June Date - Dollar Store Delight

I'm late this month, but I'm down to the second to last envelope in the Dates for a Year Basket!  Since last month was kind of a big date and I had already purchased something special for the last date (July), this month had to be a smaller date.  Sticking with summertime fun, I thought this date should be something that gets them out of the house and excited about spending some quality time together more unique than their regular nights at home.  As I was looking for date ideas, I came across a pretty common date idea, but thought it would be fun to include for June.  This month, Kim & Larry get to create their own date with products from the Dollar Store!

Here's what was included in the June envelope:

• Date Card
• Two $5.00 bills (one for each of them)

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

Since Kim is in the wedding planning business, I knew it would be tough to plan a date that had to take place on a weekend.  She's usually busy with rehearsals, setting up, etc.  So this date is one that can be done pretty much any time:  morning, noon, night, weekday or weekend.  That way, they could just grab their envelope and head out when they had a free night together.  There wasn't a lot of planning for this date besides just giving them the cash and the idea.  Really, there's not much planning on their part, either...it's kind of a do-as-you-go date.  For the date, they will head to the dollar store (I suggest going to the kind where everything is a dollar so they can have a larger number of items to use).  The idea is for them to split up and come up with a random 5 items (or whatever they can purchase for $5.00) and then meet again afterwards.  They use whatever they buy to make their date!

I envisioned them buying a CD to listen to, food to munch on, maybe a game to play, scarf to wear, etc.  The possibilities are really endless.  What I love about this one is that if they split up, they will have no idea what the other one is choosing.  This will add the element of surprise and be sure to be the beginnings of a date they will never forget!

This date cost me $10.  You could certainly make this cheaper by only giving them a couple of dollars each, or better yet...give them the challenge to head to the store and collect a variety of items and have their date in the store.  Scratch that.  I'm all about a bargain, but you can't get much cheaper than $10 for a date!  You could make it more expensive by giving them more cash or gift cards.  If they have more money to spend, you could send them to a mega store like Target or Wal-Mart, even the local mall where there would be a lot more to choose from.  

You could make this a basket by doing the shopping for them.  You could put together random items and wrap them, numbering them and instructing them to open one every 15 minutes or so.  That would be kind of a fun basket to do, and fun for the couple to see how the date unravels.  It would be fun to put together for the giver, but I think it might take part of the fun away from the date, too.  

That's pretty much it, folks!  Simple, easy, cheap, and something that would be unlike any other date you've been on.  This is date 12 of 13...only one more to go, and I'll be posting it in only a few short weeks!    

Bridal Tea Food

When we started planning this Bridal Tea Shower one of the most important (and most fun) things to plan was the menu!  When you're planning any kind of tea party, you want to provide the right variety of food that will feed your guests' appetites without being too heavy.  A tea party menu should be light, fresh, and delicious!

Since this shower was at 2:00 in the afternoon, we wanted our guests to have enough to snack on in case they didn't eat lunch before arriving, but not fill them up in case they had dinner plans shortly after.  Here's what we decided on for our buffet table:

• Veggies and Ranch Dressing
• Rainbow Fruit Kabobs as inspired from here.
• Variety of Mini Quiches (purchased from the frozen section of Costco)
• Chicken Salad Rolls (sliced Hawaiian rolls and pre-made chicken salad from our grocer's deli)
• Seafood Pastries (purchased from the frozen section of GFS)
• Petit Fours (purchased from the frozen section of GFS)
• Earl Grey Meringue Cookies (see below)
• Butter Mints
• Strawberry Cake and Cupcakes (see below)

As you can tell...mom and I were trying to make this as simple as possible.  There was more heating up and assembling than there was actual cooking involved.  We knew there would be a lot of set up with decorations and preparing for the activities, so we wanted the food to be as easy as possible.  Which is what a tea is supposed to be, I think...little work so you have more time to focus on your guests and less time in the kitchen!

