This kid is going to "Dig" turning Two - Part 1

I recently finished planning & styling my nephew's 2nd birthday party. Since Cooper's dad is a general contractor and this kid loves everything diggers, dump trucks and many other construction vehicles that I don't know the names of, it was only appropriate to stick to this theme.

There were so many elements that went into this party from the decorations, the kids fun stations and food & beverages, I am going to break it up into two posts. Hang on tight, this is a long one.....

This was the kids table, complete with hardhats and construction cone drinking cups. They were a big hit!
This was our first zone for the kids which included tons of brick "blocks" for building.

We included some fun little signs to keep our guests amused!

The second area was a coloring table complete with take home waist aprons that had a dump truck coloring book and little packs of crayons tucked away in the pockets.

It helped that Cooper's dad is "in the business" and could score us lots of cool stuff like these construction barriers!

View from under the tent. Originally we didn't want to have it under a tent, but with the weather forecast at 40% rain, we opted to rent one just in case. Of course it turned out to be a beautiful day!

Close up of the centerpieces I created. Each table had a glass centerpiece with diggers, a hard hat and a miniature construction cone, set on a blueprint.

This station for the kids turned out to be the biggest hit. Boxes and boxes created tons of fun building for these little guys and gals. They would get so excited when an adult would stack them super high so they could knock them over!

Thanks for taking a look. Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow - Favors & Food!

Be Back Soon!

Be back soon with some great posts on a Construction themed party from last week. Forgive me from being MIA, but I am recently back from here:

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.....