Curious George Birthday Party

As proof that this blog is only mostly dead, I'm going to attempt to resurrect Very Merry Events by posting here whenever I feel like it, whenever I have time, and as often as I like. I cannot promise any regularity, but I can promise some great ideas and inspirations!

Our oldest son turned 2 years old over the weekend, and here are some highlights from his Curious George-themed birthday party.

Though I did hire out the activities portion to a nearby kids' gymnastics center, I managed to home-make a variety of things to go along with the theme. The party place provided plenty of fun activities led by someone other than me, brightly-colored paper goods, juice for the kids, and, of course, plenty of space for our guests (our apartment is woefully inadequate for more than 4 people and the Clubhouse at our apartment is no fun for 2-year olds).

Here's what I contributed to the brouhaha:

I made the invitations to look like a Curious George book cover:
(If this is an actual Curious George title, I couldn't find it, so I made it up. I drew the letters, scanned them in, and added the image from one of the books we own.)


I shamelessly stole the easel image below from a card on this wonderful Curious George resource site, but I will have you know I added a disclaimer on the back of each invitation.



I also put together some party favors, which included a Curious George book (of course!), play-doh and bubbles, which are all three of Jacob's favorite things. I printed out more of the "book covers" to decorate the bags, and included a thank-you message.



And, finally, I made and decorated my very first cookie cake (thanks for the recipe, JL, it was yummy!). Jacob isn't really a fan of regular birthday cake, but he seems to tolerate icing and LOVES chocolate chip cookies, so it seemed like a perfect fit.



Though I love the original George, I think the PBS version is cuter, so I used a mask from this PBS Curious George website as a rough template and freehanded the cookie dough into the shape of his face before baking it.

I did not plan very well, so I did a lot of improvisation with the decorating portion of the cake. The eyes are white chocolate bark, which I had on hand from an ill-fated attempt at making holiday cookies. I used J's shape sorter to make them into ovals, but ended up carving them down to size anyway.

Some other things I learned about making cookie cakes:
1. A large round pizza pan works great for baking the cookie. (Thank you, Angelika, for giving this to me as a wedding present. It has been useful in so many ways!) I probably could've used the pizza stone, too, but I'm not sure how that would've turned out.

2. Watch your oven and don't leave the cookie unattended. We took the cookie out about 5 minutes early, but it still wasn't early enough. It didn't have that soft, chewy texture I like so much. And don't forget that they will continue baking if you leave them on the pan to cool.

3. Decorator's icing might have worked well for this, but seeing as I didn't have any cream of tartar or egg white powder, I went with some other recipes I found on the "pretty internets," as Mary says. I used a version of buttercream icing for the brown, which tasted great. I think I should've used buttercream for everything. Mmmmm.

4.For the outlines and detail work, I used a version of a shiny cookie decorating icing using corn syrup and made it chocolatey and dark by adding cocoa powder. It was the right color and consistency, but I think I should've used a bigger tip so the outlines would show up better. But, it was my first time decorating a cookie, and I didn't have many choices of tips to work with, so I think it turned out okay. Except for the non-existent nose!

5. Chocolate-chip cookie cake portions left undecorated make George look like he has smallpox.

6. If you are making a cookie cake for a large crowd, you might want to consider making one this size and then making another, plain cookie cake in a different pan. We served about twenty folks (5 toddlers included) and only had one tiny piece left at the end. Of course, we probably should've cut smaller slices... :)

(Illustrations by H.A. Rey © Houghton Mifflin. Company Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Company and used under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All rights reserved.)

Cake idea and all pictures © Allison Redd. Please do not use these images without permission and give credit where it is due. I try to do the same!

Celebrate Sleeping through the Night

Although we've been having a little trouble with teething, mostly our son sleeps blissfully through the night now that he is 16 months old. However, I know all too well the long nights of getting up in the wee hours and nursing a baby or comforting a fussy little one.

A while back I was directed to this post about throwing a party when your little one finally sleeps through the night! (Courtesy of Amy's Notebook.)

The pictures are adorable, and I love how she utilizes the "table made into a bed" idea that we've seen before here.

This blog is about rejoicing in the everyday, and even the tiniest accomplishments should be celebrated, I think. Perhaps we'll have a "potty training" party in the next year!

And I definitely should've had a "feet-themed" party when J learned to walk. Well, I'll have to save that idea for the next one: we'll read The Foot Book and eat feet-shaped sandwiches and perhaps enjoy a footprint or flip-flop cake.

