At 5pm today, we will be having a combined Birthday Party for our 2 daughters. They are so close in age that having one party is cheaper, easier and the girls love it! This year I have been so stressed out with everything that I have going on in my life right now that I wasn't able to actually plan the party! My fiance seems to think that planning a party is a piece of cake, his words were "Just buy a cake and invite people over, how hard is that?"
Ummmm.... That's not exactly how I see things.
In my eyes - You have too:
Choose a Theme
Decide on Activities
Make a supply list
Purchase Supply list - Double check list
Order or Make the cake
Start setting things up the day before party
Have party -- Have fun
Did I forget anything?
Anyways -- The point is that today we are having a Water Themed Birthday Party. We have a Slip n' Slide and I'm planning on buying Water Balloons as well. Yes I said PLANNING on buying! We have nothing purchased or planned and I'm in a bit of a panic but as long as my family shows up then everything should be okay since Loran and Jade don't care too much for the fancy stuff, hanging out and having fun should be just fine for them... I hope
Wish me luck everyone!!
Need a laugh for the day? Check out this collage of my fiance and I along with our close friends, going down the slip n'
slide for some Grown-Up fun!
What kind of planning do you do before throwing a party?
I'm on the verge of freaking out due to the fact that time has ran out before I even realized it!
I'm throwing a birthday party of my daughters. They turned 6 and 7 a few weeks ago and now it's time to celebrate with the family!!
Any normal year, I would of planned this party, bought supplies, etc. But since I've been stressing over the house and work, among other things, I haven't even started planning the birthday party except that it's going to be a water party!
We have a Slip n' Slide -- Atleast one activity can be checked off my list!!!
In the past years, my daughters have had a Faerie Princess Dress Up Party and many regular little kid parties. Tomorrow is going to be tough but I'll get through it like I do all the other "sper of the moment things"
So far, this is my list of supplies that I need to buy:
(Tomorrow morning seems to be when I'll be shopping! Ahhhhh)
Butterfly Cake (Or regular cake to add Butterflies to)
Plastic Toy Butterflies from The Dollar Tree
Candles (A big pack - Need 13)
Plates
Silverware
Cups
Ice Cream (In Cups or Tub <-Cheapest Option)
Water Balloons
Drinks
Chips
Dip
This is defiantly doing to be a Party on a Budget! How much time and money do you normally spend on a Child's Birthday Party?
How much time and money do you normally spend on a Child's Birthday Party? I would LOVE your input, my fiance and I have a disagreement on this subject and any input would be grateful!
Birthday in a Box had always been on top when it comes to giving us a One-Stop-Shop for all our party needs! They offer the widest range (With price and size) of party kits for all of their party themes along with lots of separates aswell!
It just keeps getting better!!!
Right now, not only can you get 10% off regular party supplies (which are already discounted 50%) and FREE Shipping on orders over $60
Make Party Planning easier with Birthday in a Box!
Planning a party soon? Need supplies and goodies? How about trying out Birthday in a Box! They have goodies for any kind of party, for birthdays, holidays and much more! Need a specific theme? Don't worry... Birthday in a Box has HUNDREDS of themes to choice from! My daughter's birthdays are this summer and they never decided on a theme until last minute but I don't have to worry because I know that what ever theme we decide on, it will be available! And the prices are wonderful! Right now you can get anything you need PERSONALIZED FOR FREE!!!Continue below to see more!
Check out all the Sales going on at Birthday in a Box! It's no longer just for Birthday Parties! You can find supplies for any type of party your planning!!!
