Hello Kitty Themed Play Date with HP Social Media Snapshots

Hello Kitty brings smiles to everyone.  And Juliet happens to have been gifted a lot of Hello Kitty dolls, coloring books, stickers and play sets.  So when HP asked me to participate in their HP Social Media Snapshots Sampling program I jumped at the excuse to throw a Hello Kitty themed play date for Juliet and some of our closest girlfriends!  To really make the most of their latest HP Envy printer and new sticky back photo paper, I organized a styled photo shoot with my photographer friend Suzanne from Gotham Love (also mom of one of Juliet’s besties,  Harper (pictured on the right below).  Together, we were able to get some great shots and print outs to memorialize this fun time.

photo credit – Gotham Love

I found all the soft, fuzzy Hello Kitty sweaters at H&M and had each momma style their child’s own look.  Aren’t they all just adorable?

photo credit Gotham Love

It was like Hello Kitty and Sanrio took over my living room and dining area!  Wouldn’t walking into this room make any girl giddy?

I simply decorated with what we had:  tutus, banners and lanterns from the Target Oh Joy collection, Sanrio dolls and themed activities for the little girls.

The glitter coloring book and polishes were a favorite for my daughter.

And the Japanese treats and Hello Kitty themed desserts were a hit amongst all the sweet tooths.

Juliet and I spent the afternoon baking these cupcakes together!

Because I always like to try and add in an interactive game or ice breaker to my parties (see the princess themed truth game I created for my Princess in Training event here).  I created a short, Hello Kitty quiz and challenged the moms to compete for a Hello Kitty goody bag.

Question 1)  Name as many Sanrio characters / Hello Kitty friends that you can

Question 2) List all the ways you can say ‘hello’ in as many languages as you can

Question 3)List as many kinds of cats as you can

One point was given for each answer and there was a mad (almost futile) rush to brainstorm answers with tired mommy’s brain.  I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the thought that this might have been the most challenging mental excercise they’ve had all week haha

Everyone also went home with a Hello Kitty treat bag a nerdy glasses necklace and print outs from the super fun Snapshots (found exclusively at Staples) “Small gift, big smile” after all is the Sanrio motto!

Finally, to see how easy it is to wirelessly print photos on an HP Envy 5660 printer like mine, see below.

Disclosure: This is a paid post. I received a HP Envy printer, ink, and Snapshots paper in exchange for writing this post and hosting this play date.   All opinions are 100% my own.

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BOO-tiful Halloween Bash at Gymboree New York

Now that I’m a mom, Halloween is an extra special time to enjoy with my toddler.  She loves dress up, and so do I so our week is filled with fun festivities and non-stop costume changes.  See my 8 easy, no-sew, make-at-home, costume ideas in my previous post for some shots of what she has worn through the years.  Or here for our matching flapper costumes for the Gymboree 1920’s Gatsby themed party.

Last year’s Fab Kids Halloween party was so much fun, I just had to host it again and luckily, Gymboree Tribeca was on board to be our venue sponsor.  And they gave away terrific raffles for the event!  By tagging #gymBOOree on social media posts and by following @gymboreenewyork and @fab_kids, guests would be entered to win free tickets for Gymboree’s next event.  Plus those submitting emails would automatically be entered to win a free month of classes and open play valued at $260!

The kids had a BLAST climbing, sliding and soaring through the air.

It really brought out the superhero in everyone!

These pictures make me laugh out loud remembering all the giggles and funny party moments!

Since everything is padded, and kid-safe, the parents can sit back and enjoy the show!

Though it’s so hard to resist playing right alongside the costumed kids.

Sometimes you just have to jump right in!

We don’t blame you!

If the kids needed a break from all the action, they could getaway into one of Gymboree’s side rooms and make some creepy crafts.  Here are the BOO-tiful ghosts that were stickered, an easy task for toddler hands to create on their own.  (Hey, ghosts need to accessorize too!)

