Summer Bug Party

Summer Bug Party
by Poppie

I am not a bug person.  In fact, if it was up to me, bugs would be eliminated from my life forever, with the exception of butterflies since they are pretty and don’t bother me.  My kids, however, do not share my sediments towards these small (or in some cases big) creatures.  They love to dig in the dirt or look under a rock to find different bugs.  And of course, they have to show me their find; which despite my queasiness, I smile and say, “That’s great, hun!”

Needing a summer party idea that hadn’t been done before, I decided to put aside my feelings and have a Summer Bug Party.  It’s an easy party to do and works for all ages and genders.  It can also be tweaked into a great children’s birthday theme as well.

I wanted the decorations to create that summer picnic ambience.  First I hung some danglers with assorted types of bugs on the end.  I used a gingham table cover and napkins and placed little plastic bugs all over the table. I put utensils and napkins in a picnic basket and added a butterfly to it.   As a snack, I put out “ants on a log” which is celery, peanut butter, and raisins.

As the kids arrived, I gave each child antennas instead of a party hat along with some bug eyeglasses so they could see like a bug.  Each child also received a sheet of stickers with lady bugs on them to decorate a poster my children had made announcing our Summer Bug Party theme.

As a party favor I filled ice cube trays with water and placed a toy bug in each cube, then let them freeze overnight.  The next day, we added one bug ice cube to the kids’ drinks along with regular ice cubes.  I added a butterfly straw to each drink as well.  The kids enjoyed the “surprise” in their drink and got some neat take home gifts as well.  You can also buy readymade fake bug cubes as well and strategically place where you would like.

I wanted something easy for a cake, so I created a simple, yet unique, caterpillar cake.  Bake any number of cupcakes frosted with green frosting and place them into a hump-shaped line, with one red-frosted cupcake at the end for the caterpillar's face.  Add eyes, black antennae and many small, black feet.  A double row of cupcakes works great for a large party.

Of course our activity was to take a bug net and magnifying glass and catch as many bugs as we could find in an hour.  Since I didn’t want to find actual bugs, I hid plastic bugs around the house and outside for the kids to find.   I labeled a clear jar with each child’s name and added a gingham ribbon to go with the theme.  Whoever found the most bugs got a prize.

Even though the idea scared me at first, it turned out to be one of the best summer parties we have ever had and was surprisingly easy to pull off.  Nobbies had everything I needed to make this party happen so I didn’t have to spend tons of time planning it either.  So kick off your summer in style and host your own version of this easy to do summer party.

A College World Series Party

A College World Series Party

Being American means at some point you have to take in a baseball game. Even if you don’t like baseball, going just for the atmosphere is well worth it. Two of our Nobbies stores just happen to be in the Omaha area which also just happens to be the home of the NCAA Men's College World Series which starts June 18, 2011.

This year marks a turning point in the College World Series history as it is the first year it is being held in the new TD Ameritrade Park and not in the old Rosenblatt Stadium. In fact, the new slogan is “History Happens Here”.
 

TD Ameritrade Park

This year, make history by starting a new tradition supporting your favorite college baseball team with a baseball party on the day they play.  Here are a few ideas to make it a great party.

Have a Slogan for your party to put on invitations or posters. A few examples are:
"Corey’s Home Run Happening’!”
“Grand Slam Gathering!”
“Hey now…Be an All-Star at Jason’s Party!”
“We’re gonna have a BALL at Taylor’s Baseball Bash!"

Guests should be dressed in their team colors. Of course you must have foam hands ready for guests to hold up during the game.

Use table covers in the color of your team or try this grass table cover. Hang baseball string decorations or banners around your party area. Make a centerpiece out of some mini foam baseballs for your table or fill a popcorn container with flowers, candy, or popcorn (in the color of your team). Strategically place some pom poms, bats, mitts, and balls around the table. Place a diamond shaped piece of the “infield” under each plate as a placemat.

For the kids, give them all hand clappers and a stadium horn. The louder they are the better right? For an outside party, have children practice their pitching skills by tossing water balloons.

Have a mixed CD made to play in the background with all the baseball favorites such as:
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game - Jack Norworth (1908)
• Centerfield - John Fogerty (1985)
• All the Way - Eddie Vedder (2007)
• Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (1984)
• Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball - Woodrow Buddy Johnson (1949)
• Cheap Seats - Alabama (1993)
• Joltin' Joe DiMaggio - Les Brown Orchestra (1941)

A baseball staple is to serve hot dogs (the ball park size), popcorn, and peanuts. Don’t forget the beer, but remember to drink responsibly. Give each guest so many baseball cards that they can “trade” for a drink of their choice. Serve drinks in stadium cups to give extra ambiance. Have an apple pie ready for dessert or make frosted baseball sugar cookies.

