Rainbow Cake Pop Stand

My little Leprechaun’s and I had so much fun making the Cake Pops and then building the Rainbow Cake Pop stand. My son, Drake, wanted to make Cake Pops in every color of the rainbow. So, I figured out how to make a stand to showcase our hard work. My sons loved it. We made it for a St. Patrick’s Day Party, but it would be great for any kind of event!

Things You Will Need

The first set of supplies for the Rainbow Cake Pop Stand

-2 pieces of Flora Craft Foam 1 7/8 in X 11 7/8 in X 35 7/8 in (I didn’t need this much foam but when I bought it I wanted to make sure I had enough)

-Paint (non-toxic)- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple

-Either a Pencil or Markers (I used makers so I would know exactly where to paint but it’s not necessaery)

-Measuring Tape

-Sharp Knife or X-Acto Knife

-2 Kabob Sticks

-Tooth Picks

-Marshmallows

-Cake Pops

Directions

First I baked the Cake Pops (more about this in another blog post), I made the Cake Pops according to Bakerella’s basic Cake Pop recipe (www.bakerella.com).  The average cake pop size that I made was 1 1/4 inches, so I multiplied that by 6 (for each color) and got 7.5 inches.

Measuring The Rainbow Stripes Out

From the top of the center of the foam rectangle, I measured 7.5 inches from the top down marking each 1 1/4 inch so I would know where to paint the color. Then from different angles and positions I kept measuring to make sure the rainbow stripes were an even 1 1/4 inches each.

Measuring the Stripes From Different Angles

The Rainbow is all drawn out now, so It’s time to paint. You can just outline the rainbow in this step to save time and not draw it completely in like I did. I just wanted to make sure it was perfect.

Paint For The Rainbow Cake Stand

The Rainbow Cake Pop Stand all Painted

Rainbow Cake Stand Painte

Now that it’s all painted it’s time to put on the stand. Take the 2nd piece of foam and cut it so it is exactly the same size as the bottom of the rainbow. Then cut that piece in half.

Rainbow Cake Pop Stand

I broke kabob sticks in half and inserted them at an angle into the bottom piece of foam. Then I inserted the rainbow at a slight angle too. This is important because it ensures that the stand won’t topple over when the cake pops are inserted.

Adding Rainbow to Stand

Then I added marshmallows to look like clouds. I just stuck tooth picks all of the bottom of the stand so I could adjust the marshmallows to look like fluffy clouds.

Adding the Marshmallow Clouds

Once this is done you have to add the Cake Pops. Delicately grab the lollipop stick and push through the foam. Make sure that your cake pops are totally dry, and make some extras in case you break a couple in the process.

Delicately add the Cake PopsAnd this is the final product! Yay!

All done! Here is the Rainbow Cake Pop Stand on the food table!

Rainbow Stand on the Food Table

P.S. If you push a lollipop through the rainbow and then change your mind on it’s placement, do now worry. You can plug the hole bag up. Just stick some of the white foam back in and then touch up with paint.

St Patrick’s Day Fun!

I love St. Paddy’s Day. I grew up in a very Irish household. My nickname to this day, even though I am married, is still my maiden name “McGee.” I have very fond memories of St. Patrick’s Day. My Mom and Dad always went all out. Then again, they always went all out for every holiday. Wonder where I inherited my love of parties and having fun? It’s so important to me to instill my family’s love of life into my boys! I believe you should celebrate everything!

I love telling my boys the story about how at the end of every rainbow there is a leprechaun with a pot of gold. What better way to tell the story than create it on their bedroom doors?

This was a very simple project. I went to a party supply store and bought some basic goods. I bought crepe paper in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. I also bought white balloons and gold chocolate coins. Lastly, a green pot that I filled with tissue paper and put the chocolate coins on top. There is NO WAY I am going to give my sons a pot filled to the brim with chocolate coins. LOL! ;0) In addition, you just need basic household supplies like scissors and tape.

