Category: Holidays

Astonishingly, Star Wars: The Force Awakens made approximately $238 million during its opening weekend!

So it’s not surprising Star Wars is a favorite theme for parties! Whether you’re a die-hard fan, or you’re kids are- here are some fabulous star wars party ideas that we’re sure you’ll love.

Star Wars Invitation Ideas

It’s always best to start at the beginning, and there wouldn’t be a party unless you invited your guests!

If you have the time, we recommend making one of these fun star wars themed invites.

Lightsabers

For this design, all you need is an average size piece of white cardstock. Just cut it out into the shape of a lightsaber, and color the handle grey and the beam bright blue or green.

Then, print your party details using a silver marker on the beam. The silver stands out well against the bright colors and always fits in with sci-fi themes.

Picture Collage

Create a picture collage on a Word Document of your favorite Star Wars stills. On the second page insert, the details of your party.

Now, you can print your invites out- just make sure they’re double-sided.

This ensures your pictures are on the front and the party info is on the back!

Fun Masks

This one’s our favorite style of invite! Simply, punch a hole in the corner of your chosen form of invite and then attach it to a Star Wars-themed mask. This would also work for T-shirts.

For ideas, be sure to check out these t shirts for some inspiration!

Be sure to add on the invitations that your guests have to wear the masks to your party!

Star Wars Party Food Ideas

No party’s complete without food. Check out these on-theme delectables:

Edible Lightsabers

Grab a bag of large pretzel rods and cover three-quarters of each rod in either green, blue or red frosting. These look surprisingly authentic!

Jedi Jell-O

Make your favorite Jell-O flavor, once it’s cooled use Star Wars shaped cookie cutters to cut out your Jell-O. This treat always goes down well!

Ewok Food

This idea’s excellent if you’re short on time. Simply, rename trail mix as Ewok Food. Be sure to print out a label so your guests get it!

For more Star Wars party ideas, check this out!

Create Lightsaber Napkins

These are super easy to do, yet they’re really effective. All you need to do is to purchase block colored blue, green, and red napkins.

Then, Google ‘free lightsaber handle napkin printables’. When you find a design you like, print as many as you need. Cut them as required and wrap them around the napkin as necessary- secure with tape!

Then voila you have mini lightsaber napkins- super cute!

Did You Enjoy These Star Wars Party Ideas?

If you loved this article as much as we did writing it, then we’re confident you’ll enjoy the other features on my blog.

Be sure to type ‘party’ into the search bar, and then loads of other party ideas, hints, and tips will pop up.

Alternatively, if you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please feel free to reach out and contact me. I love hearing from readers- speak soon!

If bowling’s your thing, why not throw yourself a bowling birthday party?

It was great fun when you were a kid. It can be even more fun as an adult!

And don’t think it has to cost a lot of money. It’s not uncommon for bowling party invitations to include a flat contribution to offset the cost of renting the lanes.

Will that reduce the fun? No. Like any party, it’s people having fun that makes it or breaks it.

With a bowling party, the key is to help party-goers know what to expect and feel comfortable. Especially anyone who hasn’t bowled in a while. Or ever.

All you need is a theme. The rest will fall into place. From the paper or electronic invitation, food served, recommended style of dress, and decorations, you’ll have an easy plan for throwing a memorable party.

To get you rolling, here are a few bowling birthday party ideas and tips.

Retro

What’s your favorite bowling era?

Is it the 1940s and 50s, which many people consider the golden age of bowling?

If so, asks guests to dress in poodle skirts and sweater sets (for the gals) or casual trousers and button-down shirts (for the guys). Serve burgers, soda in bottles, and traditional french fries. Offer yo-yos or hula hoops as prizes for a top score or player most likely to improve.

If the 70s are more your scene, break out the disco ball!

Encourage guests to wear their best spandex and platform shoes. See your favorite venue has a neon or psychedelic night, which would be perfect for your 70s bowling birthday party. Have prizes of pet rocks and macrame plant hangers.

