Mitzvahs & More Expo

F.Y.I.

Sunday, August 25th, 2013 Living Energy Presents Mitzvahs & More Expo

Join an estimated 70 exhibitors at the only Bar/Bat Mitzvah event planning expo produced for the Phoenix Jewish Community.

It will be held at the Double Tree Resort by Hilton- Forum Ballroom.
5401 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Free Admission

For more information contact Toby Benton
www.mitzvahsandmoreaz.com
480-425-0700

Mitzvah Thank You Note Etiquette

I didn't write this, obviously.  But, I found it on mitzvahwire.com.  I thought it might be helpful.

 

 

By Alexandria Merriman

Once your Mitzvah festivities have drawn to a close, it’s time to delve into that wonderful heap of gifts. Before having at it, remember that with all that fabulous loot comes the responsibility of expressing your appreciation with a hand-written note. As you open your gifts, use your invitation list to keep track of what you receive and from whom. Then curl up in a comfortable spot in your home, put on some favorite music, and get writing.
Promptness is essential to conveying genuine gratitude. Your notes should be written and mailed no later than two to four weeks following your Mitzvah. If that large stack of unwritten cards seems overwhelming, break up the writing over a couple weeks and make a goal to finish a certain number of notes each day. Take time with each, as rushed words and sloppy handwriting will betray your hastiness and make your note seem forced or insincere. If you find yourself losing steam, remind yourself that each gift giver put forth time and effort in giving you a present and deserves thanks in return.

Make your note warm and personal by including a few nice details about the gift. Describe how you have used it or discuss a specific aspect you admire. Mention the compliments you’ve gotten on your silver necklace or how lovely the engraved frame looks on your desk, holding a family photograph. For monetary gifts, thank them for their generosity and let them know what you plan to do with the money.
In addition to showing appreciation for the gift itself, make sure to let your guest know how much their attendance meant to you. Thank them for sharing in your celebration and helping to make your day extra special. If there was a photo taken of the two of you at the event, consider enclosing a copy in the card. This gracious gesture adds a personal touch and shows that their presence truly made a difference.

Finally, reference your relationship to the gift giver. If you know will both attend a specific future event, mention that you look forward to seeing them there. If you are writing to a close friend or family member, let them know you feel lucky to have them in your life. Wrap up with a quick reiteration of your gratitude before signing off. Depending upon your relationship to the gift giver, “Love,” “Sincerely,” or “Best,” accompanied by your signature is the perfect way to conclude your correspondence

Memory Box

Now that it is over, what do you do with all the stuff?

Well, for both Matthew and Lauren, I made memory boxes.  I went to Walmart and got a plastic under the bed box and put together  the keepsakes of all the great memories of this special time in their lives.   Everything from the binder I used to plan, the information about the Mitzvah projects, a centerpiece from the party, the laminated articles from the Jewish news, a napkin from the cocktail party, copy of the invitation and thank you card, a kippah that we gave out, a copy of the booklet we gave out Saturday morning, the cards they received, the index box of all invited and addresses, party favors we gave out, copy of speeches given that weekend, video of the party, recording of the Haftorah, montage that was played at the party and of course pictures of the entire weekend.  I also had both my kids write about their experience after the weekend and I have put it in a sealed envelope along with the one I wrote and put it in there for them to read once I give them their box.   For those of you that have more then one child, a great thing was being able to go back to Matthew's when I was planning Lauren's, why reinvent the wheel?

Photo Albums

Wanted to share with everyone an economical way to make a nice photo album to forever cherish all the memories of such an amazing weekend.  Shutterfly is a great way to "do it yourself".  The photographer that we hired gave us a DVD of all our the pictures he took with the rights to do what we wanted with them so I uploaded them to Shutterfly.   I was then able to make the exact album that I wanted.  They have templates to meet everyone's tastes or you can personalize your own.   They have a custom path which allows you to create everything or a simple path which prefills the pictures for you.  Something for everyone!   They are really good about sending out email coupons and running specials for 40% - 50% off their albums so I suggest you get on their mailing list by going to their site and creating an account.   I made Matthew's and Lauren's albums with them and they are a great company to work with.   Customer service is great! We just LOVE the finished product!   There is also a way to allow people you invite to view the pictures and make their own creations.  They have a lot of other products that make great gifts, I use them all the time. 

Tipping

Do you tip the people who help with your celebration?
Who do you tip?
How much?

When I looked at etiquette sites on this topic, I was surprised at some of the answers. 

I found suggestions that if you are dealing with the owner of a company, then tipping is not necessary.  However, non-owners should be tipped.  It is suggested that you check with the owner of the company about potentially tipping their employees.

Should the servers be tipped?

If you have a DJ, should that person/team members be tipped?
What about a band?  Do you tip the band as a whole or individual members?
Each entertainer?

Who else do you tip?  Do you tip at all? 

Please leave your comments/thoughts about this.

Kiddush Centerpieces

I bought small glass vases for the Kiddush centerpieces.  They are about 4" in diameter at the top, fluting up from about a 3.5" base and approximately 4" tall. 

My plan for our son's Bar Mitzvah is to fill these with wrapped candies in his theme colors.  I also have a cardboard round matching his theme to put underneath the vases.

I've already spoken about this with a couple of our other Mitzvah Moms, and they are going to share in the use of these.

I think anything that we can share and use multiple times is beneficial.

What do you think?  Would you like to use them as well?  How will you fill them?

F.Y.I- cheap table cloths

F.Y.I.  Just left Michael's and they are having a 70% off sale of all their Quinceanera stuff.  The 84 inch plastic table cloths are only .89 cents a piece!!  The colors they have are pink, orange, green and purple.  These are great for Kiddush if their your colors!