This is an easy party that makes a great tradition year after year. So take yourself out to the ball game by bringing the ball game to you.

Super Dad!

Super Dad!
by Poppie

My dad has always been a super hero to me. It always seemed like he could leap tall buildings in a single bound and always provide for me. Now my husband gets the privilege of super hero status in our house to our 3 children.

If you are looking forward to throwing a party to show your love for your dad, what can be a more ideal time than Father’s Day? And who is a better super hero than dad? This year throw dad a “Super Dad” party using his favorite super hero. A few popular heroes right now are Thor, Green Lantern, and Batman.

Ideas:
Have your children “invite” dad to a special party on his day with homemade invitations that they have made. Have guests wear their favorite super hero gear. Have kids wear a cape of their choice.

Decor:
Use dad’s favorite super hero as your fun theme. Get plates, napkins, and other supplies in that theme. Or combine themes if dad likes to reminisce about several past super heroes. Give guests a mask (such as a Green Lantern or Batman mask). Use action figures as balloon weights with several balloons in your color theme.

Ambience:
Hang signs that say “POW, ZAP, BANG,” and such around the party area.
Strategically place Kryptonite (ping pong balls painted green or green glow sticks) around your party area. Use comic book pages as placemats.

Favors:
Thor rubber wristbands
Green Lantern rings

Menu:
Serve dad’s favorites (you might have to learn to use the grill if his favorite’s include grilling items so he has the day off). Serve Hulk juice - 7 Up and lime sherbet (you can tweak this to whatever super hero your theme is). Make a super cake for dad (see recipe below).

With a little pre-planning, this is an easy party to pull off, at least for me, but of course, I’m Wonder Mom!


Super Cake Recipe:
Bake a 13" x 9" x 2" cake of any flavor. A great trick is to use white cake mix and add food dye (such as green) so the inside of the cake matches your theme.
Frost the cake in icing color of your choice. Using tinted icing, pipe a superhero symbol of your child's choice (such as Green Lantern) in the center.

Write your dad’s name (if you wish) next to the symbol. Or add an action figure by the cake to really set the scene.

Party.

Party

by Dottie

Party. What comes to your mind when you think of that word? For some reason, the first thing I think of is my youth. My mom was the queen of all things party when it came to her family and she still is. We had the most fabulous birthday parties every year. She never hesitated to give us exactly the kind of party we wanted. We picked the theme, the kind of cake and ice cream we wanted, the entertainment, location, guests, decorations, favors…just about everything except the budget!  Knowing my mom, she gave us these elaborate parties for next to nothing and you’d never be the wiser!

It’s hard for me to even think of which birthday party was my favorite.  Was it my 7th birthday party when I had a magician?  Was it my 8th birthday party sleepover when my stepdad told us scary stories and my uncle was outside make noises in the bushes? Was it my ice skating party in 6th grade where I was showing off in my new skating dress and I fell and jammed my thumb between the ice and the wall?  The roller skating party where we thought we all though we were so cute flirting with some jr. high boys til my dad caught us and literally dragged us off the rink back to the party room…how embarrassing! Was it the party my mom planned for me in high school on the same night as the homecoming game that I sort of sulked through because I didn’t want to be late to a football game that I went to be “seen” at and not watch?  I don’t know…nothing holds fonder memories than my birthday parties…even the party  where my “friend” proceeded to make fun of me and every single one of my guests to the point where most of us were in tears – 3rd grade girls can be so mean!

What I have learned is this.  No matter how elaborate or simple the party is…your child is going to love it.  No matter how much you spend on decorations or how many tokens you give them to spend at Chuck E. Cheese, they will have a blast.   No matter how many guests there are or how many days before or after their actual birthday the party took place, they won’t remember those details. Even if you planned a party on what seemed to be the most inconvenient night of their life at the time…they’ll appreciate it…one day! What they will remember is that you, their parents, the people that they can always count on, the ones who love them more than life itself, always remembered their birthday and honored them with a special celebration each and every year.  A celebration you put together with nothing else in mind but to make them happy.  Yet, just another selfless parenting act they won’t appreciate until they themselves are parents.

So no matter what the word party conjures up in your mind when you hear it, this is what I think. Parties are about making people happy.  For me, making other people happy,  makes me happy.