As March approaches, there's only one thing on everyone's mind: SPRING BREAK! For those of you lucky enough to afford a tropical destination like Cancun, or even just the Florida Keys, have fun. But for those of you like me, who can't spare the few hundred or thousand dollars that, are required for a big vacation, don't stress! There are plenty of really great spring break activities that can be done from your own back yard or apartment. What better a way to kick off your spring break than with a fabulous party! Give your party a theme, for example, something tropical if you wanted to run away to an island for a month, or even a European theme if visiting the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben is your idea of great trip.

INVITATIONS ONLY

Since we're trying to create our very own tropical paradise, it's important to stick with the theme all the way throughout your party planning. The first step is your invitations. If you're like me in the sense that the sooner it gets to spring break week at your school, the more envious I become of all those jet setting to somewhere warm and fabulous. Sticks with a warm and fabulous looking invite for your party. As usual, paperstyle.com has some great invites for an inexpensive price. These beach chair invites are my favorite. Price is only $12.00 per ten, if you print them yourself. Check out www.paperstyle.com for other great invitation ideas!

If you're really struggling for cash this spring break and can't afford to buy your invitations, consider making your own! This is a fun project you can do to alleviate some stress in between studying for midterms (yuck). Try making flip flop invitations, simply cut out the shape of a flip flop and draw the straps in, with your party details written on the space remaining. All you'll need is some construction paper and a few markers!

(Photo and invite via Paperstyle.com)

SWEET SLURPS

There's no better feeling after a hot day at the beach than cooling down with a nice cold beverage. For those of you 21 and over, consider making a Tequila Sunrise. This drink is pretty, and tasty! Drink responsibly though, these are STRONG!

MIX IT UP:

2 oz tequila
Juice from two freshly squeezed oranges
Dash of grenadine
Cracked ice
Ice cubes

For those under 21, there are plenty of really great non-alcoholic tropical drinks to have at your party. Consider making a "Fresh Fruit Smoothie." All you need is one cup of yogurt (flavor is up to you), one cup of fresh fruit and crushed ice. Throw it all in a blender and blend to your liking.

(Recipes via Tropicalbeach.com)

EASY EATS

Don't worry about breaking the bank on food for your party. Let's be serious, if you were on a tropical island this spring break, the focus would be on the beach, boys, and getting that super dark tan that we all long for this time of year. Stick to simple finger foods and dinner dishes for your tropical party. Consider serving shrimp cocktail and cheese and crackers as snacks for your guests to pick on. Shrimp can be bought in bulk and frozen. This is a great idea if you plan on inviting a lot of guests.

For your main meal, consider serving everyone's favorite beach foods: hamburgers and hot dogs. This will majorly cut down the cost of your party, but serve as a nice filling addition. For those of you who are vegetarians, consider serving veggie burgers instead.

SIT BACK AND RELAX

Your party may not fully live up to the saying, "The sun, the sand, and a drink in my hand" but it will certainly be a fabulous kick off to a well-deserved break from school! There's no better way to celebrate no classes, with a party containing all of your friends, great food and great drinks. Think about all of the money that you're saving NOT going away this year. Also, you need not worry about trying to cram into that bikini bod just yet, because there's no need to throw on a bathing suit in March, at least not for those of you Northeasterners like me who are still braving the cold in warm coats and scarves!

If you're really craving that bronze glow, consider Estee Lauder's sunless tanner. My favorite is the "Sunless Super Tan". This is a lotion style sunless tanner. It goes on easy and color appears super fast! Most importantly have a fun and relaxing spring break!