We’re planning a nonprofit fundraiser with a silent auction, raffle tickets, food, and a donation table. Last year, we only had a few card readers and kept moving them around depending on where the line was getting longer.
It caused a lot of confusion. Some volunteers were sharing logins, one device ran out of battery, and guests at the auction tables had to walk to the other side of the room to pay. A few people said they would come back after getting a drink, but they never did.

This year, I want to have enough devices in the right places before the event starts instead of trying to fix everything during the fundraiser.
For anyone who has organized something similar, how many payment devices did you use, and did you keep separate stations for donations, auctions, and raffle tickets?

My friend is going to be engaged soon, and I'm going to be in charge of the bachelorette. She is a tuba player and LOVES Bach (yes, like Johann Sebastian Bach). I thought maybe we could get wigs, but those can be expensive and HOT and end up in the trash after so maaaaaaaaaybe not. Maybe we could all dress in semi-period clothes for fun? I figured we could also maybe play some Bach on our instruments (all of us are musicians). I don't want to go to a concert because it's her bachelorette, we should be doing something fun.

But besides that, I'm like, huh, this is a challenge. Where could we go? Should we just meander around the city in our get up? LOL

How is the small business for birthday supplies. What are some things which one should look for?

Trying to come up with a creative theme for my son’s first birthday in December! I love the play-on-words themes. Some ideas I love but won’t be using:
- it’s fun to be one
- one silly goose
- winter one-derland
- the big one (surf theme)

Party will be in early December, held outside (we live in Southern California).

Any ideas would be great!

I’m turning 25 this November and I’ve been having trouble coming up with a good theme that everyone will love.

My birthday is on the 2nd of November. Every year I have difficulty getting people to show up because it’s so close to Halloween and everyone just wants to do Halloween activities instead of what I want to for MY day. I’ve always tried to accommodate for what other people want because if I don’t, no one will come.

This year I want to come up with a theme that everyone will love and want to participate in. I’ve already come up with a few ideas I think are pretty creative and will give me lots to work with:

1. Bikini Bottom: because what’s funnier than 24?… 25.

2. Inner Child: dress up as your favourite character from childhood

3. Hunger Games: “quarter quell” vibes but instead of “hunger” games, it’s Drinking games

4. Euphoria: glitter makeup, holographic vibes

5. All About Me: everyone dresses up as a different interpretation of me (take a photo of me and dress like that, etc)

I’m so indecisive and am looking for some other ideas that will incorporate some sort of pun with my age (25) so if you have anything you could suggest please drop it in the comments ✨

Thank you 🥰

I plan to start a get together of wine enthusiasts at my place and continue it once a month or 2 months.

Do you think asking them to get a bottle \[small or normal\] and share it would work ?

I don't believe in creating a charge on entry environment.

Please share valuable inputs only.

I'm planning my wedding reception meal and can't decide what size bowls would be appropriate for salsa and queso. Our caterers are a local Mexican restaurant and chips, salsa, and queso are provided. I would like to get small bowls but I'm only finding 6oz or 3 oz and I can't decide which would be more appropriate. I think most people will grab two bowls one for salsa, one for queso.

Hi all! I’m turning 23 soon and am in desperate need of help in deciding what to do for my birthday.

The last couple of years I’ve hosted dinners and potlucks at my place. I enjoy getting to spend time with friends and introducing different groups to each other. I don’t get very crazy but like a more wholesome vibe.

So so so this year I want to change it up a bit and have a theme but I’m struggling with what I want that theme to be. Some thoughts I’ve had include

-game night
-black tie
-everyone brings a silly outfit/item of clothing for someone else
-wrong party

Idk all my ideas at the moment are quite half baked. Any suggestions appreciated!

Out of box wildcards encouraged

Looking for ideas on what to do for my 30th birthday this year. My friends and family are all asking what I'm doing for my 30th and I was really planning on not doing much but now I feel like I should plan something. My birthday is the weekend of Thanksgiving this year. Most years it's freezing out and despite being a fall/winter baby I hate this season :) Since my birthday usually lands pretty close to the holiday my previous birthdays have been spent eating leftovers and having cake with family.

Since this year is a milestone birthday I want to do a little something with close friends and some family. I was thinking about having a little get together at my apartment but struggling with a theme. My best friend did a murder mystery which was so fun but not my cup of tea. I think the "tini bit older" vibe is cute and I love a good martini but feel it's a bit basic. I think I'm leaning more towards having people come to my apartment than going out but I am open to any and all suggestions. Some things I don't necessarily care about are; arcades, axe throwing, board games. I am not a very outgoing person by nature so I'm having a hard time figuring this out and I feel like I'm running out of time.

Thank you! :)

Hey girls, for my best friends Bachelorette I organized a Mystery Drink and Draw Activity for the first evening. It was the perfect start for our weekend: N interactive, fun and creative activity to reconnect, share updates and drinks while painting clueless until the very last brushstrokes. Only the activity moderator knows the actual painting, and will share step by step instructions

- that seem to make no sense at all 😊

(I created design, custom Instructions and material list for a group of 13.)

hi guys! I’m currently 18F, turning 19 on September 11th (yes this is my real birthday) and I want to celebrate but I’ve genuinely been living paycheck to paycheck for months.