I didn't get a close picture of the Earl Grey Meringue Cookies, but I do want to tell you about them.  I have been a lifetime subscriber of Food Network Magazine, and absolutely fell in love with a recipe that was included in one of their issues a while back.  The recipe is for Tea Cakes with Earl Grey Icing.  The first time I made the recipe, I made it as-is.  It was good, the cakes were alright, but the icing....the icing was freakin' incredible.  So the next time I made them, I made them with a plain chocolate cupcake from a box.  To.Die.For.  I have since been asked to make them several times.  They are so unique and different, I can't recommend them enough.  So, for Kim's shower, I wanted them incorporated somehow.  But, I had already decided on strawberry for the cake and cupcakes...there was no need to make MORE cake of any kind.  The icing is a meringue icing, made with mostly egg whites.  Our family loves the airy, light meringue cookies you can buy in the bakery at the grocery store.  So, why can't we use the icing recipe and just bake them as cookies?  That's exactly what we did!  They were delicious.  But I still prefer the cupcakes and icing over the cookies.  

Kim loves strawberries, and I liked the idea of having a teapot-shaped cake, so I came up with this strawberry cake.  I will do a separate, detailed post with how I created this beauty:

I had a ton of leftover batter, so also made a batch of cupcakes.  I incorporated one of the colors from our theme (purple) and the hydrangeas that I brought for the table, AND the inspiration I got from here to create these:

And of COURSE, you can't have a tea party without tea!  Mom and I had so much fun making a tea bar for this shower.

 As you read about in the decorations post, the teapots we used were from our grandmothers on both sides.  We brewed black tea, green tea, and had another carafe with just hot water.  We also set out cream, sugar, honey, lemon, and a variety of tea bags.  I got the idea for these jars here and the tea tags here.  I used my mom's Cricut machine to cut the hearts out of cardstock, then just pulled off the original paper tags and stuck the hearts together on the string with a dot of glue.  The tags for the jars were also made using her Cricut machine, and taped onto mason jars with a band of the same paper we used for the invitations.

To add a touch of elegance and indulgence, I made these:

This was as easy as buying a box of sugar cubes and whipping up a batch of royal icing.  I piped the leaves first and allowed them to dry before switching icing tips and adding the flowers.  I probably made way too many, but they were cute.  

For non-tea drinkers, we also provided a pitcher of ice water and a drink dispenser of raspberry lime punch.  You can also see the teacups we provided for each guest.  Mom and I had a blast hunting down a good selection and number of teacups and saucers.  Goodwill has a new set available almost every week.  Of course, you get odd numbers, but you can buy a set of cups and saucers for about $4.  Can't beat that!  We also looked around at thrift and antique stores, but they were a little pricier.  If you were doing a smaller shower, you could look there, but it wasn't price conscious for us.  With our collection, there were different colors and patterns, so guests had fun choosing one to claim for the afternoon.  We also used some from mom's (grandmother's) china set to make sure we had enough.  It's little touches like this that add personality and sincerity to a party!

The menu for this kind of event was absolutely perfect.  It provided light snacking, some indulgence, and a lot of fun for our guests.  We got a lot of compliments on the food, and I saw several guests going back to the tea bar to mix a new variety of tea.  I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration for your own tea party!  I kind of envy the British after this...afternoon teas seem like something we should do more often!

Bridal Tea Games & Activities

Since this Bridal Tea Shower was a little bit more of a formal event, my mom and I didn't want to do too many cheesy games.  This was meant to be something sweet, sentimental, and rich with support and encouragement.  We still made sure to have things for the guests to do during the shower so that they still had a good time and made some fun memories.  So if you're looking for some ideas for personal touches or subtle ways for the guests to interact, you've come to the right place!

Last time, I showed you some unique ways that we decorated for this shower.  We tried to tie everything we did together with the "tea party" theme in mind.  There is a fine line to walk when you plan a tea party to make it classic and pretty without falling into the "grandma" category.  Not that the "grandma" category is a bad thing, but for a 23-year-old bride it's probably not at the top of her list when she wants to remember her bridal shower.  Lucky for us, one of the themes Michael's was selling was tea party!  We found pens, notepads, albums, blank cards, and more with teacups, teapots, and flowers on them!

