When my boys were younger and having a birthday party, my husband and I added “no gifts necessary” to the invitations.
Toys and gifts seemed to come into our house all year long from loving relatives, so when it came time for my sons’ birthday, we asked their friends to just come and play at their party. This worked well in terms of avoiding an influx of unnecessary toys and extra expense for the guests at the party. That is, until my boys were about five years old and started noticing that friends were receiving presents at their parties.
I usually do not cave to whatever my kids want, but at the the same time I could not come up with a good enough reason why friends could not bring gifts other than “because I said so” or “because I think it is a good idea”—especially when there is so much fun surrounding the idea of gift-giving—so we dropped the no-gift rule.
Gifts started multiplying in our home again, and at the same time my boys started developing very specific tastes of what they liked and did not like. This left many unused and unplayed-with toys to deal with.
I decided for their seventh birthday to try something new: set up a gift registry at a store where guests could contribute to a joint gift certificate for the boys. Since the boys LOVED books and had become voracious readers, I picked our favorite independent bookstore, Books on the Square.
The folks at Books on the Square, who had never done anything like this before, were very receptive to the idea and set up a sheet to track the contributions. On the birthday invite I mentioned that the boys loved books and wanted to support their local bookshop. I included the phone number and the store’s website, suggesting in lieu of buying a gift, friends and family could make a “small contribution” to a gift certificate for the boys.
The gift registry was a huge success! The boys’ friends’ parents loved the ease of shopping and supporting a local business. Even out-of-town family called in with their credit card numbers and added to the gift certificate. The gift certificate was split in half and each boy received their own copy with the names of everyone who had contributed.
This gift turned out to be a teaching tool for the boys in ways I never expected in terms of planning, negotiating, prioritizing, independence and understanding money. They treated their “money” as something valuable that ought not to be spent all at once. They decided they wanted the “money” to last until their next birthday, so they rarely bought something impulsively. Sometimes after seeing a desired book, the boys waited days or weeks before they went back to buy it or negotiated with each other to split the cost of the book. Now with just over two months until their next birthday, they each have over $50 left to spend and are the proud owners of several small paperbacks and big beefy hardcover books. I asked the boys if they regretted any of their purchases and they both said no.
I think setting up a birthday gift registry could work at any store(s) your kids like. Guests could even be asked to contribute to a class, a special event or a membership to The Zoo or Children’s Museum.
Share your gift ideas and tips in the comments below.
I have been meaning to write about Providence’s Pinata Center for awhile. Now that Camilla Hawthorn of GoLocalProv has written this fabulous review I have more time to plan the party to go with one of these fabulous pinatas!
That’s what you realize the moment you walk into Sussy DeLeon’s Piñata Center. Giant, brightly colored, and intricately detailed piñatas smile cheerily from the windows, the walls, and the ceilings. It’s every birthday boy and girl’s dream come true, and it makes you reconsider whether you really knew what a piñata was before you entered the shop.
A Savvy Mom
DeLeon was planning her son’s first birthday party when she realized that she couldn’t find the beautiful handmade piñatas of her native Guatemala in the United States. Unlike the mass-produced cardboard piñatas readily available here, Guatemalan piñatas are constructed from wire and newspaper and decorated with colorful tissue paper. They’re easier to break, so kids can actually get to the delicious innards without the intervention of a frustrated parent wielding a baseball bat.
Kreatelier located on Hope Street (East Side) in Providence brings out the creative side in all of us and offers a wide selection of craft classes for kids and adults. This innovative textile product design studio, owned by two fabulous women Line and Pernilla, includes a shop that sells their own originally designed products, handmade works by other artists, and a select group of other well-designed items including; bike baskets, totes, toys and organizers. They also provide home interior services and there is a beautiful space for the classes and birthday parties.
Line and Pernilla have made Kreatelier a wonderful home on Hope Street, sharing their passion and eye for art, design, craft and their awareness for the environment with the community. Less than a year after opening, Kreatelier won two Best of Rhode Island awards this summer from the editors of RI Monthly; Best Place to get crafty and Best Textile Designs.
