RSS Email
You are here: Home / Archives for Blog Parties and Gift Guides

Making Your Little Princess Happy: 5 Proven Birthday Party Ideas for Girls

November 16, 2018 by

Birthday party

If your little girl has a big sixth birthday coming up, you’ll want to give her the best day ever. From invitations to decor, to food, finding a theme for a little girl’s birthday party is often the simplest way to have a birthday party she’ll love and one that will be easier for you to pull off.

When designing your little girl’s birthday party, consider how many elements you’ll want to DIY and see if you can involve her in any of them to make it more fun for her. You want to make sure that you’re creating a party she will enjoy, and not just one that looks good on Pinterest.

Here are 5 proven birthday party ideas for girls that she will love:

Unicorn-themed party

The great thing about a unicorn-themed birthday party is that it encompasses a lot of themes in one. You can have horses (with horns, of course), rainbow-colored party favors, and fantasy decor. If your girl enjoys shows like My Little Pony, you can save money on the party by using My Little Pony colors without necessarily purchasing all of the branded merchandise. Unicorn-themed gifts are also abundant, which make it easy for the guests to find gifts for your 6-year-old daughter.

Princess themed party

Whether your little girl is Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Merida from Brave, you can create a princess party that matches her particular personality. No particular princess strikes her fancy, but she still loves the idea of princesses in general? Use lots of pink and purples with dashes of gold glitter, offer tiaras or crowns for the party guests, and have individual crown adorned cupcakes for each of the guests.

Superhero themed party

Your little girl is strong and powerful, just like a superhero, so give her a superhero themed party! From Wonder Woman to Storm, you can deck out your little girl’s birthday party in a variety of colors to match. Consider asking each guest to come dressed as their favorite superhero and have a superhero movie of the birthday girl’s choice on hand. You could even hire a professional cosplayer to show up dressed as the favorite superhero to really wow your little girl.

Safari themed party

Do you have a little animal lover on your hands? Give her a safari themed birthday party with animals galore (okay, maybe not real ones). Get animal shaped helium balloons, a cake decorated with animal figurines, offer animal crackers as snacks, or animal print cake pops. If you’re really feeling generous, consider hiring a mobile petting zoo to visit during the party.

Mermaid birthday party

If your little girl has an affinity for gorgeous and elusive mermaids, throw her a mermaid themed birthday party! Look for shades of blues, greens, and whites, and have a candy buffet in only those shades. Since it’s going to be hard to wear a tail, give your six-year-old the option to wear a blue tutu to symbolize the ocean beneath her. If your girl’s party is in summer, consider hosting part of it at the beach or the lake and hiring “professional” mermaids to come out (yes, that’s a real thing!). The guests will love it!




Personalised Photo Gifts Under $25 Only

September 28, 2018 by

If you have ever shopped for a present for a loved one, you would know just how difficult this can be. Even if you are very close to them, it can be incredibly tricky to figure out the right gift to get. This is mainly because when it comes to presents, you have to strike the right balance between useful and thoughtful. Not to mention, you also need to make sure the gift is affordable.

Well, if you can’t come up with something that fits all these criteria, don’t worry. One of the best presents you can give someone is personalized photo gifts. Here, you will see the best options available – and best of all, these concepts are under $25!

Custom Phone Case

If you’re looking for a handy present with a personal touch, consider making a custom phone case for your loved one. Most people have smartphones, and these gadgets tend to damage or break easily. A quality phone case is a good investment to protect a smartphone. With a custom phone case, you have a useful gift that you can personalize with photos, stickers, illustrations, monograms, quotes, graphics, and other decorative elements to suit the recipient’s style. Your loved one will surely appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift!

Photo Book

The first possibility you should consider is a Custom Photo Book. In case you are wondering why the answer is actually rather simple. See, most people today store their pictures in a digital format. So, although it may be stored on your phone, laptop, or another format, it isn’t really tangible. Furthermore, it isn’t as fun to show off your favourite pictures in this manner.

With a photo book, however, you get to preserve your treasured moments and view them in a high-quality format. Also, you will see that it is a lot easier to pass such a book around than your phone or computer. This is precisely why this would make such an excellent gift for any loved one in your life.