Or maybe The Big Lebowski is more your style.

In that case, send invitations that incorporate The Dude. Ask everyone to wear their best (or rattiest) bathrobes. Make sure that canned tuna is the menu and beverage options include white Russians.

Milestone Birthdays

Will your bowling party be a celebration of a milestone like sweet 16 or the big 5-0? There are lots of ways to underscore the milestone.

If you’re throwing the party for someone else, give the guest of honor a bowling shirt with their age incorporated in name embroidered on the front.

Offer a prize to the first player to get the exact score that represents the age being celebrated.

Friendly Competition

An appealing aspect of bowling is that it can be a relaxed, friendly game or be fierce and competitive. A successful birthday bowling party strikes a balance between the two.

To keep things light and party-like, design the teams like you would seat people for a dinner party. Place couples or BFFs on different teams. Mix high-scorers with novices. If you have some intense players, don’t put them all one team.

Give prizes at the end of each game instead of a “best of” series.

Most people’s interest and energy wane after three games. Keep things lively by rearranging the teams after each game.

Don’t play elimination style. The point of a bowling birthday party is to bowl, not sit on the sidelines watching other people bowl. Nothing can make the party fall apart faster than dividing guests into camps of active and inactive participants.

At several points during play, remind people that it’s a friendly game. You know which of your guests is competitive. Do what you can, as host, to not let their intensity spoil the fun for others.

Special Rules

One way to take a birthday bowling party up a notch is to implement unusual rules. You can apply them to the whole game or specific frames. It’s a great way to break the ice and level the playing field if guests have different skill levels.

For the best outcome, keep special rules simple to understand and follow. A few suggestions are:

• Odd frames are played right-handed while even frames are played left-handed
• Players must dance, never walk, toward the foul line
• Players predict which pins they’ll knock down before they throw the ball
• Sitting at the foul line and pushing the ball down the lane (This one might work best toward the end of the party!)

Give them a try.

Make It Easy

You might be a bowling enthusiast with frequent shopper status with equipment retailers like BowlingShoes. But some of the people who want to go to your bowling birthday party might not be so familiar with the game.

Make it easy for newbies or the less confident among your guests to enjoy the game. Offer links to the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) page with video tutorials. Remind them to wear comfortable clothes and wear or bring socks to wear with rented bowling shoes.

At the start of the party, outline if you’ll be using any unique rules for the game. And offer all kinds of prizes to encourage skilled and novice players alike.

Give people time to find the right ball in terms of weight. Help newbies understand how their choice could affect speed and control, not to mention hand and arm muscles they probably didn’t know they had!

The Bowling Birthday Party Invitation

Invitations do more than tell people when and where the party is. They also set expectations.

With bowling parties, there are aspects that differ from your ordinary kind of party.

For example, make it clear on the invitation that guests don’t have to be expert bowlers to attend. Keep the tone light to reinforce that it’s about having fun, not perfecting one’s game.

There’s an additional way to reinforce the expectation that everyone is welcome. Ask people to state their bowling comfort level when RSVPing ‘yes’. Keep it fun and simple with three choices such as Total Beginner, Know My Way Around the Lane, Bowling Is My Life’s Purpose.

If you need contributions to make renting the venue affordable, say so in the invitation. Give people three options such as $10, $20, $30 per person to not exclude anyone.

Also, tell people how to get the money to you. Electronic transfers and cash at the event are the two most common ways.

At the Party

A final tip about bowling parties is to focus more on the people than the game. Mingling and chatting between frames doesn’t cost anything extra. Yet, it boosts the value of the experience for everyone.

Now that you know how to throw a great bowling party, there only one thing left to. Get ready to have fun!

For other frugal living ideas, check out more blog posts!

Are you ready for the Christmas season?

Worried you won’t have room for all of your child’s new toys?

