Back to School time means it’s almost fall and that means this year is going by way too fast. Are you like me and love to shop for school supplies. Who says School Supplies have to be boring? Check out these super cute Pastel School Supplies.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Pens and Pencils
Pastel Ink Pen Set: This set is perfect if you have a favorite color. It comes with 11 black in pens and a highlighter. The color options are pink, blue, green and purple.
School might be starting soon but it is far from fall weather here. The summer heat is here to stay for a bit and that calls for an Ice Cream Sandwich Bar. Create Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches using different flavors, shapes and sizes of cookies. I think the process of making the ice cream sandwiches is almost as fun as eating them!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Tips for Putting Together an Ice Cream Sandwich Bar
The Cookies
By ‘Cookies’, it really means the ‘delicious thing that can sandwich a scoop of ice cream’. You don’t have to limit yourself to just cookies. Head to the bakery and have some fun. Anything that is sturdy enough to hold ice cream and not get immediately soggy is fair game, so be creative! Put out a selection of at least four different flavors and also make the cookies different sizes, a large and a smaller size. If someone wants to try a variety of flavor combos can go with the smaller cookies. Giving people lots of options makes the assembly process more fun.
Fudge Stripes Cookies
Waffle Cookies
Sugar Cookies ‘
Oreos
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Funfetti Cookies
M&M Cookies
Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Graham Crackers
The Ice Cream
Is the Ice Cream the best part? I guess it depends on who you ask. Use different pints of ice cream so you can include several different flavors of ice cream. It is nice to have a non dairy option available such as sorbet or a coconut based ice cream.
Vanilla
Chocolate
Strawberry
Mint Chocolate
Cookie Dough
Cookies and Cream
Coffee
Chocolate Fudge
TIP: Pre-scoop the Ice Cream. Scoop the ice cream onto a baking sheet and then freeze until you are ready to serve. To keep the ice cream from melting during the party, put the cartons in a big bucket of ice.
TIP: Have multiples of utensils and ice cream scoops so there is plenty to use for everyone.
TIP: I know having napkins is on your mind, but you should level up to wet wipes. These will get all of the stickyness off of everyones fingers.
Display: This 3 tier tray is great to display the ‘Cookies’ or the pieces necessary to hold the yummy Ice Cream together.
Bowls for the Toppings: These ramekins are great to put all of your toppings in. I also love having them in my Party Pantry to use at other parties.
Ice Cream Scoops: This set has 3 different sizes which is perfect if you are using different sized cookies.
Ice Cream Bowls: These are great for those people that don’t want to make a sandwich and choose to throw it all in a bowl.
TIP: Offer a selection of cones and bowls for those guests who don’t feel like an ice cream sandwich.
If this post doesn’t get you excited to throw an Ice Cream Sandwich Bar then I don’t know what will. Let me know what cookies, ice cream and toppings you add to your Bar. I would love to know what combinations are your favorite.
Barbie is all the rage right now. What I remember from my childhood was having a Barbie house and so many dolls. My sister and I used to have our dolls get dressed up and play house. The creativity was endless. If you want the nostalgia of your childhood, check out these items to have a Barbie party at home.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Check out the list below for all things PINK. What other color would you expect to make your party perfect?!
Barbie Party Decor
Balloon Pump: This is an item you should have in your party closet. We use this balloon pump for all the balloons we use at parties. It’s the best.
Pink Edible Sprinkles: These would look cute on your cookies, ice cream or cupcakes you make for the party. They could also be used for a build your own!
Baking Sprinkle Mix: These sprinkles come full of all different shades of pink and multiple shapes. The sparkly stars are the perfect addition for your barbie theme.
Watermelon Now and Later Candy: These are just some of pink candies you can get to make your candy bar go with the theme.
Barbie Puzzle Activity Set: This puzzle set includes two jigsaw puzzles, one 48 piece Barbie Puzzle and one 100 Barbie puzzle. They are fairly large and the perfect size for toddlers and children.