Photo Cushion

In case you want to get a little more creative with your gift, you can also present your friend or family member with a Personalised Photo Cushion. This way, you can transfer their much-loved pictures onto a cushion. They will be able to display these on their couch, where guests are sure to admire them, every time they visit.

Canvas Prints

Another great option is Custom Canvas Prints where you can choose a beautiful family picture and have it enlarged and placed on a canvas. Just imagine, instead of having to put up impersonal or unoriginal artwork, your loved one will be able to hang stunning images of the people they care about.

 

Photo Mug

Now, what if you want your family member or friend to be able to take your gift with you, wherever they go? If this sounds good to you, why not give them a photo mug? You can choose either a touching or amusing image and have it placed on a mug so that they can keep it with them at work. This way, they will always be able to remember their favorite moments.

As you can see, there are quite a few personalized photo gift ideas around, and most of these will not cost you much at all! So, if you need to get someone close to you a present for their birthday, anniversary, or any other occasion, this is definitely an option you should consider. You can guarantee that you won’t regret it as your loved one is sure to appreciate this extremely thoughtful gesture.




The Only Party-Planning Guide You’ll Ever Need

September 24, 2018 by

Party planning

It takes an organized mind to plan a party of any kind, from corporate gatherings to weddings. There is also the matter of creativity and the luxury of time and budget. Of course, small get-togethers can be managed pretty well by a person or two, but bigger ones require a structured process. You cannot proceed without the carefully defined steps that will guide you through.

Whether you are experienced or inexperienced in this area, there are bound to be challenges that can be very stressful. Some mistakes can even lead to social disasters, not to mention embarrassment. But if you are well-prepared, you can do anything. You can achieve this by remembering these important steps.

Decide on the Theme

No planning can happen until you have chosen your party theme. Theme is everything, after all. It will set how the party will go, from the decorations to food and giveaways. It will also dictate the color scheme, location and costumes you’ll wear. Browsing through the range of theme selections can be overwhelming. Know what you want and what is achievable.

Set the Budget

Setting a budget is one of the most important considerations once you’ve settled on a party theme of your choice. How much are you willing to spend? Will you go all out or do you want to keep things simple? Knowing how much your budget is will help you avoid overspending. It will be harder to go into impulse-buying when you have to stick to a budget.

Save the Date and Location

If you’re on a budget, chances are, you’d settle for a nice party at home with family and friends. It is easier to plan and execute. But if you have the money, you can be more extravagant and hire a party marquee. Planning for your party will then require you to book the place and set the date.

Organize the Guest List

How many people can fit into your budget? Will it be for your intimate friends only or are you including your acquaintances? You must prepare your guest list and send them the invite early on. You can even print out your own invitations and insert them in pocket envelopes before sending out. It is important to let your guests know when the party will be weeks in advance so they can include it in their schedule and prepare.

Make a Checklist

With too many details that need your attention, it is easy to get lost and neglect other aspects of the party. There might be something you’ll overlook, like buying the decorations beforehand or forgetting to send the invites. By making a checklist, you will be able to tick things off as you go along and avoid getting sidetracked.

Take Care of the Decorations

Your artistic spirit will love this part. Having chosen your theme and taken a look at the venue, you’ll imagine how you would want everything to look like. From flower arrangements to the lighting set up and tables and chairs, your creative flair can shine through.

Just remember that you don’t need to shell out a lot of money for decorations. You can always opt for do-it-yourself crafts that use a variety of materials like burlap bags and stamps, or create paper decor using vellum paper and strings. Once you have the materials, it is only a matter of effort and creative prowess. Your imagination is the limit.

Plan the Menu

When you have the theme and the guest list, you can finally come down to planning the menu for the party. What food will best suit your theme? Make a list and prepare in advance so you will be sure to have enough to feed your guests. If you are hiring a caterer, work with them to plan everything in advance.

Prepare the Venue

The day before the party is a flurry of activities, especially if you are having the party at your residence. Every kind of preparation must be taken care of, from the food to the decorations. Making sure that your venue is good and ready for the celebration is vital. The chairs and tables must be in order and party decorations must be sorted by the day of the party. If you’re doing it at a rented venue, then you need to ensure that it is handled efficiently.