It can be difficult finding room for new toys when your home is already full of them. While it may be time to donate or get rid of some of your child’s older toys, some toys may be difficult to get rid of.

If you’re trying to prepare for the Christmas season you’re going to want to improve the way you use your space. Luckily, these five tips will help you master the art of toy storage once and for all.

1. Love Those Labels to Improve Toy Storage

You may already have plenty of toy containers and boxes around your home. You may even sort different types of toys into different boxes. But are they labeled?

Labeling your storage boxes can really seal the deal and make things much easier for you and your children when it’s cleanup time. By clearly marking a box as “Legos” or as “Barbies” the process of cleanup will be much easier and simpler.

You may want to use printed labels, creative labels written with crayon, or simply a picture which signifies the category. Whatever you choose, a well-used labeling system can really help to facilitate the cleanup process and keep things more organized.

2. Don’t Leave Room for Monsters Under the Bed

If you find that you’re running out of room in the closet or other areas you may want to consider storing a few boxes under the bed.

While under the bed storage can often be a haphazard mess, you may consider getting a bit more organized with it.

Use DIY storage bins with wheels or add in a custom, short set of drawers to maximize your use of this space and keep it organized.

3. Dual-Purpose Furniture is Your Friend

When you find that you have too many toys around the house, it’s an excellent time to start looking around for new solutions.

Many types of furniture exist that can help with your storage needs. Dual-purpose furniture can provide extra storage space while also serving another needed function in your home.

Chairs that have hidden compartments or ottomans with storage space inside can all be lifesavers when it comes to decluttering your home.

4. Shelves Aren’t Just For Elves

You may also consider finding ways to display your toys on shelves. An entire bookshelf dedicated to your child’s books or to several types of toys can be a great addition to your child’s room or another area of the home.

With the proper setup, this can actually have a very stylish look and allow your child’s most popular toys to never be out of sight or too far out of reach.

If you have extra space on a normal bookshelf, you can also add a space for a few select toys or stuffed animals along with those encyclopedias and dictionaries.

5. Worst Case? Rent Some Extra Storage Space

If you simply don’t have enough space in your home, you may be in a really tight spot. You or your child may not be ready to part with some of those old favorites for good. In this case, you should consider using self storage services.

With your own storage space, you will have plenty of room for any toys you need to set aside for a while, without being forced into taking them to the thrift store before you or your child is ready.

Final Thoughts

Creating some new storage solutions in your home is an excellent idea and can be a big part of keeping a clean house. However, don’t forget that the best way to keep things tidy is to develop consistent toy storage habits and routines.

Your kids need to know to put their toys away when they’re done playing. They also need to know where everything goes.

By creating a good system and organizing things well on your end, things will be much easier for your child as well. They can easily follow in your organized, tidy footsteps.

Looking for more tips on making your home cleaner and more organized? Click here to read more of our cleaning tips and tricks.

It’s that time of year again.

There’s a chill in the air. The days are growing shorter.

And everywhere you turn candy is available in industrial size bags.

There’s only one thing left to figure out — Halloween costumes for the kids.

The problem is there are so many choices!

For the past couple of years, Americans have spent nearly $3 billion annually on Halloween costumes and almost $8 billion total each year on the holiday.

That’s billion with a B.

Ready to join the masses on the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume?

Keep reading for a closer look at how to find the best Halloween costumes for kids.

Let Them Help

We’ve all been there.

You’ve picked out something for your kids, thinking they’ll love it–a toy they’ll love for life or an outfit they’ll never want to take off.

But their reaction was… somewhat different.

When looking for costumes for your kids, don’t forget that they have minds of their own.

If you don’t want to give them complete free-reign here, then give them a couple choices and let them decide.

Keep Them Safe

Many Halloween costumes for kids are made with somewhat questionable materials and quality–especially some of the choices at the lower end of the budget spectrum.

Make sure your kid’s costumes meet basic safety standards, like being flame-resistant and don’t present choking hazards.

