Category Archives: Parties & Playdates

Aug24

OBB Deal

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OBB Deal

FerDeal

Part of owning a gift store in Kuwait or anywhere in the world for that matter is always trying to be creative and providing good deals for your clients.

This week at OBB Kuwait we have a Buy 2 Get 1 free on our world famous Peanuts. (In-store deal only)

So if you haven’t tried our delicious Feredies Peanuts this is your chance to get more flavors for your money!

A Great Deal. You can also follow OBB on instagram ( (obb_kuwait) for more deals….

This is what I do in trying to help others in Making Life Memorable.

Mar31

Zeenah’s 4th Birthday

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Zeenah’s 4th Birthday

I sometimes feel like March is the end of celebration season for me. We go from the high of October through September with a break in January. Then the Rush of February and March then comes SILENCE! Until the cycle returns.

If you’ve been following me this past almost year then you know how serious I am about celebrations. If this is your first read you need to know that almost every “Occasion” post comes in many parts so stay tuned because I usually have A LOT to say and share.

I take pride in almost every planning detail of every event I host. No matter how small or big I must have something special. Thankfully I have instilled that same trait in my children and it has also rubbed off on my husband. The First step in my birthday planning process for the girls is to ask them what Theme they would like. Off course many times I “veto” and “probe” but many times I like the suggestion they come up with.
 

Zee4th
Zeenah declared her 4th birthday as a “Lady Bug” theme and I was oh too eager to oblige! So much I can work with I was over the moon!! As you can see I also managed to dress her up in theme (which she insisted on having her sister have the same dress too.) Over and above that she asked me to make her a ladybug crown because according to her the guests won’t know who the birthday girl is…. not sure why she would think that since everyone was coming because it was HER birthday….not that I minded off course!

The most exciting thought was the Piñata…. I used to dream about it!!! And oooohhhhh the use of paper Mache, Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned mess??

So stay tuned on all my DIYs, Pictures and fun of Making Life Memorable!

Feb19

Photo Booth

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Photo Booth

One of my favorite things to prepare for the girls’ birthdays are props for our DIY photobooth. There are companies out there that set it up for you but I like to do it myself and people nowadays are all photographers with their smart phones so they get to play and have fun on their own without a professional “probing”

We always have a theme for our birthdays so I always have to make sure that the props I make are related. Then I just add the usual things like funky sunglasses, Boas, decorative items that can be used as props.

MonkeyPhotoProp
For Zeenah’s 3rd birthday she wanted a monkey theme so I had printed out a template of a monkey mask.

I then cut out the outline of the mask on brown cardstock. The details of the face and ears with off-white paper.

The step of cutting out the eye holes evenly was a challenge but I managed to do it.

I added a little flower on the monkey’s ear and a little detail on the nose.

Off course the last step is adding the stick for kids to hold the mask up. I use craft sticks that have rounded tips (if I have them available or can find them) I have used the wooden skewers in the past but made sure I taped the sharp ends.
monkeymask

The next on my list was to make a sign to put on the Prop table. I was lucky to find funky frames at one of the local 100fils stores (the Kuwaiti equivalent of the dollar store) so I bought all the colors they had. I knew they would come in handy some day.

monkeyFrame

table
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lastly was the setup of the actual booth. We’re lucky to have a big garden that hosts our birthdays. We have an olive tree that provides the best branches to hang an empty frame border, balloons, paper chains and whatever else I can think of. Here’s me posing with my monkey sunglasses during Zeenah’s 3rd Birthday.
PHOTOBOOTH
 
 

HeartsProps
 
 
Jennah’s 7th birthday she had chosen a queen of hearts theme.
I absolutely and utterly enjoyed planning and decorating for it.
It was so hard to actually make decisions to STOP.
I had made lots of props for that. Queen of hearts hair & Crown, Heart lips, Cheshire cat smile, Mini Golden crown and Teedle Dee/Dum cap.
 
 
 
 

An Now it’s time to plan Zeenah’s 4th Birthday coming in March!!!

Its all about making life memorable!!

Nov27

Jennah’s 7th Birthday

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Jennah’s 7th Birthday

We Love having themed birthday parties and there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing it all come together.

This year Jennah chose to have a Queen of Hearts birthday party. A basic red & black with hearts, “How hard could that be??” I thought! Well in my head things always seem to start simple but I’m not one that does simple. I loooooooooooooooooooooove over the top! “Bigger” and “more is more” is my thing.

So I go old fashioned and grab a pen and paper and start writing my to dos.
1. Invitation & Guest list
2. Cake
3. Set-up
4. Menu & cake
5. Favors
6. Games
Off course I wrote that list but knew that things will definitely be added along the way.

First on the list invitations & Guests.

