Cupcake Wars Birthday Party

I wish I was writing with a tutorial for this amazing party theme, but this is just an idea post. My sweet friend Chael works for an cupcake shop called Trophy Cupcakes, and she told me about a recent customer who bought undecorated cupcakes and cakes, and lots of topping and decorations to use at her daughter's 'Cupcake Wars' birthday party. What an amazing party theme! My husband and I watch Cupcake Wars religiously, and that theme is so adorable and interactive!

I don't know what that particular mom is planning, but I envision this theme to be perfect for a tween girl's birthday or slumber party. You could easily make a general topic ('Birthday' is an obvious idea, or you could get creative and pick something the birthday girl loves such as Twilight, soccer or pop music) for the challenges to be based off of. If you're comfortable with a mess, and have a large enough kitchen, you could allow your guests to bake the cake, but I think it would be just as fun to decorate only. Give them three rounds (or as many as you wish) and challenge them to use specific flavors and/or decorations to craft their treats. If you want, you can also provide shoeboxes or some kind of small display (simple cupcake stands, maybe?) for the guests to decorate as their "1,000 Cupcake Display" to match the theme.

I really want to give this theme a try, but seeing as how my only daughter just had a birthday, I probably won't have the opportunity for a little while. Have any of you tried a Cupcake Wars party?

7th Birthday Rainbow Party

Last month was my daughter's 7th birthday.  We have a lot going on this summer, but I knew I wanted to throw an extra special party for her, because I had my MY all-time favorite birthday party when I turned seven.  She had been asking to host a sleepover for quite some time, and I figured this was as good a time as any (and it didn't hurt her case that I hosted MY first slumber party during my seventh party.  You sense the pattern, I'm sure).

We were originally considering a Tea Party theme, but after a few posts caught my eye on Pinterest, I suggested the Rainbow theme and she was thrilled.  Here is a summary of the decor, food, favors and activities I came up with.  Please know that I found many of these ideas online, or were inspired by ideas I saw.  I hope this post will inspire you to do something just as fun if you've been thinking of trying this theme!

Decor

Probably my favorite feature was the Rainbow Pinwheel on the ceiling.  I used colored plastic tablecovers (I was able to find most at the Dollar Tree, and grabbed the remaining colors at Party City) tacked to the ceiling, and added streamers and hanging decorations (found at Walmart and Party City).

 
Food

In addition to BBQing, I served up a rainbow menu, of course!  A bowl of Rainbow Goldfish crackers, pretzels dipped in white chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, rainbow marshmallows, and rainbow kabobs:  wooden kabob sticks with strawberries, cantelope, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries and a purple grape.

I also created an assortment of rainbow candies that Willy Wonka himself would be proud of:  Pixie Stix, Button candy, M&Ms, rainbox sucks (Amazon.com), and many more.  I bagged up some of the candies in pretzel bags (in the Wilton area of Walmart or Joanns) in rainbow order.

Additionally, I crafted bagged rainbows by placing white mini marshmallows in the bottom of a clear treat bag, then adding colored Twizzlers in an arch. These, along with the bagged candies above, were great favors to send home with our guests (the adults in particular).

 

 

 

Lastly, the birthday cake!  Or, in this case, birthday CUPcakes.  I used white cake mix, divided it into small bowls and dyed with food coloring, and layered small spoonfuls in rainbow order.  After baking and cooling, I covered with light blue frosting (sky) and piped white frosting into cloud shapes which held the piece of rainbow belt candy (cut in half) to create a 3-D rainbow.  These were a huge hit!  For extra fancy serving, plase colored candies in the bottom of a disposable whine flute and top with the cupcake!

 

I was able to use a similiar process to make rainbow swirl sugar cookies, too!

 

 

 

 

 

Acitivities

 

The girls enjoyed making bracelets with colored beads and string.  Before bed, they stranded Fruit Loops onto plastic laces and enjoyed a healthier version of "candy necklaces" as they watched a movie. 

 

Favors

 

We filled our goodie bags with a variety of colored candies, toys and trinkets.  One special item we added were our homemade crayons-- melted colored crayons bits in a baking tray that cooled to form one adorable rainbow crayon.

