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Fiestas & Fetes

Flip Flop Fiestas ~ Food & Drink

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So, we’ve decided on a theme, delivered our invitations and thought about how we’re going to decorate…now we need to think about what we’re going to eat and drink!

Part 4 ~ Food & Drink

I love to cook & bake and put menus together so this MAY be my favorite part of party planning. I have learned to keep the food simple, but delicious. It’s better to serve less, great tasting food than to have oodles of store bought or less quality food in my opinion.

You can tailor the type of foods and how much you want to serve to the time of day your party will take place. I have been to a couple mid-morning parties where brunch-type food was served and it was fabulous. Quiche, fruit, bagels & cream cheese…this can also be a little more cost effective. Have a pajama party and serve pancakes or waffles. There is nothing wrong with having an early morning party and serving muffins, donuts, milk & coffee! Make the cake out of donuts like this one made out of Krispy Kremes:

{via}

Our parties are usually right around lunch time. In the past I have done lots of {make-your-own bars} at my kids’ parties…homemade sloppy joe’s, tacos and chili. I make a big pot of meat, set out the mini buns, tortillas and toppings and the guests help themselves. I always have at least one other side dish that can be made ahead of time. I served potato salad and baked beans with the sloppy joe’s, chips & guac with the tacos and cornbread muffins with the chili.

Have your party mid-afternoon and you just have to serve cake & ice cream. Or host a {Milk & Cookies} party around 2-3pm and just serve an assortment of homemade cookies and chocolate milk as an afternoon snack! {be sure and mention on the invite breifly what food will be served so the guests can plan accordingly}

Again, once I have a theme I go all out. I like to print up a menu and frame it so that the guests know what I’m serving up. Come up with clever names for your dishes, type them up, print out and place in a frame!

I like to have some kid-friendly options, too, obviously. I have found time after time that piggies in a blanket are a HIT! Partygoers of all ages LOVE these and they are so easy and cheap! Just take a package of hot dogs, cut them in half, roll them in crescent rolls and bake as directed on package. Serve with ketchup & mustard for dipping and you’re good to go! I never make enough of these….

Kids love picnic lunches. If you’re doing something at a park or the beach {or even at home}, pick up some of the frozen Smucker’s peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, some individual bags of chips, applesauces and a juice box to put together little picnic lunches in paper bags or take out containers that can be found at places like Smart & Final. Tie with a fun ribbon and serve.

You can doctor up a cheese and cracker platter by finding some small cookie cutters and cutting out pre-sliced cheese in shapes. Make some tea sandwiches, cut off the crusts and then cut into small triangles. They can be as simple as cream cheese and cucumber or tuna salad. Finger foods are great for parties since people prefer to graze while they mingle. I like to keep lots of small cocktail plates handy.

I’ve also just served heavy appetizers like dips and pasta salads. Artichoke dip is always a crowd pleaser ~ your guests will hit you up for the recipe on the way out! Everyone loves a 7-layer dip with refried beans, taco meat, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, guacamole and cilantro {you can also add corn and/or olives}. Serve with tortilla chips of Fritos Scoops. Order some hot wings or make some potato skins for some fun pub-style eats.

And believe me, there is nothing wrong with having good ‘ol Costco pizzas and cesar salad in you mom’s garage and letting the kids run amok outside…we did that for Holden’s 2nd birthday!

Other options: fondue, spaghetti & garlic bread, catered Panda Express {did this for Elliott’s 1st!}, crock pot bbq pork for sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls! All these are great for a crowd and perfect for leftovers…if there are any!

*****

You need something to wash down all this good food…

I always keep it simple for the kids with Capri Suns or juice boxes. Have a Sharpie handy to write names on the drinks.

Fill a glass pitcher with water, ice and lemon or lime slices for those who want to get their 8 glasses of H2O a day. 😉

Since the parents always stay for our parties at this point, I always have a signature cocktail. Make a batch of sangria or  big pitcher of a pre-mixed drink like a martini or margarita and add ice when ready to serve {pre-mix martinis, but add to a martini shaker with ice just before serving}. Again, put on your creative hat and come up with a fun name for your {adult beverage}.

