Most Everyone's Mad Here!!

Well, I haven't gone completely mad (yet!) but myself and all 3 of the kids have gone a little Alice In Wonderland mad as we are planning a Wonderland Tea Party at the beginning of July. The party is an opportunity to get together with friends, who pretty much all have children so having a theme makes things more interesting. Last year we had a Great British Garden Party!! I'm hosting the party jointly with my best friend who will probably be donating her garden for the party and I of course am taking care of anything printable and lots of other ideas.

There are so many ideas out there for this theme and I'm not surprised as it's really such a great theme and can be done lavishly or simply, in a vintage style, kids style or gothic for teenagers or halloween.

At the moment I'm working on some of the original illustrations by John Tenniel. These will then be incorporated into the printables I'll design. I'm working towards a child friendly vintage style for my party.

We've been making lists of things we can do to carry our theme. Here are a few we've come up with:
Tags saying "drink me" to be tied to bottles and the mini jars I've been collecting
Cakes and cake pops with "eat me" iced onto them
Lots of old vintage style teacups, plates and teapots which we'll gather from charity shops
Some photo props to go with my new photo booth frame (Blog on how to make this will follow in the next week or so)
Playing cards to be used as easy and cheap decorations
A paper mache door (obviously quite small) and key. The kids would like me to make huge paper mache tables and chairs too but I don't think that will happen!
I think the first two ideas on the list are must haves for any Alice party. Add in a few playing cards and you could have a really easy themed party (just add tea!! Whaich is always a must in my book!!).
My eldest daughter has been painting some Alice In Wonderland canvases which we'll use to decorate the marquee.
We are also asking that guests join in with the theme and dress up as a character from Alice in Wonderland. I think a few husbands are already been measured for their Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee costumes!!

As this isn't a birthday (it will most definitely be an un-birthday party!!) and we have invited lots of people we won't be doing any favours for each guest to take away (although the party planner in me will probably have to do something, so I'm thinking teabags wrapped in special Alice wrappers might be good!). I will be making some special favour printables for the set though and also include anything else I think will be useful for different kinds of parties.

So for now I bid you all adieu and I'll get back to work on these pictures. Watch out for more posts on this party in the coming months as the preparations take shape as well as posts on my son's jungle birthday party and a "How to" guide on making a large frame for awesome photos.
If you would like something designed just for you and your party then please just get in touch to discuss your ideas.
Take Care
Suz and the kidywinks xx

Pirate Tea as easy as 1, 2, 3!!

Avast me Hearties! Come join me in an adventure on the highs seas!
I do love a pirate theme so we had lots of fun last night when the kids had a couple of friends round for tea. I have some tips for the most easy party ever and even a recipe to share with you today!

At the beginning of the week, I decided to add a pirate them to tea for the kids, so I sat down and thought of  what food I could do and some piratey names! I didn't want party type food so decided on baked potatoes with beans (Treasure chests filled with rubies!), carrot sticks (peg legs!), sweetcorn (pirate teeth!) and chicken dippers (Golden nuggets!). I also included potato waffles (pirate rafts) and spaghetti hoops (pirate hoop ear-rings) as my son doesn't like baked potatoes! So , really easy and nothing I wouldn't normally make but livened up with cool names!

 I used the circle tags from my kit to make little picks for the treasure chests.

 Food trays are great for serving and labelling food so the golden nuggets, peg legs, rafts and treasure chests  were served up in these.

 The gold teeth and pirate ear-rings were served in some plastic serving bowls and I used some menu cards to label these.

 My trusty mini milk bottles were brought out and labelled with each child's name (no more wondering who's cup is whose) and of course a pirate straw flag was added to each! I also re-labelled some water bottles with Salty Brine labels. A popcorn treat box was filled with some large chocolate jazzies and sweetie necklaces as treasure for after the main food.

As an activity to keep the kids busy, they made and decorated their own cupcakes. These were then popped into cupcake wrappers and a cupcake topper was added.

Everything was served up on the table with a treasure chest and jewels (this was from a treasure hunt game my son has which we played before eating). The kids really enjoyed it and it was pretty easy to prepare and clean up afterwards.

The Golden Nuggets were home made and you can get a free recipe sheet here.

So, I hope this has helped to give you some inspiration for any pirate themed party you have and also show you that entertaining can be easy! And don't forget that once you have your printable package you can use them over and over again!
Take care
Suz x

Pirates In The Jungle??

Well I have been busy over the last week designing two new kits! We have pirates and a jungle theme - two things I love!!
I've made up a few samples of some of the products to show you.

I've also been adding some new items to my usual kit - large and small bottle wraps, popcorn boxes, my ever favourite circle tags, straw flags and a small food tray.
First, some photos of my circle tags! If you only get one product for your party then this is the one to get! My kids came in the kitchen while I was taking photos and immediately asked if they could have a drink in the mini milk bottles with their own name tags on!! They just love them!

You can use these tags to tie around bottles and jars for drinking from, as little picks for sandwiches with the fillings written on, tied onto a party bag or as a cupcake topper. I invested in a 2" circle punch (about £10 from Hobbycraft). It's so much easier and quicker than cutting by hand so if you plan on using them a lot then it's well worth it.

Many of these products can be used for any occasion - make tea a bit more fun when the kids have a friend over!, during the school holidays have a fab teddy bear picnic out in the garden. The downloadable products on my website can be printed off as many times as you want so have fun and create some fantastic memories!

