If there’s one thing you don’t want to miss out on in 2019, it’s all of the different events you can plan centered around your favorite holidays! There’s just one catch – you have to find ways to make all of these events mobile home-friendly. Typically, that means you need to make the most of your space and perhaps find ways to give your home a seasonal makeover. To avoid problems in these areas, start planning this year’s social calendar before the holidays hit!
February: Valentine’s day
Whether you’re happily married, happily single, or somewhere in between, you can still enjoy hosting a Valentine’s day party in your mobile home. Why should you host a Valentine’s party this year? Well, to begin with, we all know that single life can be lonely. So, if you’re single, why spend Valentine’s day alone? Instead, throw a party and invite your friends over for games and snacks.
If you’re married or have a significant other this Valentine’s day, don’t worry. Hosting a party will be just as much fun as if you were single. If you’re not convinced yet, take a look at the couples’ games that we think you’d have fun with this February.
The not-so-newlywed game
The not-so-newlywed game is a simple game for married couples that generally has hilarious results. You’ll separate each couple in the game, putting one spouse into group A and one spouse into group B. Group B is then sent out of the room, while Group A stays behind. While Group B is out of earshot, you’ll read pre-prepared questions (“What is your spouse’s favorite color?” “What shoe size does your spouse wear?”) to Group A, who will privately write their answers on a piece of paper.
Once this step is complete, Group B will come back in and Group A will leave. Group B will then write down their answers to the same questions. Finally, the couples will join and read both answers out loud to see if they got the same answer. This game typically provides a lot of laughs and tends to get a little competitive.
Write a funny love poem
To play this game, you’ll need to prepare two separate boxes of index cards that your guests will draw from. If you have twenty guests, then you’ll have twenty cards in each box. The first box will contain twenty cards with a romantic word written on each one (love, roses, hugs and kisses, etc.) while the second box will have something just the opposite on each card: a non-romantic word like “plate” or “eraser.”
After handing out pencils and paper, have your guests draw one card from the first box and one from the second. Ask each player to create a romantic but funny poem that contains both of the words they ended up with – and then take turns reading what they’ve written out loud. This game sounds like it can get pretty funny!
March: St. Patrick’s day
St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that everybody celebrates differently. Some people simply wear a green outfit for the day, while others throw parties and participate in Irish-themed celebrations. So, if you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party this year, you’ll definitely have a few witty lines up your sleeve that you can use as conversation-starters if you try out some mobile home puns. You understand mobile home life, so we know you’ll find them relatable!
“I spy…” but with a twist
Get creative and put a St. Patty’s Day spin on a simple but popular game. Everyone’s played “I Spy” before – so, this year, up the ante by adding a new rule to the game: players are only allowed to “spy” green objects. This works best if you go outdoors before starting the game. Why? Well, it’s Spring – everything is green!
May: Mother’s day
May contains what might be everyone’s favorite holiday – Mother’s Day! On this holiday, you want to make sure you get your mom the perfect gift. If she lives in a mobile home as well, you might not be sure what to give her this year – you know that she only has so much room for dishes and decorations. So, here are some things you should keep in mind:
1) Think about things that she can’t typically have in a mobile home because of the limited space, and find a smaller, space-saving variation of those things that she’ll like.
2) Remember what kinds of things she likes and incorporate your knowledge into the gift you choose.
3) Most moms will love anything that you give them. What’s most important to them is that you put thought and care into a gift. So, if you’re worried that you’re not getting the right gift, you’re probably overthinking it!
Create a mini garden for her
Your mom might not have room for a garden in her yard, or she may not be able to have a garden if she lives in a mobile home park. So, why not create a miniature garden for her? You can purchase several small potted plants to do this, or you can plant the garden yourself if you’re secretly a bit of a green thumb.
Bring over some well-seasoned, homemade popcorn
Everybody loves some good old homemade popcorn, and it’s even better if the savory snack has the perfect seasoning. Plan a movie night with your mom and bring her a batch of special popcorn made by you. To season your popcorn, you can always use butter and salt, but you should think about exploring some other options as well. Nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese, or a mildly spicy seasoning are some great ways to perfect your edible gift.
July: Independence day
4th of July is the patriotic, family-BBQ-themed holiday of the year. For most people, this means a fun-filled summer day spent with family and friends.
However, once the party’s over, there’s going to be some tidying up to do, with all the streamers and fireworks and balloons coming down. Have you thought about how you’re going to clean up after your 4th of July party? Here are a few ideas that you can try:
To save money, keep your leftover decorations for next year
Some of your leftover Independence Day decor might look great and remain undamaged after your party. Instead of spending money on 4th of July decorations all over again next year, why not grab a plastic tote and store away this year’s decorations so you can reuse them? You’ll probably save quite a bit of money by doing so!
