You're invited to an A-list starlet celebration! To ensure that your child's sleepover is a blockbuster, we've lined up an Oscar®-caliber party plan, complete with a red-carpet arrival, a high-fashion Sunglasses Cake, fancy finger foods, a lively pop-culture game, Stylin' Sleep Masks, and a PJ fashion show to wind down the night. So get ready for the glamour!

SLEEPOVERS 101

Before you throw the event of the season, here are some helpful tips from experienced moms on how to manage a houseful of 'tweens spending the night.

Keep it short: "Overnight" doesn't have to mean all day, too. For her son's party, Michelle Doney of Waukesha, Wisconsin, had the guests dropped off at 5 p.m. and picked up by 10 a.m.

TGIF: Sleepovers don't have to be on Saturdays, says Susan DeWeese of Plano, Texas. A Friday night party practically guarantees a sleepy crowd, and best of all, it frees up both Saturday and Sunday nights for catching extra Z's.

Nix sibling rivalry: "If one sibling has a sleepover," says Julia Camarato of Macedonia, Ohio, "I always let the others have a friend over in their own room, just so no one feels left out."

Enlist help: Pam Fierro of Virginia Beach, Virginia, asked two teenage neighbors to lend a hand at her daughters' party. "The teenagers painted nails and did hair, which made it easier to split the girls into smaller groups and rotate activities," says Pam.

Settle them in: Don't expect campers to put their sleepy selves to bed. "I hate it when my daughters stay up all night at other people's houses, so I set a time to call lights-out and stick to it," says Lisa Spooner of Grottoes, Virginia. "I typically sit in the dark room with the kids for 5 to 10 minutes. By then, they're often all asleep or close to it."

Set the breakfast table: Set up morning goodies in the kitchen the night before to keep early risers occupied until the household wakes up. "I make it simple with help-yourself muffins and bagels," says Kim Leichner of San Jose, California. Once the whole group is up, hostesses often look to convenience foods for a quick meal. "At our last sleepover, we made microwave pancakes and toaster waffles, which were simple and easy to clean up," says Jessica Mitts of Fresno, California.

Alter time: "From my girls' first sleepover until they turned 9 or 10 and began wearing watches, I used to reset all of the clocks by two hours. That way, at 10 o'clock, I could say, "It's midnight. Time to go to bed!'" says Gail Johnson of Glen Ellyn, Illinois. But be sure to set the clocks back before morning, she adds. Otherwise, your crew, thinking it's 8, might start looking for breakfast at 6 a.m.!

Let sleeping guests lie: "Not everyone is a night owl," says Tina Kapinos of Kildeer, Illinois. "We designated our living room as the 'sleeping room' at our last party for anyone who wanted to go to bed earlier than the other kids."

Approve movies for all audiences: "I always check with parents ahead of time to see if there are any restrictions on movies that the girls can watch," says April Heiselt of Salt Lake City, Utah.

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