We had one table set up in the main room where Kim would open gifts with all of our supplies for the games.  My mom found these adorable buckets filled with a set of tea towels and a teacup set for game prizes.  We made sure to gather all the materials we needed so we wouldn't be running around when it was time.

The Timer Game
We used an egg timer and turned it to a random spot when Kim began opening gifts.  The person whose gift she was opening when the timer went off got a prize!  So simple, but an easy way to involve guests.  I think it also helps them stay alert and paying attention when the bride is opening gifts.  You could alter this game if you have a larger number of guests by re-setting the timer when it goes off the first time.

Bridal Shower Poem Game
The second game we played I found here.  Since it was a Bridal Tea, I knew it would be a great opportunity to play a game involving what they were wearing.  Each guest was given a piece of paper and a pencil to keep score.  Then, I read this poem aloud and everyone added and subtracted until each person ended with a number.  Here is the poem:

This is a rather peculiar game


It really does not have a name


It’s simple to play, as a game should be


You just do as you’re told, you see


So now if you’ll please give me your attention


We’ll put an end to this suspension


In the end, whoever scores the most


Will receive a prize of which to boast


Now since you’re all fashionable girls


Give yourself 5 if you have any pearls


You may add 3 if your toes peek out


And earrings will give you 2 more to shout


Score yourself 5 if you show any red


Add 6 more for a curl on your head


Now before you think you are going to win


Take away 2 for each safety pin


Give yourself 6 if your pants are tight


Add 1 for a scarf which is just about right


Add 5 more if your shoes are black


And take away 3 for a zipper in back


Now count all your buttons, for each you get 2


And take away 1 for each button that’s blue


Give yourself 5 if your heels are high


And why not take 10 for the green in your eye


10 more points for a rose on your clothes


Take away 5 if you forgot to wear hose


If your husband you kissed today – add 9


If you didn’t subtract 12 – you’re subject to fine


This is the end…there isn’t anymore


Who is the lucky lady with the highest score?

Honeymoon Pig

This was a mix between an activity and a game.  I got this cute piggy bank at Target.  You could also search online to get one that matches the colors of the wedding, the theme of the party, I've even seen bridal pigs.  Then, I wrote a short little poem and framed it to go next to the pig.

In case you can't read from the picture, here's what it says:

Little piggy on the table

Will grant your wish if he is able.

Drop some coins in his tummy, 

He finds newlywed funds very yummy!

Don't wait, for now it's opportune

To help the new couple on their honeymoon!

A dime, a quarter, a dollar, or ten,

Your donation will be very well spent.

Couples' massage, dinner, a movie, or wine...

Let's help make their first days together shine!

At the end of the party, we'll see if you're wise.

The one with the closest guess wins a prize!

Throughout the shower, guests stopped by and added loose change from their purse, or a couple of bills.  When things started winding down, little piggy was whisked away, emptied, and the money was totaled.  Everyone wrote down a guess of how much was inside and the person that guessed the closest was the winner.

Besides these games, we had a couple of other activities for guests to participate in.

Thank You Envelopes
One of the duties of a bride is to send thank you notes for all the gifts that she receives at her showers.  To help Kim with the toughest part of sending these notes, we had the guests help by addressing their envelope for their cards to be sent.  All we did was purchase a few packs of cards (with the ones we found at Michaels, these were just $1 packs of blank cards).  We separated the cards from the envelopes, then put a small basket by the front door with the envelopes and a couple of pens.  I made another small frame with instructions for the guests.  By the door, guests can do this when they first come in, or be reminded when they walk out the door to leave.  Of course, this isn't fool-proof.  You may still have some guests who skipped over this task or didn't see it.  But the majority of guests will do this and it will save a couple of hours for your bride from gathering and writing out addresses.

