How to survive your child’s slumber party

 

 

 

“Mum? Can I have a slumber party for my birthday?”

At some point, your child is going to ask for a slumber party. This CAN be a source of stress for many mums but today we’re sharing some  must know tips from a sleepover specialist to ensure yours is a roaring (or snoring) success.

If anyone knows how to throw a great slumber party, it’s Mel Jacobs.  Her business, Sweet Dreams and Goodnight,  is putting a new spin on a birthday favourite and bringing delight to parents and kids alike. Whilst Mel is offering something new to the kids’ party scenes in Perth and Melbourne in terms of setup, here are her old style hints to ensure your party doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

 Be Prepared

We don’t mean stock the Tim Tams and the popcorn (although these are pre-requisites for any successful sleepover).  Before the party starts, it’s important that you, as the parent in charge, have some basic details for each child in your care.  You can either ask for this information before the party, or grab a notepad and speak to the person dropping them off.  As a minimum, you should have the following:

• Contact number of someone in case of emergency
• Any allergies the child might have
• Any medication they may need during their stay
• Any other relevant details (sleep walkers, fear of the dark etc.)

           

Set the Ground Rules

 No need to go all Sergeant-Major on the kids.  Ease them into the rules of the house with a quick tour to point out all the necessary areas – toilet, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom.

Show them where you will be throughout the night, so you can be found if needed.

Throughout the walk-around, make it clear what is and isn’t allowed, so boundaries are set early and everyone can have a great time.

Leave a Light On

Remember you are going to have kids sleeping in a house that is strange to them.

To a lot of little humans, being in the dark in unfamiliar surroundings is scary and a small nightlight can make it seem just that little bit safer.

Where possible, try to leave a light on that can direct the way to the bathroom/toilet.  There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night, in the dark, having to stumble and feel your way to the loo!

Keep an Ear Out

No need to helicopter parent, but stay close by so you can keep an ear and eye on what’s happening.

Sometimes unfortunate situations can occur (homesickness, bedwetting or even bullying).  It’s good for the kids to know that you are close by if needed.

Gain agreement about social media

Finally, and this isn’t an old hint, but certainly one that should be discussed in this day and age – gain consent to post pictures of the party-goers.  While you may be happy to have pictures of your children on your social media feed, not every parent feels the same.  As a matter of courtesy, check first with the parents/guardian of each child attending to see how they feel before posting pictures containing their image.

A little planning goes a long way

Sleepovers are almost a rite of passage in childhood – staying up all night, sharing secrets and tucking into a midnight feast (don’t forget those Tim Tams).  Sure you may not get any sleep until the wee small hours, continually telling them to “Turn it down!”.  Yep, you’ll probably have tired and grumpy little people for the rest of the day.  But with a few easy steps, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll help to make memories they won’t forget in a hurry.

Now of course slumber parties don’t have to always be kept for the young ones! Relive the fun from your childhood with a gorgeous slumber party setup to celebrate a special girls weekend away or hens party setup before heading out to town! The gorgeous teepees from Sweet Dreams and Goodnight can tailor for all sorts of celebrations!:

If you’re interested in having Sweet Dream and Goodnight help you with your next slumber party, contact Mel on0402 463 812 or visit www.sweetdreamsandgoodnight.com.au.  Franchises are now available.

 

Mel Jacobs is the founder of Sweet Dreams and Goodnight, Australia’s original and best slumber party specialist.  Originating in Perth and with franchises now available, visit the website to see why this great company is being nationally recognised as a leader in kids’ party entertainment.

 

Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Inspiration

 

For an 89 year old, Minnie Mouse still has everything going for her.

Not only is she lovely, stylish, great with kids and has a shoe wardrobe any female would be jealous of, she has the uncanny ability to just keep reinventing herself!

