Hey Batter Batter! First Birthday Party.....

This first birthday party was a total blast to plan. Weeks and weeks went into creating the perfect 1st birthday for little guy Cayden. Taking place as a block party in South Philadelphia, we used the Philadelphia Phillies as inspiration and knew everyone would show up with team pride. Its hard not to in a baseball town like this one!

Centerpieces I created using typical baseball munchies, some printables I created and topping them on a square of artificial grass.


A "Phanatic Phood" table played a tribute to the lovable team mascot, the Philly Phanatic, who made an appearance later on in the day.....




What else to serve at a baseball party than Hot Dogs? We were loving this retro machine we borrowed from a neighbor.



Using individual packets of condiments saved on a lot of messy bottles and made the food line flow very smoothly when you didn't have to wait for your turn.

Centerpiece on the buffet table

Concession sign hanging from the front window, all the food was underneath and we had baseball snacks scattered throughout the party.

Philadelphia Prezel Company made "P" pretzels to show team pride!

Favors that were super easy to make, using dollar store baseball bats with the baseballs attached and I created the hang tags and attached with some patriotric ribbon
Another sign I created for the peanuts.

Autograph station for everyone to leave their well wishes for the little slugger.

At last, a special appearance by the Philly Phanatic to surprise all the excited adults kids.

The men at the party giving their arms a workout at the Speed Pitch inflatable we rented. Even the Phanatic is giving a try at it!

Cake time for the Birthday Boy! Loved all the team spirit that everyone brought to celebrate his big day!

No more teachers, no more books....

School aged children are bursting with energy the last day of school. These kids have been awaiting this day for months! Summertime weather has arrived and students (and teachers!) have been daydreaming for weeks about the final day.

Lets face it, most kids are just as happy to be running around outside with their friends, but why not give them a memorable send off that they can remember for years to come?

Here are a few images to get your creative juices flowing for the big finale!

Camping Party:

Why not let the kids go "camping " for a few hours that evening?

www.karaspartyideas.blogspot.com

http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com/2010/04/camp-out-birthday.html

An Ice Cream Social would be a really fun idea on a hot day!

www.frostedeventsblog.com

www.eatdrinkpretty.blogspot.com

These are just a couple of ideas from the countless things you can do to make their last day special. You could even incorporate something the kids might have learned about during the year like The Civil War, Native Americans, etc. You could do more traditional things like a luau, or an old fashioned picnic or even try to organize a mystery detective party or a scavenger hunt. The ideas are endless!

Kiddie Car Wash

After this heat wave that has been hitting the northeast, I can't think of a better party idea for kids! Would even be just a fabulous neighborhood activity. Just some PVC, plastic tablecloths cut into strips and sponges. Grab your bikes and go!

Image via www.hiphiphoorayblog.com

Cinco de Mastalski Recap!

We have been planning a 10th anniversary trip to Mexico next year for awhile now, so we thought what is better than to celebrate a little Cinco de Mayo party with our friends and family? We sent out invitations inviting everyone over for Margaritas, Mariachi & Mexican Munchies. I really wanted a laid back, colorful & festive vibe to put everyone in the spirit.

On the buffet table, I designed little cards for in front of each dish. I also bought stickers in the scrapbooking section of an arts and crafts store and stuck them onto toothpicks, these gave a punch of detail to little things scattered throughout the house.

I loved the tiny little map of Mexico in the salsa bowl.


We turned our backyard into a little Cantina.



Colorful drinks! This watermelon & tequila drink was a hit! So refreshing on a nice night.


No fiesta would be complete without the Margarita maker!




My living room, dining room & family room decked out in papel picado banners. I know alot of people make and sell paper ones on www.etsy.com but I have to admit I picked these up at Party City for a mere $3.99 each. They are plastic and the colors were so vibrant! I still have them hanging in my backyard!

Our firepit & smores station. Nothing better on a chilly spring night!

I handed out "worry doll" favors that I created when my guests left. They were told to put them under their pillows and their worries would be gone in the morning! I have to admit that I got this idea from our favorite Mexican restaurant, Besito, in Hartford, CT. I thought it was a clever little trinket the first time we dined there.

The legend of the worry dolls.....

All-Star Baseball Party Inspiration Week

We are now at T-Minus 5 days til my nephew's big baseball 1st birthday bash! We are tying up loose ends and just trying to get the whole party to come together. Thought I would post a little inspiration this week for anyone also planning a ballgame party!

www.cakeslikeaparty.com

www.dimpleprints.blogspot.com

Baseball seems to be all the rage for parties lately. From Weddings to Baby Showers, check out this upscale baseball wedding! There are more photos on their website, take a look they did a fabulous job!www.blog.smartyhadaparty.com

www.HowDoesShe.com

 

Grab and Go....

When I throw a party, I usually don't want to spend the whole night in the kitchen. I would prefer to have mostly "grab and go" items that can be left out either at room temperature, or in sterno's if need be. For my Cinco de Mastalski party this past weekend, I used these take out containers that I stacked with the napkins already in them. The big hit of the night were the "grab and go" shredded beef burritos that I made and kept wrapped in foil.

By keeping them over the sternos, they stayed warm for a good portion of the night.

Keep these ideas in mind the next time you have a party and you don't want to be the boring hostess that has to camp out in the kitchen! You can usually come up with a good grab and go menu for any occasion!

Decorating Inexpensively...fruits, veggies & flowers

Using fruits, veggies and flowers can drastically reduce your cost of decorating for a swanky affair. By choosing things that are in season, or that may go with your theme, you are not only getting a great pop of color, but you are also able to eat them once they have served their purpose!

This weekend was my Mexican Fiesta, I stopped at my cheapest produce outlet and for a mere $20, got bagfuls of fresh peppers, lemons, oranges and limes. I had enough to decorate with them in almost every room of my home.

Just scattering a few throughout some places that needed a little bit of color gave me the look I was going for......

Another thing I like to do is use what nature has in season too! I clipped this branch from a tree in my yard and it served as a lovely backdrop for my bar area.



Just by snipping a few flowers from my azalea bush outside brought a little something extra to the candles I had lined up in my living room.













Behind my sink is an area of blank space that I always try to jazz up according to the season or party we are having. I added three different types of peppers, a vase of lemons and limes and a potted plant to keep the color scheme neutral. My little bit of color that I needed was a picture of the Mexican flag that came with some stickers I had bought, I popped it in a frame & voila!
So by shopping in your produce department as if you were shopping in an extravagant flower shop, you can create some beautiful spaces!

Linking up today with some fabulous blogs, stop on over and see all the posts!



http://www.iheartnaptime.net/2011/04/sundae-scoop-link-party-6.html



http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/2011/05/market-yourself-monday-birthday-banner.html


http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2011/05/just-something-i-whipped-up-baby.html