Friday, August 21, 2015

FRIDAY FAVES: 10 Kids' Party Favors Your Little Guests (and Their Parents) Will Love!

Tie tiny adorable balloons to skewers and stick 'em in the cake. | 35 Amazing Birthday Cake Ideas

I started the week off with some clever DIY favor ideas for y'all and now, I'm going to lead you into the weekend with a few more favor ideas. This time, for the littles in your life.

I dread the goody bag. The last thing my 3 boys (my 3 messy, unorganized, careless boys... my boys who have no concept of cleaning up after themselves) need is another bag of bouncy balls and plastic mini frisbees.

So, if you're like me, you want to offer your guests something that doesn't drive parents completely crazy. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

But first, a few tips for picking the perfect favor for your party...

1) This one is probably a no-brainer but it's quite literally rule #1. Chose something that fits with your theme.

2) Favors don't have to be an extra goody, that gets pricey! Favors are any kind of party-related take-home. My favorite kind for kids parties are crafts or activities! (don't worry, I've got some examples below)

3) Make sure your favors can be easily transported after the party (i.e. anything painted or glued will need ample dry time and don't give kids anything parents wouldn't want in the car)

And now, on with the show!

THE TAKE-AWAY:

Sidewalk Paint Kit...
Don't get me wrong, sidewalk chalk tied up with some baker's string and a cute little favor tag is just dandy but this kit is level-up material...

Click on the photo below for the full recipe/instructional but spoiler alert... it's crushed up chalk and water. Yep. That easy! Then, just pour paint into small plastic containers, place in cellophane bags and tie up with some string and a brush! Boom.

 *PARTY HACK* Dollar Store chalk + Dollar Store tempera paint = vibrant colors on the cheap! 

Best Part - this works for boys or girls and is customizable to your party theme colors! Yay!

A brand NEW two ingredient recipe for sidewalk chalk paint that is easy to spread and dries in bright and vibrant shades!  CORNSTARCH FREE


Monogram Chalk "Slate"...
And, while we're talking about level-up chalk favors, here's another awesome & easy DIY chalk favor that you better claim asap because your fellow moms are totally going to want to make these for their little one's next party!



Hula Hoops...
The hoop is back! And it makes a great (easy, inexpensive, fun) party favor! Once again, I recommend you check your local Dollar Store (man, I should be getting a commission from them for this post!) They stock them seasonally and offer different sizes and simple color combos which is what I like - pink and white, green and white, blue and white, etc...

Punny Favor Tag Ideas:
Hoop you had a great time!
Thanks for coming today! I had a Hula-t of fun! (ok, that one sounded better in my head...)

Hawaiian Luau Birthday Party Ideas from Lifesong.com as seen on AmysPartyIdeas.com


Tic Tac Toe...
Why do I love these little favors? Let me count the ways...

1) Wicked easy one-of-a-kind DIY!
2) Upscale it with a linen bag & gold paint
3) Buy colored rocks (check out "beach pebbles" at Home Depot) instead of messing with X's and O's.
4) Use fun colors to paint the X's and O's to match your party theme or paint the pebbles! 

tic-tac-toe-activity-craft-gift-3



EDIBLES:

Cookie Decorating Kit...
Skip the messy cupcake decorating! With this favor you don't even have to make the mess during the party! Bag 'em up and send 'em home! Mom won't mind the mess of their 1 child as much as you'll dread the mess of 12 little guests. Promise.

For kids, I'd suggest 2 cookies, 1 mini jar of icing and 1 mini jar of sprinkles. They'd look super cute arranged in a little berry basket - Michael's has paper ones in four colors and also wood!!



Fla-vor-Ice... 
Do yourself a flavor favor and give these a chance... 
Such a colorful and simple favor idea that kids really love. And, keeping them un-frozen allows parents to choose when they get enjoyed!

