Whether you're planning a birthday party, block party, reunion or office picnic, face painting is a great way to treat and entertain the kids, and it's easier than you might think!
With a few simple supplies and a little practice you can create professional looking faces, without the cost of hiring someone to do it for you.
Supplies:
Face Paints - use paints that are specifically made for face painting. Even though tempra paints may be mild, they could irritate the skin.
Brushes - make sure you have different shapes and sizes.
Sponges - a few "make-up" quality sponges will do.
Water & towel to clean your brushes between faces.
Learn how to easily create beautiful faces in these step by step videos!
When you hear "Poker Night" what comes to mind? A few guys gathered round a table in a smoky room, a bowl of stale potato chips, several beer cans and a few cigars?
It's time to put that stereotype to rest! Poker parties are fun for all ages. Men, women and even children are getting into the game.
With some fun"extras" and poker themed decorations you can get everyone involved and in the "gaming" mood.
Serve simple finger foods and easy to eat snacks on Poker Party Tableware or Texas Hold'em Tableware. (Keeping the food simple will prevent messy tables, cards and poker chips)
Trophies make great prizes for the night's big winners.
Don't forget the essentials! Plenty of poker chips and several decks of cards are necessary.
With a little planning you can throw a poker party that will entertain all ages, and maybe start a new tradition among your friends and family.
We think with prizes and favors instead of real money, this age-old game can be fun for kids as well as adults. Do you agree? Do your kids know how to play poker yet?
Whether your beach is at the ocean, lake, or a pool and sandbox in your backyard, plan a few activities to make your "day-at-the-beach" fun and memorable.
Beach Activities:
Seashell Scavenger Hunt; who can find the best variety of colors and shapes? (if you're using a backyard sandbox, hide some shells ahead of time)
Sandcastle Contest with a twist; if you have a large group hand out different colored shovels and buckets. Each child must find their contest partner by matching their colors.
Flying Disc contest; who can throw the farthest, or what team can last the longest without dropping the disc.
When hot summer days have your kids itching for some water fun, why not throw your own BYOP Party (Bring Your Own Pool) and create a water park oasis right in your own backyard!
The concept is simple; invite your neighbors, friends, relatives or playgroup over for a Water Park Party. Ask each to bring their kid-sized pool, sprinkler, water slide or other water-fun toys.
Set the pools up in your yard in a circle or row and give each pool a "theme."
So this summer when your kids scream "I'm bored" get them involved in planning your Water Park Party. Then get ready to enjoy some splishin' & splashin' in your own back yard!
How do you cool off & have fun on a hot summer day?
Your five year old is over-the-top excited for her Princess Birthday Party. Your local bakery has no princess cake. What's a mom to do? Bake it yourself of course!
Sometimes the idea of baking and decorating your own cake can seem a bit overwhelming. But it really can be quite easy if you break down the steps and plan ahead.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Choose your design. Start with the birthday party theme, or your child's favorite things; butterflies, frogs, lollipops?
Once you've chosen your design, plan it out with basic cake pan shapes like circle, square and rectangle. Practice with paper shapes. .
Make it easy on yourself and use a box cake mix and canned frosting, they're easy and delicious. Always get two or three cans of white frosting. You'll most likely want to color some of them and will need more than one can.
Simply bake the cakes according to the package directions, then assemble and decorate.
Don't feel like you have to make a cake in a special shape. Sometimes it's easier and just as much fun to bake a traditional shaped cake and put some fun decorations on it. Look at cake decorating stores in your area or online for some fun decorations. Or select some bright and colorful candies to decorate it. What child doesn't like sugar on top of sugar?
Any Cake will look more special with themed birthday tableware & decorations, and don't forget the candles!
Always remember, frosting can fix anything. Your child does not expect perfection. They expect a cake lovingly made for them by their mom. So relax and have fun!
Share your birthday cake creations. We'd love to hear what you've created!
The Backyard Barbecue; Summer's Perfect Dinner Party. Whether formal or casual, a barbecue can be enjoyed by young and old. We've come up with some amazing recipes that will impress your guests and have them begging for your secrets.
Decorations, sweets
and twinkle lights turn any branch into a work of art!
Every year my kids and I make a "Spring Tree". What started out as an Easter Tree has evolved over the years taking on new colors, decorations and styles. We love it so much that we hate to take it down after Easter, so we appropriately re-named it a "Spring Tree" and now it adorns our house from March through June.
Part of the fun is choosing the theme. We've had jelly bean trees, butterfly trees and - if you can believe it - bug trees. We've done Easter egg trees, gumdrop trees and spring flower trees.
What doesn't change from year to year is the quality time we spend together creating our masterpiece, and the memories we make along the way.
1. You will have to start with an official "branch hunt." It is crucial that this step is performed as a group. Look for a branch that is thin, but not too thin,and has many twigs branching out. Ideally you'll want a branch that is 2-4 feet high. If you live in a warm climate you might get lucky and find a blossoming branch.
2. Spray paint your branch. White is the traditional color, but do not be limited by tradition! Any pastel or spring color will certainly add to the character of your tree.
3. Prepare your pot. We use a plastic sand bucket but you could use any type of bucket, flower pot or watering can. Fill the bottom with rocks or stones for weight. Then cut a circle of floral foam that will fit snugly in the opening at the top of the pot. Poke your branch through the center of the foam.