My mom bought us a glass beverage dispenser and it’s been the best gift ever. It gets pulled out every time we have a party or a crowd. Great for iced tea, lemonade, or punch. From TJ Maxx for under $20.

We always have the usual soda suspects of Diet Pepsi and it’s cousins, but it’s also fun to pick up some Izze sodas or some old-fashioned root beer. While you’re at it, pick up some hand crafted beers, too. Grab a couple big tubs from the dollar store, pack with ice and cradle your beverages to keep them cold.

*****

Now let’s talk about cake!

I have ordered expensive cakes, cheap cakes, cupcakes, cupcake cakes, ice cream cakes, done homemade cakes, you name it! I’ve made a cake AND had cupcakes, too! Make it easy…pick one and be happy with that. Make cupcakes and let the kids decorate them…did that, too! Cupcakes-in-a-jar are all the rage and something that I have not yet tried, but how fun are these?

{via}

If you want to make a theme cake, let Google do the work for you! There are tons of ideas and tutorials out there to help build the perfect cake. Be creative, but don’t get overwhelmed…if your cake doesn’t look so hot, it will still taste great. I learned this firsthand recently with Holden’s {caketastrophe}!

Have a milk & cookies party and you can totally forgo the cake and serve cuties like these:

{via}

Serve some store bought ice cream sandwiches and dip them in sprinkles on the sides or make these:

{via}

Just pop some candles on top and call it a cake!

For Elliott’s 4th birthday she had an Ice Cream Social. I just picked up those giant Costco cupcakes and cut them in quarters and the kids had fun making a mess…I mean making their own ice cream masterpieces!

{I picked up the soda fountain hats at Smart and Final and the kiddos decorated them}

*****

I think that’s it for food & drink! The key is to make the food SIMPLE, but DELICIOUS! Bottom line…try not to stress out…plan ahead, shop ahead and see what you can do a day or two beforehand. Believe me, I still need to work on this. The less scrambling around you do the day of the party, the more fun you’ll have!

Last, but not least…coming up tomorrow: Part 5: Activites & Favors

Fiestas & Fetes

Flip Flop Fiestas ~ Venue & Decor

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Part 3 ~ Venue & Decor

I love doing house parties, but those get redundant after awhile and it’s nice to try something new. As the kids get older, they’re more interested in heading {off site} to something that has a little more going on.

There are SO many places that you can throw a party…

Park, beach, community swimming pool or clubhouse, firehouse, ice skating rink, Build-A-Bear, paint a ceramic, gymnasium for a gymnastics party, jumpy house place, mini golf, cooking school, pumpkin patch for October birthdays, movie theater, mobile video game truck, Lego store, dance studio, zoo, nail salon, animal shelter to walk the dogs, skateboard park…the destinations are endless! Use your imagination. Call up to see if you can arrange something.

There is a state park near us that brings out live animals every Saturday afternoon. They have picnic tables and PLENTY of room for running and exploring. This is where Elliott’s party will be this year. They do not do anything other than show and talk about the animals…you have to get there early to get a spot and set-up. I thought this was a different venue and somewhere that would allow LOTS of people!

Now let’s talk about decor. I like to try and keep it simple and semi-homemade. Balloons are a must for me. They are relatively inexpensive and add a pop of color here and there. Plus, I don’t know a kid that will refuse to take a balloon home! Streamers are fun, but sometimes challenging to hang. I am in love with these ~ they are more substantial and can be draped and hung easier…and can be reused! Placing my order soon!

Pick two or three colors and carry them throughout the party. You don’t need to run out and grab the WHOLE section of {Yo Gabba Gabba} paraphernalia…just grab the plates and pull colors from that for the napkins, cups, balloons, etc. This will help everything look cohesive and coordinated without being too matchy matchy. I love these plates from Party City for Elliott’s {outdoorsy nature girl} party…I will probably just purchase these and then get the napkins and cups and other stuff at the dollar store.

Go through your house and see what you already have that you can use to decorate. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find and it will save you some dough!

