Party Planning Tips and Tricks for Kids and Adults. Online party supply store South Africa

Baby Shower party games… fun for all ages.

April 17, 2015April 16, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Baby Showers are a special occasion marking the arrival of a new tiny member into the family, it’s supposed to be a fun and light hearted affair and there is no better way to celebrate it than by organising a few games that include all the guests. Baby Showers generally last 3 – 6 hours dependant on what time of the day they are being held and the theme thereof.

Once you have organised your table settings, and laid out the food, it is time to prepare a few games for the guests. These can be mandatory or optional, if optional just put them aside, away from the main activities.

Fun for everyone:

The gift opening party of the baby shower can take a while and although it is cute to watch the new parents open all their gifts some guest may find their minds wandering to other things. Keep them entertained and engaged with these fun game ideas:

– Baby Bingo: Print out cards with the general gifts (whats on the gift registry) in each block. The guests use candy such as skittles to “mark” a block when the parents receive that gift that is on their card. First one to get a line wins.

– Lullaby Lyrics: Get your guests to complete the lyrics to some age old lullabies, the guest with the most correct completions wins.

– Baby Songs: Your Guests have 1 minute to write down as many songs as they can think of with the word “baby” in.

– Name that Baby: Get your guests to write down a few name suggestions for a boy / girl in 2 jars. The parents may actually like 1 or 2.

– Don’t say “baby”: give your guests 5 pegs each, to be attached to their clothing. Everytime someone hears another guest say “baby” they take away a peg. The one with the most left at the end wins.

– Water breaking: Freeze some tiny plastic baby dolls in water, leave these out for your guests, they need to place 1 in their drink and the one whose baby is released from the melting ice first yells “my water broke” – they win.

– Where’s the baby? Buy lots of small baby dolls. Hand 1 to each guest as they arrive. They can either hold them, put them down or hand them to someone else. Any baby doll not being held by someone else can be picked up by another guest. The guest with the most babies wins.

Don’t forget the Dad’s / Dudes.

– Bottle Chugging: Fill baby bottles with your drink of choice, the first to finish his bottle wins.

– Blind nappie changing: Inflate some balloons, blindfold the guys, and get 2 at a time to change the baby diaper (material) with a safety pin without bursting the balloon.

– Tie your shoes: Give the guys a balloon, which they are to inflate to capacity. Once inflated they need to place the balloon under their shirts and tie their shoes. The first one to get that right wins.

Any way you look at it, a baby shower or sprinkle is an opportunity for friends and family to come together and have a bit of fun.

Do you know of a baby shower party game that we haven’t mentioned but really enjoyed? Please leave a comment.

Order your baby shower party supplies online and get them delivered to your door across South Africa!

Happy Planning

Baby Shower, food fit for a little king.

April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Whether planning a baby shower or sprinkle, there are a number of aspects of your event that need to be planned ahead. In this post we will touch on what type of food and drinks you could serve at the event. It is of course dependent on what theme you choose, if you for example choose a BaByQ theme – the food may be more braai / salads than finger foods.

Is it okay to serve alcohol at a baby shower?

This is a question that we believe best be presented to the guest of honour, does she mind having alcohol served at her shower or would she prefer it be a mocktail event. Most baby showers take place in the morning or over the course of an early afternoon, not really traditional drinking hours, so perhaps the addition of a fruit punch or mimosa’s would suffice.

Mocktails / Preggatinis! Or non-alcoholic cocktails -> Here’s a link to 50 easy Mocktail recipe’s

Food, om nom nom:

Cake and finger foods are often served at Baby Showers. There are a few types of foods that pregnant women are advised to stay away from, these include:

– Sushi (uncooked seafood)

– Raw egg or anything containing raw egg such as hollandaise sauce.

– Soft cheese such as Brie and Camembert, all soft cheese that is made from pasteurised milk are safe.

– Pate.

Here are a few pictures from our Baby Shower Pinterest Board illustrating some food ideas and inspiration.

Tableware:

A number of baby shower themes are available on www.mypartysupplies.co.za – our favourites are

For a Girl:

Baby Minnie, see our blog post on planning a Baby Minnie themed party here.

Little ladybug, see our blog post on planning a Little Ladybug themed party here.

