Olivia Turns 7 -- Luau Style!

When my baby girl turned 1....we had a Luau for her!  Of course, aside from pictures she had no recollection of any of it.   When we were throwing around ideas for her 7th birthday, one of them was a Luau.  Who doesn't love a luau???  The ideas kept building and building.....and we ran with it!   And it couldn't have been more perfect!   We searched all over the Internet for ideas, came up with ideas, talked to friends and did a lot of shopping to make it the party of the year!  I can honestly say all the kids in attendance had a great time...and even some of the parents stayed a little longer or came to pick up a little earlier to enjoy the festivities!  We had 17 kids -- 15 girls and 2 boys (we had to have her 2 best "boyfriends" from school), plus Ava, and I also reached out to my 5th grade neighbor and my husband's cousin to help out!

The invitations were handmade by Olivia and I!  An idea created by me, but inspired by a quick google search for "flip flop invitations".  Directions to follow!  We decided on bright, vibrant colors!

Next was deciding on a menu...the party was right around dinner time, so I wanted to feed the kids.  Kid friendly, but Luau inspired.....lots of fruit and meat!    I decided to make honey chicken skewers (very simply added Tyson's honey chicken tenders on skewers and with some pineapple and a cherry), my beer and chili meatballs (don't worry I used half the beer, which cooks off anyway), buttered noodles (Olivia's request), individual veggies and dip, and a rainbow fruit platter!! SUPER CUTE and almost all of the food was gone by the end of the party!

Luau Chicken Skewers

Fruit Rainbow

Beer and Chili Meatballs

Personal Veggies and Dip (sorry for the bad picture...these were all gone, and this one was left on the table, but someone had already enjoyed some!)

All of my decorations came from Party City and Oriental Trading!  They had so much stuff to choose from!  I got a bunch of blow up beach balls and flamingos and palm trees to hand out as prizes!  

When the kids walked into the yard they were greeted from the start with lots of Luau color and fun!

Each girl got to pick a flower for their hair, a hula skirt (Oriental Trading), a lei,(Party City) and a sand bucket  (Michael's) of their choice!  The boys got to choose a skirt, a lei and a bucket!

Flower clips were made by a friend of mine!  You can find her here!  A huge hit.....the girls wore them every day until the last day of school!  Not just my kids...ALL the kids!  :)

The forecast was calling for showers...so we borrowed some tents, just in case!  Not a drop of rain fell on our party,  but it was perfect for shade while the kids ate and did some crafts!

My Birthday Girl!  :)

We did 2 crafts....the kids did sand art key chains!  I had ordered dolphin and tropical fish key chains and had them on the table along with 12 different colors of sand.  The kids used little funnels and filled their key chains!  It was a hit!

We also decorated our own surfboards....I had ordered cardboard cut-out surfboards from Oriental Trading...and had a bunch of markers out for them to decorate.....later on in the day!  Once they were done I collected them...and whoever had the most colorful..got a prize!  Top 5 won!!!  I spaced out crafts, games and food.....so I could prep the activities!

Of course we had a Tiki Pinata!

The kids got to fill their buckets with candy!

We played pass the coconut (I got a real one from the farmers market!) and the winner got to keep it!  I wonder what she did with it?!?!?

We did the limbo....

We had a hula dance party....

and the kids played!  Swing set, tag, just played...like kids like to do!

After one of the loudest, most ear piercing Happy Birthdays, I've ever heard....we had CUPCAKES!

And all the kids went home with a bucket full of goodies!

A bucket and shovel, a lei, a flower clip (for the girls), a surfboard bookmark, a bag of Swedish fish, a hula skirt, a tiki cup (they drank a Hawaiian "punch" out of them),  and a chocolate lollipop made by one of my greatest friends!  THANK, AMY!!!  They also brought home their key chains, their surfboards they decorated and whatever they got from the piñata   

ANNNNNNNNDDDD......I spent less than $7 on each favor!  True Story!!!!!  I was pretty proud of myself!

