August 4th, 2011
This month, we celebrate the life of Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock ‘n Roll” and what better way to honor this cultural icon than with a rental projector and an Elvis film fest? Here are our best tips for planning a good time for all.
 How Big Will You Go?
Elvis was a larger than life character, one that young and old can appreciate. The question is, how large do you want to take your film fest celebration? Consider these potential options:
- Invite people to attend in costume, either dressed as the King himself, as Priscilla, or representing a theme from one of his famous movies, like “Blue Hawaii.”
- Play Elvis music between films
- Insist that everyone speak like the King throughout the party (“thank-ou ver-much.”)
- Give a prize for the best Elvis impersonation
- Choose just one famous Elvis film to showcase, or host a weekend-long film fest of all the King’s best work
- Host an Elvis trivia contest
- Give prizes of Elvis CDs or memorabilia replicas
- Create your own “Graceland”
Choose the Flicks
Which Elvis movies will you choose? With thirty-one options to select from (plus all the movies that feature Elvis the character, but not starring the real Elvis Presley), the possibilities are plentiful. Here is a list for your reference:
Love Me Tender
Loving You
Jailhouse Rock
King Creole
GI Blues
Flaming Star
Wild in the Country
Blue Hawaii
Follow that Dream
Kid Galahad
Girls! Girls! Girls!
It Happened at the World’s Fair
Fun in Acapulco
Kissin’ Cousins
Viva Las Vegas
Roustabout
Girl Happy
Tickle Me
Harum Scarum
Frankie and Johnny
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Spinout
Easy Come, Easy Go
Double Trouble
Clambake
Stay Away, Joe
Speedway
Live a Little, Love a Little
Charro!
The Trouble with Girls
Change of Habit
Here are some additional ideas, either to break up the stream of Elvis films (while keeping to the Elvis theme) or to engage a younger audience:
Finding Graceland
Elvis Has Left the Building
Honeymoon in Vegas
Start Planning Now!
To celebrate Elvis Week in a big way, it’s time to get busy – this year, the official Elvis Week runs from August 10 through August 16. In fact, once you rent a projector, you may not need to find Elvis movies to rent – search online to see which television and cable stations will be celebrating Elvis week with you, and plug into their excellent resources. But it’s time to get busy – start inviting your friends and making plans, otherwise you ain’t nuthin but a hound dog (sorry, we couldn’t resist!)
Renting a projector is easy – just click here to visit Projector123.com and you can schedule delivering of your DVD rental projector in a matter of minutes.
July 29th, 2011
Depending on where you live, you may be busy preparing for the kids’ return to school. As summer draws to a close, you might even find yourself experiencing a bit of the “end of summer blues.” But there’s no need to feel down in the dumps – instead, let’s beat those summertime blues with these fun and entertaining ideas.
 Film Fest Weekend
Gather the family (maybe even a few friends), pick up a couple of DVD rentals, pop a huge batch of popcorn and launch your very own film fest weekend. You might even want to rent your favorite summertime movies, such as “The Parent Trap,” “Goonies” or “Jurassic Park,” or Rodney Dangerfield’s “Summer School,” “The Big Chill” and the original “Caddyshack” for the adults. Or, choose a collection of movies, like the “Back to the Future” trilogy, the Harry Potter series, or the “Star Wars” saga.
Summer Memories
Relive the family vacation, reminisce over memories from summers gone by, or just have a blast creating and capturing new memories on film. With a projector rental from Projector123.com, you can showcase your best summer memories in a fun and upbeat slide show or video montage. Creating your own photo montage or slide show is easier than you may think – especially if you’ve been snapping digital photos with your camera or smartphone all summer long!
Take a Staycation
If you’ve decided to forgo a full-fledged vacation or road trip this summer, that doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors – you might be surprised to discover lots of fun activities and things to see within just an hour or two’s drive from your home. To find some excellent ideas for day trips, just google the name of your nearest metropolis (or state) + day trips (for example: Chicago day trips). You can save money and get the most bang for your buck by finding attractions and searching for coupons (search for: “Smith’s Wax Museum coupon” or “Smith’s Wax Museum discount”).
Pool Party
Before school starts back up and the weather begins to cool down, why not throw one last pool party for friends and neighbors? Then, when the sun goes down, fire up the rental projector for an outdoor backyard movie night. Pool parties are a cool and easy-to-plan way to make the summer fun linger even longer. Be sure to create a backup plan or alternate date in case of inclement weather.
