What We Love Right Now June 15, 2011: Summer Party Ideas for Kids

Throwing a summer birthday party? Or maybe you’re having a party just for fun? We’ve got several ideas for great party themes to help you have fun in the sun this summer with your kids and their friends!

1. A Tie-Dye T-Shirt Party, Best For Tweens and Teens

The summertime is perfect t-shirt and flip flop wearing season. What better party theme for this time of year than tie-dye decorating? The shirts themselves are bright and cheery, just like the summer sun, and sure to be loads of fun for the party goers to make. We love these tie-dye invitations from Tiny Prints. They aren’t too bold, but still have some great pops of color.

For partyware Birthday in a Box has some great Tie Dye party supplies. We like these plates because you can get the dinner plates or cake plates and then mix and match with solid colored cups, napkins, and cutlery. And don’t forget balloons!

The tie dye shirts will make great party favors. Not sure how to tie dye? It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Here are some great instructions we found at About.com.

2. Bubble Party, Best For Toddler and School Age Children

What small child doesn’t love bubbles? This party theme is perfect for a backyard bash. You can do a couple of stations: One table with small bottles of individual bottles of bubbles and another with large pans and wands with homemade bubble mix (not sure how to make a mix? It’s easy! Just use 1/2 cup dishwashing soap, like Dawn, 2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar).  You can also set up another table with bubble wrap cut up in small squares and paint and paper so the kids can paint with the bubble wrap.

If you have a covered porch or set up a tent or canopy we think decorating with paper lanterns and streamers would be such a cute idea. Paper lanterns would almost look like bubbles of all different colors and you could even use different sizes as well. Try your local party stores or, if you want to buy online, search PartyLights.com or JustArtifacts.com.

For food, serve up round items like Nilla Wafers, round fruits and veggie slices, and cookies. You can even serve Jell-O jigglers cut into circles-they are yummy, easy to make and colorful!

Party favors can be simple and cheap. We’ve seen these cute bubble wands at local stores everywhere and they are usually marked at $2.00/ea. or less. Such a cheap favor and each child would be sure to love it!

3. Pirate Party, Best for Toddler-School Age Children

Arrrrrrr, Matey! Sail the Seven Seas with your child and their friends with this super fun summer party theme! We found everything we needed for this theme at Birthday in a Box! Their pirate party selection couldn’t be beat.

For invitations…

Send a message in a bottle! How cute, unique, and, well, pirateish! Buy these HERE.

Games…

Don’t reinvent the wheel! Here’s another SharpMom favorite from Birthday in a Box. Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate!

Looking for more game ideas? Try walking the plank with a small piece of wood, like a 2×4, or put on a “treasure hunt” AKA scavenger hunt for older kids.You can also play a game of “pass the skull” (aka hot potato). Just make your skill out of oval Styrofoam or wrap an old Mr. Potato Head .

Partyware…

All favorites from Birthday in a Box!

Favors…

Try gold coins, eye patches, and treasure maps! All can be found online or at your local party stores.

Crafts…

1. Decorate Your Own Pirate Flag: All you need are crayons, paper, and great imagination!

2. Decorate a “Booty Bag” for all their pirate loot!

4. Flip Flop Fun, Best for School Age, Tween Girls

Birthday in a Box has another super girly party patter that’s perfect for a summer pool party! Theme your whole party around flip flops. Ask your guests to where their best swimsuit and favorite flops. Better yet, you could even ask them to decorate a pair of flops before hand and give a prize a the party to the best pair! For partyware, we found these great napkins that will go well with bright pink and orange plates and cups. We also love these super fun straws, sold in packs of 4. They girls will love sipping lemonade and tea from their fun flip flop straws!

If you don’t have your own personal pool, try booking a local pool or perhaps even the pool at your local YMCA. For food serve up finger foods like veggie and fruit trays and chips with dips. We like keeping decorations simple for this theme. Just doing bunches of colorful balloons will add a nice touch to coordinate with the flip flop napkin. We also found a couple of invitations we really liked.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

5. Backyard Beach Party, Best for Ages Toddler to School Age Children

There is a lot you can do with this theme! For fun run some water sprinklers, open the sandbox and bring out the buckets and shovels, or for little ones use water tables for play too. Older children will enjoy games like crabwalk relay races, beach ball and water balloon tosses. Little ones will like baby pools filled with mini beach balls made into a ball pits or baby pools filled with water!