Planning a party can be exhausting but also rewarding. When you have successfully pulled off everything and hear the compliments of your guests, you’ll know all your hard work, stress, and frustrations are worth it. Whether it’s a birthday, a wedding, a bachelorette party or an anniversary, party-planning can be a success with careful planning. Come prepared by letting this guide aid you every step of the way.




The 2018 Wedding Food Trends You Don’t Want to Miss Out On

September 18, 2018 by

Wedding cake

What’s the best part of the wedding? Aside from the bride’s dress and the open bar (if you should be so lucky), it’s usually the delicious, unique food being served. Gone are the days of chicken or beef and that’s all – weddings now-a-days are taking their food in new and inspiring directions. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d like for your big day? We know that adding on more choices to your already hard-to-manage day might sound tricky, but with a little help from JJ’s House designer Jessica, we’ve laid out some of the best 2018 food trends for your wedding this year!

Check them out here!

Go Personal With it

Forget the run-of-the-mill menu where your guests might potentially be excited by some seasoned fish and boring vegetable – take your wedding guests on a journey through your personal relationship. What did you and your bride or groom to be eat on your first date? How about the night you got engaged? Whether it’s pizza or escargot, include this in your menu! Doing this will help keep your menu interesting and your guests involved in the story of your love. It’s a fun new trend that can be unique, and of course, delicious.

Vegan Food is All the Rage

We know this might not be a winner for everybody but including vegan options on your menu might appeal to more people than you think. Going vegan is a huge fad right now, and besides that, it gifts you the opportunity to serve your guests something delicious, fresh, and healthy. Want to include some vegan dessert options? Consider having a vegan cake baked, vegan donuts, or something else delicious and animal product free. It might surprise you that a large majority of your guests will appreciate and devour these treats!

After-Party Snacks for the Win

These days, the after party is where the real hunger will strike. After hours of mingling, enjoying company, and catching up with guests at your wedding, it’s likely you’re going to be hungry (and your guests will, too!) Instead of ditching the venue to grab some fast food, consider rolling out the red carpet for some extra late-night snacks. We’re not even talking fancy dinner stuff, we mean the real-deal-late-night-munchie-stuff. Think pizza buffet, tater tots, cheesy fries, and more! This can be as fun and inexpensive as you’d like it to be, and your guests are sure to appreciate it!

Donut Be Afraid to Go Wild with the Dessert

Cake is great, don’t get us wrong, but don’t be afraid to spice it up a little bit when it comes to the dessert menu. Consider things like donut walls (trust us, this is a real thing), multi-tiered cupcakes, cake pops (even though they’re sort of a last-year fad, they’re still delicious), and even a dessert bar with several different choices. The point is, you don’t have to be locked in to the multi-tiered wedding cake of decades past, it’s your wedding, and if you want to get wild with dessert, go for it!




4 Tips for a Successful Backyard Party

September 12, 2018 by

Backyard party

Whether you are celebrating the Fourth of July or holding a kiddie party for your little one, a backyard party is always a great way to enjoy life in the neighborhood. After all, there is nothing that passes as a nicer venue than the great outdoors when it’s warm.

Enjoy the feeling of the sunshine, fresh air, and the sound of chirping birds. Don’t you love it when you are outside enjoying a great backyard party? But one thing’s for sure, not all parties end up becoming successful. Anything can happen outside. Rain clouds may appear and the sound of cars may drown out attempts to share stories and laughter.

Still, if you know how best to hold a backyard party, you can easily overcome these problems and give your guest a compelling reason to look forward to another barbecue.

Here are some tips you might want to follow in organizing a successful backyard party.

  1. Prepare early on

Preparation is key to any successful occasion. If you want to make a good impression on your guests, it’s best that you plan for the party early on. As much as possible, don’t wait for the last minute (or the last week for that matter) in order to set everything up.

By preparing earlier than the scheduled date, you allow yourself enough time to come up with contingency plans and determine the best possible options.

  1. Use the environment as decoration

One challenge when it comes to planning a backyard party is the space. Unlike holding a party inside a room where the limited space allows for many different design elements, outdoor parties are more difficult. Consider that you can only do so much with the vast space. Decorating with fences is much more easier. the guests will enjoy the outside ambiance at the same time make it a little bit remote. Check out some temporary fence gates rental service Dallas, or anywhere near the venue. Other than that, creating the ambiance for the party is much more costly.

