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Christmas Camp with Grandma

Every year on the first Saturday of December I host a Grandma Camp. It is a jam packed day from 8am to 8pm entertaining my little sweet peas. We play games, do crafts, and eat all day. It’s an amazing time filled with fun cousin bonding. We call it Christmas Camp.

I wanted to share this year’s Christmas Camp schedule with you along with food and crafts examples. Here are simple ideas on how you can host your own Christmas themed event. For more tips, read my post on How to Run A Successful Grandma Camp here.

Invitation to Set Up Theme

Grandma Camp Invitation

My invitation to Christmas Camp this year was a simple Christmas Card addressed to the campers. I always send invitations the week of my camp. This helps the little ones begin to get excited about the weekend event without having to wait too long for the day to arrive.

Christmas Camp Schedule

I make a schedule for all of my camps to help me plan and prepare for the day. Here is what my Christmas Camp Schedule looked like:

  • 8:00-8:30 Arrive at Camp. Decorate Take-Home Buckets
  • 8:30-9:00 Reindeer Pancakes
  • 9:00-9:30 Ornament Crafts & Bird Feeders
  • 9:30-10:15 Reindeer Games
  • 10:15-10:30 Candy Cane Hunt & Hand Bird Feeders
  • 10:30-11:00 Free time while Grandma prepares lunch
  • 11:00-11:45 Lunch and Clean up
  • 11:45-12:15 Photo Shoot
  • 12:15-1:00 Play dough fun with Christmas cookie cutters
  • 1:00-3:00 Chill Zone
  • 3:00-3:30 Snack time
  • 3:30-4:30 Free time
  • 4:30-5:15 Hang Christmas Lights on ‘Gingerbread House’
  • 5:15-6:00 Karaoke & Dance Party
  • 6:00-6:45 Dinner
  • 6:45-7:15 Christmas Lights Walk
  • 7:15-7:30 Jammies and Brush Teeth
  • 7:30-8:00 How the Grinch Stole Christmas
  • 8:00 Parent Pick-Up

Activity Breakdown

I had buckets ready for each child to decorate with Christmas stickers as soon as they arrived. This is where they kept all of their projects and treats when completed. It is a great way to keep things organized. Remember to send home with them at end of night.

Breakfast to Get the Fun Started

Reindeer Pancakes

Next we had reindeer pancakes for breakfast. It is always fun having some of your food geared around the theme.

Crafts & Service Projects

We do simple Bird Feeders and crafts during our day. I made sure to include craft ideas that were easy enough for the small ones. My ornament ideas and crafts worked on skills such as working with glue and using scissors. This is a great way to work on fine motor development. To ensure that I am not wasting time searching for supplies, I always prep my activities. I precut for the smaller kiddos to guarantee that I am ready for each activity. Here are some more Christmas ornament ideas for kids.

  • Bird Feeders
  • Service Project

It is ok to skip things that you have put on your schedule. You may need to allow for longer engagement on an activity that they are enjoying. I like to plan extra activities that I can easily fit in as well. Some of the kids finish sooner than others and may like something else to do. Being flexible, but organized is key for a fun day.

Themed Activities

We also had a candy can hunt, played board and cards games, colored, had a photo shoot, and watched a Christmas movie. Try this Winter Bingo Printable Game.

More Food Fun

Lunch and Dinner were not Christmas themed foods. It was more important to make meals that I knew my sweet peas would eat. I didn’t want to have hungry campers due to picky eaters.

Our snack later in the evening was a fun treat that did go with the theme. Here is the recipe for The Grinch Muddy Buddies snacks that we devoured during our movie.

Chill Zone

I planned “chill zone” time into our day. Some of my campers still require naps, and the older ones like to have some peace and quiet for a scheduled amount of time. This asured that I didn’t have any grinches ruining the day.

Christmas Lights

Sweet Pea’s “house”decorated with Christmas lights.

Earlier in the day, I took out all of my extra Christmas lights, gaudy garland, Christmas decorations and bows. I locate an empty cardboard refrigerator box to set up in the family room. The sweet peas went to town decorating their own “gingerbread house”.

After dinner, we bundled up and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. The grandbabies loved seeing all of the beautiful Christmas lights.

End of a Magical Day

Christmas Camp

About 30 minutes before mommies and daddies arrived, we got on our jammies and brushed our teeth. We put pillows and blankets into our “house” and snuggled in for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.

