After-Party Cleanup: Tips & Tricks

Last week we offered you tips for cleaning up the house before the big party. This week, we're sharing tips to help you clean up after the big party. Depending on the type of party you're hosting, this could be a really daunting task. So don't dive in without a plan of attack.

Here are some recommendations to help keep the mess from becoming too overwhelming:

• Buy cleanup supplies when you purchase your decorations: Parties need trash bags, cleaning wipes and spot removers just as much as they need invitations, favors, and cupcakes! Put must-have cleaning items on your list.


• Make it easy for guests to pick up after themselves: Put trash receptacles in several locations so that your guests can simply toss their used plates, napkins, and cups when they're done. This will save you lots of time when the party is over. Likewise, make cleaning wipes and paper towels available so that guests can wipe up any spills.


• After the guest leave, make a quick run-through with a garbage bag: Leaving garbage bins out during the party will help, but you'll probably still find stray cups and plates scattered here and there. Start the cleaning process by removing any trash.


• Assess your home, and look for things that need special attention: While you collecting the trash, did you notice any spots or stains that need special attention? Get to those right away. The longer you let them sit, the harder it will be to remove the stains.


• Follow-up with routine cleaning: Chances are that after the party you will need to do some light vacuuming and dusting. You will probably have dishes to do as well. These things can be done quickly once you've taken the other steps in order.

With a little planning and forethought, you can make cleaning up after your guests easier. Happy cleaning!

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You can find great party invitations, party favors, and more at the Pinwhirls Shop on Etsy!

Carrie & Sean: Happy Wedding Day

I began working with Carrie, an Australian Bride, back in June of 2010 on pinwheels for her September wedding. From the colors and designs selected, I just knew that her wedding was going to be a happy and whimsical garden affair. Fast forward to July of this year ... I received an email from Carrie letting me know that her wedding was featured in Cosmo Bride Australia's My Day. Yay! One look at their wedding photos, and I began to learn why. It was filled to the brim with lots of unique, fun, and whimsical handmade items - lots of them from Etsy. For more photos, of their happy day visit MissPrintDesign. 

We provided Carrie and Sean with Large Handheld Pinwheels, which they scattered amongst the walkways and gardens.

We also provided them with handheld pinwheels which they placed into pitchers.

Didn't they make the cutest centerpieces?
I especially loved the seating - long, narrow tables instead of the traditional rounds. 
Thanks Carrie and Sean for allowing us to feature your wedding on our site. Thanks also to their photographer, You Can't Be Serious, for allowing us to feature their beautiful photos.

Pre-Party Cleanup: Tips & Tricks

Everyone knows that there's a lot that goes into hosting a great party: invitations, menu planning, cooking, decorating, and more. But before the party starts, most hosts and hostesses find themselves stressing over the state of their house.

Clean homes are welcoming, so it's a good idea to get things in order before the big event. However, cleaning up for guests shouldn't throw you into a complete tailspin. Here are a few simple tips for pre-party cleanup when you're hosting at home.

Pre-Party Cleanup Tips & Tricks

1. Strategize: Before you dive in and start remodeling the nursery, sit down and make a list of the rooms that will be used and seen by your guests. Put those at the top of your list and work in order. If you don't get to the rooms at the end of your list, it's probably not going to mean the end of the world.


2. Knock out the big stuff first: Remove clutter and big-ticket eye sores that hinder the flow of your home before you dust or vacuum. People will notice clutter immediately, without even looking for it. However, your party guests aren't likely to notice that you didn't scrub the grout in your kitchen with an old toothbrush before they arrived.


3. Get help: Pre-party cleanup can actually be a pretty huge undertaking, especially if you share space with roommates or family. Get others to pitch in and help and the job will go a lot faster. After all, if you're not the only one making the mess, you shouldn't be the only one cleaning it up!


4. Prepare in advance for mishaps: Get the SpotBot and the paper towels ready ahead of time, maybe during your decorating phase. Spills are almost inevitable, especially at parties where children are present. If you have the cleanup tools stashed in a convenient place, you have a better chance of lifting the stain before it sets--and you won't have to go digging for the carpet cleaner.

By keeping these simple tips in mind, you can whip your house into shape before your guests arrive. You'll also have more time for the fun stuff, like decorating, cooking, and visiting with your guests.

Photo credit: lusi

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You can find great party invitations, party favors, and more at the Pinwhirls Shop on Etsy!

Pinwhirl Party Recipies

Soy Cheese Pinwhirls via norwichnuts 

We have a real treat for you today! We're linking up to some of our very favorite party recipes around the web. The really cool part? All of the recipes are for eye-catching and scrumptious pinwheels (or Pinwhirls, as we like to call them around here!)

Pinwheel appetizers make great party food. If you're looking for something to take and share or something to compliment your dinner party menu, why not try giving one of these tasty recipes a try?

California Pinwheel Sandwiches: Just five simple ingredients make these a cinch to whip up in your kithchen: ham, cheese, pickles, bread, and California dip.

Pizza Pinwheels: Put a new "spin" on a classic favorite with pizza pinwheels. This recipe serves 8 and can easy be doubled or tripled if you are making them for a large party or get-together.

Poppy Seed Pinwheels: This recipe comes from Food Network's Paula Deen. Chives, cream cheese, garlic, parsley, and poppy seeds give these a distinct flavor.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels: It's hard to resist the savory combination of bacon and cheddar. These pinwheel apps come straight from the Pillsbury kitchen.