And do you remember the excitement the first time your little one rolled over? Get the older siblings excited, too, by eating fruit roll-ups and rolled sandwiches and reading Beatrix Potter's The Roly-Poly Pudding. (Please, someone stop me. I could go on forever at this rate!)

Have you celebrated any baby and toddler milestones with a party? Do you need an idea on how to celebrate an upcoming event? Please, share your stories and questions below!

Green Party

(Not the political one.)

How to Throw a Green Party at Epicuious.com

I've been meaning to post this one for a while. Seems "the green life" is all the rage, even for parties. This one offers a range of ideas, from sophisticated to casual, and as well as being environmentally friendly, their suggestions are also almost always FRUGAL. It's the best of both worlds!

Check out the link above for a multitude of ideas and tips. These are great for the newbie party-planner as well, since they offer many general event-related suggestions along with their eco-friendly tips.

Build a Party from a Cardboard Box

Have you always wanted to throw a fantastical party for your kid's birthday but felt like you couldn't afford expensive decorations? Do you need some inspiration for your next themed bash? Did you just buy a new washer/dryer or refridgerator and want a fun way to recycle those large boxes?



Well, try this photo gallery of cardboard box creations at Mr. McGroovys!



From castles to pirate ships and almost anything else you can imagine, parents have created some magical fortresses, hideaways, houses, cars, and characters.



I stumbled upon this site today, and though I've never personally tried using Mr. McGroovy's cardboard box rivets, I've been reading some rave reviews. Even without mkaing a purchase, you can find a wealth of information on the website.

McGroovy's provides tips on how to find free boxes and offers free instructions for some popular constructions, including a castle, a train, and even a spaceship. There are even tips on how to make the paint look realistic. What a great resource for parents, teachers, and anyone who needs to make large-scale decorations on a budget!



Really, why do we buy them expensive toys? All they need is a cardboard box!

Ladybug Picnic Party

Yesterday, my son received this adorable handmade invitation in the mail to his friend Miss Scarlett's first birthday party:



Miss Scarlett's mom has chosen a picnic theme, complete with ladybugs and a red checkered blanket motif. She wants to make the cake herself, and I thought I would throw out some ideas here on the blog.

At one point, she mentioned making a cake in the shape of the number 1 covered in red checkered pattern, similar to the invitation above. Here's a Checkerboard Cake which suggests making the squares using pieces of fruit leather! Brilliant!

I suggested adding ants crawling across the cake, but she says ladybugs and flowers are cuter. She's right! (I suppose I'm already accustomed to planning for a boy!)

Here are some more cake ideas I found around the web:

A very cute Ladybug Cake, which you make using Junior Mints!

A Gumdrop Garden Cake, which has a similar theme

Finally, in the "Why not?!" category, a Hotdog and Fries Cake!

For decorations:
Checkered tablecloths, of course! She's having the party at a local park, during lunchtime, so anything that is easily transportable and easy to take down is essential. I'd suggest a few blankets for the smaller children to sit on and eat their food.

Nature, of course, is the best decoration of all, but it would be easy to make some paper ladybugs using red and black cardstock to put up around the picnic area. You could hang them from trees or a pavilion, if available. Streamers are also easy to carry, but be mindful of the weather. Wet streamers are never fun to clean up!

Here are some other, similar themed parties:

Huggable-Bug Party with ideas for bug crafts and goody bags.

Garden Party, which includes flower-related activities and snacks.

Do you have any ideas to share with my friend for her Ladybug Picnic Party? Be sure to leave a comment below!

Active Birthday Parties

In the same Top 10 List as yesterday's post, Parents magazine tells us that more parents are incorporating physical activities into birthday parties.

I don't know about you, but growing up, my parties were ALWAYS active. I specifically remember roller-skating parties, swimming parties, bowling parties, running around playing games in my friends' backyards, and slumber parties spent rockin' out to "Footloose." (We choreographed our own dance moves.)

Do you specifically make a point to plan physical activities into your kids' parties? If so, what do you do?

Idolicious

One of the purposes of this blog is to encourage folks to celebrate the goodness in life in whatever form that may take, be it a special occasion or just an excuse to party for any reason. And I do mean ANY reason.

Keely Scott who blogs at Queen Anne's Lace posted about her American Idol Fantasy League Event Tuesday night.

