Impressive Party Foods

Written By: Bobbie Whelan

When you plan your child’s parties you first pick out a theme then you find themed decorations, games, and favors that go along with it. So why not also make the food and desserts you will be serving incorporate the party theme? I feel that transferring the theme of the party into the food served can give a party that extra pop it needs.

To do this you must take your theme, for example a Western party, and brainstorm all of the things that can be incorporated into that theme. First, just think of some things that remind you of the wild west, for example: cowboy boots, cowboy hats, horses, cows, ranches, lassos, bandanas, on-the-go or campfire cooking, etc. Next, think about how those ideas could be transformed into kid-friendly food.

Photos Courtesy of Off the Beaten Path

                To portray many of the ideas you could use cookie cutters and cut out sandwiches, apples, watermelon, baked mac n’ cheese or any other dense foods you can think of. For a western party I would suggest using cookie cutters in the shapes of a cowboy boot, a cowboy hat, and a horse shoe. To incorporate the on-the-go or campfire cooking you could serve pigs in a blanket or cocktail franks, trail mix, chips and salsa, and veggie tray with ranch dressing. To show off the theme even more within the food you can use bandanas as a doily or display the food inside of a cowboy hat.

Photo Courtesy of Esty.com

                Having tasty and creative desserts can really make a party memorable. However, there are so many different types of desserts that you can choose from, the possibilities are endless! One idea is to use licorice to make lasso ropes. Yet another idea is to use the cookie cutters to cut out cookies, Jell-O, cookie bars, brownies, fudge, or mini cakes. You can then decorate the cut out desserts with icing to make them look more realistic. S'more's are also a fun western idea and you can use marshmello fluff instead of melting marshmellos. For an impressive grand finale, the cake or cupcakes could either be fashioned as a single object, such as a cowboy boot, or  multiple ideas, such as a cowboy hat, boots, and bandanas, can be incorporated for a real show stopper.

Photo Courtesy of themecakesbytraci.com

Obviously, I used a western themed party as an example, but the same process can be used to make food for any party theme you can think of. Just be creative and have fun with the food and it will add a special touch to your child’s party!

Summer Celebrations

By: Bobbie Whelan

Are your kids bored this summer? Well summer celebrations are a great way to get them over the summer boredom blues! You will be the hit of the town if you invite your child’s friends over to join in cool, creative summer activities such as glitter tattoos, face painting, build-a-buddy, balloon twisting, and all types of games!

 

Photo courtesy of Children’s Party Plus

Children’s Party Plus can provide your celebration with all of the activities listed above and each one of them is as exciting as the next. The glitter tattoos are perfect for the summer since they are able to last over a week and will not come off in the pool!  Face painting is a fun way to start off or end any type of celebration. The build-a-buddy activity always makes the kids happy, as they get to join their friends in filling their new stuffed animal and decorating its t-shirt. Balloon twisting is also great for the summer as we can provide many summer themed balloon shapes such as flowers, ladybug bracelets, or even a monkey in a tree! The games that you could have at your summer celebration are really endless from water balloon games, to sack races, to parachute games the kids are guaranteed to have fun.

Photo courtesy of K-Run at Blogspot

Summer celebrations can be thrown for no reason at all as it creates a unique play-date, which kids will talk about all summer long! Most of the activities can be tailored to a particular theme or they can be kept very general, it’s your choice.  Summer celebrations can be for any occasion such as scouts, daycare, after- School, home school, business promotions, and of course birthday parties.  

 

Photo courtesy of KidsKraft

Throwing a kids summer celebration to promote your business is a unique and low cost way to provide your customer’s children with entertainment while having them visit your store. If you own a business or club that involves children, such as a daycare or scouts, it makes a special way to keep the kids entertained and give them something different to do!

So please let us know if we can be of assistance with your summer celebration!

Hello Kitty Diva Style

Hello Kitty Party

Photos courtesy of Jan Jenson Photography

       If there are two things that Children’s Party Plus does well it’s coming up with original party ideas and paying close attention to detail. We recently put together a fabulous Hello Kitty inspired party for a 3 year old girl  that incorporated everything we at Children’s Party Plus are known for.