Barbie UNO: Who doesn’t need a Barbie version of UNO in their collection.
The summer is upon us, so that means it’s time to think about 4th of July party ideas. You know it’s summer when you can smell the charcoal grills heating up. Whether you’ve got a backyard blowout planned or a simple family hangout – we’ve got food, activities, and decorations that’ll make it more festive than ever.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Turn a basic holiday barbecue into an epic party with these 4th of July party ideas for decorations, food, drinks, and fun. These patriotic party games, party hacks, and party planning tips will help you throw the best summer party ever.
All American Food
Freeze blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries to use in Sprite for a patriotic drink. Cut up your favorite berries, add them to an empty ice cube tray and top them with water. You can also use lemonade, a clear soda like Sprite, or make an adult beverage with alcohol. When it’s time to serve, add these fruity cubes to the beverage of your choice.
Have a Festive Breakfast. Add some strawberries, whipped cream, and some blueberries on top to give the pancakes a festive look.
Enjoy the All American Meal of Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Corn on the Cob, Apple Pie, Watermelon, Root Beer Floats, Homemade Ice Cream, and Funnel Cakes.
Design a DIY Beverage Cart. Cool drinks are a must at a summer party. For a cuter take on a cooler, place the bottles and cans in a clean red wagon filled with ice.
4th of July Party Games
A big part of any party is making sure there is plenty to do and keeping everyone entertained. For a 4th of July party, you can play games like horseshoes and cornhole. Some other fun ideas include water balloon tosses and obstacle courses. If you’re not looking to DIY anything, check out these fun products!
Bring on the sparklers. Shield kids’ hands from sparkler burns with a plastic cup. Have a contest to see who can snap the best photos of the sparklers in action. Just to be safe (and to save yourself cleanup later), have a bucket of water on hand where people can dunk their used sparklers.
Have a Scavenger Hunt. Give your kids a list of things to find around the house that are related to the 4th of July (an american flag, stars, and fireworks for example)
Fun Party Favors. This kit includes necklaces, handheld Flags, red whistles, glasses and mustaches.
Red, White & Blue All Around
TIP: DON’T FEEL PRESSURE TO COME UP WITH A THEME. A RED, WHITE, AND BLUE THEME IS A THEME ALL IN ITSELF.
Once you have your theme, it’s time to start thinking about decorations. Check out the list for some decorations to help you celebrate America’s birthday.
Get a tablecloth that is either neutral or goes along with your theme. You can use a tablecloth, a table runner, or even place mats. If you use a plain solid colored tablecloth in blue, red, or white it gives you a great foundation. Check out this full kit here.
Get 4th of July plates and napkins (they don’t have to be fancy)
Make a simple 4th of July centerpiece using flags and red or white flowers.
Place a box of sparklers at each plate setting. It makes a cute place setting and can be used that night.
Craft your Way through Stars and Stripes
There are lots of fun and easy crafts that can be great for a 4th of July activity.
Red, White Blue Tie Dye: Have your kids create their own shirt with tie dye. This will make a great outdoor activity.
What fun things are you doing with your family to celebrate the 4th? Let me know below if you do the same things or have another fun tradition.
These are the start of the toddler years for us, and the days are so fun. Toddlers may be super curious about everything and have the ability to find joy in the smallest things. As my little one develops, I am treasuring these moments of learning and curiosity with a Toddler Friendly Summer Bucket List.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
How do you channel that never-ending supply of energy into exploration and discovery? A good summer bucket list can really help get your mind wrapped around what to do each day. This is the most fun and creative summer bucket list for toddlers organized by type of activity. You can skip ahead to the bottom and get a FREE printable bundle.
One of my biggest joys is being able to get books for my little boys. I love being able to get books for every holiday and have that collection grow over time. This year I have found a lot of Easter books and wanted to share them with you.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
One, Two, PEEP! Peeps Finger Puppet Board Book: This book is adorable. It has an Easter-themed counting adventure. You can hop down bunny lane, splash in the springtime rain, head to the Easter parade, and join an Easter egg hunt with the bunny. This Easter book has a soft plush finger puppet toy built in.This book teaches language patterns, interactive play and hand-eye coordination.
