How to spice up a boxed cake mix for a quick and easy dessert

The 15-minute party planners among us like to prep for parties without breaking a sweat. To make a simple boxed cake mix a little fancier, try these easy suggestions:

• Add a box of dry instant pudding mix to your cake batter. Try adding pistachio pudding mix to chocolate cake batter or instant lemon pudding to a white cake mix.
• Chop up candy bars or add chocolate chips for a more interesting cake.
• Blend fresh fruit like strawberries or applesauce into your cake batter in place of one of the liquid elements.
  
• Squeeze caramel or chocolate ice cream syrup into batter or frosting for an interesting twist.
  
• When pouring chocolate cake batter into a pan, use half the batter to cover the bottom of the pan, then add a layer of Peppermint Patties or Andes Mints. Cover the mints with the remaining cake batter.
• Add a dollop of peanut butter to a chocolate or vanilla cake mix for a nutty taste.
• Consider baking two small cakes. When you're ready to frost the cakes, spread a layer of jam or marmalade on top of the first cake, put the second cake on top and then frost both cakes as one.
  
• Top a frosted cake with sprinkles, chopped nuts, or M&Ms for easy decorating.
• Dust frosting with cocoa powder or confectioners sugar.
• Top a frosted cake with sliced fruit for a fresher take on boxed cake.
  
• Cupcakes are instantly-cute desserts and don't require much more time than making one large cake. Buy cute liners and add from-a-box cake batter to make instantly-adorable desserts.

A guide to choosing seating for special events

Maybe you've got a big event to plan (a wedding reception, perhaps, or maybe a weekend-long scrapbooking retreat) and you're thinking that there's no way to boil the tasks down into manageable chunks. Fear not! Here's a handy guide to seating. Commit it to memory (or simply bookmark this page), for easy event planning.

Banquet-style seating

What it looks like: Rooms set up banquet-style typically use round tables that seat 8 people (60” rounds) or 10 people (72” rounds). (Occasionally, you will find banquet-style seating that uses square or rectangular tables instead.) The tables are then spaced evenly throughout the room.

When to use it: Banquet style seating is best for wedding receptions, award banquets, and other large events.

Theatre-style seating

What it looks like: Chairs are set up in straight lines and all face the front of the room. There are no tables or desks.

When to use it: Theatre-style seating is best for presentations or lectures that do not require participants to take notes. Theatre-style seating is also often used for graduations. The style is less for special events and more for meetings and conferences.

Schoolroom straight

What it looks like: Schoolroom straight seating uses tables and chairs set up in straight rows facing the front of the room.

When to use it: Schoolroom straight seating is best for presentations where participants will be taking notes. It’s also a good set up if your guests will be using a lot of table space; use this set up if you're coordinating a scrapbooking or bingo party.

Reception

What it looks like: People milling around with drinks and/or food. A few long tables are used to display food and there can be a bar present. Some smaller tables are provided for guests, and are usually of the high-top variety so that people can stand and chat. Chairs are placed along the edges of the room. An alternative to this setup is to use limited seating at standard-height tables.

When to use it: Reception-style rooms are set up to encourage the flow of traffic in a room so that guests can mingle. This is a great set up for networking events, cocktail parties, and other events where the focus of the party is on talking to other guests. It is also a good choice when hosting an outdoor party, since not much seating is required. Additionally, if you're hosting a wedding reception or networking event, reception-style setups are often less expensive than a full sit-down meal.

Other things to consider

When planning the seating for your party, keep in mind all the factors that will affect your room layout, such as the age of your guest (high-top tables may be hard for the very young or the very old, who are in greater need of seating), the actual shape of the room (Are there columns in the way? Are your seats facing a row of windows letting in blinding light?), and safety regulations (Can all guests access an exit? Are you complying with local fire codes?). In the end, choose the layout that will work best for you and your guests, and enjoy the festivities!

3 easy baby shower games that require little or no prep work

Planning a baby shower is a wonderful way to honor a mom-to-be. And while games can help liven up a baby shower, there's nothing worse than having to uncomfortably participate in some of the cheesier baby shower games like Guessing Mom's Tummy Size. For easy baby shower games that won't be an embarrassment and require less than 15 minutes of preparation, read on!

Baby Shower Bingo
To keep guests from getting antsy while the mom-to-be is opening gifts, try playing Baby Shower Bingo. Unlike a traditional bingo game where someone calls out numbers or words that are then marked off the bingo cards, Baby Shower Bingo includes items that a new mom is likely to receive at the shower such as diapers, bibs, and teddy bears. You can find easy-to-use templates online, or create bingo cards of your own. The first person/people to get bingo win a prize!

Helpful hints:

1. You can personalize your Baby Shower Bingo cards by looking at the mom-to-be's gift registry. In addition to general baby supplies like bottles and booties, use spaces on the bingo cards to add some specific items that have been purchased from the registry like a Diaper Genie, a certain storybook, or bedding that matches the nursery theme.
   
