Category: It’s Party Time!

Maxwells 5th Birthday: Star Wars Party

Maxwell is 5 Years OLD.  Let that sink in.  That means I have been a mom for 1,825 days!  Actually slightly more because I am writing this post about a month late.  But hey, better late than never:).  We are so proud of the little boy he has become.  Some days we can’t believe how mature he is and others, well he is only 5.  haha.  We had landed on a Star Wars theme for Maxwells party a couple months before his birthday because he was in such a phase.  Then quarantine happened and he started digging out all of his old toys again.  I am pretty sure he wanted another dinosaur party by the time his birthday actually arrived.  haha.  Whatever, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!!!  Jk, Jk, I considered switching themes but truthfully I was kind of excited about the stuff I had gotten to decorate, etc.  He LOVED it all anyways and had the best time!  Here are some of the fun party details!

I’m so bummed because I did not get a good picture but we made Aperol Spritz’s with BIG Star Wars Ice Cubes.  These are the molds/trays we used!  They were delicious.

I’m pretty sure Max’s favorite part was the HUGE water slide!!!  It was such a hot day we actually switched to the water slide version of a bounce house at the last minute.

(cookies are Sara’s Custom Cookies)

One of my favorite parts was all the fun yard games we had!  If you are local you must try out Backyard Shenanigans!!!  They bring all of these jumbo yard games to you for a rental fee and even come to pick them up.  It was so seamless and brought hours of entertainment.

One of my biggest party tips, if someone offers to help, take the help!!!  lol.  My neighbor made this delicious and very cool cake for Max.

And our friend Rob, made this Death Star Watermelon Fruit Salad.

I personally LOVE having a piñata at any party.  I just think it adds such an element of fun no matter the age.  This particular one is from Megans Piñata’s.  She makes all of her piñatas and they are AWESOME!!!

 

Here are some of the goods we shoved into the piñata!

Click here to shop

Balloons courtesy of Twee Partees and yours truly:))).  Storm Troopers compliments of Anagram.  Aren’t they so cool?!?!?

I love this picture.  It’s when my kids saw the ballon wall with the storm troopers for the first time.  They thought it was so cool!

The kids gave out these light sabers for treat bag items!  Didn’t get a good pic of this either.  I was obviously having too much fun.

Cheers to another year!

XOXO,

Lissa

****All links are affiliate links which means I make a small percentage of the sale****

4 Uses for Peeps Marshmallows

I always buy Peeps because I think they are so cute!!!  However, truth bomb, I hate them.  haha!  They are so sugary and just do not taste good.  Obviously the kids love them so I bought a few packs and we have had fun this week!  I thought I would share 4 things we used them for!  I’ll save my favorite for last!!!

1-Peeps Puffy Paint

All you do is microwave one peep at a time in separate bowls for approximately 12 seconds.  Mix it up and paint!  I admittedly didn’t heat mine long enough and they got sticky the first time.  I also didn’t plan on doing this blog post so I don’t have the greatest pictures!

2- Peep Cupcakes

This one is pretty obvious, we just added them to the top of the cupcakes!  Aren’t they cute?!?!

3-Peep Playdough

I found this recipe here.  The kids really liked this and of course Emme was caught eating it!  lol.  Which is fine because it’s edible.

4-Peep Drinks for Easter

My favorite of all, add them to a drink!  Wether it’s got alcohol or not.  I had a ton of fun mixing drinks and food coloring.  The kids thought these were SO cool, and if we could actually have people over this year for Easter I would have these at the door upon their arrival.  I do believe you should still make it fun and do something extra special for Easter!

I hope this inspired you to use these cute little peeps for something this year!  Now, go make something cute:)))

XOXO,

Lissa

***This blog post uses affiliate links which means I may make a small commission.  Thank you for following along!***

Frozen Birthday Party

I love planning parties, I love decorating, and hosting!  Of course it’s more fun when you get to pick the theme and it’s something you are super excited for.  This year for Emerson’s third birthday it was without saying she was going to pick a Frozen theme.  Infact, she really just wanted an “Elsa” party.  So that is what she got!  When planning it out, I wanted it to be something she would love but also something I would love.  i.e. not too cheesy!!  Finally, here are all of the details.

The kids were super helpful setting up!  I think they were just so excited:).

 

We made this fun little table by using 2 boards(painting them white) and putting cinder blocks underneath.  It was super easy and the kids absolutely loved it.  It also added such a fun touch to the party!  I will definitely be using it again in the future.