Once again, these can be color coordinated for your party's theme and all you have to do is add some ribbon or twine and a favor tag! 

just chill lemonade


Rice Crispy Treats...
Give this Oldie-but-Goodie a little makeover for theme-perfect (and nut-free!) party favors!
Rice Crispy Treat + Colored Chocolate = SUPER CUTE!
Even easier, just add food coloring to your regular batch of Crispies!
(or a dash of Jell-O for a hint of flavor & color)

Ice Cream Cones       Number 1       Monsters       Hearts       Watermelon




ACTIVITIES & CRAFTS:

Create-A-_________...
You fill in the blank!
Whatever your theme is, there's always some element that you can make or decorate! Give the kids something to take home AND enjoy a fun activity (and give yourself one less item to buy or prepare)!

(As kids get older, this can even BE the theme... in-home cake-decorating class, neighborhood scavenger hunt, etc. But that's a whole other blog post!)

Sword Decorating      Snowglobe       Hero Mask       Fairy House       Princess Crown


Punchbox...
Have you seen these? They've been making the rounds over the past couple years and I just love 'em. They're a great alternative to pinatas (yay! no blindfolded kids swinging sticks in your living room!) Unlike pinatas, punchboxes can have just about anything for a prize! What a fun way for kids to claim their favors!



Bubbles...
Kids. Love. Bubbles!
Even the big kids love bubbles :-)
So, give 'em what they love... with style! 
(Let the kiddos blow bubbles during the party and refill their containers before they leave)



Hope these favor ideas have given you some inspiration! And if you're in search of a unique theme-specific favor and none of these strike the right chord, let me know - I love a good challenge!

HAPPY HOSTING!

Monday, August 17, 2015

20 Clever (and Totally Do-Able) DIY Favors Your Guests Will Actually Love!


You chose your color scheme, found the perfect decorations and ordered that Pinterest-worthy cake you've been drooling over. Now, what about the favors?

Want to give your guests something they're sure to love? Then handmade is the way to go! 

Wait! Don't go! No need to be scared - DIY doesn't have to be complicated!

Here, take a look...

(And, if you're wondering why these are all "wedding favors", to that I say, "Why should weddings get all the cool favors?!"
Minis...






Miniature Bell Jar



Local Eats & Treats...

if you're planning on doing favours....ideas: bbq sauce, homemade granola, homemade jam, trail mix

Jars of honey or jam are the perfect thank-you presents for wedding guests. They both have long shelf lives and are such a sweet treat! You can buy jars in bulk from specialtybottle.com and honey from GloryBee Honey. Source: Mekina Saylor Weddings

Sugar Rush


Seasonal...

Cherry Favors

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Trend...

love this idea for wedding favours...i am on a mission now!

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20 DIY Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love and Use - MODwedding

Favorite summer wedding ideas 14



Personal...

CD Favor with Instagram Prints DIY 1

ice tea favors

coffee wedding favors

Unique (and actually useful) wedding favors, and these mini olive oil bottles don't disappoint!


See?! Told you DIY isn't scary :-)






Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Christmas In July


I never understood why people who live in the snowbelt (or anywhere) would want to waste their precious few summer days celebrating a holiday that they just celebrated 6 months earlier. Isn't once a year enough?

But, 3 kids later, I get it. For most of us, Christmas ranks pretty high on the list of Awesome-Holidays-to-Celebrate. All-out decorating, delicious food, cozy gatherings with family & friends...

Oh, but the STRESS! Who, after all, do you think makes all that awesome-ness happen?!

So, yeah, I totally get it now. Christmas-in-July is the low-stress version! All the awesome but none of the snow, ice, gift-shopping, card-sending, hair-pulling!

OH YEAH! Count me in!

If you're ready to jump in too, here are a few ideas to bring the sights, smells, tastes and nostalgia to your Christmas-in-July shindig. (Look for the *PARTY HACKS* along the way!)

I went for the classic color scheme of red, white and green and added a little sparkle because Christmas decorating just isn't Christmas decorating without some glitta! Because Glitter. 'Nuff said.

Garland: Brandalyn's Bowtique
My favorite part of Christmas-In-July (aside from all that non-stress stuff) is using the tastes of summer on my menu. Like these fresh cherries! Don't forget the watermelon (see some watermelon ideas in this post I did last month), strawberries, raspberries, apples and green grapes! Seriously, could summer make it any easier to color-coordinate with Christmas?!

