There are quite a few mum’s in business who follow this blog and facebook page so every now and then when something inspires me relating to balancing motherhood/work I love to share it although what I am sharing today relates to anyone…mother or not, in business or not and would even to relate when you’re in the throws of party planning, especially if you’re this type of person:
Today during a rare child-free few hours I forced myself to take some time out to relax, pray and read!
Something I read struck right to my heart in the area of rushing around busily trying to get all my business work done. Since my kids are still little and home with me all week, the times when they sleep or nap I go full steam ahead working on e-mails, blog entries, articles etc.
I am really working on how to get the balance a bit better to ensure I don’t work all the time and burn out which is common in small businesses and probably more common in mum’s running businesses.
These words rung so true to me…I hope they inspire some others as well….
It starts off talking about the work under our care:
“If possible do not be worried, that is – do not exert yourself over them with uneasiness, anxiety and forwardness. Don’t be worried about them, for worry disturbs reason and good judgement and prevents us from doing well the very things we are worried about.
Rivers that flow gently through the plains carry along large boats and rich merchandise. Rains that fall gently on open fields make them fruitful in grass and grain.
Torrents and rivers that spread over the land in great floods ruin the bordering country and are useless for commerce, just as in like manner, heavy tempestuous rain ruins the fields and meadows.
A job done too eagerly and hurriedly is never well done.
We perfect actions quickly enough when we do them well.
Drones make more noise and work more eagerly than bees, but they make only wax and honey. So also men who hurry about with tormenting anxiety and eager solicitude never accomplish much nor do they do it well.
Undertake all your affairs with a calm mind and try to despatch them in order one after the other.
If you make an effort to do them all at once or without order, your spirits will be so overcharged and depressed that they will likely sink under the burden without effecting anything”
Did these words ring true for you?
I hope it inspires you today as it did for me!
Today I’m sharing a real party feature which was put together by Michelle from Little Wish Parties for her son’s 3rd birthday. It features lots of DIY and creative ideas and with Peppa Pig being such a popular theme lately I hope it inspires lots of mum’s planning for this theme!
Michelle from Little Wish Parties writes….
“In our home the daily ritual is watching Peppa Pig, there is always a rush of excitement with little ones yelling “Peppa Pigs on!” So it was a no brainer when it came to deciding on what type of theme to have for my sons third birthday.
I had seen a few Peppa Pig parties over the internet but they all seemed to be purely based around girls parties and when i offered a George Party instead my son still had his mind set on Peppa!
I was determined to not go with pinks, although knew i had to have it in there somewhere, obviously!
The first thing i decided on was the colour scheme and my first choice was pastels so i got started on my backdrop design for my table.
Once my backdrop was done it gave me loads of inspiration to add to my table. After convincing my dad to make me some trestle legs and source a tabletop for me, i got painting and decided to coordinate my table colour with my backdrop (mint green) which was the base for all things yummy.
Originally i wanted to paint muddy puddles on my table but i sourced some wooden circles in various sizes from Bunnings , glued and painted them for the foundation of my cupcakes and cookies and the base of my cake stand.
I also included the boys in painting these as i always like to involve them in the party planning. I sourced some tiny gumboots and went with red as they are Georges colour. This is when i began to start adding a few extra brighter colours to the mix.
Pinterest was great for searching for ideas for cakes and even though he is only three, i rounded a few cakes down and asked the birthday boy what he liked.. easy.
I had a visual of muddy puddles and gumboots on cupcakes and after searching high and low over the internet i couldnt find any that had been done. Michelle from Miss Shell’s Cakes was wonderful to work with. I was so happy with the cake and cupcakes, they were just divine, exactly what i had imagined.
My dear friend Natalie from D’lish Cupcakes and Accesories made the apple and strawberry cookies. I also got inspiration from this for a bit of Grandpa Pigs Garden as well as adding some more brighter colours to my table.
Themed candy such as clouds, Peppas Teddy Biscuits, raindrops and icecream pops mixed with a few tiny umbrellas and fresh flowers for my Peppa Pig Garden finished the table.
Dinosaur donuts and dinosaur nuggets were also on the party menu, also a request from the birthday boy.
I had chair backers made up for my gorgeous chairs , grass mats for my table settings as well as some great props (all hire items from Little Wish Parties).
I dressed up some plastic milk bottles from the reject shop with fabric and opted for a chocolate sippa straw to make some muddy puddle milk. I cut out some muddy puddles from brown cardboard to create a coaster for their milk. The kids loved it!
Matching but larger cardboard muddy puddles were placed around the party for lots of muddy puddle jumping.
Cloud balloons and rain set the scene. Instead of making tassels i ended up buying some pre made metallic pom poms for my jumbo balloons, saved me lots of time. I also attached blue beads to some umbrellas to make rain.
I tried to save money where i could by planning well in advance and doing lots of bargain shopping. That way i put it into other things like entertainment. Peppa was a huge hit and it was like all his dreams had come true at once so it was well worth the money.
Lots of party games had come to mind like piggy in the middle, mr potato sack racing, muddy puddle jumping. We also transformed our little tykes cozy coupe into daddy pigs car.
I knew this party was a successful one as he has already told me he wants the same party next year!
– All photos by Kate’s Precious Moments Photography
Thanks so much Michelle for sharing your son’s fantastic Peppa Pig Party! For more Peppa Pig party ideas, visit my previous blog post here.
There’s a new girl in town and she’s all about fashion and fun. Today I’m introducing you to Little Miss Runway who specialise in fashion parties, events and products for girls age 4 to 12.
I have a little girl who is nearly 3 and she already loves to pose and prance in front of the mirror so I can only imagine how much she would enjoy a party like this when she is older!
