$1400 CASH Back To School Giveaway!

Hola! (I'm in Mexico on vacation- it just seemed right!) Miss Party Mom is part of another giveaway this month with another chance to win some serious money!! I have been hearing stories about the winners of these giveaways I've been a part of for the last 6 months and each time I am so stoked for them as each time the winner seems to have been really needing that little extra push financially... You take 5 minutes out of your hectic day to enter a easy-entry Rafflecopter style giveaway (seriously- some one has to win it!) and it's not just any old prize- it's money- something every single person can use!

Even if you might be done with your Back to School shopping- I am SURE you can find something to do with $1400! I know I could!

On top of that there is some awesome talent out there waiting for you to find and follow them- people you are going to love! I'm part of a fantastic group of bloggers and small businesses that have come together to pull this thing off. Just a few of them include: Spaceships and Laser Beams, Vanessa Grant Events, Go Against the Grain, Michelle's Party Plan-It, We Heart Mom, Design Dazzle, One Inspired Party, Just a little Sparkle, Angelina's Dream Parties, Mimi's Dollhouse, PaperCandee, BellaGrey Designs, hello love designs, Samantha Walker Designs, Petite Bebe, I Will Invitations, Inkberry Cards + Design, We Heart Parties, Simply Sweet Parties, Dandelion Avenue, Cakes And Kids, Made by a Princess Parties in Style, paper & cake, Miss Party Mom, Doodlecraft, Adorable Cakes By Elizabeth, Kimberley's Kitchen, Love The Day, Simply Nesting, Mighty Delighty, Swish Printables, Partystock, Simply Brigadeiro, Lemonberry Moon, Modern Moments Designs, Sweet Petite Soirees, Forever Your Prints, Sweet Dahlia, Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams, Party Patisserie, The Family Map and Cupcake Express.
And that's not everyone! Please refer to the Rafflecopter form to see a complete list of all the generous sponsors who made this giveaway possible!
Prize: One winner will receive $1400 USD
Eligibility and Rules: This giveaway runs from 11:59PM ET on August 26, 2013 to 11:59PM ET on September 17, 2013. It is open to individuals over the age of 18. The winner will be chosen randomly through the Rafflecopter form. It is the sole responsibility of the winner to adhere to all laws in their respective country, which includes payments to any governing tax body. This giveaway is void in any country where it is prohibited by law.
Claiming Prize: The prize will be sent via PayPal. The winner must claim their prize within 48 hours of receiving notice. If you do not claim your prize within this time frame, your entry will be void and another winner will be drawn. We don't want to have to do this! Please ensure that the email spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com is on your "safe list."
Disclosure: This giveaway is a blogger-sponsored event that is in no way affiliated with PayPal, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social media channel. If you have questions about the administration of this giveaway, email Stephanie at Spaceships and Laser Beams at spaceshipsandlaserbeams [at] gmail [dot] com.

Please use the Rafflecopter form below for your entries!

All entries are optional BUT the more you complete the more chances you have to win!

Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: 5 Ways to Beef Up Your Dessert Table by Bottle Pop Party Co.

Well hello there Miss Party Mom readers! I'm Shannon, event planner & stylist from Bottle Pop Party Co. I love putting together insanely cute dessert tables but c'mon, the elements that make up the magazine-worthy dessert tables cost a pretty penny. I have nothing but the utmost respect for creators of detailed cake pops, sugar cookies & macarons because they've got a talent that I am in awe of. They deserve every cent they make. 

But as a mom, I sometimes have to choose to splurge on one thing and scrimp on the other. And I know I'm not the only one. I also plan a lot of tables for clients but I know they don't want to spend a fortune if they don't need to. I'm looking out for them! And since I like a nice, full (bountiful even!) dessert table, I always suggest we beef up the table with some simple, inexpensive options that anyone can do. And even though none of these are unique or new in any way, having a go-to list can be extremely helpful. Says me. 

1) The Doughnut Pop: Cousin to the cake pop but far less work and gooey hands. I take store-bought doughnut holes, insert a candy stick and dip them in melting chocolate. My favorite method is to melt the Wilton bags of chocolate in a bowl, double-boiler style on the stovetop. Stir until smooth. It probably won't get as smooth as you want, so add some vegetable oil and keep stirring. This makes it a lot thinner and smoother. Once you get the consistency you like, dip the doughnut hole and use a spoon to cover up around the stick. Tap gently on the side of the bowl to get rid of the excess then place on top of a piece of wax paper, then stick in the fridge to set. High end? No. Kids freak out over them? Uh yeah.

2) The Chocolate Covered Pretzel: No matter the shape or form of the pretzel, everyone loves a pretzel dipped in chocolate. EVERYONE. Using the same method as I described above, dip the pretzel in chocolate or colored candy melt and refrigerate to harden. You can even go back and make things fancy with another color drizzled on top.

3) The Store-Bought Cookie: As you peruse your grocery store or local Target, keep your eyes peeled for anything in your color scheme. The little purple cookies below fit my color scheme perfectly. So what if they weren't picture-perfect? Does anyone care if the tops are smushed and the sprinkles are falling off? Nope. They're too mesmerized by my tiny vintage marching band. 