You can get around this challenge by simply doing a survey of the area to see what you can do with the landmarks that are available. For instance, if you are having Christmas Party outside, you can wrap the trees in Christmas lights and convert the shed into santa’s cabin.

  1. Plan the menu

What’s a party without the food? If you are opting to hold a stellar party for the neighborhood, decorations just won’t cut it. You need to prepare food that will give people all the more reason to call your backyard party the best that they ever had.

Coming up with a menu has to figure in the early preparation stages. So, if you are planning a barbecue party for the Fourth of July, consider exploring new recipes. You can always find great resources about barbecuing online. By doing ample research, you can serve up satisfying meals for your guests.

  1. Spread the word

If you don’t intended for your backyard party to be a private affair, you can always invite people over to partake in the excitement. Call up some friends or spread some flyers around and make sure you cook enough food for everybody who will show up. Otherwise, you might as well ask your guests to bring their own food to the party—that’s even better!




How to Throw the Perfect Party for Your Daughter

August 21, 2018 by

Birthday party

Throwing a party that your daughter can be proud to invite her friends to is a feat that all parents would be proud to accomplish. There is no singular recipe that you must follow to achieve this feat, but below are some tips that may help make this party one that no one will soon forget.

Think of a Fun Location

Depending on how old she is, a party place could be the way to go. Inviting all of her friends to the bowling alley or to a laser tag place saves your from having to clean the house as well! This is a fun way to get everyone doing something they might not normally get to do.

This is also an easy way to incorporate a theme into the party with relatively minimal effort. For instance, if you go to a local arcade, it can be easy to have a decades-themed party. The same theme would also work at a roller-skating rink. Depending on the space, certain themes can be easier to decorate for than others, so keep that in mind when choosing a space and shopping for decorations.

Get Her Something She Will Love

One of the parts of the party that she will most look forward to is the gifts that she will receive, so make yours count! You can’t count on what your friends will get her, but you can always make sure that you get her a gift she will love. One way to make sure she gets everything she wants is to ask her to make a list of all the things she wants to you and to her friends so that everyone knows what to get her. That way, she won’t be disappointed with anything that she gets!

The Menu is the Most Important Part

When planning a party, one of the things that will make people come more than any other aspect of the party is the birthday menu. If you are doing the party at a certain location, then see if food is provided. If not, then if you have a theme for the party, you should choose foods that go with the theme.

The cake is the biggest part of the menu. Will it be decorated according to the theme? Do you have options for her friends if they have dietary restrictions, like being dairy or gluten free? Perhaps an option that would work best for everyone is a variety of cupcakes that cater to the different tastes and dietary needs present among your daughter’s guests.

Don’t Forget the Little Things

Curating a playlist of her favorite music is just one small touch that you can make that will add the most special elements to her night. Maybe getting a personalized napkin or plate is just another touch that she will appreciate that you thought of.

Speaking of little things, make sure you have all the party supplies that you need before you get to the party location. No one wants to have to make a run to Party City five minutes before guests arrive!

A Photo Booth is a Must

You don’t have to go all out and professional for this photo booth, but in this digital age, one is a must ! It can be as simple as hanging a tablecloth with some streamers and having a couple props there that everyone can hold or as fancy as renting out a professional photographer, depending on your budget. Your daughter and her friends will appreciate an opportunity to tell everyone how fun this party was and it gives them a way to tell her happy birthday online, which is a huge deal!

You have top-notch party-planning skills, and we believe in them. Hopefully, those work hand in hand with these tips to help you throw a party that she is bound to love.




How to Throw the Best Birthday Party for Your Kid

February 26, 2018 by

Kids birthday party

Throwing the most perfect birthday party for your kid can be a pretty tough job, especially because kids have very high expectations. In fact, the birthday party becomes nothing less than a wedding! It is a big affair.

Honestly, kids will get along with whatever you put on for them, as long as you are showering them with enough attention, something more than the usual, because it is their special day, and they want all the attention in the house. A party planner may arrange everything for an outdoor birthday picnic party of your choice. You can choose a venue that is convenient for the party based on your budget and the expected number of guests. Even a surprise birthday celebration for your child might be organized by a party planner.