So I pull out the file on my computer with last years list and print it out. We had a few scratched out names and I also had to give Jennah her list of school kids that she made.

Then the fun part of designing the invitation.

invite-craft

 
 

I knew I wanted to have red envelopes and red cardstock for the card. So it was important to make a run to a stationary store before undertaking the design stage. I had to get the envelopes first because only then would I know what size to make the invite.

My second decisions was to design the card for printing on regular white A4. It would just make my life so much easier in getting the color scheme.

A few hours behind the computer and a little cutting here and there.

 
 
 
The final result of a few hours work was something I was very proud of!
invite2

7th Birthday memories are beginning to shape up. After all it’s about “Making Life Memorable!”

Nov25

Taste Of the Holidays

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Taste Of the Holidays

The Holiday season is by far my favorite part of the year. Festivities, events, great company and good food!! What more can one ask for??

I’m kicking off the season with my first event of them all! A Tasting event at my shop. Visit us for treats, hot cocoa and a fabulous gifting experience.

The original Basket Boutique at Kipco Tower is ready to be your host. Share the fun and bring your family and friends.

Tasting event

Oct28

Fabric Heaven

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Fabric Heaven

My girls have caught on way to quickly on my “if I can’t find it I’m gonna make it” mentality… It’s supposed to be my little secret… Well secrets out apparently!

Since occasions/parties and dressing up is a big thing in my household my girls get a choice of what they want to be for Halloween.

zoe
Jennah wanted to be Zoe from Sesame street and suggested I make it since I couldn’t find a ready made costume (in Kuwait and online). Poor Zoe even sesame online doesn’t have a costume for her. Trust my daughter to choose the underdog! Protector of the weak.

So off to the Fabric Souq in sharq I go….. oodles and oodles of fun. No seriously I wanted to buy it all even though I had absolutely no use for it.

Store after store I was looking for orange fury or feathery fabric. I could find one or the other, either orange but not the texture or Fury but not the color.

All the while thinking, it’s Thursday evening and she needs to wear it on Friday to her cousin’s “Halloween Birthday Party”… Serves me right for asking them! My mind racing and reminding me the faster I get the fabric the quicker I can start designing and sewing.

 
zoe-reemas

Finally I was led to a shop called Reemas Bazar, my wishes came true……What a fabulous selection!!! The have more than just fabric, they have all sorts of accessories, beads, and the works!!

Zoe-fabric
The main highlight of the whole thing is that I was in Sesame street heaven!!! I actually found all of the colors and textures for Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie monster, Abby and most importantly Zoe!
 

I got what I wanted and rushed to pick up the girls from their playdate and couldn’t wait to get home. Mind you I hadn’t thought the whole costume through…. There was still the question of the bug eyes….
 

I quickly manage to put the girls in bed to get started…ooops I can’t!!! I had to finish the cake and cupcakes I was making for my niece!!! (that’ a whole other POST!!!)
 

zoe-step1
Fast Forward to the next morning……So I set out to make Jennah’s Zoe Costume. I got a visual idea of the main components of the costume and it was time to get all the supplies. I dug through my craft supplies and got two Styrofoam balls, googly eyes, brown glittery foam paper and confiscated a headband from the girls’ dresser.

I’m all set. So I knew that all I needed to use the fabric for was her arms, a little chest area and somehow a wig. I sat there for a while staring at the fabric then it kinda hit me. I made a shrug that she wore backside front. Just a few stiches for the arms and that’s it. I put elastic through the hem the sleeve to hold it onto her wrists.

 
 
 
 
 
Zoe-headband
 
 
 
 
 
Next came the real crafty job… I stuck the two Styrofoam balls together and glues each of the googly eyes. I cut out eyelashes from the brown glittery foam paper and also glued them to the eyeballs. Lastly the pair of eyes were glued to the headband.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now it was time to try it all on and hope for the best.

Zoe-Jennah
 
 
 
 
Jennah was extremely quick to put her ballet clothes on and just waited for me to turn her into Zoe…. Keeping my fingers crossed that it all fits and makes sense.

She wore the arms and I fixed the extra fabric into a wig and placed the headband to hold it all together. And Viola!!! Another creation I am proud to have made.

So this season its all about “Making Life Memorable” the creative way! Oh wait…..isn’t that always the case in my house?!

P.S. If you’re planning a Sesame street character you know where to find the tools to make it!

Sep19

Birthday Menu & Quantities

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Birthday Menu & Quantities

Yummy Yummy Yummy…. Let’s get cookin!

The million dollar questions are without a doubt “what should I serve?” & “Is it enough?”