I am honored to teach a few of the craftshops for kids (see my classes below) here on Saturday mornings—a nice break from the computer. Read the Kreatelier Fall Craft Brochure to see their full list of classes for kids and adults.
BUTTON NECKLACES
Sat., October 3, 10:30 – 11:30am • $20
Learn how to make a unique necklace made out of beautiful buttons. The young artists may bring their own special buttons or use our crazy selection to make a one-of-a-kind necklace. They will leave the shop as cute as a button.
In the tradition of Mexican papel picado, the young artists create and assemble vibrant paper banners using simple cutting skills. These colorful paper banners will spice up any room or party!
DECORATED GIFT BAGS AND BOXES
Sat., December 5, 10:00 – 11:00am • $20
Kids create their own special gift bag or box with buttons, fabrics, paper and stamping. In the spirit of reducingwaste, these gift bags or boxes can be used and re-used to hold gifts and treasures.
MAKE AN ART CARD
Sat., December 5, 11:30 – 12:30am • $20
Using recycled materials including buttons, ribbons, papers and fabrics, children create one or more unique card(s) to give to their teacher or special someone.
Details:
class location: Kreatelier, 804 Hope Street, Providence, RI Download Kreatelier Fall Craft Brochure
To register (pre-registration required): email bonjour@kreatelier.com or phone 401-432-7995
This decoupaged flowerpot is a fun and simple project for kids to make mom or grandmother for Mother’s Day. It would also make a lovely welcome gift for a new neighbor or thank-you for a favorite teacher. I recently did this project at Kreatelier for a birthday party (pictured above.) Afterwards the children planted grass seed and made adorable tags to go inside the pots.
I have been running craftshops for kids at Kreatelier since the store opened last November. Line and Pernilla, co-owners of Kreatelier, have designed a beautiful space for people of all ages to come together to make, buy, or talk about art.
Crafty classes (offered for kids and adults) are taught by a variety of artists in sewing, collage, bookmaking, weaving, and more. One of the craftshops I offer is Shrinky Dinks. The most recent class was filmed by David DelPoio for StimulusTimes.com. Check it out below.
The new spring/summer schedule will be out soon and will include classes all summer long for kids and adults and two back-to-school camps in August. Classes can also be created with four or more kids. Kreatelier is a terrific place to have your child’s birthday party.
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and I was thinking about the different gifts my boys have given me over the years. Since my children love to make things they think I will like (and I’m lucky my husband is happy to facilitate this), I have amassed an eclectic gift collection.
My boys made me a mixed CD (pictured) for Mother’s Day a couple of years ago based on the theme of “LOVE”. They picked songs I love, songs about love, and songs they love to share. Creating a custom playlist for an iPod or CD reminds me of the mixed tapes I used to make for friends or for special occasions like a road trip or party. Coming up with the perfect mix and decorating the tape cover was always a blast. With today’s technology it’s even easier to make your own mix from your CDs or buying music from iTunes—finding the time is another issue.
The CD cover was created by my son. Although his drawing is simple, it’s packed with meaning. Each family member is drawn in our favorite color, dancing to music. I adore and treasure these sentimental gifts from my family.
Here is my Mother’s Day playlist:
1. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? / Elton John
2. All You Need Is Love / The Beatles
3. If I Didn’t Love You / Squeeze
4. I Will / The Beatles
5. You’ve Got a Friend / James Taylor
6. If Your Love Is Real / David Gray
7. Love Will Tear Us Apart / Joy Division
8. Love My Way / The Psychedelic Furs
9. Genius of Love / Tom Tom Club
10. Baby I Love Your Way / UB40
11. Do You Love Me / The Contours
12. I Sure Love Pancakes / Mark Wekaland
13. Better Together / Jack Johnson
14. More Than This / Natalie Merchant & 10,000 Maniacs
15. Beauty and the Beast (Reprise) / Disney
CDs also make great party favors. We create a custom CD every year for my sons’ birthday parties based on the boys taste and or theme of their party. It saves us from doing goody bags.