 

 

Last but not least, I gave my daughter a rainbow nail paint job, and of course bought a rainbow colored tank top for her to wear to the party!  Another party favorite, although not rainbow, were the birthday cake pancakes I made the next morning.  These were so delicious!

Frog themed Baby Shower party

My best friend is due to have a baby boy early this summer (the same day as me, in fact!). I hosted her Baby Shower today, and the theme matches her nursery-- frogs.

Check out the shower invites I whipped up for her guests (and I say "whipped up" very sarcastically-- these took forever!):

As usual, I took my responsibilities as party planner very seriously. I got carried away with the frog theme, and spent countless hours handmaking and shopping for all the right things. Here are some photos that might inspire you.

Food
Most baby showers for boys are blue, but since the theme was frogs, I stuck with a green color scheme. I used frog-print fleece fabric (I used a decorative rotary cutter blade to trim the sides) as a tablecloth that the parents-to-be can reuse as a baby blanket later. The menu included green veggies & dip (snap peas, broccoli, celery, cucumber and pickles), green fruit (honeydew melon, pears, green grapes and kiwi), green Guacamole chips with green verde salsa and guacamole, and salad. I also created a green punch; here is the recipe--

1 - 2L bottle of Ginger Ale
1 - 2L bottle of Grapefruit soda (like Squirt)
1 - large can of Pineapple Juice
1/4 container of frozen Limeaid, dethawed
1/4 container of frozen Lemonade, dethawed
3/4 cups sugar (you may prefer a little more)
Lime sherbert

Decorations
For weeks I collected various stuffed frogs and frog toys that could be used as decorations in the nursery after the party. I also created a few things on the computer and my Cricut.

I saved the cut-out letters from the invitations (It's A Boy) and used them as confetti. I found cute green favor boxes at the Dollar Tree and stuffed them with green tissue paper and green bulk candy.

Games
I bought some premade games to start the shower, and then did two others. One was the Dirty Diaper game, in which various chocolate candies are melted into individual baby diapers. The guests pass the "soiled" diapers around and guess which candy made the mess. Some were easy like Hershey's Chocolate Bar, and other were trickier like Peppermint Bark and chocolate coins.

The most time consuming - but fun! - involved paper sacks with one letter on each bag. You can spell out BABY SHOWER, the baby's name, or whatever you choose-- I went with "Baby Cove's Shower". In advance, the host purchases one baby item that begins with each letter and stuffs it into the bags. Guests cannot touch the bags, and have to guess what items are in each sack. My items were all baby products, some used by the baby and others used by the parents. General or specific, and in some cases brand names, and of course the mom-to-be gets to keep all of the items after the party.

The items I used were:

B- burp cloth (handmade)

A- album (for photos)

B- bib (handmade)

Y- yellow duck

C- carrots (baby food)

O- onesie (handmade)

V- Vaseline

E- Enfamil

S- shampoo

S- socks

H- hats

O- Orajel

W- washcloths

E- Evenflo bottle

R- rattle

And what's a shower without a diaper cake! I used newborn diapers, and small gifts to create this one.

Of course we ended the shower with cake and presents. My husband even got the family a small aquarium with live pet frogs! I think the party was a huge success, and hopefully this gives you some ideas for a party of your own.

How to Throw a Survivor Themed Party

Party Planning is my middle name.

Okay, so it's not. And thank goodness, because that would be a long middle name (you hear that, Chef Oliver??).

However, I have always loved hosting. Something about weeks/days/hours of planning and the frantic hustle to hide your clutter before guests arrive gets my blood boiling. Over the years I have hosted many dinners with friends, themed and non-themed Board Game nights and wedding receptions, and [my personal favorite] birthday parties. I've decided to dedicate a section of my blog to the various parties I have planned, complete with instructions on how you can recreate and revamp these ideas into your own fabulous events!

Today's featured party is the Survivor Party:

A year or two ago, my husband and I discovered the life-changing television series known as Survivor. Having never seen it before, we happened upon a new season premiere one night and were hooked. A few months after the finale, a new season started and we watched every minute of it, too. We started a Netflix account and watched previous seasons until we had seen every last episode. At some point along the way, my son caught an episode and became transfixed on the survival part of the show... he loved the challenges, fishing and clue solving. When his 7th birthday rolled around, he knew he wanted a Survivor-themed party.