When throwing a toddler party, even if it’s only for a couple of hours always add in something fun for the adults!  For the Elsa party I did a pretty basic Grazing Board and added in some frozen theme!  Check our my Full Blog Post on Grazing Board How To!  This post shares the exact items and materials, also my thought process on grazing boards.

I even added some of the Frozen II napkins for effect:).

I put my mom in charge of a Frozen themed drink for the adults and she did not disappoint!  She used this recipe she found on Pinterest and we tweaked it a bit!

Wanting to know more about all of the party favors?  Check out my full blog post on Frozen Party Favors.

Elsa was the entertainment and she was great!  All of the kids loved her.  She danced with them, sang, and even did face paint!  We used Traveling Princess Parties if you are local to us, I would highly suggest using Ashleigh!

Before the party Emme asked if Elsa was staying for lunch. We told her no because we assumed she wasn’t but to our surprise Elsa did hang out for a bit making Emme’s birthday a real fairy tale!

 

We originally were planning to order Chik-fil-a for the kids but then thought more about it and Emerson loves Happy Meals!  How fun is that?!?!  So simple, even comes with a drink.  Not sure why I haven’t thought to do this before?!?!?

Again, if you are local, I almost always order cookies from Sara’s Custom Cookies.  She does an amazing job matching my themes and they taste good!!!

Wondering about the balloon garland?  Check out this blog post with my balloon garland diy tutorial.

There was even a beautiful snow as Elsa was arriving at the party.  It really was magical, Thanks for following along!

 

XOXO,

Lissa

***All opinions are my own, there is no sponsored content, there may be an affiliate link or two in which case I earn commission if you make a purchase off of the link.***

Frozen Party Favors

Happy Happy Monday!!!  One thing I love more than an actual party is the favors.  I honestly don’t know why I love them so much because when on the receiving end it really is usually something the kids do not need and or just gets tossed in the mix of everything.  I just can’t help it and LOVE party favors!!  So for Emme’s Elsa Birthday Party, I ended up snagging a few items and put together these fun little play doh kits.  They were SO simple and the kids loved them!  Everything is linked HERE!

All you need is play doh, plastic containers, some fun things for the kids to use with the dough, and cute stickers!!!

I assembled these in about 20 mins without interruption from the kiddos.

One thing to note, I did order the large stickers, they were a tiny bit too big.  Go with the medium to ensure they do fit correctly.

I found these SUPER cute bracelets, they did take a couple weeks to come in just an fyi.  But how adorable?!?!

I always like to add some kind of cute stuffed animal that goes with the theme too.  I know we all have too many but I mean how cute is Olaf?!?!

I hope your Frozen Birthday Party is a dream come true for your little one too!

XOXO,

Lissa

***As always, all links are affiliate links.  If you purchase through them I make a small percentage.  Thank you for shopping through my links!***

DIY Balloon Garland

I LOVE Balloons, there is something so special about how fun they make a party or event.  I also always want to have everything at a party and I know that isn’t always possible from a financial aspect.  Things start adding up super fast.  For Emme’s 3rd Birthday, I took it upon myself to make a balloon garland.  This is actually my second attempt and honestly SO easy.  The first time I blew everything up on my own.  I can LOL at this now that I have an Electric Balloon Pump!!!

Click HERE to shop all of the supplies for my Balloon Garland. And watch my tutorial video below for all the simple details!

It’s seriously that easy!  And here is what we ended up doing with it.  We just tied a couple of strings where we wanted to attach it and used 3M hooks on the wall.

Check out Maxwell’s 4th Birthday party with the first Balloon Garland I attempted!

Good Luck, can’t wait to see all of yours!!!

XOXO,

Lissa

****All links are affiliate links so I may make commission off of the items you purchase. All opinions are my own****

 

#RoarMaxisFour Dinosaur 4th Birthday Party

“….and she loved a little boy very very much, even more than she loved herself.” – Shel Silverstein 

Today is Maxwell’s 4th Birthday. If you would have told me 4 years ago how quickly life would go I would never have believed you. From the moment they laid his 6 lb 4oz body on me my life has never and will never be the same. I don’t think anyone or anything can prepare you for the love you endure when having a child, or stress, or anxiety 🤣.  I love the quote about how you gave your child life but they teach you how to live. It sure is the truth. If anything, they teach you about what is truly important. Just in the past 4 months Maxwell has grown SO much!!  Dusko and I couldn’t be more proud of him and the little boy he is becoming. Sure, some days are hard but I wouldn’t trade them for anything!!!!  