If you host this party in the  late afternoon/evening, invite parents and turn it into a BBQ. You could serve hotdogs, hamburgers, and chips. Don’t forget the cake! Maybe in the shape of a beach ball or fish? If you’re not feeling creative you can always preorder a cake with a beach scene from your favorite bakery!

We found these great invitations on Esty.com. Why do we love these? You can print them at home!

For party favors try a sand bucket and shovel filled with a few treats like sunglasses, leis, a small beach ball and candy.You can even personalize the buckets with by writing guest’s names on them with paint pens!

Do you have a great summer party theme? Leave us a comment and link up with us!

Creating a Marvelous Memorial Day Menu

1. In ungreased 3-quart microwavable bowl, mix frozen potatoes and water; spread evenly in bowl. Cover tightly with microwavable plastic wrap. Microwave on High 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are hot and tender, stirring once halfway through cooking.
2. Add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to hot potatoes; mix well. Spread evenly in bowl. Cover, refrigerate at least 5 hours or until completely cold.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, place eggs in single layer. Add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place eggs in bowl of ice water; let stand 10 minutes. Drain. Peel eggs. Reserve 1 egg for garnish; chop remaining 4 eggs.
4. Stir mayonnaise into cold potato mixture. Add celery, onion and chopped eggs; toss gently to mix. Spoon mixture into large serving bowl. Slice reserved hard-cooked egg; arrange on top of salad. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 16

Raspberry Sweet Tea

For your nonalcoholic drinkers this is a yummy, refreshing tea to serve up with your Memorial Day menu.

What You’ll Need:

4 quarts water

Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 cup sugar

10 individual tea bags

1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and undrained

3 tablespoons lime juice

Fix it Fast:

1.In a large saucepan, bring 2 qts. of water to a boil. Stir in sugar substitute until dissolved. Remove from the heat.

2. Add tea bags; steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard tea bags.

3. In another saucepan, bring raspberries and remaining water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Strain and discard pulp. Add raspberry juice and lime juice to the tea.

4. Transfer tea to pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. Serves 15

Super Duper Strawberry Shortcake

Top off your meal with this delicious shortcake!

What You’ll Need:

1 quart fresh strawberries (or more if you like)
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1 (14 ounce) angel food cake, cut into cubes (make it easy and buy the cake already made!)

Fix it Fast:

1. Wash, stem, and cut strawberries in half.
2. Add sugar; toss and mix well.
3. Chill.
4. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar well.
5. Fold in whipped topping and cake cubes.
6. Spread cake into an ungreased 13×9 dish.
7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
8. Cut cake into squares and top with strawberries (add blueberries and whip cream too!).

Serves 12

Do you have a great recipe you’re cooking up for the long weekend? We’d love to hear about it. Leave us a comment!

Beach Craft Activities

If you’re lucky enough to hit the sand this summer, collecting shells and other beach treasures will more than likely be one of your child’s favorite activities. All those shells will probably make it home with you and then you may be left wondering what to do with those them. Here are some super cute and easy seashell craft ideas.

1. Seashell Mobile

This would make a great addition to your child’s bedroom or playroom for the summer!

What You’ll Need:

Shells

Two dowel rods equal in length

String

Craft Glue

Make it Fast:

1. Use the string to make the dowels into an X shape.

2. Glue the shells onto different lengths of string.

3. Allow to dry several hours to ensure the shells will hold on string.

2. Beach Memory Jar

Fill a large jar with all your treasures and keep them (safely!) forever! Best of all your child can rearrange and move things around whenever they like, creating almost a whole new look.

image via Martha Stewart

3. Shell Frame

If you are going to the beach chances are you’ll snap more than one Kodak moment! Your child can put their favorite picture in a great seashell frame.

What You’ll Need:

5×7 Frame or larger, with wood trim

Small shells

Hot glue gun

Make it Fast:

Arrange shells on frame and glue. Let stand several hours so glue can set.

*for added use foam pieces or letter stickers to personalize with your child’s name

Summertime Paper Plate Crafts

We love anything you can make with things you have around the house. Some of the best crafts are made from paper plates. If you don’t have these at home-stock up! Here are a couple of super cute paper plate beach crafts.