A Year of Encouragement

As I mentioned, we wanted this shower to be a way for Kim to feel embraced with love and encouragement from the important women in her life.  One of my favorite things that we did for this shower was cards of encouragement.  Many have heard that the first year of marriage is a tough one.  There are sure to be a lot of adjustments, drifting from friends, figuring out what this new life is as husband and wife.  We wanted this feeling of love and encouragement to continue throughout Kim's first year of marriage.  So, mom and I found a cute set of blank note cards at Michael's and scattered them on a table with a frame and instructions.  

As guests had an opportunity, they took time to sit down and write a few encouraging words for Kim in a card that would be sent at some point during the following year.  At the end of the shower, my mom collected the completed cards and has been sending about one a month.  I think the coolest thing about this is that neither Kim or the author of the card know when a card is being sent.  My mom really doesn't either, she just chooses a card at random.  When my sister was over for Easter, she said she got my card and that I told her to call me to set up a date for sushi this week.  I had forgotten I even wrote that but now Kim and I are planning to have sushi when normally, we wouldn't have thought to make time for it.  I think this is a great way to remind the bride that she is loved and supported.

Dress-Up Photo Booth
One of the most popular things right now at weddings and other events is a dress-up photo booth.  We thought this was a perfect activity to add to Kim's Bridal Tea.  I mentioned in my previous post about this shower that it was planned and styled around a birthday party Kim had as a young girl, where we got to dress up in all kinds of fun stuff.  It was fun to gather things for this activity, and pretty cheap, too!  We asked friends if they had any old hats, scarves, etc. that could be used.  We scoured Goodwill, yard sales, and the attic.  We pulled random items that could be used from around our houses.  I think we ended up with a pretty nice collection.

For the backdrop, we hung a black sheet over the curtain rod in my parents' office.  We got a cheap clothing rack from Wal-Mart (which actually came in really useful later to hang our dresses the day of the wedding).  My mom had an old frame that she hung from the bar on the clothing rack, then draped another black sheet over and around the frame.  We set up all the hats, sunglasses, scarves, and boas on the long table against the wall and hanging on the side of the clothing rack.  Then, my dad set up the tripod facing the frame and zoomed to where the only thing guests needed to do was snap a picture or set the timer.

It was a little less fancy than some photo booths, but I liked the way ours turned out.  My favorite part was that it was so cheap!  Well, that, and that we had a ton of fun playing dress up and taking pics.

Overall, I think guests had a pretty good time.  There was a lot of catching up, giggling, and reminiscing on good memories years ago.  I hope that these ideas can stir up some of the same results at the Bridal Tea you're planning!

PS...If you're looking for more unique ideas and games that are aimed more for a bachelorette party, there are some great ones here and here.  Enjoy!

March Date - Game Night

Talk about last minute!  Life has been up in the air for me lately, but after some soul searching, motivational seminars, and inspiring books, I'm back to blogging.  I'm hoping to make it more of a regular thing...we'll see how it goes.  


Back to the reason for this post....March's date for the Dates for a Year Basket!  While I was planning out this basket, I tried to vary the dates month to month so that they would alternate from elaborate to simple, out of the house and a night in, etc.  Since February's date was pretty extravagant (as dates on a budget go), I needed this month to be more on the simple side.  Last month was super romantic and sexy, so this month I wanted them to have more fun.  I think varying the dates like this keeps that spark and element of surprise.  On a tighter budget, keeping with the idea of doing something more fun, and deciding to add some competitive edge to March (it is March Madness season after all), I decided on an old-fashioned game night!

Here's what was included in the March envelope:

• Date Card
• 3 puzzle books including Crossword, Sudoku, and Word Search
• "Battle of the Sexes" Card Game

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

Since I know that my sister already has several board games in her collection, I didn't feel the pressure to include one in this envelope.  In college, I was given the Battle of the Sexes card game and spent many a nights in our residential college lobby battling it out with friends.  It's a fun, easy game...but can get super competitive.  It's fun to play because the girls almost always know the answer to the questions the boys are asked and vice versa.  It's fun to watch the other sex squirm while you think it's such an easy question.  I also had the puzzle books lying around the house.  I had a huge stash collected from road trips and plane delays, so I tossed them in as well. 