This weekend we had a birthday party for Maxwell, and minus the rain delay, we all had a blast!!!  Here are some of the fun party details 🎉🎉🎉

The cake really stole the show!  It was baked locally from Eye Candy Bake Shop.  It had lemon filling and was absolutely delicious!!!  Not to mention, the kids all got a piece of candy and Maxwell got to have the dinosaur he had been begging me to eat since I brought the cake home!  But seriously how detailed is this cake?  Even the dino got a bite!!  haha!!

Every party, In my opinion needs a signature drink and a hashtag!  #roarmaxisfour

It only made sense to make my favorite drink; Kettle One Cucumber mint vodka with club soda and obviously slices of cucumbers, sprigs of mint, and a cute straw/napkin!

You can shop any of the party accessories here!

Including these cuties matching tees!!!  Kind of hard to see but they say, Awesome since 2015(well dusko’s says 1981)!!!

These two literally melt my heart.  They are at each others throats all the time but both look out for each so much!!!

Due to the rain delay, the kids played with some of their party favors!  Thank goodness I had bought something they could actually play with.  They did a fun dinosaur excavation!

You always need to make sure your guests know where the party is!  Thanks T-Rex!

Thanks to our dear friends for making this super fun dinosaur fruit platter, cute number 4, and jello shots!!!  Because no party is complete without….SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS!!!  Are you singing along or am I aging myself……?!?!?!

Crying, I literally can’t believe you are 4!!!!

The pic on the left is of Maxwell’s first friend that he made on his own at school.  I literally almost cried when he walked in.  They were both so happy and excited to see each other outside of school!  It was the cutest.

I am such a sucker for cookies.  I rarely even eat them but I just think they are so darn cute and add so much to a party!!!  These are from Sweet Temptations and I did sample it so I could share my opinion=delicious!!!

And what toddler party is complete without a BOUNCE HOUSE!?!?!?  Pro Tip:  I always try to get the house to match the theme.  I was super happy with how well this looked!!!  And obviously the kids had fun.  Well, mostly mine because it rained almost the entire party.  Life is what you make of it, and rain delays, they happen!

Hold him a little longer

Rock him a little longer

Read him another story

(You’ve only read him 4)

Let him sleep on your shoulder 

Rejoice in his happy smile

He is only a little boy for such a little while

XOXO-

Lissa

Shop anything I could link here!!!

***The cake was gifted to me from Eye Candy Bake Shop but all opinions are my own***

Target Memorial Day Weekend Try On Haul

Happy Tuesday!  Emme and I did an impromptu Target Try On Haul this morning.  Mainly because it’s raining and we had an hour to kill before Max finished school!  I love shopping for Red, White, & Blue outfits for Memorial Day Weekend because you can use these outfits for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day!  It makes the most sense to buy it all now and who doesn’t love being a little patriotic?!?  For reference, I’m in a Medium in everything shown except for the chambray jumpsuit.  I’m wearing a Large.

Shop all of the items HERE

Cheers to a fun, safe, and possibly no rain Weekend!

XOXO,

Lissa

You can shop this whole look HERE

***All links are Affiliate Links which means I may make a small percentage off the purchase of these items.***

Invitations with Basic Invite

I LOVE throwing parties and or gatherings and I also LOVE sending a proper paper invitation.  There is nothing better than getting an actual paper invite in the mail, amiiright?!?!?  Often times they have a picture of the person being celebrated or honored and then it gets hung on your fridge or wall.  I get SO many emails these days that when I get another invitation emailed to me, it often times gets thrown into the mix of spam…….Not to mention, when you spend all this money making the party so darn cute, you best make sure you have an invite to match!

That’s why I partnered with Basic Invite to order Maxwell’s invites for his 4th Birthday, he helped me pick them out.  Of course they are Dinosaur themed.  I am not kidding when I say that he was so excited about them!!!  You would have thought I bought him a dinosaur toy.  To him it means his birthday is near, but to me it means I get to start the other decor and party details!!  Since I can’t reveal his invites just yet, below are a couple favorites of mine for Birthdays!  And how amazing that you can order the Thank You cards too.

