The Tres Amigos Playdate- Upcycled Birthday Party

When we realized that both Jessica and Gina had weddings to attend on the day of Bradley's Birthday Party, we were all so disappointed. After going through so much together during pregnancies, baby showers and births, it was a huge disappointment to all of us that they were not able to share in the excitement of Bradley turning one. When I realized it was my turn to host the next playdate, I decided to to plan a recycled birthday party theme for the week after his real birthday party. My goal was to re-create the Cookies and Milk/Cookie Monster theme through left over supplies from his party.

When I set the buffet table, I made sure to use many of the same items I saved from Bradley's party. I hang the Happy Birthday Bradley sign, that was made by my friend Heather at MyPartyPartners@comcast.net. I used the extra table clothes that we had left over from that party and made sure to display the Letter B that I made from cookie crisp cereal.  I also had extra got milk mini cups and straws so made sure to have vanilla, strawberry and chocolate milk. Then, I served bagels with egg, tuna and chicken salad as well as fruit and snacks for the kiddies. For dessert we of course had an assortment of COOKIES. Lastly, I made sure to save Mason and Luke the party favors which included the music clappers, Cookie Monster cake pops, and the got milk? Magic Straws .

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Activity 1: Monster Straw Art

You will need:
Washable Colored Paint
Straws
White Card Stock Paper
Googley Eyes (assortment of sizes)



Since I had tons of left over barbershop striped paper straws from his party, I wanted to make sure we used them for an activity. First, we took globs of paint and placed them on white card stock paper, then we used the straws to blow the paint around to make unique splattered designs. To incorporate the theme of cookie monster and his googly eyes, we placed different size googly eyes on each glob of paint to create friendly monsters. We all loved our finished product!

Activity 2: Recycled Fill and Spill Bank

You will need:
Empty Oatmeal Container or Baby Formula Container
Colored Card Stock Paper
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun

Ribbon (optional)

Stickers (optional)

Empty tops of baby jars (used as coins)



In sticking with the idea of recycled materials around the house, we made a fun toy for the babies to practice their hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. First we used a scissors to cut a slit on top of the container. (Depending on the age of each child, depends on the length and width of the slit you make.) Make sure you can place a baby jar top nicely inside without difficulty. Next, we glued card stock around the outside of the container and glued stickers and ribbon that was left over from the birthday party around the perimeter of the container for decoration. At around 8-12 months of age, kids start to love filling and spilling objects, this activity is perfect for that.

Looking forward to our next playdate at Gina's! 

Bradley's First Birthday: Part 1- Preplanning

In order to pull off a fantastic birthday bash, PLAN AHEAD!!! Like I always tell my 4th grade writing students, from beginning to end, DETAILS! DETAILS! DETAILS! are what matters in a story. Think of the party you plan the same way. From beginning to end, make sure to have all the details carefully planned out.


To start, pick a fun and creative theme! After brainstorming with one of my girlfriends, we decided on the milk and cookies theme. I then started googling hundreds of ideas. From cow theme ideas to 'got milk?' ideas and much more... I had so many ideas racing through my head, luckily, I had my handy Pinterest board to help me organize all my ideas. I then thought it would be a nice touch to have the Cookie Monster character make a visit. Next thing you knew, my theme blossomed. 


Isn't it funny how when you're not even looking for something, it just appears? That is what happened with the adorable shirt I found. It had cookies, milk and cookie monster. It tied everything together perfectly, which of course became part of my inspiration for the rest of the party. I then brought it to my seamstress and they embroidered the number 1 on the back to add a special touch for the birthday boy. 










Finding the perfect invitation is always important as it sets the tone for the party. I spent a lot of time searching for a fun invitation and when I finally did it took us a few tries to finally come up with the perfect combination. It was amazing what it became from what I originally saw. I had a wonderful experience with Stampin Crazy in Texas. To finish off my invitations, I wrote a poem and attached it to an envelope from our local Make-A-Wish Foundation asking friends and family to make donations in lieu of presents and gifts. A great website to help with this is ECHOage.com. I also always try to coordinate the postage stamps with the invitations, it's the little details that always add that special touch. 


One of my ideas I wanted to do early on was display my sons month-to-month pictures at his party. I had seen numerous creative ideas on Pinterest, such as photos shaped into a number one or a collage of pictures digitally shaped into the a family monogram, but I wasn't satisfied. I then came up with a larger then life idea... I had my brother draw and cut out a huge number one out of plywood. He then attached a hinge on the back with another piece of scrap wood so that it would sit nicely when it was on display at the entrance of Bradley's party. 

After trying many different ways to organize the pictures, I finally decided to cover the number one with blue scrapbook paper, then I cut around the pictures so that they would be different sizes and shapes. Lastly, I cut words out of baby magazines that represented my son. Once I placed everything where I thought it should go, I used glossy decoupage with a small sponge brush to cover over the entire number one and let it dry over night. The next morning, I took thick ribbon and used a hot glue gun to attach it around the perimeter of the number one. It was a beautiful touch to the party and I had a so much fun making it. 

Below are some helpful tips and hints 

to make your planning process easy and organized: 

Contact local vendors that might incorporate your theme. You never know what they can send to you for FREE or even discounted. I contacted milkdelivers.org and was able to get The School Milk Mustache Photo Booth Kit sent to me. This included tons of items that I was able to use such as got milk signs, cups, and much more that were incorporated throughout the party.

I also went on etsy.com early on in the planning process and bought blue and red barbershop striped straws and plastic milk jugs that I used for the centerpieces. 

If you do not do your party at your house, find a venue early on and book a date. If you are doing a party outside, make sure to always have a plan B for weather. 

Remember to choose a theme early on so that you can keep your eyes and ears open where ever you go. You just never know what you will find. I was at a toy store and saw got milk? magic straws at the register. Once I saw those I knew they were a must have for Bradley's party. 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!