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The Gift Closet Part Five: Housewarming Gifts

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

This is the fifth part in my series on stocking your gift closet. For this entry, I would like to discuss some frugal and fun housewarming gifts that you can give to your favorite new homeowners.

Many of the ideas that I had suggested for wedding gifts could also be used as a great housewarming gift for a new couple. You can keep those ideas in mind when doing your shopping too.

1. Breakfast Basket- This is one of my favorite gifts to give, particularly if the family/couple has just moved into their new house and hasn’t unpacked yet. I mix up my favorite pancake mix and place it in a decorated jar, purchase syrup (or you can make homemade syrup), and include a whisk for mixing the batter. This can be put inside of a mixing bowl or a pretty basket. I love to give this gift because usually no one has done any grocery shopping and this gives them something to look forward to eating one morning or for a quick evening dinner. Tuck in a little note of congratulations on their new home.

2. Welcome Home- A welcome mat can be a great housewarming gift. You can purchase one of these or you could make them a welcome mat that you have painted and personalized. Keep your eyes peeled in the clearance section for the mats, particularly around the holiday season when holiday mats make their move towards the clearance section.

Other welcome additions to a home are ornate house numbers or a pretty sign that has their family name on it. I also love to make a wreath for the new homeowner to put on their front door which can be another welcome addition towards creating an inviting home.

3. Add a Little Life- When doing your thrift shopping, keep in mind things that would make great items to put plants in. China tea cups, planters, baskets, tin pails- any of these are great to use for planters. You can find items in your garden that will transplant well or you could buy a small plant for the new homeowners. I try to pick things that will not die off easily, considering how busy new homeowners are when they are unpacking, and because not everyone has a green thumb!

4. Tools- It is hard to find the tools that you need when you actually need them. Put together a small tool kit for the homeowner and include items that you know they will really need as they get settled. A box cutter is great for breaking down their moving boxes, items to use for picture and mirror hanging, a hammer and various type of nails are great to include and give to the new homeowner. They have a good selection of these items at the dollar store.

5. Baked Goodies- Who can resist a loaf of homemade bread or a special treat? I love to give items like these because they are affordable and really show that you care for someone.

Related Readings:

Simplifying Gift Giving
Wrapping Gifts
Thrifty Graduation Ideas
Frugal Wedding Gifts
Baby Gifts

Sound Off: What is your favorite housewarming gift that you give or have received?

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Posted in Gifts | 3 Comments »

Teaching My Kid to Say Thank You

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007

I decided to do some different types of thank you cards this year. I ran across a cute Martha Stewart stamp set with numbers on it, from the Michael’s Craft Store. The set included two sets of ten numbers (0-9) in two different styles for $14.99 for all of the stamps total. I figured I could use these in the future for each of the kid’s thank you notes and could also use them as invitations for our parties.

The blank note cards were on sale for $1.50 and included twenty cards. Each of the cards were stamped with the number “5” on it and we wrote out a note of thankfulness for the great birthday gifts he received.

It is important to me to teach my children to be thankful for what they receive. I believe it is the key to getting a lot of what you want in life. People take notice when you are grateful and will want to do more for you because they know how much you appreciate things. For me to just write a thank you note on his behalf, however, doesn’t involve him in learning gratitude. I want him to participate in helping with these, even if he can’t write yet.

Next to each of my notes, he drew a picture to help with the card. Of course, what he says the pictures are often become more funny than the picture itself. I ask him to explain what each picture is and write a subtitle. For this set of cards, here were some of his subtitled responses:

Picture of a Door: “You Can Always Come to Our House” (This sounded like he could write for Hallmark, don’t you think?)

Picture ?: Ethan begins laughing, “We don’t know what this is. It is a very strange thing.”

Picture of a Mommy with a giant dress:
Ethan: “This is mommy when you have a baby inside you.”
Me: (About to PASS OUT!) “But I don’t have a baby inside me.”
Ethan: “Yes, you do!”
Me: (Getting agitated) “No, I DON’T”
Ethan: “Yes, when you had EMILY inside of you. That is what I am talking about.”

