I am loving all these {candy bars} at parties and weddings these days!

Piñatas are fun, but I love the twist of setting all the sweet treats out and letting the guests stash them away in fun little containers as their favors.

When we were planning our wedding about 7 years ago, I spotted this article in Martha Stewart Living and had it in mind for our reception:

Apparently I dropped the ball on the full-on bar, but our favors ended up being Reese’s Pieces {because of the fall colors} in a frosted clear Chinese take-out container tied with a chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon and adorned with a piece of dried flower.

I think a candy bar or dessert table adds so much fun and color to a celebration. Both children and adults alike can get excited about the thought of {being a kid in a candy store}!

I am {already} in semi-full swing with planning Elliott’s May birthday festivities. Picking up little things here and there. There are going to be tons of kids invited as we’re extending the invitation to all of her classmates as well as other friends outside of school. That is the beauty of having it at a venue other than our house!

I always stress about the goodie bags. I try to find things that go with the theme yet are useful and not going to end up on the floor and in the trash within hours or days of the party. In the past I have found inexpensive tees for the guests which I think make the perfect parting gift. With about 40 kiddos on the guest list, t-shirts are not an option unfortunately. I figured the best way to cater to all ages and both genders is to have a full blown candy bar! They will get to fill their bags or containers with confections before leaving the party. Even though his was on a much smaller scale, Holden’s guests LOVED {duh!} this idea at his recent party.

I am envisioning something like this at E’s party:

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Simple, low-lying jars for easy reach and about 10-12 options to choose from.

I die for apothecary jars. Going to visit my local Goodwill and see if I can find any…I also love the old timey ones with the silver lids. All the different sizes and shapes of glass containers filled with a rainbow of sweet treats can’t help but turn a party into a P-A-R-T-Y!

I see Ring Pops, Pop Rocks, Pixie Stix, gummie caterpillars, bubble gum, sour stuff, rainbow goldfish, candy necklaces, etc. I think I will even have a glass vase filled with tooth brushes and every child MUST leave the party with one!

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I will leave you with this eye candy…

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I could browse the internet all day and find oodles of inspiration! These are just the tip of the candy iceberg!

Wishing you a sugary sweet Friday!