I hope you are all doing well! My blog has been on “pause” for awhile mainly due to time contraints. I am hoping to be back here a little more often and to bring you a few new things along the way. My kids and I have been playing around with the idea of doing a video for you all. I must admit, we can only improve from here!! We laugh at our first attempt, but you have to start somewhere…
We make these marshmallow flowers every year in different versions. I used to have my classes make these for their moms on Mother’s Day (we would invite the moms to a Mother’s Day Tea) when I taught school. They have been a big hit for so many years, and so we thought we would start with something “tried and true” to bring you our first ever video. Remember, we can only get better from here!! 🙂 It has been fun and funny to make the video- the kids love the bloopers at the end. We hope you learn a little something that you can use- and we hope that your kids can learn from it, too! We would love for it to be a video that they can follow along with and make something fun with minimal help from their parents. Here goes…please watch our video below (and you can be our very first subscriber- we have 0!)…
I have been waiting for this day, and it is finally here! My SWEET friend, Norene, of the fabulous site called Party Pinching, has finally written a book full of her fantastic ideas for Sweet Treats for the Holidays! I have enjoyed sharing Norene’s amazing creativity with you throughout the years, and each time I would tell her that she really ought to write a book! I am so thrilled that she did AND that she is offering one for free to one of you! I am also adding in an AMAZON GIFT CARD! You can have a step-by-step guide on making adorable treats for your holiday guests this year and get some of your holiday shopping, too! What a great gift to kick-off this holiday season!
Today I am thrilled to have the ladies of Bellenza guest-posting for me! I love their enthusiasm for parties and weddings- their site is full of fabulous ideas! And so, I welcome them as they show us a great idea for making clown party hats to go on top of containers for cute take-home party favors! You can use milk bottles or any other bottle for the best effect! Have the kids fill the bottles with treats and top with a hat! So cute!
This summer, I am excited to announce several GUEST BLOGGERS that are going to pop by and share holiday and birthday party ideas with you! Our first guest blogger is SHAUNA KRANTZ of CUPCAKE WITH CHARACTER! With Father’s Day coming up, Shauna is sharing a cute way to make Dad’s gift extra-special…he will love the gift bag just as much as the gift itself! Enjoy these ideas from Shauna…
Doughnuts are all the rage right now~ although they have been around since the 1800’s! If you are looking for a fun birthday party idea, a Doughnut/Donut theme is perfect and right on-trend! My kids and I had the pleasure of trying GREEN MOUNTAIN MINI DONUTS a little while back, and they are worth talking about! WIth so many different variations- you won’t find JUST powdered or glazed (although you can if that’s what you’d like!)…read on to see some of our favorite choices…they will wow you!!
It’s official! Blue Goose Boutique, Lauren McKinsey’s newest shop, is open for business! READ ON TO HEAR ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY FROM LAUREN HERSELF…
Blue Goose Boutique is a dream come true as we begin to sell what we fondly refer to as physical products. this means that you will now start to see the cute designs that we offer in our printable shop appearing on things such a notepads! currently, you will find seven notepad designs in our boutique. we are so excited to be CELEBRATING our grand opening of the shop with a wonderful giveaway!
our GRAND PRIZE winner will receive: {total value of $194}
our THRID place winner will receive: {total value of $43}
Choice of 1 notepad set from Blue Goose Boutique {value $18}
Hand painted {signed and numbered} blue goose magnet {value $15}
Sheet of 20 monogram return address stickers from She’s Kinda Crafty {value $10}
our notepads make the perfect gifts for:
teachers
moms AND dads
birthday gifts
graduations
holidays
and just FOR YOU
each notepad was lovingly designed by ME and then made in our home. YES, for now, we are making our own notepads. so, every notepad you order was designed by us, made my us, wrapped by us and sent to you with lots of love! we have a fun variety of sizes and quantities of notepads. four out of our seven notepads come in packs of two with an adorable pencil picked out my me to match your pad. the notepads are beautifully packaged in a clear cello bag, wrapped with pretty twine and have a matching gift tag attached. they make the perfect gifts and we have even done all the presentation for you. three of our notepads are single pads. you will find the description for each notepad on the website, but each tear off notepad is filled with high quality paper and backed in thick recycled chipboard making the notepads extra sturdy. several of our notepads come with a magnetic strip so that you can hang them on the refrigerator or other magnetic surfaces.
i have to admit that this A to Z notepad is my favorite! i didn’t want to fill up the blog post with 26 pictures, but each page in the pad has a different letter of the alphabet. the notepad has 52 pages in all. this notepad is inspired by the ABC collection i created a few months ago that i just adore! to see an image of what each page looks like click here. this 5 x 71/2 inch notepad comes as a set of two pads with a matching pencil and gift tag.
our Always be Sunshinenotepad. this 5 x 71/2 inch notepad comes as a set of two 50 sheet pads with a matching pencil and gift tag.
our dream BIG notepad. this 5 x 71/2 inch notepad comes as a set of two 50 sheet pads with a matching pencil and gift tag.
