Strega Nona Entertaining: Conjuring Creative Fun

From recipes to rituals, I will kindly divine the perfect celebration for you!

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Crazy Slumber Birthday Party!

There are those who pooh-pooh the notion of nostalgia. You can't go back, you shouldn't go back, blah blah blah. But sometimes an urge to recapture one's youth hits, and it hits strong. This may very well be the throes of midlife crisis – but so what? Wouldn't it follow that those who seem to truly age gracefully, who are forever young at heart, indulge in a bit of good old-fashioned silliness now and again? Heck, yeah! That is why I am hosting a Spring Equinox Crazy Slumber Birthday Party this year. Let me show you how:

First, you need to load up on all of your favorite snacks. If this means Doritos and Skittles, so be it. I am going the somewhat healthy route and substituting the organic equivalent of Doritos and dark chocolate covered cranberries for the Skittles. Popcorn is always healthy if you have an air popper (my grandparents' still works from the 80s, for Pete's sake), and there is always no-cal Zevia soda, after-all. No slumber party would be complete without pizza, so I am bringing home an all natural Connie's za. The one thing that will be on hand that I did not have readily available when I was teen, is wine. But if one is going to imbibe, that is the healthier way to go, after all. I also plan on offering up some berry smoothies to sip while we whip up some homemade facials.

Since I don't expect anyone past the age of 20 to attempt sleeping on a the floor in a bag again, I will have spare bed, roll-out futon, or even an inflatable air mattress available, if need be. Also, don't feel bad if your slumber party is small – not everyone may be willing to go there with you. Quality, over quantity is always the better route.

Next up, entertainment. I am still a proud vinylphile, and to recapture the thrill of youth, it doesn't get much better than breaking out the vintage 45s and 33s and dancing with some abandon. If you start to feel amazingly carefree and childish, play a 33 on 78 rpm and let the giggles roll.

Another absolute must: movies! There should be one scary, one comedy, and one iconic coming-of-age flick. Go with what rocked your world back in the day. I myself am opting for the original "Hellraiser," "Ghostbusters," and the forever young, "Sixteen Candles." Sorry "Breakfast Club" fans, but I always thought "Candles" was edgier.

For good measure, and depending on who is game to go the whole distance with you, these activities can be thrown in for good measure: gossiping about boys (these can be celebrity crushes, significant others, or husbands), turning out all the lights and telling ghost stories, a 1 a.m. Jane Fonda workout session (yes, the original JF workout is actually available on DVD on Amazon, leg warmers and all), and perhaps some freshly baked chocolate cake for breakfast because, well, why not? In the age of Caller ID, I'd skip the crank calls, though. Here is the facial mask recipe I will be using, from organicwish.com

HOW TO MAKE AN OATMEAL AND ROSEMARY FACIAL SCRUB OR MASK
3 tablespoons ground oatmeal (To grind the oats just pulse in a blender until you have fine oatmeal)
1 teaspoon ground, fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
water or milk or cream (see below)
    Add oats to a jug or medium sized bowl.
    Add fresh, ground rosemary.
    For a delicious scent, add cinnamon powder.
    Choose which liquid you want to use depending on your skin type: cool boiled water for oily skin, milk for normal skin or cream for dry skin.
    Add enough wet ingredients to form a paste with the dry ingredients.
    Dampen face, and spread the paste all over. To use as a scrub wash off straightaway; to use as a mask, leave on for 20 minutes before washing off.

The beauty of making your own skin care products is that you know exactly what is in your product, and many recipes, like this one, are made from basic kitchen ingredients. The cost is minimal, but the results are fantastic. Creating your own beauty products as part of an organic lifestyle is fun, entertaining and effective. Enjoy!

At any rate, have a blast at your party. What made your teen sleep-overs that way? Get the wheels turning, and make a list. I promise this will be more enjoyable than the awkward high school reunion with extras you don't care to meet up with again. Totally awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t1vaF50Ks0

Photo by imagerymajestic from freedigitalphotos.net

 

 

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Colleen DuVall has written articles, plays, short films, and a novel. Most recently, her work has been featured in her new blog, Off The Beaten Path for the Shepherd Express online (http://shepherdexpress.com/blogs-1-1-1-61.html), and the Wisconsin Life radio show for WPR. She recently adopted a little grey and white cat named Tessa, after beloved 22-year-old Bootise passed on.

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