Have I mentioned recently that July is always officially birthday month on this site? Well, it has been every year since I've been the Guide for this site since my birthday falls in July! While I was thinking about my upcoming big day, I thought back to the last birthday we celebrated in this house. My older daughter's birthday in the winter was our last and, oops, I realized that I never shared with you the party plan for her 1960's - 1970's Flower Child Theme Party.

And while we're on the subject of children's birthday party themes, I wanted to invite readers to share their themed birthday party plans that they felt turned out successfully. You can submit them using our User Submission Form and, if accepted, I'll publish it on this site. And I promise it won't appear as belated as this Flower Child Party Theme did.
_{Photo © Donna Pilato}

If you have had a home for any number of years, chances are good that you've got more than a few Ball jars lying around in your cabinets. I've tried my hand at preserving, and I've purchased or received gifts of preserved food as well, each time adding another jar to the collection. I never dispose of the jars because they are so useful. However, until now, I never thought of how many crafty ways these jars can be used outside of canning. That's why I jumped at the chance to share these easy and inexpensive ideas from Ball on how to use their jars when you entertain. I bet you'll find a few that you can use over this holiday weekend - I already have.