Sea Turtle

So simple! Simple paint your paper plate or cover in torn pieces of construction paper. Then make some legs, head and tail. Add a wiggly eye and draw a mouth!

Fish

Again, all you need is your plate, some paints and paper!

Sun

Make this cheery sun with handprint rays. Sure to brighten up your child’s day!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

If you’re hosting Easter brunch this year you might be feeling the stress already. Wouldn’t it be so nice to wake up Easter Sunday to a clean house, a dining table set, and a meal ready for your guests? Your Easter Morning may not happen quite like that, but we’ve got a breakfast casserole that is so simple you’ll have a wonderful Easter feast ready in no time!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

Thinking of hosting a brunch this year? We love the idea of Sunday brunch and think it is a great way to spend Easter with your family and friends. This breakfast casserole is SO simple (and yummy!).

What you’ll need:

8 slices of bread cubed

1/2 cup of butter, melted

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

5 eggs

1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups diced ham OR cooked sausage

4 oz. mushrooms

Fix it fast:

1. Grease a 9×13 pan.

2. Mix bread and butter together. Add cheese, ham/sausage, and mushrooms to mix.

3.  Place mixture in baking dish.

4. Beat eggs. Add milk and seasoning to eggs. Pour egg mixture over the bread mix in your baking dish.

5. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

6. Bake for one hour at 325.

7. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Egg-cellent Egg Decorating with Chalkboard Paint

Home Made Simple has some great egg decorating ideas that are unique and different. We loved one in particular. All you need are some hard boiled eggs, chalkboard paint, and your favorite colored chalk. Paint the eggs and let your kids do the rest! They’ll have fun decorating and then redecorating their eggs over and over again! The eggs will make the perfect little centerpiece  for your Easter brunch table created by your very own Picaso’s!

photo courtesy of Home Made Simple

What We Love Right Now March 2, 2011: St. Patrick’s Day Simple

Keep it Irish easy this St. Patrick’s Day with these simple green crafting and cooking ideas.

Super Simple Shepards Pie

Prep Time: 10 min

Ready in: 30 min.

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
8 med. green onions (about 1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 can mexi-corn mix, drained
1 can (4 oz.) green chillies, undrained
1 package of instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup corn chips

Fix it fast:
1. Cook ground beef and onions in a 10 in. skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Drain well.
2. Next, stir in barbeque sauce, 3/4 cup of corn, and chilies. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to stay warm.
3. Cook potatoes according to package (you’ll need milk, butter, and water) and stir in remaining onion and corn. Let stand at least 5 min.
4. Spoon potatoes onto center of beef mixture, leaving 2 1/2- to 3-inch rim around edge of skillet; sprinkle cheese over potatoes and beef mixture. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle corn chips around edge of skillet.

Easy No Bake Cookies

Get your kids in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with these super fast no-bake treats. Just pick up a package of soft-baked sugar cookies and press out shamrocks with a  cookie cutter. Add a bit of color by adding green sprinkles onto the cookies, and you’re done! As another options, you can also grab some premade sugar cookie mix, roll out the dough, bake and ice together!

Cereal Rainbow

For this super easy craft all you need is a box of Fruit Loops, glue and construction. Then, let your child get to work on the colors of the rainbow by making a rainbow with the colored loops!

Throw a Party

Feelin’ lucky? Then throw a super fun party for this holiday. For decorations make some four leaf clovers. All you need a green construction paper, glue, and glitter (or another add ons you’d like). Cut the construction paper into into four small hearts and a stem and arrange into a clover shape. Then add on your glitter, etc.

For decor think about using different shades of green balloons and maybe some gold or yellow too. Hang some rainbow streamer and use fun green or gold paper products to serve up your treats.

As a party craft for the kids, make rainbow mobiles. All you’ll need are wire hangers, multi-colored construction paper, markers or crayons, glue, and yarn. Make the rainbow as your “anchor” then hang different charms from your rainbow with the yarn (think Lucky Charms marshmellow shapes).

Serve up the greens: For food options think greens and yellows-celery, cucumbers, and green pepper served with dip. For a sweet treat whip up some cupcakes (according to package) and just add a few drops of green food coloring for a fun baked treat. Add green food coloring to white icing to top the cupcakes or use white icing topped with green or rainbow sprinkles.