Are you having a planning a Birthday Party for someone in your family? It can get pretty pricy and frustrating when you go shopping for a party. You have remember the cups, plates, cake, food, presents, balloons, candles, etc..... That's ALOT to remember! I've found an easier way! With BIRTHDAY IN A BOX you can pick the theme of party your having and order all the supplies all at once. All you will have to get is the presents! They have supplies of all kinds including Disney, Nick Jr, Jungle, Construction and much much more! You are sure to find the party theme your looking for. The prices range from $10.00 to $40.00! Check out some of the party packages they are offering:
Every now and then, my daughters and I like to do projects and get crafty. I have so many craft supplies randomly throughout my house that I find myself running from one end of the house to another collecting supplies for one project. So I came up with the ides for the Crafty Chest. Kind of like a Treasure Chest, minus the treasure and add some craft supplies. The type of supplies depends on what kind of projects you and your kids like to do, along with the age of your kids. In our Crafty Chest we added:
Construction Paper
Toilet Paper Rolls
Crayons/Markers
Glue
Scissors
Scrap Fabric
Googly Eyes
Pipe Cleaners
Beads
Baby Food Jars
Paint
Cereal/Cracker boxes
Foam Shapes
Stickers
Buttons
Your chest may look a lot like ours or it can be completely different. It all depends on you and your children. For example- If you have a pre-teen, your chest may include small blocks of scrap wood, nails, a small hammer some paint etc. (Things for a bird-house, maybe)
The chest its self needs to be a decent size box so it can hold all of the supplies. As long as it has a lid, any box will work. We used a large shoe box from my fiance's work shoes, a wooden box would work as-well. You can decorate your Crafty Chest of you would like, we haven't decorated ours yet but I'm sure my girls will get on that task soon.
The Crafty Chest is great for a rainy day or even a Birthday Party activity! Plan a craft for the party, fill the chest with enough supplies for each child to make the project, sit the chest in the middle of a table and let the kids go! Your kids will LOVE collecting stuff to add to their chest. Your kids will may start adding new supplies every day. your trash can won't fill up as quick with all the boxes and bottles that end up in the Crafty Chest. All your normal trash will turn into beautiful art-work right before your eyes.
What kind if supplies are going in your Crafty Chest that are unique to your family?
To me, these balls look like the Bouncy Rock Balls you can buy for around $4 at stores but with a rainbow of colors instead of the gray color they normally come in and these are ALOT cheaper! Katey from Having Fun at Home posted this wonderful recipe on her blog on how to make your very own bouncy rock balls at home for very cheap! I'm going to try this with my daughters very soon....... as soon as I get to the store to buy some Borax and school glue!!!
All you need is:
Borax (found in laundry section of the grocery store)
Elmer’s Glue (clear)
Food Coloring
Craft sticks
Directions:
Pour 1 tablespoon of School glue into a small container and add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring and mix together.
Add 1 teaspoon Borax and wait fifteen seconds.
Mix with a craft
stick or something similar, until it’s too thick to stir anymore.
Knead and roll the dough into a ball with your hands. It'll be sticky at first, but will eventually turn rubbery and dry.
Once this happens....... Bounce!
These balls won't be perfectly round but that's what makes it more fun! They look like colored rocks and bounce a bit crazy!
It's best if you make sure that nothing breakable is close by and that your young child does NOT eat the balls.
I ran across this awesome recipe a while back and had to share. I changed the words below a bit, I had lots of people wanting to know what to do with the sauce so I've now added that to the recipe. I'll add my own photo soon!! ENJOY!!!
PIZZA BALLS! 3 cans of Buttermilk Biscuits Pepperoni slices Block of your chosen of Cheese 1 beaten egg Parmesan Italian seasoning Garlic powder 1 jar pizza sauce Cut up the block of cheese into squares. Flatten biscuits out & stack pepperoni and cheese in the middle. Gather the edges of the biscuit and secure on top. Lay the rolls in a greased pan. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, Italian seasoning and/or garlic powder. Bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes or until Golden Brown Use the Pizza Sauce to dip your Pizza balls into! EAT UP!!!! Recipe found at The Gunny Sack
Step 1-->Heat
oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch
pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Step 2-->Line
cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl. Add
frosting; mix well. Using 1-inch scoop, shape mixture into balls; place
on cookie sheet. Freeze about 45 minutes or until firm. When firm,
transfer to refrigerator.
Step 3--> In
1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave red candy melts uncovered on High 1
minute 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15-second
increments until melted and smooth.
Step 4-->Remove
a few balls from refrigerator at a time. Using 2 forks, dip and roll 1
ball at a time in red coating. Return to cookie sheet; immediately
sprinkle with red sugar crystals. Dip a total of 28 cake balls in red
coating.
Step 5-->Repeat
melting instructions for white candy melts. Dip a total of 23 cake
balls in white coating; immediately sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Step 6-->Repeat
melting instructions for blue candy melts. Dip remaining 12 cake balls
in blue coating; immediately sprinkle with blue sugar crystals.
Refrigerate all coated cake balls about 10 minutes or until set.