Isn’t it fun what our children can come up with?

Sound Off: How do you teach your children gratitude?

Related Readings:

Why Being Thankful is So Important
Raising Creative Kids
Raising Financially Responsible Teens
I Heart You!
What is This Secret?

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Posted in Kids Crafts | 6 Comments »

The Gift Closet Part Two: Thrifty Graduation Gift Ideas

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

It has been awhile since I talked about my gift closet, but with the graduation season upon us, I thought this might be a good time to chat again about it.

The first part in my gift closet series included information on how to wrap your gifts and explained how a gift closet worked. Gift closets are such a fantastic way to take advantage of clearance and thrift store opportunities, and will make gift-giving a lot cheaper when planned out this way. Be sure to read that entry for the information you need to get started.
Today, for the second part in this series, I would like to share with you a list of great gifts you can give to a high school graduate. Please be sure to share a favorite gift you received or gave for graduation.

Thrifty Graduation Gifts:

1. College Coupons– One of my favorite things to ever get in the mail, when I was in college, was a care package…from ANYONE! Giving the graduate coupons for care packages can be a very frugal gift and one that they can enjoy throughout their first year in college. Coupons can be assembled with a self-addressed stamped envelope. I like to provide a menu of choices and let them write on the coupon what they would specifically like. I include simple family favorites that can easily be packaged and enjoyed by them. Cookies can be shipped to them in empty Pringles containers or in Christmas tins. Bar cookies are very good choices for your menu options because they hold up well in the shipping process. You can download a template for creating your own college coupons by visiting the download section on MomAdvice.com, and create any kind of coupon that you would like to give. I mount these coupons on cardstock and tie them together with ribbon. They are a fun & creative gift and it is a gift that the graduate can look forward to throughout their school year.
2. Gift Cards– Gift cards, while not the most inexpensive choice, are something that a broke graduate can truly appreciate. I love to give gift cards to their local supermarket so that they can stock up on food while they are at school. Other good choices for gift cards are the gas station (if they have a car while they are at school), the local salon, the campus bookstore, local eateries, or the movie theatre.
3. Useful Gifts– Try and think of the things that the graduate will need to take with them when beginning college. Some of the things that come to mind are a backpack, an umbrella, alarm clock, a shower tote (filled with things they need), a small lamp, bed linens, towels & washcloths, school supplies (cheap during the beginning of the school season), luggage, or zip drives & disks.
4. Food Kit– My food kit is all put together inside of a dish tub. Within the dish tub, I provide a set of four place settings (plastic forks, knifes, spoons, bowls, & plates) and a sponge & dish soap for doing their dishes. I also put in Ramen Noodles, Cup of Noodles, and any other food that I can find that can easily be prepared in their room. Just tie a bow on the outside and know that this is a gift that they will actually use.
5. Laundry Kit– This is one of my favorite gifts for a graduate. Just assemble everything in a laundry basket and tie a bow on the handles of the basket. Inside stick a roll of quarters, a mesh laundry bag, detergent, fabric softener sheets, a Downy Ball and you can put together a tutorial for them on how to treat stains and easy directions on how to do their laundry. Step-by-step instructions, for the newbie to doing laundry, (as many graduates are!) can be found here and ten tips for the perfect wash can also be given to them too. If you are even more ambitious than that, you can put these things in a binder for the graduate and include your own tips and recipes for getting stains out or you can laminate these.
6. First Aid Kit– What graduate is actually going to remember to stock a first aid kit before they leave? Put together a container of items for their medicine cabinet so that they are prepared when they leave home. Fill it up with aspirin, band aids, stomach medications, ointments, cotton balls, tweezers, and sun block. Include anything & everything they might need for an emergency.
7. Journals & Address Books– Gifts for a graduate who is not planning on attending college or who will be attending a community college can be a challenge. Many of the gifts, traditionally given to a graduate, are made for those who are going away to school. For these graduates an organizer or a journal can be a wonderful and thoughtful gift option. Address books, so that the graduate can record where all of their friends are going, are also nice for them. These can be purchased at your local dollar store or found at local card retailers.
The important thing, in my opinion, is to offer a gift that they can actually use. I can’t tell you how many books I got for my graduation- the infamous Dr. Suess book, Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and coffee table books. These are nice, but are usually read once and put away. I rarely reread them and they ended up collecting dust on my shelf. I am disappointed when gifts I give are not used because, to me, it is like money going down the drain. Don’t be afraid to ask your graduate what they are in need of so that your gift is actually used!
If you are the mother of a graduate, I wish you congratulations on making it this far with your child. It is an accomplishment for you both and you should be very proud!