It’s also a good idea to make sure costumes fit properly and are bright enough for your kids to be seen on dark streets and other areas.

Make sure your kids can see also and that no part of their costume blocks their eyes.

Be Smart When Picking Halloween Costumes for Kids

Like we saw above, the costume industry is doing quite well. It’s easy to spend a small fortune on a costume if you’re not careful.

Retailers know this.

That’s why they stock out their shelves with costumes months in advance.

So if you want a nice costume for your kids, start your shopping early and be sure to look online, especially if you want something popular like Star Wars costumes.

Because who doesn’t like to find a good deal?

Be Original

Halloween is such a fun season, why choose a boring costume?

This is the perfect time to really let your kid’s personality shine. Don’t be afraid to let them choose something a little outlandish.

Getting a little crafty and going with a DIY costume is always fun too, even if you just make part of it and buy the rest.

Don’t Throw Comfort Out the Window

Don’t forget that your kids actually have to wear the costume.

If it’s going to be cold, make sure your kids will be warm enough in the costume or can comfortably wear a coat with it.

Picking something that’s not too uncomfortable is a good idea also. If your kid is uncomfortable after 10 minutes, they’re not going to have a fun night.

Putting It All Together

Now that you’re an expert on Halloween costumes for kids, it’s time to get out there and find the right get-up (or get-ups).

Already have a costume picked out? Still looking for ideas?

Let us know what you’re doing for costumes in the comments.

Is your daughter about to turn 16?

She might imagine stretch limos and pop stars at her party, complete with 200 of her closest friends.

You as a parent probably have a more realistic vision. You certainly want to celebrate her big day in style, but you don’t want to break the bank doing it.

Don’t worry. Planning an awesome sweet 16 party doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a little research and creativity, you can throw a party she’ll remember forever.

Here are some tips for planning a sweet 16 party on a budget.

Prioritize

If you’re on a tight budget, a surprise party probably isn’t the way to go. A better option would be to sit down with your daughter and find out what’s most important to her.

Does she want a big guest list or just a few close friends? Would she like the party to be at home or a different venue? What type of food, music and decor does she want?

Depending on her preferences, you may be able to pick one area to splurge while saving in another. If you need help estimating costs, try downloading a free event budget template.

By talking openly about the party, you can plan an event that will thrill your daughter without draining your bank account.

Take Advantage of Technology

Back in the “good old days,” throwing a birthday party often meant hiring a professional photographer and a live DJ.

But this is 2017, and times have changed. All your daughter’s friends certainly have cell phones, and they’ll probably spend most of the night snapping selfies. Then everyone can upload their pictures to a photo-sharing site or a Cloud folder after the party.

There’s no need to spend money on a DJ, either. Have your daughter create a playlist of her favorite songs or use a streaming service like Pandora to pump music into the party.

Sweet 16 Party Invitations

In today’s age of electronics, traditional paper invitations are becoming a rare sight.

Impress your daughter (and her friends) by creating beautiful custom invitations for her sweet 16 party. Use fun scrolling fonts and bright colors to match the decor and festive spirit.

Not only will this turn the party into a proper event, but it makes a great memento for a scrapbook.

Get Crafty

For party planning on a budget, there’s no better way to save money than to roll up your sleeves and get creative.

Why order an expensive cake from the bakery when you could bake one yourself? Cupcakes are another popular, easy-to-make option.

Rather than ordering centerpieces from a florist, why not make a colorful “candy bouquet” instead? Cover a floral foam box with colorful wrapping paper and make a bouquet of lollipops and suckers. Pop it into a bright box with some tissue paper, and your centerpieces are good to go!

Party favors don’t have to break the bank, either. You could make up a batch of mint lemonade lip scrub for the girls to use during the party. Better yet, divvy it up for them to take home afterward.

With a little ingenuity, you can host an awesome sweet 16 party for your daughter. Check out my craft blogs for more great DIY ideas!