~Gianna~

Olivia's 6th Birthday Party -- Mock Sleepover

My 6 year old, Olivia asked for a sleepover for her 6th Birthday Party........and there was NO WAY she was getting that.....especially with her list of 13 girls.    I finally convinced her to go for a "Mock Sleepover"....with all the fun stuff of an actual sleepover...BUT everyone goes home to their own beds when the fun is over!  She loved the idea.....and I ran with it!

This was actually one of my favorite party ideas yet -- and we've had some great "home parties" in the past, which I will have to blog about some day.  I just love home parties and I lucked out with 2 girls born in the warmer months of the late Spring and Summer.   Don't get me wrong, we had a Cookie Party for Olivia last year out at a bakery/party place....and it was WONDERFUL and I didn't have to a thing except show up with Olivia, my camera and my money......but I really enjoy entertaining, so home parties are right up my alley! 

To set the theme of the party....I made THESE invitations.  I got so many raves about them.....and I think they turned out pretty cute, if I must say so myself.    They are sleeping bags made of felt with card stock pillows that slide out with all the info about the party.  I did them in Olivia's favorite colors and the colors I'd carry through the party -- pink, purple, turquoise, lime green and orange.   And threw a "stuffed animal" OWL on them......to go with "night owl" theme!

All the girls (Did I mention we had 15 girls -- including my own 2) were asked to wear their pajamas, bring a sleeping bag and favorite stuffed animal.  When they arrived all their stuff was laid out in the living room........and off they went to play on the bounce house and on the swing set (part of the day was beautiful) and get to work on the activities I had set up for them! 

They decorated pillowcases..which was a HUGE hit!  And each girl signed a separate pillow case for Olivia......I got a GREAT deal on Amazon....20 large white cases for $35!  SCORE!   And they used fabric markers!

They also decorated book marks.......I got the pre-cut bookmarks (in different colors) from Michael's and hole punched them and tied ribbon through the hole!  Then set them up with colored pencils!
Another HUGE hit!

And all the girls got their fingernails and toenails painted.  I got a TON of different nail polishes....in colors I didn't even know existed and everyone had a blast!   We also had some fun party games.....set up inside for when it started to get dark and rainy.   We played "Hot Stuffed Animal" -- Just like "Hot Potato" but using a stuffed animal instead....all the girls sit in a circle on their sleeping bags and pass a stuffed animal to music.  When the music stops whoever had the animal is OUT.......but they didn't mind....the kids who were out did a Conga Line around the girls still in!  :)

We also played...."Which Stuffed Animal is Mine?"  All the stuffed animals the girls brought got thrown into a pile in the middle of the sleeping bags and mixed together......each girl took a turn wearing a sleep mask (of course).....and they had to figure out which one was theirs, by feeling through the pile of fluffy friends!

I served pizza and juice boxes......and also had little bowls of Teddy Grahams (little teddy bear cookies)and teddy bear, moon and star lollipops all around for them to snack on!  

And of course I made cupcakes (recipe to come)!    And on the cupcakes I made cupcake toppers (post to come later), but they were very simple, I put them together the night before and it only took me like 30 minutes)!  Just some colored card stock, toothpicks, glue and owl stickers!  I would've made them so much better, but I literally threw them together!

After cake....we ended with popcorn and a movie "Gnomeo and Juliet" and some snuggling before the parents came to pick up! 

And we can't forget the favors!  At 8:30 when all the little angels went home....they each got a favor box!
I spent a WHOPPING $8 on each kid and they came out adorable!  I founds pencil boxes at Michael's for $1 each.....and I decorated them with each child's name on it (using Sharpie Paint Pens).  And then stuck an Owl sticker on each one!

Inside each girl got -- everything you'd need for a sleepover!   A flashlight ($1 from The Dollar Store), a toothbrush and travel toothpaste ($1 from The Dollar Store),  a Hello Kitty mirror compact that turns into a hairbrush ($1 from Target), chapstick (I got 5 for $2 at Target),  nail polish and a glittery key chain nail file (each .50 cents), nail separators for their pedicures ($1 from Harmon's) and ADORABLE personalized bottle cap necklaces which I had made by a friend of mine....with OWLS on them and the first letter of each little girl's name (these were $1 for me.....but they are normally a little more expensive, but sooo worth it).