It just shows that all you really need to have a memorable evening is a group of crazy friends and a TV show that you both love and love to mock. With a homemade "American Idolschmidol" banner, some fantastically awesome themed door prizes including a custom-made David Archuleta wall clock, a visit from Ryan Seacrest, Jason Castro cookies complete with dreds, and, of course, the free entertainment in the form of America's favorite popularity contest, you know they had a blast.

Be sure to check out the all-star cast of characters in her group photo. If you are familiar with the Square Peg Alliance, you might just recognize a few faces in the crowd (though I'm still trying to figure out who might have been in the gorilla suit!)

Question: if you were going to throw a television-show themed party -- which show would you choose and how would you celebrate? I'm going to think about throwing a LOST-themed party for the season finale...complete with Dharma Initiative-logo cookies. What about you?

Earth Day Party Ideas

This year Earth Day seems to be more prominent everywhere I go. From Office Depot ads to the local grocery store, advertisers are jumping on the green bandwagon with a vengeance. As I've learned, however, being mindful of our resources will never go out of style and you don't need to spend a lot of money to go green for your next event.

Here are some party tips on how to help save the environment AND help save you money:

1. Use real dishes and silverware. Yes, you have to load the dishwaher more than once and the extras might pile up in the sink, but you wont be throwing away tons of paper plates and utensils OR paying extra for them. If you feel so inclined, break out the fancy china that sits all by its lonesome in a box or in your buffet. Your guests will thank you.

2. Cloth napkins. You can make your own, you know. Martha even gives a great tutorial on how to make light, summery fringed cloth napkins from old button-up shirts. Goodwill and thrift stores are also great places to find these.

3. Use what you already have in new ways. Raid your closets and shelves (or Goodwill) for decorative items for centerpieces. You'd be surprised what you can do if you just look at what you have in a different light-- an old purse or basket (lined with a plastic bag--reused, of course!) could make a centerpiece for flowers. Hang mismatched earrings around the rim of a plain candle holder, place a candle on top to hold them in place, and you have a sparkly new tabletopper! See what else you can imagine!

4. Don't use the oven or other appliances when preparing food for your next intimate party or tête–à–tête . Serve finger sandwiches, fruit salad, a gelatin or other cold dessert, and iced drinks. This works especially well in the summer, even for evening parties. Think of the energy you will save from not turning on the oven for an entire day!

5. Have an evening party with the lights out. Millions of people took part in Earth Hour, but why not turn the electricity off one a month or once a week? If you are not fortunate enough to enjoy the lengthening daylight hours, candlelight can add a soft atmosphere to your next event. Line up tealights (very inexpensive on sale) or strategically place a few odd-numbered pillar candle collections around the room.

6. Find new ways to entertain using what you already have without resorting to technology. Playing board games, using sheets and popsicle sticks to make a puppet theater, creating mini framed collages from old magazines or participating in some other sort of repurposing craft project are activities that even adults can enjoy! One of my favorite ways to spend an evening is to invite folks to bring their instruments (if they play) and have an impromptu concert or jam session. Sing songs familiar to the group, perhaps even around a campfire. Maybe even roast some s'mores! It will feel like that memorable summer when you were 12 all over again.

7. Finally...take the party outdoors! Pack a lunch for your group (or invite each person to bring their own in reusable containers with cloth napkins and real utensils) and plan a playdate in the park. Gather some friends to go hiking on your birthday. Watch some fireworks in the town square. Visit a nature center (if it's free). A good celebration doesn't always have to be a sit-down affair! If you don't have a picnic basket, I've found World Market to be a great source for many affordable wicker styles, as well as reusable melanine plates and the aforementioned cloth napkins. Use an old sheet for a tablecloth and you are ready to party!

Have any more eco-friendly party ideas? Please share them in the comments!

How to Design a Party

Just as Ratatouille's Gusteau believed "Anyone Can Cook," I believe that Anyone Can Throw a Party. All you need is a reason to celebrate!

I've been showing you lots of ideas for party themes, from showers to birthdays and more. But some of you may think "I'm creatively challenged. I can't do that on my own!" Oh, yes you can!

Especially with some help from the Hostess with the Mostess herself, who shows you how to design your own party using an inspiration piece.

