Throwing a Halloween Party

Ghosts and goblins, oh my! Halloween is fast approaching and More Than Paper has you covered with tips and tricks to throw a creative Halloween Party for both kids and adults alike this season. From invitations to party favors, you’ll have a party to remember. Follow these pro tips: 
 
1.     Hold on to those broomsticks and think about the type of party you want to throw:
The first step in event planning is determining exactly what kind of event you want to host. Think about the activities, dress, time, date, and menu for the event. Do you want a spooky party? A fun and whimsical party?  This will set the tone for all future planning. 
 
 
2.     Decide which witches and warlocks to invite to your super spooky event:
The next step in planning your Halloween party is to figure out the gruesome guest list! After determining the type of Halloween party you are having, adjust your guest list accordingly. For example, if you plan on throwing a ‘potion party,’ only invite those guests who are legally eligible to drink. Gather the names and addresses of your guest list and start looking for an invitation that matches your party vibe. 
 
Pro Tip: We recommend sending out the invitations for your party at least three weeks in advance to ensure your guests are well prepared for the holiday festivities! 
 
 
3.     Remember to make your menacing menu for all your guests to enjoy: 
One of the most important aspects of any party is the menu. Halloween parties are no exception! So while making a nice dip may do the trick, we recommend trying to create Halloween-themed dishes. For example, add some crushed chocolate cookies into a chocolate pudding cup; and top with some gummy worms to make a grave dirt cup! Pinterest is full of Halloween-themed food and you can even get healthy ideas. (We love a peeled orange or clementine with a small piece of celery stuck in the top! It looks like a pumpkin!) 
 
4.     Add a dash of competition to your caldron with some Halloween-themed games!: 
What is a party without some fun and games? While games are not completely necessary, we recommend including some signature Halloween-inspired games to add some nostalgia to your Halloween soiree. Some of the easiest and budget-friendly games to try at your Halloween party are bobbing for apples (in a non-COVID world), pin the nose on the witch, or even Monster Mash musical chairs!

After reviewing these spooky steps for making your Halloween party the best one yet, we at More Than Paper have created a list of perfect Halloween products for you to indulge in this Halloween holiday season! Make sure to order early, so you are not disappointed!  
Make sure your guests know exactly where and when to park their broomsticks for your Halloween party this year! Try these Cauldron Bubble Green Halloween Invitations to get your guests in the spooky spirit! For more Halloween-themed invitations, visit https://www.morethanpaper.com/Halloween-Invitations.htm

Witches, zombies, and spiders; oh my! What better way to put your personal spin on a Halloween haunt than with these precious Halloween Hang With Us napkins by Three Bees! Not only are these napkins personalized with your name, but there are multiple color options to choose from to match your Halloween aesthetic! For more Halloween napkin options, go to https://www.morethanpaper.com/Halloween-Napkins.htm

 
3.  Are you thinking about serving some of those ghoulish dishes at your Halloween soiree? If so, make sure these dishes are served with style with these spooky Halloween 3 or 4 Piece Tabletop Sets by Kelly Hughes Designs! This set comes with a personalized placemat, bowl, plate, and mug (if you get the four-piece option). These sets are the perfect way to spark some spooky cheer around your Halloween party this year! For more Halloween-inspired décor, visit https://www.morethanpaper.com/Halloween-Main.htm

So what will it be this Halloween?  We can’t wait to see the parties that you throw! 

Rosh Hashanah Celebrations

As the end of the summer season approaches, that means it’s time to wish your friends and family ‘Shanah Tovah!’ That’s right; it is finally time to start celebrating Rosh Hashanah with the people you love. Rosh Hashanah marks the first days of the Jewish new year. This year Rosh Hashanah comes to us quite early starting on September 6, 2021 (Labor Day!) and continues until September 8, 2021. That said, we at More Than Paper have devised a list of tips that will make your Rosh Hashanah holiday the sweetest one yet!

