Dolphin Birthday Party

My daughter, Karis,  fell in love with dolphins after watching the Dolphin Tale movies last year.  The day after her 5th birthday party she declared that for her 6th birthday she wanted to have a dolphin party.  This was so much fun to plan!  With the help of the dollar store and Michael’s,  I was able to create all of the under the sea decor for under $20.   I used paper lanterns cut in half and ribbon to make 3 jellyfish. Crepe paper in two shades of green worked perfectly as seaweed.  White balloons in various sizes and thumb tacked to the wall formed a line of bubbles.  The net held several stuffed dolphins that my kids had won years ago at Circus Circus in Reno, NV.  The hula hoop and blow up dolphin were the perfect addition.  For the dolphin garlands I used card stock in several shades of blue and gray.  I cut these dolphins out by hand and then sewed them with a regular needle and thread.  These hanging dolphin garlands created a dramatic entry into our underwater experience.  I reused some circle and square garlands left over from my son’s birthday party the previous year because they looked a bit like floating bubbles.  I love when I get to reuse decorations from past events!   I decided to do mini cupcakes and marshmallow pops for dessert, and to go along with our dolphin theme, I created mini dolphins out of Wilton’s bright white candy melts.  I used Celebration Sixlets as pearls and Wilton’s white sugar pearl sprinkles as bubbles on the marshmallow pops.  I lined my round of styrofoam with a blue and white polka dotted ribbon and pinned on a sparkly blue dolphin.  I also glued a blue dolphin to a flat toothpick to place on top of the cupcakes.

Because the party was in June, and because we have a pool, the main event for Karis’ party was swimming.  I found 2 huge blow up dolphins for the kids to swim with, and although my daughter was hoping she would get to swim with a real dolphin, she was pretty happy with her two dolphin friends.  The kids had a blast and my big 6 year old girl was all smiles!  As the party was coming to an end, I brought out a crate of bubbles with a “thank you for coming to my party” note attached to each.  I would have to say that Karis’ dolphin swim party was a huge success! #CommissionsEarned

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For more fun birthday party ideas check out some of my other blogposts:

Moana Birthday Party

Adopt a Pet (Beanie Boo Cats & Dogs) Birthday Party

Art Themed (Zoom) Birthday Party

Science Experiment Party

St. Patrick’s Day (Rainbow) Kabobs

I love creating fun experiences for my children.  We started this tradition about 3 years ago and my kids look forward to it every St. Patrick’s Day.  For “Rainbow Kabobs” you will need some fake gold coins from the dollar store (I couldn’t find coins, so I bought “gold metal necklaces” and pulled the ribbons off of them), fruit in the colors of the rainbow, mini marshmallows, gold wrapped candy (rolos), and some kabob sticks.  The first year we did this was the most fun.  I hid the rainbow of fruit and treats from my kids and sent them outside on a “treasure hunt.”  I told them to find all the gold coins that were hidden in the backyard.  Then I asked them where the pot of gold is usually found…at the end of the rainbow of course! I had them trade in their “pot of gold” and close their eyes.  Then I brought out their rainbow of yummy goodness as well as the marshmallow “cloud” and the edible “pot of gold.”  They absolutely loved making and eating these colorful kabobs!  Now, each year, they look forward to this simple tradition even though it is no longer a surprise.IMG_1882IMG_1869Version 2IMG_1892

Baby Shower Cake Pops

When my friend was pregnant with her second baby, I offered to host her shower and to make some desserts.  “Cake pops” was her main request.  Cake pops are so cute and yummy and perfect for any occasion.  For these baby pink pops I used a boxed white cake mix, vanilla buttercream frosting, pink Wilton’s candy melts, rainbow sprinkles, and white Celebration Sixlets.  To display the cake pops, I bought a circle of styrofoam from Michael’s and decorated it with a simple pink ribbon wrapped around the foam and secured with white straight pins.  Check back later for my tutorial on how to make cake pops.

 

Monogrammed Marshmallow Pops (Stirring Anniversary)

My husband is the Venue Manager at our church and occasionally he asks me to make a special dessert to pass out on a Sunday morning.  One year ago, we launched the Stirring Coffeehouse. First anniversary of the grand opening…now that’s something to celebrate!  200 marshmallow pops coming right up! For these pops, I used Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, Lollipop sticks, bright white Wilton’s candy melts for the “S” logos, dark cocoa Wilton’s candy melts, Nestle’s mini chocolate chips, a Wilton’s squeeze bottle, and wax paper.

Check out my marshmallow pop tutorials to learn the basics of how to make amazing marshmallow pops.

Valentine Marshmallow Pops

Trolls (Poppy & Branch) Marshmallow Pops

3 Simple St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Halloween Marshmallow Pops

To create the monogrammed letters, simply print out a template with the letter of your choice, in your preferred font.  You can copy and paste the same letter several times on one sheet, or spell out a name or word.  Place wax paper over the top of your template and tape the wax paper down.  Use Wilton’s Candy Melts in a squeeze bottle to trace the monogrammed letters onto the wax paper.  Let them set, carefully peel off, and place them onto your dipped mallow pops.

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