How to Throw An At-Home Easter Shell-ebration

Throw an Easy At-Home Easter Party In 2020

by Lata Singh and Liz Grisham

You don’t need to bend over backward to throw a great Easter Party!

Here at LYFETYMES, we will be sharing some easy DIY Easter Planning options and services that can help you plan the party, decor, food, activities, Easter Baskets and create a Virtual Party for friends and family to join.

It’s not the size of the Celebration, it’s who you Celebrate with- Get your “Peeps” together!

Although 2020 has put many celebrations on hold or TBD. At LYFETYMES, we are committed to helping friends and family connect and celebrate. Having the ability to maintain those traditions we cherish with the family is important so we are all learning to adapt to how we celebrate because some milestones and Holidays can’t or won’t be rescheduled.

Stay Close, Even When You're Apart

Great news, is you can still throw a great At-Home party or celebration even if it is smaller than a usual gathering. We've made it super easy to create and share Virtual Parties on LYFETYMES, The All-In-One Party Planner, with free Celebration Websites that you can SMS, email, and share on Facebook. Stay connected and get the word out about your Virtual Party on Zoom, or live events on Facebook Live and YouTube Live.

Stay Close, Even When You're Apart

A virtual Easter party is a perfect opportunity to invite family and friends to celebrate, share well wishes and most importantly connect with one another.

Whether you are having a small At-Home Easter Celebration, a virtual party or both, Easter is the perfect excuse to have a party.

Delicious brunch food, Easter-filled baskets, lavish flowers, bright colors, fun crafts and games, and dare we say, undecided weather. As any good planner or mom knows, throwing a celebration to remember isn't as simple as waving your magic wand.

Pulling off an Egg'stra special party requires thoughtful arrangement, some thoughtful food prep, creative decorations and yep, even some crafty party games and activities to keep everyone, including antsy toddlers, entertained! After all, there's so much more to a Hoppy Easter Party than the bunny hop. The Egg'stra Special has distinctive details, like amusing centerpieces, activities that go way beyond color me happy, thoughtful take-home gifts, and elevated table decor. 

Is your head Hippity Hoppity yet?

Deep breath—we've got you covered.

Whether you have a small gathering or a big virtual family affair, throwing an Easter party is no small task. You can DIY and plan with our amazing free party planning tools on LYFETYMES or head to the LYFETYMES Vendor Marketplace for help planning, and styling your event. For the family & friends that can’t attend in person, LYFETYMES makes it easier to plan your event from curating decor, customizing your party website, and getting all of your virtual party links set up, so you can easily live-stream the kids’ Easter egg hunt and share it later when the day comes!

EGGS-Cellent Easter Decor

Decorations and FUN are key to a viewing party and keeping viewers engaged so they’re not just witnessing the third meltdown over stolen cake. Gorgeous shimmer walls, garland, balloons, and fun activities like watching the kids put together their carrot balloon animals and partaking in the traditional Easter egg hunt will be sure to put a smile on the faces of all your family and friends viewing. One of our party experts’ favorites are the Hoppity Easter Balloon Garland below and can be purchased here.

We also love these small budget-friendly at-home party sets designed by local artists for up to 10 people. We have a number of easy At-Home Party Sets that can be sent directly to your front door.

At- Home Easter Activities

We wanted to share and show some of our favorite indoor and backyard activities for Easter that the kids are sure to enjoy and make great memories.

One of the most popular traditional family Easter activities is the Easter egg hunt.  These days, it's the perfect excuse to get outside and use a little creativity! Plot a hunt that’s small-but-spirited for the little ones and if you are having a virtual party, keep your viewers engaged by allowing them to participate as well.

Setting up a kids station to keep the little ones occupied while the adults have a bit of time to catch up, allows you to get some screen time for yourself. Stocking it with activities like Easter arts and crafts and egg painting will keep the little ones busy. Studies show that slime has been linked to stress relief, so why not set up a slime- friendly station where the kids can make their own Easter-inspired slime. Below are some great visual ideas of activities for a fun-filled Easter.

Now let’s get comfy and grab some wine! Whether you prefer the Innovative digital party planning tools on LYFETYMES or prefer to collaborate 1:1 with your Hostessy party expert, we are here every step of the way to help organize everything you need, making preparing for Easter stress-free!