I sat back and relaxed with a warm cup of hot chocolate, reflecting on my fun day with my sweet grandbabies. I hope this gives you some great ideas on how you can host your own Christmas Grandma Camp. Send me some pictures and comments when you do! 🧡 ~Susie Pea

Here are some more fun ideas that I do with my sweet peas. Mud Kitchens, Geocaching with Kids, & Easy Animal Habitats to Make with Kids. And just added, Family Traditions that Bind Us.

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Mud Kitchen Ideas

Ahhh, to be young again! I remember living in the concrete world of the city. Our Backyard was a tiny area with a little bit of dirt. About the size of your kitchen sink. But I loved to play in that dirt. Play with the bugs and ants that inhabited that space. (I made my little sister eat an ant one time before I would allow her to play with me. Sorry Melissa!) Add water to make mud pies and concoctions. Throw in some dandelions and clover ‘pickles’. Precious memories of childhood.

So naturally, when my grandchildren were big enough to play in the mud without ‘really’ eating it, I jumped at the opportunity to throw a mud kitchen together.

I wasn’t as keen on the idea with my own kids. This meant more messes than I had time to clean up. In those days, I don’t think I ever saw the bottom of my laundry baskets. Of course I wasn’t going to allow an opportunity to add to my chores unless it was unintentional. Now I know that the laundry didn’t matter. That my house would never be clean until they were grown and gone raising families of their own. What I would do to get those days back. Momma’s, take the time to do this with your kids now!

Gather your Supplies

Rob your cabinets of any extras that you were already considering donating anyway. Or you can go to thrift stores and find some great kitchen utensils and pots for next to nothing. Use an old laundry basket to store your mud kitchen supplies in for easy transport and to allow air drying after you rinse toys and kids off. Here is a list of supply ideas for your mud kitchen.

  • pots and pans
  • small bowls – can be plastic, wooden, or stainless steel
  • spoons
  • watering cans
  • pinecones, grass clippings, flowers, leaves, sticks, rocks, and DIRT

Make some play food out of rocks. Paint food images on rocks and seal with clear fingernail polish. Check out Munchkins and Moms post for the How-to’s.

Food Ideas for Mud Kitchen @indulgy.com

Mud Kitchen Design Ideas

My mud kitchen was an old hand me down Little Tykes picnic table. I placed it under a shade tree so it was perfect for an afternoon of messy fun. It was an easy clean up with some squirts of water from the hose and bubbles. (For the little guys too!)

There are tons of neat ideas on Pinterest for setting up your own muddy mayhem. Take a look at my Mud Kitchen board while you are there. Below are some nifty pictures of mud kitchens for a few quick ideas.

Your kitchen can be as simple as a tree stump to pat out mud pies. Or an over the top, fully stocked play area including running water. It’s up to you. No matter what you put together your little pigpens will love playing in the mud! Have fun and GET DIRTY! ~ Susie Pea

Here are some more fun things to do with your littles. Easy Animal Habitats to make with Kids, Christmas Camp, & Geocaching with Kids. And check out Fun with Kids at the St. Louis County Libraries. I pack Snackle Boxes when we are going out on the town for playdates too. Check those out here. Amazing Bean Box Fun! is another great fine motor activity.

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Breakfast At Tiffany’s Bridal Shower

My oldest daughter, Brooke absolutely loves Breakfast at Tiffany’s! So when it was time for her bridal shower, we knew that she would love a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridal Shower.

Hand me my purse, darling. A girl can’t read this sort of thing without her lipstick. – Holly Golightly

Setting the Stage

The venue was decorated with pearls, boas, and tiffany blue packages everywhere. Black & white wedding photos of all the happily married guests adorned each table. Specially made wedding cake cookies baked with Brooke’s great-grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe were arranged at each place setting. There was a photo booth, Tiffany Blue Martinis, diamond shaped crystals, and of course candy cigarettes. No detail was too small. The party was as lovely as Brooke is!

Dress the Part

Because this party was a surprise for our Bride-to-Be, we asked each guest to wear black along with their favorite pearls. We had a tiara, pearls, and black gloves for our guest of honor to put on to help set the stage for our Breakfast at Tiffany’s event.

Elegant Food

We served a four course menu, basically running around like crazy people because we did it ourselves. It turned out amazing and everyone enjoyed the fine food at our Breakfast at Tiffany’s party. No one realized how wild it was back in the venue kitchen! (My suggestion would be buffet style or catering staff instead).

