Introduction I love to throw parties. Any chance I get to celebrate puts me over the moon. Every part of the process is fun and exciting to me. Even if I’m in the midst of total chaos, I find the fun in pulling it all together. I take pride in coming up with unique ideas. And the best part? My kids have become little party planners along with me! We think of concepts together and then bring them to life as a family. Often, my husband looks at me like I’m crazy, and sometimes I’m convinced he thinks I’ve totally lost it. Bigger balloons, more color, let’s step back into the eighties, a luau on the beach, or a safari. My husband has lived through every out-there idea I’ve come up with. The truth is I just love celebrating. I can’t help myself! When I was a kid, my mom always made our birthdays special. We loved doing themed parties and coming up with creative ideas together. IthinktThis is one of the reasons I enjoy carrying on the tradition so much. Celebrations don’t have to be saved for special occasions; every day we can make something special happen. I also understand the stresses that can go along with throwing a great party. Planning can be hard, finding the time to do everything you need to do can be challenging, and too much stress can turn good family fun into a tense situation fast. I love to cook, but I usually only have about fifteen minutes to throw something together. Keeping things on a budget can also be an issue; - I find so much joy in my kids’ being happy with their birthdays, but I don’t want to spend a fortune putting them together. I want everything to be stunning but also totally affordable. And the planning
Introduction
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T A E R S I PPirates!!
A pirate party is a super-fun theme. Costumes are easy to make, and the possibilities for games and favors are endless. It might sound like something boys would enjoy more than girls, but it’s amazing how universal rocking out on the high seas can be. My good friend Jenni had an amazing pirate birthday a little while ago, and I was surprised to see how much daughters loved it! theme. Some other funbe. ideas “message A piratemy party is a super-fun can Myinclude, good friend Jenni had in a bottle”–inspired invitations, pirate-themed snack names, Costumes are easy to make and the an amazing pirate birthday a few and, offor course, a treasure hunt, ofweeks course.ago and I was surprised to possibilities games and favors
are endless. It might sound like see how much my daughters loved something boys would enjoy more it! Here are some fun ideas to make than girls, but it’s amazing how uni- your pirate experience fantastic. versal rocking out on the high seas
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pirates!
TREASURE CHESTS All pirates need their own treasure chest. This was a favorite for the kids. Who wouldn’t like a personalized treasure chest to take home as a keepsake? Treasures and all . . . 1 piece of “aged” paper per kid 1 unpainted wooden chest for each kid 2 Tbsp each of various paint colorssforcraft 1 paintbrush for each color 1 sheet of stickers for each kid 1 cup of sand per chest 1 piece of paper per kid
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To “age” the paper, gently run a flame along the edges of each sheet. Make sure to do this safely before the kids arrive. This is best done over a sink to prevent accidents.
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Let each little pirate choose a treasure chest, and have them start decorating with paints and stickers. Next, have them write their own
pirate message on the paper, and roll it up to form a scroll.
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Lay out sand and an array of treasures for the kids to fill up their chests. It will surely be a hit!
4 to -6 trinkets per chest
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BUCCANEER ROOT BEER FLOATS Turn this classic childhood drink into the quintessential pirate treat. With scoops of ice cream foaming the mug, the little pirates will be both surprised and excited for their buccaneer float. So gather the ingredients and get ready for this easy and quick recipe.
SERVES 1 1 mug per kid 2 cups of root beer, chilled 2 scoops vanilla ice cream per float
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Fill each mug half full with root beer. Slowly add to two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top with root beer until full.
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over the sides if the root beer is added too fast. Encourage slurping, mug clinking, and lots of pirate songs.
Make sure to add the liquid slowly as it will foam
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SANDY’S SUGAR COOKIES My friend Lisa gave me a delicious family recipe from Grandma Sandy. I could eat an entire batch of these cookies by myself!
YIELD: 3 DOZEN COOKIES
powdered) to make a spreading consistency. Add a dash of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla,
if desired. Add food coloring drops, if desired.
CREAM TOGETHER 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 cup softened butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ADD AND MIX WELL 4 cups flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt
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Chill the mixed dough. Roll out the chilled dough to about ?? inch thin, and use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes. Place on baking sheets, leaving at least half an inch between cookies. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.
CONFECTIONER’S ICING
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Add sufficient milk or water to 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar (10X
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HEART WANDS This was one of the crafts that I was really looking forward to doing with the girls. They love wands, hearts, and everything Valentine’s related, so I figured this would be a hit for the holiday . . . and I was right. They We loved working together on this project. 1 sheet of felt per kid 1 bottle tacky glue forcraft 1 bag of fiberfill stuffing forcraft 1 rounded stick per heart 8 to -10 mini clothespins per heart
2 pairs scissors for crafts
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Holding two pieces of felt together, use scissors to cut out hearts. A standard sheet
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should give you room to create two hearts side by side. Using the double-sheet method will make your hearts the same size and shape, which is important for your wand.
completely—overnight is best. If you’ve got impatient little ones and need a shorter wait time, use clothespins to keep the heart pieces together while you add the stuffing.
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Glue the two heart pieces together along the edges, making sure to leave an inchwide opening at the top and bottom so you can add the stuffing later. Let the glue dry
Insert a stick at the bottom of the heart, and finish gluing the top and bottom together.
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SCAVENGER HUNT First, decide which kind of scavenger hunt suits your family best. If you have little ones, you might want to stick to a short route in your own neighborhood that can be traveled easily on foot or by bike. For bigger kids, hop in the car and head out on the town! We’ve used all kinds of hiding places in our scavenger hunts: near libraries, behind street signs, in trees, and buried in the dirt. We love using riddles that the kids need to figure out before they can find the clue. The older they get, the more complicated the riddles can be. Make sure you make it creative and challenging enough to be fun, but not so obscure that anyone gets frustrated. The goal is to have a blast! At the end of our hunts, we always have a little Valentine’s Day surprise for everyone. Last year we went to a cupcake shop that was holding our first clue. When the kids opened the box, there were cupcakes for each kid, with a letter that i.Included wasa word scramble that spelled out where to go next. We also did fill-in-the-blank puzzles and guessing games. Usually we haved 6 to 8 clues—one for each portion of the hunt before their final destination. I have also done simpler scavenger hunts, by hiding handmade cards in the backyard and haveing the kids find them to discover what adventures we are going onthroughouttheday. It makes for a great day that your kids will remember. TIPS • Rubber-stamping a heart or cupid on a hangtag can turn any household item into a little Valentine’s gift for a loved one. • Take your kids to the local farmer’s’ market or flower market to decorate the house with beautiful flowers.
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• Decorating the house can be super fun and festive. Let the little ones get involved by adding their personal touches. It could be, like a Valentine’s day drawing left for dad or a batch of homemade cookies in the shape of hearts.
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