All jokes aside, the coveted Minnie Mouse has never gone out of fashion in my book, but is proving to be super popular with little girls lately. Of course when you’re as famous as Minnie you have your face branded on pretty much anything you can think of, so finding supplies shouldn’t be too hard for the die hard fans! But if you’re after something a little more boutique (or is that bowtique?) then I’ve found the perfect pieces to pull together a soiree even Minnie would happily attend!

This party can be styled with the traditional red/white/black or pink/white – or for something different go with a floral look or a unique colour scheme. Anything works as long as you work in the Minnie Mouse head silhouette!

Let’s get our polkadot on!

Minnie Mouse  Invitations & Stationery

Pink or red, black and white makes a great colour palette for a Minnie Mouse party, and don’t forget the polkadots! Just add the instantly recognisable Minnie Mouse outline with bow and you have yourself a theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minnie Mouse Decorations

We’ve seen a really big trend in backdrops playing more of a role in room decoration instead of  just for photo backdrops, so why not give one a go and use in conjunction with  coordinated balloons, tassels and other accessories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love these sweet Minnie Mouse pom poms!:

 

 

 

The perfect props to add to a Minnie Mouse party!

 

 

 

 

 

Minnie Mouse Tableware

Continue your theme of colour choice and polkadots to the table, set perfectly for afternoon tea! How cute are these labels to coordinate back with the invitations from Edgehouse Designs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minnie Mouse Cakes & Desserts

A Minnie Mouse party wouldn’t be complete without some delicious treats, all with her face on them of course!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The perfect finishing touches for any Minnie Mouse cakes or desserts!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minnie Mouse Party Favours

What better way to say farewell and thank you to your guests than with a little slice of Minnie herself! Headbands with ears, bows and oh so sweet treats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can have a lot of fun with this theme, and your Minnie Mouse fan will no doubt have a few ideas of her own! I hope our finds have inspired you and we see the Minnie Mouse appeal alive and well for generations to come.

 

Pastel Party Prettiness!

Pastels are always a perfect colour palette for a kids celebration – it reminds me of the sweetness of childhood! When I think of a pastel party this gorgeous setup by Cuppy and Cake always jumps to mind!:

 

 

Want to create your own pastel party prettiness? I’ve curated some gorgeous finds from party boutique The Little Event Company which was launched recently by Melbourne based mum Marie. This online party store is all about style and you will find beautiful partyware, tableware and decorations to browse and today I’m sharing their lovely pastel partyware:

 

 

Marie’s background was in the event industry for over 12 years as she explains: “I worked as a “Wedding Planner” , managing celebrity weddings and working with high-end clientele. The most expensive wedding being close to $800K…that was a crazy experience. I have never needed to order full sized, customised Bride and Groom mirrored thrones before. For a few years I dabbled into freelance work as well. Like most mumpreneurs my career goals/bucket list goals came into fruition whilst I was a full-time stay at home mum. I had reached a cross-road as my maternity leave was coming to an end. I either had to go back to work and leave my “babies” or stay at home and do what I love most – being a mum. But I also needed “me time”. Some people choose to read a book or go for a walk, I chose to start a business in an industry I absolutely love!”

I know I (and many others) can certainly relate and I’m so glad Marie did make the decision to open her party boutique and bring together gorgeous partyware such as this selection:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combine the above pastel pretties for a gorgeous and coordinated party look!

When you browse The Little Event Company’s website it is hard to believe it was only launched in July 2016!

Marie explains: “Prior to the launch, I had set out some KPIs for the business – I love a challenge. I am not sure if this is the norm but I was pretty chuffed when I reached my 100^th sale within months of opening, and I started to have repeat customers – which was fantastic for my ego. With the highs also came a couple of confronting lows where I needed to remind myself why I started this venture to begin with. To be honest, I am not sure where this new adventure will take me and I am happy to keep it that way. Sometimes keeping it small is not always a bad thing. Seeing my girls’ faces when a shipment arrives filled with party goods is worth gold. Overall, The Little Event Company would not be in existence if it wasn’t for the belief and support of my magical family and totally selfless parents.”