I'll leave you with last photo (but check out my facebook page for many more, here). I'm really quite proud of this little mini envelope as I wrote the piratey poem on the back myself! It comes with a mini map to help your budding captains find the hidden treasure! They are really easy to make and filled with small sweets or a golden chocolate coin would make great party bag fillers or special prizes at the end of a treasure hunt.
Have fun and take care
Suz x

Mouth Watering Melon Lollies!

Make these really simple and healthy lollies to bring a touch of summer to your parties!! They're really easy to make and might even entice fussy eaters to try some fruit.

Step 1. Slice the melon into strips. For the larger slices in the middle, cut in half down the middle.
Step 2. make a slit in the bottom of each melon slice with a sharp knife.
Step 3. Insert a lolly stick into the slit and hey presto, fabulously mouthwatering lollies!

Why not try it with different types of melon, bananas and large strawberries. You could even drizzle some chocolate over them (especially the banana and strawberry ones!).

Remember to keep checking back for more inspiring party ideas!
Suz x

What Shall I Do With Them Now?

One of the most important things to get right when having a party is entertainment! I can't think of much worse things than a group of kids running around with nothing to do especially if the party is at your house!
Classic party are great and they're classic for a good reason. Most of the children will already know how to play and they are usually easy to organise too. The first ones which spring to my mind are Musical Bumps, Statues or Chairs, Pass the Parcel, Corners, Simon Says and Pin the Tail On The Donkey. These games can easily be revamped and themed to your party too.

Musical Bumps, Statues or Chairs
If space is limited then musical chairs might not be very safe. You could use cushions instead or cut shapes from paper to fit with your theme - a shield shape for a Knights party, a crown for a Princess theme, wings for Fairies, eggs would work for dinosaurs or Easter. You could even have the children decorate the shapes with crayons before the game as an extra activity if you like.
Rather than just asking the children to dance you could get them to do different actions before they sit down or become statues. I've often found that some children feel a bit shy about dancing or are rather cunning and don't move too much so it's easier to become to a statue. Again, you could customise the game to your party theme by doing appropriate actions.
To make musical statues more interesting ask the children to pose in a particular way when they become a statue! I'm currently listing jungle animals for a jungle themed statue game for my son's party - I have a snake (children could lie down), a crocodile (perhaps they might use their arms and hands as jaws) and a nice easy elephant! This is great way to get the children really engaged and using their imaginations and I'm sure there'll be lots of giggling as they try to think of something for more tricky poses! How about offering extra prizes for the best pose, the silliest pose and the most giggling!

Pass The Parcel
One of my favourites! You can add a small sweet in each layer so everyone gets something which is always popular or I have seen this game played with the child who has just unwrapped a layer then sitting out so that everyone only gets one turn. Another way I've seen this played is with a slip of paper in each layer with a challenge on which the child then has to do such as sing a nursery rhyme, tell a joke. I would be cautious with this as some children will find it very difficult to do anything in front of others, but if you know you're guests will be fairly confident then this could work very well and adds depth to the game.
For groups of slightly shyer children (like me!!) I thought that having a "fortune" in each layer would be nice. Again, these could easily be themed so at a princess party you might get the fortune "You will meet a handsome prince".
I do have some plans to make a sheet of fortunes and challenges in different themes which can be used for games like this (also great in crackers and party bags).

Corners
A fairly good space is needed for this game and for anyone who doesn't know the rules, you simply have four corners of a room assigned a different name (colours or something to fit with your theme). Stick up a piece of paper or card with a picture on to remind everyone which corner is which. You play music and the children dance: when the music stops the children have to run to a corner. Some would be the caller and without looking will then call out a corner (ie blue) any children in that corner are out and the game carries on until you only have one child left (or maybe 2 or 3 if time is running short).

Simon Says
I'm pretty sure we all know how to play this game. Another easy one to theme by changing Simon to The king, the fairy queen, Obi Wan Kenobi! And again the actions you ask the children can include some themed ideas - wave your wand, Strike down the Emperor! You don't need too many special actions, just add a few in with all the normal stuff like clapping hands, jumping and wiggling bottoms!

Pin The Tail On The Donkey
A little artistic skill may be needed here but I find children are pretty forgiving if your dinosaur looks more like a poorly cat!! Using a piece of wallpaper for your picture will keep costs down. If the children are quite young then just blindfolding them but older children can be spun around once or twice (try to gauge their ability so the game isn't too easy but they do have a chance!).

Well, I hope this has given you some ideas for simple games. Look out for future posts on booking an entertainer, doing something crafty, timetabling the party, party bags and food presentation.

Suz xx

New Blog Launch

Hello and welcome to this brand new blog.
I will be showcasing my party styling work here in the coming months.
Party Styling??? "What's that?" I hear you ask. Well let me explain briefly what I can do for you and your party.
Ever struggled to get ideas for your kids parties that are different and exciting? Well, that's where a party stylist comes in. I will offer ideas and inspiration for party themes and loads of tips on bringing everything together - from the invitations to food, decor and gifts. My aim is to cater to all budgets and enable you to have the most memorable party ever!
My starting point is going to be to continue with my party printable packs which are really quick and easy ways to get your party themed. I will be adding to this range, packs which will be easy to coordinate with readily available table wear. In addition I am going to hunting out suppliers of party related items such as cute hair accessories, bunting, cupcakes and anything else I can find which will fit with the themes I have.
Plus I will add little tips and ideas to helps you create a fantastic party (maybe even a free printable or two!!).
I already have 3 parties waiting to be styled and I'll share the progress with you as I go along - this way you can get a really good idea of what is involved.
So, for now watch this space and hopefully soon it'll be full of gorgeous photos!!

Hugs Suz x