Weekend Reads v. 31.3.2025
Available for parties.
It appears I am not great at juggling. The past month has involved quite a few things that required substantial to-do lists and a fair amount of mental gymnastics. Hence why this round up of weekend reads comes to you on a Monday.
One of those big events was a surprise birthday party for my husband. This party was many, many months in the making and included a few fun touches that might work for your next party. I’m certainly no influencer, and this shows in my lack of quality photographs, but here are a few of the flourishes I included in the party if you’re interested in seeing them.
It’s hard to describe the Omni in Bedford, PA. After winding through what feels like the middle of nowhere, you turn a corner and encounter a long line of white porches anchored by a grand brick building. The hotel’s interiors are thoughtfully decorated and include lots of historical touches, and yet the place never feels stuffy. It was a fun place to host this surprise party because none of the guests had ever experienced it!
I used Brandmark to create a custom logo for the event, and then I slapped that logo on all sorts of things. Like this custom neon sign from Neon MFG.
Who doesn’t love a welcome bag?! I wanted everyone to feel like a VIP, so I put a bit of extra thought into the gift bags guests received. I customized sayings for canvas tote bags — Midwest Nice went to the guests from Ohio — and I included more swag adorned with the event logo along with chocolates from Malley’s and some savory treats. (And electrolytes because we aren’t 20 anymore.)
To create maximum vibe at even the smallest of gatherings, put on a classic movie, hit mute, and then turn on a playlist. Ta-da! Instant vibe. I chose The Simpsons because it’s a favorite of the guest of honor.
Events with activities are my favorite. I don’t mean games or dances where everyone must participate all at once. No, I mean little areas where people can discover new things or make their own memories at an event. After The Tone was one experience I really enjoyed bringing to this party. Guests were able to leave a voicemail that served as an audio guest book. It was really fun to listen to the voicemails everyone left! The service was super easy to use — they ship the phone to you in a compact box, set up was as easy as pressing a button, and then you ship the phone back with a pre-paid mailing label. They have a variety of colors to choose from, too. After the event, you receive an audio file of all the voicemails left during the party.
Customized swag can make an event feel next level. I looked for all sorts of things I could customize — cups, napkins, coasters, for example — and I tried to inject a bit of humor into the swag as well. These matches were fun to create. Note to future self: they are way cheaper than the other matches because you have to put the stickers on the matchbooks.
A Photo Booth seems like an obvious activity for an event these days, so this one probably wasn’t much of a surprise to the guests. It was a surprise to me, however, to learn there were no vendors still in business in the town where the party was held. Enter Kruu to the rescue. I was able to order a Photo Booth with a printer, and have them shipped to me. I was a little nervous about putting it all together, but the company provided loads of video tutorials, so it all came together nicely. After the event, you are emailed a digital copy of all the photos taken.
A ball pit from Amazon was a hit with the littles. I went down a rabbit hole when it came to choosing which balls to buy. People in the comments are very opinionated about those!
My parents just so happen to celebrate their anniversary on the same day my husband celebrates his birthday, so this custom cake topper was a nice way to celebrate my parents’ big day.
There you have it! The small touches for the big day. Do you have any parties coming up???
A trick to get your tulips to stand up straight.
Yet another study confirms screen time has a negative impact on mood, sleep, and stress.
The best website designs. (Appears “best” is a relative term where some of these are concerned.)
These cute umbrellas for kids would be perfect for the April showers about to befall many of us.
So, I’m not the only person who finds streaming shows to feel a bit dumbed down lately. This essay makes a case against streaming shows, and in the process points out some pretty sad truths about the state of entertainment today.
“That’s fine. I watch a lot of low-brow stuff and enjoy it. The issue is how the viewer is trained. How much of Netflix is just meant as background viewing like the majority of cable TV? How much of Netflix is being watched while scrolling social media or doing chores?
Probably a lot.
This reality informs the creative process. According to Will Tavlin in N+1 Magazine, Netflix categorizes content into 36,000 micro-genres. One category is called “casual viewing” (eg. something people can watch while doing other things and without full focus).
Tavlin writes this type of content was traditionally made as “breezy network sitcoms, reality television, and nature documentaries” and now serves as a cornerstone of Netflix’s playbook.
Netflix execs (allegedly) provide script notes for screenwriters to “have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.” Source
I want everything in this new outdoor collection for Crate and Barrel. Swoon!
Fascinated by this collection of more than 40,000 menus from restaurants.
This essay about the surprising reaction to an actress’s teeth resonated with me. In short, normal isn’t acceptable when everyone is striving for perfection. The fear of being different is so chilling that we drastically alter our appearances, and that is tiring to me.
Hope your week is a good one!
*I used a few affiliate links in this post, so if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission. Thank you kindly if you choose to make a purchase!