Spot’s Easter Surprise: This is a cute Easter Book. Spot and his friends hunt for eggs at his grandparents’ house.
Easter Chunky Lift-a-Flap: This book shows spring colors and all things Easter. This book has simple sentences reinforcing language structure and sturdy flaps that help develop fine motor skills.
Baby Touch and Feel: Bunny: This is an interactive and fun way to help your child learn not only words but shapes and textures too. There are bold, bright pictures and colorful animal-inspired illustrations. This is a great first book for toddlers.
Biscuit’s Pet & Play Easter: Join Biscuit on the hunt for shiny Easter eggs in this touch-and-feel adventure. The sturdy board book pages and simple text are just right for babies and toddlers.
How to Catch the Easter Bunny: Finding eggs is easy, but can you catch the Easter Bunny? Start a new tradition with this bright and funny children’s Easter book and get inspired to build STEAM traps of your own. We got the How to Catch a Turkey this past Thanksgiving and my son loved it.
My First Easter: The importance of family and sharing are beautifully shown in this board book all about Easter celebrations.
The Fuzzy Duckling: This little book is about a Fuzzy Duckling and counting his new animal friends. This has simple words and is adorable.
The Night Before Easter: This book is a great twist on The night before Christmas. It is a great Easter book to have in your collection.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Follow the story of naughty Peter Rabbit as he squeezes under the gate into Mr. McGregor’s garden and finds himself in all kinds of trouble.
Happy & Hoppy: Help the little bunny rabbits get ready for easter. Every flip of the page brings a new activity that each little boy or girl will love and babies are sure to enjoy the sturdy, interactive flaps. There are new activities under each flap that include searching, matching, counting, colors, comparing and more. It has a take-along handle for little hands to carry wherever they go.
Happy Easter, Bunny! 3-Button Sound Board: This is an Easter sound book that is fun for your little baby or toddler. It is a great board book to add to your Easter Books.
The Itsy Bitsy Bunny: This is a fun and playful holiday twist on “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. The Bunny must hop at top speed so he can get all of his eggs hidden in time for the big holiday.
Don’t Push the Button! An Easter Surprise: Go on a fun-filled adventure in this interactive Easter edition of Don’t Push the Button. This interactive book is a must.
A Little Bunny: Little ones will learn all about cottontail rabbits in the wild. This bunny shaped board book has thick pages perfectly sized for little hands. It is a perfect little gift to complete any Easter Books collection.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Easter Egg Hunt: Meet friendly farmyard animals and lift the flaps on every page to help The Very Hungry Caterpillar hunt for Easter eggs. This is a fun lift-the-flap adventure with big flaps that are perfect for little hands.
Llama Llama Easter Egg: With short and simple rhyming text, the Llama Llama board books introduce Llama Llama to babies and toddlers before they’re ready for longer full-length stories. In Llama Llama Easter Egg, the Easter Bunny brings lots of treats for Llama Llama: jelly beans, colorful eggs, and a fluffy surprise!
Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop: Can you move like Llama Llama? Watch Llama hop, stretch, touch, and tap in this third board book.
Happy Easter, Mouse: Join Mouse from If you Give a Mouse a Cookie as he goes on an Easter Egg hunt. Each page has one or two sentences and points out a different color and number of eggs.
Bunny Roo, I Love You: Mamas know just how to soothe and comfort them. There are beautiful scenes that portray all kinds of mama animals looking out for their little ones. This book has the feel of a classic and its heartwarming premise make it a family favorite.
Construction Site: Spring Delight: It’s Easter at the construction site. Lift the flaps on each sturdy page to reveal blooming flowers, baby ducks and gentle lambs and a special Easter egg hunt surprise.
Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny: Duck & Goose have lots of ideas about how to find the Easter Bunny, but will they succeed? Preschoolers won’t be able to resist this latest board book featuring Duck & Goose, lots of colorful eggs, and the Easter Bunny.
