{GIVEAWAY} GRKids PERKS Card!

True or False:

• You have a family that likes to get out of the house and do fun things together.  
• You have kids that like participate in activities like gymnastics or music. 
• You really like shopping for your kids?
• You like to create unique birthday parties for your kids? 

If any of these questions are answered with a True, then a grkids.com PERKS card is a must for you!

Melody of grkids.com is letting me give away TWO PERKS cards for Christmas!  Two lucky families will receive access to monthly and year-round discounts at many of West Michigans businesses.  There are discounts on local shopping, food, activities and services.  Princess Prettys and Parties is a PERKS partner, offering $50 off All-Inclusive Parties, $25 off DIY Decor packages, and $15 off Princess Character Appearances.  You also receive 20% off character dress ups and boutique items. 

HOW YOU CAN WIN {3 CHANCES!}:

• Go to the Princess Prettys and Parties Facebook site and "LIKE" us, then come back here and let us know (if you are already a fan, post here that you are already a fan)
• Share this contest on your wall and then come back and let us know
• Post what PERKS deal you would use the most

Winners will be drawn on Friday, December 17th - enough time to be mailed to you to give as a holiday gift for your immediate family or extended family and friends.  Make sure to let everyone you think may enjoy this discount card know about this great giveaway!

Our GRKids.com Winner's Party!

A few weeks back, I had the privilege of hosting a 7th birthday party for David, the son of our www.grkids.com contest winner.  A Detroit baseball fan, David requested a Detroit Tigers themed event.

We were lucky to have a nice Fall day, so we took advantage of that for our party games.  I created a Baseball Triathlon, with a pitching carnival game, a home run derby, and a dizzy bat race.  It was a lot of fun for boys to smash the baseball past our designated "Home Run" line.  It was even more fun to watch the boys spin around the bat 5 times and try to run the bases without falling down in the fastest time.

When we came in from outside, the boys made their own sports pennants with crayons, markers, and felt baseball and star stickers.  Some boys made Tigers pennants, others made U of M pennants, and a few made Boys Only - No Girls Allowed! pennants for their bedroom doors.

For the rest of the party, the guys had cupcakes, opened presents and played on the Wii that I brought - that was definitely a hit!  As each guest left, they received a package of Big League Chew and a wooden baseball bat pen packaged in a red and white striped stadium-style popcorn bag.

As a mother of two girls, I don't often get to hang around just boys, so it was refreshing to do some "boy stuff."  All the boys were fun, cool kids that were also very respectful and well-mannered.  I had a great time, and I hope that David did too.

{Party Recap} Ooh La La Spa

It has been quite a while since this event occurred, but I wanted to finally share photos of the Ooh La La Spa party I hosted at Cannonsburg Elementary School this past Spring. 

A friend of mine from high school was an extraordinary 3rd grade teacher at the Rockford, MI elementary school.  I am sure that she is just as extraordinary at her new school in Wyoming :) .  Each year, the teachers at Cannonsburg go the extra mile and create "teacher experiences" to put up for auction for parents to bid on, with the money going towards the school.  Such experiences include: Principal for the Day, Lunch with a Teacher, etc.  I teamed up with Ms. Koster to auction off one of my spa parties.  The winning child got to invite a group of her friends for an after school event held in the Teacher's Lounge.

The girls were treated to manicures and facials by Ms. Koster and myself.  The girls relaxed on the couches and read tween magazines and enjoyed cupcakes and kiddie cocktails (sprite with maraschino cherries).  For a craft, the girls created their own shimmer lotions, choosing the color, scent, and shimmer.  In addition to the lotion, the girls took home goody bags filled with manicure kits and sleep masks. 

Thanks to Ms. Koster (or Erika, as I know her) for letting me be a part of this fun event to raise money for their school.  I had a great time getting to know all the girls!

Get Creative and Save $$ with DIY Pinatas!

photo via www.birthdayexpress.com

Piñatas have always been a children’s birthday party staple. Children squeal in delight while holding their goodie bags, waiting for that one big whack of the bat to burst open the piñata and shower them with candy and prizes.

