Happy 4th of July!

We're getting ready for a fun night with our neighborhood block party - over 175 people are coming!  We opened the party up to our entire civic association doubling the size of our party.  

Have a safe and happy 4th of July with friends and family!!

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Alex's 5th Birthday {Ninja Turtle Nature Center Birthday}

My 5 year old is obsessed with Ninja Turtles (and Star Wars, Cars, and ninjas - ALL ninjas).  So no surprise that his suggested birthday party theme was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or TMNT as the cool kids say).  Of course all of the Pinterest ideas revolved around costumes and amazing TMNT themed games and crafts.  For once, I came to my senses and decided to take the easy route… I called a local nature center and booked the first date they had in May or June.  Alex's birthday was May 15th and the first date they had available was June 9th.  Lots of time to build excitement!

We are lucky to have several local nature centers, all of which are awesome.  We chose the bigger one because they have a nice party room and it's still less than $200 including the nature program and access to the exhibits.  Such a great deal!  Bonus - no 5 year old boys tearing up my house!

To bring in the TMNT theme, I bought some supplies on Oriental Trading Company and also some turtle themed crafts that I knew the girls would really like but the boys would totally ignore (I was right!).  I used a green table cloth I already had and added some of Alex's beloved TNMT action figures.

 Here's a "happy" customer...

The cupcakes were a bit of a splurge - super tasty and adorable!  Everyone loved them - especially the nature center volunteers (we gave them the leftovers).  They were made by Amanda at Esquire Confections in McLean in case you are looking.

Fun fact - I keep the candles for each year and try to use them for both kids.  The only exception was the first birthday candle (Elizabeth's was pink with flowers; No idea what Alex's was but not pink with flowers).

We started with a 30 minute nature program geared to silly 5 year olds - turtles and snakes.  All big hits.

Then we served some mini pizza bagels which were really popular and everyone ate some (including the adults)!  Then we ate those luscious cupcakes.

Alex and one of his many girlfriends...

Dang - they are cute together!

For the first time, we told guests not to bring gifts.  It was AWESOME.  Everybody was happy not to bring a gift although a few felt guilty.  My kids don't need a single thing and neither could think of things they wanted for their birthdays.  Elizabeth had kids bring family DVDs to her party to donate to a local battered women's shelter that takes in displace women with their kids.  

Each kid went home with a Magic Ink TNMT activity book - perfect for summer travels, pool breaks, or rainy afternoons!

All in all, this was one of the simplest, inexpensive parties I have ever had for either of my kids.  Everyone had fun, especially Alex which is the most important thing - of course!

I'm now addicted to having parties at fun locations.  A little more work at the front end makes the party so much more enjoyable.  I didn't do a post about Elizabeth's rock climbing birthday but if you have a sporty 8-year old girl - take her rock climbing.  She'll LOVE it!

Party: Backyard Movie Night

We threw a neighborhood movie night in our backyard on Saturday night.  Yes, outside.  Yes, it was soooo much fun.  The weather was dry and cool - just like fall should be. Everyone bundled up in their blankets and sleeping bags to enjoy the evening. I may have had more fun than the kids!!  Honestly, it was probably one of the easier parties we have ever thrown in terms of food but the technical set up was the hardest part the first time around.  Next time (and there will be a next time), it will be super easy because we'll know what to do.

Here's the set-up a few hours before showtime.

We borrowed a projector from my office which hails from an era when you had to bring your own projector for presentations.  Laptops also weighed 10 lbs so fortunately those days are gone and fortunately my office had one gathering dust in a storage room.  I think you can rent these from some office supplies stores or you can buy your own for less than $400.  It is similar to this but much, much older.  It still worked well.  We hooked it up to an old table top stereo Handy Hubby uses in his workshop and added an extra set of speakers and a subwoofer compliments of one of generous neighbors.  

The screen was a queen size sheet that we hung from the garage gutter with some clamps.  Handy Hubby clamped a lightweight piece of wood across the bottom and then steamed the sheet to take out more of the wrinkles (after this picture was taken - it was too dark by then!). 

We used plastic toy cones to warn people about the wires.  The speakers above are sitting on Little League T's with a homemade speaker stand attachment compliments of Handy Hubby!