Guess How Much I Love You: How much does Little Nutbrown Hare love his daddy? And how much does Big Nutbrown Hare love him back? The cherished tale of boundless affection is ready for boundless sharing in a durable board-book edition for the younger set.
Hippity, Hoppity, Little Bunny: Follow the little bunny rabbit and it’s adorable bird friends in this finger puppet book as they hunt for Easter eggs. Wiggle the puppet to make the bunny in the story come alive. It helps entertain while teaching your baby language patterns.
Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs?: Where could the Easter eggs be? Children will discover colorful springtime objects under each of the six sturdy flaps until… they find Baby’s Easter eggs in a fold-out finale.
Peter Rabbit Naturally Better Classic Gift Set: This is a collection of classic children’s tales. It includes four classic Beatrix Potter tales that include: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, The Take of Tom Kitten, and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.
Pat the Bunny: This is one of the best selling children’s book of all time. This touch-and-feel book offers babies a playful and engaging experience.
Jellycat Magic Bunny: The Magic Bunny is a wonderful tale of a very special rabbit, who looks out for his friend when everyone is asleep.
What books do you have from this list? Let me know what you have added to your Easter Books collection below.
Your Baby’s First Easter basket is such a fun and exciting gift to put together for your newborn or young toddler. It is such a low-key holiday…and spring and summer are coming. It’s a few weeks until Easter now and I couldn’t resist putting together an easter basket for him with some goodies.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon, and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
As a child, you probably had an easter basket full of chocolate eggs, marshmallow-y treats, and a solid chocolate easter bunny. They are oblivious to all the fuss about dying eggs, too little for candy…so what to get for their basket?! Check out this fun list below. It has a great mix of practical and fun for Baby’s First Easter.
Baby’s First Easter Toys
Easter Board Book: My favorite part is picking out books. I love a good story book. Check out this post here for The Ultimate list of Easter Books.
Stuffed Toys
Stuffed Animal Bunny: This Melissa & Doug Bunny features long floppy ears with extra-soft plush fur. The cuddliest gift.
Melissa & Doug Rollables Safari and Farm Friends: This set includes a zebra, monkey, elephant, lion with a chime, pig, chicken, horse, and a cow with chime. These Rollables are easy for infants and toddlers to grasp, firm enough to roll, and soft enough to squeeze.
Stacking Toys
Silicone Stacking Toys: This stacking block is made of silicone. It is so much cooler then the first ones I bought our sons. It can be used as a baby toy and it can be cleaned with warm soapy water and is dishwasher safe. It includes 6 different sizes and colors. It is very helpful for children to identify colors and sizes.
Wooden Rainbow Stacking Toy: This is probably one of the prettiest toys I have ever seen. It is great for stacking and looks beautiful on the shelf.
Stacking Cups Toy: This set contains 10 labeled stacking cups with a bonus bear head shaker for added fun, and a squirting bath toy to extend the fun to bath times.
Pastel Wooden Building Block Playset: This pastel wooden playset is so fun to play with. Little hands will enjoy stacking and arranging the colorful blocks. The various shapes and patterns will entertain your little ones. Cleanup will be easy with the bucket storage container it comes with. No more loose blocks scattered around the playroom.
Wooden Rainbow Abacus: Children can use the abacus to learn colors, counting, and math, and develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The colors also make it look super cute to have on your shelf.
Musical Toys
Xylophone Wooden Educational Pounding and Hammer Montessori Musical Toy: This baby xylophone can be played in many ways. When the knock makes the ball jingle, children can take the ball, or they can pull out the keyboard and xylophone to play solo. This wooden musical pounding toy encourages the development and exploration of music, audio recognition and playback.
Guess How Much I Love You – Jack-in-The-Box: This is an interactive toy for infants with music and a pop up friend will bring a smile to baby. They will have their first experience with peekaboo, cause and effect.