Step 7--> On
serving tray, arrange cake balls in flag pattern in 7 rows, starting
from the bottom: 1 row of 9 red balls, 1 row of 9 white balls, 1 more
row of 9 red balls, 1 more row of 9 white balls, 1 row of 4 blue balls
and 5 red balls, 1 row of 4 blue balls and 5 white balls, and 1 more row
of 4 blue balls and 5 red balls. Store tightly covered. Serve at room
temperature.
Colorful layers of flavored gelatin and whipped cream give our light and tasty dessert its banner good looks.
For four servings, make one
box each of red and blue gelatin according to the package directions. In
tall, clear glasses, alternate layers of red gelatin and whipped
topping (we used Cool Whip), as shown. Top with the blue gelatin. (For
the fruity version on our cover, substitute raspberries and
blueberries.) Finish with a slice of star fruit.
Create simple quacking noisemakers, and the kids can be ready for the fireworks or parade.
First, cup two 1 1/4-inch
lengths from a plastic drinking straw. Stretch a wide rubber band
lengthwise around a jumbo craft stick. Slide one straw piece beneath the
rubber band 1 1/4 inches from one end. Lay the other straw piece on top
of the rubber band 1 1/4 inches from the opposite end, as shown, then
sandwich it with another craft stick. Secure the sticks with more rubber
bands. Decorate the noisemaker with stickers if you like.
A spiked 4th of July Treat that will make anyone feel like a kid again! (Make sure that if you have kids at the party that you also make a kid friendly version also with water or juice instead of the alcohol ) You can also use others colors other than Red, White and Blue for other celebrations!
Ingredients
1 3 oz box strawberry gelatin dessert
1 3 oz box berry blue gelatin dessert
3 cups water
6 envelopes plain gelatin
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups ice cold fruit flavored vodka or rum
Directions
Pour each of the gelatin dessert mixes into a heat safe bowl and set aside.
Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with the 6 envelopes of plain gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two.
Heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).
Pour
one cup of the plain gelatin mixture into the bowl containing the
strawberry gelatin mix. Stir for two minutes, or until the red gelatin
is dissolved. Repeat process with the blue gelatin. Add one cup of
the liquor to each bowl, stir well.
Pour the
sweetened condensed milk into the saucepan containing the rest of the
clear gelatin mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the liquor and stir well to
combine.
Lightly spray 4 1 lb loaf pans (about 8" x 5") with cooking spray. Wipe out with a paper towel.
Pour
3/4 cup of the red gelatin mixture into one of the prepared loaf pans.
Repeat with 3/4 cup of the blue gelatin mixture. Divide the white
gelatin between the remaining two pans. Place all the pans in
refrigerator until the gelatin is set (at least an hour).
Cover the liquid gelatins and set aside.
When the pans of gelatin have set, dice the gelatin into small cubes. (You can cut the gelatin right in the pan).
Mix
the diced gelatin and divide as desired between two of the loaf pans.
(I had two pans that were predominantly blue, and two that were
predominantly red cubes.)
Grab the liquid gelatin
(if it is starting to set up, microwave for 10 to 15 seconds - just
long enough to soften, not warm the gelatin - and stir thoroughly).
Pour the liquid gelatin, red in one pan, and blue in the other, to fill
about 3/4 of the way up the gelatin cubes. (You may have a little
liquid gelatin left over.) Return pans to refrigerator and allow to set
for several hours or overnight.
Remove pans
from the fridge. Cut around the edges of the pan, and invert the
gelatin slabs onto a non-stick surface for cutting.
Cut
the gelatin into 3/4 to 1" strips, wiggling your knife to give an
uneven edge (like rock candy). If you cut the strips too thin, they
will break when skewered.
Skewer each strip
with a lollipop stick - hold the gelatin gently at the sides, and insert
the stick almost all the way to the top. Place on a non-stick cookie
sheet and chill until ready to serve!
The method for Star Piñata Sugar Cookies is so easy, and even easier if you start with Pillsbury refrigerated Sugar Cookie dough (I used three 16.5 oz tubes).
Open one package of cookie dough, add a bit of red gel food coloring to the dough.
I
found that it’s easiest to mix the coloring in with your hands,
kneading it gently, like bread dough. Add the food coloring a little at a
time, until the dough is a vibrant red color.