Survivor, of course, is not a theme in which you can just pop into Party City and stock up on pre-printed decorations and supplies. I was being forced into creativity (a position I love to hate and hate to love)... I had to take matters into my own hands. Alas, here is my recipe for a perfect Survivor Themed Birthday Party (in this case, targeted to 1st graders).


Invitations:
I printed my own invitations using Survivor images from Google (read: sunsets, tropical images, and the Survivor logo). I then wrapped the invites in scraps of burlap and tied them off with tiki necklaces ("Immunity Idols") I found on Oriental Trading, with special instructions to each guest reminding them to wear their idols to the party. (Note: have back-up necklaces for kiddos we forget theirs).


Tiki Torches:
Every Survivor needs a torch for tribal council. I spent a week creating these custom torches for each guest using the following original recipe.

Supplies:
1 Styrofoam cup
Currogated cardboard
Bamboo rods (I found a 10-pack at Tuesday Morning)
Red/yellow/orange tissue paper

I started by poking a hole through the bottom of the cup, just big enough to insert the bamboo. Adhere with a hot glue gun. I cut sheets of currogated cardboard large enough to cover the cup, and glued to the outer rim of the cup. When dry, glue cut strips of tissue into cup to hide the cup and create the torch's "flame". I also used jungle-print strips of paper and glitter glue to label each guests torch.

Decorations:
Check out Oriental Trading and your local party store for luau/tiki/jungle/island themed decoations such as leis and wall hangings. Put a want ad on craigslist and ask for leftover party supplies.

I purchased an inflatable palm tree cooler and filled it with juice boxes. I also bought party pates and cups with the Survivor logo printed on them.


Knap sacks/Buffs:
I used burlap and twine to sew basic pouch-style knapsacks for each guest. Pre-fill these bags with items they will need for "challenges" (read games below), and they serve as favor bags after guests have collected all of their prizes. I also included a Survivor buff in each knapsack for the guests to wear during the party-- you can make your own out of bathing suit fabric, or print the Survivor logo on to iron-on transfer paper and adhere to bandanas.

The cake:
I can't take full credit for this cake. I did a google search and was inspired to make this design after seeing another cake. I did my best to create an island, included a small shelter and flag (using pretzel sticks and fruit roll-ups), and surrounded it with Pirouline cookies and twine.

Face paint:
Certain episodes of Survivor encourage participants to decorate their faces/bodies with warrior paint before challenges or ceremonies. I used basic face paint and created fun designs on the kids (with their parents permission).

Games:
The first game I invented was inspired by the food eating challenges. I collected gummi versions of eyeballs, bugs, and other gross looking edibles, and stuck them on skewers. Guests went up against eachother (2 at a time) and raced to finish the candy skewer first.

I also lead a "Survivor Auction". Each guest had an equal amount of play money in their knap sack (toy dollars and change). I explained to them that I had a collection of prizes that I would "sell"... if they wanted something, they needed to make a bid on that prize. They could bid eachother out until they were out of money, or no longer wanted to raise their bid. Also, like Survivor, the auction would end at any time without warning. The prizes I offered were candy, small toys, and Survivor trading cards. Be sure to offer every guest a small prize just for playing to keep it fair.

Often on Survivor, there are challenges in which other Survivors, or their family members, have to answer a series of questions about one particular Survivor. We played this group game after the auction. In each guests knapsacks, I included a small chalkboard and stick of chalk (found on Oriental Trading). I asked a several questions about our guest of honor (my son, the birthday boy) such as, "What is his favorite color?" and "What grade is he in?". The guest with the most correct answers won a prize. You could also do this game before the auction, and give the winner extra cash for the auction.

Finally, we played a version of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" that was pirate-themed and featured a treasure map. I found this at the Dollar Tree, and thought it matched our deserted-island party theme.

Cake & presents:
I always end my kid's birthday parties with cake, then presents. After present time, let the kids "challenge" eachother with Wii sports games (one-on-one bowling/tennis/etc.), or just play until parents come for pick up.