Our Little Bookwormnotepad. this 5 x 71/2 inch notepad comes as a set of two 50 sheet pads with a matching pencil and gift tag.
Our To Do list is another personal favorite. i LOVE the 15 lines for writing and the HAPPY graphic at the top of the page. i can’t wait to make one for ME. this 5 1/4 x 8 inch notepad is filled with 60 sheets of cuteness.
our Shopping List. another favorite! this 3 1/2 x 8 inch notepad is filled with 60 sheets perfect for making your grocery and shopping list. it comes with a magnet for the back as well if you want to hang it on your refrigerator or another magnetic surface.
and just in time for father’s day, this adorable Superhero Dad SUPER list is perfect for that special dad! this 3 1/2 x 8 inch notepad is filled with 60 sheets that will make dad smile as he tracks his lists of things to do!
i just had to show you the sticker that “sits” on the back of each notepad. isn’t it fun?
for the next 30 days, you can use the coupon code GiveAway-10 for 10% off your Blue Goose Boutique purchase.
we are also excited to be giving away two CUTE CLUB memberships as part of our grand opening celebration. the CUTE CLUB is an EXCLUSIVE membership program that allows you to download EVERYTHING {yes, i said EVERYTHING} in the Lauren McKinsey store. we have over 1200 printables and add a new collection every week. sometimes we even add two new collections. we offer an annual or a monthly membership. you can learn more here! you can even use the coupon code GiveAway-10 for 10% off your CUTE CLUB membership.
thank you for celebrating with us! you make me smile BIG!
Don”t you just love being able to hold a book full of party ideas in your hands and enjoy each glossy page again and again? I am so excited to be one of the first to share this fabulous and fun new book, STYLISHKIDS’ PARTIES,… by Kelly Lyden of The Party Dress and The Well-Heeled Hostess! Full of fantastic themes, creative ideas, yummy recipes, easy templates, and do-it-yourself tutorials, this book is an awesome guide and perfect reference for hosting the cutest parties around! And, you have a chance to win the book and party package…keep reading for how to enter to win!
These super-cute Santa Sacks are just perfect for holiday parties, classroom goody bags, and December birthday parties! Nikki, from JAM Paper, is sharing her tutorial with us to help you send your guests off in sweet Santa style! Find out how to make them below:
I am often asked…”can you suggest a unique teacher gift?” Or, “…what can I do to show teachers that I appreciate them when we have many teachers and the budget is tight? I often suggest taking in a home-baked treat on a pretty platter and sharing it for the grade level. This way all of the teachers enjoy the treat, and they know that you are thinking of them! And, if you want to splurge a little… offer hand-decorated cookies made by you or ordered from a bake shop. Take a look at these cookies by Sweet Creations by Debbie and imagine how amazed teachers/librarians would be to enjoy these little works of art…
I LOVE Australia! For months now, I have wanted to say THANK YOU for all of the wonderful support that comes from Australia! Most giveaways are open to the US only (for shipping reasons), and so I have wanted to include all of you wonderful friends by hosting a giveaway that is open to Australia only. The talent that is shared from our party friends in Australia is always beyond gorgeous- and the readers and views are at the top of all of the traffic reports from Facebook and my website! The top cities are Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide! Thank you! And so…the vendors are located in Australia and the prizes are open to Australian residents! GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU AUSTRALIA!! Entries are easy using the Rafflecopter form below…
Here are the wonderful sponsors and prizes that are available.
1. LEE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY is offering a free mini session with 10 images on disc. Valued at $450~ It is valid for 6 months from the date of the win. Shoots are restricted to Melbourne but Lee can travel within Victoria for a fee or you can happily travel to Lee. It is valid for one family (up to 5 people) and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Lee Bird Photography is an award-winning portrait photographer based in Melbourne but capturing memories Australia-wide. Lee loves to capture those memories you have made. The laughter, giggles, tickles and smiles, and sometimes even the tears.
2. ALISON LAWSON CAKES is offering 12 ‘star’ cookie wands plus delivery Australia wide – value of $75.
Alison makes Party Cakes and Cookies for all occasions.