I am sure many of you reading this who are also running your own small business have felt the same!

If you’re planning your kids party and are ready to shop for your party supplies, ensure you browse The Little Event Company and their selection of the pastel partyware above along with their own kids theme ranges! You’re sure to find something stylish for your next children’s event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get celebrating this summer!

There’s something about Summer and entertaining…the long sunlit days and warmer weather just puts everyone in a better mood for a celebration!

We’ve curated gorgeous summer-perfect party supplies for you from online party store Love The Occasion that are bound to inspire a summer celebration starting with this fun fiesta range – just love the cactus balloons!:

 

 

 

Summer celebrations are a favourite at Love the Occasion with so many vibrant and fun party themes at your fingertips.  Think beach, poolside and icecream, tropical, palm trees and tutti frutti, fiesta, flamingos, sunshine and rainbows! Or throw in gold, silver and rose gold metallics for a stylish summer soirée:

 

 

 

This gorgeous collection of party supplies would be perfect for a Valentines day soiree!:

 

You can’t get more summery than pineapples and I can imagine the fun party setups which could be created with this whole range from Love the Occasion!:

 

 

 

Or…go for a tropical party theme by mixing and matching various bright colours and fruit inspired partyware!:

 

 

What’s Love The Occasion’s top tips when planning a celebration?

• Keep it simple and plan ahead!
• Prepare party decorations a week or two before and plan food that can be prepped in advance.
• Do a practice run of your table (or draw a sketch so you have something to follow on the day).
• Set up as much as you can the day before.
• And most importantly, allow yourself plenty of time to get ready and have a moment to relax before your guests arrive!

For more inspiration on party themes, pop by their website where you can shop by ‘theme’, ‘occasion’ and ‘colour’

Happy summer celebrating!

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Birthday Party Supplies

A rainbow party theme has to be one of the brightest, happiest party themes for any age, wouldn’t you agree? There’s just something about so much colour that makes you smile, even on a gloomy day.

 

This is one theme you can’t go wrong with when coordinating your tableware and decorations – just think bright, bold colours and as much of it as you can find! Yes, your room may end up looking like a rainbow exploded, but that’s what we’re aiming for!

We’ve seen some gorgeous examples of rainbow party theme styling this year, and to help you save time finding all the bits and pieces you’ll need to bring it all together, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite items for you to simply click and add to cart. Your welcome!

 

So let’s get this party started – and remember to CLICK on any image to be taken to where you can purchase / order that partyware from!

 

Rainbow party invitations

Turn an ordinary day into a bright one when your guests open an invitation full of colour and the fun of a rainbow party to look forward to. Choose from preprinted or customised invitations and send them in brightly coloured envelopes filled with confetti for a n added surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow party decorations

Remember, we’re aiming for an explosion of colour, so think bold and don’t be shy. Alternatively, a table covered in a crisp white tablecloth will ensure your colourful treats and decorations shine bright, and doubles as a fluffy white cloud!

 

 

Love the concept of setting a rainbow dessert table against the black chalkboard look to make the colours really stand out!:

 

Recreate a rainbow party setting with these items to inspire you:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This milestone poster will be a gorgeous keepsake and a centrepiece decoration!:

 

 

 

 

Rainbow party tableware

A rainbow explodes in my head when I think of how many table setting options this theme lends itself to! From cups and plates in bold primary colours, spread across the table and littered with confetti, to striped coordinated tableware on a crisp white table cloth – let your imagination go and get creative with this one. There is no such thing as too much colour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few items for the birthday child!:

 

 

 

Rainbow party treats

Let your food shine as bright as a rainbow with platters full of brightly coloured fruits, treats and desserts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow party favours

When all the fun and games are over, what better way to finish a party than sending your guests home with bright smiles and a box of treats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it – our finds for the BRIGHTEST rainbow party on the planet, one to surely put a smile on everyone’s face.