Blume Dolls All the Rage for 2019

What is the Blume Doll Toy Trend?

Blume collectible dolls are flower pots that "sprout" dolls when you add water to them. They are adorable and colorful, and children love them! Blume Dolls originate from parent company Skyrocket Toys. They’ve the brand behind Pomsies and Grumblies, for example. Blume Dolls Series 1 will include 22 different dolls (some are rare, and others are ultra rare-oh Pokemon days), Series 2 and # are already on their website with the caption “Coming Soon.”

• They are being called the Hottest Toy of 2019

• After much anticipation, they will finally available for purchase, and we imagine they will be flying off shelves, so act fast (see our Amazon Blue Buys Below)

• Get ready for Blume Parties and Blume Halloween and Blume Christmas Presents

Why are Blume Dolls the Toy of 2019?

Here is Blume’s Value Proposition from their website https://blumedolls.com/

My opinion? Outside of an adorable and cute concept, kids love the experience of surprise and collectibles like Blume. What parents like about Blume: It's fast, easy and won't break the bank. It's mess-free, stress-free and pot becomes part of the toy — something your child can even personalize and decorate! Price ranges around $10 per Blume (see below to buy on Amazon, also purchase at Walmart & Target. Pre-Sale until 8/1/2019).

I need the Blume Dolls 101

Here is what we know:

Blume Dolls as stated “grow” out of their flowerpot in around ten quick seconds.

Once Sprinkled, up comes one surprise doll with colorful foam-like hair (rainbow color, flowers, crystals embedded, and more).

The hair is soft, squishy, and foamy. You can remove the foam hair and clothes and mix-and-match with other dolls.

• There are ten different surprises in each pot

• Each doll also comes with her very own accessories: a pet, purse, watering can, etc.

• Every doll comes with a miniature friend that’s a cute accessory with eyes.

• Once your Blume doll “blooms,” the flower pot can be used as a play-set to stash and carry doll and accessories.

The Official Blume Doll Checklist:

Blume Doll Types, Blume Doll Options, Blume Doll’s

There are 4 different varieties you can get (with their 22 names!)

1. Mystical (Leilani is the one to get!)

2. Super Rare (Skye, Gemma, Cleo, Kit)

3. Rare (Lola, Poppy, Sierra, Cora, Roxy, Reese, Valerie)

4. Adorable (Sedonna, Tess, May, Mandy, Nori, Alana, Tate, Celine, Cammie, Krystal)

Here is where Blume Dolls can be purchased on Amazon, I would buy in advance, since it’s being predicted as a craze!

Planning a Blume Party?

Go to www.lyfetymes.com to plan an epic party for any occasion and follow us for more Blume updates and Blume party ideas!

This is your P.S.A- you’re welcome!

Best Sprinkle or Sprinkles Party Ideas or Shower

How to Throw an Instagram Worthy Sprinkles Party or Sprinkle Baby Shower

OK friends. My girl squad was up in a Housewives worthy debate over one of the best questions in parties; Is it called a “Sprinkle” party or “Sprinkles” party? If you get that line, then you get us and are in the right place. So after discussing with some of the best and brightest in the industry, here is the result.

Sprinkle Shower and Sprinkles Party?

A “Sprinkle Party” is a toned-down baby shower. A baby sprinkle tends to be more casual than a traditional baby shower because it is second child and parents still have a ton of large items from the first bundle of joy they can use on the second. So “Sprinkle” in literally lighter than a shower. However, you see folks combining Sprinkles Baby Shower with a Sprinkles Theme.

What’s a Sprinkles Party?

A “Sprinkles Party” is usually a child's birthday party whose theme and has a rainbow aesthetic focused on actual yummy sprinkles.  

Here at LYFETYMES, we are finding Party Themes are going across all celebration verticals, so you see Coachella Theme for Teen Birthdays, Bridal Showers and Baby Showers. A Hawaiian Luau (my personal favorite) you see at Anniversary Parties, Graduation Parties, and Birthday Parties.

Our Post will be focused on Epic Parties using Sprinkles theme, and you can decide on which celebration to use it in. OK LYFER’s here we go.

How to throw a party like a pro!

LYFETYMES can help you plan your perfect Party stress-free so you can soak up every moment. Start planning your party 30 seconds: create a party website, assign tasks, make a food menu, track RSVPs, pin inspirations, and more! Plan for free at https://lyfetymes.com/

LYFETYMES- Your All-In-One Free Party Planner

 Pinterest Party Ideas

Check out our Sprinkle Party Pinterest Board here for the best ideas and inspiration https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/sprinkle-party-ideas/

Food, Drink & Sweets for a Sprinkle Party

There is no shortage of what you can put sprinkles on- You need this tub of sprinkles and go nuts, or um, sprinkle crazy on:

Everything is better with Sprinkles

Sweet confetti

Start Your Party Now

• Cake- All day long. Make the inside rainbow layered for extra pop!

• Cookies- who doesn’t love a cookie with sprinkles on it?

• Cup Cakes- Great for a baking theme and have guests decorate cupcakes

• Donuts- I’m sorry, who doesn’t love a donut wall?

• Ice Cream- Awesome to incorporate in the theme and have a ton of toppings to choose from

Drink Ideas for Sprinkle or Sprinkles Party

Sprinkle Rimmed Glasses- Super Easy, take a couple of minutes. If parents are having cocktails or mock-tails, great added detail. I’m sharing the most straightforward way I have found that will hold up

Frosting Method

• Supplies Needed:

• Vanilla Frosting

• Nonpareil Sprinkles (see link below to purchase)

• Fun glasses/cups

  Directions:
  Place Nonpareil Sprinkles on a small plate. Dip the rim of a glass in frosting, ensuring that the entire rim of glass gets well coated. Immediately dip the frost-covered rim in sprinkles.  Set prepared glass aside until needed. Easy, peasy.

How to Decorate for a Sprinkles Party

Sprinkles decorations can be incorporated from standard décor bought from Amazon, or you can integrate actual sprinkles in a few key eye-catching pieces. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Centerpiece Vase Filled with Sprinkles as the “water.”

• Tea Lights set in sprinkles- I like the ones from Amazon below because they are multi-colored and fits into the theme

• A Large Letter and Photo Frame that is DIY “Sprinkled.” Apply some clear glue and dip it in Sprinkles- make sure the little ones know its not for eating!

To Embrace the sprinkle theme, I curated some of the decorations. I have spent hours hand selecting on Amazon.

Sprinkles Party Photo Backdrop

This is now a must at every party or shower and the easiest DIY project you can get your hands on. To tie in the theme for Sprinkles, use bright, pops of color, like colorful pom-poms.

 Sprinkle Party Games

Since it is summer, you could embrace the sprinkle theme in another way, by turning on the sprinkler in your backyard. Remember, it's about creating memorable moments, and a great activity to keep kids busy!

Sprinkle Party Thank You Favors

White powdered donuts in sprinkle gift bags are the perfect thank you treat for party guests.

4th of July Party Ideas for 2020

July 4th Party Planning Trends

July 4th is upon us, and one of the most important times of year to bring friends and family together and we want to help you plan and celebrate America's birthday in the best way possible. It’s the perfect time to throw an outdoor BBQ get-together and show your American Spirit. So let’s get Red, White and Blue cover some great themes, food, and activities to knock your guest's socks off and have the party everyone is talking about!

Planning: Plan Every Aspect of Your Party for Free

LYFETYMES can help you plan your perfect July 4th Celebration stress-free so you can soak up every moment with your guests. Start Stress-Free Planning in 30 seconds to send invitations, food planning menus, track RSVPs, get decor, and more! Follow us for the latest party ideas and trends at https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/

What's more, using LYFETYMES is like having your own party planner, easy to plan any party end to end...which means you can put together any party, no matter how little time you have.

4th of July Party Décor

Decorating for your 4th of July party is simple: stick to red, white, and blue. The American flag makes the perfect backdrop for photos or food displays, work it into your decorations whenever possible. Check out our Patriotic Pinterest page here https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/4th-of-july-party-ideas/ for over 1,000 amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing! Pin those ideas to your free LYFETYMES Inspiration Board for your Party.

DIY PRO TIP-DIY Knot bandannas to create a spirited streamer!

Broad stripes and bright stars make easy decorations. Get your DIY creative on and make American flag-print bandannas. Just tie the ends together and string them from tree to tree or above the food table. You can use them with Tablescapes and food displays. A bandanna runner adds rugged country charm -- and slips right off the next day. Here are some easy Decor options, and save them for every Red, White, & Blue Occasion! Here are some of my favorites and paper lanterns are a game changer!

WOW FACTOR: 4th of July

In the mood for some easy WOW FACTOR? One of our favorites is Painted Lawn Stars or Sidewalk Stars. Wow guests with this DIY project that will only take you minutes to complete. Cut out star shapes from old cardboard and use red, white, and blue temporary spray paint that you can use on grass or sidewalk. Also a cool lighted display will stand out in the evening!

Decorations for Your 4th of July Party

Table Spirit: 4th of July centerpieces are also a great way to display patriotic party favors. Mix different sizes of American flags and pinwheels in a bucket. It's a bright and colorful display, and the guests can use them during the celebration!

4th of July Menu Ideas

Your July 4th food menu should feature some pretty simple classics. Maximize your time outdoors by cooking almost everything on a grill. Buying all the ingredients for a party can be expensive and time-consuming.  Here are some ideas that we love for guests:

DIY PRO TIP: "You Bring It, We Grill It” style potluck. Each guest brings their favorite grilling item or a side to share. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/bbq-party/

Small Grill or Kitchen? No Problem- Have each Guest bring their favorite famous outdoor family appetizer- people love to show off and share their secret recipes!

Bake OFF!

Have everyone bring a Red-White-Blue dessert, it is fun and makes an instant Dessert Bar that is an Instagram worthy picture! Give a small traveling trophy that gets passed around each year- like that Statue of Liberty replicas you get at JFK Airport.

S'mores Favors

This delicious party favor does double duty as dessert. You can hand out the jars at the end of the night as Thank You’s or the toast at firework time. Remember you can usually find the Red, white and blue marshmallows at this time.