To construct the rainbow I measured a strip of crepe paper from the top of the door frame to the bottom of the floor. Then I cut 3 strips of each color using that measurement. I taped each piece of crepe paper to the top of the door frame. I blew up 12 white balloons and placed them at the base of the door. The finishing touch was the pot of gold coin chocolates!

My boys LOVED this rainbow! In fact, it turned into a really fun arts and crafts project. Drake wanted to create a rainbow on “Dada’s Door” before he got home from work. The baby was trying to get in on the action! ;0)

Here is a photo of the baby having fun playing with the rainbow!

This is the first blog post in a series that we will be doing for St. Patrick’s Day.

We are thrilled! Cool Mom picks gave us a, “big thumbs-up.” Please help us grow by liking the review page and our Facebook page! Read the article below or by clicking here;

Throw an awesome birthday party for kids without a lick of planning

I’m all about at-home birthday parties for kids. Which is not to say that they don’t stress me out, because they totally stress me out. But the idea is so appealing and old-fashioned, isn’t it? You know, if someone else would do all the planning and purchasing of said old-fashioned, appealing idea.

Well, that’s where this marvelous new service steps in.

Don’t miss an exclusive discount code after the jump!

Parties By Alex is a lovely, homegrown business from mom Alexandra McGee and dad Tony Gentile, who were inspired to start the biz after planning a party for their son quickly became a major (and expensive!) hassle.

McGee and Gentile designed five birthday party and playdate themes and put them all together, making the nicest party in box kits I’ve ever seen.The presentation is lovely, the quality of the materials is excellent and they have thought of everything, including a sample schedule for the party and possible recipe ideas in keeping with the theme.

In the Pirate Party, for example, you’ll receive pirate hats, vests, eye patches, hooks, decorations, place settings, games, prizes, goody bags, invites, thank-you cards and much more. I just threw a party for my son a few months ago and trust me, I spent waaaay more than this. But one of my favorite things about these boxes is they still feel designed with serious love. It feels like I planned it myself. You know, if I were sane enough to do so.

Aside from Pirate, party kit themes include Princess, Fairy, Superhero and Knights and Dragons. Hopefully this business will thrive and they will be able to add more themes soon and eventually do custom parties. A big Cool Mom Picks thumbs-up for a cool mom and her cool husband making life easier for the rest of us -Shari

Check out all the different birthday party themes at Parties by Alex. And save 10% discount on your order with coupon code COOLMOM at checkout!

Mischievous little fairy with her treasure hunt loot

GAMES

Treasure Hunt (Included)-  Fairies love to leave treasure for good little girls. There are two different ways to play this game. You can hide the treasure all around your venue and have the children search for it. Or you can place a group of items, like all of the butterflies, together in one area. Then you can give the fairies clues and have them work together to find all of the items. Don’t forget to hand out the loot bags before the treasure hunt starts.

A fairy collecting her treasure

Pin the Wand on the Fairy (Included)- Write the kid’s initials on the front of each wand, and add a glue dot to the back. Have the kids’ line up. Blindfold one kid at a time and spin them around a few times and then point them in the general direction of the game. Whoever gets the wand closest to the fairies wand gets the prize.

Fairy Freeze Dance- Turn on your child’s favorite music and instruct the kids to dance. Play the music for a while and then stop it and yell “Freeze!” Any kid who is still moving is out of the game. These kids can help monitor the other children. Whoever is the last fairy on the dance floor wins. Alternatively, you don’t have to have any winners or losers. You can still point out any child that is moving after you have yelled “Freeze,” but keep that child in the game.

Fairy Toadstools- Musical Chairs- Start with 1 chair less than the number of kids you have. Arrange the chairs facing outward in a circle. Have the kids stand in a circle around the chairs and start the music. The kids should walk around the circle of chairs. Stop the music. When the music stops the kids will race to get chairs. Whoever doesn’t get a chair is out. Then take out one more chair, and start the process all over again. The last kid with a chair should get a prize.