Photo Booth Fun

The photo booth was a hit! Everyone enjoyed dressing up with all of the fun props. We had the pictures developed in black & white and Brooke sent copies of the prints with her Thank You cards.

Games

We played Bingo (this is a gambling family so BINGO was our safest game to play), and Brooke opened her gifts.

It was a wonderful time celebrating such a beautiful bride. What was your favorite Bridal Shower event that you attended/hosted? ~ Susie Pea

Check out Becki’s Last Swing Before the Ring Bachelorette Party here. You can also find My Favorite Party Planning Tips here. And Unique Party Ideas for Her here.

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Surprise 50th – Cheers to 50 Years!

For the hubby’s 50th surprise party, I arranged a daytime party away from home. It was a 3 phase shindig, so I enlisted several people to help me pull it off.

Soulard Market

First, I planned a morning of shopping at Jason’s favorite farmer’s market. We have spent many a Saturday morning at Soulard Market in downtown St. Louis. Prices and selection are amazing and they have great Bloody Mary’s! This is something that Jason loves to do so it was the perfect starting point in the set up for his birthday surprise.

St. Louis Bar Cycle

Halfway thru our shopping stroll, we took a seat at one of the outdoor patios. When down the street came this bicycle bar with blaring music and about 14 familiar faces peddling it. SURPRISE! …and so the party begins!!

Jason was so excited! We jumped on the Bar Cycle and pedaled all over the Soulard neighborhood bar hopping. Along the way, we stopped at several bars for shots and fun. We made it all the way to Anheuser Busch Brewery, but by then we were exhausted from pedaling. Lucky for us, our bar cycle had a motor. (Our guide didn’t tell us this until then.) Of course we decided to relax and kick back the rest of the trip.

More Surprise Party Fun at McGuirk’s

We jumped on the barcycle and bar hopped around town until reaching our final destination where a crowd of partygoers gathered outside of McGuirk’s and cheered us on as we made our way there. We finished out the afternoon with even more of Jason’s family and friends in a party room filled with balloons and appetizers and a special beer mug cake made by Brookie Cakes. It was great not having to clean up after everyone!

This was a unique and fun party that I’m sure all that attended will be talking about for years to come. The St. Louis Bar Cycle Company was so easy to work with. Our guide was a blast! I definitely recommend trying this sometime.

Here are some more Great Party Ideas for Him. and some of My Favorite Party Planning Tips. Find some gift ideas for him here. Tell me about some fun parties that you have had. ~ Susie Pea

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My Journey with Keto – Finding Myself

Susie Pea

Food has been an accurate representation of me it feels like for my whole life. I celebrate with food. I use food when I am stressed. When I am sad I eat. When I am happy, I eat some more. I love food. And I hate food. I have issues with food. Therefore I am out of control. I can’t do this to my family, my body, my self anymore! And so my JOURNEY begins.

Struggling

At 50 years old, I topped the scale at 220 pounds. I couldn’t believe it. I was unhappy with myself. So unhappy that I ate even more to try and make myself happy. I was struggling. I was depressed.

It was a hard year for me. I lost my home of 23 years to a devastating flood. My dad was dying. My children had married and moved out or went away to college. Jason and I were empty nesters. Everything that I loved, my dad, my home, my children were all slipping away. All reasons for me to allow my bingeing life style to take hold.

Bingeing

I didn’t know what a binge eater was. When my doctor diagnosed me, I thought she was crazy. I disagreed with her. A binge eater? I wasn’t hiding it – I thought. I ate when I wanted to, which was all the time, and didn’t care if anyone saw me. But, maybe I did eat a little more when no one was around. That was because no one was around, not because I was hiding it, right? (10 Signs of Emotional Eating.)

Even though I disagreed with my doctor about my eating disorder, I knew that I needed to lose weight. She told me at that same visit that I was obese, borderline morbid obese. I let her know that no one has ever said that to me before. I was shocked that she did. Denial. – She was right. I was bingeing. I was out of control and my health was paying for it. Read my post Bingeing – The Struggle is Real here.

Starving

Back on the yo-yo diet, I worked HARD to control my eating. I was literally starving myself. I even passed out at a public event and went to the hospital by ambulance. Dehydrated. What was I doing to myself? This could not be the answer.

I lost 20 pounds in 2 1/2 years. During that time, we lost my dad. And I lost what little unhealthy control I had. I began to binge. My weight began to come back.