Let Guests Know What's on the Menu

The gift that keeps giving for every party you will have. Paint a big piece of plywood with black chalkboard paint for a professional-looking board. Then list out what you are serving. Devil in the details.

Drinks to Celebrate Independence Day

A great drink setup is essential to any party for a cocktail or mocktail? In addition to your drink offerings, create a signature cocktail for your event. There so many red, white, and blue drinks to DIY from adding red and blue Jello Ice cubes to layering colors in equal parts, to adding star cut watermelon and blueberries- all are refreshing, delicious, and completely on-theme. The recipe picture here https://www.pinterest.com/pin/858146903977296623/

4th of July Party Fun & Games

Not fireworks time or not allowed to have them, you can fake it with confetti-filled balloon bombs. Create firecracker favors out of kid-friendly Party Poppers that shoot out confetti and streamers. Check our https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/4th-of-july-party-ideas/ for all the DIY Poppers and confetti balloon ideas.

No Pool? Give it up for Water Balloons! Especially fitting for a fun cool-down on a toasty day, a water balloon bin can spark some friendly competition and hilarious sneak attacks. Buy them in red, white, and blue colors.

PATRIOTIC PHOTO BOOTH

Give your guests something fun to do, Instagram fun and memorializes the celebration with fun photo booth props. Check out some of our favorites below on Amazon.


PRO Tip: NO-SEW AMERICAN FLAG PHOTO BACKDROP

Finally, a use for all the scrap fabric and ribbons in your crafting area! A backdrop takes less than 30 minutes to make and will be one of the most popular stations at your party, mix in some white string lights for a great night time picture!

4th of July Party Ideas for Kids

Kids Attending? Having a great kid's creative table is essential for any party. Sport your patriotic pride with the red, white, and blue friendship flag, where the kids can create something for their parents to take home with their hand print on it.

Music: Create A Summer Song List for Your 4th of July

No party is complete without some music! Keep your playlist upbeat for the daytime, and switch to a more mellow mood when evening comes around. Here’s a pretty stellar list shared with us for Patriotic Holidays.

https://mashable.com/2014/07/01/fourth-of-july-playlist-spotify/

Look the Part! 4th of July-Inspired Outfits

Above all, make memories and have a great time. LYFE is short, Celebrate the Good TYMES!

Here’s a few more notable items we love on Amazon for a 4th of July Party! 

So there you have it! We hope this inspired you to plan an epic 4th of July party for your friends and family!

7 Tips to Plan an Epic Slumber Party

Are you organizing the perfect slumber party or sleepover for your boy or girl? We gathered up seven tips to plan a slumber party that will make your life easy, and your child ecstatic! With school out soon, slumber parties are a great way to bring kids together and help them keep in touch over the summer. They help keep friendships alive even when they aren’t in school.

Slumber parties can be chaotic and they aren’t for the faint of heart! But you can control the chaos with these tips. You can throw a trendy and unforgettable slumber party and live to tell about it!

7 Slumber Party Planning Ideas and Tips

LYFETYMES can help you plan your perfect slumber party stress-free so you can soak up every moment. Start Stress-Free Planning in 30 seconds: send E-vites, plan food, track RSVPs, pin inspirations, and more! Follow us for the latest party ideas and trends at https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/

Movie Night Slumber Party

Organize the best movie night around! So you can now easily set up outdoor Movies thanks to technology or indoor with pillows everywhere for ultimate comfort. Have some fun and introduce them to movies you grew up with and fell in love this.  Make a sweet and salty DIY popcorn bar or candy buffet and enjoy watching their favorite animated movie in pajamas!

See hundreds of ideas on our Movie Party Pinterest Board here: https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/movie-party/

Pajamas and Pancakes

A pajamas and pancakes slumber party can be done two ways: For Dinner (Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?) or Breakfast!

Pancakes and pajamas are precisely what it sounds like. Kids arrive later in the evening in their pajamas and after whatever evening festivities (maybe a spa evening or movie night), they stay up late having fun. In the morning, Mom or Dad can whip up a fabulous Pancake Feast for all the guests to attend and eat in their PJ’s. Then parents pick them up. It’s genius because it’s a cool theme, inexpensive, and easy to execute.

Plus, since they show up in their pajamas and leave in their pajamas, it’s less packing for the guest’s parents! Win-win.

Here is some inspiration to get your griddle going: https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/pancakes-and-pajamas-party/

Tents, Forts, BoHo Teepees

image: Sprinkle and Dot

Whether you are glamping, camping, building an indoor fort with sheets or going all out and letting a vendor set up like one of our favorites above from Sprinkle and Dot .

Building a blanket fort is one of those things that is fun to do at any age! Even as an adult! It's a great place to get away with friends and drink mocktails. The kids love to sleep in them, get a couple of strands of twinkle lights and some pillows or couch cushions and let the kids create ultimate experience of a slumber party.

Spa Slumber Party

The big party trend right now, especially with older children, is a slumber spa party. Guess what? It does not have to be at an actual spa! There are great fun, low-cost, home-based spa treatments. Drop cucumber slices in ice water to cover their eyes while they let a face mask settle in and offer soft and cozy robes and slippers and twirl their hair up in a towel for pampering.  

Camping or Glamping

This slumber party theme works great for boys and girls. For a camping slumber party, you could pitch a tent in your backyard if the weather allows and have a night under the stars. If the weather won’t cooperate, set up inside and they can “glamp!”

Whether they’re camping, or glamping: Kids.Love.Tents. Maybe it makes them feel secure? Or maybe it makes them feel like they’re in a secret hideout? Either way: slumber parties are a great time to break out the tents!

Bonus points if you have a fire pit: Have everyone bring sleeping bags, BBQ some hot dogs & dig into s’ mores. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/glamping-party-ideas/

Slumber Party Game Night

Every party needs games! Why not make it the theme of the slumber party? It’s a great way to get the kids interacting, having fun, and off their phones.

Game night at your house will be a night they won't forget; complete with snacks, drinks and all the board games you can imagine! Twister is great for kids, monopoly to teach finance (nerd mom) or even team-based games- get them up moving, interacting, and laughing.

You could keep track of how many times a kid wins and hand out a low-value/high-fun prize at the end of the night! A cheesy trophy will do the trick.

A Slumber Party Tip for Parents (you don’t have to lose sleep)

If you’re worried about turning into a zombie after your kid’s slumber party, we highly recommend: EARLY PICKUP! That’s right; if you pull an all-nighter, you have every right to send those rascals packing after breakfast. That way you have the rest of the day for yourself and family, and you just made yourself look like a hero with your kid.

More Slumber Party Inspiration

Check out our Slumber Party Pinterest Board here for the best ideas and inspiration. You can pick any theme you want or combine them. For example if you’re planning a slumber party after seeing the new Aladdin movie, you can plan a Moroccan Slumber Party…you can go any direction, but the ultimate goal should be to bring friends together and create LYFE-long memories!

Baby Shower Trends for 2020

There are so many ideas for baby shower themes and we’re seeing some cute and unique trends popping up in 2019 for baby showers. Check out our ideas below on how to make your baby shower extra special.

Baby Shower Trends in 2020

Baby Shower Balloon Arch Decoration

image: Tula Mama

Looking for a way to add some dimension to your baby shower decor? Balloon installations are the hottest trend to help transform any party into a masterpiece. Balloon installations provide the perfect backdrop to your celebration, but they are particularly fun for a baby shower as they feel young and happy. Balloon arches are definitely trending for baby showers in 2019. Tip: Try having greenery tucked in with the balloons to add a tropical touch.

Check out the decoration section of LYFETYMES for our favorite suppliers

Make Baby Shower Menus Easy with Food Bars

Food is a major component for a baby shower and we suggest making your life easy with a food bar. Guests love them and your hostess will, too. Great food bar options for baby showers include mini sandwich bars, fancy taco bars, burger bars, waffle or pancake bars, biscuit bars (perfect for a baby shower brunch!), coffee bars, hot chocolate bars—okay, we think you get the point.

Food bars at baby showers is a trend that we’re seeing in 2020 and you can see why!

Something Old to Celebrate Someone New Baby Shower

Beautiful vintage-inspired baby showers are whimsical and romantic. Complete with antique furniture, like a dresser as the main food table, these baby showers are the perfect blend of cool and chic.

Incorporating burlap runners or dollies can add to vintage fell. Vintage touches like these are the perfect way to add “something old” to your celebration of someone new!

Boho Shabby Chic

Celestial themes are the perfect mix of whimsical and chic. Boho themes are having a huge moment for moms-to-be, for both boy and girl showers. New and unique baby shower colors that more and more moms-to-be are opting for in the decor give a happy vibe. Not only does this trend allow for more creativity in event decor, but it provides so many stunning options for gender-neutral showers.

Treat the Mom-to-Be to Queen of the Baby Shower

It’s the little things that can make a shower fun- seeing flower sashes or flower crowns for moms-to-be to wear vs. the traditional corsage are a trend for baby showers.

You can even get the guests involved by creating some for them to wear, too!

Woodland Baby Shower Theme

image: Baby Chic

The woodland baby shower theme is a tried-and-true classic and offers gorgeous color options for the baby shower decorations. Plus, it’s a great idea for a boy or girl baby shower theme (the image above from Baby Chic was for a baby girl’s baby shower, but it could’ve easily also worked for a baby boy!).

Recently, we’ve seen so many gorgeous, modern variations of the theme—we’re obsessed! Greenery is the perfect touch for this lush, outdoorsy theme. Of course, there should be no shortage of baby forest animals in the details (who doesn’t love baby animals?). This laid-back theme is sure to be enjoyed by everyone and is a top baby shower trend in 2020.

Co-Ed Baby Showers Are Rising In Popularity

Beers and BBQ’s are huge for co-ed baby shower themes! This couple-centric event is the number one baby shower trend gaining in popularity - why should the ladies have all of the fun celebrating a new baby? Plus, co-ed parties usually involve alcoholic beverages, a grill, and takes place in the late afternoon to evening rather than the traditional late morning to early afternoon. Co-ed baby showers are a special way for ALL of your friends and family to celebrate your new baby.