   
2. Make sure you have a few variations of the bingo cards, or all of your guests will win at the same time!

Peruse Your Purse
Baby showers are often ladies-only events; if the shower you're planning will be made up of women, try playing Peruse Your Purse. This is a simple but energetic game that requires no prep work.

To start, make sure everyone has her purse. Then, call out an item; the first woman to retrieve the item from her bag wins a raffle ticket. You can play this game as long as you like and can make the items as generic or specific as you'd like. Most women, for instance, are likely to carry a pen, but only a few women are likely to have a red pen or one from a hotel. If the game is going too quickly, simply make the items more specific -- ask for cinnamon gum, Cover Girl makeup, or a license proving an August birthday, rather than the generic alternatives.

Helpful hints: It's easy to generate ideas for this game on the spot, but if you'd rather have some items prepared, you can write yourself a quick list before the party begins.

Additionally, at the end of the game you have two options to declare a winner:

1. Whoever has collected the most raffle tickets wins a prize.
   
   
2. You can call out raffle ticket numbers throughout the party and give away small gifts to whomever has the matching tickets.

What's Missing?
To play What's Missing you'll need a decent-sized tray (or a small toy box) and a variety of baby items. Try for about 12 or 15 items, and make some of them nearly identical (e.g. use two pacifiers – one blue and one green – and two different jars of baby food). Place the items on the tray and give everyone 15 or 30 seconds to study them. Then, walk into another room, rearrange the items and remove an item or two. When you get back into the room, give everyone another minute to figure out what is missing. Make sure your guests are specific! Then you'll know who noticed the different-colored pacifiers or the two flavors of baby food.

You can play this game just for fun or can give prizes to either the person who is most often correct, or the woman that notices what’s missing the fastest.

Helpful hints: If you're the tricky sort, show your guests the tray of items without telling them that the tray will be part of a game. Instead, just casually talk about the cute things the mom-to-be has been gathering for the baby's arrival. After everyone has seen the tray, leave the room to remove an object or two, then return and announce the purpose of the game. It'll be fun to see who can figure out what's missing!

Easy New Year's Eve party ideas

New Year's Eve is a great night for parties, but with the rush of Christmas, many folks forget about the New Year until the last minute!

If you're one of those folks, don't worry! There's still time to plan an informal gathering with friends. Here are some easy New Year's Eve party ideas that won't require much prep work.

• Host a board game night.
  With the TV on in the background (so you don't miss the dropping ball!), you and your guests can entertain yourselves with a variety of multi-player games. For game suggestions, check out two related articles: The best board games for a game-night party and The best card and tile games for a game night.
  
  
• Get a thumb workout with a video game party.
  Maybe you prefer a more 21st Century gaming get-together. Invite your friends over for a night of partying with the Playstation or working out with the Wii. Consider leaving out some handheld games as well, so that people can have some solo shots at games like 20Q, Hangman, and Simon.
  
  Another helpful hint? Ask friends to bring extra controllers with them so more people can play at once. And if you have access to more than one TV, you can even borrow another gaming console for twice the fun.
  
  
• Class up the joint with a cocktail party.
  Have your friends dress up in their finest and invite them over for cocktails. You can serve a signature cocktail or a variety of drinks and nosh on bite-sized treats. Party prep is easy with the 15-Minute Party Planner's guide to Buying booze: easy drink calculations.
  
  
• Extend Christmas with a "regifting" party.
  Maybe you got two copies of the same DVD this Christmas and your vegan friend received a sausage and cheese gift basket. Tell guests to re-wrap a present that was less than a perfect match; when they bring the gifts to the party, everyone can participate in a Yankee Swap. Who knows? You may receive a new treasure!
  
  
• Get funky with a crazy hat/ugly sweater/color-themed party.
  It's easy to host a bash with a wacky, but simple theme. Have your guests come wearing their favorite (or most outlandish) hats, ugly holiday sweaters, or all black (or other color of choice). Set up a corner with a fun backdrop, themed-props, and encourage people to document their goofy outfits on camera.
  

8 instant Christmas centerpieces

Everyone wants a festive centerpiece for Christmas -- here are 12 ideas for centerpieces you can "create" in an instant.

1. A beautifully wrapped poinsettia says 'tis the season!
   
   
2. Grab a large clear-glass bowl from your cupboard. Add a variety of brightly-colored Christmas ornaments for a sparkly centerpiece.
   
   
3. Maybe you won't have chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but you can certainly display them on your table. Line the bottom of a bowl with chestnuts and add fresh cranberries on top for color.
   
   
4. Everything looks good in a group of three. Find a trio of favorite Christmas figurines (angels, snowmen, Santas, etc.) and place them in a group in the center of your table.
   
   
5. Were you baking up a storm this season? Decorate the table with a gingerbread house or a tower of Christmas cookies.
   
   
6. Candles make an easy centerpiece for any occasion. Grab a few pillars or tapers in holiday colors and arrange them on a festive tray.
   
