Summer Entertaining Essentials

We’ve launched into the new year and for anyone planning a celebration in these early months I’ve put together a collection of Summer entertaining essentials

For more summer inspiration – check out my Flamingo themed blog post for some ideas,  my Ice Cream themed post here , my Mermaid theme blog post, or  my blog post on the Oh It’s Perfect blog for ideas for a garden party 

 

Enjoy!

 

Invitations/Printables

 

Inspiration for a few summery themes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations

 

Lanterns are great for outdoor decorations – easy to hang, light and they look good no matter where the wind blows them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can’t beat some ice-cream cone decorations for a summer feel!:

 

 

 

Speaking of ice-cream, even if you’re not doing an ‘ice-cream themed’ party, ice-cream is a must have when entertaining in summer with kids! So here are some fun finds to use when serving up your ice-cream!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love these ice-cream cone stands!:

 

 

 

 

 

I just had to share this fabulous ice-cream parlour stand for hire in Sydney for a perfect ice-cream serving area at any summer themed party:

 

 

When entertaining with kids disposable partyware is a must have! This confetti design fits into any bright and summery party:

 

 

 

Also love these bright options:

 

 

If you’re doing a tropical feel, I love these tableware ranges:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These gorgeous pastel chevron napkins are perfect for summer entertaining:

 

 

 

Summer entertaining is a great time to use drink dispensers.

Love the colour pop on this one (also available in pink!):

 

 

 

Fantastic 2 part dispenser where you can display some tropical fruits at the bottom:

 

 

 

A drinks tub is essential and I’m loving the colour of this one:

 

 

 

Also loving the bright’s in this bamboo collection:

 

 

Perfect way to keep the flies away but your table still looking pretty – food covers in gorgeous summer colours:

 

 

 

So there you have it – a summer entertaining round up! Hope your next summer soiree is full of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour your party: Mint Green

Ahhh mint green…a colour I am always tempted to include in my party colour schemes as I just love it!

It goes beautifully with many other colours – seen very often with gold as well as other pastels and would work just as well for a boy’s party with grey, or light blue. Or step out of the box as this post suggests –  “Mint to be” on the Oh It’s Perfect blog where Ania (From 2 Love Birds)  has teamed mint green with black and white!

I’ve included a gorgeous mint/gold party in this collage by Sugar Coated Mama, but also must make mention of this mint/gold Christening party styled by Thetis of Little Sooti which is a stand out celebration!

All the links are below the inspiration board. If you’re looking for something in mint green that I haven’t included, simply e-mail me at lifeslittlec@gmail.com and I’ll let you know where to find it. Also make sure you visit the Life’s Little Celebration’s children’s party directory as well in the midst of your party planning!

 

 

Milk glass cake stand

Pom Pom tags

Tissue paper fan

Mint scalloped box

Mint green chocolate buttons

Honeycomb ball

Mini cake stand

Mint green compote bowl

Heart paper garland

Mint party fringe noise makers

Mint green and gold party by Sugar Coated Mama

Chevron straws

 

Here I used mint green with purple and gold for my daughter’s 1st birthday which you can view more of in this blog post.

 

 

Is mint green making an appearance at the next party you’re planning?

 

 

Book themes round up

One thing I always hope for my children is that they will love books and reading – especially in this age of i-phones and i-pads they are growing up in!

For this reason I have a soft spot for any book – themed party. There is something I love about theming a party based around your child’s favourite book and encouraging and celebrating their love of a wonderful story!

So I’ve gathered together some inspiration for you – various book-themed parties/dessert tables that I love.

Click onto the images to be taken directly to view more photos of these celebrations! Remember when party planning to visit the Life’s Little Celebrations children’s party directory for fantastic vendors such as cake makers, party stores, printables and more!

Enjoy the round up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What books do your children love that would make a wonderful party theme? Are you planning a book themed party?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing Little Miss Runway

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.

Kid’s Farm birthday party ideas

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.