30 THE COURIER SUN • SUMMER FUN • JULY 31, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com summer fun s 5 easy tips for throwing the ultimate summer party How you can bring together right food, drinks and friends for an amazing summer party There’s nothing quite like a summer party where beautiful weather, great food and good friends come together to create memories that last. If you’re looking forward to throwing a summer party but you’re not sure how to get started, the following tips will have you outside enjoying a warm breeze with your friends in no time. • Formulate the guest list. What’s a party without guests, right? Start by determining how many people you can comfortably host and create your guest list with this realistic number in mind. Friends, family and co-workers can all attend, but make sure to invite people you know will be respectful of your home and your neighborhood as their actions refl ect on you. You might consider adding your neighbors as well as they may feel slighted if they aren’t invited to the big party taking place next door. • Pick a theme. Theme parties make planning and decorating so much easier, and they provide guests an immediate sense of what kind of party it is, how to dress, etc. If you own a pool, invite everyone to a day at the beach. Or, pick a theme around your favorite television show. Whatever you decide, carry your theme through to the decorations, the attire and the invitations themselves. • Dress your party to impress. The right decorations are a matter of taste and your skill level. If you’re the creative type, you may enjoy building your own decorations from scratch. Or, you might prefer to simply purchase your decorations from a local party supply store. No matter what you choose, select decorations that complement the theme of your party. Remember to make sure areas like the food table and sitting areas are appropriately decorated. • A fl avor for every taste. Warm weather gatherings shouldn’t involve a lot of time in the kitchen working over a hot stove. Instead, consider offering a selection of easy, ready-to-eat snacks in a variety of fl avors. TGI Fridays Snacks are a perfect choice because they parallel popular menu appetizer items that people are instantly familiar with. Choose from the popular Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins Snack Chips or the new Bacon Ranch Potato Skins Snack Chips. With 11 different fl avors to choose from, your guests can roam the party to try them all. • Keep them entertained. The right entertainment options can keep your party going longer. If you have a pool, make it the main attraction and don’t forget the fl oats! Outdoor yard games like darts, lawn bowling or bean bag toss are popular and you can encourage participation by turning them into a competition. Smaller groups may appreciate a deck of cards and no one can say no to bingo if there’s a prize on the line. Good music is a must so be sure to load your iPod with a fun, upbeat playlist your guest will enjoy. Planning the perfect party is easier than you may think. With a little preparation and the right food, decorations and entertainment, you can give your guests a memorable event they’ll be talking about all summer long. Courtesy BPT In appreciation of 60 amazing years, Land of Make Believe giving away a Free Ford Escape HOPE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (July 21, 2014) - There are a lot of ways you can say thanks. And Christopher Maier, owner of the Land of Make Believe, considered many ways to thank to his loyal visitors in recognition of the family amusement park’s 60th Anniversary this summer. And then it hit him. As the tri-state›s premier family amusement park geared towards families with children 12 and under, the perfect thank you would be a unique giveaway - a family style SUV! And so, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary, Land of Make Believe is giving away a FREE Ford Escape on Labor Day, September 1 - no purchase necessary, just come to the park and enter the contest! In keeping with the park’s tradition of family values and wholesome fun, the Ford Escape is a mini-SUV ideal for families. In addition to the SUV giveway, Land of Make Believe is celebrating with a brand new ride, Pirate›s Escape, a state-of-theart Sensational new Water Park Experience! With Pirate›s Escape only the daring are swept away when the Pirate declares it is “time to Escape” and the bottom floor drops out - and the Adventure begins! The exciting sensation of loss of gravity is a frenzy of feelings and the splashing of water when “landing” is beyond description! The new ride has gotten rave reviews from those who dare! In any case, a visit to Land of Make Believe is always special. “This is an exciting year, not just for our visitors, but for us, too,” said Maier. “We really wanted to score a home run and the SUV giveaway and the new ride is like hitting a Grand Slam!” Located in Historic Hope Township, the park has remained the region›s most popular family fun Day Trip destination for six decades, with generations of visitors enjoying its rides, show and attractions over and over again. Generations of families have enjoyed the park, and it shows on a typical day there as grandparents, once youngsters who visited Land of Make Believe, are now bringing their grandchildren! Land of Make Believe became a reality because of Hermann Maier. Maier, an educator, specifically designed Land of Make Believe for parents to participate with their children, the first such park of its kind in the United States. Taking his own children to amusement parks, Maier felt like a “spectator” watching his kids have fun. He wanted to experience the fun and joy with them. And so he envisioned a park where parents would not be passive spectators. In fact, Land of Make Believe was the first amusement park built in the United States with this objective in mind. Opening in 1954, Land of Make Believe preceded Disneyland by one year. “The Land of Make Believe is a landmark among New Jersey’s family attractions,” says Phyllis Oppenheimer, Tourism Rep for the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism. “Today’s hospitality hot trend of experiential travel has been in place for six decades at the Land of Make Believe.” Land of Make Believe is “a great tourism experience in New Jersey.” While it has grown in leaps and bounds, the park has expanded the opportunity for adults and children to participate together whether it’s on an old fashioned hayride, on the “Thriller” roller coaster, or on the million dollar river tubing adventure ride in Pirate›s Cove Water Park. Indeed, if Hermann and Marie were still alive, they would be amazed to see how his park has grown. From atop the Water Park›s Water Slides Tower, one can see acres of rides, shows and attractions at the base of the Jenny Jump Mountain where the tale of young Jenny is told over and over again. Maier, and the park was recently recognized by the Warren County Freeholders for its importance to tourism in the region, its commitment to the community at-large, and its preservation of over 450 acres of open space. Indeed, Land of Make Believe has also gained a national reputation for its unique charm and excellence in operations and safety, winning numerous awards and accolades from many different organizations, locally and nationally. Located in a valley and among picturesque mountains and forests, Land of Make Believe has always been a leader in ecotourism in Warren County. It financially supports and protects 450 acres of open space, preserving it for our children and their children. Land of Make Believe is open daily through Labor Day Weekend. For more information about the park and the 60th Anniversary celebration this year, please call (908) 459-9000 or visit the website, www.LOMB.com. Be sure to LIKE the FB page, too! ADVERTORIAL
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