Fairy Says- This game is a lot like “Simon Says.”  Pick one child to lead the game. If the child’s name is Olivia, then the child should say, “Fairy Olivia says fly around like a fairy” and then she should show everyone how. If she says, “fly around like a fairy” without saying “Fairy” and her first name, and some of the kids make the motion, they are out of the game. Or you can just give each kid a turn being the lead Fairy.

Fairy, Fairy, Pixie- This game is just like, “Duck, duck goose” except the little girls will say, “Fairy, fairy, pixie.”  Have the little girls sit in a circle facing each other. Choose a fairy to be the ”tapper.” The tapper will go around the circle tapping each kids head saying, “fairy” until she picks a “pixie.” If the pixie tags the tapper before she gets to the pixie’s seat, the tapper has to pick a pixie all over again. If the tapper gets to the pixie’s seat before she is tagged then the pixie is the new tapper

Happy Little Fairy at a Parties By Alex Fairy Party

Made by a Mommy!

Toadstool Chairs for a Fairy Party

Moms power tools aren’t just for men!

I wanted to make some toadstool chairs for a Fairy Party we were throwing. I went online and couldn’t find a decent tutorial. So I set out not only to make the toadstool chairs, but also create a tutorial that was easy to follow.

Keep in mind, I am not handy at all. My husband laughed when I told him I was going to build some toadstool chairs. And then he was terrified when I whipped out the power drill (which was strangely exhilarating). But when he saw the final outcome he was incredibly impressed. Even more rewarding were the looks on all of the little fairies at the party. They were a huge hit! And great for musical toadstools!

Items you will need

Items needed for Toadstool Chairs

6-32 Round Headed Slotted Screws 2 inches long

6-32 Hex Nuts

#8 Flat Washers

17 ¾ inch Plywood Circles

Buckets

Glue gun with glue sticks

Hot Pink Felt- 21 inch squares (you can choose any color scheme)

Light Pink Felt cut into 4 inch circles (5 per chair)

Brown Felt (cut in rectangle to wrap around the bucket with 2 extra inches on top and bottom)

Stuffing (I used Morning Glory Stuffing)

Power Drill

Scissors

Packing tape

Directions

Center plywood circle over bucket. Drill a hole through plywood and bucket. Then put a screw in the hole and tape the screw down. Repeat 3 times.

Step 1- Pull the metal handle off of the bucket. Center the plywood circle on top of the bucket. Screw in the bit to the power drill that is closest in size to the screws that you choose. Then take the drill and drill down into the plywood and through the bucket. Immediately put a screw in and then put the tape on top of the screw. Repeat 2 more times. Then detach the plywood circle from the bucket.

Step 2- Take one piece of brown felt, center it on the bucket so the fabric is 2 inches taller than the bucket on the top and bottom. Plug in your glue gun and glue a straight line up the bucket. Hold one piece of the brown felt down and let it set.  Glue the two pieces of felt together to create a nice neat seam. Be careful not to get the strings that the glue gun creates on the felt. Then glue the felt down on the top and bottom of the bucket making sure not to glue fabric over the screw holes.

Glue the brown felt onto the bucket

Now reattach the plywood circle to the bucket by aligning the screws with the holes. Next, turn it over and put a washer on each screw. Then screw in the hex nuts.

Inside of Bucket

Step 3- Flip the toadstool over, and put enough stuffing on the plywood to make it super comfy to sit on. Then center the hot pink felt and glue the felt to the bottom of the plywood circle. Then glue the light pink circles all around the toadstool.

Finished Toadstool Chair

Fairy Party Toadstool Chairs

Fairy Party

Parties By Alex Fairy Playdate Party

Happy New Year Everyone!

We were so thrilled when one of our favorite websites, Red Tricycle, decided to do a write-up on us. We were over the moon when they called us, “A Perfect Party in a Box.” Read Red Tricycle’s article about Parties By Alex below or click here. Let us know what you think! We are off to a great start for the New Year!