1. Reduce your grocery bill. Do not grocery shop when you or your children are hungry—pack snacks for the kids if they accompany you—to avoid hunger tantrums and impulse snack buying. Plan your menus ahead of time and make a list so you’re less tempted to buy more than you need or will use during the week.
2. Avoid take-out temptation. When making meals, cook a double batch and freeze half to use another time when you are too tired to cook and apt to spend unnecessarily on take-out.
3. Organize a clothes swap. Plan a mom’s night out or in and make it a clothes, toy, or book swap with your friends. We all have clothes that our children have outgrown, toys they’ve lost interest in, or books they no longer read. One child’s neglected puzzle or train set is another child’s new treasure so let the swapping begin. Make the evening fun and economical by having a potluck with contributed snacks and drinks. Decide the swap parameters ahead of time: should it be a free-for-all with anything people have to offer or should it have a single focus like clothes or toys only? Related: Plan a Craft Exchange and A Touch of Pink but Mostly Green: A Baby Shower of a Different Color
4. Borrow from the library. Cut down on how much you spend on renting movies or DVDs from Blockbuster or on your monthly Netflix fee by using your library card to borrow books, DVDs, and passes for local venues such as museums and zoos. Related:Fast, Free DVDs: the Ocean State Library Network
5. Trade for childcare. Organize a babysitter swap with your friends – either as a direct trade or as a babysitting coop. Related:Form your own camps and clubs
6. Turn everyday places into mini field trips for your children. Visit pet shops to see the fish, visit music stores (like Borders) to sample music with the giant headphones, or visit a new library that has a children’s room. Related:Book a Rhode Trip
7. Shop secondhand, consignment, or thrift shops. Find clothes, toys, books, and baby gear—slightly worn but sometimes still in its original package—at a fraction of their retail price. There are a number of fabulous shops to pick from—some cleaner and more organized than others—check our list here. Related: Learn how to consign clothes for store credit. (more…)
Birthday party planning and party venues have become quite the booming industry. It seems like almost any business can figure out a way to handle your party needs. I can imagine a Supermarket Party, where each child gets to load a cart, guess the weight of green peppers on a scale, and have cake at the WiFi café. Favors could be packed into reusable bags! Kidding aside, many of these non-DIY or “pre-packaged” parties can be fun, active, and sometimes cost-effective.
However, it can also be very fun and rewarding to plan and host your own party. In our family, we have a Brothers’ Party each year. My boys were born two years and two weeks apart, and since they share many of the same pals, we combine their birthdays into one annual fete. Deciding on a party theme can make everything else fall into place. Here are a few ideas from past parties.
The Pirate Party
This party was planned about a year before the pirate craze started. The lack of available favors and items forced some creativity. Location: The best idea of all for this party came from my son Jonah, who excitedly suggested that we have the party at a beach. We did. We had the party at Bristol Town Beach and took a chance that its covered picnic area would be available. It was! Highlights: Finding buried oversized gold coins in the sand; a piñata; and temporary tattoos. Fun Food: Pirate’s Booty and pizza strips.
I consider myself an artist but NOT when it comes to baking or cake decorating. And I will leave decorating with fondant to my friend Kristin who out-Marthas Martha every year with her kid’s birthday cake masterpieces. I used pre-made sheets of fondant to cover my sons’ pirate cakes one year (see below) and although they looked fine, everyone had to peel the icing off because it was so sugary sweet.
Since I like to get creative with my boys’ cakes, I have developed my own special style and have found that adding a few favorite toys that go along with the party theme (if there is one) can really wow a crowd. Then again, if you put a chocolate cake in front of most five-year-olds, they tend to go wild. Sometimes I raid the boys’ toy collection for decoration ideas, and sometimes the cake toppers are new and become part of their birthday present. (Always wash toys first.)
My twin boys have always celebrated their birthdays with one party, but I make sure to have two cakes.