Skip Hop Baby Rattle Toy: This toy is super fun with a flexible body that has easy-to-grasp openings that help little hands. The rattle encourages rolling, shaking and tossing, with surfaces made for teething.
Bunny Rattle: This wooden crochet teething rattle is too darn cute. It is the perfect addition to your little one’s basket.
Sensory Toys
Rock Shape Sorter: This cube comes with 12 shaped blocks in multiple color, bright colors and chunky size makes it easy for little hands to grasp. This toy is perfect to develop kids coordination abilities and creativity, hand-eye coordination, color and shape recognition and problem-solving skills.
Hide & Squeak Easter Eggs: This easter egg toy is an adorable and educational addition to their Easter basket. It contains 6 colorful squeaking Easter eggs for them to play with. They feature shells that crack open to reveal adorable colorful chicks. You can press down gently on the colored chicks’ heads to hear them chirp.
Easter Fidget Sensory Pop Toys: My son loves pop it toys. This set has 4. They are a green egg, orange carrot, yellow chick and pink bunny.
Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Pull-Back Vehicle Set: This set includes 4 safe, soft vehicles including a school bus, family car, fire truck, and police car. They are fun. They can just pull them back and release to see them zoom off across the floor.
Melissa & Doug Multi-Sensory Soft Taco Fill & Spill Infant Toys For Babies: How cute is this taco toy?! This soft taco play food fill-and-spill toy is a fun way for baby’s to discover textures and sounds. It includes a soft foam taco shell, 3 smooth fabric pieces, 3 textured crinkle pieces, 3 food-shaped fabric pieces and 2 attached textured pieces.
Melissa & Doug Multi-Sensory Take-Along Clip-On: You can clip this cute PB&J toy and Bubble Tea toy to strollers, diaper bags, high chairs, car seats, and more to keep the fun close at hand.
Baby’s First Easter Clothing & Accessories
Copper Pearl Beanie: These are the softest baby beanies. They are a perfect item to put in the Easter basket.
If your Baby is over 6 months, snacks make an easy option for filling up those baskets. Here are a few candy – alternative snacks you may want to include:
Baby puffs, yogurt melts, crisps, teething biscuits, fruit bars, and fruit pouches.
You can also fill Baby’s Easter Basket with some essential feeding supplies you already intend to stock up on.
Ducky Toddler Plate: These come in so many fun colors. They are made of silicone and suctions securely to any hard, flat surface.
Carrot Teething Toy: This teether is the right size for little hands, with built-in handles. It has the perfect textures to help with developmental growth while satisfying the baby’s need to soothe tender gums.
No matter how you choose to celebrate this holiday, you might find some items from this list that could be helpful to you. Let me know in the comments if you got anything from this list.
Are you wondering what to do with your baby for Valentine’s Day? I have never been too big on Valentine’s Day. The first year of their life is all about celebrating firsts, so even if you aren’t big on the holiday (like me) you can still do something simple to commemorate babies first Valentine’s Day. I get there is not much a little baby can do yet so keep things easy and simple. Has this ever stopped a mama from spoiling their little one?!
The age of your baby at Valentine’s Day is going to determine how much you’ll want to do for their first Valentine’s Day. This year I will have a 21 month old and a 2 month old baby.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Here are a few simple and easy ways to celebrate baby’s first Valentine’s Day.
Babies First Valentine’s Day Photo Ideas
This is a fun way to remember babies first Valentine’s Day plus you will get a lot of cute photos to love and share. This can be something simple that you do at home or you can go all out and book a Valentine’s Day special with a local photographer.
Either way you choose, you will make some beautiful memories to look back on. If you choose to do your photos ahead of time, you can even have them printed to share as Valentine’s day cards for the grandparents, family, and friends.
You can make your own simple backdrop using cut out hearts and string. Simply tape your hearts to a long piece of string and hang them on the wall. You could even use props like hearts or balloons or create a simple backdrop with a red or pink sheet. If you aren’t a DIYer, there is always amazon!