Keep the Fun Going
Just because school will soon be back in session, that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. You can even plan an end-of-summer gathering to keep that summertime vibe going. Remember to serve chilled drinks, fresh fruit and keep it light and fun.
However you choose to celebrate summer and beat the back to school blues, it all starts with a rental projector from Projector123.com. Click here to reserve yours now.
July 8th, 2011
Family movie nights don’t need to be pre-planned or scheduled way in advance – in fact, part of the fun is the spontaneity that comes with throwing together an impromptu family night. You might consider doing this for any number of reasons: if one of the kids gets a cold, if you’re too tired to go out, or if your family plans otherwise change (or perhaps even “just because.) Here are quick tips for putting together an impromptu family movie night.
Step 1 – Rent a Projector
Did you think you’d have to rent a projector weeks in advance? In reality, it only takes a couple of days’ notice to rent a DVD projector and create a fun and interactive movie night for your family. Just click here now to learn more.
 Step 2 – Grab Some Movies
A quick trip to the movie rental store, or a visit to a local rental kiosk is one option, or you can watch your family’s favorite DVD or borrow from a friend or neighbor. If you’re renting for the weekend, considering picking up a few movies to enjoy together, or rent some new games for your home gaming system – there’s nothing quite like the thrill of gaming on a massive screen or with images projected on a huge wall.
Step 3 – Gather the Snacks
No family movie night would be complete without snacks, but this doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or labor-intensive. Just swing by the grocery or local drug store and pick up chips, dip, cookies, microwave popcorn, and your favorite movie candy and you’ll be good to go. Better yet, to make things even simpler, why not order pizza and pop some microwave popcorn?
Step 4 – Set the Space
Next, let everyone in the family get comfortable by slipping into jammies, gathering sleeping bags or throw pillows for the floor, and hunkering down for a fun family movie night. Better yet, kill the lights and turn off the phone for a movie-theater style experience.
Family movie nights are so fun and easy to plan, you just might find yourself wanting to have them more and more often. Remember to rent a projector from Projector123.com – your one-stop shop for all your rental projector needs. Click here to find out more about the hassle-free experience at Projector123.com.
June 10th, 2011
We recently came across this humorous “Suggestions for Summer” by humor columnist Sheila Moss.
Of course, if you’re looking for a seriously fun way to spend a weekend (or longer) this summer, then plan for a rental projector from Projector123.com. At a total cost that rivals two trips to the movies for a family of four, projector rentals are a great way to beat the heat this summer with family movie fests, gaming competition, home movie viewing and more. Click here now to reserve your rental projector (and that’s no joke!)
/>Suggestions for Summer
by Sheila Moss
With winter over and summer on its way, people are beginning to plan exactly how they will spend the long, lazy days and enjoy their favorite season. As usual, I have a few suggestions for you:
EXERCISE: This is easily accomplished without fuss while mowing grass. Grass, as every one knows, grows one inch per minute in the summer. That means that if you run as fast as you can while pushing the power mower in front of you, you can finish the yard at least 30 minutes before it is tall enough to mow again.
PICNICS: Picnics are a wonderful way for the family to spend time together in an unstructured manner. If you do not have time to prepare a picnic basket, feel free to stop at a fast food place and grab a bag of burgers. Food just tastes better when enjoyed in the fresh air. The ants, bees, and flies also enjoy eating outside where they can enjoy the food without hazardous obstructions, and they don’t eat very much.
PARKS: Parks are a favorite way to enjoy the outdoors with a variety of different activities. There are often hiking trails and playground equipment for the kids. Be certain to pick up a tube of lineament on the way home to ease the aches from too much walking, band-aids for the kids knees, and some ointment for mosquito bites.
VACATIONS: Most people try to plan some time off work during the summer season. This gives a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the traffic jams while trying to reach your destination. Further more, you can spend a fortune to sleep and eat and see numerous interesting sights, such as other tourists doing the same thing. You will have an opportunity to visit destinations far different than your home and to push, shove, and sweat with strangers.
SWIMMING: This is a favorite activity for summer because it keeps you cool during the heat and provides healthy activity at the same time. Water activities can be great exercise and you can have fun in the sun while getting a healthy tan. If you do not have a tan to show off, cover those white legs with a towel and wear a jacket and sun hat and maybe no one will notice. If you do this correctly, only your ankles and the back of your neck will be sunburned.
COOKOUTS: Different foods are more readily available in the summer months, and a variety of foods can be prepared out of doors. Cooking over a charcoal fire gives food a taste not obtained with other types of cooking. Be sure to watch the food carefully, and keep your cell phone handy to summon the fire department if the deck catches on fire. Don’t worry about the charred and dry meat, just slop on the barbecue sauce and eat it anyhow.