Or you could pamper yourself with some free face-painting and a mommy and me mani thanks to Fun Faces by Brenda!

Next door to all this action was our video room where guests got to do their thang in front of the camera (dance, act silly, and act out their costumed character) in front of event sponsor, Jessa Flynn Productions. 

Jessa masterfully, records, edits and then magically produces a perfect 15 second snapshot to upload to your Instagram!  How perfect for an @fab_kids party and all our Instagram followers, right?  Go check out her site.  She has the most moving music video captures of newborns, families and special occasions!  We were so lucky to have her.

And if all this worked up an appetite, a dessert bar and food station awaited you!  What’s a Halloween party without some tricks and treats?

Designing dessert bars is one of my favorite creative outlets.  I love picking a theme and the process of taking stock of what I already own, figuring out what I need to purchase on a tight budget, and then creating something out of nothing.  Call me crazy but it’s one of the most fun challenges ever.   I went with a black white and orange theme because Gymboree had orange walls already, and because I already owned a lot of black and white (see my black and white themed blogger bash and last year’s Haute Halloween party).

I found these free black and white Boo printables here.

And I re-used my $1 banners found at Target before my black and white blogger bash.

Not sure you can see in the photo above but the pail of wine says, “in case you came for the BOOs.”

I think it’s important to offer some healthier snack options for kids at parties so I made sure to add in baked goldfish crackers (front, right), caramel flavored rice crackers (front left), and mandarin orange snack packs in real fruit juice.  See my earlier post for more healthy Halloween party snack ideas.

The Jack O Lantern faces were drawn on with a black sharpie pre-event and other orange colored snacks were added in.  I’m a stickler for sticking to theme colors!!  Check out my other dessert bars here.

The pumpkins are topped off with Halloween hats from H&M and the pumpkins are leftovers from last year’s Haute Halloween.

The second station featured baby oranges made to look like pumpkins (just me getting crafty with a Sharpie again!)

The banana ghosts with chocolate chip faces were a Pinterest fail for me.  They would NOT stand up!

These ghosts on a stick however, were a win for me and a last minute idea.  I was trying to figure out how to re-use these striped Target $1 vases that I used for my black and white blogger bash and there really are few treats long enough to be visible while sitting in something so long.  But I had the straws and this ended up being a popular treat amongst all the kids!  I just added the Boo printable with tape to coordinate with the theme.

These custom rice krispy treats and Boo cookies were made by Angela’s Sugar Fix.  She took my idea and ran with it!  If you’re a baker yourself and are up for a challenge, the Instagram printable for this dessert was found here.  Angela is just the sweetest, the easiest to work with, and full of creative ideas and beautiful presentation options.  I’d highly recommend her for your next NY party!

The Halloween decor consisted of items I already had in my house.  The pillars, I’ve used over and over at all my parties (and each time I top with coordinating papers) and the skull lanterns were a freebie from another mom.  I just placed them on top of a goblet and upside down bowl that I already owned.  The paper products were found on sale at TJMaxx.  I’m a Maxxinista after all!

The banners are items I’ve used at past parties.  The white one which I made from scratch can be found at our toddler white party. 

And that polka dot linen is actually my daughter’s crib blanket!

Near this area, Julia Tzu, world-renowned dermatologist from Wall Street Dermatology was on-site to answer everyone’s beauty questions and to give away a raffled free consult and distribute to everyone, a goody bag.

Between all the event sponsors and Fab Kids, we filled out the goody bag pretty well!  Here’s what was inside for those of you who missed the party (shame on you!)

If you’d like to join us next time, message me with your email and like Fab Kids on FB! 

And if these pictures aren’t enough for you or if you’re curious about our Fab kids events and themed play dates, check out our new Fab Kids photo share site!

Thanks to everyone who came out and BOO-gied down with us!  Seeing old friends and making new ones is the best way to celebrate any occasion in our book!

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