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Posted in Gifts | 9 Comments »

Kid’s Craft Idea: Painting Mugs

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007

Since it is another snow-filled day, we worked on a craft project to pass the time today. What better way to pass the time than to work on some fun projects?

When I have been going to the thrift store, I have been picking up plain white mugs. The cost on these is fifty cents and I have been putting them in a box downstairs to make gifts for our family.

I then went to the craft store and purchased a porcelain paint set. The paint set was around four dollars and I used my forty percent off coupon to knock some money off of the total on that. These types of paints require no heat-setting since the glaze that is included sets the paints for you.

With this particular paint set, you need to do a glaze on the surface first and allow that to dry. I actually did this the night before so we wouldn’t have to wait on this step.

Today we painted the mugs, which my son had the best time doing. We did put a heart on each of them, in honor of Valentine’s Day, and we will be giving these out to some special people in our life.

While waiting for the paint to dry (to apply a final glaze on them), I have been doing a little baking for a mommy that I am running a meal over to. She just had a baby and I get to bring her Valentine’s Day dinner. I am making a heart-shaped pizza, a cold pasta salad, and these giant heart brownies. I found this stoneware dish at the thrift shop for two bucks and have been waiting to be able to use it. I hope she will enjoy the meal as much I as have enjoyed cooking for her. Hopefully the weather will hold out so that I can deliver that meal!

I also need to get moving on some laundry and make cookies for my son’s class. It has been fun though getting to squeeze in some quality time with my son and do something fun like this.

Give this craft idea a try with your children! These mugs are great for any occasion and what teacher wouldn’t love a sweet mug like this made by your child?

Please visit Shannon’s Blog, Rocks in My Dryer, for more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips!

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Posted in Kids Crafts | 4 Comments »

I Heart You!

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Lucky for me, today’s theme for Works-For-Me Wednesday is all about Valentine’s Day ideas. I happened to have posted a whole article of budget-friendly ideas for the holiday last week, so please stop over to the article to get tons of ideas that won’t break the bank!

On a related note, I attempted to do Valentine’s this year with my son. Now being the frugal self that I am, I realize that the store-bought cards are really not expensive at all. You can get a ton of them for a couple of dollars that have dogs on them and say, “You’re Top Dog!” and such…They are very nice and we have done that in year’s past.

This year I decided I wanted to make the holiday a little more meaningful and with only eleven kids in my son’s class, we could definitely swing actually making the cards this year. I was proud that we did it because it required more effort than the store-bought hearts and it was a creative way for the two of us to pass another snow day at home.

Since the weather was bad, all I did was pull all of the red & pink construction paper from his craft bin. I would have loved to incorporate doilies, but after seeing them going for $4.99 last week, I decided that we could do without these. The idea was to save some money, not spend four times as much!

I did have some of those cool jagged scissors that the scrapbookers use and by cutting all my hearts out with those, it gave a pretty lacy effect on the hearts and also on the edges of the cards.

I sat everything out for my son to put his cards together including a big box of buttons and a glue stick to incorporate different dimensions into his work. He came downstairs with a piece of paper (not provided for this mission) and covered it with buttons saying he would rather make lots of planets instead of doing the task at hand.