Baby Angel Wings: You can’t get much cuter then a baby dressed as cupid.
DIY Valentine’s Crafts
This could be a great time to create those baby handprint or footprint crafts you have been wanting to make. You could use some air dry clay or even just some paint and a blank canvas. Your family would love hanging it up on their walls.
You could turn this day into a fun Valentine’s Day Playdate. Make these Valentine’s Crafts with the little ones.
Stretched Canvas for painting: These are great for this Valentine’s Day Craft and to have in stock for any other crafts.
Acrylic Paint Set: This set is a great basic set to have in your craft closet for so many fun projects.
Crayola Air Dry Clay: I love this stuff for kids projects. You can make so many fun items quickly.
Baby’s First Valentine’s Day Outfit
There are so many cute Valentine’s themed outfits. Get them decked out in hearts, kisses, pinks, and reds.
I love giving books for every holiday. I will celebrate everything with some new books. It is one of the best presents because we continue to get repeated use out of them.
Write a love letter to your little sweetheart. Obviously your little one can’t quite read yet but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like to one day. I have been curating a time capsule keepsake where I store all of the sweet memories for my kids.
Your baby may not understand the concept of Valentine’s Day, but they will still feel the love and affection you show them through your actions and words.
Start a Family Tradition
Even though your baby won’t remember their first Valentine’s Day, you can still start a tradition of celebrating the holiday together as a family.
Create a themed meal or snack. You could make heart-shaped pancakes or sandwiches. You could decorate with food coloring or fun frosting.
Create Lasting Memories
Your baby will not have memories of their first Valentine’s Day, but you can still make it a special occasion that won’t be forgotten. You can take photos or videos, write in a journal, or create a unique keepsake to remember the day by.
What are some things to consider when planning a Valentine’s Day Activity with your baby?
Choose Age-Appropriate Activities and Toys: It’s important to choose activities and toys that are appropriate for your baby’s age and developmental level.
Consider your baby’s interests and preferences: Think about what your baby enjoys and plan your Valentine’s Day activities accordingly. If your baby loves music, you might want to plan a sing-along or dance party.
Keep Activities Short and Focused: Babies have short attention spans, so it’s a good idea to keep activities short and focused.
Plan for breaks and naps: Don’t forget to plan for breaks and naps if your baby is still young. You might want to schedule your Valentine’s Day activities around your baby’s normal routine or plan for some quiet, restful activities in between more active ones.
Be Flexible: Be prepared to be flexible with your plans. Your baby’s mood and needs may change, so it’s important to be adaptable.
My final thoughts on baby’s first valentine’s day celebration
There are so many fun ways to celebrate Valetine’s Day with your baby. You can create special meals and snacks or even make fun crafts. There is something for every interest and preference. Don’t be afraid to have fun and enjoy this special time with your little one.
Go ahead and show your little one some love on this special day and create memories that you’ll both treasure for years to come.
Check out these extra items for more gifts or your baby’s first valentine’s day.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon, and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
The Holiday Season is here! It’s time to embrace old traditions and start some new ones for yourself and your friends. You should host Friendsgiving! What is a Friendsgiving Party? It is exactly what it sounds like: Thanksgiving with your friends.
It is often held on a day other than Thanksgiving but can be the main event for those who don’t have a family dinner to attend on actual Thanksgiving. To host the perfect Friendsgiving, you can either embrace a traditional dinner style held during the afternoon or a party style held in the evening. Either way, your Friendsgiving will be a crowd pleaser with your close friends. Why not make it an all-day event. Guests can arrive to the hosts house by around 11am. Eat appetizers and sip wine, talk and play games while the turkey finishes cooking.
Even though hosting anyone at your house causes a little stress, these ideas are meant to keep things fun and easy so you can enjoy yourself too. BONUS: Most of these tips work for celebrating Thanksgiving too!
How Do You Host a Friendsgiving?
Usually, the Host will cook the turkey and whatever else they choose, while everyone else brings a side dish or dessert to share.