First off decide what you’re going to serve. The best is always finger foods. A variety of easy to eat no fuss no mess so you can enjoy the party too…

I basically have a standard menu:
BuffetFresh Veggie Platter: Carrots, cucumber, baby tomato, Celery, Green Pepper, Paprika, Broccoli, Cauliflower
Popcorn
2 kinds of Salads for adults
Mini Pizza
Hot Dog Rolls (Always the first to disappear)
Mini Burgers
Mini Chicken burgers
Variety of mini sandwiches & pastries (also known as Fatayer) Fillings include Spinach, cheese, vegetables, Feta, Minced Meat, Turkey…etc
Pasta Bake

Drinks is usually:
Water
KoolAid
Fresh Lemonade

 
Next is how much to serve. This is essential. You don’t want to have too much leftover but still want to make sure there’s enough.

The biggest hit are generally the Mini Pizzas and hot Dogs. So I usually Have about 6 for each per child.

As for the Mini Burgers (Beef&Chicken) I make 2 dozen of each for approximately 30 children.

Pastries & Mini Sandwiches I usually do a total 4 pieces per guest.

1 large casserole of Pasta that’s prebaked so that I don’t have to worry about it during the party.

The drinks are easier to calculate 2 1/2 Cups for every guest. But make sure to provide loads of water. Having excess won’t hurt!

I also provide a Thermos with hot water and selection of teas and coffees for the parents to help themselves.

Now if you choose a different menu here’s a good guideline for quantities:
Menu&QTY

Bar-PicMonkey Collage In the past two birthdays I went a little overboard in the “Sweet” department and had a little area with something of a toned down version of a Candy Bar. A selection of Marshmallows, chocolate coated cookies, Carmel popcorn, Lollipops…etc. Bit I had to make sure it was theme related or at least color coordinated.

There’s really no limitations as to what you can serve and how! If you have it in you go for it, if not keep it simple for less stress.

I love to cook and entertain and I hope this simple guide helps you in your next Birthday planning process for “Making Life Memorable” in your way!

Sep18

Birthday Cake

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Birthday Cake

It’s getting closer and closer to finalizing your child’s birthday party. Now its time to look at the actual Day of the party.

Hospitality and food is a big thing in the Middle East…. So serving just cake won’t cut it in this part of the world! If you can get away with it then good on you 🙂

Since a major highlight of the Birthday is the cake, other than the birthday child off course!I’m dedicating this whole post to be about THE CAKE!

While I see so many bakeries in town (Kuwait) and between every cupcake business is another cupcake business I’ve yet to really find one that are tasty and not horrendously expensive.

Cake for KD70+ (about$250) SERIOUSLY! and something seems to always go wrong. The color, the taste, the flavor, the cake is to dry, the frosting’s too hard and the worst is the filling or frosting that tastes like stale butter. To all you bakeries I’m sorry, I apologies but this is my opinion.

Being big on baking and cake/cupcake decorating I make my own cakes and cupcakes. They might not look that professional but I take pride in them and the girls and guests never complained.

Cake from scratch, buttercream frosting, fondant and all. Now you don’t have to go to my extreme but I really think investing a little time doing the cake and pocketing the money or spending it on something else for the birthday is well worth it.

After having done several birthdays I’ve come to a huge realization….. kids prefer cupcakes!!! So even though I’ve made fancy 3 tiered fondant covered cakes at the end it’s pretty to look at but they reach for the little stuff.

The big cake I make for me….I enjoy it! So I’ve downsized from the past.

As a result the big cake is used for the candles, singing and the adults to eat. While the cupcakes are for kids.

To figure out how much to serve use this general guideline:
12″ round cake serves 28
1.5 cupcake per child

This means for every 28 adults you can add a Tier and for 10 kids make 15 cupcakes. Fairly simple don’t you think?!

As for flavors stick to the basics. Chocolate and vanilla, but make MORE chocolate than vanilla!

The best frosting ever is the basic buttercream frosting. Easy to make and spread or pipe.

As for fondant I make a marshmallow fondant which is easy to mold and roll.

Now if you don’t want to spend all that time in the Kitchen a boxed cake and jar of frosting will do the trick just as much. All you need to do is just add some food coloring here and there, sprinkles, ornaments/décor or my personal favorite cupcake picks!!
(Cupcake picks DIY also coming soon!)

So spend a little time in the kitchen, get your kids to mix and measure with you. It’s not just about the end result it’s how much fun you can have on the way!! That for sure falls under “Making Life Memorable!”

Sep17

Invitations

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Invitations

You’ve decided on a theme and figured out your Guest list…

Next comes the invitations. This is where the fun begins and I bring out all my creativity to work.

I absolutely love making my own invitations. Cardstock, printing, designing, tape and all! I try my best to also create a fun wording to the invite too that’s theme related.

In this post I’m going to show what I’ve done in the past, I’ll also recommend alternatives if you’re not the DIY or creative type.

First there are essentials to what goes ON the invitation. I’ll divide it into MUST have and FUN to have.