I then came upstairs to redirect his attention to all of the paper I had cut out for him and all of the pretty hearts and what happened next was exactly what I had expected…I sat and made Valentine’s for an entire hour while he made planets on other sheets of paper.

Me: “Do you want to even sign your name on these?”

Son: “Nah!”

So much for being a fun & creative mom! Maybe there are more creative ideas on Rocks in My Dryer as mine was not inspiring enough even for my own kid!

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Posted in Kids Crafts | 10 Comments »

What to Get the Person Who Has Everything

Wednesday, December 20th, 2006

Today has been spent getting the last of our gifts together. My husband and I both have sets of grandparents in Florida and today was the day that I needed to get a gift out to them. I don’t know about you, but I find that grandparents are difficult to give to. As we get older, it seems we accumulate so much stuff. I already feel as though I have a rapidly growing collection of belongings and the need for things just isn’t as strong as it used to be. On my husband’s side, there are six children. Six children, plus their children, plus their children’s children…well, that equals a lot of stuff every Christmas.

My husband’s grandparents had encouraged us to give what we would have given them to charity. Although I think that is very thoughtful of them, I still wanted to give them something special that they could actually enjoy.

What do I give someone when I can’t think of anything else to give them? Why, pictures of my children, of course! I had taken so many pictures of our children over the holidays and was excited to get copies made of them to give to the grandparents.

A recent addition to our Dollar Tree were some beautiful photo albums (which I picked up over half a dozen of, for occasions such as these) and a quick stop over to Sam’s Club to pick up prints, and I had all the ingredients I needed to make a beautiful holiday gift.

I remember when we lived far away from my nephew; there was just so much I felt like I missed out on with him. I wanted to know what everyone else knew. I wanted to know what his favorite color was, what his favorite book was, what his favorite time of day was…things that I felt like I should know as his aunt. Unfortunately, when you live far from your family, these are just everyday occurrences in their life that you don’t get to be a part of.

In this album, I tried to recreate some of the special moments of our days together. I wrote about what my son’s aspirations were at the tender age of four (anyone looking for a top chef on their staff?), what my daughter loved to sleep with, our experience with Santa, what my son wanted for Christmas…all of the things that I know that they would want to know.

A special letter, a little holiday ribbon, and our gift was ready to go. I am hoping that it will be a memorable one for them and a way for them to feel like they are just as much a part of our lives as if they lived right next door.

I am avoiding the post office at all costs, so I put the shipment information into RedRoller.com (be sure to read that post on this great mailing service!) and put the packages outside of our door. The boxes were ordered, for free, from the UPS website and the labels were printed on the back of some of my recycled computer paper.

Total cost per gift (including shipping)- $9.00

We also included one of my son’s art projects, just to add that special touch that only he could add to the parcel. His picture of “Monsters” will be loved by them all.

Do you have a favorite gift that you have given for the person who has everything? Sound off by clicking my comments button. You don’t have to secretly lurk here- I would love to get some new ideas for my family.

P.S.- Aren’t my kids so dang cute? You can definitely comment on that!

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Posted in Gifts | 7 Comments »

Every Post You Need for the Holiday Season

Thursday, December 7th, 2006


Since I have over two hundred posts, I thought I would pull together a list of posts that might help you during this holiday season.

Shipping:

Say No to Hand Cramps (when doing your holiday cards!)

Getting the Cheapest Shipping

Shopping:

Saving More on Christmas Shopping

Simon Mall Kidgits Program (since you have to be at the mall anyway!)

Sam’s Club Click N Pull (something worth checking out when you are battling long lines at the wholesale club)

Avoiding Holiday Debt

Thirteen Easy Ways to Save Your Family Money

Frugal Gift Ideas:

Restaurants.com Gift Certificates

Holiday Bling Without a Bling Budget

Weeding Through Your Child’s Artwork Creatively (use some of those art projects for gifts this year!)