CAMPING: Many families enjoy getting back to basics by spending time living in the great outdoors and enjoying getting back to basics. Spending the night outside is far more enjoyable, however, if it is not raining. In the event of rain, we recommend moving to a motel. While this is more expensive than camping, it is also much more comfortable than soggy sleeping bags and squishy tennis shoes, which tend to spoil the outdoor experience in a hurry. It also helps immensely with keeping the raccoons out of your food.
SPORTS: There are many summer sports that can be enjoyed by individuals or as team activities. If tennis, golf and organized team sports no longer hold your interest, try some of the more extreme sports such as rubber rafting and bungee jumping. You will have an experience to remember and the hospital bill will be worth every penny.
And there you have it, suggestions for fun ways to spend your summer at home, on the road, or at far away locations.
Have fun… And be sure to remember to send a postcard so we can see what we missed while setting in front of the TV under the air conditioner complaining about the heat.
Copyright 2005 Sheila Moss
May 23rd, 2011
This Sunday, May 29th marks the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, and many activities will be held and televised to celebrate the event. Race fans across the USA will be gathering at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (or in front of their televisions) to witness this historical event this Memorial Day weekend. Additionally, iRacing.com has partnered with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to create additional buzz and interactive excitement around the event, with a special “race it before you watch it” online gaming feature.
 If you can’t make your way to Indianapolis to witness “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” and to participate in the Indy 500 Festival, then click here now to rent a projector and watch the event right from the comfort of your own living room.
Televised events associated with this year’s Indy 500 include:
Carb Day on Friday, May 27 – full coverage on Versus with commentary provided by Bob Jenkins, Jon Beekhuis, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., and others.
Full coverage of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 29 on ABC Sports, starting at 12:00 Noon Eastern time. Commentary will be provided by Brent Musburger, Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever, among others.
Weekend projector rentals from Projector123.com start as low as $129, including round trip shipping via FedEx. Setup is as easy as 1-2-3 with quickstart instructions included with every rental, and you don’t even need a projection screen – you can hang a solid light colored sheet, or project onto a smooth blank wall. Click here now to reserve your rental for race day and celebrate the excitement!
March 23rd, 2011
If you’ve got small children, you may find yourself accumulating a large amount of papers, drawings, practice writing, and more. While this may not prove to be much of a problem with just one child, having more than one child can mean mountains of paperwork to store and file away. But do you really need to keep it all? How can you decide what to store and what do discard? Will your child be crushed if you toss out the picture they are most proud of? Here are some alternative ideas for storing the memories without racking up boxes in your basement or filling up your storage space.
Go Digital
If you (or your child) can’t bear to part with each and every piece, why not go digital? You can pick up an inexpensive scanner for under $150 (or borrow a friend’s) and scan each image, to store a digital copy. That way, you won’t have to keep all those papers, but you won’t discard any memories.
Make a Montage
Once you’ve scanned all the images, you can create a photo montage to drop onto a CD-ROM or DVD as a keepsake for you and your child. Depending on what resolution you choose to scan your images at, you can fit a ton of images on a single disc. Perhaps you’d like to create one disc per child per school year. Or one “best of” disc for all the children for each year of schooling. There are many ways to organize your files once you go digital. Once you have a montage assembled, this would make a great slide show at a graduation party, birthday party, or other milestone celebration.
 Keep the Best
A different alternative is to keep only the best artwork and most impressive schoolwork from each year. There are several ways to conduct this logistically – you could keep it all and pick out the 5 or 10 best at the end of the school year, or you can keep just a month’s worth at a time, then purge all but the best one or two at month’s end. Additionally, you can get your child’s input as to which pieces are the most special to him or her.
Frame It!
You may choose to display some of the best artwork from your children, either on a bulletin board, in frames on a single “gallery” wall, or hung with decorative accents from a metallic stylized clothesline or other type of structure. You can actually purchase magnetic paint (as well as chalkboard paint) that can be applied to a wall, cabinet or other structure, which allows you to use magnets to display artwork and other mementos. Why not make it fun and festive?
With so many fun and easy ideas, there’s no need to feel as though you are drowning in artwork and paperwork from your children’s school age years. Got tips of your own? Post them here in our comments section!
When you’re ready to showcase that montage of artwork and school accomplishments, remember to rent a projector from Projector123.com. We provide fast, affordable, professional-grade LCD rental projectors for all occasions. Click here to visit the website and learn more about our projectors for rent.