You might even get lucky and find a cookie that fits your theme! I scored fruity Yogurt Stars at Trader Joe's and used them for my Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Party. 3 bucks a bag? You got it, Joe!

4) The Rice Krispie Treat: I'll be honest and say that every time I make these, I have to google the recipe. I know, it has 3 ingredients and two of them are rice krispies and marshmallows but whatev, I confuse easily. Anyway, these super versatile treats can be cut into any shape with a cookie cutter. You can keep them plain, pop them on a stick or dip/drizzle them with chocolate.

5) The Hybrid: store bought dessert + custom candy. To make something a little different, I took these store-bought brownie bites and topped them with custom chocolate animals I had made for a safari party. 

So tell me, do you have any quick and easy faves to add to the list? 

I'd love it if you came and hung out at my blog or you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

Miss Party Mom's: Five For Friday {8.23.13}

Well hello! 

It's been a crazy week here at the MPM blog! We made history with a post that hit nearly nearly 800 views within a 24 hour period... (yes, that's a lot for this blog- do you think I'd be mentioning if it wasn't?!) We made some friends/fans and lost a few in the process... it is what it is! I will always write about what I'm feeling, whether or not I'm a party planner with a mainly 'party blog' doesn't really matter to me!

Whether you agreed with me or not- just remember my parties have no religious affiliation OR political views, they're just innocent bi-standers... I at least hope we can all agree that these next 5 choices in my top 5 categories are KILLLLL-ING it!

xo Party or Die xo
                                                                         kenna

1.) Party Planning

If you're in to parties, chances are you like Martha Stewart... I know I do! When I saw this party line she put out for JCPenney: MarthaCelebrations I was pretty excited about it. Lanterns, poms, fringe garland, candy dishes and more. The woman is on trend and serving up some great prices- plus, almost everyone has JCPenney in town... I mean, even I do...

2.) Home Decor

Not that I like zebras specifically or anything- but goodness I love this pillow ($23) from JazzberryBlue. I actually love a lot of the things in this shop that I stumbled across on Etsy and had a hard time choosing which image to use! They have these super cool big-city wall art maps that I'm planning a spot for in my house, including one of Los Angeles (where the shop is located, halla!) If you're in to ultra-modern meets surreal meets pop art meets abstract (I mean, who isn't?)... you just might love this shop too.

3.) Kids

Ok, so there's a little story here. Back in 2011 when Cormac turned two I ordered him a personalized tee for his Motorcycle Party from a shop on Etsy called Fly Duds. The tee got lost in the mail- I let the shop owner know and she overnighted me a new tee so I'd have it for my party- free of charge. (Btw, the other tee came a week later in a tattered envelope that looked like it had been to China and back). I loved the way the tee gave Cormac a sweet little personal touch to match his party (this was a year before I was going crazy with parties- pic to prove it.) 

I think these tees are cute for any child milestone- the simple number tees are my fave and perfect for a yearly age picture. They have everything from birthday, big brother/sister, last name sports tee, Halloween, etc... 

4.) Myself

In the last week I have seen more overalls pinned on Pinterest than I did my entire year of 6th grade! Ok, ok- exaggeration alert... that would be damn near impossible. I have seen a ton though and thank God they're WAY more stylish and remarkably flattering as well... I'd quite like a pair actually. This pair is from ShopBop.com, ($81: a little pricey for me!) but they should give you some inspiration as to what we're looking for when I say overalls... as in, I'm not talking Dickies... so don't even think about it.

      

5.) Husband

Anyone else have a somewhat embarrassing husband? Like the kind who gets on Facebook and asks people where on earth he can find a Speedo for our vacation? Oh, just me... Great. I guess I should be thanking his friend, who actually found him one. So yes, this is what he asked me to Five For Friday him this week... and I figured, why not... I'll give the man his choice, it's been a long week... Speedo by URT, sold on Swell.com

We leave this Monday for Cabo San Lucas... I know- we suck. I'm going to try and blog from the road but we'll see how that goes!

A Christian Mom... {On the Verge of Screaming Some Shit.}

Enticing title, huh? Good, because I've only got one pic- so I'm hoping that title really makes up for it.

I've pretty much been in hiding for a month now. Not from the blog, obviously... But more like from humans. Party season came and went and I thought after that was over I'd want to reconnect with every friend I ever ignored. And that hasn't been the case. Far from it actually.

I woke up this morning and thought about calling a good friend that I haven't seen in a couple weeks. I got to thinking of all the things that we could potentially talk about and the fear that I'd probably say something very Kenna-esque and possibly hurtful zapped out the desire to ever make that phone call.

Not like I ever plan to be harsh- my opinions just tend to come out that way... and so to avoid it I've been more hermit-like than usual. Which is so not me. Why can't I just be all gentle and quiet like I'm "supposed" to be?

I just want to be understood (isn't that all anyone wants?) and sometimes in this town, a town I am very much 'not from', I feel like that simple desire is almost impossible. Since moving to Orcutt, I have felt like the odd [wo]man out. There are times I've rejoiced in this and times when I hate it so much I just want to avoid every mom in town- even my friends.