Frugal Teacher Gifts

Frugal College Student Gifts

Simplifying Gift Giving

Giving the Gift of Magazines Frugally

Babes in Toyland

Recipes:

Homemade Microwave Popcorn & Caramel Corn

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Aldi Fall/Winter Menu Planner

Traditions:

Schedule of Christmas Television Programs

Creating Holiday Traditions

Me Time

The Christmas Jar

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Posted in Frugal, Holidays | 2 Comments »

The Christmas Jar

Saturday, November 11th, 2006

Creating memories for Christmas can be an amazing experience for your child. Buying presents is easy, but creating a memory that will last a lifetime is more difficult and more rewarding for parents.

This year we are creating a Christmas Jar and we are filling it with twenty-five activities to do with them starting on December 1st. Each day we will draw an activity and complete it. Not only will the activity be fun, but it will also be a great way to mark down the days until Christmas.

Find any Mason jar and decorate it any way that you would like. On pieces of wrapping paper, create an activity to do each day and tuck it inside of the jar. On December 1st, begin the ritual of drawing from the jar and completing the activity for the day.

Here is a list of ideas to be included in your jar. You can change the activities as your child ages and as their interests change. The important thing is to be creative and have fun making memories with your children. They will remember these activities more than the latest gizmo you tucked under the tree for them. This may even be something that they do with their own children someday! Holiday Activities for Your Christmas Jar

  1. Watch a Christmas movie or holiday show on television. Get a complete list of Christmas shows and record them to watch together.
  2. Go see the Christmas lights in the neighborhoods in your pajamas.
  3. Drink a mug of hot cocoa under your Christmas tree.
  4. Read the true story of Christmas.
  5. Open one gift early.
  6. Bake cookies and take a plate to the firefighters. See if you can get a tour of the fire station and the engines!
  7. Write a letter to Santa to leave on Christmas Eve.
  8. Make a snowman.
  9. Make a snow angel.
  10. Pop popcorn and play a board game together, while listening to holiday music.
  11. Go to the dollar theatre and see a movie. Sneak in a snack.
  12. Go to the library and pick out books about Christmas. Read them together.
  13. Give the kids a bath while Christmas carols blare into the bathroom. See who can sing the loudest.
  14. Get or make stocking stuffers for Dad.
  15. Write a note to each member in the family to tell them how special they are and what you love about them. Leave them in their stockings.
  16. Draw a holiday picture and send it to a relative (of the child’s choice).
  17. Take a tour of lights in another neighborhood. Pop popcorn to take with you and blast Christmas carols in the car.
  18. Make an ornament together for the tree. Try to incorporate a picture of your child and have them choose the decorating. Write the year on the back and try to add one of these each year.
  19. Bake cookies for yourselves.
  20. Visit Santa at the mall (even if you already did this once).
  21. Start a holiday memory book. Quote your child and ask them what their favorite thing they had done (so far) was for the holidays. Record what they asked for from Santa. Take a picture of them for that year with their Santa gift.
  22. Print out a Holiday Coloring Page and color it.
  23. Make Christmas Crackers to put in each stocking. Take tissue paper and cover each toilet paper roll with it. Take ribbon and tie to close one end of the roll. Fill it with candies and confetti (if you wish). Tie the other end with ribbon and place these in each family member’s stocking. These can be opened on Christmas morning. To make them extra special, have your child write a note to each family member and tuck them inside. It will be a special surprise for everyone!
  24. Go to the library and pick out a movie to watch together as a family. Make homemade pizza and curl up together on the couch.
  25. Put together a box of items to donate and take your child with you to donate them. Ask them if they would like to contribute something that they have outgrown.

I hope that these ideas are a good start towards your Christmas Jar. Remember that these are the types of things that your child will remember and nothing in your jar necessarily has to cost you any money at all. Your child will long remember these times together and you will have created a memorable Christmas for the entire family. Happy Holidays!