   
7. Fill a hurricane vase with pine cones, holly berries, and other natural signs of the season.
   
   
8. Cover a tray or fill a bowl or hurricane vase with seasonal candies and foods. The color and shine of peppermints mixed with oranges and walnuts makes a good-enough-to-eat centerpiece that is worthy of any Christmas table.
   

How to make overnight guests feel welcome

If you're hosting overnight guests this holiday season, there are a few simple touches that go a long way in making guests feel welcome. You don't need a fancy guest room to be a good hostess; you just need to make sure that your guests feel comfortable and taken care of.

Sleeping arrangements
Whether your guests are sleeping in the guest room, on an airbed, or on the sofa make them feel comfortable with easy access to the basic necessities:

• Leave your guests a nightstand or other surface on which to gather their jewelry, books, etc. (If guests are sleeping on a mattress or airbed on the floor, consider leaving a large tray next to the bed, instead of a table.)
  
  
• Make sure guests have easy-access to an outlet so that they can charge cell phones and other electronic devices without hunting for a plug.
  
  
• Ideally, guests should be able to turn off the lights without getting out of bed. If your guests are staying in the living room or other shared space, be sure to provide them with lighting that is close by, and consider using nightlights in the hallways and bathrooms so that guests don't stumble in the dark.
  
  
• Tell guests where they can find extra blankets and pillows, and keep the extras nearby.
  
  
• Providing an alarm clock is also nice for guests. A combination radio or iPod alarm clock also gives guests the ability to listen to music during their stay.
  

The bathroom
Organizing supplies before your guests arrive will ensure that everyone has the towels and toiletries they need.

• Leaving a set of towels and washcloths on a guest's bed gives them the freedom to bathe in the morning or evening without having to ask for linens.
  
  
• Consider creating a bathroom basket with travel-sized toiletries and items guests may have forgotten, such as toothbrushes, combs, and hairspray. You may also want to create a small basket for the guest room with things like cough drops, earplugs, an inexpensive eye mask, and other things that will help your guests feel at home.
  
  
• All homes have quirks. If the knobs in your shower are backwards or you have to jiggle the toilet handle for a proper flush, be sure to warn your guests in advance to prevent embarrassing situations. It's also helpful to point out where to find extra toilet paper or a plunger, should anyone need them.

Living spaces
Providing a comfortable place for visitors to read, watch television, or hang out is a necessity, as is showing guests where they can find food or drinks when they need them.

• Leave a basket in a common area with games, magazines, and other forms of entertainment and encourage your guests to help themselves.
  
  
• Orient guests to the kitchen and show them where to find snacks, water, coffee, dishes, etc. (This is especially important if your guests are early risers and you like to sleep in!)
  
  
• Provide guests with a channel guide for the television, instructions to work the remote controls, and maps or local guidebooks if your guests will be doing any exploring without you.

In addition, it's nice to have a space set aside for your guests' belongings while they visit. If you're lucky enough to have a guest room, you're all set, but even if guests will be sleeping in the living room, try to make sure that they have access to some privacy and a place for their things. Consider cornering off a section of living space with a small privacy screen and a luggage rack for guests, or clearing out a closet for guests belongings. A little effort goes a long way!

The 5 best Christmas albums to play this season

Need an easy playlist for your Christmas celebrations? Pick up a few of these classic and contemporary Christmas albums and you've got an easy mix of tunes perfect for parties.

1. Bing Crosby's White Christmas
   Start things off with a true classic when you purchase Bing Crosby's White Christmas album (for only $3.99 on Amazon, you can't go wrong). The disc is full of classics like "I'll Be Home for Christmas", "Silent Night", and the title track "White Christmas", you'll have just over a dozen songs to get you in the holiday spirit.
   
   
2. Barenaked Ladies' Barenaked for the Holidays
   Aside from the snooze-worthy version of "Jingle Bells" that kicks off this disc, the Barenaked Ladies' holiday album is a must-have. A mix of both quirky and sentimental Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter songs make up this wonderful collection. The disc also features guest appearances by Sarah McLachlan and Michael Buble. ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" featuring Sarah McLachlan is especially beautiful.)
   
   
3. Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve and Other Stories
   What did we do before the Trans-Siberian Orchestra came around? Christmas Eve and Other Stories showcases 17 Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs and includes fan-favorite "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24", (often mistakenly called "Carol of the Bells") which is an instrumental medley of "Carol of the Bells" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".
   
   
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Original Sound Track Recording Of The CBS Television Special
   If you can get your hands on a copy of the original soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas, you are very lucky indeed! The original has the music just as we remember it (without the bells and whistles added to more recent releases). Playing this disc at a Christmas party is sure to invoke nostalgic memories of the season.
   
   
5. The original A Very Special Christmas CD
   Though there are now half a dozen A Very Special Christmas compilations circulating, the original is the best, featuring Christmas songs sung by '80s superstars. From Run D.M.C.'s wonderfully cheesy Christmas in Hollis to U2's rocking Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and Alison Moyet's hauntingly beautiful The Coventry Carol, the album features contemporary hits and proceeds from the sale of the album benefit Special Olympics.

Tune in to one of these albums for a very special Christmas of your own!