Need An Inexpensive, But Personal Party Favor? Here It Is!

My birthday girl, just "horsin'" around!

Update:  This was a big hit at the party today!  The girls loved how practical the gift & contents were!  Just an FYI.  :) 

I wrote yesterday about the low-budget gymnastics party I threw for my daughter this past weekend.  At the end of the post, I immodestly (forgive me - brilliance doesn't come often) bragged about the party favors I'd made.  Well, here they are!


I scooped up a bunch of those Design-Your-Own Cups at the Dollar Store when I saw them there (pictured at the top of the photo below).  Since everyone drinks water out of re-usable bottles, they're a no-brainer gift that all the kids will use.  I discarded the outer insert because the instructions are on the sticker on the outside of the cup anyway.

The parts to the party favors...

I bought some cheap scrapbook paper at Michael's for $.05 a sheet and made a template to fit in the cup out of the side of a cereal box (pictured right above).   I got two pretty inserts from each sheet of scrapbook paper.


After cutting the pretty paper to fit inside the cup, I just rolled it in.  Then I added three pieces of candy, a rubber duckie, and assorted hair stuff (clips, elastics, etc.) to complete the party favor.  Voila!

...and the completed party favor.

There's still a sheet in the cup with a design the kids can color themselves that came with piece, so after the party ends, the kids can go home with an activity.  All in all, I think each cup probably cost under $2 each to make, including candy.  Sweet!


Stay tuned to this blog next week because I had so much fun offering FREE GHOSTING OR BOOING SHEETS (find them here), that I think I'll offer something brand new over the next few days.  And, as always, THANKS FOR READING!!!

Yes, You CAN Throw A Gymnastics Party At Home!

Lily's school notebook - can you tell she loves gymnastics?!

 

 

Lily, my soon-to-be 9 year old, wants some big-ticket items for her birthday, but with our budget being limited, we agreed that she could have the electronic device ONLY if we celebrate at home.  With our house being tiny and her group of friends, plus gymnastics team, being large, we proposed two small parties.  My little girl readily agreed. Thus, began my brainstorming for how to hold a gymnastics-themed party at home, on a budget, without equipment. Here's how I did it:

Invitations: These were easy. Evite has some nice Olympic-ring-style invitations which were appropriate for her party.

Decorations: Some posters of famous gymnasts, plus a home-made banner which read “You know you're a gymnastic when your whole world is always turned upside down!.”

Snack foods: Onion rings, celery balance beams (celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese), pretzel rods (like uneven parallel bars), and carrot sticks.

Games:

1. Races – During training, the girls do a lot of races. Hubby had them do relay races, obstacle courses during which they had to do cartwheels.
2. Balance Beam - Lily placed two lines of duct tape across our patio which the kids used as a balance beam. They then took turns doing their beam routines.
3. Hula Hoop Competition – The girls competed to see who could keep the hoop up the longest.
4. Head Stand Competition – At meets, while the judges are tabulating the winners, they hold contests to see who can stand on their head the longest.
5. Ribbon Wands – I bought these wands fairly cheaply at Amazon and they were great for the girls to twirl as if they were doing their floor routines.

Ribbon wants - perfect for a gymnastics party!

I also had  my FAVORITE party game, Hullaballoo (read my review here), on the back burner just in case they got bored.

Favors: Goodie bags had a little candy, but also stuff they use at meets for their hair including elastics, brightly-colored bobby pins, hair clips, and mini-hair sprays. They also received a small trophy.

Yes, everyone received a trophy!

Cake: A simple sheet cake was decorated with 5 Twizzlers shaped in rings (like the Olympic rings). 

The girls had a blast and since Saturday, I've seen some of them sporting the clips and bobby pins in their hair. I think the team enjoyed being together, outside the gym, and my daughter had a blast. Sometimes the best parties are the ones you have at home that don't cost a lot. 

My simple sketch of Lily on the balance beam at gymnastics.  Clearly, I should not quit my day job to become an artist...

Lily is having a second party this weekend for a few school friends and I've come up with some BRILLIANT favors (even if I do say so myself). Stay tuned for more details! 

Thank you for reading!

The Lessons Of An American Girl Doll

Once there was a little girl who, for a long time, had wanted an American Girl Doll.  Yes, this is my little girl, Diva, and she's pretty typical, right?  At a certain age, lots of girls crave these mass-marketed dolls who not only have their own stores, but tony clothing, accessories, a hair salon, and even wheelchairs and hearing aids.

 

We, her parents, questioned her motivation.  Did she want one just because all of her friends did? Probably.  Or did she want one because of the series of American Girl Doll movies and books that had enthralled her over the last few years? Maybe.   Whatever the reason, our little one's longing had remained strong over the last three years.  Unfortunately, we and Santa (whom she did repeatedly ask) had been on budgets and American Girl Dolls retail for about $110 dollars; that's damn pricey for a toy!  Still, an American Girl doll remained at the top of Diva's Wish List.

This year, for her 8th birthday, we told her she could have one IF (and it was a big IF), she could stick to a budget as we planned her birthday party.  She and I had a long talk.  Our house is too small for more than a few kids, so we looked at the usual kids' party venues.   The big places (gymnastics locations, Build-A-Bear, various crafting studios) were way out of her price range; they average $500 and up.  We thought about some of the stuff we'd done over the summer; we'd been bowling quite a bit and Diva loved it.  Turns out, having a bowling party fit our budget nicely.  She did the math to see how many people she could invite while staying within our number and whittled down the attendee list on her own.  She explained to friends who were not included that as much as she wanted them there, Mom was limiting the number of guests (I'll take the hit - I don't care). 

Having met her goal of staying within budget, it finally came time to pick a doll.  She initially looked at the blond-haired, blue-eyed models she usually gravitates to, but after much consideration picked out one that surprised us.  The Chosen One has  black hair and dark chocolate-colored eyes.  And she is "Chinese" - just like my daughter!  This is significant for, you see, my Diva is adopted from China.  And while she is extremely proud of her heritage and we had gotten her Asian-looking dolls in the past, this was the first time that SHE chose one that looked like her.  Plus, this doll is a gymnast, just like our graceful Diva.  We heartily approved. 

Sunday morning, my radiant daughter and her Daddy boarded a train into the City to get the doll named Ivy.  The train left at 8:30am; my daughter was up at 5.  She was beaming all day, like a proud momma.  She introduced me to Ivy and showed me her silky black hair and almond-shaped eyes.  She made sure her new friend was securely buckled into the car for a short trip to the grocery store.  Diva is already planning to expand Ivy's wardrobe but knows she will have to save up for the extra clothes; we're exploring some of the discount doll clothes websites.

What, perhaps, started out as the desire for something that her peers have has morphed into so much more.  It's been a lesson in delaying gratification, earning what she wants through budgeting, and embracing her own appearance.  As we read the book that came with Ivy in which she "battles lonliness" and finds "solace in gymnastics," I'm looking forward to discussing some of these issues with my precious little girl.  This American Girl Doll could be the begining of a closer relationship with my daughter.  Or Ivy could wind up just another discarded toy on the shelf.  I have my hopes up, but only Time will tell.