40Th B-day Party Ideas

I always wanted to do something big for my 40th birthday (which was at the beginning of this month). Mostly everyone I know has kids so I thought we'd need to get a room in a restaurant and it would be fun to have a big bash... But a friend convinced me to just have a smaller, nicer event with no kids and only a handful of close friends and a couple of family members. It was soooooooooooooo much fun!!! I invited about 15 people but only 7 were able to make it and it was perfect. We were able to all sit together at a table where there was only one conversation going on at all times. Yes, it may seem selfish of me to put it this way, but it was all about me, which was great! If I had gone for a bigger party, sure everyone would probably have fun but there would be all kinds of side conversations I would have missed and I would have had to spread myself very thin in order to spend time with everyone I invited. It was a fancy restaurant but not ridiculously overpriced. Everyone paid for their own tab (and they all pitched in to cover my tab), so depending on budget they could have just gotten an appetizer or stopped by for a drink instead of having a full meal. Everyone started leaving one by one until it was down to me and 2 close friends and the 3 of us went out afterwards (we just ended up at a small gathering some neighbors were throwing for a just-the-heck-of-it Friday night, but you can plan to go dancing or something after dinner with whoever is up for it). I was sooo dreading 40, but after my perfect celebration...well...take a look at my "name" to see how I feel about 40 now!!

I like Beth's suggestions about the bus.. We had a Humvee limo drive us around.. It was a blast.. Loud and fun..

The other thing you could do is ask a local restaurant if you could hold an event in their bar area.. Have them set up a Buffet (you pay for) with a cash bar.. That way people can drink whatever they want.. We did this for a friends birthday and it was a real hit.

Brainstorming:
Karaoke machine
Wine tasting - have everybody bring a bottle for sharing (can even do one type of wine)
Game night (cards or board games)
40 and Fabulous - everyone dresses with a theme (anything from greek goddesses to 60s clothes)
Mystery night (role playing)
Okay, the brainstorm is over

My sister just turned forty and her husband rented a small party bus for the night (surprise party). Everyone met at their house and then we went to dinner and then to various bars/lounges after. By the end of the night, everyone was having as much fun on the bus with the music, etc as they were at the various stops. All in all not too expensive as everyone helps pay along the way (except for the bus). Good luck.

B.
www.mamabeartales.com

My late sister in law gave my brother a fortieth birthday party at a theme restaurant. It was hysterical. He got a tiny cowboy hat and his favorite childhood stuffed animal and was the star for the day. It was a Chucke Cheese or something. Anyway, the kids had fun and he did, too. Otherwise I see you do not live that horribly far, another adult party I went to was a the local theatre and it was very cheap and they had hotdogs afterwards with another kid type movie shown first. There are always places to picnic just pack up the food and go, or since it is zeroing in near summer how about a local water park? Or the beach?