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how to host a simplified pirate party, part 2!

May 2, 2012

are you ready for part 2 of henry’s simplified pirate party?

as i mentioned in part 1, henry’s 3rd birthday was over a month ago, and while i love a good party, i get too overwhelmed when things get complicated! so here are some of the details that made this party so much fun.

if you want details on making a simple pirate cake, be sure to check out part 1! i have also updated that post with some of the info on where i got supplies and simple decorations, so be sure to check it out!

with kid parties i always worry about what we are going to DO with all these kids running around. more often than not, we have family and good friends there and the adults just want to socialize! but unstructured time with small children doesn’t always work well, so we had a plan for our pirate party that included a few low-key, easy prep activities.

the first was a simple pirate craft. we chose: pirate spotting scopes!

to make pirate spotting scopes, all you need is:

empty paper towel roll tubes (or an empty wrapping paper roll cut into smaller pieces)
pirate stickers
printed out pirate flags (printable available here)
tape or glue
cellophane (clear or colored) cut into a 3 inch circle
patterned scrapbook paper pre-cut into 2 inch x 5 inch strips (we used black and white striped)
markers or crayons

the only thing we had to buy from this list of items is the pirate stickers – which we wanted to include in goody bags anyhow! i also cut the paper strips, pirate flags and cellophane circles ahead of time.

super simple, but here’s what we did:

1. help the kids cover one end of the tube with the cellophane circle and then tape the edges of the circle to the tube.

2. take your patterned scrapbook paper and wrap it around that same end of the tube covering up where you just taped the cellophane to the tube.

3. let the kids decorate the tube with stickers, glue pirate flags on there, color with markers or crayons, etc.

see? i told you! SIMPLE. but it was such a huge hit. the kids loved decorating their spotting scopes and were even more excited about running around with them!

the hit of the party BY FAR was the treasure hunt!

i highly recommend it! your kid will think you are the COOLEST.

the concept is simple. (yay for simple!)

set up a treasure hunt with visual clues that will lead the children around the house (or park, or wherever you are) in search of the next clue. since none of the kids that attended our party are reading age, we took pictures of different places in our house where the next clue was hiding. in each of those spots they would find a new map leading them to the next spot. finally, they found the last map that led to the X marks the spot. (some examples of pictures we used: the oven, the dryer, a toy cupboard, etc.)

we happen to have an antique chest that we use as a coffee table that made the perfect treasure chest. it was there all during the party and the kids were so excited to find out that all along, there was treasure hiding right under their noses!

by the time the kids had run around the whole house finding clues, their excitement could hardly be contained when that chest was opened and inside they found their goody bags and enough gold chocolate coins to feed a small army!

here is what each of the goody bags looked like:

each child got:

2 pirate tattoos

1 eyepatch

2 necklaces

1 sheet of stickers

and gold coins

1 ring pop

cost: about $2/child

i printed out mailing labels with each child’s name and a skull and cross bones to label the goody bags and used my product packaging (flat cellophane bags) to hold it all together.

again, so simple, but such a hit!

i would recommend saving the treasure hunt for the very end so that the kids can get their goody bags at the end. we did it before opening presents, and realized later we wish we would have waited until the end.

and that’s that! see? simple is good! we can do simple.

right??

can i get an “ay, ay matey!”??

3 Comments | Filed Under: birthdays, henry, motherhood, the boys, tutorials

how to host a simplified pirate party – part one

April 26, 2012

Photobucket

henry’s 3rd birthday was over a month ago, but i have to share how we hosted a simple pirate party that was inexpensive and super fun. i bought a few cheap decorations and party favors, but everything else was made out of what we already had lying around.

i love a good party, but i get too overwhelmed when things get complicated, so i want to share my simplified version of a pirate party!

we started with simple basic decorations and supplies that we found at target and party city:

a pirate-y banner that said happy birthday with plates, napkins and cups to match

red, blue and black coordinating balloons

loot bags for all the kids

and then of course, the cake.

i knew if it was too crazy, i would go crazy, so i took a few ideas that i’d seen around and combined them to create the vision i’d seen in my head of a cute, but boyish and simple pirate cake. all of these items i had at home in my pantry and craft supplies!

basic instructions

1. start with any basic cake mix. henry wanted vanilla, but it could easily be any other flavor.

2. frost the entire cake (two 9 inch rounds stacked on a cake plate) with white frosting

3. leave a couple of Tbsps of frosting leftover to make the X. mix in red food coloring to the leftover. i love using wilton’s food coloring because it is much more intense, but any food coloring will do.

