• Send invites in the form of palm tree leaves. Fill in the vital information on the front of the leaf.
• Send your guests a colorful paper drink parasol or silk flower and attach the party information to the end

• Set the table with themed tableware, tropical patterns like birds, flowers or beach scenes.
• Serve drinks in coconut drinking cups topped off with the flowered straws.
• Fill beach pails with chips.
• Set out parasol food picks and palm stirrers for drinks.
• Blow up the balloons in tropical colors like hot pink, orange and deep blue. If you have access to helium the balloons will float. If not, blow up the old fashioned way and hang the balloons from backs of chairs, doorways or central light fixtures. Or leave balloons strewn on floor.
• nflate some beach balls and encourage guests to toss them around as the party progresses.
• Hang travel posters of Hawaiian scenes or Island get-a-ways.
• Drape a fish net along a wall or across a window. Tuck in some tropical fish cutouts.
• Hang Oriental Lanterns or place Tiki torches around the party area.

The party begins: welcome guests

• Play some Luau party CDs or Hawaiian Music.
• Don a grass skirt, tropical hat and coconut bra to greet guests as the arrive.
• Hand out leis, parrot eyeglasses and mini bubble bottles.

If there's no time to a roast pig improvise with party favorites that can be picked up quickly at the supermarket or ordered as take out.

• Chips and salsa, chicken wings, skewered fruit and Chinese ribs.
• Don't forget the margarita and pina colada mix!

• If the party hasn't started to cook with beachballs in air, bubbles blowing and cocktails mixing, set up a limbo competition. All you need is a broomstick, a bit of gusto and the right island beat.

• Send guests home with little take out cartons of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.
• Tie up small fish net packets and fill with fun items like paper drink parasols, toy ukuleles or wiggling hula girl toys.