Thursday, September 2, 2010

It's Party Planning Time...

I have two very different parties to prep for over the next two weeks.

First, my baby sister (aka the Frugalista, aka the Brat) is having a baby in October so my other sisters and I are throwing her a baby shower.

I know what you are thinking. She's just a baby herself, how can she be having a baby! I still remember going to the hospital to meet this little baby girl that made her way into the world just days before my 8th birthday.

Actually, I'm super-excited for her and her HHBL. They will be great parents to a very lucky little girl. The Brat is having the first baby girl in our family. After having FOUR daughters, my dad hoped, prayed and loudly wished for a grandson for years. He now has 4 wild and crazy grandsons and what does he want? A granddaughter! The man is never satisfied.

So glad that the Brat - my dad's baby girl - is giving him his first baby granddaughter. Won't that be a great photo!

The other party is a kid's party to celebrate the premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3.

My nephews are HUGE Star Wars fans. When we went to Disney World this summer, the older nephews were way more excited about the Star Wars weekend than meeting Mickey!



So they are so going to flip over this party! I'm planning to have up to 10 children under the age of 10, as well as at least that many adults, to entertain, feed and corral! The party will finish with the season premier of the cartoon series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

My party pack is going to have some fun party favors, including some Hasbro Star Wars action figures, but I want to carry the theme throughout the food, decor and activities.

Since food is the common denominator of the two parties, that's where I started.

I headed to my local Wal-Mart to grab some supplies! In addition to some fun Star Wars napkins and plates, I grabbed some treat bags for the baby shower. We are planning to serve bite-sized desserts and send a treat bag with some goodies home with everyone.

I want to try some fun decorated cookies/brownies and I'm not all that great with icing, so I wanted to practice before baking for the actual parties.

I decided to do to my test run with bar cookies instead of brownies - basically out of laziness - and used 2 tubes of cookie dough as my base.


Before I got started, I also stopped by my local Kroger's to grab some groceries.

You know the old saying, "don't grocery shop when you are hungry?" It's true!

I grabbed some honey BBQ chicken anytizers from Tyson (never had them before and have to say they are yummy) and one of my favorite quick and easy sides - Ore-Ida Easy Fries! I paired them with the healthy weight Green Giant veggie mix - black beans, edamame, sugar peas and carrots...yummy - and a fountain Coke Zero!


Overall, it was a quick and easy meal, except for one thing...I put my Easy Fries on top of my microwave cover dish (just too lazy to take out the cover dish) and this happened.


Oops! Guess I'm on the lookout for a new cover. At least the Fries weren't affected!

Now back to the party food trials. My good friend over at Going Jane sent me a couple of ideas for Star Wars party food. Her kids are HUGE Star Wars fans - fanatics, really - so she's the perfect gal to consult with. Her first idea was a Darth Vader shaped brownie using a bell-shaped cookie cutter and white icing.

Here's the first attempt...


Not bad, but I'll try again with brownies because the cookies cut awkwardly.

I also tried some butterfly and flower cookies for the baby show. Decorating is definitely not one of my fortes. I'll keep trying!

Any suggestions for food for either the baby shower or the Star Wars party? All are welcome!

Smart and Trendy Moms

24 comments:

  1. Hi there! I'm visiting from NFF and your newest follower.

    What a neat idea of using a bell & butterfly to make cookies. I saw these at Williams-Sonoma: Star Wars cookie cutters: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/star-wars-cookie-cutter/?cm_src=rel

    Good luck! :)

    http://thewhitebluesky.com

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  2. I am your newest follower from Friendly Friday Follow :)
    Looking forward to read more from you.

    http://dwivedi2326.blogspot.com/2010/09/final-chapter.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello! Following you from the blog hops. Stop by Dina's Days!
    http://www.dinasdays.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am a new follower and I would love a follow back also check out my great giveaways!!
    http://www.mommykatie.com/

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  5. I am already following you thanks to New Friends Friday but i just stopped by to let you know that today we have the coolest blog hop there is... no rules just fun and would love you to join in with us at Boost My Blog Friday :)
    Plus, don't forget to sign in our amazing giveaway: two custom blog banners, so come on by to take a brand new blog banner home! And if you need any help increasing your blog's traffic or easy HTML tips, you know where to come! Happy Friday!

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  6. I love it! You could even cut sandwich shapes w/your bell for Vadar sandwiches! :)

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  7. I am so with you on the icing thing! Good luck, and remember it will all taste good even if it doesn't look quite the way you want it to! BTW, are you available the middle and last weekends in November for a HAPPY 6th and 8th BIRTHDAY parties????? PUUUULEASEEEEE? ;-)

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  8. Bliggity Blog Hoppin' I'm now following you hope you'll return the favor! Thanks Happy Friday JaMonkey!

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  9. your darth vader cookies are too cute! best of luck with them!!

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  10. Look at those cookies! WOW! So impressed : )

    You might also want to check out Hostess with the Mostess (www.hostessblog.com)...she has some AMAZING party planning ideas and I actually think she did a SW themed party one time!

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  11. Hi there, we are your newest followers! I hope you will come visit us at www.justmarriedwithcoupons.com, Have a great day =)

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  12. MMmmm cookies!!!

    Hopping over from the blog hop! Hope to see you as soon I always return the love (comment back/follow back).

    Kerin :)
    http://hergoodintentions.blogspot.com

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  13. Hi! New follower here...just found your blog through "Her Good Intentions" blog hop!

    I'm also hosting a blog hop so stop on by!

    http://sochicdecor.blogspot.com/2010/09/friday-inspiration.html

    Holly

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  14. Hey there!! Just stopping by from New Friend Fridays!!

    I think your Dark Vader brownies will be really cuteeee!! Good luck with all your part planning!

    http://yourworkistodiscoveryourworld.blogspot.com/

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  15. Little cupcakes! I got my pans at Wal-Mart pretty cheap - but they bake really fast, just some icing and sprinkles and I consider them finger food because you just pop one in your mouth! They are also cute with like those cheap little party favor rings or toys stuck on top!
    HAVE FUN!

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  16. Hi...following from bloghop...would love to have you follow back!
    http://funfritzfamily.blogspot.com/

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  17. Sometimes just simple cupcakes in the color scheme is good, we bought great little silver balls the other day which would look good on black frosting!
    Can't wait to read all about you later this evening - glass of wine in hand, better than magazines!
    Followed you from the hop!

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  18. I'm in Indiana too!I am your newest follower. Hope you can follow back! I Am trying to reach my goal of 1000 followers by my birthday, 9/25! Happy Friday!
    www.motherhoodthetruth.blogspot.com

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  19. Sorry I’m a bit late in getting back to you. I know you're going to throw a great baby shower. Thanks for the follow, right back at’cha! Hope I can share some deal and reviews you can use :)
    cookiesandclogs[at]gmail[dot]com

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  20. You are an awesome aunt! Can't wait to hear more about the parties. I'm literally in the MIDDLE of North America...in the middle of no where in North Dakota and am your newest follower. Thanks for your visit to my blog also.
    Katie

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  21. Your cookies look better than mine would.

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  22. newest follower! email me at thethriftyba@yahoo.com and i will send you some sw ideas/photos. lets just say no one is a bigger sw geek than my 36 yr old brother.

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