Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Choo Choo 1st Birthday!



We were so pleased when Little Max's mom contacted us about planning a Choo Choo 1st Birthday Party for the little man!  For a little guy who loves trains, this Choo Choo theme birthday party held at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC, was the perfect way to celebrate his 1st Birthday!  Not only were we able to create countless train-theme decorations, treats and favors, all of the little ones had a chance to ride on a real live train.  It was the perfect setting and luckily the weather was even perfect.

Here is just a peek at what we created for Max’s Choo Choo 1st Birthday:

Edible Cupcake Train
This adorable, and edible train is the perfect way to display your cupcakes!  
Tip: Be sure to wear gloves when you are assembling the train so that little ones (and big ones) can enjoy the pieces after the cupcakes have been served
Components:
  • Electrical tape
  • Large marshmallows
  • Toothpicks
  • Graham Crackers
  • Oreos
  • Cupcakes 

Instructions:
  1. Use electrical tape to create a train tack on your tablecloth 
  2. Attach 2 large marshmallows to each other by inserting a toothpick in the center of the flat ends
  3. Place 2 sets of marshmallows on your track and place a full graham cracker on top to create your train car
  4. Set an Oreo wheel in front of each marshmallow (Oreos will stay put on their own.  If you are concerned about little hands knocking them over, attach them with a dab of frosting)
  5. Place 2 cupcakes on top of each graham cracker, being sure to place them above the large marshmallows to support the weight (If you are adding cupcake toppers to your cupcakes, be sure to do so before you place the cupcakes on your graham cracker cars.

Personalized Mini Goldfish Cups

Plastic Shot Glass + Personalized Sticker + Goldfish = A Toddler's Favorite Grab-n-Go snack!
Tips: You can fill these adorable cups with everything from pretzels to cherrios to apple slices

Veggie Shots

For a fun twist on a plain old veggie tray, put ranch or hummus in the bottom of a small cup and add a few colorful veggies.  
Tip: Avoid small shot-size cups because they have a tendency to fall over under the weight of the veggies.

Fruit-filled Ice Cream Cones  

These Fruit Cones are the perfect way to serve a healthy treat to little ones.  Simply place small bites of fruit into ice cream cones and you've got the perfect, portable, healthy treat!
Tip:  Place a cupcake liner in the top of each cone before you add fruit to avoid a soggy mess

Die Cut Train Centerpiece

Create a cute centerpiece by attaching bamboo skewers to festive die cuts and inserting them in floral foam inside a cute pail.
Tip: Get creative with your centerpiece container, you can use everything from a traditional vase to a mason jar or a clean soup can

Animal Cracker-filled Mason Jar Plate Stands

The perfect way to add height and style to your buffet table - simply use an animal cracker-filled Mason Jar as a plate stand!
Tip: You can fill your Mason Jar with just about anything that coordinates with your party theme 

Animal Cracker boxes and Train Whistles 

For a super simple table decoration, simply stack up a few adorable animal cracker boxes in the center of the table
Tip:  These are also fun favors for your little guests to encourage them to take home a box!


Personalized Gable Boxes 
filled with Animal Cookies and a Train Ticket
The kids loved these fun favors!  These small clear gable boxes are the perfect size for little ones to carry around to enjoy their animal cookies on the go.  Decorated with personalized stickers and topped off with a ticket for the train!
Tip:  Clear gable boxes are such a versatile favor box that can be filled with anything from a sweet treat to bubbles or play doh




Choo Choo!!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Yoga Tips for The Clueless Chick [and a FREE app!]



In my never-ending attempt to relieve stress I have started doing yoga again.  As many of you know, I am a huge proponent of pre-natal yoga which I did through both of my pregnancies (the benefits are nothing short of amazing!).  But alas, yoga is yet another activity on the long list of things I have not managed to work back in to my busy schedule… until now!

I have discovered the perfect solution to my “I just can’t manage to fit in a trip to the yoga studio problem” – an app!  It just so happens that my new favorite Yoga app, Pocket Yoga - Practice Builder, is this week’s Starbuck’s Pick of the Week.  That’s right – it’s FREE!  So now you don’t have any excuses either.  Go pick-up a Pick of the Week card at your local Starbucks or e-mail me and I’ll hook you up with a download code.

The Pocket Yoga app is fantastic – you can create your personalized yoga routine literally in just a few minutes, complete with music, personalized background and audio post instructions.  If you are a novice, the app will even suggest the best transitions between poses.  If you are a master it will also allow you to pick from all available poses and time each and every one.

You can even create multiple practices for different days or moods J  I’ve got a quick 5 min “I need to re-center” practice and a longer practice for when I have the time. 

Namaste!
-Jennifer

P.S. I did not receive any compensation for the above glowing review of Pocket Yoga - Practice Builder.  If you happen to know someone connected to the app, please let them know I do accept cash, checks and all major credit cards ;-)