Gender Reveal Baby Showers Make the Event More Exciting

The celebration before the baby shower OR at the baby shower! Usually a gender reveal party is thrown about mid-way through the couple’s pregnancy to reveal the gender of their baby. This is how it goes down, you have your ultrasound tech write your baby’s gender on a piece of paper and put it in a sealed envelope. You can take the envelope (and exercise huge amounts of willpower) to a baker who can bake a baby shower cake around the envelope. As you can imagine, a lot of fun can be had before the big reveal.

But who’s to say you can’t combine a gender reveal party WITH a baby shower to make it extra fun and exciting!

Creative Baby Shower “Cakes”

image: Events By Kristin

As baby showers change, so have the goodies. And goodness me, there is some crazy amazing stuff being done with cakes or opting for other yummies. Donut Bars, cupcakes, and cake pops are an important center of the baby shower. Cake toppers are a big part of the theme and can pull everything together. Be sure to check out our cake toppers which really bring some WOW to the cake or dessert table.

Fun Baby Shower Party Favor Ideas

Nowadays women are ditching the baby-themed favors of pale pink or blue chocolate covered almonds and sending their guests home with something they can really use.

Seed packets, plants, champagne, or keepsakes. Baby shower favors is a great way to personalize the theme and create a memory that will last long after the baby is born.

Check out some of the best party favors we see on the market in our decoration section of LYFETYMES.

Baby Shower Mommy Mocktails or Cocktails

image: Just Bright Ideas

Just because the mom-to-be can’t have alcohol doesn’t mean you can’t serve fancy drinks or mocktails at the baby shower! A baby shower is the perfect time to get creative and create something special that’s pretty and refreshing.

Freezing flowers inside of ice cubes, to pretty and fragrant garnish (like rosemary!), these baby shower drink trends are giving us major mocktail vibes. We’ve also seen champagne and mimosa stations for those who are drinking at the baby shower.

While baby showers are a traditional way to celebrate and gift the mom-to-be, we’re seeing some unique trends to make the baby shower extra special!

This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred consequently, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. LYFETYMES may earn compensation from affiliate links in this content.

Girl Power Birthday Party Ideas

Raising strong and confident girls is a priority for every mom out there! Getting her “Girl Squad” together is a perfect theme for a girl’s birthday party. Here are some awesome girl power birthday party ideas and themes to consider if your little girl wants to transition from from “Let it Go” Frozen birthday party theme and move to a more “Girls run This World” Beyonce theme.

Theme Ideas for Girl Power Birthday Parties

Superhero Party

Not only is this great for both Boys and Girls, but we are surrounded by many STRONG female characters now that represent us from the Marvel Series, X-Men, and Disney Films to choose from like Batgirl, Wonderwoman, Storm or Shuri for example. By the way, I dream of dressing up as Wonderwoman, but those days have passed. Create a fun activity such as no-sew Superhero Cape Decorating by having the kids decorate their capes or personalize them for each guest ahead of time.

What I want to be when I Grow Up Party

What girl doesn’t like to play dressup? This birthday party idea is a great way to show girls their power and that they can do anything they want! It’s a fun idea to not only help your little girl visualize her goals and also get her to think outside of the box and open her up to any possibility. She can be a doctor, firewoman, astronaut, police woman, race car driver, AND a mom (if she wants!). And those costumes are so fun, regardless! It’s a beautiful reminder of how everything is possible for all of our kids.

Positive Vibes-Girl Power

This party is all about having positive images and quotes to inspire girls to be the best version of themselves. Teaching young girls community over competition and that women should support women (versus tear them down) is important for making a lasting change in our society!

For example, quotes like “Girls Empower Girls,“ “She Rock’s,” and “Girls Support Girls.” You can align all of your decorations from backdrops (Think: Girl Squad) to cakes with positive messages (you Go Girl) around supporting other girls. End it with a fabulous dance party with some fantastic songs that are all about confident women!

Movie Night Party

Outdoor or Indoor movie experiences are such a great theme for a girl power birthday party. Not only can you make it a concession style treats and drinks theme but up the any with a film about a badass lady. Whether its “Wonder Woman or “Hidden Figures,” share inspirational movies that reiterate that everything is possible for them!

If you host outdoors or have a pool, throw up a sheet and let them watch on a float in the pool or get a couple of blow ups from Walmart and let them chill in that while they bond over a movie.

Spa Party

We don’t even need to take a poll from moms that said they wish they knew how important it is to take time and pamper themselves along the way. And how we wish we would have learned this (and started these habits!) at an earlier age.

Spa parties are a great idea to teach them some inexpensive DIY hacks that genuinely work: from cucumber slices to homemade facials to getting their nails painted.

Glamping

Glamping is all the rage right now. Great for warmer weather or host indoors. From comfortable DIY teepees to outdoor movies, it is a fun experience s all about creating a cozy setting with little touches that make glamping unique. Instead of boring old smores, use pink or pastel marshmallows, its that simple to elevate camping to all-out-glamping.

Pancakes and Pajamas

All of the above party themes can be sleepover parties, but Pancakes and Pajamas are precisely what it sounds like. Kids arrive later in the evening in their pajamas and after some fun evening festivities (maybe spa evening or movie night), they can stay up late and in the morning Mom or Dad can whip up a fabulous pancake feast for all the guests to attend and eat in their PJ’s. Then parents pick them up, Genius because it’s a cool theme, inexpensive, and easy to execute.

Women’s empowerment and education should start when girls are in their formidable years, so that they learn how to treat themselves and others in life: women are capable and women should support each other instead of be in competition with each other! Girl power birthday party themes are a great place to reinforce these ideas—and they’re fun, to boot!

Summer BBQ Ideas

With Memorial Day, Father’s Day, July 4th, and the summer season upon us, the backyard grill becomes the hero as we plan the perfect summer BBQ Party or get-together. So let's light a match and cover some great ideas for themes, food, and activities to kick off the season!

The great thing about summer BBQs and outdoor cookouts is they are less formal and relaxed.

E-vites are perfectly fine way to send your invitation, in fact they are preferred. LYFETYMES is a free place to plan any size party or get-together, not only Is it free to plan all your parties; you can create a party website, send your party URL via email, or text and guests can enter their email to RSVP. Easy-peasy.

A Memorial Day party is the first holiday that kicks off everything we love about the summer BBQ season. Decorating for summer BBQs is simple (Memorial Day, of any time you’re throwing a summer party!): stick to red, white, and blue. The American flag makes the perfect backdrop for photos or food displays, so work it into your decorations whenever possible.

If you have an American flag flying proudly at your home, remember to display the flag half-staff before noon on Memorial Day. You can reuse the décor for both holidays. Check out our Patriotic Pinterest page here for over 1,000 amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

You can also add in those ideas to your free LYFETYMES inspiration board for your party when you sign up to plan a celebration.

More Summer BBQ Ideas

Painted Lawn Stars or Sidewalk Stars

image: Practically Functional

Wow your guests with this DIY project that will only take you 30 minutes to complete. Cut out star shapes from old cardboard and use red, white, and blue temporary spray paint that you can use on grass or sidewalk. Buy on Amazon https://amzn.to/2HrnH15here

Festive Centerpiece

A 4th of July centerpiece is also a great way to display patriotic party favors. Mix different sizes of American flags and pinwheels in a bucket. It's a bright and colorful display, and the guests can use them during the celebration!

image: Between Naps on the Porch

Summer BBQ Streamer

Broad stripes and bright stars make easy decorations for a summer bbq. Get your creative DIY juices flowing and make American flag-print bandanas. Just tie the ends together and string them from tree to tree or above the food table. You can use them with tablescapes and food displays. A bandanna runner adds rugged country charm -- and slips right off the next day.

Creative Summer BBQ Menu Options

Your summer bbq party menu should feature some pretty simple classics. Maximize your time outdoors by cooking almost everything on a grill. Buying all the ingredients for a party can be expensive, and time-consuming.  Here are some ideas that we love for guests:

•  "You Bring It, We Grill It” style potluck. Each guest brings their favorite grilling item or a side to share. Check out our summer bbq Pinterest board for ideas and inspiration!

• Small Grill? No Problem- Have each guest bring their favorite famous outdoor family appetizer- people love to show off and share their secret recipes!

• Bake OFF! Have everyone bring a Red-White-Blue dessert, it is fun and makes an instant Dessert Bar that is an Instagram worthy picture!

With these ideas, everyone saves a bit of money, feels like they have contributed, and insures at least ONE dish that they will like and eat!

Let Guests Know What's on the DIY Menu

image: Pinterest

Let your guests know what’s on the menu! Paint a big piece of plywood with black chalkboard paint for a professional-looking board. Then write out a list out what you are serving. This looks very “Hostess with the Mostess and elevates any summer bbq or backyard party.

Signature Cocktail

A great drink setup is essential to any party, because what is a summer BBQ without a full cocktail or mocktail? In addition to your drink offerings, create a signature summer cocktail for your event.

image: In Katrina’s Kitchen

There so many red, white, and blue drinks to DIY from adding red and blue Jello Ice cubes to layering colors in equal parts, to simply adding star cut watermelon and blueberries-all are refreshing, delicious, and completely on-theme. Find the recipe pictured above through her link, or her pin found here.

Remember that summer BBQ parties equal heat—It gets hot! Keep the drinks chillin' with colorful balloon ice! It's so simple: fill colorful balloons halfway with water and freeze overnight. Toss them in the cooler to keep drinks cold and festive.

Summer BBQ S’More Treats

image: Fresh Mommy Blog

And nothing says summer quite like a campfire and s’more! Everyone will love this sweet summer treat. But why stop at the traditional chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker combination? You can DIY dye your marshmallows patriotic red-white-blue so when melted it is on the theme- also makes for great “Thank You” take ones.

Or, use food coloring to dye frosting and add that to the top of your marshmallow to make it extra decadent.

Fun & Games

Outside of food and Décor

Fireworks would be amazing for any summer BBQ, but not many people can pull off a fireworks show. time or not allowed to have them, you can fake it with confetti-filled balloon bombs! Create firecracker favors out of kid-friendly party poppers that shoot out confetti and streamers. Check out Pinterest page for all the DIY Poppers and confetti balloon ideas.