What We Love Right Now February 9, 2011: Ladies Night=Game Night

Every Mom, working or not, needs a little break from the daily routine. SharpMoms thinks spending some time with girlfriends is a great way to unwind. Rather than meeting for the traditional dinner or drinks date with friends, try planning a monthly game night with your gal pals. This idea is fun, cheap, and a great way to spend time gossiping and catching up with your best girls. Not sure where to start? Here are some tips…

Game night should be stress-free and, more importantly, kid-free! Plan a simple menu of appetizers and drinks. If you are playing hostess you can ask each friend to bring an appetizer or a drink of choice- this makes the party planning even easier for you! Plan on getting a sitter for your kids and your friend’s kids as well. Maybe there is an older teenager in the group that can watch the younger children, or, better yet, coral the husbands into watching the kids!

Need some game ideas? Here are a few options:

1. Bunco is always a great game choice. It’s mindless, easy to play, and fun.
2. Relive your childhood with a night of Twister. Everyone will get a good laugh!
3. Find your inner “man” and play a few rounds of poker.
4. Who’s the best liar in the group? A good game of Bull Shit should help you figure it out! The object of the game is to discard all the cards from your hand.
5. Stay traditional and play a round of Monopoly or LIFE.
6. Apples to Apples is a great, fun game. It works best if you know at least a little about all the players. The object of the game is to guess which one player will choose from a list of options.

Make this New Year’s Eve one to Remember!

Hosting a party? We’re all about making your planning a little easier. Here are some SharpMom tips for party success!

1. If you’re hosting a dinner party, make your life easier by cooking one pot meals (see soup recipe below) or an easy casserole. You might want to try our Ham and Bean Bake. Doing an easy main dish will not only save you time, but save your sanity as well!

2. Let your guests make their own drinks and a do it yourself cocktail bar. If you don’t have a bar area already, set up a small card table with a nice tablecloth-Voila! Instant bar! Set out some champagne cocktail and bloody mary supplies. Don’t forget a fun party tub full of your favorite brews as well as a few bottles of Merlot for those non-champagne drinkers.

3. Don’t get rid of all your wreaths and garland just yet! Use that holiday decor for wishing posts. Fill a hurricaine candle holder with slips of white paper and pens and let your guests fill in their wishes for the coming year. Clip them to the wreaths for all the party guests to read throughout the evening!

4. Don’t forget the finger foods! What is a New Year’s Eve party without a table full of appetizers? Order up some sushi from your favorite sushi bar in town and don’t forget the cheese and veggie trays! For more appetizer ideas click here.

ONE POT RECIPE: Black-Eyed Pea Soup

This is a one pot meal that is sure to please the party goers (or your family, if you are spending a low-key New Year’s at home)!

What you need:

Fix it fast:

What We Love Right Now December 15, 2010: Simple Snowmen Donuts

Snowmen Donuts

As a mom I am always looking for “easy” projects to do with the kids. I am not much of  a baker, but I recently found a picture of these cute snowmen donuts and thought they were too easy not to share! All kids, and most adults, love donuts and you can add your favorite candies or use the ones we suggest to decorate your snowman’s face.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Face: Small Powdered Donuts

Nose: Candy Corn or Orange Gum Drops

Eyes: Regular Sized Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Mouth: Mini Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Too keep all the pieces of candy in place use white frosting or icing. It just doesn’t get any simpler! These are great to munch on at home or to take to a holiday party or even your child’s class party at school. Do you have a great holiday treat that is easy and festive? We’d love for you to share your ideas with us!

What We Love Right Now December 8, 2010: Christmas Crafting

Crafts are always fun, but they are definitely more fun for kids, and even adults, when they are tied to a holiday. Christmas is a one of those “big” holidays that really lends itself to some good crafting. Here are a few easy crafts for you to make this holiday season.

1. Pom Pom Ornaments

This craft is ridiculously simple. All you need is a some cardboard (maybe from an old shoe box or moving box). Then, simply create your ornament template (candy cane, wreath, snowman) using the cardboard. Next, glue on the pom poms to cover the cardboard. Attach ribbon as the ornament hook. You can even add other adornments like rhinestones, sequins or glitter.