Also, I like to have a little sign to welcome guests. For Holden’s 3rd birthday, I whipped this up with a piece of cardboard, some aluminum foil, Dollar Tree stickers and some post-Christmas tinsel:

Easy, peasy.

Lately buntings or banners are all the rage. Here is a quick and easy tutorial for a paper bunting. Once I get Elliott’s color scheme for her party, I’ll be picking up some scrapbook paper and making one of these! It’s darling with the old pages of a book, but we need a little more color for this party!

Tissue paper pom poms are a cinch to make with this tutorial.

I also like to display a few pictures of the birthday boy or girl over the years…pick up some frames at the dollar store and spray paint them with the party’s signature colors. You can even clip them onto a ribbon or twine with wooden clothes pins and create a bunting out of them over the mantel.

Flowers are also a nice way to add some color. The cake itself can be a focal point ~ display on a beautiful vintage cake stand or even on a tall cardboard box covered in fun wrapping paper to give it some height.

Roll plastic utensils in coordinating napkins and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Place in a basket or small metal bucket.

All these little things add bits of color and become {decorations}.

*****

Now that you’ve got the place all dolled up, let’s talk about what we’re going to eat!

Serving up tomorrow, Part 4: Food

Fiestas & Fetes

Flip Flop Fiestas ~ Theme

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I decided to put together a little 5 part series on my idea of how to {plan the perfect, budget-friendly party}. I think some people are overwhelmed by planning parties and I want to try to make it {easier}. I only have experience with small, homespun parties that I’ve thrown for my kids, but in my opinion, those are the best kind!

Each day this week, I will talk about one of the FIVE categories of party planning in my book:

Theme, Invitations, Venue & Decor, Food, Activities & Favors

*****

Part 1 ~ Choosing A Theme

I prefer to come up with a theme WAY in advance. Partly because of my self-diagnosed OCD, but partly because it makes party planning easier in my opinion.

The theme can be something that your child is currently into like a character, book or movie. It can be inspired by an outfit or costume, or just something that YOU, the party planner, want to do {tip: the younger your kids are, the easier it is to choose the theme yourself!}

For example, Elliott’s 2nd birthday was a {Western} theme after I found a darling {le top} dress with horses and fringe down the sides. I used that as my springboard.

Holden’s 2nd birthday was a {Creepy Crawly Critter} theme because I found bug catchers and nets at Target for 75% off which I used as the favors!

The simplest of things can become inspiration for your party ~ your theme can be as simple as a color ~ a PINK or GREEN party, for instance. Once you’ve decided on a theme, sky’s the limit!

I keep my eyes peeled for anything that coordinates with my theme that is on sale or cheap and I pick it up and stash it away in the guest room closet. {shhhh, that is my secret hiding place} I shop the after holiday sales at Target for plates, cups, napkins, etc. that may tie in with what I’ve chosen.

Think outside the box. Your child’s favorite book can easily become the theme as seen here with this {The Giving Tree} party:

How darling is that?

And I LOVE this one from Beth over at Odd Girl Out?…{Harry and The Henderson’s} party:

C’mon now…I canNOT handle the creativity here.

{I haven’t even seen the movie and I’m in love!}

Proof that a party can be inspired by ANYTHING!

*****

Once you have your theme, you need to figure out your guest list and decide how you’re going to let them know about your celebration…

*****

Coming up tomorrow, Part 2: Invitations!

 

Fabric {My "Crafty" Side}, Fiestas & Fetes, Frugal Finds

Thrifty Thursday ~ Simple, Inexpensive, Homespun Birthday Invites

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I’ve mentioned this before…you can spend LOTS on invitations.

I refuse to do that anymore. Personally, I also refuse to use evite. I think evite is genius and I’m all for being more {green}, but I prefer and enjoy coming up with cheap, crafty invites for my kids’ birthday parties. I love the idea of a hand or snail mail delivered invitation. I guess I’m sort of old-fashioned that way…

This year for Holden’s party I found some blank note cards at Michael’s for 50¢ a pack {8 cards/package}. I chose these specifically because of the red envelopes ~ so much better than plain, boring white!

