BOBBI ELLE’S MAD HATTER TEA PARTY!

5th Birthday Party Celebration

While we were celebrating Bobbi Elle’s 4th Birthday...strolling down Main Street at Disney’s Magic Kingdom….after spending the day with her favorite princesses…having a VIP dinner with 5 of her closest girlfriends at Cinderella’s castle…my little diva declared: For my 5th birthday – I want an Alice in Wonderland themed party!”

*Insert record scratch here*

Ummmmm…can we get thru year FOUR, please????

This is Bobbi Elle. Always thinking ahead. Planning. Strategizing. She’s a little too much like me and it’s scary.

I told her:  1) RELAX. And 2) Enjoy the moment. We have plenty of time to plan year 5.

“Ok. But I want Calyann to be the Mad Hatter and you will be the Evil Queen!”

Great.  Thanks, Bobbi…

— Cut to February 2018 —

She got her wish (of course!)

Now some of you may be aware that we have several celebrations for my kids birthday. And here’s why: I have a huge family and they have a ton of cousins their age. They also have a ton of friends at school that they love to hang out with. So sometimes – we just have to do two. One main party and a smaller celebration at school…and yes – they get to pick a theme park of their choice to spend the day. Cause we live in Miami and nothing is more than 3 hours away…and we pay for annual passes to most of the theme parks…and dammit I’m gonna get my money’s worth….and they only turn this age once…and I fully enjoy the process just as much as they do….so can I live??? And based on my explanation – can you tell that I’m constantly told I am “doing the most” – and I constantly have to respond with these answers?? Ha!

Back to the party!

So she got her wish…..and I found the perfect venue for her tea party at Serendip-A-Tea in South Miami. The tea room is small and quaint, so we rented it out and invited 20 of her closest friends/cousins and 20 adults. The place was super cute – so little decor was needed.

Bobbi Elle's Mad hatter Tea Party

The menu consisted of tea sandwiches, quiche and tomato basil soup for the adults, while the kids munched on mac and cheese, chicken fingers and pizza. For dessert, we offered macaroons, Rice Krispy cards, lavender cookies, brownies, and madeleines. And lots of tea!!!! It was all so delicious!!!!

And can we discuss the detail and gorgeousness of the cake??!! Designed by none other than – Divine Delicacies.

The kids had a blast…the parents had some adult fun…and Bobbi got her wish…along with a special surprise visit from Alice and The Mad Hatter!

And yes – she already knows what she wants to do for her 6th Birthday: A Troll’s Party.

Scenes from the day:

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Check out Bobbi Elle’s 5th birthday Photo Shoot: Five and Fierce!

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TRUNKS AND TREATS…HALLOWEEN DEETS!

2015…I had no clue what a “trunk-or-treat” was…I just knew that I got a notice from my kids school – and I was to show up with my car and hand out treats.  Welp – I was in for a rude awakening. Parents had their trunks decked out with Halloween decor…you can tell they put some thought into it.  And you can tell…I didn’t.  Exhibit A below:

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This was my attempt at trunk or treat decorations a few years ago. Sad indeed.

Came a long way in 2017….this year I went with a Super Heroes theme for our costumes and trunk decorations.  I used superhero capes that I already had in AJ’s toy bin from his birthday party.  These are great because they come with masks and they also have a girls set.  Got them on Amazon.

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Presenting…Super Woman, Bat Girl, Incredible Hulk…and The Black Panther…We got ALL the superpowers!!
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The first year I showed up in yoga pants…this is pretty impressive.  Thanks Party City!
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Found some of these gems at Home Goods, Michael’s and Target a few years ago…and they will be used for the next 15 years…
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ART IN THE PARK – HALLOWEEN EDITION!

I actually dreaded going to the pumpkin patch this year. I thought of the heat, the mass crowd and the limited rides that everyone stands in line for – and I begrudgingly put the date on my calendar. Only because my kids always have a blast…cause – kids!

Thankfully, we received an invite by my kids’ art teacher to a program she launched called “Art in the Park.” It was the perfect set up…a gorgeous day in Miami…under a pavilion…at a beautiful  UNcrowded park…overlooking the beach…with plenty of arts and crafts to keep the kids busy. Plus, there was a playground AND a carousel. It was a definite YES on our end…the scene was Crandon Park on Key Biscayne.

This might be the way to go if you also dread heading to the patch. For me – I love getting photos of my kids at a pumpkin patch…nothing is cuter than seeing your babies sitting on pumpkins or trying to pick them up…Exhibit A below.  But this time – I wanted to go a less fussy route while providing an environment where my kids can be creative and still have fun with their friends.   So grab some art supplies…some pumpkins…some kids…and voila! You have a party! Sharing some of the fun from our day!

EXHIBIT A:

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Bobbi Elle’s first pumpkin patch visit…at 9 months old.

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Bobbi Elle with her art teacher Miss Susie, who hosted the day.

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TALES OF A DISNEY KIDS PRESCHOOL PLAYDATE!

It was the perfect storm.…Bobbi had been begging me to have friends over for a playdate for the longest….and I’ve been putting it off due to my schedule and travels.  And every weekend – I am charged with finding activities to do with my little ones – which will most always end in arts and crafts.  And then, one day…the skies opened up…and behold…an invite drops in my lap (or email)…asking me to host a Disney Kids Preschool Playdate!!!!  It was an answer to a weekend prayer.

But first….the email said I would receive party supplies to host 10 preschoolers…now which 10 would I invite was my biggest issue.  But I left that up to Bobbi and AJ – and they had a fun time planning their guest list.  It was exciting to receive our goods in the mail – and much to our surprise – it came in a Sophia The First American Tourist luggage.  So Dope!  Check out our Disney Preschool Kit Reveal that I shared on snapchat:

Disney Kids Preschool Kit Unveil

Here are a few things I did to make our playdate special:

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I made sure my kids were involved in the process and included activities they would want to do. And anything that involved coloring, painting and creating – they are always down for. So our focus point was the arts and crafts station. I used items that we already had at home to help with decorations and storage for the supplies.
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I just discovered Michael’s new Disney Arts and Crafts section!! So I supplemented what Disney sent to me to ensure the kids had plenty of activities. I also live for Target’s front bin section. So many Disney goodies for little price!
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Fun activities going on at the table…decorated with Disney themed party supplies.
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I also set up different areas around the house since not all kids want to do the same thing at once. So we opened up our backyard that had a trampoline and swing set. We also had a napping station that I wasn’t aware of 🙂