Plaid Party or Playdate with Bright Starts Toys #BabyLOLL

Even for something as simple as a play date get together, I like to incorporate a theme and sometimes ask guests to dress in theme.  For my holiday play date, I hosted a plaid party and asked everyone to dress in plaid for pictures under the Christmas tree.  My friend and I love a theme and a styling challenge!

plaid party, gingerbread decorating party, gingerbread cookie making, plaid themed party

Here’s my modern, minimalist take on the Christmas tree, perfect for my NYC apartment.

modern christmas tree

It doesn’t take up any room, I can still place presents or a food and beverage display under it, and after the holidays, I can put it away without taking up any coveted storage space.  For snacks, I had animal crackers, a ‘little fingers fruit salad’ made with holiday themed colored fruits as well as golden wrapped chocolates, gingerbread round cookies, and white chocolate pocky stick treats. white christmas decor

The dining table where us moms gathered to share parenting notes and holiday updates, featured a rice salad, hummus and chips as well as a festive gingerbread decorating station.  Guests were also served hot apple cider or hot chocolate with choice of fun toppings.

white decor

cookie decorating with kids

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gingerbread cookie decorating party

What really made the play date fun though was that Bright Starts toys were awaiting them under another Christmas tree!  These colorful, interactive toys are such a hit amongst youngsters and being that they’re truly educational, they’re popular amongst parents too!

 

babyLOLL

bright starts toys

The toys were suggested for kids 6months – 3years which was the perfect age range for our play group.

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You’d be surprised at how even the simplest of the packages, the “bunch of balls” 16 ball set captured their fancy. (MRSP: $7.99) As a toddler, you can roll them, throw them, catch them, try to juggle them, balance them and share them.  Plus they’re compatible with all the Bright Starts Having a Ball toys like the Spin & Giggle Puppy or Having a ball jungle fun ball climber which are my personal favorites. The whirling wobble bobble fun is absolutely mezmerizing.  Check it out in this video montage below!

 

As you can see, we had a ball!  How do you like to host your play dates?  And what are your fun holiday play date ideas? Please share!

Disclosure: I received free products in order to host the Bright Starts sponsored Play Date. The opinions expressed here are my own.

brightstarts toys

Spin & Giggle puppy (purchase here)
Learn & Giggle fish (purchase here)
Learn & Giggle activity station (purchase here)
Giggables (purchase here)
Bunch of Balls (purchase here)
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Fab Fetes – How to create a White Party in 8 Easy Steps

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White parties have a certain elegance and excitement surrounding them.  They signal summertime, celebrations and …P.Diddy.  And what’s cooler than P.Diddy?  I’ve waited years for P.Diddy’s white party invite but strangely, have yet to receive one so I decided it was time to host one!  I figured it would be a great chance to use all the white decor I already had lying around the house.  You know, the stuff my husband nags me about not using enough of i.e.cake plates, platters and other frivolous items that he doesn’t understand.  But other than trying to prove him wrong, I just wanted to bring people together and enjoy the last bit of summer.  Anyone who knows me I love finding a reason (any reason) to celebrate.  Extending and celebrating summer sounded like a good enough reason to celebrate as any!

I thought it would be cute to anniversary last year’s white themed play date in the park and invite moms and their kids.  Every mom appreciates a fun reason to dress-up and meet up elsewhere other than the usual park / playground.  This time though, the event would be more formalized, with a dinner spread and even florals and candles. (gettin’ fancy here!)

Here’s how to create a white party of your own:

1).  Ask guests to dress in all-white! The stricter you are with this requirement, The better the pictures and the better the ice-breaking.

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SAMSUNG CSCJuliet would remind you not to forget to accessorize!

white party2). Feature white furniture and/or table linens (white gift wrap, contact paper, plastic table covers, sheets, drapes and blankets all work too!)white party nyc IMG_7681 IMG_7683

3).  Serve white beverages (We had sake, white wine, sparkling cider, white grape juice, and water)

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water

The branded waters were repurposed sheets of party circles meant as cupcake toppers, designed by That Party Chick.

4).  Serve white foods and snacks.  I served sushi rolls, Japanese chicken and udon noodles, pork dumplings, cheese and crackers, white dip for veggies, and hummus with veggie chips, and popcorn). Kids’ white snacks included Mum Mums and Trader’s Joe’s cereal bars (both of which had white packaging and were served upright in clear vases).

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Other non-white foods like the edamame and seaweed salad were served on white platters that showcased the Rocksbox promo code ‘FabGabBlog’ which all my guests were entitled to for a free month jewelry subscription.

toddler food

5).  Have white desserts (For this party, I presented white frosted cupcakes, marshamellows, powdered sugar doughnut holes, white rock candy swizzle sticks, white yogurt covered raisins, animal crackers and white macaron puffs).

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The white rock candy swizzle sticks were a hit amongst the kids!  But who doesn’t love these??

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6). White decor -Besides my white ruffle linen, I brought down pillar candles and 3 silk hydrangea vases from my living room along with some white baroque frames and set them along the white marble communal table that was already at the rooftop terrace.

kids white party

7).  Create a white photo backdrop – I set up a simple white banner backdrop with some cardstock and a strip of fuzzy white yarn found on clearance at Michael’s.  You could also hang white: balloons, Chinese lanterns, drape, crepe paper …the list goes on…

white dresses

These besties were hamming it up for us!

white party for kids

For fun, I had some photo props for guests to use if they liked.

photo booth props

Get toddlers grouped together for a photo by sitting them atop a bench that is just high enough for them to not want to try and jump off.  I learned this terrific tip from my professional photographer friend who took half these photos for us, Gotham Love!

how to throw a white party

8).  For kids’ entertainment, I had asked parents to bring a silent toy or two that their kids wouldn’t mind sharing.  And I had a bubble maker and white blown – up balloons for them to play catch on – site for the kids.  But music (if the venue would have allowed) and games would have been great additional add-ons.  For our party, the WHITE noise of the waterfall and children’s laughter in the background was our music.

For the parents, I thought that a confessional round where each guest reveals a white lie they recently told would be fun too – maybe next time!

 

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All in all, it was a memorable time and a fabulous chance to wear our whites one last time before summer officially ended!

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Juliet is still talking about all the fun she had!

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matching mommy and me outfits

© 2024 Stylishly Stella