  • The first thing is to send out invitations. You and your kids can sit down and make handmade invitations for other kids. This provides you with some quality, fun time with your children and these are the little things that they remember while growing up.
  • Don’t invite everyone at the same time. You can have two different parties – one only for the kids and the other for all the family members. This is usually because, grownups don’t want to run around the whole time, just want to have food and sit down to talk. On the other hand, the kids don’t want the activities to stop, even for a second. So, have separate timings to avoid conflict and chaos.
  • Make sure all the gifts are opened only after all guests have left. You could even ask your child to write little THANKYOU notes for all the guests who came to the party.
  • You could bake a tray of small cupcakes or muffins and have all the kids decorate their muffins using icing, cream cheese, sprinkles, sugar, choco-chips, etc.
  • Kids love it when they receive return gifts. You could buy crayons or colored chalk boxes. Don’t sweat on buying expensive t-shirts, because all the kids want are the goody bags, and they are so excited that they don’t really care about what is in those bags.
  • Some kids are very possessive about some of their special toys or books. So, a day before, you could talk to your child and keep those things in a safe place so that no one uses those things in the party.
  • Make sure you get loads of props – funny hats, goggles, stickers, masks, hand stamps, etc. Kids get excited when they see bright colors and fancy stuff.



Custom Kids Birthday Invitations Through Basic Invite

September 4, 2017 by

Turning ten in our household is quite the event. My husband and I decided a long time ago that when our children turned ten, it would mean several things. Farther bike rides away from the house, bigger chores, sleepovers with close friends, and a big party to kick off their first year of double digits. Our first child was easy, they are a summer baby, and love to swim. So we rented out the local pool and they were thrilled. Our second child is a fall baby though, so we have to get a little more creative because the weather isn’t always ideal, and of course it’s less predictable.

We had a couple ideas for what to do for our middle child’s big birthday. We have a local nerf gun arena where the kids can have epic nerf gun battles, we could do the planetarium, or look for some inspiration and get creative. So I decided to take to the internet and look for some inspiration. I decided to look up kids birthday party invitations to see if anything sparked a great new idea, and boy was I right. I came across Basic Invite, and suddenly was inspired with so many ideas. They had invites that would work for any of my ideas I already had, and tons more! I found the cutest pirate and treasure hunt invitations and thought about all the possibilities of a neighborhood scavenger (or treasure) hunt that would keep the kids busy and entertained for at least an hour! So of course I tried that idea out for size with my almost ten year old. He took the bait, and was thrilled!

I proceeded to work on my custom party invitations and was not only able to change the text of the card, but was able to edit the colors as well. Basic Invite offers over 180 custom colors to choose from, and you can customize nearly every aspect of the card! You can change the fonts even! It was so nice being able to adjust the colors to fit my child’s favorite colors, and change the font to fit his personality.

Not only are the invites customizable, but they have an address service that is easy to use. All I had to do was send out a link to all of his friends’ parents, they typed in their address, and the addresses were saved. This made my life so much easier! Even better, Basic Invite printed them on the envelopes for free! So all I had to do was stuff the peel and seal envelopes, stamp them, and mail them. The whole process was less stressful than getting helium in the balloons at the store.

So what are you waiting for, check out Basic Invite today for your online birthday invitations today! You can even use the code 15FF51 to receive 15% off your entire order. Don’t forget to check out their social media for all the latest trends and deals in stationery:

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter




Secretive Success – A Six-Step Guide to Planning The Perfect Surprise Party

August 29, 2017 by

A surprise party is one of the best ways to show someone how much you care about them.

Picking a time, inviting all of their friends around, decorating their home to show the party atmosphere and surprising them with all of this when they get home is a great, positive way to treat a friend or a loved one to a night with all of their friends.

The planning of a surprise party can be tricky, and sometimes it can seem like there’s no way to get it exactly right, but all sorts of decorations and gift ideas can be found at Yellow Octopus, and we’re here to walk you through our six step guide to planning the perfect surprise party.

Guests

First of all, you have to pick the guests.