One Cool Thing: A Perfect Party in a Box

Let’s be honest — planning the perfect birthday party for our little ones is a pretty daunting task. Between rounding up Pinterest-worthy decorations, preparing kid-approved food, and thinking up fun games and activities, it’s enough to drive us crazy. Luckily, we’ve found a great company that gives us a hand in creating the perfect birthday party for the kiddos.

Parties By Alex offers unique and fun party packages in a variety of themes to suit your little one’s interests–choose between fairy, knights & dragons, pirate, princess, and superhero. Each package includes practically everything you’ll need to prep for an awesome party: costumes, games, decorations, place settings and paper goods, crafts, prizes, party favors, candles, and a how-to guide with recipe ideas and other tips. Keep this one in mind for your little one’s next birthday–it’s the perfect way to pull off a super impressive party without the stress!

Written by: Susie Foresman

We have been BIG fans of Project Nursery for years! We are excited to do our first Free Giveaway with them. Enter to win a $200 shopping spree to our website!

Parties By Alex Superhero Party

Grub (Pirate Talk for Food)

Parties By Alex Pirate Party

Arrr you hungry?

People keep asking me for ideas on what type of food to serve at a Pirate Birthday Party. Below, I have prepared a sample menu with some recipes. My personal belief is that it is always good to have snacks and beverages for both parents and the kids. It is not necessary to provide lunch for the parents, but it is nice. You don’t have to make all of the food from scratch, or order it from a fancy caterer. If you do decide to use a caterer, you can always opt for a “drop off, pick up service” to save money. If you decide to make some things from scratch I have some wonderful ideas below. You can always make some things from scratch and buy some things store bought. I like to have a few different food options at parties to make sure there is something for everyone. I have created a yummy yet simple menu below that is in keeping with the Pirate Theme.

We would love to hear what you would serve at a Pirate Party. Please leave your ideas in the comments section.

Snacks

Different types of sliced baguettes with and Gold Nuggets (small cheese squares)

Any kind of dried fruit and nuts

Gold Fish Crackers

Lunch

Shark Bait with Anti-Scurvy Sauce (Coconut Shrimp with orange marmalade sauce) – Recipe Below.

Peg Legs- (Chicken Drumsticks) – Recipe Below.

Sea Dogs with Ruby Sauce (Hot Dogs with Ketchup) – Cook store bought hot dogs according to instructions. You can always put a wooden stick through a piece of paper and stick it into the hot dog to create a sail.

Golden Sea Shells- You can buy store bought macaroni and cheese with shells.

Treasure Salad (Fruit Salad) – Recipe Below. You can get creative with this salad. You can hollow out a watermelon and serve the salad inside it. Or you can put the fruit on kabob sticks and stick them into watermelon or pineapple.

Virgin Pina Coladas- Recipe Below.

Recipes

Shark Bait with Anti-Scurvy Sauce (Coconut Shrimp with orange marmalade sauce)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla flavoring
3 large egg whites
1 pound large shrimp (about 20), peeled (tails left on), deveined, butterflied
Salt
Pepper
½ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Combine the panko, coconut flakes, cinnamon and flour in a bowl or baking dish. Add the vanilla into the egg whites and beat until slightly frothy. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Dip shrimp into the egg mixture to coat. Let excess drip off then coat the shrimp in the coconut flake mixture. Put the shrimp on the baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray tops of shrimp with nonstick spray. Shrimp should be golden and cooked through about 8 to 10 minutes.
For the sauce, combine the orange marmalade, honey and mustard. If it is too thick, add a little bit of water.

Peg Legs- (Chicken Drumsticks)

Ingredients

12 chicken drumsticks
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Pepper
Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spray nonstick oil on a baking sheet and put drumsticks on it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, pour the pomegranate juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce by about half. Add remaining ingredients and cook a few minutes to combine flavors.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Remove chicken from oven and baste with glaze. Keep basting and turning every 3-5 minutes. The peg legs should be cooked through in about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure you don’t burn the glaze, so watch carefully.