The cards had a small graphic printed on the bottom right corner so I just made a {flame} template out of cardboard, cut it out, traced several flames on some orange construction paper, cut those out, used Elmer’s glue and some red & gold glitter and voila! It covered the picture perfectly. I chose a font we already had {cracked}, formatted it, came up with the wording and popped them through our printer.

I picked up some fire truck stickers at Target for 99¢ in the scrapbook area and added one to the inside of the invite and also to the front of the envelopes.

I addressed them “Firefighter so-and-so” and put the return address for the ones I mailed as “Fire Chief Holden”.

I calculated the cost of these invitations as less than 25¢ apiece.

We hand delivered most of them to save on postage, too!

Fashion, Frugal Finds

Almost, But Not Quite

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Elliott and I had a little TJ Maxx date this morning while Holden was in school.

I was on the hunt for something for Jay’s Holiday Party.

I found a gorgeous, fully-lined black & silver houndstooth belted pencil skirt for $10.00…

I envisioned wearing it with tights and possibly some low boots ~ a look that was completely opposite of what I originally had in mind, but all of a sudden excited about ~ more of a classic look this year.

{similar to this, but the black houndstooth print was silver on a black skirt}

[via]

It would’ve been so festive.

But it was one size too small…

Would’ve been fine if I didn’t sit down the whole evening. You know, just stood in one place.

Who needs to sit?

Made me wish I hadn’t eaten those peanut butter cookies and espresso brownies last week!

The hunt will continue.

God forbid I wear something already in my closet.

But for $10…..

Almost, but not quite.

Family, Fiestas & Fetes, Frugal Finds

{Slightly} Planning Ahead

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I’m a FREAK when it comes to planning my kids’ birthday parties.

They really aren’t as extravagant as many I see on all the darling party blogs out there, but I try to keep them fun yet frugal.

I usually have a “theme” about a year ahead of time. I get an idea and build from there…over the course of about 12 months…I gather little things here and there that I find on sale or for cheap. I stow them in a “secret place” away from the kids (& Jay!). I also cruise around the net and pick up ideas from this site and that site, jot things down and get the creative juices flowing early on.

Elliott’s birthday is in May and I just found what I think are going to be her invites.

I had something in mind and when I saw these on my TJ Maxx excursion yesterday, I knew I had to grab them since they’d be long gone if I decided to go back down the road and look for them again.

They fit the color scheme that I had in mind and reflect the party’s venue.

I am so excited that I crossed paths with these.

Here’s a sneak peek…

I think I need help.

Because there are a million and one things that will take place before her 6th birthday that I need to think about, but I just couldn’t pass these up.

If I can give my unsolicited party planning advice I would say to start early {obviously}.

But is 9 months to a year TOO early?

I find that when you have an inspiration far enough out, you can pick things up bit by bit and won’t have to shell out a grip of cash all at once. I save receipts in case I need to make returns or exchanges.

How many others out there suffer from OCPP?

Obsessive Compulsive Party Planning

I bet Jay wishes there was a medication for this!

Happy Friday!

Party ALL weekend long…

Family, Flashbacks, Food, Fun

Birthday Countdown: Part II

Dear Elliott,

Your First Year was filled with so much…both literally and figuratively. Here are some highlights:
You visited the San Diego County Fair at just a few weeks old. You took your first plane ride at 3 months. You and Rascal kept Mommy company on our drive to Nor Cal (your new home) when you were 5 months old. You were the sweetest Monkey while trick-or-treating in Menlo Park on your First Halloween (also 5 months). You were baptized and celebrated your First Thanksgiving at Lolo & Lola’s house in South Carolina with the whole family at 6 months. Of course your first Christmas, New Year’s, Superbowl, Valentine’s Day, St. Paddy’s Day and Easter were very special. You visited the grumpiest Santa at the SF Zoo, but later saw the “Happy Santa” at the good ‘ol Valley Fair Westfield Mall. You began swim lessons at 10 months and this is where you met your very first girlfriend, Charlotte! You moved into your brand new house in Gilroy at 11 months. I celebrated my very first Mother’s Day with you in beautiful Carmel, but had to get dinner “to go” later that evening because you had the HUGEST blowout in your darling little watermelon outfit (including your watermelon Robeez!) But, it was still one of the most special memories even with the package of wipes that we went through to clean you up in the tailgate of our old white Volvo wagon! Shortly thereafter, you celebrated your First Birthday with a Jungle themed adventure! I had SO much fun planning your bash and I think this is where I went into perpetual “party plannning mode”. Even though we had just moved to the area, you had SO many friends and family there to celebrate with you as you entered your Second year of life. It was a “wild” day and I a still dreaming of your fresh banana cake from one of my all time fave bakeries, Icing On The Cake in downtown Los Gatos. Oh how I miss that place!

