Princess Tea Party

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I just threw my daughter her first birthday party. She's four, but it was her first birthday party since that's what happens when you are the middle child with your birthday ten days after Christmas. Invitations were addressed to Princess (or Knight) __________ . Guests included 7 little princesses, two knights and a monkey.

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Decorations/supplies:

• For the party table, I used two same size ikea tables supporting a long board covered with butcher block paper drawn with hearts. When it came time to eat, we covered the paper with a pink paper table cloth.
• "Tea cups" were red expresso cups and saucers from Cost Plus.
• Plates were white ceramic, 12 for $16 from Cost Plus. I liked the idea of not using paper and I think my kids are ready for everyday ceramic plates instead of the plastic baby plates they've been using.
• Twenty helium balloons and 15 balloons filled up by my husband and his garage air compressor.

Games/Activities:

• When the party guests arrived they joined the birthday girl making bracelets out of pink (black for boys) pipe cleaners and wide holed beads and bells.
• First game was pin the lips on the frog. I searched on google for images of a frog prince and then painted one ontoa board covered in butcher block paper. I traced lips and had my six year old son cut them out. Everyone was a winner, as the frog liked all their "kisses."
• I found a Disney princess calendar, cut it up and taped the pictures down in a big circle on my floor. We played the music and had the kids dance until the music stopped. Then they found the nearest princess and stood on her as I pulled the small pictures from the back of the calendar out of a hat. We played until everyone won.
• Tea in teapots was served with tea sandwiches that included turkey and cranberry, turkey and butter, cream cheese and cucumber, and peanut butter and jelly. Cheese and apples, cubed and stuck with toothpicks and grapes were on the side.
• Cupcakes were served and the kids spread their own icing and spooned on their own sprinkles.
• I had hoped to order a Cinderella costume online and have our neighbor babysitter dress up and arrive half way through the party but never got around to it in time. Next party perhaps....