Don’t throw your fireworks away without doing this first
While you’re walking around throwing away other trash, you’re definitely going to find some used fireworks (maybe even some that never went off.) For safety reasons, you shouldn’t simply throw them in the trash. Let the used fireworks sit in water for some time. You should soak “dud” fireworks as well, but be sure to remove the wick first.
Once the used fireworks have soaked for a while, remove them from the water and wrap them in saran wrap. After you’ve done that, it’s safe to throw them away.
Lastly, be courteous and give the people who handle your trash the heads-up on how you’ve safely dealt with the fireworks.
What if you’re keeping unused fireworks for next year?
There are a few safe ways to store fireworks, and a few ways that you definitely should not store them. Let’s start with the things that you should do:
- Choose a plastic container to keep your fireworks in.
- Choose a container that will keep your fireworks dry and guard them from any sparks thrown by machinery or another object.
- Keep the container in a place where your kids can’t access it.
Now for the things that you should NOT do with your fireworks:
- Use a cardboard box to keep your fireworks in.
- Store your fireworks close to exit points of your home.
- Allow any sparks or flammable materials (gasoline, etc.) to come into contact with the fireworks.
If you take the time to carefully observe all the do’s and don’ts that come along with storing fireworks, you’ll be able to responsibly store next year’s holiday display and feel great about it!
November: Thanksgiving
Does Thanksgiving terrify you or are you ready for it to happen all over again the minute it ends? Regardless of how you view Thanksgiving, you can definitely benefit from some ways to make Thanksgiving dinner in your mobile home a relaxed, fun experience for everyone!
Potluck dinner
If you’re running short on time or you just don’t know what to cook to make everyone happy, why not try a potluck-style Thanksgiving meal? All you have to do is bring the central dish and maybe a side (turkey and mashed potatoes, perhaps) and allow others to bring whatever they like.
An interesting variation of the potluck Thanksgiving is the idea of a list of Thanksgiving foods that the host will hand out to everyone who is attending the holiday meal. Each guest should pick a food from the list that they would like to bring, while the host will most likely commit to providing the main dish. This approach might even allow for less tension and drama during your holiday dinner. If you allow the guests to pick the food themselves, the holiday meal will be a step closer to making everyone happy!
Take Thanksgiving dinner outside
If your problems center around having space rather than having the right meal, you should take your holiday meal outside this year! Put down a picnic blanket and provide a folding table for the food, and you and your guests will experience a unique Thanksgiving picnic!
December: Christmas
Christmas is probably the most laborious holiday of them all. There’s food to cook, gifts to wrap, and decorations to bring out and put up. Where should you start?
How to make room for everyone
To keep Christmas as stress-free as possible, plan in advance on how to make room for everyone in your mobile home on Christmas Day. In other words, keep in mind that some of your guests may have different needs than others. For example: if you have brand-new parents who are bringing their baby to your party, you could offer them the use of a room that you’ve made off-limits to everyone else. When they need a little space, they can have the whole room to themselves and comfortably take care of their baby.
What about keeping the kids busy?
Honestly, there’s no single secret to keeping children occupied. There isn’t one game you can give them that will keep them entertained all the time, and there isn’t a perfect snack that every child will enjoy. So, how will you keep the kids busy?
Well, first of all, don’t expect all kids to enjoy the same things. Offer alternative options to the usual kids’ games and activities you bring out around the holidays. When they get bored of one game, hopefully they’ll move onto the next!
Second, plan in advance! Don’t wait until your guests have arrived to set up your games. Instead, start getting everything out a few hours before they arrive. (Hint: If you want the kids to play outside or in a different room, try setting up specific games in those areas. This will keep the noise to a minimum in other areas of the house, where your adult guests will be relaxing and making small talk.)
Be sensitive to everyone’s needs
Even after you think you’ve checked all your boxes, there’s going to be some individual needs that you might not have thought about. What if you have guests who have food allergies or other conditions? What about the guests who want to bring their dog or cat – do you have good accommodation for their pets? Do you have other family members who are allergic to pet hair? If you’re going to successfully make your house a home for all these people, these are things you should keep in mind.
Plan a great time for 2019
Perhaps you’re studying, working, starting your dream job, or following up on your New Year’s resolutions this year – and in the middle of all of those commitments, it’s easy to feel like you have to put your social life on hold for a while. That means that now is a good time to plan your 2019 social calendar and start accomplishing your social goals this year. Money can’t buy family, friends and great memories. So, live in the moment – take yourself on a vacation, or share your trip with others. It’s worth it!