1.     Give thanks, reflect, and change:

Just like with the secular New Year, Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect upon our past, be grateful for it, and plan to improve for the future. With that being said, here are some tips we have to help you make sure you follow through on these resolutions. The first suggestion we have is to take time to really reflect on the past year. Take the time to recall any instances in which you feel gratitude or that you see a need for improvement. Next, we advise that you write down your goals or resolutions so that you can refer back to them throughout the year ahead. Another tip that we have is to find someone you trust to help you keep yourself accountable as the year continues. Finally, our last tip is to make sure to give yourself some grace if you fall short of your goals. We realize it can be incredibly challenging to achieve your resolutions, so give yourself a break if you mess up. We’re all human; what matters is that you are trying!

 

2.     Listen to the Shofar for good measure:

The second tip we have to make this Rosh Hashanah one for the books is to listen to the shofar. The Shofar is a ram’s horn that is ceremonially blown during the Rosh Hashanah festivities. Listening to the Shofar is one of the many ways we are reminded to look deeper into ourselves and reflect on the past year. With many of us missing the opportunity to hear the shofar in person last year, we are guessing that finally hearing the shofar again in person will be a more emotional experience than usual. One thing the past year has taught us is to not take things for granted. Be present and soak it all in.

 

3.     Don’t be afraid to indulge in some tasty traditional foods:

One of our favorite Rosh Hashanah customs is indulging in its tasty traditional dishes! When preparing for the Rosh Hashanah holiday, make sure you don’t forget the apples and honey to ensure you and your family have the sweetest new year! Other traditional foods to consider including in your Rosh Hashanah celebrations are yummy pomegranates (did you know that there are 613 seeds in a pomegranate – the same number of commandments in the Torah – hence why it has become a traditional food) or delicious round challah (not just any challah – but a round challah to represent the idea that the year is round – or a continuous cycle). Not a traditional Jewish New Year food, but a tradition in our family, is to make and serve gefilte fish for the holiday. You can check out our posted gefilte fish recipe here.

 

4.     Make sure to wish your friends and family a “Sweet New Year”:

One way to celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday is to wish your friends and family ‘Shanah Tovah!’ or “Happy New Year!” Not only is this a common courtesy in the Jewish community, but it has also now become a tradition-whether that be said in person or via snail mail with a Jewish New Year greeting card. With that being said, make sure to let your friends and family know you hope they have the sweetest new year! 

 

5.     Show off your new threads:

We’re not sure if this is really a true tradition but it is always a fun unofficial part of the holiday – wearing new clothes to the synagogue for the High Holy Days and being able to check out the latest fashion trends! This year, however, many of us are just happy to be getting back to the synagogue in person – so don’t worry so much about the fashion trends this year. Just be grateful to be able to show up and be with others!

After sharing with you our tips and tricks to making your Rosh Hashanah the sweetest one yet, here is one of our most popular Jewish New Cards this year.

Send your friends and family sweet new year tidings with this “Seasons of Life” Jewish New Year card by Michele Pulver. Each set of cards is environmentally conscientious, being made with carbon-neutral cardstock. Accompanying these beautiful cards are matching self-sealing white envelopes with free printed return address that will make sending these cards to your family and friends even easier! Please visit the More Than Paper website for more information on these Seasons of Life Jewish New Year Cards or more Rosh Hashanah greeting cards.

Hosting The Best Summer Parties

Summer is the best season for entertaining! The long, hot, sunny days turn into warm, calming nights. Summer is a season where you are able to sit back, relax, and enjoy other people’s company more. If you are one who enjoys hosting parties for your friends and family members, but always struggle to get everything together at the last minute, this post is for you!  Once you develop these tips and tricks, your friends and family won’t be able to stop talking about your amazing parties. 

 

1.     Let your guests know about the party a month in advance. 

 

Summer is a busy season for everyone. A lot of people plan trips, visit family, etc. You want to make sure when planning a party your guests have enough time to mark their calendars before that day is booked. We also recommend sending out an invitation in the mail to give it a more formal and festive approach. If you want a bright and colorful invitational, check out this summer invitation below.  

