Spring Break is a time to get away from the hustle and bustle of college life. Even if you can’t get out of snow-covered Ames to actually go somewhere warm for Spring Break, you can still escape to a tropical paradise by having your own luau.

A luau in the middle of winter will allow you and your friends to heat things up in your own home. No matter your budget, you can transform your living space to make you feel as if you’re on a warm, sunny beach.

Decorations

Walk in to any party supply store and you will find a large selection of stuff to decorate for a tropical-themed party. It is up to you how much to spend, but be forewarned, it is easy to go over budget with all the neat decorations and party ware.

Megan Niffenegger, a salesperson at Celebrations Party and Wedding Store, 2617 Northridge Pkwy., can help you get started by showing you the necessities for a luau.

“Tableware is a necessity,” said Niffenegger. Plates, cups and napkins come in all sorts of festive colors perfect for your party. Other decorations Niffenegger suggests are tropical balloons, hanging decorations and scene setters.

“Scene setters transform the entire room,” said Niffenegger.

Scene setters are large, inexpensive sheets of plastic with a background scene on them. Celebrations has a variety of them including ones with palm trees and beach settings.

And of course, the most essential part of a luau are the leis. Celebrations, like many other party supply stores, offers bulk packages of leis at a cheaper price.

“We can work with any budget,” said Niffenegger. “Celebrations offers packages that range from $0.40 for a lei to over a dollar each. Also, set the mood with some tropical party music.”

Food

Whether you are a gourmet chef or a disaster in the kitchen, you can prepare authentic luau food for your party guests. If you want to prepare an entire meal, look online for meat dishes with a tropical sauce on top such as pineapple or mango. Chicken is usually the easiest to cook in the oven when you can’t get outside to grill.

Start your meal off with a tossed salad and then a tangy side item that goes well with your main dish. There are a ton of recipes out there that would be great for a tropical party. Macadamia nuts are a must-have for any luau. Cover them with chocolate or make macadamia nut cookies.

Fruit is the easiest food to prepare for your luau. Cut up a pineapple in a creative way, or, for the really daring, carve a bowl out of a watermelon. Then, fill it with chunks of your favorite tropical fruits such as cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, pineapple and kiwi.

Drinks

One of the best parts of a luau is the tropical drinks. Many tropical drinks can be made with or without alcohol. Some common nonalcoholic drinks to use are strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas. Benjamin Poole, a bartender at Olde Main Brewing Company and a senior in health and human performance, recommends any fruity drink for a luau.

“Parrot Bay is good with any kind of fruit juice,” said Poole.

Poole, who has been bartending for seven years, said Parrot Bay rum is good with any kind of fruit juice and also recommends mixing Malibu rum with pop or juice for a tropical touch.

Another way to add a little extra touch to your party is to garnish your drinks with fruit and little drink umbrellas.

“Girls dig fruity drinks with umbrellas,” said Poole.

An easy way to serve drinks to several guests is to have a punch bowl. Poole recommends a drink called a Woo-Woo. It has vodka, peach schnapps, lime juice and Hawaiian punch. To prepare just mix it up in a large serving bowl and throw in your leftover fruit.

Dress

Have your guests dress up in tropical attire or other beach wear. If you usually keep the temperature at your place pretty cool, you might want to crank up the heat a bit so your guests don’t freeze in their tanks and flip flops.

Stephanie Rindsig, junior in animal science, and some of her friends hosted a luau last year before Spring Break. They encouraged all those attending to wear Hawaiian clothing and one girl even showed up in a hula skirt and coconut bra.

“My favorite part was seeing everybody dress up,” said Rindsig. “People really enjoyed it.”