For a Boy:

Baby Mickey, see our blog post on planning a Baby Mickey themed party here,

Gender Neutral:

Baby Clothes theme or Tatty Teddy.

Stay tuned for our next installment in the Baby Shower series: Games!

Happy Planning

Planning a baby shower? History and tradition

April 15, 2015April 14, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

A bit of history of the baby shower:

The term shower is often assumed to mean that the expectant mother is “showered” with gifts. The baby shower may have derived its name from the custom in Victorian times for the presents to be put inside a parasol, which when opened would “shower” the mom-to-be with gifts. As the party centers on gift-giving, the baby shower is typically arranged and hosted by a close friend rather than a member of the family, since it may be considered rude for families to request gifts on behalf of their members.

Diaper showers or Sprinkles refer to a small-scale baby shower, generally for subsequent children, when the parents don’t need as many baby supplies but would still like to celebrate and welcome their new additions.

Grandma’s shower refers to a shower at which people bring items for the grandparents to keep at their house, such as a collapsible crib and a changing pad.

Today it is generally acceptable for both both parents and their friends / relatives to attend baby showers and be party of the celebration.

The invitation:

Find a graphic designer who can assist you in this regard, they can give you a printable file or you can email / whatsapp / Facebook the invitation out. Here are a few examples (all found on our Baby Shower Pinterest Board) of different invitations based on specific themes and their clever wording for inspiration:

Keep an eye out for the next installment in this series…

Happy Planning

Buy baby shower party supplies

Kids Party table settings, what do you need? The basics…

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

So the date is booked, you have decided on your venue, now to purchase and plan the party itself. What exactly do you need for your little guests table settings?

There are a few considerations when deciding which party supplies to get for your tables.

1. Age of children.

Babies and very young children will not require cups to drink out of. Also think about purchasing the smaller 7″ plates for this age group, easier for little hands to manipulate than a bigger plate.

2. Theme of the party.

The normal table set up includes a table (jolly for the younger kids) and a chair as the very basics. But what if you are wanting something a bit different, like a picnic or beanbag bohemia? Decide what and where (or if at all) your guests will be seated.

3. Type of food being served.

The traditional party spread of treats fits perfectly well on a normal plate. However if you intend on serving something softer, example ice-cream, a bowl or “treat tub” is a more practical option. Treat tubs also work well for younger children as they tend to spill and mess less with tubs as compared to normal plates.

At the very least you need to plan and budget for the following items for each guest,

Plate
Cup
Party bag or Party box
A chair / blanket / bench i.e.: somewhere to sit and eat.

Optional extras:

Balloon for each child (use a balloon stick, no chance of balloons flying away)
Bubbles or Toy for each guest.

Stick to your budget. hire out tables, chairs and linen, it is the more cost effective option and less hassle overall. Visit Hassle Free Kids Party, our preferred hire supplier (Johannesburg only) and request your quote online.

Happy planning

Buying online is painless – proof from our client.

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

“I would just like to thank you for your wonderful service. I have collected the stock – I cannot believe just how painless this can be.

I will most definitely make use of your services again in the future.”

🙂 Glad to be of assistance.

Still unsure of how to place your order online, read our how to guide.

Fire Watch Kids Party…. HOT kids party idea!

March 23, 2015March 23, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Ask a group of 5 year old kids what they want to be when they grow up and you are sure to get a few “fire fighter” responses in there. No wonder, fire fighters are true heroes in our society, and the fire fighter party theme is so popular. Here at My Party Supplies HQ we just accepted delivery of our latest party theme, the Fire Watch kids party supplies… it. is. HOT!

Colours:

Black, red, orange, yellow and touches of silver.

Tableware:

Themed plates, cups, serviettes and party bags (lootbags) available.

Balloons:

Accessories:

Party boxes in matching colours.

Entertainment and venue:

Hosting a fire fighter themed party at a fire station is the perfect option, the stations are quite spacious, the party venues are normally outside away from the fire house with lots of room to play and have fun. The fire fighters will come around and give a demonstration to your little guests, treating the extra special birthday boy or girl. If possible, they will bring out the fire hose for the kids to hold (with fire figther back up of course) and go for a ride in the fire engine with it’s lights and sirens blazing… it’s a treat! Plus the venue cost goes towards your community fire station.

