70Th Birthday Party for My Mom

Hi J.,
This sounds like it will be really beautiful. You should definitely try the internet and think of some nice restaurants that you think she'll like. Many restaurants have an area/room that they use for events like this. I hope you have enough time to save money, because some places can be a bit costly. One place that I love is Marcello/Father and Sons Pizza. It is on North Avenue near Clybourn, they have a beautiful place that they rent out.

Have a wonderful Valentine's weekend!

J.,

If you are having the party at the Irish Heritage Center, you should check with them regarding musicians who are avialable. The Center has music classes and dance classes, so someone at the center may be able to suggest some teachers or advanced students to play music and would not charge too much money. If you grew up in a tight irish family, and you listened to the irish hour on Saturday mornings, your mom might enjoy listening to some of the irish classics (these don't necessarily have to be pub songs), but you could have people playing different reels, jigs and hornpipes on their instruments. Just a word of caution, if you decide on bagpipes, they can be very loud if you are indoors and in a smaller room. Also, the Center should be able to give you the names of some places that rent table clothes and napkins, etc.., since they deal with weddings and other parties there on a regular basis.

Hope some of this helps.

K.

my parents just had milestone birthdays and they are not super social either. I decided instead of having a big party and inviting everyone to make them a scrapbook with birthday/life wishes from all the people I would have invited to the party. I also took baby pictures of them, us and our kids (and other family members) and used a very easy website to make a photo mosaic for them and I got them a super cute family tree quilt handmade on etsy. I used to hire entertainers for Seniors at high end communicties and the favorite Irish singer by far was Whitey O'Day (should be able to find him with a google search). He is avaiable for private events but I would call and book quite a bit ahead of time as he is pretty popular. Very reasonable- I think back then around $100 for an hour which is a pretty good rate. There are also several dance groups out there that are reasonable, especially the kids ones. the IAHC should be able to put you in touch with some. Hope this helps! S.

The scrapbook idea is great. My mom's 80th was quite simple, but very meaningful. We all shared memories of my mom, so people should come prepared to either write or say their favorite memory. We also made sure that we had her favorite foods there, as well as the people that she really cared about. This is what is truly important. She will appreciate that effort that you went to, the family spirit that will be alive in the room, and the chance to relive happy memories! (The Irish dancers will be helpful, too!).