March 21st, 2011
Welcome back to part 2 of our two-part series on planning a fun and exciting family summer vacation. Summer will be here before we know it, so now is the perfect time to firm up plans for a family getaway. In part one, we looked at getting input from family members, performing some pre-planning research, and prioritizing what kind of experience is most important to the family.
Step 4: Book Early
Yes, it’s true that there are many last-minute deals to be had, but the trouble with last-minute travel is you’ve got to be extremely flexible – not just in terms of when you’ll travel, but where and for how long. When planning a family vacation, part of the excitement is in the anticipation of your summer trip, and if you’re looking to nab a last-minute deal to a mystery destination, this might not go over as well with your school-aged children (although teens might find it rather exciting!) By booking early, you have time to share the anticipation together, shop for what you’ll need for the trip, and dream about what lies ahead. Plus, you’ll typically save on airfare, lodging and package deals as well.
 Step 5: Prepare and Save
Another advantage to booking early is that it gives you time to save for your trip. Some packages will need to be prepaid in full, but others (especially if you book through a travel agent) will allow you to simply make a deposit and then pay over time before you leave town. Either way, you’ll want to have time to save for souvenirs, meals, clothing and accessories for your trip, excursions and incidentals that you’ll want to have funds available for. It’s far easier to save a few hundred dollars per month than to feel like you need to fork over a big chunk of money (or worse, use credit cards) just before or during your trip. Preparing and saving allows you to feel far more relaxed just before and during the trip together.
Step 6: Take Lots of Photos
You’ll be making tons of memories together, so remember to pack your cameras and plenty of extra batteries (or chargers) and memory sticks and storage devices. Don’t mind any eye-rolling from the kids – when they’re grown, they’ll be delighted to review countless pictures of their childhood vacation.
If scrapbooking is not your thing, don’t worry – a much more modern approach involves creating a photo or video montage of your event. A rental projector from Projector123.com is the perfect way to share your memories with each other, or with other friends and family members who want to hear all about your exciting trip. Click here now to reserve your rental projector or learn more today.
March 18th, 2011
Here we are in the middle of March and in some parts of the country, it’s still snowy and freezing, but it’s never too soon to begin planning your summer vacation. Here are some easy tips for turning this elaborate planning into a summer’s breeze.
Step 1: Get Some Input
You might already have an idea of the perfect destination for this summer’s family vacation, but do yourself a favor and talk to your family about it first. You never know what you might discover – your family might prefer to stay closer to home, revisit an old favorite spot, or they might even choose something far less elaborate and less expensive. Have an open conversation, share your thoughts and opinions, and get input from everyone. While it’s true that most families are not run in the same fashion as a democracy (where everyone gets to vote), make sure that each person feels heard and understood, even though the parents will likely have the final say.
Step 2: Do Your Research
Research might involve a visit to the local travel agent, or it might involve extensive online searching – either way, it pays to be informed. Many people are under the mistaken belief that travel agents are now too pricey to use, but this is not always the case. Yes, your travel agent will likely charge you a surcharge for booking your airfare, but if you’re choosing a complex destination (such as Disney) where many factors must be booked and handled in advance (lodging, airfare, park tickets, ground transportation, etc.) or an all-inclusive location, you’ll often save money by going through a travel agent or booking service, who can get much better deals than you can find online. That’s why it’s important to have a ballpark idea of what you want to do, where you want to go, and approximately what it will cost before you speak to a travel agent or start booking anything online.
 Step 3: Prioritize
It’s possible that you might not be able to do absolutely everything you’d like to do on this trip, either because of time or money constraints, and that’s perfectly OK. But you’ll certainly want to prioritize what is most important to you, and focus on making time and budgeting funds for that. Consider the input you got from the whole family – for example, if you are a group of foodies, then you may choose lower-priced lodging in exchange for a higher dining out budget. If your family consists of thrill-junkies, you may prefer budget accommodations and dining (or you may even drive instead of fly) in order to have more available funds for entertainment and activities. The key is to focus your resources on the highest priorities and look for other low-priority places to cut corners.
Be sure to come back next time for the final installment in our two-part series on planning the perfect family summer vacation. In the meantime, you might consider that once you’ve returned from your exciting family excursion, you’ll have a ton of photos and memories to share, and what better way than with a rental projector from Projector123.com? Click here now to visit our website and learn more about our affordable, professional-grade rental projectors.
