INPUT ARTICLE: Article: For parties, whether themed or no theme, run of mill decorations like balloons, confetti, streamers, and banners are not uncommon.  Go to stores like Dollar Tree and find these common decorations at a low cost. Go to higher end stores, like Michael's, to find decorations that match with your theme. Make your decorations unique and inject a little personality by going the decor road less traveled or visiting a local thrift store for decor.  Use pink paper lanterns as a unique, luxe alternative to the average balloon, for example. Use mason jars as center pieces and thrift plates and table cloths to make for an elegant setup for your party and/or personalize them to match your party's overall theme. Party favors do not have to be complex in nature. They can be straightforward favors in their simplicity. They can also be sentimental and come with a lot of thought and effort. While you don't have to have party favors, they are a nice way to leave a lasting impression after a great night.  Fill up a small gift bag with different lollipops and candies. Use a small box to box an individual cupcake. Extra points if the cupcake is the same icing and flavor as the main birthday cake! Gift guests with a notebook and a pen that you can personalize by writing their names on the front of. Make friendship bracelets out of multicolored strings to give as party favors. Create a "mixtape" out of blank CDs and your favorite songs from the previous year. This will be a great reminder of you and a memento of what you guys were probably listening to when you were a year younger. Cater to the needs of any food allergies that might have been mentioned in your invite's RSVP. Kids aren't hard to please when it comes to food so try to keep it as simple as possible, bearing in mind that in terms of importance, food is the icing while the birthday party is the actual cake.  Order party food staples like pizza, potato chips or pretzels, and sodas. Make sure to order a cake, as well as ice cream options. Provide healthy alternatives like vegetable or hummus trays. Simple is good, but options are also good. Consider adding gluten-free foods to the menu as well. Keeping your guests entertained should be the host/hostess's main objective. While choosing to host a birthday party outside of your home may make that task a lot easier, hosting a birthday party from home will mean coming up with ideas of how to keep your guests from getting bored:  Consider group games everyone can play like  Heads Up,  Twister,  Would You Rather, karaoke, and board games . A great way to have fun and to provide keepsakes for guests is creating a makeshift photobooth using an empty wall as a backdrop. Incorporate handmade signs and silly props to personalize the photosets.

SUMMARY: Purchase decorations for the party that match your theme. Decide whether or not you want to give guests party favors for their attendance. Decide on a menu for guests. Think of entertainment.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Your friends can help you, comfort you, and get you out there having a good time. You don't have to do anything particularly special. Try planning a movie night, going to the zoo, hitting the beach, or trying a new restaurant. Remember the fun you used to have with them and try to recapture that part of your life. Lean on your friends as you deal with a broken heart. Give yourself a chance to vent to someone who completely has your back. Use this time to reinvent yourself by exploring potential areas of interest for you. It's never too late to be the person that you have always wanted to be! Explore new hobbies, try new foods and live a life of excitement and novelty every day.  Pick up a new skill. For example, you could try glass-blowing, ceramics, a new instrument, or cave diving. Invite friends to try these new things with you if you prefer, or do them alone. Volunteering will help you see the real impact you have on people's lives, and can show you how fortunate you are to have everything you do. Find a local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, nursing home or school to volunteer at and focus on helping others. Research local organizations with missions that align with your passions and volunteer with them. If you have the time and resources, caring for a pet can be a rewarding and healing experience. Consider adopting a cat or dog from your local shelter. That way, you'll gain a new friend and also save the life of an animal that deserves a forever home.  If you rent rather than own your living space, make sure you're allowed to have a pet by checking with your landlord first. Having a pet can also help you connect with other pet owners. For example, if you walk your dog at the park, you can chat with other dog owners. If you already have a pet, spend more time with them. Bring home a new toy or a special treat and just enjoy their company. After whatever time you deem necessary, you might feel ready to date again. You'll meet interesting new people and it may help you to move on. However, don't feel pressured to date if you aren't emotionally ready! Take your time.  Once you do start dating, you don't have to get serious with someone else right away. Move at a comfortable pace and try to avoid rebound relationships. If you've spent very little time in your past being single, or if you seem to have relationships one after the other without a break in between, you may need to watch out for rebounding.
Summary: Spend quality time with your friends. Channel your energy into new activities. Volunteer in your community. Adopt a pet for comfort and companionship. Start dating again when you feel ready.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The first step to building assets is setting up a plan for your money. Decide exactly how you will allocate every dollar you earn. As an initial goal, budget 50% of your money on needs like food, shelter, and transportation. Then budget 30% towards savings and 20% to wants and miscellaneous purchases.  Ideally, your budget should help you maximize your savings. If you can get the amount you spend on needs under 50% and the amount you save close to or above 50%, you will have a very strong budget. Try lowering your cost of living by making inexpensive meals at home. Moving into a smaller house or lower-rent apartment can also help you to save a great deal of money every year. After making a budget you need to make sure you stick to it. Only buy things if you have money in your budget for them. Keep a spreadsheet that lists all of your purchases so you know exactly what you’re spending on. Always know how much money you have left to spend for any week, month, or year. Download a budgeting app like Mint or PocketGuard to help you track your spending. These apps can help people follow their budgets without having to maintain spreadsheets or save receipts. Change all the lightbulbs in your home to LED or CFL lightbulbs, as these can greatly reduce electricity bills. You can also unplug electrical devices you don’t use often, as anything that’s plugged in draws some electricity. To lower your heating and cooling bills, install a programmable thermostat, which can help you use energy more efficiently. Think particularly hard about getting rid of items that have high monthly bills, like cable. If you have any subscriptions or memberships that you use infrequently, cancel them. This will help you save money every month. The less debt you have, the more quickly you’ll be able to build assets. Some kinds of debt, like a mortgage or student loans, can help you build assets or increase your earning potential. But even in these cases look closely at the numbers and make sure you can afford that amount of debt before you take it on.  If you use credit cards, pay off the balance monthly so you don’t have to pay interest. If you already have a considerable amount that you’re having trouble paying off, try to consolidate or refinance it. This might help you get a lower interest rate or stay on top of your monthly payments.

SUMMARY:
Make a budget. Track your spending. Lower monthly energy costs. Reduce the amount you spend on entertainment. Avoid taking on debt, especially on credit cards.