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!

To Kippah or Not To Kippah

What do you think?  Will you get Kippot for your child's Bar/Bat Mitzvah? 

We're going to get Kippot, mostly because that's what our son wants and because that's what my husband's East Coast Family feels is normal.  There's not really a question here.

There are a quite a few sites out there with a wide variety of options.  You can also order some of these through the Temple's Sisterhood Shop.

Mazeltops.com is where we find the ones upon which we decided. 

Here are several others that we considered:
www.bestkippah.com
www.kippah.com
www.yarmulka.com
www.chabad.com
www.zionjudaica.com
www.kippotcenter.com
www.coolkippahs.com
www.kippahsource.com

Candy, favors, give aways, etc.

Will you be giving favors?  If so, what are you considering?
Are you giving different things to kids and adults or the same for both?

Are you looking for candy?  Suggestions?
I went to Sweetys in Chandler yesterday.  They had quite a selection.
I also looked at hersheys.com, m&m.com, and candywarehouse.com.

What about a candy bar?

If you're using a DJ, will you have them give away things like inflatable guitars, glow stuff, etc.?

Vendors

Who are you using for DJ/Band?
Photographer?
Video?
Caterer?
Party venue?
Others?

What do you think?  Please share your thoughts about any of these or others.

Invitation Web Sites

Here's a list of possible sites for ordering invitations on line.  This is not a complete list or even an endorsement of any.  But, in an effort to share resources, here's a list of several of which I have checked.

www.invitations4less.com
www.cafepress.com
www.vistaprints.com
www.twistedlimbpaper.com
www.greatgreengoods.com
www.einvite.com
www.invitationsandmoreaz.com
www.papercrazy.com

Please share which one(s) you like and/or use.  If you have additional ones, I'd love to know about it.

Invitation Inclusions

Possible information to include in the invitation:
Invitation to Saturday Service/Kiddush
Invitation to Reception
Response Card
Map to all venues

Notes about the Saturday Services (particularly useful for non-Jews):
Services on Saturday start at 9:00am and go until around noon.  __________ will be participating in the entire service but will not be reading from the Torah until approximately 10:00am.  You are welcome to come for the entire service but we realize the service is long so please feel free to come at a time that is good for you.  With the exception of certain prayers, you can quietly walk in and out of services as you please, using the side entrances.  A light lunch will follow services and should be over around 1:30pm.  The attire for the services is a dress or skirt for girls (shoulders covered) and dress pants and a dress shirt or polo style shirt for boys.  The boys are required to wear a kippah.  These will be provided at the entrance to the Sanctuary.  There are no cameras or cell phones allowed; please turn them off before entering.  If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at _____________________.

 For out-of-towners:
-Friday evening at 6:00pm there will be a Shabbat Service at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224.
-Friday evening following Services there will be dinner at ______________.  The address is _____________.
-Saturday morning at 9:00am _________'s Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley.  Services will be from 9:00am-12:00pm and then a light Kosher lunch at the Temple will follow.
-Saturday evening (or Sunday afternoon) at __________, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party will be at _____________.  The address is ___________________.
-Sunday morning at 10:30am, there will be a brunch for everyone still in town.  It will be at ____________.  The address is ___________________.
-For those who are interested, we have hotel rooms blocked at the _________________.  The address is _____________________.  The room rate is $__________ per night.  If you are interested, please call __________________ and ask for the _____________ Bar/Bat Mitzvah.  Please contact the hotel by ______________ to ensure the rate.
-Please feel free to contact us at (e-mail)______________________ or (phone number) ______________ with any questions.
-We look forward to sharing this special occasion with you!
 

Thanks, Barb

Thanks, Barb.  As the one who has done one of these before and the next one of us to have one, I appreciate everything you've shared with us.  As soon as possible, I will post the invitation information you gave me so we can all see the pieces to be included.

I would like to invite you to share your suggestions and experiences so that we may all benefit.