We set up a movie theater style snack bar complete with four types of popcorn from Trader Joe's and array of movie theater candy - M&Ms, Twizzlers, Dots, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and Junior Mints (my personal fav).  In a bid to the season, I added some candy corn mix in a bowl.

Much to Handy Hubby's chagrin I made a late attempt to add signage. I think he was hoping for a sign free party :)  Here is the party table before I poured the popcorn in the bowls. I was worried that birds would try to eat it before everyone arrived!

I found these popcorn containers at a yard sale last week - perfect timing!  I bought four for a dollar.  They added the perfect flare for the table.  

The kids settled themselves in to watch a double feature.

We started with the Berenstein Bears Trick or Treat at 7:15 and then "Big" with Tom Hanks at about 7:40 when it was really dark. Some families with very young kids went home after the first flick, but many remained through most of Big.  Next time I think we'll show Shrek, or something along those lines.

Best part for the parents may have been that beer was readily available... and of course the piano playing scene in FAO Schwartz!

The kids had a blast and every last piece of popcorn and candy was devoured!!  

Probably one of the best parties we have ever thrown - probably because I was able to fully enjoy it.  The only thing I did during the movie was refill the popcorn bowls a few times!  We love our neighborhood and we are so happy to be able to throw fun little parties like this which make everyone want to never leave!!

Heating up the BBQ! Summer Entertaining Essentials

Although most people have probably already hosted at least one summer BBQ (I think we're on #10 or something!), I thought I would give a quick rundown of my summer BBQ serving essentials.  Most stores have all of their summer stuff on clearance, so now is a great time to stock up for the rest of this summer and many summers in the future.

All of my outdoor duty pieces are plastic of some sort for the durability.  I replaced most of my pieces this year after 7 or 8 years with the last set.  I bought more neutral pieces this time because I feel they'll have more longevity.  I found most of these pieces at HomeGoods fairly early in the season when everything was "full" price but they had a good selection. 

Here are some of my other favorite pieces.

Here's quick rundown of what's in the picture above - 

1. Large white melamine tray - an absolute essential for carrying condiments, plates, silverware, etc. from inside the house to the screen porch, patio, or grill. (HomeGoods)
2. Plastic plates (8) - much greener than disposable plates, more durable (holds a lot of corn on the cob) (Target)  -  Note:  I actually have 10 other plastic plates for larger parties.  I use recyclable disposable plates if we have more than 20 guests - my dishwasher isn't big enough!
3. Large bowls (3) - great for 10 lbs of potato salad, green salads, or bags of chips. (HomeGoods)
4. Small bowls (2) - perfect for dips, goldfish crackers for the kiddies, or condiments and sauces. (HomeGoods)
5. Platters (2) - serve up burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, or brownies. (Christmas Tree Shops - eons ago!)
6. Ice bucket - critical for cold drinks on hot days! (Target)
7. Other interesting pieces - the divided dish pictured above works really well for crackers, cheese, condiments, etc.; the elongated bowl platter holds chips, watermelon slices, or a huge pile of cookies! (HomeGoods)
8. Serving utensils (pictured below) - Not a necessity for outside but really fun and I even use them inside sometimes.  

 

I also have an assortment of boring clear plastic cups, margarita glasses, and pitchers which are great to have on hand but not very fun to photograph!

What are your favorite outdoor serving pieces?

FREEography: Britt Neal CD Giveaway!

As your summer parties get into full swing, get some new soulful tunes from one of my favorite artists, Britt Neal, to get you through any party - whether it's a big 4th of July BBQ, neighborhood block party, or quiet evening on the screen porch with good friends.  If you are in Virginia or North Carolina, check her out in concert this summer during her Red, Blonde and Blues Summer Tour with the Kirsten Thien Band. We're looking forward to checking out the show at St. Elmo's on July 7th!  Click here for the full schedule.

This week's FREE GIVEAWAY is two fantastic Britt Neal CDs.  That's right - 2 winners!  

P.S.  If you just cannot wait, you can download her stuff on iTunes and lots of other places right now. 

Rules, Rules, Rules

TO ENTER, submit a comment below and type "BRITT ME!"  For fun, you can also tell us about your 4th of July or other summer BBQ plans!  Be sure you sign in before leaving the comment or leave your email address in your comment so we can contact you if, and only if, you win.