2. Pine Cone Christmas Tree

You’ll need a small tip paintbrush, sequins and green glitter glue for this craft. Spread the glitter glue onto the cone using the paintbrush and add sequins as “ornaments” before the glue dries. You can even add a construction paper star to the top of the tree as a finishing touch.

3. Reindeer Food

You might leave out cookies and milk for Santa, but what about his trusty reindeer? Sure carrots are good, but this version of “reindeer food” is much more fun! You’ll need raw oatmeal, glitter (red, green, gold or silver), a brown paper bag, and ribbon. Let your child decorate the paper bag for their favorite reindeer. Then place about 4 tablespoons of oatmeal and a teaspoon of glitter in the bag. On Christmas Eve sprinkle the reindeer food in your yard for Santa’s reindeer to eat once they get to your house!

Don’t forget to check out our Cute Candy Cane Reindeer and how to make an Easy Advent Calendar.

Cute Candy Cane Reindeer

This craft is SO simple and great as a treat for your child’s classmates or as an added addition to your tree.

All you need are…

Candy Canes

Wiggly Eyes

Brown Pipe Cleaner
Small Red Puffy Balls
Craft Glue

1. Glue wiggly eyes and red puffy “nose” on candy cane.

2. Bend Pipe Cleaners into “reindeer ears” and wrap around candy cane.

It’s that easy and the finished product is adorable!

What We Love Right Now November 17, 2010: Stress Less: Tips for a Terrific Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year, but it seems it is a lot of work and preparation and in the blink of an eye the food is eaten and guests are on their way out the door and you are left with a mess to clean up and lots of leftovers. This day, whether you host a big gathering or spend a quiet day at home with your immediate family, should be a peaceful, enjoyable time with as little stress as possible. We’re all about making things easier for moms, so What We Love Right Now: Tips for a Terrific (and hopefully less stressful!) Thanksgiving.

If you’re cooking for a large gathering we suggest a Potluck Thanksgiving. You can cook the bird and guests can provide the sides. This will be a TON of less work for you as the hostess. Now, if this is your first time cooking a turkey you may have some questions and hopefully we have some answers!

How long does it take a turkey to thaw?

In order to cook properly you turkey needs to be completely thawed.

8-12 lbs – 2-3 days

13-16 lbs – 3-4 days

17-20 lbs – 4-5 days

21-25 lbs – 5-6 days

How long should the turkey cook?

First, preheat your oven to 450°F. Rinse turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Prepare stuffing, if desired. Stuff body and neck cavities loosely with stuffing, if desired. Tie legs together with cotton string or tuck through skin flap, if provided. Tuck wings under turkey. Place turkey on meat rack in shallow roasting pan.  Insert ovenproof meat thermometer in thickest part of thigh not touching bone. You may want to brush your turkey with a little melted butter. Place turkey in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast 18 to 20 minutes per pound for unstuffed turkey or 22 to 24 minutes per pound for stuffed turkey (you can brush with butter after 1 hour and then after 1-1/2 hours, if desired). Baste with pan juices every hour of roasting. (Total roasting time should be 4 to 5 hours.) If you notice the turkey is overbrowning, tent with foil. Cook until internal temperature reaches 180°F when tested with meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh, not touching bone.

Yummy Side Dishes

You may be the guest attending the Potluck or need a few sides to complete your small family gathering. What should you cook? You may have a great family recipe up your sleeve, but if you don’t here are two yummy side dishes sure to please everyone at the table.

Tasty Twice Baked Potato Casserole

What You’ll Need:

• 10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Fix it Fast:

1. Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

2. When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible.

3. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth.

4. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

5. Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

6. Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar.

7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms

Instead of Green Bean Casserole, try this yummy green bean variation.

What You’ll Need:

• Green Beans
• Mushrooms
• Salt and Pepper
• Gralic and/or onion, optional
• French Onion Crisps
• Butter

Fix it Fast:

1. Blanche green beans in boiling water until cooked.

2. Meanwhile, in a saute mushrooms (and garlic and onions, optional) in butter over medium-high heat, until golden.

3. Add mushroom mix with drained green beans. Toss with salt and pepper.

4. Place mixture in serving bowl and top with onion crisps.

How long can you keep turkey?

After you’ve all been stuffed with yummy food, you’ll probably have some left overs to deal with. You’ll want to pack up any leftovers within two hours of serving. Leftovers should only be kept in the fridge for 2 days, so anything you have mass quantities of should be frozen for safe keeping. Always defrost your frozen leftovers in the refrigerator.