2.     Plan out the food you want to serve two weeks in advance.

 

When planning out your food, you can go ahead and buy all the non-perishable ingredients ahead of time and prepare as much as possible. This makes it so much easier as you get closer to the day of the party.  Think about creating meals that you can create in advance so you aren’t spending too much time in the kitchen. 

3.     Don’t forget about the little details. 

 

When it comes to planning a party, you might not think about the very small details until the day off, like the music you are going to play, which exact plants you are planning on buying to elevate the mood of the party a little more, or all the exact toppings you need for your dishes. 

4.     Ambiance is everything. 

 

It is important to plan how you want the set up to look for your party and the mood you are going for. Make sure you have every piece ready two weeks in advance and, if possible, lay everything out two days prior to the party to make sure it matches what you envisioned. 

5.     Don’t over complicate your drinks. 

 

Our best tip when it comes to having drinks at a party is to create a fun bar cart that is either self-serve or has a bartender at it. This makes it easy for people to pick out their own drinks and create exactly what they like. 

 

            Planning out and hosting a great party can be a lot of work. Make it easier on yourself by planning everything in advance. You can also ask guests to bring small items like a cut-up watermelon or chips to feel like they are contributing, but they do not have to prepare anything. 

 

            During the party, remember to also have fun and enjoy the company of your friends and/or family. You worked hard creating an unforgettable night like this, so there is no reason why you should miss out on enjoying it too. By having your party self-serve or primarily self-serve, it allows you to sit back and enjoy your own party as well.  Also, we’d like to give you permission to not clean up until morning!  

Refresh Your Desk! Tips and Tricks

One of the most frustrating things is having a desk that is cluttered. Not only is having a messy desk overwhelming, but it’s also incredibly distracting when you’re trying to get work done. With the kids heading back to school in a month or so, and summer approaching its end faster than we would like, stay focused in the home office. Having a clean desk is such a breath of fresh air, and we are going to show you how to get there with these six easy steps.
 
Here are some steps to help get that desk organized!:

Plan ahead to find a time to commit to re-organizing your desk. One of the hardest parts about organizing your desk is setting a designated time to do it. We all have busy schedules, and setting aside time just to re-organize your desk may get swiped under the rug. That’s why the best thing you can do to start this process is to plan ahead! Set aside 30 minutes to an hour to deep clean that office space. Trust us; you won’t regret it!
Don’t be afraid to part ways.
 
This second step to our organizing process is arguably the most crucial: “If it’s been used in the past six months, it stays; if it hasn’t, throw it away!” Whether it be old pens, a sticky note cleanse, or just knick-knacks you don’t love seeing anymore, get rid of it. Having this unnecessary clutter not only clutters your desk, but it clutters your mind too.
 
Round up those pesky chords for more leg space.
 
There is nothing worse than feeling claustrophobic while you’re trying to be productive. That said, let’s give those legs some room! This step is simple but will make a world of difference when it comes to your productivity. Simply take any chords that are hanging under your desk and tie them together to give you the leg space you deserve!
 
Don’t be afraid to keep a few things you enjoy seeing on your desk.
 
We know we told you to get rid of the unnecessary items on your desk, but there is no need to do away with all of it. It’s totally fine to keep a few pictures of loved ones or fun knick-knacks on your desk if it makes you happy. Just be sure to put them in places that won’t disrupt your workflow!
 
Set rules for your organization to keep up the good work!
 
After all is said and done, we know you will enjoy your newly organized workspace! To make sure you keep up this satisfying feeling, we suggest coming up with organization rules to follow until your next desk touch-up. One rule that we recommend is to make sure when you are done with a project, clean up those sticky notes or reminders from your workspace. Another great rule to consider is keeping a trashcan nearby to make after-project clean-ups quick and easy.
 
Set aside another date to re-organize in the future.
 
Our last rule to our re-organizing process is to plan for future re-organization. We know that you just finished organizing your desk for now, but nobody’s perfect! That said, there will come a time when you have to repeat this process in the future. We recommend taking the time to re-organize your office space at the end of every month to make sure you stay as productive as possible!

