{Party Recap} Ooh La La Spa

It has been quite a while since this event occurred, but I wanted to finally share photos of the Ooh La La Spa party I hosted at Cannonsburg Elementary School this past Spring. 

A friend of mine from high school was an extraordinary 3rd grade teacher at the Rockford, MI elementary school.  I am sure that she is just as extraordinary at her new school in Wyoming :) .  Each year, the teachers at Cannonsburg go the extra mile and create "teacher experiences" to put up for auction for parents to bid on, with the money going towards the school.  Such experiences include: Principal for the Day, Lunch with a Teacher, etc.  I teamed up with Ms. Koster to auction off one of my spa parties.  The winning child got to invite a group of her friends for an after school event held in the Teacher's Lounge.

The girls were treated to manicures and facials by Ms. Koster and myself.  The girls relaxed on the couches and read tween magazines and enjoyed cupcakes and kiddie cocktails (sprite with maraschino cherries).  For a craft, the girls created their own shimmer lotions, choosing the color, scent, and shimmer.  In addition to the lotion, the girls took home goody bags filled with manicure kits and sleep masks. 

Thanks to Ms. Koster (or Erika, as I know her) for letting me be a part of this fun event to raise money for their school.  I had a great time getting to know all the girls!

Get Creative and Save $$ with DIY Pinatas!

photo via www.birthdayexpress.com

Piñatas have always been a children’s birthday party staple. Children squeal in delight while holding their goodie bags, waiting for that one big whack of the bat to burst open the piñata and shower them with candy and prizes.

Party stores typically sell empty piñatas for around $18-20. Candy and prizes can cost about $10-12, turning a 10 minute activity into a $30 game. If you want to save some money and are up for a craft project, you can create your own piñata for a LOT less.

photo via www.birthdayexpress.com

Pull-string piñatas are becoming more and more popular because they are easier for young children and can be used indoors. I like them better because no one accidentally gets whacked with a bat!

Each child takes turns pulling on a string. One string is attached to a trap door of sorts that opens and spills the goodies. All the other strings just pull out. Because the structure of the piñata does not break with the pull-string variety, you can just use standard cardboard boxes of different sizes to create a unique piñata base. No messy paper paste and newspaper strips needed! Anything from postal boxes, cereal boxes, oatmeal canisters and more can be used. Easy ideas that come to mind are: castles (a rectangle box to fill with candy and circular oatmeal or formula cans to create turrets), Sponge bob (a big rectangle), etc.

Paper mache boxes in different shapes and sizes can be found at craft stores (like Hobby Lobby) and decorated with tissue papers and other odds n’ ends to make a custom piñata for your little one.

Is your child having a licensed character-themed shindig? Decorate a circular piñata with color-coordinating crepe paper, then glue on a circular character paper plate to both sides for a character piñata at a fraction of the price!

photo via www.birthdaydirect.com

I found a lot of instructions online on how to make your own piñatas, some good, some not so good. Take a look at some of them and consider doing it for your child’s next party:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2215951_decorate-tissue-paper-pinata.html

http://blog.giddygiddy.com/giddygiddy/2010/10/diy-pinata.html

http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2011/06/how-to-make-a-pinata/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/890519/how_to_make_a_cereal_box_pinata.html?cat=25

http://party.tipjunkie.com/diy-minnie-mouse-pinata-mickey-mouse-clubhouse/