Send Your Child a Letter from Santa!

We blog very often about one of our favorite party favor sites, Birthday in a Box. We’ve been checking their products frequently for cute party additions and ran across this: Letters from Santa. As mentioned on their site, “Surprise your kids this Christmas by sending them personalized Letters From Santa in 1 of 5 styles. All letters are personalized with the child’s name and location and come with a special surprise from Santa!”. What a cute idea!

In order to receive your letter on time, you must place your Santa Letter order by December 16th. All orders will be mailed between November 27th and December 17th to make it to your house by Christmas Eve.

To order your Santa Letter {$5.99ea + S+H and Tax} CLICK HERE.

**Please note that Birthday in a Box did not ask us to promote their products. We simply just love their items and hope you will too!

What We Love Right Now: October 13, 2010: Spook-tacular Halloween Parties Ideas

Having a fun and spooky little party for Halloween is a great way to celebrate the day. Enjoy a gathering with just your kiddos or invite a few friends. We have a  few ideas to get you started so every little goblin will have a boo-tiful time at your party!

1) Party Invitations

If you plan on inviting friends of the family to your party you’ll want to send a cute invitation with all the details. Here are a few of our top picks:

Super cute invitation featuring some of your favorite Peanut characters, available at Hallmark.

Don’t forget to bob for apples! This invitation is very festive (and great for a fall birthday party too!), polkadotparty.com.

This card is very halloween-y! Available at invitationbox.com.

2)Favors and Decorations

Blacks, purples, and oranges are of course the classic colors for Halloween decorating. Get creative and let your kids help you make decorations with some tagboard, construction paper, glitter glue and other craft supplies. One of our favorite online party suppliers is birthdayinabox.com. They really have some of the cutest partyware, favors, and decorations. All of the following items are available from their site. For these and more visit birthdayinabox.com.

3) Crafts and Games

If little ones will be at the party you’ll need a few things planned to entertain them. As a craft you can let them finger paint on some miniature puppets. Kids love to have their face painted and a pumpkin or ghost on a chubby cheek will be a welcomed added accessory. We also love these cute little bags that were featured in Country Living. A few brown paper bags, some decals and crayons and each child will have their own personal treat sack!

You can create a game of pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern with a posterboard and some black construction paper noses. Fill a jar with candy corn and let each child guess how many candies are in the jar. The winner with the closest estimate can get a small prize or a stamp on the hand and all the candy can be shared with the party guests. Play a round of pass the pumpkin (kind of like hot potato). Play some music and whoever has the pumpkin in their hand when the music stops sits out. The last child holding the pumpkin wins!

Get Back to Nature with These Crafts Inspired by the Outdoors

The weather outside is cooling down, it’s back to school time, and that means one thing: Autumn is approaching! This is a wonderful time of year to get outdoors with your family. While you’re out playing and exploring, you can pick a few things mother nature has to offer and use them for crafts later on. Not sure what to make? Read up on our craft ideas.

Pinecone Birds

We’ve all heard of making pinecone bird feeders (which is still a great little craft), but what about a pinecone bird? It is so simple and the kids will love displaying them or playing with them when they are complete. You’ll need orange pipe cleaner for feet, orange and brown felt for the wings and beak, wiggly eyes, small pom-poms, and a glue gun or craft glue.

To make the bird, glue the wiggly eyes onto the pom-poms and glue them onto the top of the cone. Then cut a small triangle out of the orange felt. Cut two trianlges our of the brown felt for wings and bend the pipe cleaner to make two feet and wedge into the cone. Let all glue dry before your children use them for forest fun!

Pumpkin Seed Art

Besides roasting the seeds, do you ever wonder what you can do with all those pumpkin seeds you’ve scooped out after all the carving is done? Seed art is a great way to have some fun and use those seeds wisely. Wash all the seeds and let them dry out completely. Then using green, orange and black paint, let your children color and then glue the seeds onto paper to make a seed pumpkin. You can also use other paint colors and use your imagination to create other things too-an apple tree, tractor, flowers…the possibilities are endless!