Party Planning Has Gone Digital in 2020 with LYFETYMES

LYFETYMES Digital Party Planning

We created LYFETYMES for busy parents, one place where they could manage and plan important moments and celebrations like Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, Graduations, Holidays, etc. As moms ourselves, we spend hours and days planning, we get it. We want to be able to save moms all over the world hours and days of stressful planning.

Another reason was to create a place to share tutorials, DIY Ideas, and support women and build a community of sharing. And we wanted it to be free.

Planning Has Never Been Easier

To us, planning a party is more than décor, that's why we created a Platform and Marketplace that is one-stop and will help you plan from ideation to memories. When you join our party, you will have free access to planning tools where you will be able to start planning in 30 seconds. Anyone that is the family or friend designated “Party Planner” knows there are many verticals to plan for.

Party Planning for The Future

Party Planning for birthdays, baby showers and Holidays. Plan any party for free. All in one party planner. Free event planning for any party. Easy party planning tools and checklists.

• Create Personalized Party Websites to text email your guests who can RSVP and get party details. LYFETYMES just launched where you can send a video, not just a picture, and we think it will really knock your guest's socks off!

• Celebration Dashboard-Easily to read dashboards to keep track of valuable information and updates, including countdown clocks.

• Invitation Station- Build easy email, mailing and texting lists, import previous guest lists or from your contacts, send invites, and track RSVPs. Save the Dates & Thank You notes.

• Inspiration Boards-Upload and share your favorite pictures to capture or inspire your vision for decor, cakes, themes, etc.

• Vendor & Venues- Your "Party Motherboard" of all the things you may need for a party all in one place!

• Registry & Gift Board- Create wishlist’s or add registry URL's that can be shared with guests or begin a new registry with your favorite store.

• Planning & Tools- Interactive checklists, add and track to-do's, assign tasks, and due dates. Assign your celebration a budget and track spending.

• Food, Drink & Dessert Center- It's the center of every celebration! You can order catering, book a restaurant, order food delivery or DIY grocery lists – it's all in one place!

• Decoration Center- Browse decorations based on the occasion, purchase from top suppliers, or get inspiration for your celebration!

Hostess With The Mostess

Are you hosting for someone? Maybe a graduation party or baby or bridal shower? With LYFETYMES, you can send your Guest Of Honor a link to help personalize the celebration with a limited view (so you don't give all the details away!). That way, they can help with invites or provide registry information or theme favorites.

We know that not every day is a party, but it's still important to remember someone's birthday, anniversary, or any special day. To keep all those dates organized, we created LYFEMINDERS: You pick the day, and we will send you a reminder so you can send your love.

You can even plan multiple celebrations at the same time and access past parties to reuse tools and information like previous invite lists to make LYFE easier!

To Infinity and Beyond!

As we grow LYFETYMES, we will continue to share party ideas via our blog. So you can bring a party together quickly with the latest insights around themes when it comes to décor, food, games and activities, and everything party. Hopefully, make some friends, collaborate, and have some laughs along the way!

LYFETYMES Your Celebration Platform and Marketplace

We are committed to eliminating the pain points in planning celebrations and the stress that comes with it. We want to enable you to spend more time with your family and friends enjoying the moment and less time sweating over the details.

Here at LYFETYMES, we want to hear from you as far as the information you want to learn about. With the holidays fast approaching we will have a ton to share with each other, and we can’t wait to start Celebrating all of the milestones in LYFE with you.

Please feel free to reach out to us directly at katie@lyfetymes.com if you have feedback, ideas, or just want to connect. We have BIG things coming for the rest of the year and can't wait to share them.

Keep Partying,

Katie Founder & CEO LYFETYMES

Best Back to School Party Ideas

Back to School Party Ideas

Can you possibly imagine that summer is ending and it’s almost the beginning of the school year? It seems every year that the start date creeps a little closer and closer and the summers get shorter and shorter. Most parents are going through some range of emotions: A child starting kindergarten for the first time; entering a middle school; a first-year high school student or a senior preparing for adulthood. No matter where you are in the circle of life, it's normal for parents to feel anxious with any changes coming to their child's routine or environment.

