SUMMER STRAWBERRY PICKING

I don't think its a secret that berry picking is one of my favorite parts of summer.

It's the perfect little activity to take the kids to. I love that it doesn't matter what age your kids are - they are able to help out or enjoy themselves while we are out in the fields.

It usually gets pretty warm while were'e out (there is literally no shade when you're picking strawberries!) but I always promise a cool treat afterwards which keeps them going.

We love supporting our local farms, and picking our own fruit that we get to enjoy is so much fun!

MERMAID PARTY: VISIT FROM ARIEL & ACTIVITIES

Our Mermaid party details are up on the previous post and I'll be sharing about our Princess visitor and activities on this post.

I decided this year to book a party princess for Ellie's party after we attended a friends birthday party where they had 2 mermaids come to entertain the girls. She's at the stage where she absolutely loves princesses and Ariel was the perfect addition to the party. I went with Pacific Fairytales (after doing some research) and I was so so impressed with them.

Our little mermaid guests arrived in the afternoon and I organized a simple seashell bracelet craft to entertain them until our princess guest arrived. I found shell beads from the dollar store, and mixed them with regular beads in matching colors.  I wanted a simple clean activity for all the kids to work on until Ariel showed up.

When Ariel arrived (as a surprise!) Ellie was beyond excited. She couldn't believe that Ariel was at our house and that she knew it was her birthday party. Her little reaction was so sweet.

I loved how much attention Ariel gave Ellie and how special she felt. She got a special coronation crown, a matching necklace with Ariel, a happy birthday song and just over the top treatment from her. Ellie truly felt like a princess herself.

Ariel led the girls in some princess games, a dance party, story time and helped sing happy birthday to Ellie. All the guests even got to take a special little trinket home. She really was able to hold all their attention and was just so fun and sweet herself.

I would absolutely recommend them (this it NOT sponsored at all!) for a princess party if your little one loves that. She was so entertaining, and the parents just got to sit on the sidelines and relax while she did all the work. I love having parties at my home best, where I'm able to control the decor and food served. And having it somewhere else would have likely been about the same cost. Entertainment for the little ones for an hour was totally worth it to me. They thought it was magic!

My girls loved Ariel and were still talking about her until bedtime. I feel like those are memories are priceless!

MERMAID BIRTHDAY PARTY!

This past weekend we got to celebrate Ellie with a Mermaid Birthday Party!

This girl was so excited leading up to the weekend and could not wait to get her party on.

I can't believe how quickly this year had gone by, and that she's already 4. She's truly the sweetest and most friendly little girl. She loves dancing, singing, animals and dress up. This little party was the perfect theme for her.

We went to a friend's mermaid themed party a month or two ago, and we both loved it! She declared she wanted a mermaid party and I was pretty much sold as well.

Each time I throw a party, I think it's my new favorite theme. And this one was no different. I love that at their ages, they are truly immersed into each theme and love all the little details.

mermaid banner teeny wish / felt banner w/stars elizabeth and lo / cupcakes sheas sweet shoppe

candy sticks / seashell good bag  teeny wish

I used 2 banners as a backdrop which were so whimsical. I hung them on my mantle using 3m command hooks and they worked perfectly. Both are from small shops! The mermaid one is from Teeny Wish and it was so sparkly and pretty. I loved the script words! Ellie loved looking at the sparkly shells.

And the felt banner with the stars is from a sweet mama from Elizabeth and Lo. I love that with the felt banner I could use multiple times for decor. Already thinking about adding it to my kids bookshelves.

Then I decorated our dining table down the middle with shells, gumball pearls, flowers and confetti.

I added in a few cake stands for cupcakes and treats (and I like how it adds some extra depth and visual interest).

I love doing a table setting for each little guest - I feel like it makes them feel extra special! We had seashell plates and napkins for each setting, and I added pearl necklaces, shell sugar cookies and customized hair elastics from Plum Polkadot onto each setting. I especially love the customized hair elastics because kids can actually use them afterwards for their hair or a cute bracelet. My girls love them and they're extra adorable when you can customize them to your party theme.

I found the cutest little mermaid party mix that I recreated for the party. It's a mix of kettle corn popcorn, fishy crackers and pastel gumballs. I found it really helpful to fill the jar halfway with popcorn, add in fishies/gumballs and arrange, then fill it the rest of the way with popcorn and top with more fishies/gumballs. It looked so cute!

I ordered the cutest little cupcakes from a local baker Sheas Sweet Shoppe and could not have been happier! They were super tasty and fit the party theme perfectly. Ellie loved them as soon as she saw them and couldn't believe how special they looked.

cupcake / necklace coral and cloud

seashell clip giddyup and grow / necklaces coral and cloud

For food (sorry no pics!) we served mini croissant turkey and cheese sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, watermelon, fruit salad, popcorn, chips and veggies. I wanted to keep food really simple and easy to grab and eat. Most food prep was done the evening before, except for sandwiches that I made that morning.

Each little guest got to take home a shell goody bag filled with some mermaid goodies. These included customized hair elastics, a shell sugar cookie, mermaid candy stick, seashell candy necklace, shell notebooks, stretchy pearl necklaces and erasers.

shell goody bags teeny wish / mermaid hair elastic sets plum polkadot / shell sugar cookies sheas sweet shoppe

I'll be sharing our amazing visit from Ariel and party activities on the next post if you're interested!

Ellie felt so loved at the end of the day, and it made all the work of throwing the party so worth it. We can't wait to see her grow and blossom even more this year. Sweet girl, we sure love you!

PARTY DETAILS

Mermaid Banner teeny wish
Shell Napkins teeny wish
Confetti teeny wish
Shell Candy Necklaces teeny wish
Mermaid Candy Sticks teeny wish
Shell Goody Bags teeny wish
Felt Mermaid Banner elizabeth & lo
Pearl Necklaces target party section
Mermaid Hair Elastic Sets plum polkadot
Shell Plates daiso
Mermaid Cupcakes sheas sweet shoppe
Shell Sugar Cookies sheas sweet shoppe
Shells michaels (I used 2 packs and a 40% discount for both)
Gumball Pearls dollar store
Lavender Dresses h&m
Necklaces coral and cloud
Shell Hair Clips giddyup and grow