 
Let’s get this organization station ready!
 
Did you think we would give you these handy tips without giving you the materials to do them? Of course not! More Than Paper has some of the best desktop items for an organized desk in the business! Try out a few of these items to make your desk as organized and aesthetic as possible!

What better way to stay organized than with our Weekly To Do Weekly Calendar Pads? These calendar pads contain 50 durable sheets and are completely personalizable. Add your name, pick your favorite pattern, or choose between our variety of colors to stay organized and look cute while doing it! 

One of the best desktop items anyone can have is memo notes. Memo notes are super convient to jot down whatever you’re thinking in the moment. We love this personalized one with the reminder to be awesome. These cubes contain 675 sheets of memo notes for whatever you need to jot down! 

Having loose-leaf paper strewn across your desk can be so distracting! Never fear because, at More Than Paper we have these adorable Grasshopper Personalized Wood Clipboards by Dabney Lee! These clipboards are completely personalizable and allow you to choose your typestyle, ink color, and text! 

Work at your desk and look cute while doing it with this Espadrille Bright Preset Personalized Mousepad! Boatman Geller produces these mousepads, and trust us they do not disappoint! These mousepads can be personalized by typestyle, ink color, and text (up to 3 lines). 

How To Teach Children Letter Writing Skills

Going to sleep away camp is an exciting time in your children’s lives. They will learn new tools that will help them throughout their lives as well as make unforgettable memories. As you are preparing to send your children to camp, there are many aspects to think about!  Many people think about all the supplies their children will need like clothing, bedding, toiletries, etc., but there is one thing people tend to forget—how to properly write a letter! Although your children will be having fun with all their new friends and counselors, they may experience some homesickness and will want to write to you (and many camps require that they do!). It is important to teach them how to properly write a letter so that they are not confused when the time comes.

Teaching a child how to properly write a letter may seem a little difficult at first. There are many components that go into writing a letter correctly. These skills, though, are very important and will help your children learn to be better communicators. If you are struggling on where to start, here are some of our tips and tricks to help prepare your child for writing a great letter home! However, keep in mind that they are not writing a legal brief—so really the emphasis should be on teaching them to be able to communicate their feelings, not so much about form, grammar and style.

Have your children practice writing their alphabet letters. Practicing writing each letter of the alphabet will help them to feel more confident when writing a letter to you, their grandparents, and their friends while they are away at camp. Depending on their age, this may or may not be necessary!

Teach your children the difference between an informal and formal letter.
Although your children will only be writing informal letters to family and friends while away at camp, it will help them to not confuse the two in the future.

Teach your child all the different components that go into writing a letter. When writing a letter, it is important to make sure that your child understands everything that goes into writing a good letter. There are 4 basic parts:

• Date: the date should be printed at top left or top right
• Salutation: This is typically “Dear (name)” followed by a comma (e.g. Dear Grandma,)
• Letter Body: This is the part of the letter where children can share their thoughts and feelings, report on what they have done or what they are looking forward to doing.
• Closing: Closings can take many forms depending upon to whom you are writing. Popular ones include “Love,” “Your friend,” “Sincerely,” (although this one might be a bit too formal for camp letters) and “From.” Note that all of these closings EXCEPT “From” should be followed by a comma. (e.g. Love, Danny or From Danny)

Have your child practice writing letters. 
If your child is having trouble remembering all the steps that go into a letter, you could write down a list of all the steps and laminate it (tip: use clear packing tape as lamination) so it does not accidentally get ruined while your child is at camp. 

Once the actual letter is written, it is time to teach them how to address the letter to send. 
While your child is learning how to address an envelope, it is helpful to provide a template so that they remember where everything goes. You can draw three lines in the middle of the envelope (where they put the address of the receiver of the letter), three lines at the top left-hand corner (where they put their return address), and a small box on the right hand side where the stamp gets placed. Show them how the name goes on the first line, the street address on the second, and the city, state, and zip code on the last (great time to point out that a comma separates the city and state – but just a space between the state and zip code). Once again if they are struggling with remembering where everything goes, you can provide a laminated example for them to take to camp or wherever they go in life! 