So the good news is we are all going through this emotional roller coaster together. And yes, it’s a roller coaster: the other side of the coin is the guilty exhilaration we parents feel with back to school; doing cartwheels of freedom; full time accredited child supervision; grocery bill going in half by not having to feed "human food inhalers."

But the more significant point should be, it's a milestone, and it's worth celebrating. It is essential our children feel loved, excited, and confident going back into school and we are a part of that ecosystem.

To help navigate these waters for parents AND your kids, we wanted to share some of our favorite Back to School/end of Summer Party ideas to celebrate another year passing and another milestone beginning, So before you go, Saber that Champagne bottle, we put together a list of fun ideas to wrap this summer up! Also, head over to LYFETYMES Pinterest page for over 60,000 Party Ideas and Themes.

Slumber Parties and Camping Under the Stars

Sleepovers are a great way to bring kids back together and help them keep reacquainted after a long summer. They help keep friendships intact to ease those "first day of school" nerves. Host a Spa Party for girls to give some well-needed pampering before going back to school. We have great DIY inexpensive ideas and hacks from cucumber slices, facials, DIY Mani and Pedis, and more. https://blog.lyfetymes.com/home/slumber-party

Host a Camping or Glamping party, timing is great before we head into fall and then winter and nothing bonds friends more than stories by a campfire, making smores and gazing at the stars. Check out our favorites here https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/camping-birthday-party/ Highly recommend pitching a tent and asking the kids to bring a sleeping bag and pillow. Even if you have it inside, there is nothing better than building an indoor fort!

New Adventure Class Party

If you have a youngster that still has a teacher and same class most of the day, you usually know who the teacher and kids in the class are prior to school beginning. Those are the children who most of your kids will be with most of their time. Arrange a "Back to School" party or "Meet & Greet" at the local park for a picnic with the kids. Think of it as a large organized play date. Have each parent bring a treat that wants to participate. Trust me, and these parents can really help you in a jam and its since classmates usually change every year, nice for your little one to know some familiar faces Day 1 of school.

Too Cool for School

This is fun for pre-teen/ teen kids who can be awkward and goofy and probably the most nervous about school. This age is also the age where you as a parent may not realize that adorable angel that said "I love you" every second, may morph into Satan's little helper at times no matter what you do. So while you are trying to help "kid network" like you would a LinkedIn even, you can also go on recon for who is going to be around them. Get their guard down by organizing an activity like Skating- 80's neon theme- bonus they won't be on their phones on skate due to fear of dropping their precious ring, I mean phone. Get neon inspired ideas at https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/80s-party-ideas/

"Backpack Bash"

This can be done with friends, family, or classmates. All the kids bring backpacks, and each parent is responsible for bringing one supply from those god-awful supply lists kiosk at a Walmart that looks like it's been ransacked as if it had free money in it. Have the kids hand them out the supplies or trade t with each other. Makes a great scavenger hunt or treasure hunt activity by providing each child the list and clues or a map. It does take a bit to organize, but if you use www.lyfetymes.com – it will be painless to pull your party and school items together. Remember its all about the experience and building confidence and social skills and having fun doing it.

Coachella Party, Festival or Fair

The end of summer can be a great time to hold a festival, fair, or carnival. A great reason to bring a community together, and have a fundraiser for a great cause.

So many DIY inspirations and parents are eager to help. It can set a fun, positive tone for your group and school and become an annual event.

You can split it up in age-friendly groups k-5 Farmers Market Fair, Grade 5-8 Carnival and High School age Coachella. Fun activities ring toss, face-painting, and crafts. As well, you can help keep families cool in hot weather by renting a blow-up water slide and offering items such as shaved ice and water toys. Check out amazing Coachella ideas at https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/coachella-theme-party/

Planning a Back to School Party?

Planning a party can be stressful and time-consuming, and that's why we created LYFETYMES. LYFETYMES is Your All-In-One FREE Digital Party Planner. We will help you plan your perfect Back to School party stress-free so you can soak up every moment. Start Party Planning in 30 seconds: Create a Party Website, manage guests & track RSVPs, add a registry, shop for decor, make food and items lists, add Co-Hosts to help, and more! You will never know how you did it before LYFETYMES. Follow us for the latest party ideas and trends at here.

