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Fiestas & Fetes

Flip Flop Fiestas ~ Invitations

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Now that you’ve come up with your theme, it’s time to get your guest list together and decide how you’re going to get the word out.

Part 2 ~ Invitations

If you want to go the FREE route, you can use evite or punchbowl which have lots of cute templates. If you are trying to be more {green}, this is also a good avenue!

I prefer to make my own simple invites using inexpensive note cards or card stock. I like to print them on our home printer for a {professional} look. I have paid A LOT for invites in the past, but think all that money can be used elsewhere.

I start by looking for blank notecards in the dollar bins at Target or Michael’s. I’ve also found them at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. If the cards are too plain, you can pick up some stickers that tie into the theme {of course!} to embellish them.

I also like to download a font or two for the invites that I use throughout the party for any signs, menus or goodie bag tags that I print up. This ties everything together. We have a Mac and there are several sites out there with FREE font downloads. For example, for Holden’s {Under The Sea} 1st birthday, I used a font with little bubbles {cocktail bubbly} which turned out pretty cute:

{please pardon the bad scan}

You can see a few other invites I’ve done here, here & here.

First, I just measure the note card {opened} or card stock and plug the dimensions into my Word program under format —> page. Then I write up the wording on the bottom half of the page {below the fold for a note card}, spell check a million times and then feed the note cards into the printer. Always do a test page first to make sure everything is lined up and looks centered. I am really anal about this part!

I am super cheesy and come up with all sorts of goofy rhymes and verbiage pertaining to the theme when writing up the invitation, too. Let your imagination run wild…parties are supposed to be FUN!

If you’re inviting a small number of kids, you can pick up a little trinket and include it with the invite or attach the invite with a little ribbon or raffia.

If you’re having a slumber party, maybe include a little eye mask or for a spa party, possibly a little bottle of nail polish. Just a little something to get your guests even MORE excited about your party.

They say that you should limit the number of guests to the number of years old your child is. I think that is a great rule of thumb, but I tend to be one of those that like to invite {everyone}! I am from the {the more the merrier} school of thought. We’re still at the stage where the adults stay at the parties, too, which I love, but it will also be nice when the {drop-off} parties begin!

I prefer to hand deliver the invites, but sometimes it makes more sense to pop them in the mail. I always like to pick out some special stamps at the Post Office…I know OVERBOARD!

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OK, now you’ve sent out your invites and you need to start thinking about what your party is going to look like!

Coming up mañana, Part 3: Venue & Decor

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

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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!

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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…

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Coming up tomorrow, Part 2: Invitations!

 

Eye Candy

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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:

{via}

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!

Fire & Ice ~ Part 2

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I love throwing parties for my chickens, but it’s a lot of work.

Thank goodness I had some helpers here, otherwise some things wouldn’t have happened! I’ve learned my lesson…you can NEVER do enough ahead of time. If you can do it a day or two before the party, DO IT!

My Dad {Popsi} cut and polka dotted 20 tails for the Pin The Tail On The Dalmatian game and perfectly taped the red tablecloth on our huge table so it wouldn’t slip. My Mom {Gramma} rolled and tied the utensils in the napkins and ran to the store for balloons. Jay was on vacuum and Windex patrol while I made a big pot o chili and corn bread muffins. My friend Ralph{s} supplied the boneless hot wings which was a huge help! My friends Karen, Melissa and Janet were my sous chefs and helped get the kid eats secured to feed the hungry little mouths after the big fire house tour.

Thanks to EVERYONE for their help…it wouldn’t have come together without you. Three cheers for group effort!

Hip Hip Hooray!

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I had a leftover foam wreath thingy from Christmas so I whipped this up for the front door…75% off tinsel and a hot glue gun do wonders!

For the boys’ goody bags, I found some {flame} beanies and gloves. For the girlies, I picked up some black beanies and made rosettes out of the same flame fabric as Holden’s “4” shirt and pinned them on. They also got either a Red Hots or Dr. Pepper lip gloss. I just packaged them up in some bakery bags and secured with a little tag:

Lunch was chili and cornbread for the adults and piggies in a blanket, Bagel Bites and Tater Tots for the kiddos. I also had some boneless hot wings, spicy peanuts and cheddar jalapeño Cheetos to snack on.

Easy.

We almost had a Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory party instead. Holden was major into the movie around the holidays and I toyed with changing the theme. SO glad I didn’t! But I had the whole {candy bar} idea in my noggin and still wanted to carry it out on a much smaller scale…

Needless to say, the kids LOVED filling up their little bags with sweet treats! I was joking with the parents and saying it’s much cheaper than a trip to the Sweet Factory!

Remember the Martha Oreo Tower? Well, don’t laugh, but something tells me that Martha’s Oreo budget called for more than two packages of double stuffed cookies! I was certain that I could do something attractive with that….uh, NOT so!

