Spring Time Fundraiser

If your organization is looking for a new fundraiser, you may want to consider a fashion show combined with a calendar party and raffle.   I have organized and planned this event many times for churches and nonprofits.  Here is how to pull off a successful show:

Fashion Show

Choose a popular clothing store or boutique.   When approaching a store owner, tell them that this show will benefit them as well by showcasing their clothing to an audience that may otherwise not have shopped at their store.  Perhaps they can offer a ten percent discount to the models who wear the clothing.

You will work with the owner to choose the clothing that will be modeled in the show.  Have at least eight models to wear two outfits for a total of sixteen outfits.

Once the clothing and the models are chosen, either you or the owner will write a commentary for each model and outfit.

An hour or so before the fashion show is to begin, have the models practice with the commentary.

Calendar Party

A calendar party is a fun addition to a fashion show.  Have 12 volunteers pick a month of the year.  They are then in charge of decorating a table for that month.  Examples and suggestions may be:      

January:  Winter table, New Year’s Day

February:  Valentine’s Day, Ground Hog Day or Presidents Day

March:      Spring table, St. Patrick’s Day, Daylight Savings, MardiGras

April:         April Fools, Spring, Easter, Tax Deadline

May:          Wedding table, Cinco De Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day

June:          Summer, Father’s Day, Vacations

July:           Fourth of July, Summer picnic, Patriotic

August:      Back to School, Pool Party

Sept.:         Labor Day, Autumn

October:   Halloween, Columbus Day, Oktoberfest

Nov.:          Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day

Dec.:          Christmas, Winter, New Year’s Eve

A nicely decorated table will include a table cloth, place mats, centerpiece and any other creative design you can come up with.  A nice touch would be to have a favor at each place setting too.

Food

Keep the food simple.  Finger sandwiches and punch and a simple desert.

Food may be served before or after the fashion show.  It is up to you. If you do it after the show, the models will get to eat with their family and friends.

Raffle

Prior to the event ask businesses and individuals for gift donations to be raffled off.  Many businesses will donate gift cards or certificates for fundraisers.  Baskets are also a good idea.

At the event, display the donations on a table.  Make sure a business card or sign is in front of the item explaining who donated that item.  A plastic cup should also be in front of each item.  Patrons will be asked to purchase raffle tickets.  They will place one half of their ticket in the empty cup in front of the prize they would like to win. 

During intermission (model changes), draw one half of the gift prizes.  At the conclusion of the fashion show, the other prizes will be drawn.

Tickets

Ticket prices for this event will depend on how much of an investment you make and your fundraising goals.  

How much is the food and drink costing you?  Perhaps you could get the refreshments donated.

Did you have to pay for the facility?  Many churches and nonprofit entities will be happy to rent out their large spaces for minimal cost. 

You should not have any trouble selling tickets to this event if they are priced $10 or under.

If you have any questions or comments, or if you need suggestions or ideas for your next fundraiser, contact me.  I would love to help.

Mom, Whats For Dinner?

Take the guess work out of your daily dinner dilemma by  preparing a weekly menu.  I know, this sounds so drudging.  But when you plan your meals ahead of time you have time for other things in your life.  Start with tomorrow.  Write or type what you will have as your main dish and then your side dishes.  Now, plan your dinners for the rest of the week. Ask your kids for their input as well.  This will make grocery shopping much easier since you will only get the food that is on your menu for the next week.  This idea also eliminates the problem of what to have for dinner tonight.

By including the family on dinner decisions this assures that they will enjoy at least a few meals that week.  If your family is like mine, it is impossible to please every one's palate. Since the menu is posted on the refrigerator, it has eliminated the daily question:  "Mom, what's for dinner?"

January is Get Organized Month

One organizational tool that I will not go without is my "Mom's Family Desk Planner" by Sandra Boynton.  It is a two-collumn weekly planner. One collumn is for mom, the other for family appointments and activities.  It also comes with fun event stickers such as haircut, 1/2 day of school, vacation, and silly animal stickers to make your planning fun.  

This organizer can be purchased at Borders.    

January is Get Organized Month

Do you have a cocktail dress or gown that you have only worn once or twice?  Don't let those dresses take up valuable closet space.  Make some extra cash this month by taking your slightly worn clothing to a local consignment shop.

January is Get Organized Month

To jump start your new year, I will post solutions to the most frustrating clutter and disorganization dilemmas people face in their homes.

Let's start with storing all of your holiday decorations. Sadly, the holidays are over and it is time for many of us to "undress" our homes.  The most obvious storage solution for your holiday decorations are the plastic containers that can be found at any department or grocery store.  I like to have the color of the container match the holiday, so my Christmas decorations are in green colored containers. That way I do not have to label them. 

When storing away seasonal place mats and table runners, hang them up with pant hangers and then hang them in a closet or a laundry line in your home.  This will keep them flat.  Depending on how many place mats you have for the year, you may be able to hang up to six mats on one hanger.  This is great, because you will be able to actually find them when you need them!

Closet Clutter

I recently found an easy way to organize your closet. rubbermaid.com will take you step-by-step to choose organizing units for any room in your house or office.  You get to design the closet based on your needs, then it will show you which retailers in your area carry the items you picked out.  The website composes the list of parts you will need to design your closet space so that you can print it out and take it to the store. 

The closet I designed was available at Lowes and will cost only $75.  It's that easy. 

Bring In The New, Throw Out The Old

Now that the BIG holiday is over, the presents are unwrapped and the guests have gone home, I sit here at my computer looking over the left over cookies, dishes in the sink and toys scattered around the house.  I thank God for it all.  I know that I am truly blessed. 

Now let the cleaning begin!  I am usually ahead of the game when it comes to my son's toys. By now, I have bagged up his old, unattended toys and donated them to Goodwill.  However, that is not the case this year. So, I'll begin there.  My rule is this: if you haven't looked at it or used it in one year, it's gone!  This rule ensures that there is absolutely NO clutter in my home.  You have to be able to disconnect your emotions from your possessions in order for this to work.  If you don't think that you are ready for this rule, practice it daily with small items such as magazines or clothes.  Once you start rewiring yourself to think this way, it's liberating.