Summertime is a great time for a party and a great time to spend it with your friends and family. Gather your friends up and try some of these funky party ideas we’ve gathered for you:

1. I Love the 80’s Party: Who doesn’t love the 80’s? Require that all people show up in their favorite 80’s clothes, decorate with neon colors and New Kids on the Block posters. Music is essential to an 80’s theme party – how else would you all be able to do the moonwalk?

2. Toga Party: Toga theme parties can always be a little interesting. Instead of wearing clothes, opt for tying your sheets around your shoulders and waist. Light some candles, make pillars out of paper, and serve your favorite Greek foods. Or you could just do what they did in the movie Animal House.

3. Game Night: Some of my friends and I have had a lot of fun having game nights. Serve up some tasty, easy to eat foods and play games like Cranium, Outburst, Apples to Apples or any other favorite group game you might have.

4. Luau: In the summer, nothing says theme party like a luau! Get out the tiki lamps, have guests wear leis, and serve up some of your favorite tropical drinks. You can even get some inflatable palm trees or decorate with paper lanterns for the full effect.

5. Casino Night: If you’re a fan of casinos and gambling, you might enjoy holding your own casino night party. Set up various tables for poker games, serve some lush buffet style foods, and go wild decorating in red and black and white.

6. Girls Night Out Party: Enjoy a party like you did sleepovers as a teenager. Give each other make-overs, play truth or dare, watch chick flicks, or swap clothes with each other. Don’t forget the chocolate.

7. Scrapbook Party: Scrapbooking together can be a great way to have some fun. Provide materials, a large table, and snacks and drinks. Then start scrapbooking away! You can also have your favorite music playing in the background.

8. Wine tasting party: If the previous party ideas are not sophisticated enough for you, why not have a wine tasting party? Have everyone bring their favorite wine, provide wine glasses, and learn the proper way to taste wine. Complete the party with dinner and some light music in the background.

9. BBQ Picnic: What is summer without a picnic? Fire up the grill for some hamburgers, ribs, and other favorites. Have things like volleyball, horseshoes, badminton, and relay races to entertain your guests.

10. Full Blown Tacky Party: Just in case the above ideas aren’t tacky enough for you, why not go for a full blown tacky party? Request guests come dressed in their tackiest attire and make sure your invitations are tacky, too. Decorate with anything you have – it’s okay to mix and match different holidays! Pink flamingoes and fuzzy dice also make for a nice touch. Serve food with mismatched dishes. Give out prizes or goodie bags with useless things you can find around your house. You can also play party games like pin the tail on the donkey or musical chairs.

There you have it – 10 funky theme party ideas. If you host any of these parties this summer, I WANT TO SEE PICTURES! Email them to me at chelle165 [at] gmail [dot] net. I will post up my favorites at the end of the summer with links to you for credit. (Unless of course you would prefer to remain anonymous!)

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In my friend I find a second self.
Isabelle Norton

If I had only one friend left, I’d want it to be you.
Paul Overstreet

The best mirror is an old friend.
George Herbert

Friendship is like money, easier made than kept.
Samuel Butler

Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one.
Robert E. Lee

Friends are God’s apology for relatives.
Hugh Kingsmill

You can’t always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you… you have to go to them sometimes.
Winnie the Pooh

You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.
E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.
Marlene Dietrich

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they’re not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they’re not so bad.
Arnold H. Glasgow

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one!”
C. S. Lewis

Do you have a favorite friendship quote? I’d love to hear it, so feel free to share it in the comments below.

P.S. – Did you know you can email this page to a friend? Click on the “Share This” button and then the email tab at the top.

“I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?”
-Character Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness

This quote sums it up pretty well. How many times we think to ourselves “If I only had more money…” or “If I could only do that…” then I could be happy!? We look to other people or things to provide us happiness – which is exactly why so few of us can find it.

No material thing can make us happy. Not money, not friends, not family, not super powers or even chocolate ice cream. Sure, we might like those things. But they’re not what makes us happy. We have to make ourselves happy. But how do you do that when problems are stacking up or things just aren’t going the way you want them to?

I think I’ve finally found the secrets to being happy and now I’m going to share them with you. Because there’s no reason anyone should be unhappy.

1. Live in the moment. Don’t think about what you did yesterday and how it didn’t work out or the plans you have for tomorrow. Look at what is going on around you now. And just “be”. Clear your mind and embrace the opportunity to experience what you are doing every moment of the day. Sure, you’ll have to make plans sometimes, but if you spend 98% of the time living and 2% of the time planning, you’ll feel a lot better.

2. Let go of all your grudges. When someone does something rotten to us, intentionally or not, it’s hard to let it go. I’ve known people who have gone years without talking to their family members or still think of the time so-and-so screwed them over. It’s not going to make you happy to harbor these feelings. Let them go. Erase them from your memory. Forgive that person for messing up, because we all make mistakes.

4. Don’t be the judge. This one is very hard to do. We make judgement calls every moment of our lives. “It’s too sunny, I can’t see the road” or “What is that person wearing?” or “I don’t like the looks of this” are all examples of regular judgments we make. If you take the time to notice when you are judging something, you’ll be shocked at how much you do it. If you catch yourself judging something, stop. Say to yourself, that is what it is and I’m not going to make any assumptions about it. If you can, try to release yourself from typical stereotypes and labels as well.

3. Accept what happens as a bigger plan in life. Our world is full of millions of people, animals, and objects. We’re all made of cells that are working without us realizing it. We don’t feel the earth move, but it does. Everything is designed to work with something else. So next time you’re stuck in traffic, think of how you are relating to the things around you, and that there might be a bigger reason for it that you can’t see.

4. Want less. If we think about all the things we don’t have, we’re bound to lose sight of the things we do have. How many people each day go to work to make more money and then lose out on seeing their families or miss watching a sunset? Stop thinking about the things you want. Look at the wonderful things you have, even if it doesn’t seem like much. By wanting less and appreciating what you have, you will feel happier.

5. Help others. You don’t have to do a lot to help someone. You can let them go ahead of you in a parking lot. You can open a door for them. You can pray for them if you are a praying person. You can make them laugh with a joke. You can do their dishes for them. When you devote your energy to helping others, you think less of yourself and your own problems.

If you stop pursuing happiness you WILL find it.

The problem occurs when our daily life is impacted by the amount of time we spend online. Maybe you belong to one too many social networking sites, or are constantly researching information. It becomes evident you spend too much time online when you find you would rather sit on your computer all day instead of leaving the house. Sometimes you’d prefer to interact with your online friends more than your “real-life” friends.

Beyond the health effects and consequences of using your computer too much, it can seriously hurt our relationships and friendships.

If you find yourself spending more than 2 hours attached to your computer each day, try to limit yourself to how much time you spend online. Go outside and take a walk or visit a nearby attraction. Catch up on reading or housework or call and visit an old friend.

Taking these much needed breaks will not only enhance your off-line life, but will help you regain focus next time you go online. Remember, moderation is always the key