You must include:
Child’s name. It’s a good idea to use the full name if you’re sending the invite to school that way if there are several Sarahs in the class the parents now which one it is.
Child’s Age. Make the parents’ life easier for choosing gifts especially if the friends are from different age groups.
Date & Time When putting the date it’s also nice to include the day. As for the time you should include a start & end time that way parents can also gauge when the cake will be served.
Address Be specific, if you have a green roof or a special landmark include it
Telephone number I usually put an RSVP, but in Kuwait I think they consider that “optional” but a number is always important. The worst thing is for a parent to be lost and can’t get a hold of you while the child is nagging “Are we there yet?”

You May want to include
A Map especially if the street address isn’t clear.
Theme based Poem you’ll see later in my past invites.
Special instructions. Is it a pool party? in the garden, costume….etc

So you’re all set with the invitation?? Here’s a sample of an invitation I’ve made?
ZeeInviteMonkey

For Zeenah’s 3rd birthday I had REEEEEELAY wanted to do a caterpillar theme. Off course her choice was a monkey theme. When I asked why she said “because I’m a Monkey!” fair enough. Her birthday her choice and its fairly easy to work with!

So I researched ideas and I came up with this…

Color scheme Brown, Lime green, pink and touches of yellow.

Pink envelopes with yellow labels

Pink printing paper for the card and a framing of green lime paper and heavy Brown cardstock.

Finally you need to distribute the invitations. I advise to send in between 10 days to a week in advance. I think this is probably applicable only in Kuwait. Reasons….. If you do it any time before that people are most likely to forget.

You can always send a “Save the Date” in advance via text message in case you’re worried people will get booked.

Some people choose to send a reminder Text message a day before the birthday. I don’t particularly favor that, if the person didn’t mark it down and forgot then they’re probably not that close and too flaky. Who needs that as a friend? Not you nor your child deserves that.

Yes I’m funny like that. “You didn’t remember my daughter’s birthday what horror how dare you!!” 🙂

If you choose not to make your own invitation the “old fashioned way” You can always use websites that actually do it for you and you can either print it at home or have it shipped to you (if you have enough time).

Here’s a list of websites that may be useful to look at:
Personalized Party invites
Tiny Prints
Shutterfly
Paper Style

Don’t forget to have fun with it. The whole process is about “Making life Memorable” for you, your kids and everyone attending.

Sep16

The Guest List

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The Guest List

So you’re having a party and decided on your Theme!! Woohoo step one check.

guestlist Next step is your guest list….sounds simple right? Nope! This I think is one of the hardest decisions, after all it is what makes the party really work.

Some guests are a no brainer…Family comes first! Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. I know that sounds like a party on its own but you do have to invite kids!

This is where it gets tricky… How many and who (or is it whom?) to invite?

It’s a standard that you should invite the kids age plus one. So if your child is turning 4 then you invite 5 kids. The first time I read that I almost fell out of my chair laughing. There was no way I am able to limit myself to just that, my girls and myself are too social for that.

The easiest way to help in deciding how many people/children to invite is according to the space you’re having the party in.

Almost all the parties I’ve had for the girls were in the garden so I’m pretty generous when it comes to numbers.

A good rule of thumb is to figure out seating. You should have 2.5 seats per child (the child + parent) this off course doesn’t include adults that come without kids (Grandparents, aunts, Mom’s best friend ….etc).

Next you may want to consider siblings. I have a rule not to invite Jennah’s friends to Zeenah’s birthday and vice versa. With that said I do have specific friends (you know who you are!) that have both age groups that I do invite.

Now how do you prepare the list…. I usually divide a nice white crisp A4 paper into 3 columns, yes as old fashioned as that sounds I like to have it on paper and in my purse so I can add and cross as I please.

The 3 columns are Family, Friends, Children.

Each column is then divided into Adult & Child. You can download my word document and fill it out.GUEST LIST

Here’s how it works…. First column for each Family member you’re inviting you have a column for their child/children. So my sister column one and her 2 kids in the next column.

The Friends column is actually the parent’s friends, but your child actually has to know their child and enjoys playing with them too…. so for example my friend “ABC” and her child “abc”.

Now that Jennah has been in school for a while some parents have become my friends but their children are no longer in the same class or school.

Here is where you as a parent need to make the hard decision of cutting people out. Sure you love “Mommy H” but your daughter doesn’t play with her “Son Y”. Off the list they go. No guilt, if you want set a date with the mom over coffee or dinner and enjoy the company of an adult!

Finally the kids column….this is where I use the child’s age plus one. These are usually children that are new friends, in her class and basically I have no knowledge of. I’ve let Jennah (almost 7) decide on those. That way your child can feel involved too.

After all it is THEIR birthday and “Making Life Memorable” for THEM!