Party stores typically sell empty piñatas for around $18-20. Candy and prizes can cost about $10-12, turning a 10 minute activity into a $30 game. If you want to save some money and are up for a craft project, you can create your own piñata for a LOT less.

photo via www.birthdayexpress.com

Pull-string piñatas are becoming more and more popular because they are easier for young children and can be used indoors. I like them better because no one accidentally gets whacked with a bat!

Each child takes turns pulling on a string. One string is attached to a trap door of sorts that opens and spills the goodies. All the other strings just pull out. Because the structure of the piñata does not break with the pull-string variety, you can just use standard cardboard boxes of different sizes to create a unique piñata base. No messy paper paste and newspaper strips needed! Anything from postal boxes, cereal boxes, oatmeal canisters and more can be used. Easy ideas that come to mind are: castles (a rectangle box to fill with candy and circular oatmeal or formula cans to create turrets), Sponge bob (a big rectangle), etc.

Paper mache boxes in different shapes and sizes can be found at craft stores (like Hobby Lobby) and decorated with tissue papers and other odds n’ ends to make a custom piñata for your little one.

Is your child having a licensed character-themed shindig? Decorate a circular piñata with color-coordinating crepe paper, then glue on a circular character paper plate to both sides for a character piñata at a fraction of the price!

photo via www.birthdaydirect.com

I found a lot of instructions online on how to make your own piñatas, some good, some not so good. Take a look at some of them and consider doing it for your child’s next party:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2215951_decorate-tissue-paper-pinata.html

http://blog.giddygiddy.com/giddygiddy/2010/10/diy-pinata.html

http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2011/06/how-to-make-a-pinata/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/890519/how_to_make_a_cereal_box_pinata.html?cat=25

http://party.tipjunkie.com/diy-minnie-mouse-pinata-mickey-mouse-clubhouse/

Jarrod's Train Party

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a Thomas the Train inspired birthday party for a little boy turning 4.  It was a beautiful summer day in Michigan, so we set up a canopy in the backyard and held the party outside. 

Each child received a train "ticket" to color and put their name on.  Once we chose goody bags towards the end of the party, those tickets went inside so that each child would know whose bag is whose.  They also colored Thomas the Train coloring pages.  I read the classic children's story The Little Engine that Could. 

We played "Pin the 1 on Thomas," Red Light, Green Light, and had a pinata.  Each child received a goody bag with a Thomas pocket watch, train whistle and a lollipop. 

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

Anytime I see a a group of kids manning a lemonade stand, I have to go over and buy a cup.  Not because the lemonade is good, though.  I know that it is going to be pretty bad most of the time.  It is because it reminds me of my childhood.  My sister Brooke and friends Sunny, Cora and I were always up to something growing up on Jekyll Island, GA.  One of our most fun (and profitable!) adventures was selling lemonade near the beach.  We would load up our bikes with all our gear and set up at a popular intersection.  It was pretty amazing how many tourists would stop to buy a cup from the adorable little girls.  LOL 

My daughters have been asking to hold their own lemonade stand this summer, so I have been looking on the internet for some inspiration.  Take a look at these beautiful setups!

This simple but elegant setup from One Charming Party uses wooden crates ziptied together instead of a table.  Check out the other photos and tips to recreating this HERE

This beautiful lemonade stand play date is created by Paper & Cake and featured on Hostess with the Mostess.  Printables really add flair to the homemade baked goods.  Paper Pinwheels and paper chain garland decorate the simple black table.  Check out all the great photos HERE

Rapunzel Meets Kendall!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying Rapunzel as she appeared at Kendall's 3rd birthday party.  I took plenty of photographs of Rapunzel with all the children: reading stories, whacking a pinata, and singing Happy Birthday and eating cake and ice cream.

The party was set outside with a Princess theme.  The client rented an inflatable movie screen and after we left, they planned on showing the movie Tangled.  A popcorn machine was set up to provide snacks, and all the kids had small camp chairs to sit in.  I love this idea, even for me!

Though some of the older kids were skeptical, I was happy to hear one boy say to Rapunzel at the end of her stay "I believe in Maximus [the horse in the movie].  I think you are real too!"