{You’ll see a full shot of the Oreo lameness in just a minute…}

As far as stuff for the kids to do, I just gathered all our fire trucks, related books and picked up a little fireman Lego set. The boys had a fabulous time huddled around the coffee table putting that together. I also crafted a {Pin The Tail on The Dalmatian} game. This was very informal and we didn’t blindfold or spin them around before they pinned…or taped! We used the honor system and they just closed their eyes. Everyone was a winner!

{yes, I misspelled “dalmatian”…hopefully Gramma was the only one who noticed! ;-)}

How cute is our neighbor, little Miss Nataliyah? She is the most social little 21 month old!

After all the kids were hopped up on hot dogs and candy, we took a torch to the {little pink fire engine that could} and sang to Holden! I swear this was one big cake wreck and this confection needed a rescuing of it’s own!

And try to hold your laughter at the sight of the Oreo mound!

Somehow the little striped {4} candle perked it up a bit! I tell ya, Martha sure knows what she’s doin’.

*****

Thank you again to all who responded to the call and came out in the crazy weather to help Holden celebrate!

And one more big THANK YOU to Station 156. I honestly cannot thank them enough!

 

Fire & Ice ~ Part 1

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Good Morning & Happy Monday!

Holden’s Birthday Weekend was jam packed with excitement. I’m going to summarize the festivities in two parts since there is so much to cover.

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About 3 years ago we went to a fire station birthday party when we lived in Nor Cal. This was my friend and neighbor, Gina’s brilliant idea. The kids loved it…at the time Holden was only about 15 months and I KNEW I was going to host the same theme for him down the road.

I started out by calling the county and getting the number to the community services liaison for the LA County Fire Department. She then put me in touch with the captain that would be on duty the day of Holden’s party. I called about 6 weeks in advance {way too early, but remember my OCD} and he put it on his calendar. The problem with arranging a tour at the local fire house for your child’s birthday is that at any given moment the alarm can sound and the plans can go up in smoke. Fortunately EVERYTHING went off without a hitch and the party was an amazing success.

First off, I cannot say enough positive things or show enough gratitude for Capt. Seifert and his guys at station 156. I’m sure the last thing they wanted to do on a Saturday afternoon is corral 20 almost 2 – 7 year olds and explain what they do! They were all extremely nice and enthusiastic to have us there.

The weather was fierce ~ cold, rain, hail, sleet & snow. All while we were at the station!

The station is a temporary trailer with a new building going in next door opening this June. After a brief welcome and some rules and regulations, the kids got to see where the firemen sleep, eat and do their laundry! They were all given a little red fire hat and a Junior Firefighter badge. The alarm sounded and we were able to hear the dispatcher give us a little shout out…very cool!

We then headed out to the garage to see the apparatus {fancy word for fire truck}. The kids were able to sit in the front and back and even try on one of the coats. They were reminded what 9-1-1 means and to only dial it in an emergency!

One of the firemen got into full gear complete with his tank, mask and axe. Surprisingly I don’t think any of the littles were traumatized!

We then braved the cold and the kids sprayed a small hose.

Again, I was blown away by the time they spent with us ~ we were there for over an hour. It couldn’t have come together more perfectly.

{Thanking Capt. Seifert for making the party a blazing success!}

*****

After leaving the station, we headed to our place for some lunch and sweets!

Coming up in Fire & Ice ~ Part 2…..

 

The Little {Pink Fire Engine} That Could

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I would not last a day at Charm City Cakes!

Duff would have my head on a platter.

Making cakes is HARD work. Especially at midnight when you’re exhausticated {yes, it’s a word!}.

Cupcakes are much easier. I can do cupcakes. But my little Holden wanted a fire truck cake…and a fire truck cake he got.

Maybe.

Kinda.

Sorta.

But not really.

This engine is sure to be a lemon.

It must have a salvage title….

But last night…at midnight…I just kept slapping on frosting and smoothing it out. Slap on. Smooth out. Repeat.

A licorice here. A gumdrop there. A chocolate donut here.

It was a hot, hot mess.

But the party was PERFECT.

More to come…

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!

{4 Alarm} Fire

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Holden's "4" Alarm Birthday Party Inspiration Board

Holden’s “4” Alarm Birthday Party Inspiration Board by amyaspiras featuring forever21 umbrellas

Recently party goddess extraordinaire, Erin over at BUB, posted an adorable story board for her daugher’s upcoming {Vintage Valentine} themed birthday. The theme alone is too cute and then she had to go an add a bunch of eye candy using Polyvore. Seriously…super duper darling!

I signed up for Polyvore awhile ago and fiddled around with it a bit and then forgot about it. Once I clicked around on her post and figured out how she did it, I copied! Thanks for the inspiration, Erin!

It’s so fun to search and drag goodies to get your visions in front of you and help along with the planning. Erin is super fancy and added text to hers, but I am computer challenged and was just thrilled that I got this far! As you can see, there is a little something for all ages…

Having so much fun planning with some other fun stuff in the mix. One secret I have up my sleeve…a homespun pin the tail on the dalmation game…should be interesting!

Can’t believe my {baby} will be FOUR next month.

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Happy Friday to you. Let the weekend begin!

{I have a fun new recipe coming up…it brings back memories of my childhood}

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