        We transformed an ordinary pool house into a pink wonderland for this party. As people approached they walked up a pink carpet opened the doors and were immediately blown away by the décor. A bubble machine was placed by the door to make the entrance even more fun. After they walked through the bubbles they noticed silver balloons that spelled out “EMPRESS” with more pink and black balloons by every window and a ceiling covered in light pink, hot pink, and white tissue balls.

       The round tables each had  black and hot pink table cloths, while the long tables had light pink table cloths which really complimented each other.  All of the chairs had hot pink or light pink sashes which really added a little pizazz. However, the tables were not the only sitting area; we also had two comfy couches that were adorned with fuzzy pink blankets and cylinder black pillows.

        There were also two long tables one for food and the other for dessert.  Over the dessert table was something we created special for this party. There was a black background with silver tinsel at the bottom while at the top there was a Hello Kitty sign that spelled out “Empress” along with two black and pink balloon columns at the side of the table.  The dessert table really became a beautiful focal point of the party.

       I cannot forget to mention the amazing desserts which included a custom Hello Kitty cake, Hello Kitty cookies, “3” cookies, cupcakes with customized toppers,  and much more. Everyone received custom made boxes to take their sweet treats home with them. 

        There was also a drink table which had a pink table cloth with had a center piece of a beautiful black vase with pink and black feathers. The black cups had custom labels on them for the kids drinks and for the adults we had pink martini glasses filled with cotton candy for Cotton Candy inspired Martinis.

       Even with all these decorations we still had awesome activities for the kids such as a build-a-buddy station, balloon twisting, and glitter tattoos. Everyone had a great time at this beautifully decorated, original party! 


By: Bobbie Whelan

Children's Party Plus on TV!

As Seen on TV

Written by Bobbie Whelan

On April 27th Angel Wilkes, the mastermind behind Children’s Party Plus, was seen on the Charlotte Today show. She was asked to come up with a party for ten including a cake, party favors, decorations, and some kind of activity for less than $200. Angel came up with an art theme since it is a gender neutral party, this helps the parents be able to invite both their child’s girl and boy friends. 

For the decorations Angel suggested using primary colors, so they can be “green” and used year after year. Angel used blue, yellow, and green paper lanterns as well as scrapbook paper, cut in disc, which can be strung up as garland and hung from the ceiling, chandeliers or anything else you can think of. Using left over scrapbook paper that you have around the house is a great (and cheap) way to decorate! Some other decorations used were large Crayola crayons that can be used on the edges of tables or hung on walls. Also, using plastic see-through paint cans filled with grass paper can also be used as nice decorations for tables and you can re-use those for any kind of party! 

Angel came up with three great activities for the kids! The first was sidewalk chalk, which you can make a nice presentation out of by putting in into a clear container with colorful paper grass at the bottom. Most kids love drawing especially on unique surfaces like a side walk! The second fun activity was fuzzy art creations, which come in both boy and girl themes and can be found at almost any store! The third activity was genius-- edible sand art! You take clear bottles and colored drink mix, such as Kool-Aid, and watch kids eat and play! 

The party favors were also spectacular! Angel had cookies in the shape of paint pallets, which are fairly simple to make. The first step in making these cookies is to form the dough into an oval then cut out a “V” from the side. Next you use white icing to ice the top of the cookie and you put dots of various colored icing on the cookie to look like paint and draw a simple paint brush with black icing. With the cake you do the same thing, just bigger!

The total cost for this wonderful party was $175. Just remember that by using primary colors and a little creativity you can use a lot of the same things over and over again which can help you save on future parties! If you want to see more about this superb party go to 

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Kids-themed-birthday-parties-120800164.html.

Actual Party: We have Bieber Fever!

So, last week we received a last minute call for a pop star party. When the mom told us the pop star, we had to create something fun and within her budget. Yes, we created a Bieber inspired party for a sweet little girl turning seven.

Imagine being a young girl coming into the party space, walk thru a wall of silver curtain and POW. You see multiple shades of purple, along with of course Justin Bieber. The mom requested Bieber everywhere, but I decided to take a different approach. Instead of having balloons with his face everywhere, we incorporated purple and stars (representing "Rock Star") for the decor.