Shell Creatures

It may be too cool to head to the beach, but if you traveled to the beach over the summer and picked shells you have all you need for our next craft idea. Use shells and wiggly eyes to create shell creations. Your child can use their imagination and think outside the box, creating any kind of creature of the shells. Use craft glue or assist with a glue gun to help your child make these cute creatures.

Rock Painting

Kids seem to love rocks and even start their own rock collections. Jazz up some of those boring stones with a  little paint. All of a sudden the rocks become wonderful works of art and can even become an added decoration to mommy’s garden or potted plants or a new desk paper weight for dad’s office. There so easy to make: paint, let dry, and enjoy!

Planning a Picture Perfect Baby Shower

Welcome to Baby Showers 101! If you think baby showers have to be planned around tacky party games like guess the poop, then think again! There is absolutely nothing wrong with games at a shower or event, but many soon-to-be-moms and their hosts are taking a more sophisticated and fun approach to planning baby showers and leaving the games behind. Showers these days let the mommy-to-be spend more time socializing and, of course, include many presents to shower mom and baby as the main focus of the party. Here are a few ideas and planning tips we have to help you throw a great baby shower!

1. Have a “Baby-que”~This low key backyard bbq is a great idea for a couples shower. Throw on some hamburgers and hotdogs, throw some bottled beverages into a galvanized party tub, make some virgin daiquiris for the expectant mom. Throw on your favorite tunes, hang up some party laterns or string some lights, and have some fun. This is a more low key kind of party, but a guaranteed good time and a great way to include men at the event.

2. Talk it up~Be sure to ask the mom-to-be about a guest list. If she is having more than one shower you may be planning for a small gathering vs. a larger one if your shower will be her only one.

3. Choose great invitations~Part of party planning fun is choosing a great invitation. If you are crafty, you can make invitations with scrapbook supplies. Other hosts will opt to order invitations in bulk. We love printed invites for guests because they give a nice clean look. Don’t forget to include all the details and a map/address to the event. Do some research online. We’ve found some of the best deals are online and not a your local shops. Order invitations 8 weeks in advance and be sure to send them out no later than 6-4 weeks in advance.

4. Plan the party schedule~Most showers will only last 1.5-2 hours so keeping time is important. As the host, greet guests as they arrive and allow 30-45 minutes for mingling and eating. At about 30-45 minutes into the party, cut the cake with the mother to be (or serve cupcakes, depending on what you choose). Then delve into the presents. If you have alot of guests this part could take up to 30 minutes or more. After presents are opened, usually there is more time for socializing and eating. Be sure to help the mommy get all her loot to the car before she leaves.

5. Decorating~Rather than picking a theme, we suggest choosing a few colors to work around. For boys we like brown/baby blue, brown/blue/mint green/orange/white, or red/yellow/blue/green. For girls we think pinks, greens and yellows are a good fit. You can always add jungle animals as a center piece or cake topper for a litte more fun, but finding paper products to coordinate with a color scheme will be easier to find. You can always jazz things up a bit with stripes, dots, paper lanters, pictures of the mommy-to-be, etc.

Ole! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home!

Let’s face it: Cinco de Mayo falls on a weeknight, some of us work, and sitters will be hard to come by. Celebrate with your family at home! We’ve got a yummy, super easy Cinco de Mayo recipe that is sure to please the whole family! Don’t forget to pick up a pinata and some sombreros at the party store for some extra family fun.

Burrito Supreme-o

What I Need:

-1/2 lb. ground beef

-1 15 oz can spicy chili beans, undrained

-1 tsp ground cumin

-4 10 in. flour tortillas

-2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican chees blend

-1 cup mild taco sauce

-3/4 cup sour cream

-shredded lettuce if desired

Fix it Fast:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 15×10x1-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until well browned. Drain. Add chili beans and cumin; mix well.

3. Place tortillas, overlapping, down one side of pan. Spoon beef mixture down center of tortillas; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

4. Roll tortillas over sausage mixture to create 1 large burrito, seam side down. Spoon taco sauce over burrito; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. To serve, cut burrito into slices. Serve with sour cream.

Toddler and Schoolage Birthday Party Ideas: UPDATED

Guess what Moms? Our party idea list has been expanded! Check out a few of our newest ideas for great kid birthday parties. Don’t worry all of our original ideas can be found here.

Still planning for infants? Don’t miss our birthday party ideas for babies click here!