Blume Dolls All the Rage for 2019

What is the Blume Doll Toy Trend?

Blume collectible dolls are flower pots that "sprout" dolls when you add water to them. They are adorable and colorful, and children love them! Blume Dolls originate from parent company Skyrocket Toys. They’ve the brand behind Pomsies and Grumblies, for example. Blume Dolls Series 1 will include 22 different dolls (some are rare, and others are ultra rare-oh Pokemon days), Series 2 and # are already on their website with the caption “Coming Soon.”

• They are being called the Hottest Toy of 2019

• After much anticipation, they will finally available for purchase, and we imagine they will be flying off shelves, so act fast (see our Amazon Blue Buys Below)

• Get ready for Blume Parties and Blume Halloween and Blume Christmas Presents

Why are Blume Dolls the Toy of 2019?

Here is Blume’s Value Proposition from their website https://blumedolls.com/

My opinion? Outside of an adorable and cute concept, kids love the experience of surprise and collectibles like Blume. What parents like about Blume: It's fast, easy and won't break the bank. It's mess-free, stress-free and pot becomes part of the toy — something your child can even personalize and decorate! Price ranges around $10 per Blume (see below to buy on Amazon, also purchase at Walmart & Target. Pre-Sale until 8/1/2019).

I need the Blume Dolls 101

Here is what we know:

Blume Dolls as stated “grow” out of their flowerpot in around ten quick seconds.

Once Sprinkled, up comes one surprise doll with colorful foam-like hair (rainbow color, flowers, crystals embedded, and more).

The hair is soft, squishy, and foamy. You can remove the foam hair and clothes and mix-and-match with other dolls.

• There are ten different surprises in each pot

• Each doll also comes with her very own accessories: a pet, purse, watering can, etc.

• Every doll comes with a miniature friend that’s a cute accessory with eyes.

• Once your Blume doll “blooms,” the flower pot can be used as a play-set to stash and carry doll and accessories.

The Official Blume Doll Checklist:

Blume Doll Types, Blume Doll Options, Blume Doll’s

There are 4 different varieties you can get (with their 22 names!)

1. Mystical (Leilani is the one to get!)

2. Super Rare (Skye, Gemma, Cleo, Kit)

3. Rare (Lola, Poppy, Sierra, Cora, Roxy, Reese, Valerie)

4. Adorable (Sedonna, Tess, May, Mandy, Nori, Alana, Tate, Celine, Cammie, Krystal)

Here is where Blume Dolls can be purchased on Amazon, I would buy in advance, since it’s being predicted as a craze!

Planning a Blume Party?

Go to www.lyfetymes.com to plan an epic party for any occasion and follow us for more Blume updates and Blume party ideas!

This is your P.S.A- you’re welcome!

4th of July Party Ideas for 2020

July 4th Party Planning Trends

July 4th is upon us, and one of the most important times of year to bring friends and family together and we want to help you plan and celebrate America's birthday in the best way possible. It’s the perfect time to throw an outdoor BBQ get-together and show your American Spirit. So let’s get Red, White and Blue cover some great themes, food, and activities to knock your guest's socks off and have the party everyone is talking about!

Planning: Plan Every Aspect of Your Party for Free

LYFETYMES can help you plan your perfect July 4th Celebration stress-free so you can soak up every moment with your guests. Start Stress-Free Planning in 30 seconds to send invitations, food planning menus, track RSVPs, get decor, and more! Follow us for the latest party ideas and trends at https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/

What's more, using LYFETYMES is like having your own party planner, easy to plan any party end to end...which means you can put together any party, no matter how little time you have.

4th of July Party Décor

Decorating for your 4th of July party is simple: stick to red, white, and blue. The American flag makes the perfect backdrop for photos or food displays, work it into your decorations whenever possible. Check out our Patriotic Pinterest page here https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/4th-of-july-party-ideas/ for over 1,000 amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing! Pin those ideas to your free LYFETYMES Inspiration Board for your Party.

DIY PRO TIP-DIY Knot bandannas to create a spirited streamer!

Broad stripes and bright stars make easy decorations. Get your DIY creative on and make American flag-print bandannas. Just tie the ends together and string them from tree to tree or above the food table. You can use them with Tablescapes and food displays. A bandanna runner adds rugged country charm -- and slips right off the next day. Here are some easy Decor options, and save them for every Red, White, & Blue Occasion! Here are some of my favorites and paper lanterns are a game changer!