The contest ends on Monday, June 28th at 11:59 p.m. ET.  One entry per email address.  The winner will be chosen randomly using random.org.  Must be a US resident at least 18 years of age with a mailing address in the lower 48 states.  Winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 29th.  Good luck!

And the Winner is... (and a special offer!)

This week's FREEography giveaway winner is Veronica Garrett of Georgia!  Congratulations!  We hope you enjoy these appetizer picks and they come in handy over the 4th of July weekend.

Still want to get your hands on a set of those picks or some great jewelry to get ready for summer weddings and parties?  Carol Shogren at H&A Designs is offering a special discount code for HOUSEography readers - 25% off!!  Get ready - it's a long one:  49F6237EDE-8A2BE7A202

Here are some of the other great pieces currently available on her site. 

Carol also does amazing custom jewelry and has come through for me on more than one occasion!  Send her a message through Artfire and let her know what you are looking for.  You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Check back soon for our next FREEography!

Images courtesy of H&A Designs

Last Chance to Enter to Win the Party Picks from H&A Designs!

Just a reminder that this is your last chance to enter to win these incredible party picks from H&A Designs.

Get ready for the 4th of July or other summer events with these adorable picks! 

To enter and see all the details click here.  All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET tomorrow, Monday, June 14th.

Images courtesy of H&A Designs. 

Island Party!

When we designed our new kitchen as part of our renovation, a kitchen island was an absolute must for me.  I grew up sitting at my mom's kitchen island and wanted the same for our kids.  Happily we were able to make it work in our new kitchen.  The kitchen island is the center for any gathering in our house - whether it's 6 people or 100 people.  (Speaking of entertaining, don't forget to register for this week's giveaway!)

When we were designing our kitchen, I was dead set on an island because I wanted the great flow it provides and no one gets "trapped" as can happen in L or U shaped counter configurations.  We also opted for a standard counter height for the entire top.  Adding larger than normal fixtures, seems to make the whole thing more impressive.

But, this island is not just a pretty face - it's a workhorse.  In our overall kitchen design, I wanted as many drawers in the bottom cabinets as possible.  On the bottom, we have 4 regular cabinets and 9 drawers, plus our trash can and a corner lazy susan.  Drawers in the base cabinets instead of standard cabinets were the best thing we did in our kitchen.  They hold everything from pans to towels without an issue. 

You always have to have room for tall things so we added one cabinet with only one small shelf on the top.  On the bottom, it holds cookie sheets and cutting boards - even our huge cutting board that we only bring out once in a while!

Finally, the end cabinet holds my cookbook collection.  It's so handy to have it right there - easy to grab my favorites whenever I need them.

 

As you prepare for your 4th of July gatherings around your kitchen island, don't forget to register for this week's giveaway from H&A Designs!

FREE-ography! Beaded Stainless Party Picks from H&A Designs!

A landmark day here at HOUSEography with our first FREE GIVEAWAY!  Hopefully it will be the first of many over the coming months.  It's only fitting to keep up the summer party theme as everyone begins their 4th of July preparations!

We are giving away an adorable set of 8 STAINLESS STEEL PARTY PICKS courtesy of Carol Shogren at H&A Designs... great for drink garnishes or appetizers, or just looking cute hanging out in a glass vase on your kitchen counter ready for an olive or piece of fruit! 

They feature 8mm Swarovski crystal beads with a combination of red and blue acrylic stars, clear czech glass stars, red, blue, and white swarovski crystals, and blue Czech glass round beads.  Environmentally friendly - hand wash them and use them over and over!!  Fun for any occasion, but these red, white, and blue picks are especially perfect for the 4th of July party you are hosting, or attending - a great hostess gift!! 

Here are all of the ways to see more incredible jewelry and housewares from Carol Shogren of H&A Designs: Etsy, Artfire, Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook to hear about her awesome coupons.  Thanks Carol for sponsoring our first HOUSEography giveaway!

Rules

TO ENTER, submit a comment below and type "PICK ME!"  For fun, you can also tell us your favorite food to make or eat on the 4th of July!  Be sure you sign in before leaving the comment or leave your email address in your comment.

The contest ends on Monday, June 14th at 11:59 p.m. ET.  One entry per email address.  The winner will be chosen randomly using random.org.  Must be a US resident at least 18 years of age with a mailing address in the lower 48 states.  Winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 15th.  Good luck!