Next
place the dough ball in a bowl, and add 1/4 cup flour and mix until
combined. It seems a little backward, but I found the food coloring
mixed smoother this way. Repeat with another tube of dough and the blue
gel food coloring. For the last tube, just add the flour. (I added flour
because the Pillsbury dough is so chewy and delicious – a slightly
firmer dough is needed for these little guys.)
As
I colored the dough a couple days ahead of time, color bleeding was a
worry (there’s a fair amount of food coloring used!). So I just wrapped
each color tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated until I was ready to
proceed.
Remove
all three dough packages from the refrigerator. Split each into three
equal parts. Layer in alternating fashion, placing into a plastic wrap
lined loaf pan, and patting each layer out until the dough evenly fills
the pan. Top with another layer, again patting until even. Repeat with
remaining dough. Cover tightly and freeze for four hours or overnight.
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the pan and unwrap. Cut thin
slices, approximately 1/4-inch wide. Place on a baking sheet lined with
a Silpat or parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.
Immediately after the cookies are removed from the oven, use a star cookie cutter to cut the cookie shapes.
You
will need two side pieces, and one middle for each. Cut a round out of
the center of 1/3 of the cookies. Try to work quickly, as the cookies
set up very quickly and will be difficult to cut as they cool. Also, I
used a tiny cookie cutter to make adorable little stars from the scraps.
(Who wouldn’t want to nibble on these? And wouldn’t they be cute on an
ice cream cone?) Once you’ve cut all the shapes, allow the cookies to
cook on the baking sheet before moving.
To
assemble, take the first star cookie and lay it upside down so that the
baked bottom is facing up. Take the middle cookie (with the hole) and
dot some frosting on the center of each point. I used leftover white
cake frosting because I had it on hand, but you could also use a mixture
of 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of milk.
Place the middle cookie on top of the frosting glue and add about a teaspoon of mini M&Ms to the open center.
Put
another outline of frosting glue on the middle cookie and place another
star cookie on top (so the top side is facing out). Let the cookies
harden for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Hope these cute little cookies add some delicious fireworks to your celebration!
12 filled cookies (and many small bite size cookies)
Ingredients
3 tubes 16.5 oz Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough
red and blue gel food coloring
3/4 cup all purpose flour
white frosting, or a mixture of 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of milk
red and blue mini m&ms - I bought a bag of mixed and separated out the colors
Directions
Open one package of cookie dough, add a bit of
red gel food coloring to the dough. I found that it’s easiest to mix
the coloring in with your hands, kneading it gently, like bread dough.
Add the food coloring a little at a time, until you have a vibrant red
dough.
Next place the dough ball in a bowl, and
add 1/4 cup flour and mix until combined. It seems a little backward,
but I found the food coloring mixed smoother this way. Repeat with
another tube of dough and the blue gel food coloring. For the last tube,
just add the flour. (I added flour because the Pillsbury dough is so
chewy and delicious – a slightly firmer dough is needed for these little
guys.)
Split each of the colors into three equal
parts. Layer in alternating fashion, placing into a plastic wrap lined
loaf pan, and patting each layer out until the dough evenly fills the
the pan. Top with another layer, again patting until even. Repeat with
remaining dough. Cover tightly and freeze for four hours or overnight.
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the pan and unwrap. Cut thin
slices, approximately 1/4-inch wide. Place on a baking sheet lined with
a Silpat or parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.
Immediately
after the cookies are removed from the oven, use the star cookie cutter
to cut the cookie shapes. You will need two side pieces, and one middle
for each. Cut a round out of the center of 1/3 of the cookies. Try to
work quickly, as the cookies set up very quickly and will be difficult
to cut as they cool. Also, I used a tiny cookie cutter to make adorable
little stars from the scraps. Once you’ve cut all the shapes, allow the
cookies to cook on the baking sheet before moving.
To
assemble, take the first star cookie and lay it upside down so that the
baked bottom is facing up. Take the middle cookie (with the hole) and
dot some frosting on the center of each point. I used leftover white
cake frosting because I had it on hand, but you could also use a mixture
of 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of milk.
Place
the middle cookie on top of the frosting glue and add about a teaspoon
of mini M&Ms to the open center. Put another outline of frosting
glue on the middle cookie and place another star cookie on top (so that
top side side is facing out). Let the cookies harden for at least 30
minutes before serving.
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