K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Stupid. I first saw this phrase in school. I think it was school. I'm pretty sure it was school because I remember it written on a blackboard. Or was that on T.V.? Maybe on school on T.V.? Wait, was it at Eastland Academy? Was I in class with Blair, Joe, Natalie and Tootie? OK, my heads spinning a bit -- I'll have to sort that out later.

But just the other day, one of the staffers schooled me on the beauty of simplicity (A concept I struggle with -- can you say "Circus Party"?).

To mix it up a bit, two of the staffers attended a morning summer camp run by our town. Upon pick-up after the first day, our expert in pink, sparkles and little big-eyed animals, runs to me beaming.

"Look at this," she gasps as she thrusts a piece of plastic mesh with plastic lacing running through it. "It's a bookmark! This is the coolest craft I've ever done!" (I wince -- I'm so easily forgotten)

"Wow, that is super great!" I say convincingly. (Really? The coolest? What about my card weaving project? How quickly we forget "Put Your Cards On The Table Week".)

Later in the day, our lovely staffer has her friend over and shows her the bookmark. (Ok, here we go. I hope the lovely staffer doesn't get her feelings hurt...) "WOW, that is sooooo cool! Can I make one?" The two run off to create with some extra pieces of plastic lacing the camp sent home.

Huh, well what do you know. Something so simple can provide so much bliss. That is definitely a lesson learned. Although, I should have known this brilliant bookmark -- a monument to simplicity -- is the result of many summers of fine tuning. Plastic Lacing, or what we called "Gimp", is a Summer Camp staple. I myself remember working the Gimp at Camp Arrowhead back in the day.

So,if you can't beat em -- join em. This is our bookmark bounty from the craft store and it ran us $7.


We worked a few bookmarks ourselves and it is a great activity to do while you shoot the breeze. I got the 411 on the camp:

• The head counselor just got engaged



• The best person to push you on the tire swing is a third grader



• The girl with all the woven key chains is not a good listener



• The boys and girls bathrooms are kind of hard to tell part (There is more to that story)

Man, I miss Camp! I think this would be a great craft for a little girls birthday party. Or you could put together a craft kit to give as a favor.

Letting K.I.S.S. be my guide, I will stop here. There is really nothing else to say about this newly discovered craft -- it is simply perfect.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go look up Natalie and Tootie on Facebook and catch up on old times.

Ode to SimplySparkles

Hold it I feel a poem coming on ....

Today, I hit a new low.
A diaper let go of the flow.

On the road with a dipe M.I.A.,
Paper towels had to save the day.

And though I felt like a mess,
to see me no one would guess.

For my SimplySparkles earrings are so divine,
I LOOK like I have it together just fine.

As I mentioned in my post, Ode to Aqua Poppy Designs, I often feel
poetic when I feel intense joy and gratitude. Today my muse is SimplySparkles, a jewelry site on Esty for two reasons:

1. It provided me fabulous new earrings that have given the illusion I have my act together. (The compliments I received on a recent visit to school when I was groomed and wearing clothes -- not sweats, made me realize I needed to step it up a notch when it came to my appearance.)


2. It introduced me to Esty, this online marketplace of handmade goods. It is awesome! It has so many unique and personal items. Decorations, invitations, party favors, keepsakes -- I'm out of breath! And so reasonable -- I've seen similar things in cutesy boutiques for twice the price.

While on browsing Esty, I found a kindred spirit at Oh Sew Sweet Creations. There was a stuffed letter birthday banner that I had to have and in the description it says "Every Special Day deserves a little whimsy!" RIGHT ON! Although, I might just part with it for my first giveaway which will be revealed next week. (Wait for it...)

Now, my fabulous earrings and I are going to go fold some laundry.

Eureka! We have Snake Party Blowers!

We did it! The staff and I struggled with this one, but we finally have success! We have created a Snake Party Blower. We had a few different models. Our favorite is the color your own snake -- it allows for maximum creativity. So, if anyone is interested in a template of this, let me know. This isn't the DaVinci Code, you could probably figure this out yourself. But, we are still pretty proud of ourselves and more than willing to share.

Finally, I have to say that you don't always have to wait for a party for some of these party crafts. The staff worked on this while I made dinner and it was blissssssssssss!

Party Favors That Leap Off The Page

I had the pleasure of being a surprise guest reader for a preschool class this past week. I thought this would be a great opportunity to test a party favor as well. I saw this Elephant party blower craft on the Family Fun website a while ago and have been itching to try it.
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11434

Now, I did make a few adjustments. I didn't use craft foam. I'm sure it is sturdier, but I was making 20 of these cuties and cutting craft foam is a bit more involved. Instead, I used construction paper. And with the help of my printer/fax/copier combo, I was able to make quick work of this. You can fit two templates on a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, so that speeds up the process as well.

The most time-consuming bit is cutting them out. But, it is the perfect activity to half-watch T.V. I finished off with self-stick google eyes and Dollar Store party blowers. Three episodes of Paranormal State later -- I was done.

Oh, but what about the book?! Well, I chose Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young, which has really bold, colorful images. It is about seven blind mice that encounter "something". Each goes to explore and comes back with an idea of what it is. In the end, the different parts turn out to be an....ELEPHANT (cue the trumpeting elephants). So, I pull out my elephant party blowers and pass them around. And I am like a ROCK STAR!!!!! (It is about the kids isn't it? This one is a toss up.)

Of note, I used noiseless party blowers. They are cheaper at the Dollar Store and I have a thing about giving noisemakers to the little ones. To me, that is like giving matches to a pyromaniac. I once went to a Birthday Party where the pinata was filled with candy and an assortment of whistles. That would be the equivalent of gasoline and matches.