Posted in Holidays | No Comments »

Powdered Milk & Christmas Drink Mixes

Monday, October 23rd, 2006

If you would have asked me a couple of years ago if I would ever prepare powdered milk, the answer would have been no. My mom tried to get us to drink this when we would run out of milk, as children, and I thought it tasted horrible. I can remember thinking that I would NEVER serve powdered milk to my children. I would NEVER shop at Aldi. I would NEVER be one of those moms…Guess what kind of mom I am? Guess which mother likes to remind me of what kind of mom I said I would not be and then became?

I have discovered the joys of powdered milk through one of my favorite resources…the great Hillbilly Housewife website. Miss Maggie offers a great tutorial explaining how to prepare powdered milk and the things that you can make from it.

The price of powdered milk is so much better than its fresh alternative. I can purchase a large four pound box for a mere $6.99 from Aldi Supermarket and it makes twenty quarts of milk. If I get fresh milk on sale, a real deal would be $1.50-2.50. The dry milk is a steady $1.40 per gallon, all year long, so dry milk is much friendlier on the wallet.

In the beginning, I bought the powdered milk to use when making my hot cocoa mixes. Then it sat there taking up space in my cupboards for a long time. Then this summer we discovered Magic Milkshakes and I found a new way to use up the milk.

As I was preparing dinner one night, I figured why not use powdered milk in my recipes? I mean, who could taste if the milk was powdered or not in my mashed potatoes or my waffle batter mix? The taste was essentially the same thing and so I thought it might be worth using for that. Sure enough, no one in my family suspected.

Since that worked out so well, I thought we could try it on our cereal (we were taking baby steps here!) and so I suggested this to my husband. The look I got from him was as if I had grown three heads, but he said he would try it, for the sake of my milk experiment. He found the taste to be “different” and said it had a bit of an aftertaste to it. He said he would be willing to drink this if he HAD to, but would rather not drink it. To me, it tasted similar to skim milk although I would still prefer the fresh alternative over the powdered stuff. It is more a mental thing than the fact that it tastes different. When mixed in my cocoa or in my food though, it performs just as the fresh milk would.

For the sake of your grocery budget, give powdered milk a try and see what your family thinks of it. Even if you end up just using it for cooking, the savings is worth it!

If you are looking for hot drink mixes to give away as Christmas gifts, many will include the infamous powdered milk. Here are a few recipes to get you started for the holidays!

Good Night Cafe

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and whir until finely ground. Store in an airtight container.2/3 cup powdered nondairy creamer1/3 cup instant coffee granules1/3 cup sugar1 tsp. ground cardamom1/2 tsp. cinnamon1/8 tsp. nutmegAttach to jar:Mix 1 tbs. into 8oz. boiling water.

Café Mocha

1 1/2 cups instant coffee granules1/4 cup each unsweetened cocoa, and powdered nondairy creamer6 tbs. confectionary sugarPlace all ingredients into a blender or food processor and whir until finely ground. Store in an airtight container.Attach to jar:Mix 1-2 tbs. into 3/4 cup boiling water.

Cinn-Mocha-Sation

1 cup powdered nondairy creamer3/4 cup sugar2/3 cup powdered dry milk1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa1/3 cup instant coffee granules1/4 cup brown sugar1 tsp. cinnamon1/4 tsp. each salt, and nutmegPlace all ingredients into a blender or food processor and whir until finely ground. Store in an airtight container.Attach to jar:Mix 1/4 cup into 3/4 cup boiling water.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate Mix

11 Cups powdered dry milk1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer2 1/2 cups confectionary sugar1 pound container of instant chocolate drink mixSimply mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container! Attach to jar:For a great cup of gourmet hot chocolate, measure out 3 heaping tablespoons of mix into your favorite mug, and add 6-8oz. boiling water! This recipe makes about 250 servings, and can be cut in half.

Malted Hot Chocolate

3 1/2 ounces of malted milk powder5 1/2 ounces of powdered non-dairy creamer1 pound of powdered dry milk1 pound of confectionary sugar14 ounces of instant chocolate drink mix8 ounces of mini marshmallowsStir and store! Attach to jar:Use 3 heaping tablespoons of mix to one mug of boiling water.