Give them the stationery tools to help prepare them for writing letters. Making sure that your children have everything they need for writing their letters will help them to feel more confident and prepared. Below are a few examples you may want to get your child during their time at camp—but we recommend letting your children choose the designs they wish to have. It will give them the feeling of power which is helpful here in prepping for camp, and, after all, they are the ones that will be using it all summer. We are sure your children will be so excited to use their fun and colorful letters while they are away.

For especially younger campers, you may want to consider getting them a fill-in-the-blank option so that it is easy for them to report on the latest and greatest goings on at camp!

Finally, one last tip in preparation is to give them a neat case to keep all their stationery paraphernalia tidy. This has been a best-seller for years and kids love how they can completely customize the personalization. 

 

Going away to camp for a few weeks can be a very big deal for kids, but teaching them how to properly write letters can really help them if they begin to feel homesick. This will help your child feel like they are still connecting with you from afar. Your child will be so excited to receive a letter back as well once they send theirs. By learning how to write a letter, your child will feel more confident in their communication skills as they adventure off to camp! 
 

How to Prepare Your Child For Camp

There is so much that goes into preparing your children for camp. You don’t know until you’ve been through it!  During this preparation time, it is important to make sure that both you and your child are involved to make it the best overall experience. We understand that there are a lot of different components that go into getting your child ready for the weeks ahead.  
If you are having trouble trying to figure out where to even start preparing for your child’s upcoming adventure, we have provided some of our best tips and tricks to help you and your child get ready for an amazing summer at camp. 
 
Having your child practice a good hygiene routine without having you around.
 
While your child will certainly get assistance from his/her counselors at camp, it’s good for your child to start learning to do some of these hygiene tasks themselves while still at home. This will not only help them feel more confident, but they will also start to grow to be more independent. Before they go to camp, try and create a list of important daily tasks they should be doing like brushing teeth twice a day. Turn this list into a game to see who can complete the list first so they do not see it as a chore.
 
Involve your child in the preparation process for their time at camp. 
 
Not only will they start to become more excited for their time at camp, but they will also not worry about missing an important item to them such as a special stuffed animal, blanket, etc. This will also help them to start growing a sense of independence as they are not having everything done for them. 
 
Let your child borrow your confidence about camp. 
 
Children take their cues from parents. Avoid asking your child if they are worried about camp or if they will miss you. But do have conversations about what they are looking forward to and/or what they might be nervous about in terms of camp. If you personally used to go to overnight camp, you could share some of your favorite stories to help get them more excited to go. Remember, the more confidence you show in the camp and its leaders’ ability to take good care of your child, the more confident your child will feel about separating from you. 
 
Prepare items that will help your child feel less homesick. 
 
Sending your child away for summer camp is a big deal and could possibly make your child anxious. In order to help your child feel a little more comfortable when they are away, you could print pictures of the family, encourage writing letters, etc. This will help your child feel more connected to you while they are away. You could even get them some fun stationery items to help get them excited for writing to you while they are away like these: 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 
See our full collection of stationery to write from home here! 
 
 
 
Go visit the campsite before your child leaves for the summer. 
 
If possible, visit the camp ahead of time! By going to visit the camp, it can help to better prepare your child for what to expect. This can alleviate any built help stress your child may have had for not knowing what they were going into. Also, by physically seeing where they are about to spend their summer, it will help get them excited for what’s to come. Can’t get there physically, check out the camp’s website. Most have videos, photos and even recordings of staff, campers and parents to help you get a feel for the camp’s atmosphere.
 
Sending your child away to camp for the summer may be stressful for both you and your child at first, but by following these tips it can help better prepare both of you for a great summer. Before you know it, your child will come home with so many amazing memories and stories that they will be eager to share with you!