Closeup of the necklaces.......TOOOOO CUTE!  I got some plain (non-personalized) in case I got some late RSVPers!

I have gotten so many compliments on this party......and was so glad we did this theme!  I am hoping to do it again for my little one when she gets older!  
HAPPY 6th Birthday, Olivia!!! (She obviously was on sensory overload!  HA HA)

~Gianna~

Sleepover Party Invitations for Olivia

One of the most exciting things in a little girl's life is deciding on a birthday party "theme".   This is something that Olivia starts planning on May 28th, the day after her last birthday........and of course like most little girls her ideas have changed throughout the year!  This past year wasn't any different....but she had finally settled on a "theme" and it was something I could get on board with...wellllll...kind of!  :)  She wanted to do a Sleepover...but the thought of 10-15 little girls sleeping at my house.  Let's also not forget those middle of the night phone calls and drives back home to Mommies and Daddies....because there is no place like home......

I was able to sway her to a "mock sleepover" and I'm glad I did!   With party date set and a VERY excited 5 (almost 6) year old......ideas started swirling thru my head!  I LOVE planning parties!!!!!   

First stop was invitations.......something creative........so I began my google search and stumbled upon these.....adorable invitations.  My only problem.....I DON'T SEW!!!!   But I am pretty crafty with the glue gun....so I set out to Michael's and got my supplies. 

Different colored felt, ribbon, stickers, glue sticks,  card stock and got right to work......and after a few hours I had 2 invites DONE!  Yes, they took awhile...and I had to make 14!   But I gave myself some time and was able to work on them a few different times.   And I actually had a great time doing them and I think they came out SUPER CUTE!   Going with the "Sleepover" idea we are trying to get "Night Owls" into the theme also...hence the owl "stuffed animals" on each sleeping bag!   The invites were done in the colors for her party....light blue, hot pink, lime green, light pink, orange and purple!  GIRLY AND FUN!

So how do you make these cute invites?

Here's What You'll Need.....
5x7 Card stock Note cards (any color is fine, but white is probably best)
4x6 Card stock Note cards (white)
Different Colored Felt (choose colors for the party)
Ribbon (again choosing colored ribbon you will use for the party)
Felt Stickers (really any kind of stickers will work......teddy bears would be cute too)
Scissors
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
**You will also need larger envelopes if you are mailing these......and postage cost me 64 cents each!**

Here's What I Did....

On the felt, trace a 5x7 rectangle (using the note card)....cut out the shape and hot glue it to the note card the entire way around the card.  Make sure the glue is VERY hot...otherwise it won't stick. 

Trace another 5x7 square in a different color and cut it out.  Hot glue on top of the first piece, but this time you will only glue around the 2 sides and the bottom....leaving the top "free" of glue.

Fold the top over to create the sleeping bag look and hot glue it down. 

Cut a piece of ribbon and glue that on the folded over part of the sleeping bag. 

Attach a felt sticker onto the folded over part as well so it looks like the "stuffed animal" is on the sleeping bag. 

Either by hand or on the computer create the "pillows".  On white card stock......print:

Wear your PJs, slippers too. We’ll do all the things girls like to do!

Eat Pizza, ice cream, popcorn and cake, paint nails, play games and stay up late!

And when it’s time to go to bed, we’ll all go home to sleep instead!

And don't forget all the details.......WHO, WHEN, WHERE, and make sure you tell everyone to bring their sleeping bags, favorite stuffed animals and wear their pajamas!!!!

Cut the cards out into pillow shapes and slide them into the sleeping bags once they are dry!   Viola'...impressive invitations for a fabulous little girl!    I will post more details from the party as soon as it happens!  I have really been enjoying this party planning!!!! 

~Gianna~