January 14th, 2011
If you live in a part of the U.S. where winters are bitterly cold and outdoor fun is prohibitive due to inclement (or unpredictable) weather, never fear – we’ve got plenty of ideas for creating a fun and warm environment indoors. Here are our top tips for indoor winter fun.
 1. Host a Progressive Dinner
Progressive dinners are fun and easy ways to entertain without going to a lot of trouble. Choose four or five homes in somewhat close proximity, and draw to determine who gets what course. The dinner begins at one home for drinks and appetizers, then the whole party moves to the next home for a soup course, followed by a salad course, the main entrée course, and finally, dessert. You can choose a theme or let everyone prepare their favorite, but everyone is sure to have a great time! You can even rent a projector and bring it from house to house for ambient background imagery, or how-to cooking instructions.
2. Create a gaming tournament
Kids, teens and adults all love a bit of healthy competition, and a gaming tournament is a great way to enjoy each other’s company without having to brave the bitter cold or snow. Simply rent a projector, then choose your favorite gaming system (or rent one), have all your guests bring their favorite group games (or rent a few new ones), and let the games begin!
3. Pick a flick theme night
It’s fun and easy to host a movie theme night — from classics to new releases, just rent a projector, pick your favorite flicks, pop some popcorn, and provide plenty of comfortable seating. Bringing the kids? Let them wear jammies and bring their sleeping bags to make the evening extra-special.
4. Show home movies
When is the last time you watched old home movies? There’s no better way to bring the family together on a chilly evening than with warm memories and cozy comfort foods. When you rent a projector, it makes the event even more charming.
5. Get creative with a multi-media project
Get those creative juices flowing by creating a family project consisting of a family movie montage, or a slide show of favorite photographs. With everyone’s input and involvement, you can make this a weekend project that lasts the whole month long. Rent a projector for the grand finale and showcase all your hard work with a premier launch, then send everyone home with a keepsake copy of the DVD.
6. Pull the family together for a mini-reunion
If planning a family reunion sounds like too daunting a task, you can always arrange a mini-reunion for those who live within geographic proximity. Invite everyone to bring their favorite family pictures and create a video montage to showcase during the gathering.
Got other ideas? Post them here in the comments section – we love hearing from you!
Renting a projector for your indoor activities is as easy as 1-2-3 when you click here to visit Projector123.com. We’ve streamlined the process to make it super-easy to enjoy a fun-filled weekend with friends or family with one of our affordable, professional grade rental projectors. Click here now to experience the Projector123.com difference today.
November 3rd, 2010
Depending on where you live and how old your children currently are, you may have as much as a week of no school during Thanksgiving break. Many families are avoiding vacations this time of year – not only for the expense, but also for the inconvenience of crowded airports, dense traffic and premium holiday travel fares. If you’re planning a staycation this Thanksgiving break, don’t let the kids sit around getting bored and working on your last nerve – instead, why not rent a projector from Projector123.com, try out some of these family-friendly ideas, and let the fun times begin! Rentals begin at just $129 including round-trip shipping, which includes 2-3 days of family entertainment.
Family Movie Fest
A movie fest is a great way to entertain the kids without spending a fortune on going out to the movies. You can choose from new release DVDs or select family favorites from your collection or from the local movie rental store. Choose a theme or let each family member pick one flick – it’s your call! Remember to pop lots of popcorn and plan a movie-friendly feast for everyone’s enjoyment.
Wii Tournament
The family that plays together stays together – and what better way to avoid the chilly outdoors or gloomy fall weather than with an indoor gaming tournament? Game rentals are a convenient way to explore new games without spending a fortune. Plus, when the family competes in a brand new game, it levels the playing field considerably. Consider a cost-free (yet highly valuable) prize for the winner: a special age-appropriate privilege (such as staying up late, special time with Mom, no chores for a whole day, or perhaps a driving lesson). Alternatively, the winner could get to choose the next movie for that evening’s family movie night!
Memory Lane
In the days preceding the arrival of your rental projector, each family member could create a photo montage, or collection of favorite clips from films or family movies. Then you can set aside special time as a family to watch everyone’s creations, and vote on the best. Winner gets a special prize – but, honestly, everyone wins with fun, creative family time like this.
When you put your thinking cap on, you can think of many more ways to spend Thanksgiving break with a fun and family-friendly rental projector from Projector123.com. With the rising cost of a trip to the movies, and the increase in holiday traffic this time of year, it just makes sense to spend a few cozy days at home, enjoying each other’s company and relaxing with a film or family indoor event.
Renting a projector from Projector123.com is easy – just click here to get started now.
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