Keto Journey!

In April 2018 something clicked. No more gaining. I could barely fit into my jeans. Unhappy again. This crazy new KETO way of eating looked too good to be true. There were tons of pictures of people dropping weight and fast. Something had to be done. I had to try.

I began following some Keto dieters on Instagram and tried to eat what they were eating. It was hard though, because everyone was saying that the Keto journey is different for everyone. Find your own macros. Intermittent fast. Do this. Don’t do that. I was scouring YouTube channels and social media for information. I searched for recipes on Pinterest. In the end I just kind of winged it. Even with all of my confusion – it was working! I was doing something right.

Month after month, the weight was coming off. As the pounds were dropping, I realized that being in control of what I was putting into my body made me happy. Being in control of my way of eating made me feel good inside. Therefore, I kept going. In just 8 months on Keto I lost 60 pounds (80 pounds total – WOW!!). My bingeing is under control. I no longer feel that I am starving or dieting. I have a new view of eating. It is a lifestyle that I choose for myself. A lifestyle that is easy and sustainable. I feel amazing. My energy level is way up. I am strong.

Somewhere Along the Way I Found Myself

Something else happened along the way. I found myself. I have learned that I am a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, grandma, and friend when I put my health and happiness higher up there on my list of important things. Taking care of myself allows me to take better care of others. I am truly the best me that I can be. I am enjoying growing ‘old’ on this journey. These are the good old days! ~Susie Pea

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Find my recipe on Banana Walnut Egg Loaf here. And Keto Cake & Cake Pops here.

Hey friends! With so much information out there flying around about the KETO way of eating, I wanted to help make it easier by offering you my Free Keto Menu Week 1. This will show you what I eat in a typical week for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner and include snack ideas. Keto Menu Week 2. Keto Menu Week 3. Keto Diet Don’ts. Happy keto-ing!

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DIY Lake House Wall Décor for Pennies

Jason and I took the plunge and bought a condo at the lake a little over a year ago. Even though most of the properties that are sold at the lake come turn key, I still wanted to make our new place “mine”.

Here are some DIY projects that gave our lake house an extra dose of loveliness – Susie Pea style. They were so simple and inexpensive, and didn’t take much time at all.

DIY Lakehouse Sign

I made this handsome sign to hang over the front door at the condo. It is a great way to direct our friends and family to the right place when they come to visit. I love the black and white colors. It sets the stage for the décor of the entire condo.

Now you remember how frugal I am… Home Depot has an area that they house discount wood boards that are warped or damaged for 70% off. What a deal! I dug through the pile and found the perfect width for my sign. I had an associate cut the appropriate length for me. They will do this for free for any project as long as it is a straight cut.

With some leftover paint that I had around the house, I painted the board solid black.

I have a friend that cuts vinyl things for me at a great price. I had her print out my words for the sign in white vinyl. I added my vinyl to my sign and eyeballed it. You can use a ruler to find center board and make marks to ensure level placement for larger projects. But because this one was so small and simple I was able to line it up with out doing all of that.

I then sprayed polyurethane over the top of my finished sign to help it survive Missouri weather.

The board was $1.60. The vinyl lettering was $5. Such a simple project and cost me only $6.60. I love the way that it turned out!

DIY Fishing Lure Prints

I looked all over for the perfect pictures to hang in the bathroom at the condo. Something black-and-white that related to the Lake would be amazing. I just couldn’t find what I wanted so I decided to make my own artwork.

There were prints on the internet that I thought would look great. I got two black picture frames with white matting from Walmart for $5 each. Perfect and inexpensive.

DIY Whale Wall Art

While scrolling for miles and miles on Pinterest for ideas for the condo, I came across the cutest whale picture. I knew I wanted to add him to my wall art somehow. He would be the perfect touch. See my Pinterest board on Lake Décor here. It has a ton of great Ideas on how to decorate a unique Lake House.

To make this guy, I got a piece of precut 1/4″ hardboard plywood (think luan flooring) from Home Depot. I free hand drew my whale onto the board with a pencil. After I was happy with the design, I used a jigsaw to cut the shape out of the wood. Then I sanded the sides to make sure I didn’t have any rough edges. With some left over black and gray paint, I painted the whale board. To hang on the wall I put Velcro command strips on the back of my whale and pressed onto the wall. It adds to the nautical feel of that room.

