Saturday, June 11, 2011

Planning a Birthday Party

My kid will be turning 4 in a few days. She can't wait for her party to get here. I can't wait for it to be over!

 This year's theme is SpongeBob luau. SpongeBob because she likes him, luau because that is what was on clearance this winter :) I even scored a huge bag of luau decor from Craigslist for $10. Hey now!

Tonight I stuffed treat bags and made a bean bag toss game. Oh yeah, Saturday night fun! (not really)

I'm sitting here wondering when kids parties got so darn elaborate. I mean I don't recall having them. I can remember when  birthday party was a cake, ice cream, cousins and friends, and playing outside for like 2 hours. Where did treat bags come from? Where did party games come from? Who in the hell invented jumpers? I need answers!

My kid's party will be a blast for her. And for those of you who think my kid doesn't remember one party from the next...WRONG!!! She does. I guess that's why I put some much effort into them.  Anyway, this is what I have planned so far:

Decorations
Backyard Patio- Mainly Luau with Pineapples for centerpieces. Eating will take place here
Front yard- A home made Welcome to Bikini Bottom Sign in front yard, children's activites
Living room- Jellyfish fields. jelly fish (balloons with crepe paper attached) will hang from the ceiling and blue butcher papers with fish cutouts on wall
Activities
Getting leid-- I have leis for all children in attendance
SpongeBob bean bag toss-- I made it myself. I will take pictures of it at the party
Possibly a jumper--POSSIBLY
Jelly fishing-- kids will use a butterfly net to catch jellyfish (balloons in a wading pool) Jelly fish will be numbered. Numbers indicate their place in line for Mr. Krabs treasure chest
Mr. Krabs treasure chest-- a basket draped with a satin sheet filled with 99 cent store toys
Water play (water balloon toss, sprinklers turned on, etc)--if weather permits

Goody bags
SpongeBob treat bags --bags are SpongeBob paper lunch sacks from 99 cent store
SpongeBob themed candy from Walmart and 99 cent store
Some kaleidoscopes and paddle balls I bought on clearance after Halloween. 50 cents for a pack of 6
SpongeBob stickers from 99 cent store

Food
Krabby patties (burgers)...Maybe, I have no real intentions of cooking on that day
Pizza....probably
Fruit
salad
chips and dip

Well, let me know what you think. I will do a party recap  with pictures next week after it's over. Wish me luck. No, better yet...Pray for me!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Mommy Play with Meeee!

Working full time while mothering a 3 year old girl is absolutely insane. On an average day, I drive 2 hours to work, work for 9 hours, then drive 2 hours home. When I get home, all I want is about 32 seconds of quiet time.

HA! What a joke! There is no such thing in my home.

My little precious little baby toddler girl is very full of energy. Don't get me wrong, I love it. Actually, I prayed for it while I was pregnant. The worst thing I could imagine when I was pregnant was the thought of having a shy and timid child. My prayers were fully answered.

Thank you God.

My kid wants to play games 24/7. If running or yelling is not involved, she wants no parts of it. Even eating has to be some sort of contest. And let's not even talk about if she doesn't win. No, let's not.

 Back to the story-
After driving in beautiful L.A. traffic for at least 1.5 hours on any given day, I open the front door to a game of hide and seek. Somehow, I am always "it". This games usually lasts about 3 minutes before I get stumped and can't find her (Wow you were under the table AGAIN...I didn't even see you). She then jumps out and yell Boo! This of course has to frighten me.

Then I am able to put my purse down, kick off my shoes, and have a seat. That takes about 22 seconds. Then .... Mommy Play with meeeeee!

I love my girl, but thank goodness for nap time!

Only children and their STUFF

A wise woman once said "For every child who has everything there is a parent who is broke."
Ok, I made that up.
But it's true and you know it!

My daughter is not only an only child, she is an only grandchild and only niece on my side, and an only granddaughter on my hubby's side. Needless to say she has tons of "stuff".

And if your child is an only (only child, only girl, only boy, only baby, etc), chances are your kid has too much stuff too.

For years ( yes- all three of them) I've tried to give away her belongings to friends, to the Salvation Army, to churches, or to anyone who would take them. It is more difficult to get rid of all this stuff than it seems. Recently I decided to take to the web to see what other overwhelmed mommies are doing with their kids' stuffs and stumbled across the most incredible thing in the world: Moms with side hustles.

Moms are selling their kids stuff online. Not on craigslist, but on Facebook! That's right Facebook. Facebook is filled with mommies who are making money off of their babies used clothing and accessories. And other mommies are actually buying it. Talk about a win-win situation.

I think this idea is great. So, I have decided to interview a mommy with a side hustle to see how this whole thing goes.

Is this something you have thought of trying? If so, leave a comment and tell me about it!