My dd is graduating in June and I am just starting planning the party.......looking for ideas on food, decorations, etc. I think it will be a backyard bbq, picnic type theme--thinking about doing a turkey in the deep fryer, but what else? I am anticipating approx 50-100 family and friends. My best friend from HS is inviting 400 to her sons party (they have a large family) but she is already stressing!

Also, any gift ideas for dd's close friends? It seems weird to give them $$, if their parents give my dd $$? The kids just cash in???

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Gift cards are always a good idea for graduation gifts. Gas cards if they are going to a community college and need to drive there daily. Otherwise dollars are about the only way to go. I also suggest renting a tent for the party if you don't have lots of shade trees. I did and it was a life saver. We did a bbq for my son and had baked beans and salads and chips and that went over well. We did taco bar for my daughter and that also was a hit. Another good gift was an alarm clock my son got . My daughter got a photo album that someone had made the quilted cover for and she really liked it. She also got a nice handmade book bag that she really liked. Just a few suggestions and good luck! Sal

I like the idea of the gas cards! Especially since it seems like a lot of kids get cars for graduation presents. At $2.50+ a gallon here, that would make an excellent gift!

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We had a party a few years ago for our daughter. I agree with the advice above. We did have a tent and I am really glad we did. It was a beautifull day, but the sun was very warm and having the tent for the guests kept them out of the hot sun, it also kept the food out of the sun. We did burgers, hot dogs and chicken on the grill. We had help from some of the family, they made several different kinds of salads. We had coolers full of soda and beer. We also had outside games set up for the younger children to play. As for gifts ideas, I made a collage of pictures of family and friends for my daughter and put it on a huge poster board. Everyone loved it. We also decorated in the school colors (blue and gold). We actually had the party the week before graduation because my daughters class left right after graduation for their project graduation class trip to New York City. Wow....that all seems like a lifetime ago, and its actually only been three years...

You can never go wrong with cash.

Have secondary plan for rain...

I would also incude salads, hamburgers, finger sanwiches or subs cut up and a main dish like a pasta for those guests who do not eat meat.( hate it when you go to a picnic and there is nothing there but meat items....)... I would have tea, soda, juices, punch etc for drinks...NO alcholol if inviting her friends.... avoids "policing" them and you are there to celebrate your daughter....not to party.....so I doubt family will be looking for it.....

If you are talking about "close" friends that you would like to give gifts to... I would make small photo albums of the times that they sent together and gift cards to somewhere where they can buy stuff for school... I always like to give a memorable gift.... something for them to have after they spend the gift card......

When my niece graduated, the family brought desserts ...and my sister had a big cake my nieces pictures on it through the years....... SHe had it at a grove and bought plenty of games for the younger children to entertain themselves with.... Also

If you want to give cash, fold it cleverly. You can search for money origami, and impress everyone.

Ah Jeeplady - you live in the land of the long, long lunch (otherwise known in MN as the grad party ;-)
We've been to many of these and are in the throes of doing our 2nd one for one of our kids.
The biggest deal about grad parties here in MN is just the plain ole getting together and enjoying the partying *and* the gift table.
Folks here (in the TC area) have a table set up w/pics of the grad and a basket for cash & gift cards as well as room for gifts.
Most grad parties that we've been to have been very, very, very, generic w/ a few personal touches as far as food goes. Most folks have gotten Sam's Club cold cut/sandwich platters, or the same from SuperMom's, or have made their own. Each party host has also made some kinda hotdish/crockpot/grill speciality of their own. Lots of salads, crudities type stuf, dips, munchies, etc. The food isn't the biggest deal at grad parties here in MN, it's the fellowship/partying aspect as well as the gift table ;-)
I only give $10 cash to each kid whose party we've been invited to cuz we get invited to sooooo many with all our kids. But every penny counts to a high school grad, especially if the kid is college bound. Whenever I can score a great deal on a Cross pen & pencil set I like to give that. It's likely an obsolete gift nowadays in the computer age, but it's always been well received by teens we've given them to.
Love the idea of giving gas cards and may make that my new thing this year. I have also given $10 GCs to grads to the school stores where they'll be attending school after HS.
A tent or awning is a musto, especially here in MN where the weather can be so unpredictable, despite what the the tv weatherman may say ;-) We had a bought a Target one clearanced out the year prior to first grad party anticipating this. Rentals are cheap, go for it if you don't have cover. Our first grad party saw a surprise downpour and our 80+ yo neighbor was grateful for the shade from the blazing sun and then the protection from the rain.
Decorations .... whatever you can score at a deal prices in the school colors. IE: confetti scattered on tables covered by inexpensive paper/vinyl cloths in school colors, etc. Anything at all, really - teddy bears in school colors, balloons, whatever, It's the school colors thing that the kids here seem to be focused on. (Especially being part of a school district w/several high schools and different colors) If green or red or any Easter colors are part of the colors for your grad's school, you should be able to score some good clearanced deals prior to your party.
And here's a P.S. - save all your decorations if you'll have any other kids graduating after #1. We have some cool decos I scored at rock bottom prices, some things other folks didn't have, and I saved em keeping in mind that decos don't go outta style for grad parties and I have many more kids to do this for ;-) We are fortunate in that our local HS colors are green and white and we have been able to get clearanced decos in those colors after Christmas or St. Pat's Day, even some good stuff after Easter clearances.

