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Hooks and Tinks
Apr 19, 2008 Categorized: Life with Kids •
Today is the big day. The moment for the Peter Pan Pirates and Fairies Birthday Party is nearly here. Ten little 3- and 5-year old pirates and fairies have been invited to the big bash in celebration of both Will’s and Hunter’s birthdays. The Tinker Bell tablecloth lies in await beneath some leftover loot (beaded necklaces and rhinestones) and the Southern Living at HOME Gail Pittman Hand Painted Pots and Stand holding purple and black dessert napkins and a complementary purple African violet. Bill is away filling purple, green and clear balloons with helium, while I prep the back yard and bury hidden treasures in the freshly built sandbox and black cardboard treasure box which Bill fashioned out of a diaper box.
I’ve been planning and prepping for this party for a month now. While I had originally planned to have two separate parties, I really struggled coming up with a theme. Both children were inviting boys and girls, which made it impossible to do a boy theme or a girl theme at either one. When we went to a friend’s Tinker Bell party, I suddenly had the bright idea of going with the Peter Pan theme (even though he technically won’t make it to the party), and use Captain Hook and Tinker Bell as our theme characters. That way, boys and girls from both age groups can enjoy the theme!
Once I had a theme, all of the planning came together quickly, and I searched for the best prices for party goods. I bought plates and napkins at the Dollar Tree, a tablecloth and a few trinkets at Wal-mart, fairy trinkets at Dollar General, and pirate’s loot at Oriental Trading. It’s about the most fun I’ve ever had planning a party. I chose to create my own customized treasure box favors, rather than go with the stock party favor packs from Oriental Trading, because I simply needed girl ones and boy ones. (I’ve never seen Tink wearing an eye patch.) All things considered, I think I actually saved a few cents from the $5 a favor it would have cost me from OT, and I have the coolest party favors I’ve ever done.
Upon arriving, the boys will don their pirate hats from Oriental Trading, and the girls will don their fairy wings I made from butterflies I found at Dollar Tree. After a quick dash of body glitter, they’ll all be off the back yard to swing, slide, play, and dig for hidden treasures. Also while they’re in Never Never Land, the children will search for hidden treasures like doubloons, spy glasses, noisemakers, and gemstones, play “Sink the Ship” beanbag toss, and shoot some hoops to collect even more treasures.
When everything gets cranked up, we’ll serve an ocean-scene cake made out of cupcakes complete with a pirate ship on the ocean, pirates on the beach, and Tinker Bell floating on the waves sprinkling her Pixie Dust (clear sugar sprinkles) all over the scene. The kids will grab their box drinks from the beach pails doubling as ice buckets and gobble up their yummies while fighting 20-mile-an-hour winds in our small back yard. Since that’s pretty tame weather out here in the plains, I think it will be pleasant enough to stay out. If not we’ll sail on into to the house to finish out the party.
After all of the treasures have been found and all the gifts unwrapped, the children will stop by the last looting corner to pick up their tiny, overflowing treasure chests, fairy wands, and pirate hooks. I LOVE that they have to use a key to open and close their treasure boxes, and I hope they have even more fun with all the loot when they get home then they did at the party. The only thing the children will not find at the party is pirate swords. I simply could not take the thought of possibly 12 little children dueling all over my house and yard, with babies and toddlers thrown in to the mix. Bill and I had talked about making them out of balloons, but I never remembered to go find the balloon pump and professional balloons we stashed somewhere in his office. I know that would be a big hit--making balloon sculptures at our kids’ birthday party--but I can’t do everything for every party. And I really want to avoid chaos as much as possible. That’s one reason why the kids don’t get their fairy wands and pirate hooks until they’re on the way out the door.
The balloons have now arrived, and the children are still sleeping, so I must go back to work. I can’t wait to post some pictures when it’s all over.
Hollabacks
oh what fun! kinsley is really enjoying her fairy lip gloss. calton ended up with two balloons one that wasn’t tied to anything so when we got home you know what happened! the child screamed like there was no tomorrow until i told him his balloon was going all the way to heaven. then, in all his 3 yr old sweetness, turned off the tears and squealed “I SENT MY BALLOON TO PAPA!” he’s so proud. now mom’s in tears!
you did an awesome job on the favors, decorations and everything was just perfect. right down to the calm sunny day. and free ice cream at braums to round out our day! hope your “biggest fairy” gets all that pixie dust off him before time to make announcements in the morning!!!!
Posted by amber on 04/19 at 04:06 PM
Maybe Calton’s balloon is right up next to the Strawberry Shortcake kite we sent there last weekend.
Thank you so much for all of your help. The party was fun, wasn’t it? Bill and Will stopped by for their free ice cream on the way to the driving range this afternoon. Hunter and I stayed home to rest and upload photos.
Wow. What a great thing to have the birthday party behind me for another year. Now I just hope Wal-mart’s got some more of those flowers we bought. I need a pot hanging in the front where we had yours! :D
Posted by heatherkate on 04/19 at 05:41 PM
Look at how you incorporated all your SLAH goodies into your party-- you rock!
Posted by Emily Snapp on 05/03 at 01:33 PM