Sports-Themed Birthday Party on a Budget

My friend Jamie Lyn is one talented mom, and she definitely knows how to throw a fantastic themed birthday party for her little guy, all while being thrifty. For her son's second birthday, she used her son's love of sports as her starting piece. Here are some of her pictures with the explanations in her own words. She writes:

At his second [birthday], Will was seriously into balls of any kind. This is when I first discovered that having a spring baby worked to my advantage in party planning. I found a TON of inexpensive sports stuff in the Easter goodies section at Walmart, and some of the paper goods came from the dollar spot at Target. (I think they were actually meant for March Madness, but they were perfect for me!)

The goody bags were little Easter basketball baskets; the football rattle (above) was for my friend's baby because she was too small for a goody bag.

I love these goody bags and think they would also make great prizes for a March Madness party. I'm sure Target/Walmart might have something similar next year.

Holiday Target Tip: Shop for holiday items a year in advance. The lowest markdown on holiday-themed items is always on the seventh day after the holiday. Also, markdowns on Kids' Clothing items and stationery usually happen on Mondays. (HT to Wisebread for the Target Shopping Article.)



Below is a picture of her piece d'resistance: a basketball-shaped cake using her son's name as the logo! I could see the nams-as-logo idea working well with a tennis ball or golf ball, too.



Here is her explanation. You've got to love those Wilton cake pans!

A friend of mine suggested making the basketball read "William" instead of "Wilson." Only a handful of people picked up on that, but it was really cute.

The Wilton cake pan came with instructions for making the round cake into all sorts of balls, so I took my basketball pattern from that, but had to freehand the "William" logo from a picture of a Wilson basketball I found online. I got the pan at Michael's for around $10, but they have them at Hobby Lobby for the same price, and the HL website has 40% off coupons regularly. I figure I can use the same pan for other things later...a Christmas ornament, Cinderalla's coach, a pumpkin, you get the idea.

Just so you know, Jamie Lyn actually made TWO basketball cakes, because she divides up her celebrations into two parties -- one for family, and one for friends. Now that she has two kids with birthdays close together, she still throws two parties but integrates both themes in each. In our next installment, we'll see how she combined a Scooby Doo theme for her son with flowers for her daughter!

I love seeing this kind of creativity on a budget! Often, I think it is the restraint of having to do it ourselves or find the best deals that actually brings out our imagination at its best. I hope this inspires some of you in your efforts to create a cost-effective birthday for your kids. If you have some pictures of your frugal party ideas that you would like to share, but you don't have a blog, e-mail me and I'll include them in future posts. Thanks again to Jamie Lyn for letting me show off her handiwork here on the blog.

Win an Ice Cream Party for Your Neighborhood

We have always been big fans of community-building here at Very Merry Events, and what better way to get to know someone that over a big bowl of ice cream? Edy's is once again sponsoring the Slow-Churned Neighborhood Salute, where you could win an ice cream block party for your neighborhood!

All you have to do is write a 350 word essay (or less) on why you think your neighborhood should win! They give the grand prize to 1,500 winners, so if you are creative and original in your essay, you have a good chance to win! The contest runs now through May 30th and the winners are revealed in July. Go ahead, enter today!

Free Stuff = Free Party

Over at Wise Bread, Linsey just posted about her experience with a service that lets you throw house parties for free!

Apparently, when a new product releases or a new TV series debuts, the companies behind those products and services will send thousands of households tons of free stuff to promote their "new thing." You can receive this free stuff just by applying for parties you are interested in and sharing those things with friends and neighbors!

What a great way to throw a themed party right in your own home for little or no money. Having a House Party would provide a fantastic opportunity to reach out to your neighbors. I mean, who doesn't want free stuff? And by choosing and applying for the ones you are interested in, it means you can choose things you think might appeal to people you know. Also, the privacy policy seems pretty sound--at least, they allow you to send a letter to opt-out of third party requests for your personal information.

Go check out the House Party website. If you have tried this, please let me know what you thought about the experience in the comments.

More ABC Block party ideas

From the small object, this wonderful alphabet ribbon. She uses it to label cloth napkins, but it might also be nice on a shirt...just spell out the child's name letter by letter! You could use iron-on transfer paper or just good old hot glue. Very cute! As seen on sk*rt.

Something else I thought about for the block birthday party, but didn't execute (because I left the blocks at home!) was using wooden alphabet blocks in cylyndrical vases on the table. You probably have both (or at least a large glass bowl) available already, and it would make a quick and easy (and cheap) centerpiece for almost any kid's party.

(Photo from jek at flickr. Love her photos! Go check them out)