{Party Tip} Invest in Sturdy Containers

{Some of the party tips I write about might sound like I am stating the obvious. But you never know who might not have thought of it or who needs a little nudge in the right direction. So many times I read simple ideas and think "ah-hah! I can't believe I never thought of that before!"}

I consider myself an organized person and clutter control freak, but with kids, I have definitely had to learn to let some of that go. I don't know about you, but the week or two before a party, my dining room becomes the control center and everything gets stacked on the table and the surrounding areas. This drives me crazy, because it is one of the first rooms you see when you walk into our house. The unorganized piles of party goods were driving me crazy and a few months ago, I vented on Facebook. A reader wrote back and said she likes to store everything in categorized bins. Umm, of course...why in the world had I not thought of that before?!

So, last week, while I was prepping for the cutest Little Blue Car party, I went to The Container Store and stocked up on 5 of these heavy duty storage containers in various sizes. I could not be more happy with my purchases! I was able to sort through everything in my dining room and place it in a coordinating bin. This felt sooo good! PLUS, everything was packed away and I wasn't panicking that my two young and very active boys were grabbing things off the dining room table!

I bought one, 33 gallon clear storage tote , 3, 22.75 gallon clear storage totes and one other size that I do not see listed online. On a side note, The Container Store is currently having a storage sale and these large totes are included!

Here is a quick picture I took of some of the totes packed and ready to go. I can't tell you how much easier this made my life on the morning of the party! I packed all of the transportable desserts in one bin, the containers for the dessert table in another and so on.

Thank you dear reader for turning on a light bulb in my head!

Please Vote for P is for Party

I was so excited when I received an e-mail last week letting me know that P is for Party had been nominated to the Top 25 Party Plannin' Blogs list on Circle of Mom's! I am truly honored and was quite surprised! My personality is kind of funny...I can be competitive, but then again, I avoid confrontation at all costs and never like to hurt peoples feelings. With that said, asking for votes feels kind of funny, but another part of me would absolutely LOVE to make it in the top 25 or even in the top 10!

If you enjoy reading P is for Party, your vote of support would mean so much to me. You can vote ONCE a DAY up until April 11th. You can vote HERE.

A sincere thank you!

{Real Parties} A Bowling Party!

My friend, Lili of Swanky Chic Fete, did a fantastic job of styling this bowling party! Lucky for her (and us Houstonians!), 300 is a chic bowling alley that lends a trendy palette to begin with. But for those who are not blessed with a stylish bowling alley, Lili shows you how you can make this theme one to remember!

Kelly of WH Hostess and The Party Dress created the perfect paper goods for the party! She designed the centerpiece sticks, favor bag toppers, trophy labels and trophy cup stickers which all stemmed from her Rugby Collection. I am a lover of paper goods because they create a cohesive feel at any event.

The cake is ADORABLE and I love how Lilli used polka dot cupcake liners (perfect for this theme!) to dress up simple cupcakes!

The polka dot balloons from Blooming Babies Market was another perfect addition!

Centerpiece sticks are the perfect solution to centerpieces for children's parties. Here Lili placed the sticks in white ceramic pots from Ikea and filled them with crinkle paper.

Inexpensive flowers like these gerber daisies and carnations add the perfect punch and when placed in modern containers such as these, look like they are worth so much more.

Here is another simple way to add a inexpensive, yet custom touch to your party...cup stickers! Kelly's circle labels were placed on plain white cups to dress them up. And who doesn't love paper straws?!

Red gumballs were the take home favors! Such a cute idea since they resemble bowling balls!

If you do not know Swanky Chic Fete, head over to Lili's blog right now! She styles great parties, pays close attention to detail and I love all of her creative posts!

Sources:

Photography - Loven, the birthday girl's Dad!

Bowling alley - 300 Houston

Centerpiece sticks, favor bag toppers, trophy labels and stickers - WH Hostess

Polka dot ballons - Blooming Babies Market {Etsy}

Striped straws - Pebbles in My Pocket {Etsy}

Cupcake toppers and dotted cups - Little Monster Hugs {Etsy}

Gumballs in dotted bags - Polka Dot Market

Red dotted scrap book paper - Michael's

Mini trophies - Oriental Trading

Mini vases and white pots - Ikea

{Real Parties} A Breakfast Birthday Party on a Budget

My friend Casey and her husband are uber creative. She is a talented artist and he is a photographer. They were on a tight budget this year for their son's second birthday celebration, but that didn't mean they couldn't celebrate in style! For Aidan's party, they threw a breakfast party in style....

Casey put together a cereal bar full of childhood treats! On the menu were cereals such as Cap'n Crunch and Trix and sweet add ins like yogurt covered pretzels and Oreos.

Of course cake had to be served! Casey created the cutest mason jar cupcakes with Oreos!

Personalized favor bags, at a nice price I might add, make each guest feel special. These muslin bags by Perideau Designs make the perfect favor bag! I recently used these for Nick's Safari Party.

Since Casey is an artist and so passionate about art, painting had to be involved! All of the little guests were able to paint on a blank canvas which will serve as a keepsake for Aidan.

Here is sweet Aidan LOVING the attention he received while everyone sang Happy Birthday to him! Casey said that when the song was finished, Aidan did the baby sign language for "more". Absolutely precious!

I just love every detail of this heartfelt party. And it goes to show you that you can create a special party on a strict budget! Thank you Casey for sharing this party! For a daily does of creativity and positive posts, visit Casey's blog.

Sources

Invitation and decor: MF Creative Designs

Banner: My Creative Side

Muslin favor bags: Perideau Designs

Photography: Chris Weigand Photography

If you are in the market for a custom piece of art, be sure to check out Casey's modern pieces! I am about to have a piece commissioned and can't wait!

Today is an exciting day for Kelly of The Party Dress and P is for Party as well! Kelly has produced the first issue of an e-glossy magazine full of eye candy! I was thrilled to be a part of the occasion! In the first issue of the magazine, you will see the debut of Nick's safari party along with a DIY moss cake stand tutorial.

Congratulations Kelly and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing issue!