Remember, the point of the envelopes is to spark the planning of a date.  The way I look at this whole project was that it was an almost guaranteed way for them to have one date a month their first year of marriage, no excuses.  Everything is planned and ready for them and they can go with it as is.  But if they wanted to add to this, they absolutely could.  They don't even have to use the games included, but they are there if they don't feel like pulling out their games or just want to try something new.  The idea and the pre-planning is the gift.  Remember that!

The cost of this date for me was practically free.  Since I had the games around the house, I didn't have to go purchase anything for this date.  You could use whatever you have.  Be resourceful.  Pull together a deck of cards, some dice, look up games online that can be played with household items.  Actually, it would be really fun to make this a "Minute to Win It" envelope.  There are a TON of great ideas, directions, and supply lists here.  I didn't think of this idea when I was pulling it together (this is another one I pulled together the week after the wedding so I had Maid-of-Honor brain).  

This date can be bumped up to a more elaborate date easily.  You could add a gift card to a local pizza delivery restaurant so that they can have dinner paid for and on its way while they start playing.  You could add a few different board games, a trophy for the winner, and snacks.  

Have fun and be creative planning this date.  I think adding a competitive edge to the relationship is a great thing.  It keeps things interesting, and offers a great opportunity for flirting like they did when they first met.  This could start a monthly tradition, something they keep the bet going for and compete for each month.  This is date 9 of 13!   I can't believe there are only four left to tell you about.  But I'm also super excited because the last four dates...they are something special!  Stick around...April's date will be posted very soon!

Spicy/Sweet Favors

I wanted to share the favors that I made for the Spicy/Sweet Bachelorette Party I threw for my friend Beth. I have a LOT of other projects to post about.  My sister is getting married in ONE WEEK!!!  So, needless to say, I've been elbow deep in parties and crafts, which I can't wait to share with you.  I may even ask my sis if I can do a post about some pretties she's been making for her big day.  Anyway...back to the point...

Since this was a spicy & sweet theme, I wanted the favors to reflect that.  So for the sweet, I got candy ...what could be better than sugary treats to represent my "sweet"?  The spicy was a little trickier.  Originally, I thought about ordering these chili chocolate jewels that I remember seeing on Food Network.  But, it would have been outrageously expensive to order, since I seemed to only be able to get variety boxes.  So I had to come up with something else.  Hot sauce?  Not with candy.  Salsa?  Not with candy.  Cinnamon?  Kind of random.  Eventually, I decided on getting seeds for guests to plant their own peppers. Once I came up with this idea, I was excited!  Target had little planting pots  in a 2-Pack for only a dollar in the $1 spot section (my favorite and must-stop spot every time I go in Target).  

Then I found a variety of pepper seed packs.  There were a lot to choose from since it was at the beginning of planting season!

The only issue I had with this project was the sticky stuff left over on the pots after pulling off the stickers.  But, that's nothing a little Goo Gone and elbow grease couldn't fix!

Once I assembled them, I decided to add a card to help get the point across and thank all of Beth's lovely friends for coming and celebrating with us.

I printed these out, that said "Thank You!  It was so SWEET of you to come help kick off Beth's marriage with some SPICE!"

They still needed a little "pop" so I added a line of my trusty blue glue around the edge...

...then dipped those edges in pink glitter.  It took almost no time at all, and added a nice finishing touch!

Here's a look at the final card:

The favors were a hit!  I never got my peppers to grow, but that's mostly because I didn't give them the proper love they needed.  :o(  I hope the other girls had luck.  I did love the candy!  I think this was a perfect favor to tie together the theme of the party and thank guests for coming!

