I have gathered a few simple party ideas that might come in handy when putting together a birthday party or other special celebrations.
Balloon cake topper idea came from Martha Stewart Living . Take a simple cake and top it with mini balloons tied to wooden skewers.
.
Colorful confetti made from tissue papers. {diy here}
.Audrey from This Little Street made these adorable gift bags for her daughter’s 2nd birthday party using brown paper bags, tags, twine and felt balls.
To the beach! With a bucket in one hand and a shovel in the other, my kids are ready to have fun in the sand {if and when they get there}. Their buckets were always full of treasures by the time we left the beach. I created these simple illustrations of the sea life and things often found along the Pacific Northwest beaches. Fun and whimsical drawings to be used on a beach scavenger hunt and/or as a fun print to display and remind you of the trip.
{free printable Here … beach scavenger hunt list}
.
A Trip to the ocean is our family annual summer vacation. Great family time to enjoy a little bit of beach living, the sand, the ocean, salty air and relaxation. Last year we skipped it and headed to the mountains instead. I was a little surprised at how much they are craving the ocean. For the past few months the question kept popping up as to when we will be going? Sometimes in life we take things for granted and realized how much we miss it when it’s not there.
.
The Pacific Northwest beaches tends to be cooler in temperature with clouds and wind. There are rare occasions on our visits when the temperature hits the high 80s°F, blue sky and it felt like we were on a tropical island, and then at other times the rain, hail and a lot of wind. No matter what the weather may be, we have not been disappointed. Our kids are looking forward to the next beach vacation!
{we’ll be updating our Facebook page with new pictures when we get back from the trip}
.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Hannah(L) and Grace(R) from many years ago. The curiosity and the excitement of finding treasures along the beach and sharing them.
.
Share with us your family’s favorite vacation spot?
Sometimes the little things can make a statement without being too showy like these mini paper garlands. Simply attach them to the shelves, walls and other empty spaces/areas to bring out a festive and fun look.
.
Another idea is to use paper garlands on packages.
.
Simple and easy craft project to make and fun to use.
Cut the embroidery floss to the desired length. Punch out the circles and fold them in half. Apply glue to the back side of the circle and run the embroidery floss along the inside folded line. Press the two halves firmly together. The 1/2 circles should be about 3/4 to 1 inch apart from each other. Repeat the steps.
Instead of a Father’s Day card this year, why not give him a personalized mini bulletin board. Take a basic 81/2″ by 11″ card stock paper and print the Father’s Day template {HERE} and fill it with special messages and pictures to give Dad.
.
Here are the finished mini bulletin boards my kids made for Father’s Day.
Yes, make your own “Pin it” button. Another way to add a personal touch to your Website. When a viewer hovers over an image, it will change slightly and a “Pin It” button appears {i.e. near the top right corner}. I have tried a few other Plugins and attempted to change the codes on the others before I discovered this plugin by Marcin Skrzpiez for WordPress. It was surprisingly easy to install and customize. Follow the next few steps and a new custom “Pin it” button will be up and running.
.
Steps to install the plugin {WordPress.org}
Go to your WordPress Dashboard > ①Plugins > ②Add New > ③type the following name in Search field, “jQuery Pin it Button For Images” by Marcin Skrzpiec> ④Click Install and Activate the plugin > Refresh your website to see the new “Pin it” button > Done {if you don’t want to customize the “Pin it” button}.
.
Steps to Customize the “Pin it” button & More …
Go to your WordPress Dashboard > ⑤Settings > ⑥JQuery Pin it Button For Images > ⑦check the box, “Use custom image” > ⑧click “Upload an image using media library”.
.
⑨select an image from Media Library or Upload Files from your computer {to be stored in your Media Library}> ⑩click the button “Use as ‘Pin it’ button” > ⑪Save Changes > Refresh computer screen > Done.
.
Have fun trying out the other options in Settings {i.e. where to place the “Pin it” button, transparency of the image when you hover over it and when to disable the button}.
.
Custom “Pin it” Buttons
Try one of these simple “Pin it” buttons I created for you to use. They are free, just grab it and store the image on your computer then upload it to your website (step ⑧).