Birthdays

Make your residents feel special on their Birthdays! On individual birthdays you could give the birthday recipient a little cake, a cupcake with a candle, birthday card or certificate, a mug of goodies with a balloon tied to it or maybe a grab bag of some special treats for that person. Maybe you would like to hold one big party each month to celebrate all of the birthdays that fall in that month. You could hold the party at mealtime and decorate your dining room. Maybe some entertainment and then a recognition of each of the birthday people. Or maybe you would like to hold a special party and invite family and friends. Whatever you decide to do have fun!!

You may decide you want to hold a special birthday party for the residents in which they could invite their families and friends. This could really be a lot of fun. You could play games like bingo, charades, or board games in teams. Here are some other GAME IDEAS:

RING TOSS GAME
Trace a twelve inch dinner plate onto a piece of corrugated cardboard and cut it out. Then in the center of the center of the circle, trace another plate, about 2 inches smaller; cut it out too, leaving a ring. Decorate the ring with markers or crayons. Put some water or sand into 2-liter bottles (to give them weight) and mark the bottles with a point value of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50. Set up the bottles in a line, about 10 inches apart. Stand back a few feet and try to toss the ring so that it goes over the neck of the bottle.

GUESSING GAME
Guessing Game
Have a jar filled with peanuts, jelly beans, pennies, or any other type of object. As guests get to the party have them write their guess of how many are in the jar on a paper with their name written on it. At the end of the party see who was the closest and they get the jar full of goodies.

T-SHIRT FUN!
T-Shirt Decorating
As guests to bring inexpensive white t-shirts with them to the party and have some on extra on hand. Buy inexpensive fabric paint and fabric glue. Accumulate bits of trim and ribbons, old buttons, etc. and let guests decorate T-shirts that they can then take home as a party favor. Make a special t-shirt for the birthday person by having all the party goers "sign" the t-shirt by painting their names on it with the fabric paint!

CLOTHES PIN GAME
Get an old mason jar and a clothes pin. Set the jar on the ground. Each person is supposed to stand in the same spot and see how many clothes pins they can drop into the jar without missing.

OLD COIN AUCTION
The host pretends to be an auctioneer and shows the prize saying "This beautiful _____________ is up for bid. All you need is a date. Pull out your coins and your bills and check the dates. I'm looking for a 2000 bill or coin or lower. Do I have a 2000?" At this point players should be opening their wallets a fishing out bills and coins. Eventually someone will say "I've got a 1996 quarter" or something like this. The host then says "I've got a '96, do I have a '95?" Hopefully another player will have a lower date to continue the bidding. Keeping bidding the date down as low as possible until you've reaching the lowest date. The player with the lowest date bill or coin wins the auction.

Parties with a theme can also prove to be loads of fun! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

* Hawaiin Luau- leis, grass skirts, hawaiian food, tropical decorations

* Masquerade- you get to choose the theme for the costumes!

* Under The Sea- starfish and seashell decorations

* Western- cowboy attire, western theme decorations and entertainment

* Melting Pot Of Memories

This Is Your Life
Along with the invitation ask your guests to return a questionaire in which you have asked some variation of the following:
1. My favorite thing about Fred (use guest of honors name) is ______________.
2. The funniest thing I ever saw Fred do was when he _________________.
3. The happiest I ever saw Fred was when he____________________.
4. The dumbest thing I ever saw Fred do was____________________.
5. Fred drives me crazy when he _______________.
6. My most memorable moment with Fred was ____________________.
7. List five words that describe Fred.
You may to make up your own questions or add to these. You may also want to ask the party guests to share a favorite photo of or story about the guest of honor. The hardest part is deciding how to share this information with guests. You may want to have them put these answers on video, have a slide show, have the party guests read the stories or quips out loud, or invite several special people to tell their stories. If you feel awkward acting as an MC, then ask a good friend or minister to do it for you. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time for planning .
The best part of a party like this is that everyone can participate - children, grandchildren, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, old friends, new friends and spouses. You can also put the answers, stories, and photos in a scrapbook for the guest of honor to keep.
You will have some laughs and you may even shed a tear or two, because memories are a truly special gift which make getting older worth it.