If you’re planning the surprise party, you probably know the recipient fairly well, and you know what kind of party they’d like and what kind they wouldn’t, so a normally introverted person won’t be too excited about coming home to a house filled to the brim with acquaintances and friends, and an extrovert won’t be too excited about two or three of their closest friends and a few bottles of wine. Pick your guestlist and guest numbers based on what your friend would like, not what you think will make a good party.

Decorations

Decking out their home top to bottom in tinsel and christmas lights can give a great effect to a party – lots of warm light and shiny things, but whether or not it’s the right decoration for a surprise party is another story.

Try for something that shows effort has gone into the decorating, but won’t take six hours to take down afterwards. You will likely be the one cleaning the whole place up afterwards, so make sure it’s nice to look at and easy to clean up.

Food

Food to eat for your surprise host and all of your guests is always a must-have for a party, and that can be anything from finger food like sausage rolls or cocktail hotdogs to full sized meals, like pizza. Being able to provide for many people all at once is important, so it’s probably best if you don’t do the cooking yourself, so ordering takeaway and having it delivered is the easiest course of action.

Drink

Stocking the fridge and all available sinks with drinks and ice is a good way to make sure everyone knows where and how to get a drink. It’s a party for the surprise host, but everyone there will still be guests, so they’ll still need drinks. A good mixture of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is recommended, as there will likely be designated drivers or people who don’t drink present, and pitchers of water in areas away from electronics is also recommended.

Music

The music for your party should be phenomenal, but also to the taste of the surprise host.

Attending a party at your own house as a surprise is great fun, but less so if you’re not fond of the music they’re playing through what is likely your own soundsystem. Try to keep the songs upbeat with a good tempo, but don’t stress too much about it. As long as the surprise host is happy, the party is successful.

Surprise!

Finally, it’s time for the surprise!

Turn out all the lights, turn the music down, and wait for your surprise host to open that door! For anyone with heart problems, it’s a good idea to shout “surprise” when they start unlocking the door from the other side, this way they aren’t shocked violently by sudden lights and sounds. By this point, the party is in full swing, and you can kick back and have a great time!

With these tips, you’re ready to throw the perfect surprise party, and all you need is a willing and deserving host to surprise. Now is the time for action, so wait no longer, and get planning.




34 Handmade Gift Ideas for the Holidays

November 19, 2014 by

Each year as the holidays roll around I rack my brain to come up with great gift ideas for my friends and family.  I like giving things that mean something. It could be an personalized ornament or sentimental piece of art or home decor.  Whatever the gift it I try to put lots of thought into it so that it’s special and they know I thought about them.  This year I really want to give completely handmade gifts for my closest friends and siblings.  I need some ideas since each of them are so different.

In the past I’ve given my sister handmade jewelry and best friend a heart embroidered map like one I made for my own home. This year I want to expand my creativity and have hit up my favorite blogs and websites for inspiration.

What speaks to you from this list?  What would you love to receive as a handmade gift?

Kitchen

Personalized Cutting Board Upcycle

Stenciled Party Tray

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Three Tiered Tray

DIY Sharpie Mugs

Handpainted Tea Towels

Handmade Gift Ideas for the Kitchen

For the Home

Heart Embroidered Map

Glitter Dipped Vase

Jewel Coasters

Gold Colorblock Mug

Key Artwork

Chunky Crocheted Throw Blanket

DIY Photo Canvas

Custom Pillowcases

Pallet Board Coat Rack

Tin Can Planter

Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas for the Home

Personal & Accessories

Fabric Flower Rings

Beaded and Floral Hair Pins

DIY Photo Pendants

DIY Animal Ring Holder

Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Scrub

Customized Wooden Storage Box

DIY Tote Bag

Leather Wrap Bracelet

Handmade Gift Ideas for Friends and FamilyHoliday Decor & Gifts

Clay Star Garland

Winter Wreath

Fabric Pine Cones

Twine Spiral Tree

Snowflake Embroidered Ornament

Handmade Gift Ideas for the Holidays and Christmas

For Kids

Superhero Mason Jar Bank

Child Size Apron

Kid’s Tent or Reading Nook

DIY Stick Horse

Headband HolderHandmade Gift Ideas for KidsDid you see something you’d love to make for someone else?  Are you making any gifts this holiday season?

 

 




« Previous Page
Next Page »