Other than being able to order the thank you cards, The best part of using Basic Invite was all of these options:

Almost Unlimited Colors – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail. For example, on Maxwell’s Dinosaur invites we changed the shade of blue on the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Custom Samples – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual invitation so they can see exactly how it will print as well as the paper quality before they ever have to place their final order.  I have actually never seen this on an invite site before and think it is actually the BEST feature!

Over 40 Different Colors of Envelopes – Basic Invite is just as colorful with our envelopes as we are with our invitations. Customers can choose from over 40 different colors when it comes to their envelopes so that they can make their invitation stand out even before it is opened. All of the envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed.  This is simply amazing to me.  I hate the taste of licking an envelope!

Address Capturing Service – Basic Invite offers an address capturing service that allows customers to simply share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other form of social media to request their friends and family’s addresses which will be stored in the customer’s account and can then be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders.  Ah-mazing!!!

Foil – Foil cards are available in gold, silver, and rose gold. Customers can choose flat or raised foil on all of Basic Invite’s foil designs.

Guess what?!?!  I’ve got a discount code for you!!!  15% off with code: 15FF51 

And just in time for ALL the graduation parties coming up!!!  You’ve got to check out all of the options!!!  I’ve shared a few of my favorites below too!

Templates of Graduation Invitations

Graduation Photo Invitations Templates

Custom Made Graduation Invitations

I mean, I can’t with this one above!  The then and now is too perfect:).

Basic Invite also does business cards!  This will likely be my next purchase, how cool are these clear ones?

XOXO,

Lissa

Find Basic Invite on Social Media:

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter

***This blog post was sponsored by Basic Invite, all opinions are my own***

Hostess Gift Guide

Hello!  Welcome to my FIRST gift guide of the Holiday season. I thought what better guide to start with then hostess gifts?!?  I know we all have so many parties to attend so don’t wait to buy these gifts. They sometimes become the most stressful if you ask me.  Also, don’t be afraid to add a Starbucks gift card inside the coffee mug, or a bottle of wine with the wine charms, or even a nice loaf of bread with the olive oil!  Doing this will elevate your gift at a minimal cost!

Happy Shopping!

Cheers,

Lissa

Monogram Cheese Plate

Monogram Coffee Mug

Green Holiday Candle

 

Christmas Wine Charms

Sugarfina Christmas Box

Christmas Hand Towels

 

Another Monogram Cheese Board

Beverage Napkins

Wine Stoppers

Olive Oil

****All Links are Affiliate Links, which means I may make a percent of the sale****

Favorite Things Party

If you have been following along with me for awhile you will realize other than fashion and family, I REALLY love my friends and Girl’s Nights!!!  Recently my college friends and I went to New Buffalo Michigan for an entire Girl’s Weekend that mostly consisted of drinking wine, however, we started out the weekend with a Favorite Things Party!  I had heard of this and totally wanted to do it for a long time!  So when we all decided to do it I was ecstatic.  There are a few different ways to have a Favorite Things Party but call us greedy(we wanted everyone to get one of everything)!  haha.  So we had a $5 price point and we all bought for everyone.  It made this super fun and actually easier!

Disclaimer: Not all of the Favorite Things were wrapped but it was kind of fun so that no one could see them!

Seriously, thats all you do:

Find a group of girls!

Everyone buys all of the girls a gift(whatever price point you want)

All the girls get together, drink wine, eat, talk way too much, and give out their favorite things!!!

Some of our favorite things were:

Caramel Apples

Everyone Hand Soap

Micale Lynn Scrunchies

Halloween Masks

Light up Pumpkins with our initials

Silicone Wine Glasses

Wax Eyebrow Pencil

Egyptian Cotton Sheet Spray

Truly everything we got was SO fun!!!

 

We also turned out favorite things party into a little halloween party since it was the start of October!  All of this fun and SUPER cute decor is from The Paper Merchant!  It is one of my favorite little shops to go into on Third Street!!

My friend Cory made all of our matching Boos T-shirts!!!  You can find her shop here :).  She also makes fun wood stuff too!

And would it even be a party if we didn’t take awkward self timer pics over a balcony?!?!?!?  Seriously though, this did happen and we probably took way too many!!!

Have a great week!  I would love to hear if you have attended a Favorite Things Party!?!?  How did you do it?  What were your favorite items you received?  Drop a comment below!

XOXO,

Lissa

***All items from The Paper Merchant were sponsored but I would not have used them if they weren’t the cutest things ever!***