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

SAMSUNG CSC

SAMSUNG CSC

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.

SAMSUNG CSC

SAMSUNG CSC

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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Why I’m Never Sleeping In Again

Getting to sleep in as a mom is a forever unfulfilled fantasy so when my husband offered this morning to get Juliet ready for school and do the drop off for me so I could (for once) sleep in and hopefully rid this cold, I thanked him as profusely as my fatigued body would allow and felt comforted in knowing I had already done most of the prep work by laying out Juliet’s school outfit the night before.  Fridays are easy for us.  All J has to do is get dressed and go ‘cuz (hooray!) the school feeds her breakfast.

I slept in like a baby only to greet her back at home at the end of her school day in complete horror.

Apparently, my baby lived everyone’s worst nightmare and spent the whole day WITHOUT PANTS ON!! In a New York minute, she went from an award-winning ‘best-dressed’ baby (thanks for the recognition, Gymboree!) to a ‘what was she thinking?’ fashion DON’T.  Totally embarrassed for her at the thought of her walking around all day without freakin’ pants on, I gave my well-meaning hubby a much – needed fashion lecture on the difference between tights and leggings.  “Tights are NOT pants… haven’t we had this discussion before?” I asked in disbelief as I recalled another day when he dressed her in tights and a top and then  pranced her all around Michigan Ave in Chicago. Below are the frightening pictures my husband happily texted me of J hanging out in the Disney store (notice again, no PANTS on, only TIGHTS).  This was the first regretful nap that I took which allowed my very sweet but clueless husband to dress J and take her out.

PicMonkey Collage

Realizing that I need to start a new hashtag, #tightsarenotpants similar to the viral #leggingsarenotpants, I stood still, shocked and confused as to how anyone could style such a horrid outfit.  Not only did she NOT have any skirt or pants on, she also clashed like chimes on a drum.  And wasn’t matching the most basic of styling goals?  What was he thinking?? I could understand if Juliet did not have much of a wardrobe to choose from but this is what he had to select from!

kids closet

He could have chosen a myriad of different options while veto-ing my knee-high sock selection (which he attributes to having sparked his on-the-spot, mini-makeover).

styling kids

This sparkly blue, pom pom sweater by H&M (that I found on sale for just $7) would have looked designer with the rainbow themed selections that I styled with it on the right.  On the left, it ended up looking like some thrift store find crumpled up haphazardly with random layers and colors.  Is he blind?!?  How did my baby end up looking like such a hot mess when I perfectly laid out an entirely coordinated outfit for her the night before?

Oddly enough, his reaction to my fashion inquisition was pride.  He was simply proud to have gotten her out the door on time and still to this day defends his selections.  “That outfit was fine,’ he stubbornly replies.  This defense and denial is what has left me no other choice but to blog about his ridiculous styling result.  Is this a #mommyfail or a #daddyfail??  Readers, please chime in!  For now, I’ve determined that I’m NEVER sleeping in AGAIN.

 

 

 

 

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