WOW FACTOR: 4th of July

In the mood for some easy WOW FACTOR? One of our favorites is Painted Lawn Stars or Sidewalk Stars. Wow guests with this DIY project that will only take you minutes to complete. Cut out star shapes from old cardboard and use red, white, and blue temporary spray paint that you can use on grass or sidewalk. Also a cool lighted display will stand out in the evening!

Decorations for Your 4th of July Party

Table Spirit: 4th of July centerpieces are also a great way to display patriotic party favors. Mix different sizes of American flags and pinwheels in a bucket. It's a bright and colorful display, and the guests can use them during the celebration!

4th of July Menu Ideas

Your July 4th food menu should feature some pretty simple classics. Maximize your time outdoors by cooking almost everything on a grill. Buying all the ingredients for a party can be expensive and time-consuming.  Here are some ideas that we love for guests:

DIY PRO TIP: "You Bring It, We Grill It” style potluck. Each guest brings their favorite grilling item or a side to share. https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/bbq-party/

Small Grill or Kitchen? No Problem- Have each Guest bring their favorite famous outdoor family appetizer- people love to show off and share their secret recipes!

Bake OFF!

Have everyone bring a Red-White-Blue dessert, it is fun and makes an instant Dessert Bar that is an Instagram worthy picture! Give a small traveling trophy that gets passed around each year- like that Statue of Liberty replicas you get at JFK Airport.

S'mores Favors

This delicious party favor does double duty as dessert. You can hand out the jars at the end of the night as Thank You’s or the toast at firework time. Remember you can usually find the Red, white and blue marshmallows at this time.

Let Guests Know What's on the Menu

The gift that keeps giving for every party you will have. Paint a big piece of plywood with black chalkboard paint for a professional-looking board. Then list out what you are serving. Devil in the details.

Drinks to Celebrate Independence Day

A great drink setup is essential to any party for a cocktail or mocktail? In addition to your drink offerings, create a signature cocktail for your event. There so many red, white, and blue drinks to DIY from adding red and blue Jello Ice cubes to layering colors in equal parts, to adding star cut watermelon and blueberries- all are refreshing, delicious, and completely on-theme. The recipe picture here https://www.pinterest.com/pin/858146903977296623/

4th of July Party Fun & Games

Not fireworks time or not allowed to have them, you can fake it with confetti-filled balloon bombs. Create firecracker favors out of kid-friendly Party Poppers that shoot out confetti and streamers. Check our https://www.pinterest.com/lyfetymes/4th-of-july-party-ideas/ for all the DIY Poppers and confetti balloon ideas.

No Pool? Give it up for Water Balloons! Especially fitting for a fun cool-down on a toasty day, a water balloon bin can spark some friendly competition and hilarious sneak attacks. Buy them in red, white, and blue colors.

PATRIOTIC PHOTO BOOTH

Give your guests something fun to do, Instagram fun and memorializes the celebration with fun photo booth props. Check out some of our favorites below on Amazon.


PRO Tip: NO-SEW AMERICAN FLAG PHOTO BACKDROP

Finally, a use for all the scrap fabric and ribbons in your crafting area! A backdrop takes less than 30 minutes to make and will be one of the most popular stations at your party, mix in some white string lights for a great night time picture!

4th of July Party Ideas for Kids

Kids Attending? Having a great kid's creative table is essential for any party. Sport your patriotic pride with the red, white, and blue friendship flag, where the kids can create something for their parents to take home with their hand print on it.

Music: Create A Summer Song List for Your 4th of July

No party is complete without some music! Keep your playlist upbeat for the daytime, and switch to a more mellow mood when evening comes around. Here’s a pretty stellar list shared with us for Patriotic Holidays.

https://mashable.com/2014/07/01/fourth-of-july-playlist-spotify/

Look the Part! 4th of July-Inspired Outfits

Above all, make memories and have a great time. LYFE is short, Celebrate the Good TYMES!

Here’s a few more notable items we love on Amazon for a 4th of July Party! 

So there you have it! We hope this inspired you to plan an epic 4th of July party for your friends and family!