A HARD KNOCK LIFE PARTY

If you love the movie classic Annie, this party is perfect you! First pick movie themed invitations. A lot of party stores are carrying these now so they are easy to find. Be sure to tell the guests in the invite to dress the part as an orphan. This does not require buying anything new, just get creative! Suggest wearing button-down shirts, cardigans over a sundress, boots, and do a little “dirty” makeup to make your guest extra scruffy. You’ll want your little darling to be the star, Annie, so save that part or her. Serve popcorn in classic containers (also available at many party supply stores) and have a showing of Annie playing for your guests. The kids will have fun dancing to the songs, especially “A Hard Knock Life”. Serve cake and juice boxes, open presents, and your classic Annie party is complete!

A DAY AT THE ZOO

What child, especially toddlers, doesn’t love animals? A day with their friends at the zoo would be a perfect way to spend a birthday. Many zoos offer birthday party packages that include cake, drinks, and zoo passes for you and your guests. This idea is a little pricey but, if you can afford it, it makes for a very memorable party. But, what if you want to do the zoo on a budget? This is a great theme for an at home party too (or even a party that can be held a local park). To plan a zoo party at home, get crafty. Create a game of “pin the nose on the lion” and provide bowls of peanuts in the shell for guests to snack on. Fill cute treat bags or boxes with zoo themed favors. We love, love, love the treat box we have pictured (find it at birthdaydirect.com). For added fun, send your little explorers on a safari hunt. This can be done through a scavenger hunt (don’t forget to let the adults help if it’s a toddler party). The objective can be to find the lost tiger, lion, etc. and the winner will get to keep their new stuffed animal treasure! Facepaint tiger whiskers on the girls and zebra stripes on the boys. If the neat freak in you doesn’t like the mess of facepainting, check party stores for animal masks that the guests can color on their own. The party animals will all love getting wild with your little one at this party!

TAKE A TUMBLE

Is your little one an aspiring gymnastics star? A party at your local gymnastics studio is a great way to celebrate another milestone. It is good gender neutral them and good way for all your party guests to get their wiggles out. This party is super easy to plan because there is minimal planning involved. Find some cute invitations (lots of variations are offered at many paper product vendors online) and then let your guests have fun tumbling around. After they’ve all had their fill of jumping and tumbling, open presents, and eat cake with your guests. For favors keep it simple. We love the idea of making ribbon dancers for guests. Just hit up your local craft store for 12″ wooden sticks and colorul ribbon. Cut the ribbon into 3 ft. long pieces and hot glue one end to the top of the wooden stick-VOILA! Instant ribbon dancer! We love this party idea because it is great for a boy or girl! Who wouldn’t love to rough and tumble with their friends for their birthday?!

ICE SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

This delicious idea is a wonderful party theme for spring and summer parties. We think it’s most ideal for ages 3-7. You can host it at home or once again take it to your local park and keep the mess out of your house. You can buy invitaions, but if you want to be thrifty, search clip art through your word processing program and print out an ice cream cone with one or two scoops on top. You can type your details on top of the scoops before you print. We like “I scream, you scream, {Child’s name here} scream’s for ice cream!”. For party favors buy cone shaped party hats and cover them in brown paper. Use pink blown up balloons for girls and white blown up balloons for boys. Turn the party hats upside down to make a cone and place your balloon scoop on top (keep in place with tape). Write party guests names on the cone. The kids are sure to love their own personal “ice cream cone”. Don’t forget to give the guest of honor extra scoops (3 scoops for 3rd birthday and so on).  For fun, have an ice cream relay. Three teams will compete: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. You can pair up the kids and let a few compete at a time. The winners can go make their sundaes/cones first. Have an ice cream station set up on a table and be sure to include bowls filled with all the toppings-sprinkles, M&M’s, nuts, syrups, etc. Wind down the guests with a story that goes along with the theme. We like Curious George Goes to the Ice Cream Shop!

Our first giveaway winner: Lauren R.!

We recently ended our first giveaway. The prize was a $25 R Us giftcard. SharpMom Lauren R. was the winner! Lauren lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She is a mom to one little boy and has another on the way. She plans to use the giftcard towards the purchase of a Moby Wrap to use with her new little one. Thanks to all the SharpMoms who entered our first giveaway. Remember, you will automatically be entered into our next contest! Enjoy your giftcard, Lauren!

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