Water Balloons

Want to cool off your guests, but you don’t have a pool? Give it up for water balloons! Water balloons are a kid favorite! Water balloons are the PERFECT summer BBQ activity and can spark some friendly competition and hilarious sneak attacks.

Summer BBQ Craft Table

Having a great kids creative table is great for any party. Easy DIY  patriotic ribbon crowns are the perfect July 4th craft for your kids to create! Sport your patriotic pride with the red, white, and blue friendship flag, where the kids can create something for their parents to take home with their handprint on it.

Create A Summer Song List

image: Styles at Life

No party is complete without some music! Keep your playlist upbeat for the daytime, and switch to a more mellow mood when evening comes around. Here’s a pretty stellar list shared with us.

https://mashable.com/2014/07/01/fourth-of-july-playlist-spotify/

Summer BBQs are all about relaxing and enjoying family, but Memorial Day is a day of appreciation where we remember and honor those men and women who have died while protecting our country.

You can show your support by attending a parade, donating to a military charity, sending a care package to servicemen and women, invite a veteran on your block over to eat, or take them a plate. Above all, taking a moment to remember why we have a three-day weekend.

Kid's Party Themes for 2019, The Movie Edition

Parents love kids movies just as much as the kids and in 2019 there a lot of family friendly movies to get excited about. And guess what? Blockbuster kid’s movies set party trends for the year.

In our first post, we highlighted kid’s birthday party trends for the year and below we’ve rounded up our predictions of kids party trends: the Movie Edition. These movie party trends are based on original movies, or resurrected stories based on a sequel. So whether you are a professional party planner or designated party planner for the family (aka MOM) here's the information you need to get the party started!

We have worked hard to collect the ALL THE BEST party ideas and resources on our Pinterest Page. Come follow us!

Want a Free Party Planner at your disposal 24 hours a day? Sign up at https://lyfetymes.com and plan any celebration for free and create your free party website.

Movie Themed Kids Parties in 2019

Friday, May 10th

image: Warner Bros.

Detective Pikachu  Holy Pokemon- who saved all their cards? The only thing Moms need to know is Ryan Reynolds is in it. You’re Welcome. And here’s a link to our Pokemon Birthday Party Pinterest Board.

Friday, May 24th

image: Disney

Aladdin This looks like a fun movie! Will Smith plays the Genie and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine- This is a tripleheader for Party Themes 1) Arabian Nights Party  2) Aladdin Theme 3) Princess Party featuring Jasmine or all princesses. See our Alladin Party Pinterest Board for all the movie party ideas!

Friday, June 7th

image: 20th Century Fox (movie poster)

Dark Phoenix- This is my Vegas bet: most of us just met this character in Endgame, but if you are a true fan, you knew about her all along. We are obsessed with Girl Power, and we think like Disney Princess Parties, we hope to see more female superhero parties!

Get inspired for your Dark Phoenix movie party here.

image: Universal Studios

The Secret Life of Pets 2  The Secret Life of Pets 2, is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 comedic blockbuster that had the biggest opening weekend ever for an original film, animated or otherwise. We’ve rounded up some great ideas for a Secret Life of Pets movie birthday party here.

Friday, June 21st

image: Disney

Toy Story 4 How can you not love this animated series of Buzz Lightyear and Woody! Not only will Toy story be a hit, we’ll see an uptick in barn yard animal parties and character-specific inspired themes like  cowboy themes parties (Woody) and space parties (for Buzz Lightyear). Here’s our Pinterest board for a Toy Story 4 birthday party.

Tuesday, July 2nd

image: Columbia Pictures

Spider-Man: Far From Home It’s the gift that keeps giving, Spiderman is one of the most popular party themes. Check out our Pinterest Page for Sensational Spidey Party Ideas to make you look like a Superhero. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/spiderman-birthday-party/

Friday, July 19th

The Lion King  Can you believe its been 25 years since the original film was released? This looks amazing. We think not only will this be a Kids Party Sensation, but we will see an increase in Safari and Jungle Themes Parties and will cross over to Baby Showers and Birth Announcements (Nothing is funnier than seeing parents parity this image of holding Simba). https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/lion-king-birthday-party-ideas/

Friday, August 9th

Dora and the Lost City of Gold  Anyone with kids graduating, do you remember Dora the Explorer animated series on Nickelodeon? The song still rings in our heads sometimes! As an unanimated series, it still promises to be a ton of fun. We predict it could revitalize the animated series and open the fantastic Dora to younger fans and little girls to go on adventures with her.

We expect Dora themes parties; Jungle themed parties and adventure and experience based parties with things that include maps and scavenger hunts. Check them out https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/dora-the-explorer-birthday-party/

Friday, August 16th

image: Columbia Pictures

The Angry Birds Movie 2 – The sensation that swept the nation! The Angry Birds are back in the sequel to the biggest mobile game of all time! Angry Birds 2 starts a new era of slingshot gameplay. See some of our favorite Angry Bird Parties here. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/angry-birds-party/

image: FILM HOLDING – MORGEN PRODUCTION Licensed by PLAYMOBIL

PLAYMOBIL  We have all seen their toys in Walmart, etc. This is the first big-screen animated adventure for the iconic toy brand, looking to kickstart a cinematic franchise. They have some charismatic characters and trust me; they will be making a play to win your child's heart. Follow us for all things PLAYMOBILE Parties on Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/playmobil/

Friday, November 8th

image: Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog   Sonic is a video game franchise produced by Sega centering on a series of high-speed platform games. Typically, Sonic must stop antagonist Doctor Eggman's plans for world domination, often helped by his friends, such as Tails, Amy, and Knuckles. This movie may resonate with older kids that are just getting into gaming. Check out Party Inspirations here. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/sonic-birthday-parties/

Friday, November 22nd

image: Disney

Frozen 2 – Well, Hell just froze over for parents everywhere. We love Elsa; she is part of the family. LITERALLY. And at least Disney was kind enough to release in the winter. It is so popular we add every day to our Frozen Board on Pinterest which is awwwweeeesssoommmee.

Friday, December 20th

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker  Star wars is always a great party theme because there is a shared love of the old and new characters that spans generations in families. From very specific Star Wars Fan Parties (down to the food detail) to incorporating Space Party ideas, follow us on Pinterest for our Star Wars party ideas so great you will feel like the force is with you!

That’s a wrap! Hope You enjoyed our lineups. Release dates may change, we share the most up to date information posted by the production studios. Want to party with us? Sign up for our newsletter for best celebration trends, Ideas, and giveaways in the sidebar —->>>.

Want a Free Party Planner at your disposal 24 hours a day? Sign up at https://lyfetymes.com plan any celebration for free and create your free party website. Start planning form your couch in under a minute- check out our video on LYFETYMES for free.  

Mermaid Birthday Party Ideas

Mermaid party themes are making a bit of a comeback. It might be because of Disney’s upcoming remake of their 1989 classic animated mermaid tale, The Little Mermaid . Or maybe it’s just because mermaids are mystical and beautiful and magical. With summer just around the corner and everyone has beaches/pools/water fun on the mind, we thought it would be a perfect time to do a round up of mermaid birthday party ideas.

We know if you search Pinterest for Mermaid Parties, you will be overwhelmed, so we cataloged some of our favorite ideas that will have everyone parting under the Sea. Check out all our favorite ideas on our mermaid birthday party Pinterest board.

Mermaid Party Invitations

Start the theme off strong with an under the sea or mermaid party theme. These birthday invites with the phrase, “You Mermaid to be Awesome” is so cute!

Get your child involved and create homemade invitations by cutting out mermaid tails and shells made from folded over construction paper! There are so many under the sea/mermaid party ideas you could use to create a one-of-a-kind party invitation.

Mermaid Birthday Cake

A mermaid birthday party has to have a mermaid birthday cake! You can order a cake, or try your hand at making your own. If you’re no Martha Stewart, make a sheet cake and add in a mermaid tail and shells and call it a day!

Shell Decorating Table

Nothing controls the chaos like an experience where we put those busy little hands to work. Also, parents salivate at anything their little Picassos create and display those works of art with pride. “Shell Station” is like an Easter egg decorating but with sea shells.

You can go to Hobby Lobby and get more giant shells, glue, glitter, markers, etc. to let them create. Buy inexpensive wood frames and let the kids go crazy! It’s guaranteed to keep them entertained for 30 minutes or more, and they’ll have an awesome party favor to take home.

No Sew Mermaid Tails

image: Living Locurto

What could be better than going home from a fantastic mermaid party with your very own mermaid tail?

Amy at Living Locurto made these DIY Mermaid tails for all the guests at her daughter’s 3-year-old mermaid party. You can have a “Tail Station” like above, or make them ahead of time and personalize them for each party guest. And the magical part is that you need no sewing skills at all; great news for a lot of busy moms.

Watch the video here https://www.livinglocurto.com/mermaid-tails-party-craft/

Sand Castle Station

If you don’t already have a sandbox, you can purchase bags of sand (You don’t need a ton, found at Walmart, Lowes, etc.) and a plastic kiddie pool. Fill the pool with sand, get some cheap buckets and pails and you’ve got a faux beach for your mermaid birthday party!

Divide your guests into teams and have a Sand Castle Competition. The winning team wins a small prize!

Fun Food and Drink With a Mermaid Twist

Fun ocean-themed food is an easy way to decorate for a mermaid themed birthday party. Goldfish, Swedish Fish, or chocolate shells are an obvious choice.

Naming common party foods to fit the ocean/mermaid theme is an easy way to create a mermaid menu (triangle shaped cheese as 'shark teeth,’ cut sandwiches into ‘starfish’, etc.)

Other ideas include this fruit basket and adding a few cheap bananas that are DIY dolphins is a fun idea (photo source unknown: found on Pinterest).

Mermaid Ice Cream No-Churn Mermaid Ice Cream is a colorful swirl of easy homemade ice cream filled with sprinkles that are perfect for a mermaid party and a hot summer afternoon treat! Find a great mermaid ice cream recipe here: https://www.homemadeinterest.com/no-churn-mermaid-ice-cream/

Mermaid Sea Water or Ocean Water

Ocean water is easy fun, innovative drink that can be made ahead in batches and set out so all your guests can help themselves (one less thing to worry about!).