Black and White Prints


The day we closed on the condo was such a relief. Buying a condo is way different than buying a house. Who knew all of the association insurances and rules would be such a complicated pain! We got the keys and CELEBRATED! I enlarged black-and-white prints of pictures taken that day. These darling DIY prints definitely show our feelings at that moment. Jason with a thumbs up on the dock, and me relaxing in the cabana!

I found two picture frames from Pottery Barn Outlet that were 90% off of the damaged cart. (I also got a large 24″ x 36″ chalkboard from the damaged cart for $4.60 that looks great on a different wall.) The frames were in pretty good shape and the roughed up edges only enhanced their charm. Easy Peasy!

For fun, I had black and white prints made of family and friends visiting the lake with us. I started a collage on the door of the deck that I will add to each year as we make more memories with the people we love. It has already become a fun hangout for guests to check out.

Lake House Coordinate Sign

Back to the 70% off cart at home depot. There was a 1 x 4 x 10 that looked almost perfect. The associate cut off the 6 or so inches that were damaged. I painted the board white with the some leftover paint. I found the coordinates for the condo online here. To put the design onto my board, I used some stencils and gray acrylic craft paint . I lightly sanded my sign to make it look distressed. I love the way it looks and it only cost $2 for this DIY project.

Large Distressed Deck Sign

I searched for a large piece of wood for this project. I wanted it to be big enough to mock an old lakefront fishing /gas one stop store that you find on the water.

I got an 1x8x12 board from the 70% off cart and had my “crew” (can I call them that now after so many projects?) take off any undesirable inches. The whole board was painted two different shades of gray with some white streaked in here and there. @lovegrowswild.com has an easy post on how to distress signs. I used a layered technique of lightly coating the board with back and forth horizontal swipes.

After the paint dried, I printed large block letters and taped the pieces of paper together to make a large template. I then took a pencil and chalked the back of the template where all of the letters were. I place the stencil over the top of the board and traced the letters. When I lifted the template you could see a light pencil marking on my piece of wood. I filled in the markings with a darker gray paint. After it dried, I lightly sanded the entire project for a distressed look. I sprayed polyurethane to protect from weather. This simple and inexpensive guy hangs above the sliders on our deck and looks great.

Random Art

For multiple DIY signs, I went to Michael’s and used 50% coupon to buy different sized canvases. I painted them a light coat of off white paint. I searched Pinterest and found a few great sayings that I liked and added them to the canvases. If you want a more professional feel, you can have your silhouette friend print you the vinyl or even a stencil. Or make your own DIY by the tracing technique I used with the deck sign.

I hung all of my canvas artwork with command strips. It is a great way to be able to move my art where I want and not have to worry about patching any holes later. Jason hung my heavier signs with screws to secure.

These fun and simple projects helped me to feel like I have left my mark on our home away from home. It is such a great feeling doing projects like this myself. Plus I love saving money!! ~ Susie Pea

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do? Let me know in the comments below. If you like DIY’s, check out my post on DIY Chalk board here. And my DIY Burlap Wreath here. And I just added my Easy and Quick DIY T-Shirt Blanket.

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Inspiring Me with The Happy Planner

My Happy Planner

Calendars have always been my best friend. You know, the kind with 30 plus boxes that I would scribble doctor appointments, meetings, birthdates, and date nights in. Those boring, plain pages of my year have worked ok for my entire adult life. My 2019 is going to be different. I got a HAPPY PLANNER to log those usual important dates AND to help me manage this thing called life. This montage of months is inspiring me to add my dreams and goals too. (Check out my post on ‘Goal Jeans‘. My planner helps keeps me on track with my weight loss journey too!)

I am just learning about all of the themes, stickers and pretties that everyone adds to this diary of a planner. I’m excited to add my own touch to this montage and see what it becomes in 365 days!

My HAPPY PLANNER

Inspiring Me with Pinterest Ideas for Planning

To help me get started, I turned to Pinterest. I created my own Happy Planner Board and started pinning to my hearts content. @crazybusyhappylife has an excellent post 10 Tips For Using A Planner For Maximum Productivity. I found some interesting ideas from her post that I am planning on implementing into my new calendar. On my Pinterest board, I have added informational post after inspirational post of how to organize your planner. These are amazing guides to organizing your Happy Planner for sure!


@eslamoda.com has some darling ideas to add to your planner. Check these out here.