Birthday Cake for a Crowd

This is a large cake. You will need a 18 X 12 X 2 1/2 inch pan.
List of Ingredients
· 1 box yellow cake mix
· 8 oz cream cheese
· 1 1/2 Cups Milk
· 1 small box instant pudding ( vanilla or banana)
· 1 large can crushed pineapple
· 4 - 6 bananas
· 1 large or 2 sm containers Cool Whip
· fresh strawberries and/or blueberries(optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven according to cake directions

Mix and bake cake in 18 X 12 X 2 1/2 pan as per package directions.

COOL cake completely

Add milk to cream cheese very slowly while beating until smooth. Add pudding. Mix Well and spread on top of cooled cake.

Drain pineapple and sprinkle on top.

Slice the bananas and arrange on top

Spread Cool Whip on top

Arrange sliced strawberries and/or blueberries on top

CARROT CAKE

ingredients
2 cups of self rising flour
1.25 cups of oil
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
3 cups of grated carrots
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of vanilla flavoring

sift dry ingredients; add oil, eggs and vanilla
mix well; add carrots
bake in three laters about 45 min. - 1 hour @ 325 degrees
DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN

frosting
1 box of 4x powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 stick of butter
1 cup of finely chopped pecans
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

let butter and cream cheese get very soft; mix them with the sugar in small amounts, when thoroughly mixed, add in nuts and vanilla and mix in well

assemble layers and coat with frosting

DECORATE COOKIES Either bake or purchase store bought sugar cookies prior to the party. Lay out an assortment of store bought icings and sprinkles for gueststo decorate cookies with. Have a supply of zip loc bags on hand so that guests may take home their creations.

January - Carnation or Snowdrop, Garnet

February - Violet or Primrose, Amethyst

March - Jonquil or Daffodil, Bloodstone or Auqamarine

April - Sweet Pea or Daisy, Diamond

May - Lily of the Valley or Hawthorne, Emerald

June - Rose or Honeysuckle, Pearl or Alexandrite

July - Larkspur or Waterlily, Ruby

August - Poppy or Gladiolus, Sardonyx or Peridot

September - Aster or Morning Glory, Sapphire

October - Calendula or Cosmos, Opal or Tourmaline

November - Chrysanthemum, Topaz

December - Narcissus or Holly, Turquoise or Zircon

How Happy Birthday is Said
Arabic - Eed melad said
Australia - Happy Birthday
Brazil - Feliz Aniversario, Feliz Feliz Aniversario
Canada - Happy Birthday
China - Sheng Ri Kuai Le or Saang yaht faai lokik
Dutch - Hartelijk gefeliciteerd metje verjaardag
Ecuador - Feliz Dia del Santo
Egypt - Kule Sana Winta Tayib (boy)
Kule Sana Wintie Tayyiba (Girl)
France - Joyeux Anniversaire
Germany - Alles gute zum Begurstag or
Herzlichen gluckwunsch zum geburtstag
Ghana - Happy Birthday
Medzi dzigbe njkeke nyuie no wo (ewe tribal language)
Great Britain - Happy Birthday
Hindi - Janam Din Ki Badhai
Hungarian - Boldog szuletes napot
India - Sal Girah Mubarak
Israel - Yom Holedet Sameach
Italian - Buon compleanno
Japanese - Otanjyobi omedeto
Maori - Kia Huitau A Koe
Mexico - Feliz Cumpleanos
Native American - Haptee Hocuenera Hinigiren
The Netherlands - Van Harte Gefeliciteerd or
Hjertelig til lykke medfodselsdagen
Nigeria - Eku ojobi
Norway - Gratulere Med Daged
Peru - Feliz Cumpleanos
Quebec - Bonne Fete <FRENCH)
Russia - s'dnom roshedenea or Sdnyom rozhdenya
Spanish - Feliz cumpleanos
Sudan - Aid Milad Jamil
Thai - Suk San Wan Keut
Venezuela - Hoy Es Tu Dia
Welsh - Penblwydd hapus

You can only perceive real beauty in a person as they get older.

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese

Age is a matter of feeling, not of years.

If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.

1 THE GIFT OF LISTENING
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no
daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2 THE GIFT OF AFFECTION
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on
the back and handholds. Let these small actions
demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3 THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you".

4 THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full
sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered
for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5 THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red",
"You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful
meal" can make someone's day.

6 THE GIFT OF A FAVOR
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7 THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE
There are times when we want nothing better than
to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and
give the gift of solitude to others.

8 THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word
to someone, really it's not that hard to say,
Hello or Thank You