4. Cover the exposed floral foam with Easter grass, candy eggs, jellybeans, flowers or anything "springy."
5. Decorate your tree. Anything goes, but here are some ideas:
Christmas bulbs in spring colors ( paint old large bulbs with craft paint)
Small origami birds
Hollowed out dyed eggs (color them raw then use a pin and poke a hole in each end. Blow the contents out and string a ribbon into the hole)
Tip: To make anything into a decoration simply take a piece of ribbon, yarn or fishing line, about 6" long. Make it into a loop and knot it. For candy or soft materials; use a small straight pin, stick it through the knot and into the candy.For hard objects, glue the knot to the top of the item.
Share your creations!
If you make an Easter tree or Spring tree, snap a photo of your masterpiece and share it with us. We'd love to see your creations, and we can all get inspiration from each other.
Does the thought of another birthday party at the local arcade leave you feeling less than thrilled? Let’s face it, a dozen kids screaming for game tokens and prize tickets is probably not your idea of a pleasant Saturday afternoon.
This year host an Olympic Party! We've come up with a few ideas for a birthday party that will be kind to your budget, and memorable for kids of any age.
Location
Host the party at home to keep cost down, or look into local schools or fitness centers for use of a gymnasium.
Olympic Birthday Party Invitations
Create your own simple invitations. List the location as the "Host Country" and the start time as "Opening Ceremony" For inspiration check out this Olympic invitation sample
Competition: carpet skiing, outdoor sledding, knee hockey, swimming, volleyball, track & field, and relays. You can do simple games like the egg and spoon race, or the shoe kick.
Craft: Make Olympic Torches: cover empty tissue rolls with foil, then add flames with red, orange and yellow tissue paper.
Olympic Food
Foods from around the world to compliment your cultural event; pizza from Italy, egg rolls from Asia, nachos from Mexico, hot dogs or burgers from the USA, and french fries from...well you know…. France!
Olympic Cake: Frost any flavor sheet cake with creamy white frosting and then make the Olympic rings using candy-coated chocolate pieces.
Ice Cream Torches: Use traditional sugar cones, fill them with orange sherbet or vanilla ice cream. Use red, orange or yellow sprinkles to create a "flame look."
Olympic Birthday Party Favors
Don’t forget Medals for all the guests. Check out the Gold, Silver and Bronze medallions for authentic looking Olympic medals!
How do you celebrate the Olympics? Have any fun Olympic Party ideas? We'd love to hear about them!
As Memorial Day and Independence Day approach, we sometimes take the holidays for granted. A day off school and work, maybe a picnic in the backyard.
It's easy to forget the true meaning of these special days for our country.
Here are a few tips to instill an appreciation in young people:
Decorate
Patriotic decorations in red, white and blue will send the message that this is a day to celebrate. Kids love celebrations of any kind. Let them help you make your home festive, explain your reasons for decorating and answer question along the way.
What better way to get your message across than food? Start with some festive Patriotic Tableware, then involve your kids and make some red, white &
blue food. Kraft Foods® has some festive
recipes:
Just these simple ideas will help create a curiosity and sense of pride in your kids. Seeing you celebrate will begin to instill in them an appreciation of America. Make sure to tell them why you are decorating, or making fun food. They will soon begin to grasp the importance of the celebration.
Parents Magazine® has a great article on teaching your kids to appreciate America. You can read it here: Parents Magazine® Article
Who doesn't love cupcake cones? These fun, whimsical birthday treats have adorned many parties. And why not, kids love them. They're fun, easy and always a hit!
I've made them a time or two for my own kids. And I'll be the first to admit, the original version is...well, nearly perfect! Why mess with a good thing, right?
Not so fast. I discovered two new ways to make them even better! Cupcakes with filling are always a favorite, so why not cupcake cones with a sweet treat inside! All Kids love them, you will be a SUPERSTAR!
I'll start by sharing the classic version.
Cupcake Cones
cake mix in your favorite flavor
eggs, oil and water according to box directions
your favorite frosting
sprinkles, jimmies and other decor items of your choice
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Prop cones up in a cake pan or muffin tin. Fill them to within 1/2" of top. Carefully transfer pan to oven and bake according to box directions for cupcakes.
Cool completely.
Frost and decorate however you choose. Using a pastry bag and star tip will help create that swirled "cone" look, however if you don't have one a simple table knife will do the trick.
*Tip: An old egg carton works great as a holder. Cut out the bottom of each cup and and prop up the cupcake cones. For a fun presentation, have the kids color and decorate it.
Twist #1
Cream filled cupcake cones. (after all who can resist cream filling?) Prepare as above through step #2.
Mix one can of "whipped" style prepared frosting and 1 cup of marshmallow fluff. Scoop into a pastry bag with a basic star tip, fill the bag and set aside. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a plastic zip top bag, snip one corner and set aside.
Using a melon baller scoop a small cap out of the top of each cupcake and set aside. Scoop out some of the cake inside the hole of the cupcake, and discard or save for another use. Insert the corner of the plastic bag (or the pastry bag) and squeeze filling into hole until full. Replace "cap" then frost and decorate.
Twist #2
Cupcake cones with a candy surprise! (why stop the sugar rush with just cupcakes and frosting?)
This version does not require you to bake cake batter inside the cones, instead you will use pre-baked cupcakes and mini-cupcakes or mini-muffins. Either can be homemade or store bought.
The video below shows exactly how to assemble them.
You will also need some whimsical candy; sour balls, jelly beans, fruit drops, candy-coated chocolate pieces, etc. Fill the bottom of each cone about 1/2 full with candy of choice.(hint: add mystery and surprise by using different candies, so the kids won't know what they're getting)
Start with one cupcake, liner removed. Frost the top and invert onto cone. Then frost the top of a mini cupcake, and invert on larger cupcake. You will now have a basic cone shape. Frost as desired, creating the look of a real ice cream cone.Decorate with sprinkles or use festive picks on top for easy decorating!
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