Inspiring Me with Social Media Ideas for Planning

I joined a Happy Planner group on Facebook as well. I like to get ideas on this more personal level. It allows me to ask questions and make friends. Search Groups on Facebook and type in Happy Planner. There are tons of Ideas on Instagram too. Search for Happy Planner or check some #hashtags about calendars or planners and you can find literally hundreds of people to follow showing you their planners and how they personalize them.

What To Put In Your Planner

Here is a list of ideas to keep in your planner. You can add to the calendar, but also make a page just for these types of things. And decorate it up to your hearts content!

  • List of Daily To Do’s
  • Deadlines & Do Dates
  • Menu Planning
  • Grocery Lists
  • Health Tracker – Exercise, water, weight, menstrual cycle, symptoms
  • Pregnancy – dates, sizes, weight, moods, cravings
  • Wedding – appointments, venues, events, contacts
  • Mood Tracker
  • Appointments
  • Special Dates – Birthdays, anniversaries
  • School Activities
  • Journal – Gratitude, mood, special thoughts, relationships
  • Goals – Weight loss, exercise, healthy lifestyle, accomplishments
  • Milestones – Walking, talking, lost teeth

Online & Instore Supplies

Online and Instore ideas are everywhere. There are several local stores that have Happy Planner items and their own brand of calendar cuties as well. Hobby Lobby and Michael’s are great places to shop for pens, markers, washi tape, stickers, and stamps. Remember to shop the sales ads, or use your store coupon to get 40% off your supplies. Amazon has an amazing selection as well. What a great way to have everything sent right to your front door.

UPDATE: I have added birthdays and anniversaries to my calendar. I found some cute stickers that match my color scheme too. It is very relaxing, almost like coloring. Now it is so cute that I am having a hard time adding everyday, miscellaneous appointments to my planner. I’m afraid that it will take the darlingness away!! ~ Susie Pea

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Unique Party Ideas for Her

Now you know I love to throw a fun party, but when it comes to celebrating my ladies – I can go wild! It’s like makeup and new shoes – every girl wants them!! These great party ideas will get you well on your way to throwing an amazing bash.

So I thought it would be fun to put together some Unique Party Ideas for Her. Here are some themes that she will love. Read along to find some creative and fun ways to celebrate those special women in your life. I hope that you will find some great ideas to inspire you for your next get together celebrating the sistas!!

Grown Up PJ Party

Grown Up Pajama Party

@inspiredbythis.com has a great Grown Up Pajama Party themed evening planned. What an amazing idea to be ‘locked in’ with all of your tribe in some comfy PJ’S, with great food, and silly games. Remember when the sleepover was the best thing ever on the weekend. Getting a chance to do it all over again will make such great memories. Think of all of the fun games you used to play like Bloody Mary! You can rent movies, order pizza, drink wine, stay up all night catching up. And you don’t even really have to spend the night. But if you do, DONUTS for breakfast!!!

Italian Dinner Party Ideas

  • Authentic Italian Dinner Party
  • @pictureperfectmeals.com

Think of a dinner party set around her favorite Italian meal, wine, and Sinatra playing in the background. How lovely an evening would that be! Candlelight and decorations all set the mood for the evening of fun with all of her favorite people. Check out some more great ideas for this dinner party theme @jacolynmurphy.com.

A Champagne Brunch

A Champagne Brunch is a great party theme if you are planning an afternoon get together for the birthday girl or bride to be. The invitations and decorations can all be in this softer color pallet to keep the party simple and easy. Check out the Bubbly Bar at this shower @catchmyparty.com.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Here is another unusual idea for a shower or birthday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. What a great way to celebrate her in style. My oldest daughter had a Breakfast at Tiffany’s wedding shower. We asked the guests to dress in black and wear their pearls. We had candy cigarettes, black and white photo booth, and of course Tiffany Blue everything! Click here for more about our Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridal Shower.

Chopped Dinner Party Ideas

Host a Chopped at Home Dinner Party

A Chopped at Home Dinner Party is a great way to celebrate a birthday for her. She can show off her cooking skills and have fun at the same time. Here are some great ways to host a chopped party. Be sure to tell your guests to come hungry.

The Last Swing Before the Ring

Last Swing Before the Ring

Not everyone is a girlie girl. Some of us love sports just as much as he does. So for that lady in your group that would rather be watching the game than shopping (well maybe that’s a stretch but you get my point), here is a great Bachelorette party idea. The Last Swing Before the Ring. Meet up for a tailgate to get the party started and share gifts, then head out to the game for a great time celebrating the lucky lady. For more of our Last Swing Before the Ring bachelorette party click here.