Here you are in your cheetah print dress from Auntie Jeannie & Uncle Mark in Boston:

And your gorgeous fresh banana cake:

*****

Your Second Year was also action packed. Here are just some of the highlights…You quickly started meeting lots of fun new friends in your neighborhood (your BFF being, Logan) and by this time you and Charlotte were two peas in a pod and spent Wednesdays together after swimming lessons. You visited the Santa Cruz Boardwalk with your friend William when you were 13 months. You attended your first Gilroy Garlic Festival at 14 months. You flew to Vegas at 17 months to visit Lola & Lola and celebrate my 36th birthday. You did your first “apple picking” at Gizdich Ranch with Logan when you were 18 months old. You celebrated your 2nd Turkey Day and Christmas in your new home along with family. You went to the snow in Lake Tahoe when you were 20 months. However, the biggest milestone of your second year was that when you were 21 months old, you became a Big Sister. I will never forget you waiting (aka running) out in the halls with Gramma when your Baby Brother was born. You came in just minutes later and laid eyes on Holden and you have been a wonderful Big “Sissy” ever since (well maybe despite a couple minor instances!). You were such a patient girl for the first couple months while Mommy and Daddy got the hang of things. You shared your 2nd Birthday weekend with Holden with a back-to-back Baptism and your Western Cowgirl themed rodeo on Memorial Day Weekend 2007. Again, this birthday was filled with MANY new friends, family….and of course, fresh banana cake from Icing On The Cake! We also served mini sloppy joe’s, Auntie Bucky’s Ranch potato salad, Uncle Matt’s baked beans and your favorite, piggies in a blanket for all the little cowboys and cowgirls!

This is one of my favorite pics of you EVER. EVER.:

…and again, the infamous fresh banana cake:

Only 2 more days, my Little Sugar Muffin, and you’ll be FIVE!

Now, off to celebrate with mini bagels & cream cheese at school with your classmates!

Coming up tomorrow ~ Birthday Countdown: Part III

Family, Fun

Girls Only

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Lately I’ve been realizing that I never have one-on-one time with my Elliott.

Holdy and I share Tuesday & Thursday mornings running errands together and his secret “cheeseburger time” once a week while “Sissy” is at school.

We needed a little Mama/Daughter bonding time.

After her favorite dinner of lettuce wraps, we went to Party City and she picked out plates and napkins for her school friends. We’re taking mini bagels and cream cheese next week for snack to celebrate her birthday.

She vacillated between Spongebob, polka dots, cheetah and zebra print, Tiana (Princess & The Frog) and finally settled on her all time fave princess, Ariel.

Next stop…Golden Spoon!

She was SO excited that she got her OWN yogurt AND got to choose a topping!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter with chocolate chips:

In 7th heaven:

I chose Coconut & Toffee Heath Bar:

We sat and talked about her upcoming graduation, dance recital and plans for the Summer. She said she still doesn’t need swimming lessons because she remembers EVERYTHING from “last time”…..m’kay, we’ll revisit that later.

She threw 2 pennies in the fountain and made as many wishes…

And as if all that wasn’t enough, we skipped down to Target and browsed around there, too!

She even talked me into some sour candies at the checkout ~ “It’s for our date, Mommy.”

We really need to do that more often.

Maybe next time a pre-Kindergarten pedi.

Yes, that’s what we’ll do.

I love you my almost 5-year old. Where did that half decade go?