4. scoop the now red frosting into a piping bag or just use a ziploc like i did and cut off one of the corners.

5. make a big X marks the spot anywhere you’d like (i think it looks better off to the side a bit – not right in the center, but whatever you want is just fine.)

6.take chocolate jimmies and carefully place them one by one, starting at the X to make a trail. this is a little bit tedious, but in my opinion it looks way cooler than icing. you may need to use tweezers or just your fingernails and have some patience. be sure to make the trail go down the side of the cake and up and over the top as well.

to make the name banner/pirate flags:

1. you’ll need 2 bamboo skewers, popsicle sticks, or paper straws to use as your flag pole bases. i used these striped blue straws because that is what i had on hand. you’ll also need as rectangular or diamond shape scrapbook paper for the banner- as many pieces as letters in the birthday boy’s name, sticker letters, double stick tape, and twine, string or yarn.

2. spell out the birthday boy’s name on the scrapbook banner pieces putting the letters all the way at the bottom of the rectangle. place a piece of double stick tape where the paper will fold over itself and lay them in the correct order with the sticker side down and evenly spaced. (peek at them to make sure the name won’t be spelled backwards when you lift it up.)

3. lay down a piece of twine across the double stick tape (make sure the twine is plenty long to tie onto the flag poles) and then fold the paper over the twine and press the double stick tape onto itself to secure the banner flags to the twine.

4. print out 2 pirate flags (one with the skull on the right and one with the skull on the left) and using tape or hot glue, attach one to the top of each flag pole (skewer, straw, etc.)

pirate flags – printable by allora handmade

5. tie the twine of the banner to each flagpole making sure the pirate flags fly toward the outside of the cake and the name banner is facing the same way as the flags. secure the knot with a dab of hot glue if necessary.

once your banner/flag is done

1. carefully push each flagpole into the cake letting the name banner droop slightly.

and there you have it! a simple pirate cake that is a definite crowd pleaser!

still to come: make a simple pirate craft and plan a simple treasure hunt! tune in next week! ***SEE PART 2 HERE!

4 Comments | Filed Under: birthdays, family life, henry, holidays, home, motherhood, printables, the boys

instafriday!

April 13, 2012

here’s a look at my week through my cell phone pics:

our easter was really chill, but really great. of course we were late for church because the silly macy’s employee left the security tags on the boys’ shirts and i didn’t notice until 10 minutes before church, but thank goodness the hubs is macgyver. other than that, we had a great day! food, family, treats, church – the recipe for a fabulous easter!

1. we had fun experimenting with dotted, striped, and ombre eggs for easter 2. brotherly hug. or headlock. 3. henry’s happy/excited face to see what the easter bunny brought him 4. family photo. 5. yes, the easter bunny shops at target. at 10pm the night before easter. nothing like waiting till the very last minute!

i have really been trying to eat better and am so happy to say that my relationship with food is MUCH improved. i am happier, feel healthier, and feel so much more in control. if the pounds would start dropping i’d feel even better, but that’s ok.

1. strawberries are my treat these days. sooo glad yummy fruit is in season. 2. fave salad this week: spinach, mango, green apple, strawberries, avocado, walnuts. 3. tried a new meal this week: stuffed peppers. the boys had to be convinced, but i was excited to try something new 4. new favorite snack. yum, yum, yum!

such a great treat – sharlie came to visit this week! it was surreal being in the same room with her since the last time i saw her was right after the transplant. she is doing so well, and will be coming home for good soon! yay!!!

1. playdate with 2 of my favorite people and oldest friends=the best 2. that we all have boys who love to play together too =the cherry on top.

the boys. i keep wondering if they will ever sit still. nope. they are moving, wiggling, dancing, yelling, laughing, fighting or sleeping. nothing in between!!

1. the only 3 seconds this boy wasn’t wiggling around that day. 2. love it when they fall asleep on their own. i thought he was being awfully quiet! 3. family run on the trails when the boys decided they didn’t want to come to the gym with me. don’t you love henry’s glasses? too bad he broke them like 2 days later. 4. splash park! yes, we think it’s summer here in san diego.

a few fun ones of me mixing it up a little this week!

1. sweet bows make me happy. thinking of adding them to the shop. 2. curly hair day = ronald mcdonald/little orphan annie/margaret thatcher/ golden girls. but sometimes you just gotta go with it. 3. new shoes- yay or nay? 4. love mixing a little allora with a little pleated poppy. (it rained in the morning this day and i busted out a scarf, boots and tights. and then was sweating by mid-day!)

this guy is so good to me.