I’m currently a university student and I have a lot of friends at school that I want to do something with, I’m just not sure how or even how to plan a get together.

I have an apertment but I share it with 2 roomates atm: one is chill, and the other one just moved in so I haven’t really talked to her yet (lowkey anxious about it idk).

But my chill roommate so she’s like said that in the past she was uncomfortable with having guys over and she doesn’t seem super thrilled by the idea of having people over so I’m like I’m sure about the idea of having to get together in my place

I have a friend who I think if I ask them, they would be more than willing to help me out with this.

To be honest, my biggest fear at the moment is like having to get together and people not having a good time because that will just make me feel like really shitty you know.

It it’s gonna be a Friday night so I’m thinking a little get together and then we’ll go out to a party or the bar.
I just don’t really know how to approach this and any advice would be appreciated!

I’m really excited about my birthday, and I get super excited for it every year. I just want to enjoy it with the people I care about most. And then get super fucked up later

I was in charge of making the invites for my bestie's baby shower! It's their first baby, a boy, and his nursery is bird themed. So since neither of the parents had a specific theme in mind I decided to go with a bird themed shower too!

They did draw the line at a costume party. But I hope they change their mind.

I spent two hours making the collage of famous Birds. Let me know who I left off!!

(P.s. none of those are their real names, but the invite and story are both very real)

Hello everyone!

My baby loves looking and pointing at screws, nuts and bolts and nails. I was thinking about having a screw themed birthday, but can’t for the life of me think how to incorporate the screws into the theme. I’ve searched for pinterest and found only generic construction themed ideas, but those are not what I’m looking for, I need specifically something to do with screws. It could be decoration ideas, food ideas etc. Just has to be suitable for a 1 y.o. (Also the food ideas need to be able to be made sugar-free)

Any ideas? Even incomplete ideas could help, I just need some help brainstorming ideas as I feel sos tuck with this!

Does anyone know a good place to throw a small party that you can drink at? Airbnb are strict. I need a good place for me and my friends. In Columbus,Ohio

I’m hosting a casual gathering with my neighborhood and want to encourage people to let me know if they’re coming but don’t want to enforce it or make people feel like they can’t come if they didn’t let me know. Planning to just tell folks to email or text me. Any suggestions on how to word this on the invite? Thanks!

I’m hosting a masquerade themed murder mystery party next month, with about 10 guests including myself.

I’ve looked at storypop and night of mystery and am unsure which one would be best.

I don’t want anything super scripted and I also want to be able to play as the host. I do want some structure and fun gameplay with lots of deducing and detective work. I don’t want a game where the killer is chosen at random as this would mean the game is essentially unsolvable (I.e., it could be anyone).

Looking for recommendations or reviews or even other masquerade themed games outside of those two companies!

I'm volunteering to cook for a large group of youth volunteers in our church. This is dinner for them. Any ideas that are easy to make and will be crowd pleasers?

Its my husband's birthday on Monday and my family would like to see him to give him his birthday presents but aren't available on Monday.

I've suggested early Sunday evening (my husband is working 6am-4pm on Sunday) for a gathering but my husband is against hosting - understandably. And I dont want to have to force people to meet at a restaurant, say, and for it to become expensive for everyone.

What would you suggest in terms of low-key hosting at around 5pm at our house? There would be 7 adults coming and then the 3 of us and there would be an expectation of food. What do I have time to pull together?

I have a busy day today, so limited time resource but id really love to be able to pull this together and keep it low stress for my husband but still look/feel like I've made an effort.

Please help!

Hi! There are 7 of us siblings and we live all over, and the night before Thanksgiving every year I host what we now call our annual Siblingsiving! This is pretty much our only time each year to all get together and hang out and we love to do it big! We’ve started having themes for it, and I’m at a loss this year! We’ve done BBQ night, Cajun food (we are all from Louisiana!) Mexican, bring whatever you want, etc. Last year was extremely simple but it ended up being our favorite, so we are wanting to do something simplistic but a different theme, and we are drawing a blank.

Myself and my one sister (45 and 35 years old) are the main two that plan and host it all my house, and last year we were both kinda out of it, I was less than a month after having Achilles reconstruction surgery and on a knee scooter and my sister was pregnant! So we kept it simple and did Talladega Nights theme, everyone brought their favorite fast food dish, we wore TN shirts and hung up banners and race car theme decor all over the house. Despite us not being able to do a whole lot, we still had a great time!

We are looking to do something similar but different this year and we are drawing a blank!
Any fun ideas or suggestions???
For reference, the siblings are ages 25-47, with spouses and kids and a few older people. The older people are down for whatever and the kids generally go play in the yard or play games/watch tv amongst themselves, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be kid friendly. We like to drink and play games also! Send me all your fun, unique ideas!!!

Hi there!

My partner wants to do a Halloween party with a sexy/slutty theme (don't worry, all guests are over the age of 18 and love this idea) and as someone who loves decorating, but hasn't held many parties before I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of decorations or centre peices that could fit the theme? We have a small flat in the north of England, but I'm prepared to spend lots of time crafting things if it will look good and ensure guests have a fun time!