Little Miss Runway has created a ‘real’ catwalk experience. Illuminated mirrors in the dressing room, an elevated catwalk and track lighting the length of the runway are just some of the elements that make Little Miss Runway a truly unique experience.
Such a perfect fun day out for your daughter and her friends without you having to worry about supplying all the costumes and dresses.
Karen, who owns Little Miss Runway, explains – “We have a fabulous collection of clothes available for our little fashionistas to wear during the fashion show to create their own style”.
I can imagine the fun the girls would have just being able to choose their own fashion items!
Little Miss Runway offers a variety of party packages to suit every little miss including fashion show, fashion photo shoot and fashion tea parties. They also run ‘Party like a popstar’ parties
There is also a range of specially selected fashion goodies for sale in the studio and online such as Pure Poppet natural play makeup, Pink Poppy jewellery, and Chalk Hair gift packs. These would be perfect for party favours and you can find the online store here.
“It is such a thrill to be able to make our mini models’ birthdays extra special and see how much fun the girls have dressing up and walking the catwalk in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Mums and Dads”, says Karen. I can imagine it would also provide parents with memorable photo opportunities as well.
Little Miss Runway’s studio is based in Port Melbourne and they also offer mobile parties and run fashion events throughout the year.
This is such a unique party experience for little girls and you can find the Little Miss Runway facebook here to keep up to date with all the news and party services.
Guest Post by Stephanie Keeping from Spaceships and Laserbeams Blog
On my blog, Spaceships and Laser Beams, I’ve featured a lot of adorable farm birthday parties. With fun colors schemes and an old-fashioned feel, it’s an exciting theme to bring in another year. If you’re planning a farm party, here’s some inspiration:
Farm Party Decorations
The atmosphere of “down on the farm” can be easily reflected through the decorations – in some very budget-friendly ways. I love the idea of incorporating inexpensive burlap into banners and tablecloths. The texture works perfectly and the neutral palette lends itself to just about any color scheme. At this farm themed birthday party, they stacked hay to create a table in their party space and then added the burlap. It’s such a fun idea and it takes the party to a whole new level without a lot of cost. If you’re looking for other fabric patterns to mix in with all this neutral color, you can’t go wrong with classics like gingham or paisley.
Birthday Cake and Party Food
A farm-theme, perhaps more than any other birthday party theme, lends itself to simple, basic food. Pile shiny apples high in baskets for color. Serve classic homemade cookie favorites like oatmeal. For the main meal, roasted chicken, hot rolls with lots of real butter and corn would be a hearty treat. I also love incorporating mason jars wherever possible in a farm theme — use them to serve cider or sweet tea. Instead of birthday cake, how about serving carrot cupcakes (topped with tiny carrots, of course) that reinforce the theme of homemade, fresh grown goodness? The birthday boy’s mom at this farm birthday party served them as one of the treats and the idea was very successful.
Birthday Party Activities
If you’re lucky to have a hobby or adventure farm nearby, they make excellent locations for this theme. As a bonus, you’re not stuck with any mess. But I’ve seen many moms recreate that farm feeling in their own backyards. There is a wide range of activities that can take place at a farm birthday party like sack races, beanbag toss and pumpkin bowling. This barnyard carnival party has to be one of my favorites. There was a small baby animal petting zoo, a pumpkin patch and tons of farm-themed carnival games.
Farm-Themed Favor Ideas
As far as party favors go, you can be as simple or as elaborate as your budget allows. Tiny toy tractors and farm animal figurines both fit with the theme and are very easy to find at your local dollar store. If you have a bit more room in your budget, send little guests home with their own “farming kit.” It can include a small pot, seeds and any tools they might need like a tiny watering can.
What’s your favorite idea for a farm-themed birthday party?
Stephanie Keeping is the mom of a boy named Sam, a blogger, and an Etsy-preneur. She celebrates boyish charm at Spaceships and Laser Beams, where she talks about all things boy and birthday party. You can connect with her on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter and on Etsy.
Today I am introducing you to one of my blog sponsers Saffy & May. They have been a long time blog sponser of mine from back when I was on the older site – I have truly appreciated their support and loved seeing all the new products coming into their store!
If you haven’t heard of Saffy & May they are all about stylish party supplies, stationery, coordinating party décor, table linen including ruffled tablelcoths and party hire.
I love that they have the must-have party items (eg: favour bags, cups/plates, lanterns) as well as more unique items such as little picket fences, chalkboard labels and sweet favour baskets:
They are constantly sourcing new items for their store such as these chevron paper lanterns I saw and loved on their facebook page this week!:
They also aim to make party styling, an easy and enjoyable experience for mum’s and offer “custom made party packs“. These packs include coordinating party stationery, supplies, and party décor. They also offer a DIY styling party pack, which includes a custom made party pack, together with party hire.
You can see two examples below of two of their party pack themes. They’ve made it very easy to style a party and have everything looking coordinated!:
If you’re in Brisbane then Saffy & May can also assist you in styling your little one’s celebration. Their party styling services range from party theme development, sourcing and provision of decorations, bonbonnieres, party set up and decorating, as well as custom candy and dessert tables.
One of the most unique items Saffy & May offer are these gorgeous ruffled tablecloths and tulle tablecloths! They provide the perfect finishing touch on any party table – and they are available for purchase OR hire.
They have a range of other items available for hire as well if you’re in Brisbane. How sweet is the vintage high chair? Perfect for a 1st birthday!
Now can you see why I love Saffy & May so much? They really have so many fantastic products and services and Alex is truly lovely to deal with! I have personally used products from Saffy & May in my own children’s parties and can vouch for their quality and service.
You can see an image here of the pink picket fences from Saffy & May I used at my daughter’s Baptism around some platters:
Make sure you pop over to the Saffy & May facebook page to see and purchase any of their fantastic products or view their other services!