You can't see all the detail, but each favor box had a tag with "I have Bieber Fever" on them. The girls noticed that little pop of detail immediately.

Well after enjoying some girlie activities, the girls sat down for some munchies at this super cute table. We kept the decor fun and still very Bieber. Our vision is to bring some old fashion party planning with a twist. Everything from the plates, cups and even the napkin rings had Bieber Fever.

The girls went Gaga over Bieber, the decor above the table proves you can have a fun pop of character without overkill. Overall, this was such a fun party with a great family. Now that I have done a smaller scale of Bieber, I am ready for a blowout bash.

Popular Balloon Trends!

Balloon Trends

Remember as a child the fun and excitement it was seeing all the balloons at a party? Children still get the same amazement with today’s hottest balloon trends. Balloons have come a long way through the years. They have grown from round, solid colors into novelties, prints and much more! Balloons today come in numerous colors, shapes and sizes. They’re not just part of the décor anymore. Balloons have also become part of the entertainment!

Balloon twisting, being one of the favorites, is always a big hit. Dogs, flowers, giraffes,helicopters and hats are just some of the possibilities of balloon twisting that always seems to amaze. Balloon twisting not only entertains the children, but the adults as well. 
 

 Photo courtesy of Balloon and Party service

Balloon arches are also one of today’s hottest balloon trends. Go back in time to that feeling you had as a child surrounded by all the balloons. Now imagine being able to walk under an archway full of them. Having multiple rows in different colors make it as if you were walking under a rainbow! 

The creations that are being made with balloons right now, are truly amazing from full size human figures, to imaginative cartoon characters. When I first started to see these, I was really impressed by the detail work that goes into the balloon creations.

Photo courtesy of  New Balloon Art

The balloon trend has become so popular that the major TV network TLC, has focused a 30 min time slot to balloon creations. Unpoppables has drawn major crowds to the show every Monday, while showcasing there are no limits with their balloon creations. Episodes have featured castles, walls, boats and so much more created out of balloons.

With the continuous demand of balloon twisting are archways on the rise, they are sure to remain one of the most popular party supplies. 

Assuring Safety At Your Child's Party

Assuring Safety At Your Child’s Party

                                                                                                             

A child’s birthday is supposed to be one of the most important days in a child’s life, and how we approach the details leading up to that special occasion is important; especially at a young child’s party.

Before the big day arrives make sure that steps have been taken to have a safe party for your

little prince or princess.  Several days before the event, make sure you ask some parents to help chaperone the party; this lets them know that you are taking steps to ensure their little

one’s safety and happiness as while as that of the birthday child are important to you.  Little

ones have a fashion of running about, so if each adult is assigned 3–4 children each;  it makes

it much easier for each chaperone to be responsible for their assigned child.

·  Balloons are usually a part of party decor, so be mindful if one should pop. Broken balloons

    can be hazardous; kids can choke if pieces of a broken balloon are swallowed.  Pick up

    up pieces immediately.

·  Bathrooms which are a ways from party area should be assigned to an adult to take child/

    children as needed.

·  If the kitchen area is within easy reach of party area, an adult should be available to avoid

    child access to open cabinets and drawers.

·  Do not leave matches or lighters within reach of kids, remove immediately after use.

·  If planning a pool party; assign an adult to that area at all times. Hiring a lifeguard is another great way of going above and beyond with safety.

Remember:  A SAFE PARTY IS A HAPPY PARTY

Next time:  Balloon trends in parties

Hello from Children's Party Plus

We are so excited about our first blog post, we want to take a moment and introduce ourselves to you. Children's Party Plus is the Charlotte regions "only" full service children's event design and entertainment company. What does that mean? Not only can we create custom invitations, custom theme creation and we can send out one of CPR/First Aid certified party hostesses. Our experience is unparalleled to anyone in our line of business in the area. Our staff has experienced dance instructors & choreographers, student teachers, costume designers and more.


You will not find a more enthusiastic, motivated and talented staff. We are a family that operates in a manner unlike others. Our staff is truly the heart of our business, so give us a call and let us tell you what we can do to make your child's birthday special.