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Posted in Gifts | 13 Comments »

Birthday Party Ideas

Saturday, September 23rd, 2006

Build-A-Bear Birthday Party

Pawsome parties start at $10 per guest.  Every scheduled party (of six or more children) includes a party leader to keep your guests entertained throughout the party process, an autograph bear for the guest of honor, party favors for all guests, & printable invitations & thank you cards online.  The $10 price tag includes only the bear (outfits & accessories are not included). They do not allow food or drinks in their store, but most of the malls partner with restaurants, within the food court, and provide discounts on food for the parties. Call 1.877.789.BEAR, visit a store, or visit their website for more information.

Snip-its Birthday Party (for girls)

Snip-its Birthday Parties are fun for kids and easy for parents! Just choose the party that’s right for you, and let the experts at Snip-its do all the work. They provide all supplies, cake and juice, party favors, a special gift for the birthday girl, and a party organizer so you don’t have to lift a finger!  You can style a doll’s hair or have a glamour party, where Snip-its does glamour photos with braids & curls, nail polish, make-up, & dressy clothes. Choose your party package, then call them toll-free at (877) SNIP-ITS, or visit their website for more information.  Pricing is not listed on their website.

Little Gym

Kids love to have their parties at The Little Gym. Every party has the entire gym to themselves, and includes plenty of music, movement, games and fun, created especially for each child. Our facilities and staff are bright, cheerful and child-friendly. A party at The Little Gym is a no stress birthday party for parents, because we handle everything from invitations to clean-up. Kids have a blast and parents rest easy…awesome!

Oogles n Googles

Oogles n Googles offers unique and zany “all inclusive” themed kids birthday party packages. From set-up to clean up, we do the work so you don’t have to. Our birthday parties are activity-based and totally engaging for the children. Our kids parties will razzle and dazzle your guests and at the same time provide your child with an unbelievably memorable birthday party experience. They offer tons of themes  (for both boys & girls). A themed birthday party includes: two-hours of non-stop action led by two Oogles n Googles trained party professionals, postcard style invitations and thank you notes, a structured, well planned party full of imagination, games, and songs. Other services included are a themed Birthday Party Cake, plates, cups, napkins, and flatware, unique party favors that match the theme, and a souvenir photo for each of the children.

Mall of America

The Mall of America has several options for birthday parties (including the Build-a-Bear party listed above). Here are some of the other options for birthday parties:

The Park at MOATM

Birthday party packages include:

  • 5-hour unlimited ride wristband
  • Three arcade tokens
  • Your choice between a cupcake for each guest, or 30% off a decorated birthday cake from Mrs. Rich’s Bakery

The birthday child receives a birthday button and birthday club cards that allows the child to receive one free 6-point pass and three arcade tokens each month following their birthday for a year. The total cost per person is $17.95 and the minimum party size is four guests. No party reservations are needed. Simply purchase your birthday package at Guest Relations located on the second floor on the north side. If choosing the cake option for dessert, please remember to make your cake order 48 hours in advance.

Underwater Adventures® Aquarium in Mall of America

Birthday party package includes:

  • An all day aquarium admission for 10
  • Full-color invitations
  • 1.5 hours of reserved seating in Sharky’s Party Room with decorations, balloons, goody bags and more!
  • Personalized birthday cake and beverages
  • Hands-on activities with aquarium staff
  • A commemorative photo of the group

The birthday party package amounts to $295 for the first 10 guests and $15 per additional child and $10 per additional adult. If you are a member of Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, you save $30. To book your party today, call 952-853-0612.

The Dinosaur Walk Museum

The perfect place for a birthday party or any other kind of celebration. We provide the place (so you don’t have to clean your house). You won’t have to think up any games because we have fun stuff to do. You invite the guests and bring the cake, and we take care of everything else. We provide the dinosaurs, the activities, the dinosaur masks, and the party favors. We even clean up!