We loved this recipe from Stephanie Stremler’s sea life birthday party for her daughter:

Mermaid Birthday Punch

Ingredients:

• Blue Hawaiian Punch

• Lemonade

• Ice

Directions:

Mix half Blue Hawaiian Punch and half lemonade in the dispenser and add ice. Done! It doesn’t get much easier than two ingredients.

Other Fun Mermaid and Ocean-Themed Foods

Candy buffets like rock candy can be “Coral Rocks” or Sour Apple Candy ropes as “Seaweed.” are fun interpretations. Adult options for a mermaid party include “seaweed dip,” which is artichoke dip or spinach dip with some yummy bread on the side to spread them on.

Check out our mermaid birthday party Pinterest board for more with great food Ideas!

Mermaid Photo Backdrop

image: etsy

Recreate this gorgeous fabric mermaid photo backdrop using teal and purple balloons and streamers. It’s easy and inexpensive! Mix in iridescent streams to elevate and add in some sparkle and it will look amazing. You could add fish and mermaid tails made from simple construction paper—great for younger kids.

Kids and adults will have so much fun posing like mermaids or sharks!

As we say at LYFETYMES: a party is more than décor! Make it a memorable experience and spend time enjoying you’re child and the party, they will never remember that you did not have a life size aquarium there!

Taking selfies with your child using this mermaid birthday party photo backdrop is a great way to create lasting memories.

Mermaid Parties Require: COLOR!

Speaking of décor, for a party to feel truly mermaidy, you’ve got to go crazy with the décor. There are a ton of inexpensive DIY mermaid ideas we love that are inexpensive, and the kids can help put it together. And any color works, don’t feel like you need to go deep purple or blue, we have seen fantastic pastel mermaid parties.

LYFETYMES is like “The Knot” for everything BUT Weddings!

LYFETYMES takes the stress out of planning allowing you to spend more time celebrating and making memories. LYFETYMES is your free All-In-One Party Planner; you can plan all the aspects of celebrations in one place. It's great for Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Holiday Get together, Graduation Parties, Engagement Parties, or Any Occasion to Celebrate.

You can start planning a party in 30 seconds from your couch in your pajama’s. You can send Invites, RSVP’s & manage guest lists, create a celebration website, add registry & gifts, checklist & budgets,shop decorations, pin pictures, and DIY ideas and more. You can plan various celebrations at one time. And you can invite other hostesses to help with planning and assign tasks, share ideas, etc. 

It is the fastest growing website for moms planning celebrations and will save you HOURS.

Gender Reveal Party Ideas

Gender reveal parties have been growing in popularity over the past few years, and we can see why! Letting the world (and yourselves!) know the gender of your baby is a fun way to spread more happiness during this joyful time. We never mind another excuse to plan a party!

There are so many smart ways you can learn the gender of your baby, and we've rounded up a huge list of ideas to help inspire you to create a magical gender reveal party!

Fun Ways to Reveal Your Baby's Gender:

Cake Gender Reveal

Have a friend or the host order a delivery on your behalf with the inside of the cake dyed pink or blue. When you cut into the cake, you'll instantly know whether you're having a baby girl or a baby boy!

The same idea can be used for cupcakes--this is a fun idea to have everyone bite into a cupcake at the same time to reveal pink or blue pudding and share in the fun.

Get the dog involved and make the gender reveal cake for the pup. He or she can eat the cake and announce to the world if you'll have a boy or a girl!

Pop an Opaque Balloon

This is another fun way to reveal your baby's gender: have an opaque balloon filled with pink or blue glitter, confetti, or powder for an exciting gender reveal moment at your party!

Boy or Girl Outfit Surprise

Have the parents-to-be open a neutral box with boy or girl clothes inside. They can be blue or pink, or a dress vs. vest and tie!

Confetti Cannon to Reveal Your Baby's Gender

Confetti cannons are gaining in popularity and they are the perfect way to discover your baby's gender at the party! Plus, it's one of the more masculine gender reveal ideas we've come across. What man doesn't like shooting off a canon?

Or, get the crowd involved and have them shoot confetti cannons off over the future parents like this image above! This makes for a really cool moment and photo.

Pinata

Pinatas are always fun at parties and with each strike, the excitement of the gender reveal builds! Mom and dad (and big brother or sister) can take turns hitting the pinata to reveal blue or pink colored candy, or confetti (we like the candy idea for obvious reasons!).

Balloon Release Gender Reveal

Decorate an extra large box with festive paper and bows and fill the box with pink or blue helium balloons. Get the camera ready because when the couple opens the box and the balloons pop out and up, it makes for a beautiful moment that they'll want to cherish forever.

The Thinking Closet shared their balloon release gender reveal at their family gender reveal party it was so such a great moment!

Gender Reveal Party Themes

Trucks or Tutus

Matchbox toy trucks and tutus are easy to find and use at the gender reveal party! Make or buy inexpensive tutus for guests to wear and use toy trucks as cupcake toppers.

Quarterback or Cheerleader

Decorations with a quarterback or cheerleader gender reveal theme can include mini footballs, pom poms, and pennants on the wall! Have mini footballs and pom poms for guests to toss or shake throughout the party.

Blue or Pink Party Decorations

Keep things simple at your gender reveal party: either have the party host decorate ahead of time in secrecy so that when you arrive, you are surprised by the color of the decorations. Or, use both blue and pink (or green and peach) at the party and keep up the suspense until the big reveal!

Pirate or Mermaid

Ahoy, Matey! We love the idea of an "Out on the High Seas" gender reveal party. You can use the ocean and pirate ships as the central theme and then pirates and mermaids to designate each gender!

There are so many cute options to use for decor--ships, blue tablecloths, mermaid tails or pirate hats for cupcake toppers, the possibilities are endless!

Bow ties or Bows?

This is a fun theme and easy to come up with decorations for a "bow ties or hair bows" gender reveal. Pass out bow ties and hair bows for guests to wear at the party and use that theme for the cupcake toppers, cookie decorations, or cake toppers!

Menu items can include bow tie pasta salad, hair bow cookies, bow ties and hair bows as cake toppers, and more.

Lashes or Mustaches?

This gender reveal party theme screams for a photo booth with props! Buy (or make!) mustaches and lashes on sticks and add in feather boas, big hats, and more props on sticks (like big pink lips, crazy glasses--the ideas are endless!)

He or She: What Will it Be?

Keep things simple with a basic theme of 'he or she: what will it be?' Use any of the gender reveal techniques from above to fit in this theme. We are partial to the hidden blue or pink frosting inside cupcakes!

Now that you have the gender reveal party themes and ideas on how to reveal your baby's gender at the party let's find out what people do at gender reveal parties! Aside from visiting, eating, and having fun guessing what the baby will be, you can offer games to keep it light and fun.

Gender Reveal Party Game Ideas

Suggest a Name

Name suggestion jars are a fun way for guests to drop a boy or girl name in a jar for after the baby's gender is revealed. Even if you've already picked out names, this could be fun to look through after everyone's left the party.

Cast Your Vote

Create a poll on a cute chalkboard or other decorated backdrop with a line down the middle designated boy on one side and girl on the other. Any of the above themes can easily be incorporated into this game!

Guess the Number!

Fill a Jar with pink and blue candy and have guests guess if there's more pink or blue candy in the jar! Have a party gift on hand for the winner to up the stakes. To make it extra challenging, ask them the number of pink and blue candy in the jar. The competitors in the crowd will really make this game fun!

What is a Gender Reveal Party?

Wondering what a gender reveal party is? It's somewhat of a recent phenomenon where a couple has the baby's gender sealed in an envelope only to be revealed at a party with friends and family.

Gifts are not expected--save those for the baby shower!

Should You Have a Gender Reveal Party?

Some people like to wait until the baby is born to be 'surprised' at the birth. But many people like to know ahead of time so that they can plan the nursery and their baby registry.

Doing a gender reveal party makes finding out what your baby will be extra fun and exciting and it's a moment that you can share with friends and family well before your baby is born.

It's a personal decision--some people do a small and intimate gender reveal party and other people plan a big party! Either way, we hope these ideas have inspired you to plan your gender reveal the way you want.

Want to save these ideas for later? Pin this image below!

Party Planning Blogs That Will Inspire You

At LYFETYMES, you could say we love all things parties. And you'd be right. We love scouring the internet for the latest and greatest party planners and their blogs--they're on the front lines of planning parties and they help to keep our creative juices flowing!

Below we're sharing our favorite party planning blogs:

Party Planning Blogs We Love

Cake and Confetti

Meredith Timms Staggers is the face behind Cake and Confetti and she started out as a party planner back in 2013. She's evolved her business into a party planning blogger/content creator and photo stylist. She writes about all things parties, entertaining, and a bit of lifestyle blogging for good measure!

Candy-themed birthday party from Cake and Confetti. Image: The Cotton Collective | Party Planning Blogs That Will Inspire you from LYFETYMES party planning blog.

Her recent candy themed 1st birthday party for her daughter, Piper, was full of beautiful and fun ideas! You can follow along with her amazingly fun and happy Cake and Confetti Instagram feed.  

Twinkle Twinkle Little Party

Andressa Hara is a local party planner turned party stylist and creator of her wildly popular Twinkle Twinkle Little Party blog and Twinkle Twinkle Little Party Magazine, a lifestyle and party planning publication.

One of our recent favorites was her sweet pink & gold ballerina/princess inspired party--it looks like every little girl's dream party!

Pink & gold ballerina/princess inspired party from Twinkle Twinkle Little Party. Image: Twinkle Twinkle Little Party.

She has an incredible knack for styling the most creative parties and capturing the theme and vibe perfectly which is why major brands have hired her to create beautiful campaigns for them.

If you're looking for party inspiration, check out her blog or the Twinkle Twinkle Little Party Instagram feed for her always inspiring styled party shoots!

Kara's Party Ideas

The creative force behind Kara's Party Ideas is Kara Allen and she's a party designer, content creator, dessert stylist, and author, among other things. Recently dubbed the "new" Martha Stewart of party planning, her work is in high demand and she's worked too many brands to list!  