MZ

Thanks for the great ideas! Yes, we here in MN seem to be more casual and 'downhome' than formal type people!! We have a smaller tent (clearance at Menards, last year) and we do have a pole-barn, but dd vetoed the 'barn dance' theme...

I did score some 2007 stuff (napkins and confetti) clearanced after New Years, and will probably go with blue and gold decorations (Go Esko!). We usually have cards and tables set up--rabid cribbage fans in our family. The weather up here is so unpredictable in June, I have to have a plan B, if we have to move inside.

Thanks and keep the ideas coming.......

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

I can fold a dollar into a dress shirt. I learned about 16 years ago and people still think it is really neat.

If the kids are going away for collage you can't go wrong with a laundry basket filled with supplies. Stock it with soap, stain fighter, a few rolls of quarters, househoold cleaners, some cups, ect.

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I laugh at you because you are all the same.

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I give a check for the year they are graduating, such as 20.07 this year. I like the laundry items idea, since I can coupon and get good deals. $20 per kid is a lot, especially since ny dd will be graduating this year, and we will know alot more grads.
I also just bought for a dollar the clearance New Year's Eve 2007 party picks, etc...for our party. I am stockpiling now with things like pasta, olives, pickles, mayo, soda, etc so it won't be so expensive at the time. As you all know, it seems to hurt less when it's spread out.
I also bought pretzel rods on sale, which I will drizzle with white chocolate, and sprinkle with school colors colored sugar. Her school colors are also her new college colors, so it will work doubly.
My dh and I plan on wearing new t-shirts with her college that she will be going to, and I will also buy those M&Ms with your messgae imprinted on them , such as her name on some and "WVU bound "on the others.
We are having potato salad, pasta salads(couple different kinds), a platter of -olives, pickles, mozzarella, raosted peppers,tomatoes, lettuce, hamburgers, chicken breast that I will buy soon, cut up into "sandwich size" portions, and marinate them in Italian dressing and freeze for grilling, baked beans, cherry fluff, soda, wine, beer, chips, the pretzels I talked about, vidalia onion dip, pepper hash, fruit platter, vegetable platter, buns, cheese,lemonade, iced tea, a cookie tray that I am working on now, and freezing, party cake, balloons,.
I also got at Walmart clearance last month some large sized candles for a centerpiece I will figure out later.
I bought blue and gold paper products over the last 2 years at the dollar store. Things like that don't go bad, and they also had decorations for the doors, tables, colored streamers etc at odd times throught the year. This will also help with the cost at the time to have these already bought.
I wanted to buy her a bracelet or necklace from Tiffany's, but they are really expensive. I 'm not sure about it, but I want to buy her something. My dh says a future paid college education by us should be enough, and the party, but it makes me feel bad enough. I think $200 is too much, anyone know of any deals on the Tiffany line? She already has a diamond cross she got for her confirmation, and her aunt is buying her some other silver jewelry, so I wanted it to be something she will have forever.

If you kow the graduate is moving on to college I would get a laundry basket and fill it with misc things such as:
-laundry soap(the tablet kind is great)
-plastic cups, plates and silverware
-washcloths
-cheap flip flops for wearing in the dorm shower
-shower caddy
-roon deoderizers that don't plug in such as stick ups
-pens/pencils

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