LOCATION
Make sure to pick a location with a big table and kitchen. Whether you have five friends or 15, choosing the perfect location is crucial. Make sure you have plenty of room for all guests and the food of course. This should definitely be the first step of your planning.
INVITATIONS
Send out some form of an invitation. You can mail out invitations on a holiday themed card or send out an E-vite to all of your besties. For a less traditional route, make a group text of Facebook group with all of your friends to get the word out.
PLAN AHEAD
No matter how much time I give myself to get prepared the day of a party, I’m always way less stressed if I’ve done most of the work the day before. Make a plan to do the work ahead of time. The only thing I’ll leave until the day of the party is the food prep for whatever part of the meal, I’m in charge of that can’t be done ahead of time. By getting the majority of the to-do list out of the way, when the stress level is low, you’re setting yourself up for success.
No matter how elaborate the plans are in your head, nobody else knows what you set out to do. Life gets in the way and and sometimes keeping things simple truly is the best way to ensure that you have success.
THE FOOD
Consider having a potluck. A potluck is a way to make everyone feel included and take some of the pressure off of you. Spend a minute doing a little organization to make sure you don’t end up with 14 pies. When someone only has to bring one or two things, they tend to pull out all the stops and make delicious dishes. This could be the key to having a stress-free Friendsgiving party. Trust me, your friends won’t mind bringing a dish and it will save you so much time/money. If you have a friend that maybe isn’t into cooking, just have them bring a pie they can get at the grocery store.
Party Tip: Be prepared to share your recipes with the others so they can add it to their holiday menu. Print out a few copies beforehand so you can hand them out.
Hostess Tip: Have some disposable containers on hand so guests can take home leftovers for lunch the next day.
Gold and White Disposable Plateware: These are a great in-between of paper products and your fancy dishes. It includes, dinner plates, salad plates, and utensils.
This is the easiest way to serve food because people can just get up and get more food when they’re ready. Set up a table that is specifically for all the food. It works out great.
Set up a Drink Station
A serve-yourself drink station is such a great idea. People are happy when they have something to sip on, so make it super easy for them.
Pick out your best Friendsgiving outfit. The holidays are all about spending time with loved ones while dressing warm and cute. Pull out that cozy sweater and leggings for that friend group photo. For bonus points, organize a theme with your friends so that you have a consistent color palette in photos. Try wearing warm fall colors or jewel tones.
DECOR
Make your home festive with decor. Who says you can’t go all out when you Host a Friendsgiving?
Wool Felt Ball Garland: This garland is so simple and will add a little something extra to your decor.
Tassel Garland: These colors are great for a Friendsgiving party.
Gold Flameless Candles: These candles give a great look without having to burn an extra scent to clash with the yummy food.
Balloon Garland: Who doesn’t’ love a balloon arch? It makes this dinner feel more like a party.
PLAYLIST
When you host a Friendsgiving having music is key. Pick out a perfect playlist to get the holiday vibes going. Is it really a party without music.
CAPTURING THE MEMORIES
Make lasting memories with your besties. Friendsgiving is an event where you can truly express to your friends how much they mean to you. Be sure to take pictures so you can reminisce in the years to come.
Usually, Friendsgiving guests come from your close friend group. But in case there are people who may be newer to the crowd, think about having a few activities to help break the ice.
Play a game of football. Our house is pretty small so getting at least some of the people outside from time to time keeps everything feeling a little less cramped. Plus, it’s fun to do something active.
Plan a game night. This is a great time to play with lots of people and have a chance to laugh and just enjoy each other’s company.
Organize a cleanup crew. Unfortunately, your delicious feast will come to an end at some point, and then it will be time to clean up. Divide and conquer amongst your friends so that cleanup is a quick and easy process. Make sure to wrap up all the leftovers and send some home with each guest.
After all of this fun, schedule what you need to Host a Friendsgiving next year. Even though Friendsgiving may be over for this year, you can start planning out next year’s event to make it bigger and better.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). The commission will help fund my coffee drinking habit. You find cool new stuff on amazon and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.