Birthday, Christening, Baby Shower, Engagement, and Wedding. She also offers Dessert Table Service.
Star cookie wands will be shipped to the winner of this prize- you choose your colors!
3. LITTLE BIG COMPANY is offering 2 Gift Voucher valued at $60 each! There will be 2 winners!
Little Big Company specializes in event planning and party supplies. The winner can use the voucher toward a purchase for fabulous partywares for his/her next event!
4. MUM’S LITTLE PARTY SECRET is offering a voucher worth $50 to her shop!
With so many fabulous partywares, the winner will LOVE shopping at Mum’s Little Party Secret! Here are some samples of products from the shop…
5. BESPOKE PARTY PRODUCTSis offering 30 pieces of personalized cutlery- winner can choose forks, knives, or spoons and the design. Bespoke Party Products is a darling shop that offers unique, hand crafted products created for your event and delivered FULLY ASSEMBLED in the mail!
6. ILLUME DESIGN PARTYWARE is offering a voucher worth $50 to use to shop in the store!
llume Design’s stylish collection of party ware includes paper plates, cups, cupcake wrappers, invitations and gift tags. Their fun design range includes a princess, ballerina, lady beetle, fairy garden, baby bird, circus animals, dinosaur, racing cars, ice cream parlour, noah’s ark, owl, chevron and damask. All ranges co-ordinate together helping you to create a magical themed party!
7. MARABOUS is offering a Party Package to suit a boy or girl party! Valued from $85- $125…choose between a Ferrari Theme or a Princess Theme. A PDF file will be customized and sent to you via email.
And, the Princess Party Printable Collection…
8. SENSATIONALLY SWEET EVENTS is offering a beautiful Roseanna les Desserts Round Skirted Pedestal valued at 79.90 and will include shipping within Australia! How fabulous!
I love the Roseanna dessert stand that a lucky winner will receive!!
9. SIBELLA is offering $100 worth of fashionable and trendy children’s clothing from Bardot Kids! Sibella is a fashionista, and she will be your own personal stylist and will choose an outfit for your child to send to you! Here is a sample of Bardot Clothing…
10. ASHLEE RAE is donating a Party Printable Package in your choice from her shop~ a $20 value!
You can find the perfect collection for a boy or girl!
11. PARTYCRAFT SECRETS~ PartyCraft Secrets is offering 3 winners a free e-book in the theme of your choice. Choose from a variety of themes- from Ballet to Summer Fun and everything in between. These e-books help you plan your party step-by-step!
12. INVITEME.COM– Invite Me is offering 3 Party Packages- one package for 3 winners! The Party Packages contain Love Lace cups, plates, party boxes, treat bags, party labels and straws for 10 people in our 3 colours – tiffanesque blue, pastel pink and candy pink. The winners x 3 can choose the colours. Total value $150 AUD. Each package is valued at $50 AUD
13. BREEZY’S CAKE SHOP– Breezy’s Cake Shop is offering a voucher for $100 to her cake shop. Bree will create a fantastic sweet treat just for you! This prize is limited to Sunshine Coast, Queensland and is pick-up only. This Store Credit for $100 must be used within 12 months.
Breezy’s Cake Shop is a boutique cake business located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Breezy’s Cake Shop is a registered business working from a licensed kitchen. We specialise in beautifully decorated, handmade cakes and cupcakes for your engagement, wedding, birthday, baby shower …. and every other special event! At Breezy’s Cake Shop all of our cakes are custom made to suit your theme, baked fresh with only the finest ingredients, decorated with the utmost attention to detail and best of all are totally and utterly scrumptious! Let Breezy’s Cake Shop create the yummiest finishing touch to your next special occasion.
WOW- with so many wonderful prizes this giveaway will be loads of fun!! Thank you to all of the fabulous sponsors! Best of luck to all who enter!! Thank you for being such great fans!!
TO ENTER~ Follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter form below…GIVEAWAY ENDS 24 FEBRUARY 2013
Please note- The Party Wagon has the right to refuse any winner.
I asked my son what he thought would be a good thing to give his classmates for Valentine’s Day, and to my surprise, he answered “SLIME”! I am clearly raising a little charmer! So, in the spirit of true love (of all things slimy), I set out to figure out how to make his request work. We tried out a few different recipes for slime- and Maureen, of Anders Ruff, kindly designed a tag to go along with our slimy Valentine! If you have a little guy or gal that would love to give the gift of slime…here’s your chance to make it shine! Tell them “I’m Yours”!
