This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support Throwing a birthday party for a kid can be intimidating but no worries I’ve got some tips to help you plan the best party for your kids. Plus a free printable to help you plan! 1. Pick a ThemeIf you're worried about the party flowing smoothly, how to decorate, what the party favors should be, or anything really, having a theme can help narrow your focus. The activities, invitations, even the food, can revolve around the theme. For instance, the last children's party I threw was Power Rangers theme, so for the food I tried to have a lot of primary color foods (fruit, goldfish, chips and salsa). I also had an obstacle course for the kids to go through Ranger training. Another example is when we had a Minnie Mouse themed party we had lots of bows, polka dots, and pink. We decorated bows and had a pin the bow on Minnie game. In my experience a theme really helps me to pull a party together. I know it may be tempting to just let it be a generic party, but for me having a theme has been a stress reliever, it allows me to say no to something that I think would be fun but doesn't fit into the theme. 2. Write out a PlanGetting everything out of your brain onto paper can help you see what you need to get done and what you may have missed! And don't worry I've got a free printable to help you with this when you subscribe to our newsletter. 3. Never Underestimate the Power of BalloonsKids love balloons. If you find yourself with extra time and you don't want the kids running around, grab a balloon and play don't let it touch the ground. Or see how long they can balance a balloon on their nose. Honestly, if a kid has a balloon they are going to be happy (usually). 4. Ditch the traditional party favorsI like to do party favors that I think will actually be used and appreciated, not just thrown away next month when the kids aren't looking. For example, for our Power Rangers party the kids decorated their own Power Rangers masks and got a morphing stone. Plus I had all the kids take home all the balloons from our party (except my kids because I don't like having balloons around). At a dinosaur themed party we I gave writing supplies all dinosaur themed (pad of paper, pencil, dinosaur shaped eraser). I just like the idea of everything they take home being something they can continue to use for awhile. I know the masks will eventually end up in the trash but for right now they're in my kids dress up drawer. 5. Don't sweat the small stuffThere's a reason Jesus says to become like a child, most kids are very forgiving, loving, and quick to find the good! If something doesn't go exactly as you planned, it's more than likely the kids will still be having a great time. I hope these tips can help you next time you have to plan a party. And don't forget to subscribe to our email to get your link to access our free printable to help you plan.
6 Comments
This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!
When you have 22 people together on a trip to Disneyland, it isn't very feasible to buy everyone all of the fun and delicious looking treats that they will see and want in the park! So, Maddy and I planned in advance how we could make the food part of the trip less expensive, keeping in the Disney theme, fun and delicious all at the same time. Here is what we did:
Besides making all of those treats, we also found fruit snacks with Frozen and Toy Story themes, Yogurt Shakes with a Star Wars theme and Disney themed breakfast cereals for day 2. The kids ended up drinking the Yogurt Shakes at the house before leaving. Snacks without a Disney theme included Handi-Snack Bread Sticks with cheese and Fig Bars from Costco. There were plenty of snacks for everyone! We even had some left over for the ride home and it cost so much less that the price of purchasing them in the park! I was able to freeze or refrigerate everything to keep them fresh until the trip. Each day we set out the snacks for that day and everyone packed up what they needed for the day.
So, if you are planning a big trip, plan ahead! It was really a lot of fun to see what I could come up with and it was so great to see how happy the kids were to see all of those great snacks! Have you made some DIY Disney snacks that you can share with us? We'd love to hear about them.
This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!
Almost a year ago, I wrote recommending the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. I had gifted my mother the last two books that have come out in the series. I finally got around to reading the first of the two myself! Come Rain or Come Shine is all about the wedding of Father Tim's adopted son, Dooley, to his soul mate Lace Harper. Not only that, it is about his graduation from Veterinary School and starting his own practice. It is about love, forgiveness, family and grace. It is about growing up and becoming who you should be. It is about gratitude, faith and hope. I have loved every single one of these books and this one did not disappoint.
Word of warning about this episode of the Mitford books, If you haven't read any of the other books in the series, you will probably be lost and not enjoy it as well. This book in particular reflects back on past events, people and heart aches that need to be understood as you read this one. You really should know about Dooley's mother, Pauline. You need to know that Father Tim found out late in life that he has a brother. Having a knowledge of Miss Sadie and Barnabas will round out the emotions that you will feel as you read Come Rain or Come Shine. When Ms. Karon writes, she gives you a glimpse into how each of her characters thinks. It is amazing how relatable each character becomes when you realize what they are thinking and how they are evolving in their thoughts throughout the book, and for many of them throughout the series of books. She is able to jump from character to character with ease as you learn how those characters think and react to situations. You learn the hearts and minds of the main characters to an extent that you wish you could know your real family and friends as well as you have come to know Father Tim. Come Rain or Come Shine is a quick read and I think it was meant to be a quick read about one main event, with a few other necessary extra events attached to it. It reminds me of A Common LIfe, the volume about Father Tim's and Cynthia's wedding. So, it does in some instances leave out some moments that I wish I had been able to "see" as the story is told. For example, I would have love to been present when Lace first saw her wedding gown. But, being familiar with the writing style of these books, I was able to deal with it. One of the things that I love about the Mitford Series is that there is always a great take-away from the things that are said or that happen. The books are very Christian after all. My take-away from this book is that we don't need to be afraid of the Grace that the Lord gives us, we need to gratefully accept it and feel of his love.
If you haven't read the Mitford Books at all, I recommend that you start from volume 1 and then just keep going. You won't be able to put them down. I have one more book to read, which I have already started. I am pretty sure you will love them. Let me know!
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking them, we will be compensated, but there is no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for your support.
The end of last year was really rough for me, so at the start of January I determined I was going to have a good year - no matter what was thrown at me. I sat down and chose a couple parts of my life in which I wanted to improve. I wanted to improve my health, relationships with others, productivity, my attitude, and organization. Once I decided on those things, I introduced these 6 habits into my life to help me reach those. So far, the results have been just what I needed! I have gotten so much more done with my time and I have been happier overall, reaching each of those goals easily.
Here’s what I started doing:
Introducing these 6 habits into my daily life has sincerely changed it for the better and I know they will do the same for you. Try them out this coming month and keep track of all the positive changes you see! Which one are you most looking forward to putting to use in your own life?
|
Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
April 2024
|