But, I digress...

The staff and I were so enamored by these pack of pachyderms. We were inspired to try something on our own. We thought frogs would work very well with the party blowers. So, here is what we came up with.



There is an opportunity for kids to personalize these and take some ownership. You could give them the paper cut out and let them color it or add sticker dots for spots as well as the eyes. You will have to help thread the party blower through. I know my staff loves to add their own personal touch to things.


The perfect book pairing for our blowers is The Wide Mouth Frog by Keith Faulkner. It is a pop-up book that starts with a wide mouth frog that eats flies. It meets other animals who tell it what they eat, ending with a alligator that says it eats wide mouth frogs. The frog makes a big wet exit -- SPLASH! This book is a sure thing.

The staff and I believe a snake would be another ideal party blower pairing, but we haven't worked out the logistics. When we do, you all will be the first to know.

Have some great book suggestions, let's check them out!

You say it's your birthday. It's my Birthday too, yeah

What do Janet Jackson and the Party MOMster have in common?

Besides an unfortunate wardrobe incident (All I will say about mine is a tricky pair of pantyhose, a clingy skirt and a revealing walk back to my cubicle from the bathroom), we both just celebrated our Birthdays!

And I had a great Birthday, the Party MOMster staff really knows their stuff! What a great surprise to find the Chair of Honor greet me when I came down for Breakfast. So, it has been fully tested and a big thumbs up!

But, an early Birthday present was my first post from someone that is not related to me. WHOO! WHOO! I've been discovered. And this post includes a coupon from Oriental Trading which I am no stranger to. So, thank you, you really made my day. http://partymomster.blogspot.com/2009/05/balloons-with-attitude.html

Because of the Oriental Trading reference, I am reminded of a recent party theme that was greatly enhanced by Oriental Trading. We recently had a Polar Party in March. What I loved most about this idea is that we got many of the "wintry items" discounted because it was almost spring! We ordered tissue paper snowflakes, icicle banners, penguin bubbles, etc.

We had so many leftovers that I made mini-treat bags for a classroom celebration. Since these often go into the backpacks with no explanation, I made a little card that went with it. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent. They don't need the burden of celebrity. I did get a post from my vast viewing public didn't I?)
Another Polar Party element was special cupcakes. We made Polar Bear cupcakes using golden Oreos for the ears (cut in half was too big -- a half of a half worked better), half a Hershey Kiss and two chocolate chips. Is anyone really surprised I have a cupcake display stand?

Wow, this post has a little of everything. I think I'm still on a Birthday high. Thanks again for the comment! Keep Partying!

May Flower Favor

I was in Target the the other week and they had these little (like micro) flowerpots with seeds and dirt pellet for a dollar. Now, the Party MOMster is itching for Spring. It was a long cold (sick) winter and April was pretty rainy. So, growing flowers seemed like a fitting activity to get us to where we want to be: Spring. The Party MOMster staff was very receptive to the idea. Growing flowers from seeds is so earthy and educational -- bonus. Wouldn't these make great party favors?

So, as with many of our ideas, we test them. The Zinnias and Marigolds have taken off like gangbusters. The dwarf sunflower was off to a slower start, but we have sprouts. The red peppers have shown no activity it's been over a week -- we are not counting them out. But, if we were counting on the peppers to hold the staff's attention, Party MOMster would be watering dirt on her own by now.

But, you may say "These don't really go with my theme." (OK, this may not have even entered your mind. If it did, you are just as scary as me!) And I say, "It is all in the presentation." You add a card with a sweet message (Thanks for making me feel special for my Birthday. I could not have picked a better Friend) in your party colors and you are TIGHT! Here are some examples...

If anyone does this party favor or has done this party favor, please share. I unfortunately don't have any May Birthday Parties except my own (less than a week away!) I must say the Party MOMster staff has been a bit secretive lately -- it is either for my Birthday or a revolt.

Staff Tested Party Favors

The Party MOMster staff (they work for graham crackers) and I were inspired by a paper towel tube to make party favors. These favors are easy to make with any cardboard tube (each is half a paper towel roll) and tissue paper to start and then the skies the limit. We tried to make them without the tube -- just rolling construction paper and tissue paper -- it's trickier to make and not very sturdy. So, stockpile your cardboard tubes.

Just remember that there is a very special formula when you are making many party favors -- if you are making a lot, then keep each one simple. (This is a painful lesson learned one Valentine's Day when making cards for a class of 25) But, as my staff can show you from these prototypes; there are many possibilities and they had fun doing these. Depending on your staff's experience level, you may want to do the wrapping and they can add the bling factor.

And from extensive testing (we tried shoving a lot of different things in a tube), we came up with a list of things that you could put inside for party favors: wrapped candy, crayons, stickers, lollipops, Pez dispenser, plastic beaded necklaces, bracelets, rings, barrettes, chapstick, matchbox cars (many not all sizes fit) and Littlest Pet Shop Character.

These favors work on many levels. Aesthetically, you can tie your favor in with your theme, like the Littlest Pet Shop -- just by using wrapping paper or stickers. And they look super special. On the practical side, because the doo-dads are hidden, you don't have kids pulling them out right away and comparing -- "Oh, I wanted a blue one" -- which often happens when you don't get absolutely the same thing for everybody.

Finally, having kids help with any party preparations is a great idea. I feel it teaches generosity. Your mission is, of course, to make the Guest of Honor feel special, but you also want the party goers to have fun and enjoy themselves. For the Party MOMster, the ultimate goal is for everyone to walk away from the celebration feeling good.

Any favor tips or ideas, bring 'em on.