FOOD


*PARTY HACK* I picked up these strawberry swirl cupcakes in the grocery-store bakery and topped them with fresh cherries and added a cupcake liner underneath. Great ways to add a little extra wow without breaking a sweat! After all, this is supposed to be the low-stress version, right? Repeat after me: "Low-stress is best!" :-)



1) Crockpot Margarita Chicken: Dip Recipe Creations
2) Brownie Bite Santa Hats: Real Simple
4) Raspberry Zinger Cake: Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
*PARTY HACK* If you don't have time to bake, you can totally cheat with #2 and #4! Check your grocery store or big-box store for pre-made Brownie Bites for #2 and for #4, buy a couple boxes of Zinger snack cakes and arrange them on a cake plate! Win! 

BEVERAGES

I love the look and simplicity of these green glass Mountain Dew bottles wrapped with wax paper sheets and red twine. Check your local grocery store or beer distributor to see what sodas they have available in glass bottles. You might be surprised how much of a comeback they've made! (Confession... I'm a bit of Mountain Dew addict. I may need help.)


I also found clear glass soda bottles at Michaels Craft Store (see below) ready to be decorated and/or filled with anything you want!

Ashland Soda Bottles, 6 Pack

Sangria For Drinking Your Way Through The Holidays      Watermelon-Strawberry Sangria
Cranberry Rosemary Christmas Sangria: Cooking Stoned TV
Watermelon Strawberry Sangria: Food Network
   
Holiday Punch (non-alcoholic): Here Comes the Sun
FUN & GAMES

When it comes to summer parties, just being able to be outdoors with good food and friends is usually enough to keep people happy but a little fun & games makes the day so much more memorable. I vote for more memorable :-)

Nothing says "Christmas" like decorating cookies, snowball fights and singing carols by a crackling fire, am I right?!

Holiday cookie decorating birthday party | photo by Scott Clark Photo | 100 Layer Cakelet
Cookie Decorating Party: 100 Layer Cakelet
(while you're there, check out the cute and simple ideas she has for decorating - love those Fa La La balloons!)

REAL PARTIES: Christmas in JULY
"Snowball" Water Balloons: Real Parties

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Red, White & Blue Green S'Mores are enough to make me sing! Mom Dot

DECOR

I started with a little white, added a dash of green (it's summer! Let the great outdoors provide you with the perfect shades of green!), a sprinkle of red and a handful of glitter and VOILA!

Instant Christmas!

Garland: Brandalyn's Bowtique
Glitter Cone tutorial coming this fall! (Just in time for Frozen-Party season!)

Red Chevron LanternsMetallic Silver Paper Balloon Lanterns
Green Polka Dot Hanging FansRed Party Lanterns 
Paper Lanterns & Fans: Oriental Trading


Antique Gold Tinsel Garland/Vintage Style-SPPO Gold Tinsel
Don't forget the Tinsel Garland! StitchinSewPrim

Tassel Garland: Project Paper

FAVORS

I'm a big fan of edible favors and 100% believer in personalized favors. Try to incorporate local favorites into your favors, especially if you have a lot of out-of-town guests. And with a theme like this, it should be easy to find something theme-related.

Dinosaur BBQ is a Syracuse staple and these favors are perfect for showing off some local flavor to your out-of-town guests!

if you're planning on doing favours....ideas: bbq sauce, homemade granola, homemade jam, trail mix
Dinosaur BBQ Favors: The Knot

Salt Water Taffy: Vanilla & Lace

Coca-Cola Bottle wedding favors ... Black, Red, White  ...and Candy Canes?? Cute Cocktail- Make a self-service bar at your holiday party with these mix-your-own drink kits!
Coca-Cola Favors: Crafty MorningSomething Turquise


Take mason jars and fill them with white cotton candy- aka "Fluffy stuff"
"Snow" (White Cotton Candy): Best Friends for Frosting

I had a really hard time narrowing down ideas for this post but that's a really good thing because even though it drove me crazy deciding what to include and what got nixed, it means that you should have no problem finding enough ideas for your own party that are fun, personal and budget-friendly!

Do you already have a Christmas-In-July tradition? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

A special thank you shout out to Rebecca of Ondrey Photography for her always-amazing photos!!!