Italian Calzone Pinwheels: These mini calzones are similar to a pizza calzone, but they are paired with a fun and tasty dipping sauce. They're sure to be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels: With cranberries in this recipe, these sweet and yummy pinwheels would be an excellent treat for the holidays. But they're so delicious you might not want to wait.

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels: Every game night of sports party is better with Buffalo sauce! These delightfully scrumptious pinwheels are sure to be a hit with all the guys.

So what do you think? Will any of these recipes end up in your recipe box? Do you have a favorite pinwheel appetizer recipe to share with? Blog about it and leave your link in the comments below.

Use the Pinwheel Theme for Dessert too!

Top 10 Signs It's Fall

With the kids heading back to school and a little relief from the heat, it won't be long before the crisp chill of Fall is in the air. At Pinwhirls, we're ready for Fall. We've added a huge lineup of autumn themed papers for creating custom Pinwhirl items for that school Halloween party or for a family or church harvest gathering.

Before we unveil our Fall additions, though, we've got the top signs that Fall is just is just around the corner so you'll know when it finally arrives!

Top 10 Signs It's Fall

1. The Honeycrisp apples have arrived at your favorite grocery store or farmer's market.
2. The leaves are crunching beneath your feet.
3. Friday nights and Sunday afternoons are filled with football sounds.
4. The lightning bugs and cicadas are quiet.
5. Pumpkin Spice lattes are back!
6. The leaves suddenly seem like they've been set alight
7. You gather around at backyard bonfires to roast marshmallows and make smores.
8. It's time for late night hayrides through the country with a flannel blanket and a cup of steaming hot cocoa.
9. You've packed away your swimsuit and pulled out a cozy sweater or cardigan.
10. Trick-or-treaters are knocking at your door.

What are your favorite signs that fall has finally arrived?

Now for our new pinwheel papers to help you decorate for any autumn party! Here's a small sampling of some of our specialty papers. For the complete gallery, visit us on Flickr.

HallowBlackWeb

HallowChic2

HallowChic9

HallowOldDamask4

HallowOldDamask2

Don't miss out on last year's Monster Laboratory, if you haven't seen it already. You'll find a smorgasbord of party ideas including decorations, drinks, and food. The Cherry Brain Parts, Marshmallow Monster Teeth, Skull Cake, and Brain Juice Punch were real hits!

Have you been blogging about Autumn? Don't forget to share your links with us in the comments.

Best Birthday Printables for Children's Parties

If you're planning a birthday party or just planning to attend a birthday party, we think you'll love incorporating some of these free birthday themed printables at your next party. We rounded up our 7 favorite resources so that you can have fun picking from the best birthday party ideas.

Top 7 Birthday Printables


Creature Pencil Toppers from Disney Family Fun. These adorable pencil toppers feature 7 different colorful creatures. The printable PDF includes simple instructions.

Kids' Coloring Pages from Kaboose.com. Select from a number of different coloring pages, and give your party goers a fun and creative activity to do during the birthday party or to take home.

Printable Birthday Cards from DLTK's Growing Together. Need a card to give? Check out these fun birthday cards you can print at home. There are tons of different themes to choose from.

Printable Gift Tags and Wrapping Paper from Disney Family Fun. Having trouble finding the right wrapping paper? You can get colorful gift tags and wrapping paper designs and print them in an instant at home.

Printables by Amy on Livinglocurto.com. Some cute free vintage ice cream and Lego themed printables. If you don't find what you're looking for, you can also get customized designs from us at Pinwhirls.

Free Coloring Pages & Activity Pages from Printables4Kids. From Super Mario to Princess, you'll find several different activity printables to choose from on this page. Plus you'll also find birthday party theme ideas.

Stickers from Disney Family Fun. You'll find stickers to match your birthday party theme here. They also have a huge selection of holiday and everyday stickers that you can print out too!

Where are your favorite sites to find free birthday party printables?

Why I Love Your Blog (Or Not)

This post is part of the #SummerBlogSocial, hosted by Liz and Jessica.

Liz and Jessica ask, "When you visit a blog, what areas – besides the main post – do you check out? Do you visit the Nav Bar pages? Look at the sidebars? Check for a list of categories or tags? Talk about the elements of a website that are most important to you."

1. The About Page: After reading a post, the first thing I do is go to the about page or the profile link to learn more about the person writing. I like to learn a little bit about other bloggers' favorite things, hobbies, families, or whatever, because I usually find out that we have something in common. I always like to be able to put a name or blog title and a face together. It helps me keep track of everyone!
   


2. The Social Media Stuff: I like to connect on Facebook and Twitter, so I'll look to see if you have links to your social media pages. (Bonus if I can like your Facebook Page, add you on Google Friend Connect, or join your Networked Blogs profile through a widget already on your website!) I also look to see what other social media sites you use that I haven't heard about yet.
   


3. Tags and Categories: I like to browse the categories or tag clouds on your blog to see what kinds of things you write about. Logos, blog titles, and tag lines rarely tell the whole story! So I dig a little to find out what other topics you cover that interest me.
   


4. RSS Links: If it looks like your content is going to be interesting, I'll subscribe to your feed. It's impossible to visit every blog every day, so I think RSS feeds are a godsend! I really want you to make it easy to subscribe though. I might click away if I have to dig too much to find it.
   


5. Pictures: Words and pictures go together like peanut butter and jelly. I love to see a blog with interesting and colorful photos or illustrations. They help me find interesting content more quickly, and they really add something to the blog post. Doesn't matter if they're pictures you took with your cell phone, scanned snapshots, or professional images. They're all awesome.

What do you notice most when you visit a blog?