Vintage inspired lavender baby shower from Kara's Party Supplies is one example of Kara's party planning genius. Photo credit: Kara's Party Supplies

This stunning vintage inspired lavender baby shower left no detail undone.

Follow Kara on Instagram for daily inspiration!

The Bashery

Pamelyn Rocco brings.the.party. She's been creating parties for over 20 years and started a successful party rental and party styling company where she rents awesome and unique things to people planning a party and creates content and inspiration for her blog and Instagram. She creates beautiful content and yes, FUN PARTIES!  

A mother's day party from The Bashery. Photo: The Bashery

This stunning Mother's Day party included pretty photo backdrops, activities for the kids, and a mimosa bar for the moms! Follow along with The Bashery on Instagram for more inspiration!

Oh Happy Day

Jordan's site is just...well, HAPPY. From the photography, to the styling, to the themes--she makes us want to throw a party just because ;)

Minecraft Balloons | Oh Happy Day commits to her party themes! Photo: Oh Happy Day

This incredible Minecraft themed birthday party was so creative! From the food to the decorations--she nailed it. Oh Happy Day also has a store where you can find almost anything you can think of to throw your party! She's built a powerhouse of a space for inspiration and decoration.

Follow Oh Happy Day on Instagram for a daily dose of color and party inspiration!

Feeling inspired, but not sure where to start? Check out Lyfetymes where we help you plan your perfect party with our easy tool FOR FREE!

Sugar and Cloth

On a break from college, Ashley Rose created Sugar and Cloth. That was eight years ago! She runs the site and studio full-time where she pumps out gorgeous party and lifestyle content that will be all up in your Pinterest boards!

DIY Hot Chocolate Bar by Sugar and Cloth. Photo: Sugar and Cloth

This DIY Hot Chocolate Bar they whipped up for a charity event with State Farm is perfection. We love her because she shares so many DIY projects from decor, to recipes, to entertaining, so that you can incorporate some fun into your life, too!  

The Sugar and Cloth Instagram feed is not to be missed--gorgeous studio shots, photo shoots, and behind the scenes family snaps that will keep you smiling!

Black and Twine

Where do we start with our love for Black and Twine? Their gorgeous site is organized and curated so beautifully and you'll surely find the inspiration for your next party. We love reading their blog where they do deep dives into parties that will get you inspired to start creating your next celebration!

Jungle Themed Baby Shower via Black and Twine | photo: Bethany Lane Photography | Top Party Planning Blogs

This jungle themed baby shower was such a unique idea for a baby shower and the color scheme kept the vibe fun, yet classic.  

Black and Twine collaborates with their 'stylist circle' from across the world which keeps the content fresh and exciting!

Black and Twine is also on Instagram!

Laura's Little Party

Full of themed party ideas for birthdays, holidays, movie nights, game nights, and more, Laura's got an idea for every party!  

Unicorn themed girl's birthday party from Laura's Little Party. Photo: Laura's Little Party | Top Party Planning Blogs

This adorable unicorn themed birthday party was a big hit and we can see why! The decorations, the treats, and that cake--this is one birthday party idea that will melt your little girl's heart.

Her Instagram account is popular for a reason-bright and beautiful party pics to inspire your every day!

Hostess with the Mostess

This site is so beautifully laid out and curated--it's a party for your eyes! They offer their own content and also feature other's creations. You could literally spend days sifting through all of their party topics.

Love Birds Bridal Shower from Hostess with the Mostess | Top Party Planning Blogs

This adorable Love Birds bridal shower was so clever and sophisticated. Plus, she includes links to these gorgeous printables for you to use at your own love birds bridal shower!

Follow Jenn at Hostess with the Mostess on Instagram for daily inspiration!

Little Miss Party

In addition to curating and creating stunning content on their blog, they offer personal party planning, branded event planning, and "party in a box" options to help you plan your next event!

Bridal Shower via Little Miss Party photo: LMP | Party Planner Blogs We Love

We love the simple touches they added for this 'best friend's bridal shower' event. The feminine and festive backdrop elevates the brick wall and keeps things festive with a few basic elements (balloons and a gold banner--it's true what they say: less is more!).

Follow along with Seri over on the Little Miss Party Instagram as she shares their parties and a little behind the scenes action, too!

We'll be updating this list often, so check back soon to see which party planning blogs have been added!  

Better yet, pin the following image so that you have it bookmarked on one of your Pinterest boards:

Remember to check back soon to see more party planning blog inspiration!

Unforgettable and Unique Bridal Shower Themes

Bridal showers are an important event leading up to any wedding. There are a lot of moving parts in this celebration! Today we've rounded up the most current trends we're seeing in bridal shower themes to get your creative juices flowing!

With the right theme (ideally one the bride is head over heels for), all the other details will start to fall into place, from finding the right decor ideas or picking the perfect bridal shower dessert to match the vibe.

Whether the bride-to-be is always ready for brunch or has a long-standing traditional style, you'll find the idea to match her every pre-wedding dreams in this unique list of bridal shower themes.

Unique Bridal Shower Themes

Make a Special Bride to Be Cocktail

Have some fun and create a special cocktail name in the bride's honor! Or, make her favorite drink and put it on the menu for all of the guests to enjoy! Check out LYFETYMES Pinterest Board here for ideas!

Spa Day Bridal Shower

If the hustle and bustle of wedding planning have your bride completely worn down, one fun bridal shower alternative is to pack her and her guests off to a day at the spa. The pampering possibilities are endless and she'll end the day completely relaxed and ready to keep planning that dream day.

Garden Party Shower

If there's one bridal shower theme that will always sound like a perfect fit, it's a garden-inspired shower. There's just something about floral displays and overflowing arrangements that shouts "wedding!" This shower theme is a great one to make co-ed and get the groom in on the party.

Extend this theme to your pre-wedding event with the help of a flower-packed setting and you're well on your way to an unforgettable garden party. Click here for inspiration.

With a wedding in the works, sometimes it's best to stick to a bridal shower idea the bride already has on her brain—like a flower arranging class. Even if she's not even thinking about hand-making her own wedding arrangements, learning how to create her own centerpiece (or flower crown) may be the perfect way to unwind and still acknowledge the upcoming celebration.

Race and Brunch Bridal Theme

Is she a runner or biker? Have everyone sign up for a local race followed by a brunch to celebrate the bride. This is a fun bonding experience because you'll be working towards a shared goal AND there's brunch. So...

Tea Party Bridal Theme

Let the sweetest bite-sized delicacies tempt guests at an afternoon tea style shower. Tea sandwiches, towers of handheld desserts, and, of course, the tea itself will ensure your event goes off without a hitch. A theme shower is especially suitable for brides who have already accumulated many of the housewares that tend to be given as gifts at traditional showers. For awesome Tea Party Ideas, click here!

Kentucky Derby Themed Bridal Shower

Look no further than this particular bridal shower theme for an idea that's worthy of the Triple Crown. You'll definitely impress the bride to be and all her favorite ladies with a celebration packed with mint juleps, Southern snacks, and all the best hat fashion.

Sweet Treats Brunch Bridal Shower

If the bride considers brunch the most important meal of the day, your theme decision is simple. Pile plates high with her favorite flavors of donuts, or feel free to get extra creative with a waffle or pancake cake. Just don't forget the mimosas! Check out our brunch inspirations here.

Candy-Themed Bridal Shower

Plan a shower that is sweet like candy -- just like Darcy Miller did for bride-to-be Dylan Lauren, owner of Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City. "This theme is so much fun and perfect for Dylan," Darcy says. "But, really, who doesn't like candy?" Inspire your sweet tooth here!

Co-Ed Formal Bridal Shower Theme

Include the groom and his beaus in this formal affair--black tie optional, but encouraged. A decadent evening out to celebrate their upcoming nuptials is the best way to kick off all of the celebrating!

Or, if that's too formal for the couple, rent a room at their favorite restaurant or have everyone meet at the bar for a casual couples night out bridal shower theme.

Sports Bridal Shower Theme

Is the bride-to-be a big sports fan? Rent a suite at a local ballpark and cater the event with high end beer and party food. Have a blast doing something fun while celebrating the bride before her big day.

We're talking everything from guest lists and invitations to food and drinks, entertainment, and even items like party favors. Fortunately, LYFETYMES makes coordinating the perfect bridal shower infinitely easier, no matter which theme the bride chooses!

For some more amazing ideas check out our Bridal Shower Inspiration Board here.

And be sure to save this pin for later!

The Best Kids' Birthday Party Trends!

Top Party Trends for Kids

Celebrating your child’s birthday? Thanks to DIY, ETSY, Amazon, Instagram, and Pinterest- parents are more inspired and empowered to get creative when it comes to planning their child's birthday celebrations! Get ready to explore the biggest upcoming kids’ party trends for 2019. Parents and kids are now looking for bigger and better ways to be entertained as they celebrate. We've rounded up an incredible list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing and plan a kid's birthday party that everyone will enjoy!

Birthday party trend we're seeing in 2019 is breaking away from traditional gender-based themes. Parties are now geared more towards themes, personalities and experiences that play into the child’s interest, whether it be baking, painting, spa party, or camping – there are so many low-cost options to make everyone feel like a rock star.

Need some inspiration and ideas we've got you covered in our list below, or check out our Pinterest boards here.

Trending Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

Floral Arranging Birthday Parties

Custom floral arranging parties including children's birthday parties where participants learn how to create a beautiful floral arrangement or a beautiful flower crown (huge trend) fit for a queen.

You can do this at home or at a local florist venue! The kids will learn a skill and you will enjoy the fruits of their labor all week.

The New Princess Parties

Mermaid, unicorn, and rainbow themes are popular alternatives to the traditional princess party.

Unicorns and mermaids are fun, ethereal, glittery, and build a child’s confidence through traditional and inspirational story telling. You can really get creative with these themes: from the cake to the party favors you can get as creative as you want.

Make it a Rainbow Unicorn Party to take it to the next level. Activities can include decorating unicorn headband horns.

If you want to add an actual unicorn or mermaid, more and more companies are providing services where a character will come to you- check out lyfetymes.com to see what is available in your area.