* Not all fire stations offer their premises as party venues so please contact your nearest station for info *

– Water balloons, water guns… it just makes sense to have some water play involved.

– Fun fire fighting games -> www.pinterest.com/pin/432627107930790031/

Fun foods:

A few examples from our Pinterest board:

for more ideas and inspiration for your fire fighter party visit our pinterest board!

Happy Planning

Our shelves are once again full, let’s plan your perfect party together.

March 19, 2015March 24, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Thanks to a phenomenal response from our clients, who hail from every corner of South Africa, our stock levels were dwindling. To be honest this is a welcome problem for us, and we endeavor to keep our party supplies in stock and appreciate every cent of business we have had over our first 5 months of trade. We are glad to let you all know that our shelves are once again filled to the brim with vibrant party supplies in a wide variety of themes and a few exciting new additions.

We currently offer items in 4 main categories.

1, Baby Shower

2. Kids – girls and boys

3. Adults and

4. Accessories – Balloons, party boxes, candles and buckets etc.

Whether you know what you are looking for or are searching for inspiration and ideas for a theme for your upcoming party visit our online store.

Happy Planning

Balloon bouquets for beginners. How to guide.

March 9, 2015March 9, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Balloons in all their shapes and forms are the epitome of party decor, it just doesn’t seem the same without the colourful inflated orbs floating about. A good idea, that can be used as a centre piece on your table, a welcome sign to your party or as a colourful addition to your gift table is a balloon bouquet There is an art to inflating and tying balloons, especially when you are designing a balloon bouquet, a few pointers to remember.

Stagger your inflated balloons, if they are all at exactly the same height you will lose the visual impact.
Choose colours beforehand, ensure that they compliment your theme.
Foil balloons can act as the central focal point of your balloon bouquet,

This is a lovely how to video found on Youtube that will show what a staggered balloon bouquet looks like, how to achieve it and how to tie your balloon ribbon to your balloon weight correctly.

For more balloon ideas visit our balloon board on pinterest.

Happy Planning

How to choose a party theme…

March 6, 2015March 6, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

Planning a birthday party can feel like a daunting task, but a very good place to start that will influence all your decisions for your party is choosing your theme. Now, when you have children, this may not be a simple notion. For inspiration ask yourself (and your child/ren) the following questions:

Favourite colour/s? (pink, blue, green, red, orange, rainbow?)
Favourite character? (Superheroes, fairies, horses, Mickey Mouse, Queen Elsa)
Favourite past-time (dancing, soccer, golf etc)
Indoor or outdoor party?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can take all that info and use it decide upon a party theme.

Eg: Little J loves the colour red, plays soccer and wants an outdoor party… think about a soccer party and incorporate Little J’s favourite team’s colours into your palette.

Still not sure?

Browse through the many themes available in our online store

Happy party planning

Partying with the lights out. Uniquely South African party planning set-backs.

March 5, 2015February 26, 2015 Tameryn Leave a comment

If you close your eyes and think of a typical South African summer party, you would think of heat, sunshine, yummy food, the humming of the jumping castle inflator in the background, ice cold drinks and general fun. Well that’s what you would perhaps expect, but we currently face a whole new challenge when planning our parties.

With Eskom implementing Load Shedding on a fairly regular basis of late, party planners need to understand that electricity may not be available for the duration of, or at least a part of your party. A lack of electricity could influence your party in the following ways:

Outdoor party:

Keeping drinks and food cool
Inflating jumping castles and slippery slides
Using popcorn or slushy machines.
Music and or karaoke machines will not work.

Indoor party:

All of the above as well as
diminished lighting.

Our A-B-C plan for combating load shedding at your party.

A – Always know when load shedding is expected, visit the Eskom website for information.
B – Be prepared, have a Back-up plan. Eg: Store your drinks in a big drinks tub filled with ice instead of a fridge. Try to order platters of pre-prepared food instead of “cooking/preparing” on site. Have a few back up games handy if the electricity dependent entertainment options are not working.
C – Be cool, calm and collected. Try to remember that the purpose of the entire event is to celebrate with the special person in your life. Keep a smile on your face and let your preparedness save the day

Do you have any other suggestions or ideas to combat load shedding at your party?

Happy party planning.