Redneck Party

Redneck Party

Buzzfeed.com has amazing Redneck Party pictures that will inspire you to do some crazy things for a Redneck Party! I think this will be my next big bash! Who’s birthday is coming up?? There are tons of funny ideas here. Wear your mullet and brush your tooth for this one!

I hope that these ideas encourage you when planning your next party for your favorite people. If you liked this, check out my post on My Favorite Party Planning Tips. Let me know how it turns out. – Susie Pea

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Great Party Ideas for Him

One of my favorite things to do is host a great party. I especially like making sure that the get together is completely about the one I am celebrating. From food and drinks, decorations, and the cake, I want it to be all about the guest of honor. I want to embrace every aspect of the party and make it all about him.


Just because your guy isn’t a kid anymore doesn’t mean he wouldn’t love a party all about him. Here are some great ideas to get you headed in the right direction for an amazing party.

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While men don’t usually get into all of the excitement of putting the perfect party together, they still enjoy being the center of attention when the day arrives. And when they see the little touches that you included that showcase his personality, he will be impressed to say the least.

Murder Mystery Party

If a smaller gathering is what you are going for, here is a fun party idea. Invite a few adventurous friends that would like to “play” the part of an exciting murder mystery. There are games that you can buy that already come with invitations and scripts for each guest, or you can find some ideas for your own murder mystery online. Here is a great one from @nateandrachael.com.

Get everyone pumped up for the big night by starting with great invitations. Be sure to assign them a part for the night in the invitation. Request that they come dressed in character. Theme your decorations, foods, and cake around the mystery that you will be playing. With the perfect crew, this one is sure to be a great time!

Bar Cycle Party

St. Louis Bar Cycle

Have you ever seen a Bar Cycle? It is a party on wheels just waiting for you to peddle all over town. The bar cycle comes with a guest driver to help you plan your route stops, and keep you on schedule for your final destination. St. Louis Barcycle is a great company that travels all over the Soulard neighborhood. I did this party for my hubby’s 50th. We had an amazing time! Check it out here.

Super Hero Party

Super Hero Party

A fun Father’s Day party that I hosted for all of the Grandpas and Dads in our family was a Super Hero Party. @sippycupmom.com has a some cool ideas that you can use at your party. This party was so much fun and it made the day extra special for the kids too. It was an easy way to get together with all of the men in our life at once. With all of the wives and moms attending, there were more than enough hands to help with running the party.

Taco Bar

source @caferio.com

Men love food! So you could let the party be all about the food. How about a Taco Bar with Margaritas and Coronas? Perfect for that festive and easy event. Add same green and orange balloons and it’s a party! Or grill burgers, whip up some baked beans, add potato salad. Serve in aluminum pie tins with a bandana napkin – boom – western theme.

Whatever you choose to do, just remember that he is the reason for the get together so the food should be some of his favorites. It wouldn’t be fun for him if he didn’t like what you made.

Cigar Bar

source @cigarblog.tumbler.com

Another fun ideas would be to host a cigar bar. Serve whiskey and set up some charcutery boards and mini sandwiches for guests. You can have the matches printed with a special birthday wish for your guy.

Get Together For Favorite Sport

Football Themed Party from @catchmyparty.com

Put together a party around his favorite sport or sports team (or whatever hobby that he is into). Now just whip up some concession stand food and beer, hang some balloons and streamers in team colors, and there you have it.


If you are still not sure what to do for an amazing unforgettable party, ask yourself, “what does he like to watch on t.v.? Does he play video games? Is he a bowler? Or does he lift weights?” You can have a party about anything that is all him. And I know that he will love it!

I hope that these party themes have given you some good ideas on throwing a great event for your guy. As long as you put things all about him into your party planning he will be over the top happy with anything that you do. If you liked this, you might want to check out Great Gifts Ideas for Him – Give Him What He Really Wants!  or My Favorite Party Planning Tips.

Good luck! And let me know in the comments what you have done for awesome parties for your guy. Or send some pictures of how your get together turns out. – Susie Pea

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Boo

Brooke is a Kindergarten teacher turned Stay at Home Mom of her 4 littles. Here you will find posts from her that will relate to running an action packed home full of energizer bunnies. She will be sharing her tips and tricks on surviving a day as a SAHM (I am sure it includes coffee!). She is sure to entertain and enlighten us all.

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