Tea Party & Fairy Party

This is one of the sweetest trends coming on from creating a backyard team party, in the house or at an actual venue. Tea parties are becoming more popular. From Alice to Wonderland Themes to Shabby Chic Vintage Themes, kids love playing dress-up- not to mention those yummy tea sandwiches and pastel macaroons are darn cute!

Have them decorate crowns or wings as activities. Or they can paint their own tea cup.

Check out more amazing tea party ideas here from modern to vintage.

Spa Party, Glamping, Camping & Slumber Party

The big trend being seen, especially with older children are sleepover spa party. This does not have to be at an actual spa! The market is flooded with fun low-cost home-based spa treatments. Drop cucumber slices in ice water to cover their eyes while they let a face mask settle in and offer soft and cozy robes and slippers and twirl their hair up in a towel for a day of pampering.

Image: Sprinkle and Dot

Slumber parties make some of the best memories, string up some garland and lights, a few decorations, music and it’s a party! If weather permits- go glamping outside. Sleep easy by checking out some great ideas here.

For a Camping theme, you could pitch a tent in your backyard if weather allows and have a night under the stars or set up in a room inside. Have everyone bring sleeping bags, BBQ some hot dogs & dig into s’mores.

You could apply lumberjack or forest or woodland animal party theme. Mix in some bandannas, nature decor and lanterns and have activities like a scavenger hunt list.

Experience/Activity Trend

Instead of doing a typical pizza party at the same place every year, mix it up: Trampoline Park, Bounce Houses, Bowling Alley, Go Carts, Indoor Climbing, Video Gaming, Laser Tag & Skating Rinks are great options. There are so many event venues to choose from now!

Pro tip’s for parents: These activity-based birthday parties are usually low cost, plenty of room to run around, private rooms if needed, and no clean up required.

With all the options available you can really make sure it is geared towards the kids’ interest and everyone gets some exercise!

Cooking and Baking Parties

Another idea for both boys and girls is to have a cooking or baking party. With kids cooking competition shows rising in popularity, kids are being encouraged and inspired to learn to cook or have some creative fun decorating cupcakes and cookies.  

You can do this at home by putting out different colored icings and sprinkles. As an activity them could decorate and personalize their own aprons. Bakeries are also great venues to host a party! Check out venues here.

Mad Scientist or Exploration Party

This is all the rage! Kids will love being hands-on with a science-themed bash! Hand out lab coats and safety goggles, drink from beakers, and put together simple experiments.

You can do this at a home party or most children’s museums offer kids birthday parties at a reasonable cost, so the kids can party SMART! Don't go mad trying to think of everything yourself, check out some great ideas here!

Arts and Crafts Party

These are great opportunities for kids to do something different and use creativity to create something to hold on to forever. Keep kids busy with art and craft stations during the party. Kids can create a painting or a craft that will also serve as a party favor.

Whether you are planning a painting party where the kids can paint on canvas or a ceramic party where they can mold and decorate their special piece, a great opportunity to capture their imaginations with a keepsake to remember! Check out some our favorite ideas here.

If you can't stomach the chaos (and mess!) Craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann also offer birthday parties which will save you from the mess!

These are the top birthday party trends we're seeing for 2019! Pin the next image to your Pinterest and save it for later:

Trendy DIY Graduation Party Ideas

It’s one of the proudest moments in a parents’ journey: when your child walks across the stage, receives their diploma, and throws their graduation cap into the air. If your son or daughter is graduating this year, celebrate this huge milestone with an awesome graduation party using these DIY party ideas!

LYFETYMES can help you plan your perfect graduation party stress-free so you can soak up every moment. Here are some ideas to help celebrate this milestone in style without breaking the bank. So, dry those tears (#proudparent) and let’s get ready to party!

Photo Backdrop

It's not a party unless there's a photo backdrop. There are a ton of options, complete with fringe, balloons, and star garland is Insta-worthy.

It will help commemorate the day for years to come and easily DIY-able. Check out our favorite backdrops here for inspiration.

"Then and Now" Centerpieces

Pictures are a great way to help personalize tables and works as a centerpiece. Take some of the millions of photos you have taken as they have grown up and shared with the guests. Check out our centerpieces Pinterest board for all kinds of inspiration.

Candy Buffet

These are popular for milestone celebrations. You can buy in bulk, find something cute to put candy in with a scooper and it is a great “Thank You” treat for guests to leave with.

You can even personalize the bags with your Graduates name, etc. And your candy buffet can go beyond just candy: you can use DIY dipped doughnut pops, candy apples, and more Your guests will feel like a kid in a candy store! We have great ideas curated for you here.

Metallic Letter Balloons, Balloon Garlands, Jumbo Balloons with Tassels

Balloons have come a long way baby! With so many options available, you can get really creative with your graduation party decorations. You could decorate with words “The Tassel Was Worth the Hassle” with metallic letter balloons for stylish decorating this grad season.

Balloon garlands are very popular from decorating the entrance or incorporating in a photo backdrop. Balloons can serve as colorful but inexpensive centerpieces or create a chandelier.

Another significant trend that adds a pop of color and helps to fill a party space is jumbo balloons with colorful tassels.

Mix in smaller balloons to create an eye-popping display. Check out our Pinterest board here for fantastic ideas.

Theme Party

Like when they were little, one of the best ideas is to have a themed Graduation Party. You can theme based on the College they may be attending including colors, mascot, and personalized décor.

Another favorite theme due to the time of year is a Luau. It's bright, fun, tons of inexpensive DIY decor options and it’s fun to have your guests show up in their best Jimmy Buffett outfit. With LYFETYMES you can invite your Guest of Honor to help with personalization without giving away the party details.

Make a Graduation Money Lei

Along the Luau theme: remember when you used to pin money on the bride’s dress to dance with her? A money lei is a popular graduation idea that puts a modern spin on tradition.

Roll up dollar bills to get it started and use mini clothespins to attach them to DIY lei or buy one here and leave empty ones that your guests can attach money. It’s fun for the graduate to wear around and fun for the guests to pin on them.

Food Bars for Easy Menu Planning

If you are feeding any group of people, the new trend is Food Bars and Drink Stations- they are LYFE-savers!

From Hot Dogs with all the fixings to Taco Bars, you can help save hours of stress and money by having your guests serve themselves. The best part is you can put together a fantastic display with some inexpensive options that will fill them up and leave them happy. Check out some tremendous Bars and Stations here.

The New Interactive Guest Book

You could apply this with anything but skip the boring guestbook, and ask guests to sign a Jenga block with a piece of "Life Advice" with one-liners and their name on the other side.

Or how about a Polaroid guest book where guests snap it, shake it, stick it and sign it. Or if you’re a tech family come up with a hashtag for Instagram for your guests to use, so you get every pic from every guest there- remember when we used disposable cameras at every table?

Graduation parties are the perfect time to mix things up and make things FUN, not stuffy! Use some of these trendy DIY Graduation Party ideas that will make your graduate grin from ear to ear!

Pin the next image to save it for later!!

Rose Gold Bridal Shower Decor

We've rounded up our favorite rose gold bridal shower party decorations, so that her rose gold dreams can come true!  BONUS: You can purchase them all for under $125 to have a great shower! Plan the entire bridal shower for free at LYFETYMES, your Free All-In-One Party Planning Website.

You can also add unlimited co-hosts to help celebrate the special day! Be sure to check out our beautifully curated boards here for inspiration  

Rose Gold Bridal Shower Decor Ideas for Under $125

Gorgeous Decoration Kit

This gorgeous bridal party decorations and supplies kit will make your party stand out and includes everything you need for your party. It fills the room- it is a great kit complete with a bridal sash! Rose Gold balloons combined with gold letters add a perfect touch. Purchase here.

Photo Backdrop

Photo backdrops are a must-have for every party--especially bridal showers!  These rose gold metallic tinsel foil fringe curtains are perfect for selfies and posing with your friends. Purchase this set-up here.

Rose Gold Table Runner

Continue the rose gold love with this beautiful table runner. This runner will create a gorgeous base for all of the amazing bridal shower eats and treats. Purchase here.

But First Mimosas Rose Gold Cocktail Backdrop

Will you have a special area for drinks at the bridal shower? Separate the champagne and mimosas with this gorgeous backdrop. It will help make things festive while your guests grab their cocktail or mocktail. We LOVE this decor to put over the busiest place in the party! Purchase Here.

Table Covers

Rose gold everywhere sounds divine for a bridal shower, but to use it more as an accent, but give your guest's eyes some visual white space, use these classy white table covers with rose gold polka dots accents. Plus, they are disposable which makes cleaning up after the party a breeze! Purchase 4-pack here.

CupCake Toppers

Cupcake Toppers elevate basic cupcakes for her special day. These gorgeous bridal shower cupcake toppers will take your cake or cupcakes to the next level. We love these wedding themed toppers, buy here.

Table Settings

To keep the rose gold theme going, coordinate with these pretty matching flatware and, cups, napkins, and plates. Purchase our favorites here.

Your rose gold bridal shower is just a few clicks away with these awesome products! You can use LYFETYMES to plan every last detail, in addition to the rose gold decor! Your bride-to-be will be amazed at how you pulled it all off. You've got this!

Pin this post for later!

Unique Mother's Day Celebration Ideas

Mother's day is coming up fast and we've rounded up unique gifts and ideas for how to celebrate the mom in your life. Go beyond a flower delivery this year!

Mother's Day Celebration Ideas

Progressive Brunch Party

A lovely brunch out to celebrate your mom is a traditional way to celebrate--but if you'd prefer a more personal touch (or if you missed your chance to snag a great reservation!), plan a Mother's Day progressive brunch.

This works especially well for families with a few grown kids who live nearby so you can build in a few stops in the celebration.

Start off with mimosas or smoothies, fruit and cheese. Next up: the main course: french toast, pancakes, pastries, eggs, whatever she wants! And then finish up with more drinks, gifts, and some nice chocolate. Play simple games at each stop (How well do you know your mom?game, What's in Moms Purse? etc.)

You can also turn brunch into a "progressive dinner party," for a grown-up twist on traditional Mother's Day celebrations.