Halloween starts off the Holiday Season. This means all of the fun family movie nights can start. This is such a fun tradition to start with your family and friends this year. One thing I love about being a mom now, is I get to enjoy all of the fun holiday things with a little boy that sees all the magic for the first time. This is my favorite time of year, and I cannot wait to celebrate. There are so many fun ways to take your Halloween Movie Night to the next level. Follow these steps to put together the Ultimate Halloween Movie Party.
Set the Scene-Halloween Style
The first step of setting up any party scene is to set the mood. Decorate!! You can decorate your home for Halloween without spending too much money. You can also pick up some inexpensive Halloween tableware to use for your movie night snacks.
Halloween Decor
Fake Spider Web: You can use fake spider webs all over for Halloween Decor. It is one of my favorites when decorating for the holiday.
Get the Room Ready for Halloween Movie Night
Whenever you are entertaining, you don’t have to keep your furniture in the same spot it is every day. Move your couch back and add pillows and blankets to the floor. Create a fun new space for your party. You could dress up your space with a scary theme or merge your fall decor with Halloween decor.
Bonus Tip: You can head outside for your Movie night. Get a projector and a white screen. Use your lawn chairs, pillows, and blankets. Spread them all over the yard. There are many ways you can decorate your space for an outdoor movie night with a Halloween theme.
Outside Decor
Home Theater Projector: What a great deal! You will have the freedom to set up movies inside or outside your home.
Inflatable Blow up Movie Projector Screen: This screen is great for indoor and outdoor. You can blow it up in a few minutes and it can stay inflated throughout the movie while plugged in.
Get popcorn, candy, and set up a concession stand. They are must haves at a movie night. You can offer some appetizers for parents and some finger foods for kids. Keep in simple and focus on the snacks. Serve your popcorn in a witch’s cauldron!
Bonus Tip: A fun option is to create Halloween Movie Buckets. Instead of having everyone standing around near the food, they each have their own movie buckets. How fun would this idea be for little kids. They can load up all of their favorite items onto their own tray.
Some fun ideas to add to the Halloween Movie Buckets would be Halloween stickers, pencils and other goodies.
Halloween Food and Snacks
Glow in the dark Halloween cups: These are perfect for a movie night. You can use them outside or inside with the lights off. HOW FUN?!
Halloween Dinnerware Set: This set serves 16 guests. It includes 9 inch paper plates, 7 inch paper plates, paper napkins, 9 oz paper cups, and paper straws.
Plastic Syringe: These would be so fun for taking shots or fun drinks.
Popcornopolis Gourmet Popcorn Snacks: These are great for a party. They come in a pack of 12 Variety Snack Packs. They include Zebra Popcorn, Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, Caramel Popcorn, and Kettle Corn Popcorn.
Halloween Candy Buckets: These mini candy buckets have Halloween elements like black cats, skulls, Jack o Lanterns and more. They are compact and really cute for your candy set up.
Movie Choices
Make sure to keep the Movie choices fun and not scary. No Parent wants to go to a party and come home with a child who will no longer sleep in their own bed. With the number of streaming services now, it is super easy to find Halloween movies to watch. You can even check out the lists I created for you.
For younger children:
Casper
Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Curious George – A Halloween Adventure
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
For older children:
Hocus Pocus 1 and 2
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Goosebumps
Ghostbusters
Harry Potter
Halloween Town
Check out Halloween Movies and Shows from all your Streaming Devices Here!
Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind for entertaining:
When possible, make sure to set up multiple snack stations. This will help reduce guests all staying in the same area.
Space out seats across your yard or living room. Make sure to give everyone plenty of space to relax.
If it’s a little colder out, encourage guests to bring jackets and their blankets.
Putting something together that is cute doesn’t have to take a ton of effort. For the kids, getting to invite some friends over for treats and a movie will make them feel special. What a total win!
Check out our Halloween Bucket List here and get Halloween Movie Night checked off your list.