Spicy and Sweet Bachelorette Games/Menu

A bridal shower/bachelorette party just isn't complete without some good games to play and ways to make the bride feel special and the center of attention.  I'm not one for typical, "cliche" games like toilet paper dresses or the forbidden words (though I've played them before and think they're fun).  I like to try to find games that are new to the guests and unique.  Here's what I came up with for Beth's:

MEMORIES AND ADVICE CARDS  

As I mentioned in my invite tutorial post, I had each girl fill out a card with a spicy or sweet memory they made with Beth (our bride) during their time as friends.  These were enclosed with the invites, but I also had a few extra on hand for the girls who forgot them at their hotel room or lost it along the way.  I also had separate cards using the same format for the guests to give beth some spicy or sweet marriage advice or wishes.  I had collected the finised cards and posted them like this:

I used simple white ribbon (which I actually got for a dollar at Dollar Tree) and hot glued clothespins that were decorated with the same glitter and flocking I used on the invitations.  It was a simple project that I actually threw together last minute when I realized I didn't have a place to display our cards yet!

The girls had lots of fun filling them out, reading all the memories and advice, and it gave us each an opportunity to reflect and reminisce with Beth on our fun times during our friendship.

PERSONALITY PANTIES  Also included with the invitation was a separate card asking the girls to pick up an extra item when they shopped for beth.  I asked that they each pick out a pair of panties for the bride that best describes or portrays THEIR personality.  I hope that makes sense.  Basically, Beth got a bunch of pairs of panties and each one matches each of her guests personalities.  This was the first "game" we played.  Beth opened every pair and had three guesses to see if she could match the panties to the lady.  It was fun to see the variety.  We had Disney Princess panties, cotton briefs, lacy thongs, edible undies, and even "commando".  Beth now has a good variety of options that she might not even choose for herself.  

Here's Beth and I with my cute frilly pink panties with a bow.  Very cute and girly...just the way I like them!  :o)

MR. RIGHT  Ok, so this is one that's a little more common.  I printed out a story that I inserted Beth and Scott's names into titled "Mr. Right".  Throughout the story, the words "right" and "left" are used A LOT.  I had three gift bags with these little goodies:

I spread out the gifts around the circle and as I read the story, the girls had to pass the gifts around the circle every time they heard either the word "right" or "left" in the direction that I said.  Whoever ended up with the gifts at the ends of the story got to keep them.  It sounds easy, but sometimes I would say things like "She LEFT the RIGHT card RIGHT there on the table before they LEFT RIGHT to meet Mr. RIGHT."  It was fun!  

BANANA RACE  It wouldn't be a Bachelorette party if there wasn't a condom somewhere!  I've played this before using Twinkies...which actually I think is much more fun and interesting.  Basically, each girl got a banana and a condom, and had to race to see who could unwrap and put the the condom on the banana the fastest.  Winner got another little pamper me prize bag!

It's a mess...but worth it for the belly laughs!

KISS THE PRINCE  This is the bachelorette version of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey".  I printed out a bunch of pictures of HOT men, including newly married Prince William and Beth's fiance, Scott.  I decided to call mine "Kiss the Prince".  The cute frames I got at Michael's, they were wall decals for about a dollar.  I blindfolded the girls, they applied some lipstick, I spun them around 5 times, and let them go plant a kiss on one of the men.  Whoever got closest to kissing their man on the lips won a prize.

LINGERIE MENU  Finally, after Beth opened all her gifts, we named each of them.  It was fun to giggle and come up with sexy names for each piece of her new wardrobe.  After the party, I made a Lingerie Menu for Scott to be able to look at and choose what Beth should wear.  I also made a key for Beth so she knew what each name was matched to.  

RISQUE MENU  Just like I don't like to do typical cliche games, I also am not a big fan of male anatomy food at a party.  However, I just didn't want to serve chips and dip and be done with it.  So here's what I served:

Spicy Nuts 

Sticks in Creamy Dip (These were just clear plastic cocktail glasses with a little ranch in the bottom and celery and carrot sticks in them.  Kinda like these.)

Little Weenies (Lil' Smokies in BBQ/Cocktail Sauce/Grape Jelly)

Sweet Balls (Red Velvet Cake Balls...made by my wonderful friend Amber!)

and of course...I make her a Strawberry cake with buttercream icing

So there ya go!  Next time I'll fill you in on the decor and favors!

**UPDATE:  Check out even more bachelorette game ideas I did at my sister's shower here.