Take Mom Out to her Favorite Activity

Nothing makes mother's happier than spending time with their children--especially if it's sharing a moment together in one of her favorite places! Does she love art galleries? Or the local botanical gardens? Or a the local history museum she's been telling you about for months? Wine tasting? Tailor the idea to fit the special mom you're celebrating.

Snag some tickets and share some time with your mom. Life is busy these days and time is our most precious commodity. Share some of your time with your mom (or whichever mom you're celebrating!) and you'll make her year!

Acts of Service

Offer to plant your mom a tree or some fresh flowers and make the celebration live on past mother's day. Or, paint the bathroom she's been talking about for years. Anything that will make her life easier would go a long way in showing your mom how much you appreciate her!

Mother's Day Tea Party

Keep things light and simple with a fancy tea party. Break out the fine china she never uses and make her day! Make it a multigenerational all girl tea party, or invite the whole family. Create a 'formal' dress code to really make mom proud.

Go beyond tea and cookies and make some simple sandwiches, pastries, and a party punch.

(Making cute sandwiches isn't your thing? You can plan every detail of her mother's day party using our free tool! Find the local bakery who'll help with the menu, and more!)

Make a Video

This idea works especially well if you don't live close to your mother to celebrate in person! Gather up your favorite images from when you were kids to more modern shots and create a video set to music!

Add in video clips of you and your siblings sharing their favorite mom moments and you'll really make her feel special. (Cue the tears!!)

Breakfast in Bed

This is a popular one, especially if young kids are planning the Mother's Day celebration! It's something they can plan and do for their mother and who doesn't love breakfast in bed?

Kids will be so proud that they were able to treat their mom on her special day--just make sure cleaning up the kitchen is also part of the gift ;)

Make a Donation

Much like the 'act of service' idea above, you could make her Mother's Day special by making a contribution to her favorite charity or organization. Any amount will do!

Spa Day

Moms (especially moms with young children) rarely take time to pamper themselves. Instead of planning a big Mother's Day celebration, send her away to the Spa or a day of shopping while you handle the kids, meals, etc. This one is worth every penny as she'll return refreshed and rejuvenated and most importantly: appreciated.

Schedule a Photo Shoot

This idea will tickle every mother you are celebrating! Hire a photographer who is willing to take multi-generational group shots, as well as individual family shots. The memories and photos will warm her heart for years to come. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Celebrating the mother's in your life this May can be a great way to really show her how much you love and appreciate her all year long, not just on Mother's Day. Use some of these unique Mother's Day Celebration ideas and really make her proud!

Planning isn't your thing? LYFETYMES has you covered! Use our FREE party planning tool here or by clicking, "start planning" above! Get inspired, plan and order food, create and send invitations, and more! We've got you covered this Mother's Day.

Pin this post to save it for later!

9 Fun Easter Party Ideas!

Looking for some fun and easy Easter party ideas? We've rounded up 9 unique easter party tips that will get your creative wheels turning! From DIY decorations to fun Easter activities, these are the best ways to celebrate Easter.

Fun and Unique Easter Party Ideas

Bunny Ear Party Hats

This activity will help keep the kids busy because they will have plenty of extra energy thanks to the Easter Bunny that day. Making them from scratch with construction paper and tape, kids can create and decorate while the grown-ups enjoy a delicious meal or dessert.  Kiddos will love wearing their handmade cute party hats, or you can purchase plush bunny ears--kids AND adults will get in on the fun!  Here's a cool pair here.

Easter Centerpieces

Wow your guests with DIY low-cost centerpieces that even the Easter bunny is sure to love. Use carrots, Peeps, chocolate eggs or even the cheap plastic eggs to decorate. One idea we love is to use artificial grass strips and then sprinkle the eggs throughout.

Or, just fill a glass bowl with Easter candy for a super simple centerpiece.

Easter Egg Cookie Decorating

What's an Easter party without awesome desserts? It's such a great activity for all ages! Much like many families bake and decorate cookies during the Christmas holidays, Easter egg cookies are just as fun! It keeps the little ones busy and also serves as a great parting gift. Easily whip up adorable egg-shaped cookies with this cookie cutter set.

Easter Egg Basket Decorating

This is a great DIY project to keep kids busy while creating something unique that they can use! Baskets don’t need to be fancy or heavy duty (especially since most eggs are plastic with lightweight coins or candy inside).

You can use white paper bags and set up all the trimmings to decorate. Once again corral the kids and keep them busy, And it's an adorable keepsake for parents of an art craft created by their kids!

Easter Egg Golden Ticket Game

Here's an Easter activity that's fun for both kids and adults! Fill one of the plastic eggs with a golden ticket and the child who finds it wins a prize. Have a special prize for kids (candy would be a popular choice!) or a nice bottle of wine for the adults to win.

Whoever finds the golden ticket wins the prize!

Easter Egg Relay Race

We love this idea to reduce the frustration (and panic!) of not finding eggs in a big group of egg hunters! Instead of every man for himself, why not split the kids into teams (evenly matched of course) and have a member from each team search for an egg. Once they've found an egg, they come back and tag the next teammate — just like a traditional relay race!

The kids still have the fun of an Easter egg hunt, but less pressure!

Toddler's First Easter Egg Hunt

I think we can all agree that a toddler's first Easter egg hunt is probably more for the parents than the kids! Because they're kind of clueless as to what they're supposed to do, parents usually end up leading the child to find the egg.

Here's a solution: if you have a younger kids, tie a balloon to the eggs so they little ones can have fun “hunting” and easily identify their target. They'll probably still think they're "balloon hunting", but they'll have a blast, and parents can get their Easter photo opps ;)

Easter Egg Decorating

What would Easter be without some Easter egg decorating? Buy a kit to dye eggs, or (for a less messy option) let the kids hand decorate them with markers, stickers, and more! This inexpensive and festive activity will build memories for years!

Easter Themed Coloring Pages and Word Searches

A quiet way to corral the kids while you entertain is with Easter themed coloring pages and word searches. You can make a custom word search here! And there are plenty of free printable coloring page sites that you can find with a simple google search.  Here's one for Easter themed coloring pages.

Are you inspired to start planning your Easter party? These 9 fun and unique Easter party ideas are easy and won't break the bank--bonus: they'll keep the kids occupied and having fun!

Need help planning an Easter party? Whether you have a simple party or a big family get together, planning an Easter party is no small task. But your new best friend, LYFETYMES, is here to help! We all know party planning is more than décor and invitations: plan any party, bunnies or not, for FREE at LYFETYMES.

LYFETYMES: The New Way to Plan a Party

Here’s a little backstory of why LYFTYMES was created.

I volunteered to plan my close friend’s baby shower; I figured I'd crush it. I’ve been the right-hand gal supporting huge corporate organizations in many roles for years. If I could do that, how hard could it be?

So when it came time to start planning, I started with what everyone does. I pulled out my laptop and entered:

"How to plan a baby shower."

"Tools to plan a baby shower."

"I need help planning a baby shower."

I kept getting printable checklists, helpful blogs, and great articles.. There were plenty of pictures and inspiration, but I could not find an end-to-end website for all things party outside of weddings.

I went through the same thing planning my niece's graduation party (and let me promise you one thing, you do not want to screw up a teenage girl’s party). I was running around like a crazy person, trying to divide and conquer with co-hosts, worried sick it wouldn’t be the guest of honor’s vision, or I would forget something important.

I was so stressed over it and  a full-time job working mom with little time.

I love to celebrate life’s milestones or just throw a party on the weekend, just because. My fondest memories are from these moments, and I hope there are many more.

But as I sat at my computer and thought of everything that needed to be done for my friend’s baby shower, I knew it should not be full of pain points—a baby shower should be full of joy and most of all, fun!

That's why I decided enough was enough, and LYFETYMES was created.

LYFETYMES is a free, fun, DIY website that is easy to use for any celebration or party. It's like having a personal party planner. It’s great for baby showers, birthday parties, bridal showers, graduation parties, holiday get-togethers, or ANY occasion. LYFETYMES has you covered, no matter what you are celebrating!

When you join our party, you will have access to powerful tools like:

• Celebration Dashboard

  Easily to read dashboards to keep track of important information and updates, including countdown clocks.

• Invitation Station

  Build easy email, mailing and texting lists(coming next month), import previous guest lists or from your contacts, send invites and track RSVPs and the numbers of attendees. Great for Save the Dates & Thank You notes. Email & message co-Hosts and guests party updates.

• Inspiration Boards

  Upload and share your favorite pictures to capture or inspire your vision for decor, cakes, themes, etc.

• Vendor & Venues

  Your “party motherboard” of all the things you may need for a party all in one place!

• Registry & Gift Board

  Create wish lists or add registry URL’s that can be shared with guests or begin a new registry with your favorite store.

• Planning & Tools

  Interactive checklists, add and track to-do’s, assign tasks and due dates. Assign your celebration a budget and track spending.

• Food, Drink & Dessert Center

  It’s the center of every celebration! You can order catering, book a restaurant, order food delivery or DIY grocery lists – its all in one place!

• Decoration Center

  Browse decorations based on occasion, purchase from top suppliers or get inspiration for your celebration!

• Include the Guest of Honor

  Are you hosting for someone? Maybe graduation or baby or bridal shower? No problem, with LYFETYMES you can send your guest of honor a link to help personalize the celebration with limited view (so you don’t give all the details away!) to help with invites or provide registry information or theme favorites.

• Guest View

  Guest will be able to view invitation details, mapping directions, gift, and registry information and send the host or co-host questions.

We know that not every day is a party, but it’s still important to remember someone's birthday, anniversary, or any special day. To keep you organized so that you never forget one of these special days, we created LYFEMINDERS: Lyfe’s little reminders - you pick the day, and we will send you a reminder so you can send your love.

You can even plan multiple celebrations at the same time and access past celebrations to reuse tools and information like past invite lists to make LYFE easier!

LYFETYMES has also personalized the experience for all party goers including:

• Star of the Show (Guest of Honor)

• Hostess with the Mostess (Host & Co-Hosts)

• LYFE of the Party (Guests)

We can't wait to start celebrating with you. Come for the party, and stay for a LYFETYME!

Check out our website at www.lyfetymes.com and start planning in 30 seconds and follow us on social media for the best tips, inspiration and trends.