Treasure Salad

Ingredients

1 cup watermelon cut into 1 inch chunk
1 cup pineapple cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup cantaloupe cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup honey dew cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup strawberries cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup grapes

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and serve.

Virgin Pina Coladas

3 ½ cups pineapple juice
1 cup coconut cream (not coconut milk or coconut water)
4 cups ice

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Makes 6- 8 servings.

Parties By Alex Princess Party

Once upon a time a Princess was having a Cherry Blossom Birthday Party! What little girl hasn’t dreamed of being a Princess? Is it the idea of living in castle and wearing a tiara? Or, is it meeting your Prince Charming while riding around on your unicorn that is so appealing to little girls?

Keeping this in mind, it’s no surprise that little girls worldwide dream about having a Princess Birthday Party. When we started to design our Princess Party we knew it had to be “pink” and have lots of “bling.” But we wanted to give it a

Parties By Alex Princess Party

modern touch too, so the décor has a beautiful cherry blossom tree motif.

When it came time to create the Princess Party costume we didn’t want just any pink tutu. So we searched and found pink glitter tutus that give it an extra special Princess touch. We knew the tiara had to sparkle. So we were thrilled when we found tiaras that looked like they were made out of diamonds. And of course to top everything off, we included multicolored mini star wands.

Parties By Alex Princess Party

Everyone is always asking me for ideas on activities and games for a Princess Party. In our Princess Party packages we have included many activities that are sure to please. We have included coloring sheets and crayons so the little Princesses can color their very own Unicorn and Castle. And the games we have included are Pass the Poison Apple, Pin the Horn on the Unicorn and a Treasure Hunt (with additional game ideas in our brochure). We have even included prizes.

When it comes time for the Royal Feast our table decor will surely please. There is a beautiful pink table cloth, pink royal scroll plates, unicorn napkin rings and cute cupcake toppers. We have even included  adorable castle and unicorn centerpieces. In our brochure, we have delicious snack and lunch ideas with recipes.

We believe that every child deserves to be celebrated and that those celebrations are most special (and memorable) when shared. Our all-inclusive Birthday and Playdate Parties make throwing an amazing party a breeze for busy parents.

Beautiful Fairies Having Fun at a Parties By Alex Playdate Party!

Turn an ordinary Playdate into something truly special and memorable. Playdates are so much fun. I love to watch my sons play with their little friends. Whether they are pretending to be Knights saving the Princess from the tower, or Pirates going on a treasure hunt, I am constantly amazed by their imaginations. We believe dress-up and make believe are magical times in every child’s life. Parties By Alex has created a line of Playdate parties to inspire each child.

Parties By Alex- Superhero Playdate
Capes, Masks and Decorating Kit

Hosting a Playdate party is very easy with our theme packages. Pick a theme from Princess, Superhero, Fairy, Pirate or Knights and Dragons (or mix and match). In each package, a busy parent will have everything they need to throw a fabulous playdate party: costumes, games, decorations, place settings/paper goods, crafts, prizes, party favors, and a how-to guide with additional ideas on games to play, food to serve (including recipes), and more.

Kids can choose from a variety of games and activities. Here are some examples of whats included in some of our playdate packages; coloring sheets, fairy houses to decorate, cannon ball blast, pass the poison apple, stomp the bombs and pinning the horn on the unicorn. We include prizes and even instructions for additional games to play!

Parties By Alex Fairy Party
Fairy Houses To Decorate

And when it comes time to feed the your little Princesses and Superheroes, do not fear. In addition to festive tableware and decorations, we have included yummy recipes that won’t disappoint.  And to top everything off, we have included adorable cupcake toppers.

We believe that every child deserves to be celebrated and that those celebrations are most special (and memorable) when shared. Our theme playdate products give parents a chance to relax and enjoy the party as much as their little ones.Just pick a theme you’re little one will love; we’ll ship it right to your door!

Additionally, because everything a busy parent needs is provided in the package, we believe the theme party itself can become a great gift item (from a grandparent to parent, sister-to-brother, friend-to-friend, etc)!