Birthday #4
Party Theme: Come in costume and put on a show
Cakes 1 & 2: Blue and Green Pirate Ships
Toys: Disney and Pixar figures from the boys’ collection
Birthday #5
Party Theme: Dress as your favorite Superhero (or make up your own) Cake1: Batman
Cake 2: Robin
Toys: Classic Batman and Robin figures from eBay
Birthday #6
Party Theme: Musketeers and Maidens
Cake 1: Robin Hood & Little John
Cake 2: The Three Musketeers (not pictured)
Toys: Papo figures
Birthday #7
Party Theme: Science
Cake1: Star Wars IV: A New Hope (Scene: In the Cantina)
Cake 2: Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (Scene: Yoda trains Luke to be a Jedi)
Toys: Various Star Wars figures from Benny’s, Toys-R-Us, and boys’ collection
If your kids like to dress up all year round, costumes may not be just for Halloween in your house. If you read my previous costume post, you know that I believe DIY does not have to mean “difficult” or making an entire costume from scratch. Sometimes it just means looking at what you already have around the house and combining it in new ways with a little sewing, snipping, or glue. Please share your own costume ideas for girls and boys in the comments below.
When my boys turned five, they dressed as Batman and Robin.
DIY Batman Costume (pictured)
• Supplies Needed: Batman logo T-shirt, black leggings, yellow felt, Batman mask, black cape (or black fabric), scissors, Sharpie marker
• How-To: Batman T-shirts are generally easy to find at thrift shops or Target. (We already owned three hand-me-downs.) Black leggings are also easy to pick up at thrift shops or borrow from a friend. (They may be worth buying new if your child attends dance classes.) If you do not already have a black cape like we did, you can buy a remnant of black fabric from a fabric store (my favorite fabric place is Lorraine’s). Cut the fabric to cape-size and sew string on one end to attach cape or sew cape directly to T-shirt (see Robin costume below). Cut belt from yellow felt and draw on Batman logo with black Sharpie marker. (Use Velcro or a safety pin to secure belt.) Add mask.
• Total Price: $4.99 (We only bought the mask, we already had all the other parts. Price will vary depending on what you buy and where you buy it.)
DIY Robin Costume (pictured)
• Supplies Needed: Red T-shirt, green pants, green shirt, red underwear, yellow, green, and black felt, black mask, black cape or black fabric, scissors, Sharpie marker
• How-To: My son turned his red Spiderman shirt inside out because he was not a Spiderman fan and it was the only red shirt he owned. We already owned the green shirt and sweatpants and red underwear so that part was also easy. My son Dylan does not like things tied around his neck so I sewed a scrap of black fabric onto the shoulders of his T-shirt (Velcro and safety pins may also work). I cut a belt and the Robin logo from felt. I hand-sewed the Robin logo onto the T-shirt and safety-pinned the belt on. We added green felt armbands and a black mask.
• Total Price: $0.99 (This was another easy costume for us because we used what we already had in the house, except for some minor sewing and buying the black mask.)
When my boys turned six, they were so into the Three Musketeers that they chose it as the theme of their birthday party. We made these simple blue Musketeer tops for all the party guests – and gave them away as party favors.
DIY Three-Musketeer Costume (pictured)
• Supplies Needed: ½ yard of felt, silver duct tape, and scissors. Optional Extras: black felted hat and plume feather (available at thrift shops or iParty store) and sword.
• How-To: Fold felt in half and hold up to your child to measure. Mark felt (with chalk) so the width is about 6 inches wider than your child’s shoulders and the length falls between his waist and knees. Lay felt flat and cut to size. With felt still folded in half, cut an opening for head (cut slits to help make opening fit more easily over child’s head). Lay felt open flat and stick duct tape around edge of felt and in middle for pattern. (See photo for detail.)
• Total Price: $2.50 ($16.00 if you purchase new hat and plume feather from iParty store.)
Toys and gifts seemed to come into our house all year long from loving relatives, so when it came time for my sons’ birthday, we asked their friends to just come and play at their party. This worked well in terms of avoiding an influx of unnecessary toys and extra expense for the guests at the party. That is, until my boys were about five years old and started noticing that friends were receiving presents at their parties.
posted by Anisa | category: 
All piñatas are not created equally.
Line and Pernilla have made Kreatelier a wonderful home on Hope Street, sharing their passion and eye for art, design, craft and their awareness for the environment with the community. Less than a year after opening, Kreatelier won two 
