheets!  Games that the kids have never played before will become interesting, and often funny, experiments.
• As a rule, prepare one activity for each 15 minutes of party time, plus two or three extras as backup.  Also, start with a small snack early on to keep energy up.  Serve the cake and ice cream toward the party’s end.

Let the party begin

• The crucial first moments of a party set the tone.  As guests arrive, present them with an item that will rally everyone around the theme:  Face-painted “whiskers” for a kitty party; bandanas for the cowboys; retro garb for a Seventies bash.  The result unifies the guests while giving purpose to the potentially awkward first minutes of party-time.  Parents, too, should dress the part.
• End with a bang.  Organize take-home piles of coats and party favors before beginning the closing activity.  Then, fill the final minutes with festivity.  Break the piñata, raffle off the helium balloons (each child should get one), or run the silliest relay.  The goal:  send guests packing with grins on their faces and the host still standing.
  

8 Tbsps. melted butter
6 Tbsps. corn syrup
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 lbs. confectioners' sugar
3 (10 oz.) jars maraschino cherries, drained
12 oz. Merckens Cocoa Dark Melting Bits

Directions
1.) In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and sugar. Knead dough, and form it into balls with a cherry wrapped in the middle. The balls should be approximately the size of walnuts. Place balls in the freezer to chill.
2.) In a double boiler, melt Merckens chocolate bits. Dip the cooled balls in the chocolate - let cool on parchment paper.

Creamy Snowballs
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
2/3 cup chocolate chips, melted
2 Tbsps milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups pastel miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup flaked coconut

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Beat in the chocolate, milk and vanilla till smooth. Fold in marshmallows; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Roll into 1-1/2" balls, then roll in coconut. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Peanut Snowballs
1 cup peanut butter (do not use lowfat)
1/2 cup butter (no subsitutes)
3 cups confectioners sugar
5 dozen miniature pretzel twists
1-1/2 cups Mercken's white melting bits

In a mixing bowl, beat peanut butter and butter till smooth. Beat in confectioners sugar until combined. Shape into 7" balls. Press one on each pretzel. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until peanut mixture is firm, about 1 hour. Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate and return to waxed paper. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Marshmallow Fondue
2 cups (12 oz.) Mercken's dark melting bits
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In microwave or heavy saucepan, heat first five ingredients until melted. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with dippers such as pound cakes, minidonuts, bananas, oranges, etc....

Get On A Roll
Pair up for a contest in which the object is to finish with the biggest snowball. The contest ends when the teams can no longer roll their entries or you run out of snow.

Sparkling Snowflakes
Trace snowflake cookie cutter shapes onto plain paper. Place waxed paper over it and outline it with glue. Coat the surface of the shape with glue and fill it with glitter (ultra-fine works best). Let dry for several days. Cut out the shape and repeat glue and glitter on the other side. When completely dry, make a hole in the top and create a hanger with thread or thin ribbon.

Homemade Snowglobe
Clean a glass jar that has a lid (small jam, peanut butter or baby food jars work best). Fill the jar with water, screw on the lid and turn upside down for a while to see if the seal will hold water. Paint the inside of the lid with a coat or two of acrylic paint. Arrange a group of small plastic items on the inside of the lid. Glue them in place with water resistant glue. When the glue has dried, fill the jar with water and approximately 1 tsp. of white or silver glitter. Put a tiny ribbon of glue around the inside edge of the lid and immediately screw the lid tightly onto the jar.

Snow Hurdles
Lightly pack a bunch of basketball sized snowballs and then use them to build a course of hurdles to jump over in a round of follow-the-leader.