We can now offer a catered birthday party! We can provide pizza for up to 10 kids for $15.

We have two party options. To schedule your special occasion, call us at 952-854-6451. A $50 deposit is required for each birthday reservation.

Club Libby Lu at Mall of America

As the V.I.P. (Very Important Princess) birthday girl, you’ll get to choose a Style Studio Makeover. Then, when you and your friends arrive you will be transformed in the makeover of your choice. Each girl then custom designs their own party favors from Club Libby Lu’s “Pick a Mix.” The party continues with the “Wheel of Fame and Fortune Game.” Once each guest has been made over, you will form a musical party train and boogie down to the Club Libby Lu beat. Choose from three different package prices:

  • For $30/guest, the package includes accessories to complete the look, any five items from “Pick a Mix” in a backpack for you to keep and a Fancy Potion Pack or a Super Smooch Lip Gloss Kit.
  • For $25/guest the package includes accessories to complete the look, any five items from “Pick a Mix” in a backpack for you to keep and a “Create your own” Fancy Potion.
  • For $20/guest the package includes accessories to complete the outfit and any five items from “Pick a Mix” in a backpack for you to keep.

To book your party with Club Libby Lu at Mall of America, call 952-858-8550.

Rainforest Café

Book a Wild Bunch Birthday Bash and receive a free Rainforest character with the purchase of a Pacific Rainbow Icee served in the Rainforest’s collectible souvineer cup.

NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway

Compete with your friends and family racing over 200 M.P.H. in authentic NASCAR simulators on the Daytona Speedway. Great for all guests who are 52″ in height or taller. Specific dates and times can be confirmed with groups of five or more drivers. The birthday package includes the following:

  • Four races for the price of three at $19.95 each
  • A complimentary NASCAR driver’s license customized with each driver’s name

After hour parties are available for adult groups of 12 or more drivers. For complete details and availability, contact Sinda Schirra at 952-854-4308.
They also offer even more parties at Glamour, Claire’s, & the LEGO store. Visit this website for more details.
Burn rubber, not candles on your next birthday at the Mall’s famous NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway. Compete with your friends and family racing over 200 M.P.H. in authentic NASCAR simulators on the Daytona Speedway. Great for all guests who are 52″ in height or taller. Specific dates and times can be confirmed with groups of five or more drivers. The birthday package includes the following:

  • Four races for the price of three at $19.95 each
  • A complimentary NASCAR driver’s license customized with each driver’s name

After hour parties are available for adult groups of 12 or more drivers. For complete details and availability, contact Sinda Schirra at 952-854-4308.

For more information on other parties the Mall of America offers, please visit their website.

Michaels Arts & Crafts Store

Choose one of our 11 fun projects or work with our party planner to create one of your own. Our party planner will get everything ready and show the kids how to do each step of the projects. Every child will make something special to take home. Birthday packages are available for ages five through twelve. There is a non-refundable room fee ($25) due at the time of the party reservation. Project prices range between $6-10 per child.  A minimum of six children (which includes the birthday child) is required. Michaels includes, on their site, lots of great themed birthday cakes (to go along with the projects). Please visit their site for more information. Birthday party does not include paper products, cake, or refreshments, but they will clean up for you!

My Gym

A My Gym party includes two hours of nonstop fun (times vary on location), an experienced My Gym teacher who handles everything (including songs & games requested by the birthday child), & exclusive use of their facilities. They do all of the setting up, decorations, cleanup & service of refreshments. The party package includes up to twenty children, with an extra charge for additional children. Party favors are available, but do cost extra. Visit their website for more information.

Chuck E. Cheese’s

A Chuck E. Cheese birthday party includes a decorated table reserved for ninety minutes with party balloons, two slices of pizza with one topping per child plus drink, a birthday cake, sixteen tokens for each child, a birthday gift for the birthday child, a personal visit from Chuck E. Cheese, a host or hostess to wait on you, and a special birthday show performed by Chuck E. Cheese & his friends. Pricing varies by location. Please visit their website for more details.

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