For starters, almost everyone I know here is Christian. Yaaay... When we moved here I thought that aspect of life would be so cool. "Think of all of the things we'll have in common!" Said me never since moving here. There is nothing like a group of Christian moms to make you realize that just because you love Jesus... you still don't really have that much in common.

There are days I just need to have friends where I can say the word SHIT without ever looking for the rewind button. Days I want to say things that have been stuck in the back of my mind without littering it with every apology I know. I just want to be ME... not the me that fits in with every other mom, with the clean house and kids who always listen and #mymarriagerocks! hashtags... But ME, right now. I want to be able to tell my kids to "hurry up" without feeling like I just said the two words that have been recently made known- NO mom should say...

ANYONE? GET ME?

I don't want to feel like saying the word, "blessed" is my ticket to being understood. That word has suddenly become so very annoying to me. I cannot handle Christianese in any form anymore. I cannot handle the Christian bubble. Right now in my life, I am so sensitive to "the bubble" for a number of reasons.

It has become so clear to me as Cormac's gotten older that I don't want any part in raising children to be "perfect little Christians." I'm over that idea. I want to raise rebels who love Christ and who get people thinking... and if they say, "sucks" or "freaking"... that's OK with me. Maybe someone who doesn't know Christ will actually listen to them.

Some days I long for my old friends who know me inside and out and accept me as I am. If I'm honest... I miss my old clique I guess.

In the past few years I've been utterly annoyed by moms who all think the same- and now I hate to admit it, I am one of them with my own set of think-the-same friends... and I get it. Life is easier when you surround yourself with a bunch of like-minded people...

So much so that in the last year I feel like I've created a long list in my head of things my friends should agree with me on... and it's really becoming apparent lately. It's quite disturbing, even to me- the list creator! It's something I need to acknowledge... and fix.... Because hello- I cannot be friends with a bunch of clone-Kenna's. But goodness my life would be so much easier- and I'd get all the validation I ever wanted!

Schooling is a huge subject where I live, maybe everywhere. It could be I'm just realizing it because Cormac will be starting Kindergarten next year. Well, this shouldn't be a shock if you already know me, but we are very-much choosing public school, as in the public school in our neighborhood where he is zoned to go. Maybe one day I will be bold enough to write about why I think that is an important decision. As a Christian in our town, this is almost unheard of to choose public over the very popular private school or the number of home school co-ops. I find myself feeling like I can't bring this topic up in most of my friend-groups for fear that I won't be understood or that I'll offend everyone with my opinions. I feel like I am so the odd-man out on this topic... that well, I'd rather just hang out with my clone friends because it's easier.

Politics? Oh, let's not even go there. It's impossible, I've given up.

I am considering not even joining our local bible study, which I've done for years, because I don't want to be annoyed with the constant home school and private school conversations... littered with political jousts at our President and how one party is literally, the only possible way to go.

I mean, how am I even still a Christian?

And why am I so annoyed? I used to love differences in people... but since having kids the differences have become so polarizing. And not being in the "in-crowd" clique is actually a bit harder than it was in high school... In high school cliques are expected... in adult life, well... I wasn't quite expecting this. And not to say I don't have a clique. I do. It's small, so small that on some days it only has one member... one member who prefers to craft and blog than talk about her "children being blessings." Not that I don't think they are but I have other things to talk about.

It's probably about time I really sat down with the President of my clique {Myself?} and did a little self evaluation. But I'm perfect, why would I ever need to self evaluate...

It's a good thing we're going on vacation soon... maybe I can take some time to think about how I'm contributing to the tension with {mainly Christian} moms in this town. If you don't feel it, maybe you're not in a clique. And good for you, seriously... Can we hang out and start our own clique?

*Did I mention my husband is a pastor? Oh, I didn't... maybe for good reason...

Do I see a clique a formin'?

{A Never Never Land Inspired} Peter Pan 4th Birthday!

I threw this Never Never Land Party for my Peter Pan obsessed 4 year old son this past January and even though these pics are 6 months old I still love looking through them! I think it's safe to say it's my favorite party to date and my son really enjoyed himself, which you know- always makes it alllll worth it...

Even though this party has seen it's fair share of party blogs (HWTM, KPI & CMP)- ironically- it's never been on my own! I have so many pics that haven't been shown so I decided it was time to put together a post of my own!

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed putting it all together!

Photography (mostly) by Jen McGinn www.findingjensview.blogspot.com (the not-so-great great candid shots are by me!)

xo Party or Die xo

kenna

MPM Party Faves:

- Dessert table backdrop being made to look like the Darling Nursery (or at least what it looks like is my mind's eye!)

- "The Lost Boy's Pub" eating area for Cormac and his friends (that I sketched out and actually came to life!)

- Hand made favor bags by Miss Party Mom

- Pointing sign by Miss Party Mom (inspired by The Trashy Side)

- Hannah's Cookies and Treats desserts (some inspired by Jenny Cookies)

- The vintage inspired invitation and printables by World Wide Party by Elena

- Peter Pan napkin hats by Miss Party Mom

- Mini Bottle Favors by Miss Party Mom