Sophie's World

May

2013

Combining parties header

I’ve said it many times before, but I’m going to say it again: kids go to too many birthday parties! I’ve met parents who have spent their entire weekends carting their children from one affair to another. I ran into one parent who bemoaned the fact that in one day she had a 10:00 drop off for her youngest, an 11:00 drop off for her oldest, a 12:00 pick up for the youngest, followed by a 1:30 drop off for her middle twins, a 3:00 pick up for her oldest, and then finally a 3:30 pick up for her twins... I asked her if she would like me to lend her a chauffeur cap.

There’s a local school that has a pretty interesting solution: the combined monthly party. Each parent is given a schedule of birthdays for each month of the year that the kids are in school and then it’s up to the parents to make a choice: do a party with less than 3 kids or combine parties with the kids that share the same birthday month and invite the whole class.

I did this recently for two boys and a girl all sharing the month of February, and it was a huge success. It worked on a lot of levels: the parents were able to split the cost of the party three ways, making it very economical, the parents were able to hang out and connect because they all came (siblings as well as party kids attended, so the family didn’t need to be split up), and the party kids, although given their equal respect and due, were able to enjoy the party without being in the heat of the spotlight.

If you decide this situation might work for you, then here are a few things to consider.

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May

2013

Memory (bath)Room

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I have a penchant for bathrooms. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s because I have a little peanut-sized bladder and drink over a gallon of water each day... or maybe it’s some weird deep-seated affinity for what can be done in small spaces... but whatever the reason, I love seeing how people decorate their bathrooms!

I’ve seen a LOT of bathrooms, because I have a lot of clients! I’ve seen everything from polished marble walls to hand-painted frescos, but nothing has ever stood out to me like the little bathroom at one client’s art studio. The client is one of these amazingly creative grandmothers who just oozes inspiration. Every time I go over to her house to plan her equally-inventive grandson’s parties, I am blown away by some new artistic addition. It could be a three-dimensional sculpture of a fairy tree, or a series of painted canvases all lined up on easels, or, in this case... a bathroom of memories!

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May

2013

Going Ape with a Monkey Party!

Monkey party header

It’s time to make a rumble in the jungle with some serious rafter-swinging! That’s right, I’m talking about acting wild, climbing trees, and eating bananas! It’s time to get funky with the monkey with our “Monkey Business Party!”

The internet is filled with amazing images. Choose the one you like the best and print it up with words such as, “Come monkey around!”, “Get funky with the monkey!”, or “It’s time for some serious monkey business!” Make sure to include the important information: who, what, where, starting time and ending time, whether it’s a drop off or a "please stay" party, and how to dress (in our case, we usually say dress for mess!).

Anything jungle-y will work for this decor: palm trees, parrots, stuffed monkeys. Use dark green, lime green, and brown streamers around the room to create vines. You can even hang them from door frames in strips to create a sort of jungle curtain. Use fruits such as pineapples, bananas, and coconuts as centerpieces on your table. I found these cute monkey plates that I taped all around the room, peeking out from secret hiding places.

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May

2013

Bathroom Baskets: Emergency Essentials for Your Event

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With wedding season upon us, I thought it might be a great time to bring up one of our little-shared party secrets: the bathroom basket! Lest you think I’m suggesting setting up a miniature basketball court in the loo, let me explain that a bathroom basket is basically an emergency kit for any and everything that could possibly happen during an event. Ladies, how many times have you arrived at a party only to discover that an unexpected guest has tagged along as well? (I am referring to that lovable “Aunt Flow” as my friend Pati calls her -- otherwise known as the beloved period.) This is where the basket shines like a beacon in the night, calling all those with blisters, broken dress straps, and headaches to its loving wicker arms.

Bathroom baskets 02

If you are nervous about items like needles, safety pins, and medicine being available to small (and not-so-small) hands, you can simply set up a little sign in the bathroom instructing anyone with a need to come to the coat check (or other assigned area) where they can find the basket on display.

Here’s what I suggest including in your basket...

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May

2013

You are now entering the "Alone Zone"...

Alone Zone header

I am in love with cardboard boxes.

That may seem like a strange comment to make, but you can do sooo much with a cardboard box! Especially if they are large cardboard boxes the size of, say, a refrigerator or couch.

Case in point... the “Alone Zone.”

The other day I was setting up for a party when I noticed a large cardboard box against the wall in the living room. I realized right away that this was no ordinary box; one of the children had clearly been working on it. I just assumed it was a box in the process of becoming a playhouse.

When I inquired about the box, the mom just smiled and shook her head. “That’s my son’s ‘Alone Zone.’”

“His what?” I said, a little bit baffled.

“His Alone Zone,” she said. “It’s where he goes when he’s fed up with all his homework, or is mad at his sister, or when things just get a bit too overwhelming for him... It’s his cool-down place... the place where he can be alone.”

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