SharpMoms » Party Planning

Fun Birthday Countdown Printables {It’s FREE!}

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:00:09 +0000

Birthdays can be a big deal, especially with kids. Why not countdown to your family member’s next birthday? These printable are FREE and super cute.

Here’s just one design…

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Just click here and choose a design that you can print at home or at a local store, like Walmart or Target. Then put the printable in a frame and use a dry erase marker to change the number from day to day!

Thanks to Life Sweet Life for creating such cute printables!

What We Love Right Now April 4, 2012: Cute Easter Cupcakes

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:46 +0000

Baking for holidays doesn’t have to be an elaborate ordeal! We made these cute cupcakes for Easter and they required very little effort! Great addition to your Easter brunch or dinner dessert table or an Easter play date!

All you need to make these cupcakes are:

Boxed Cake Mix (any flavor)

White Icing (we like the premade in a jar!)

Red, Blue, and Green Food Coloring

Easter Candy of Your Choice (We chose coated chocolate eggs)

Fix it Fast:

1. Bake cake mix according to package.

2. In three separate bowls, mix icing with small amounts of food coloring. The less you use, the more pastel the coloring will be.

3. Put icing in a Ziploc bag, snip corner, and use decorating tip to ice cupcakes.

4. Place candies on top and enjoy!

Vistaprint Only Gets Better! New Nickelodeon Merchandise Added

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:08:35 +0000

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I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Vistaprint! They offer so many products and at a stellar price. Anytime I can’t find a design I like with other companies I can always find something I like with Vistaprint. I especially love their invitations and announcements. Recently added to their designs are Nickelodeon prints featuring Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob, and more!

Click here to begin creating your Vistaprint invitation!

Kid Party Ideas: Construction Dump Truck Themed Birthday Party

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:00:54 +0000

My toddler loves cars and trucks, so when I started planning his second birthday party I knew a vehicle themed party was a no-brainer! He especially loves his Chuck dump truck and all of Chuck’s Pals so I decided on a construction themed party. Here’s what we created with the help of great online party supplies like Birthday Express, Birthday in a Box and Kid’s Parties by Lori {highly recommend all three!}

It was all very simple. We had a small gathering, but still wanted to have some cute decor and fun with food.

Peppermints: Rocks

Pudding Cups with Gummie Worms: Dirt Cups

Donuts: Spare Tires

Cupcakes: Boulders (cupcake picks from Lori’s Parties)

Brownies: Cinder Blocks

Catered Sandwiches and other sides: Work Site Grub

The cake came from a local grocery store bakery. It was delish! I am not a baker, but wanted a mud look, so chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles did the trick! All candles were purchased from Birthday in a Box.

The mantle was decorated with a DIY scrapbook paper pennant and some favorite Chuck trucks.

We like sweets so that was a major part of the snacks. You could be creative and go any direction with pebbles, rocks, and other things you might find on a construction site. All the dump trucks and construction cars were ones we already had, so be sure to utilize what you’ve got for decorations. Also, you can’t really see it in the picture, but the black plastic table cover had silver tape down the center giving it a “road” look. The kids loved it!

**All paper products were purchased from Birthday Express.

What We Love Right Now December 14, 2011: Easy to Make Holiday Treats

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:00:51 +0000

Christmastime is a great time to roll up your sleeves and bake. If you’ve baking up a storm maybe you’re looking for an easy treat to make or, if you’re not really into baking, you might be looking for a cookie recipe that requires just a couple of ingredients and just a little time. Our two holiday cookie ideas are perfect for either category you may fall in!

Christmas Cookie Sammies

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We found this cookie idea on another blog and thought it was a great, simple idea to share! All you need are the Pillsbury slice and bake cookies, some yummy icing (homemade or store bought), and some fun, festive sprinkles! These require little effort and they’ll be yummy and, not to mention, cute on a nice little platter. For the full recipe click here.

Christmas Tree Brownies

Another simple creation, these treats take just a few minutes to bake and decorate and it’s the perfect way to involve you little bakers as well. You’ll need one box of brownie mix, candy cane sticks, green gel icing, and peppermint M & M’s.

1. Bake the brownies according to the box.

2. After brownies have cooled, cut into triangle, tree shape with a steak knife.

3. Insert candy cane stick at bottom of brownies for the tree stem.

4. Apply icing and place M & M’s on brownie.

What We Love Right Now November 16, 2011: No Bake Pilgrim Hat Cookies

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:00:56 +0000

Our no bake streak continues with these super cute, simple pilgrim hat cookies! They’re sure to be the big hit at your weekly play group or as the centerpiece and dessert at the Thanksgiving kid’s table!

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All you need to make these cute creations are fudge stripe cookies, mini Reese’s cups, and yellow icing. The picture shown uses orange Chiclets at the hat buckle, but we think substituting with orange M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces would be just as adorable!

Spooky Eyeballs: The Yummiest Halloween Treat

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:00:21 +0000

With Halloween just a few days away, we’ve got the perfect little treat for your ghosts and goblins. These donuts are SO simple to create and will make a great addition to your Halloween gathering! The directions are pretty easy (this is another no-bake creation!). Just grab a pack of powdered donuts, red icing, and green m&m’s and in a few minutes you’ll have a platter full of the spookiest eyeballs you’ve ever seen!

Do you have a great no-bake Halloween creation? Share it and link up with us in the comments below!

No-Bake Chocolate Acorns

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:08:36 +0000

Here at SharpMoms we’re all about making things as simple as possible. Whether you work or stay at home, have one child or four, everything you do should be as easy as it can be. These no-bake chocolate and peanut butter acorns are the perfect little fall treat and are so simple to make. Not to mention all the ingredients are the perfect size for the little helpers your kitchen!

What You’ll Need:

1 bag of semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1-2 bags of Hershey Kisses

1-2 bags of Nutter Butters (you’ll need the bite-sized)

Fix it Fast:

1. Melt 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips in microwave {5 second intervals, stirring very well each time}
2. Dip the flat end of the Hershey Kiss into melted chocolate, or spread chocolate on flat side of Kiss with a butter knife, and top with a bite-size Nutter Butter.
3. Dip the flat end of the mini chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and stick it to the top of the Nutter Butter bite.

These acorns are the perfect treat for your next fall party at home, school, or play date. If you have a child with a peanut allergy, you can always substitute your Nutter Butters with bite-sized Ritz Bitz of Vanilla Wafers.

Chocolate Chip Dip

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:44:38 +0000

This yummy dip recipe is just what every kid ( and every kid at heart) is sure to love. Serve it up with graham cracker sticks, apple slices, or mini pretzels if you’re in the mood for a little something salty and sweet.

Chocolate Chip Dip Recipe

What You Need:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Graham cracker sticks
Fix it Fast:

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Recipe and image from Taste of Home

Party Nachos

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:23 +0000

If you’re planning a get together anytime soon, these nachos are a must! They are so easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Party Nachos

What You’ll Need:

1 carton (18 ounces) refrigerated fully cooked barbecued shredded pork
1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives, optional

Fix it Fast:

1. Heat pork according to package directions. Place tortilla chips on a large microwave-safe serving plate. Layer with pork and cheese.
2. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, salsa, lettuce and onions. Sprinkle with olives, if desired. Makes about 12 servings.