There comes a time in every young girls life when they want to have their first slumber / sleepover party.  If you take the time to do some planning, and preparation, you will be well on your way to organising the perfect sleepover.

There are some key elements to any good party.  Food, drink and entertainment are important when you have groups of people getting together, whether it’s just a few girls, or the whole gang! The right environment is important too.  For example, you are more likely to have a successful slumber party if the girls have room to spread out and don’t have to worry about privacy, or making too much noise.  Most kids bedrooms aren’t large enough to accommodate a group of friends comfortably, so you may need to give up the living room or family room in the name of fun.

Let’s get back to food. Everyone knows that sleepover party equals junk food.  While not good for you all the time a little bit of junk food at a party can be rewarding. Have a good selection of treats on hand for all different tastes and appetites.  Crisps and popcorn are always a hit. Try to limit the sweets though, as you don’t want the kids up until 4 a.m. when they finally crash from their sugar high. Pizza is popular with almost everyone and is a lesser evil when it comes to junk food.  It will fill the kids up too, making them snack a bit less.

What about drinks? Again, you will probably want to stay away from the sugar as much as possible, but I haven’t been to a slumber party yet where everyone wanted to drink water.  Splurge for the soda, and look at it as a once in a while treat.  Supply a variety of fizzy drinks and juices, and who knows, you may just find a kid that actually prefer water.

Entertainment is key. You’ll want to have one or two activities planned to keep everyone busy and involved. This will be especially helpful if you have one or more kids that are on the shy side. You may plan a craft, have a few movies for the kids to watch, or they may want to play games. Ask your child before hand what she wants, and have some back ups ready just in case.

A slumber party / sleepover party is a rite of passage for a girl. With the right supplies and some planning, you can ensure that her slumber party will be a hit.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers and readers of our blog a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As always we have been very busy this year improving our parties and website. Since January this year we have added 4 new parties to our range (making a total of over 16 to choose from now). We have also added an aditional 7 items that you can “bolt on” to your party, helping to make your pamper party even more special.

In 2011 our website also underwent a massive update. Now you can book and pay for your parties online. Also new is our blog. Our blog covers a wide range of topics from party hints and tips to great party food recipes. We have over 65 articles to read and many free invitations that you can download and print as many times as you choose. With even more articles being added every month and no plans to stop it is no wonder that our site is viewed over 20,000 times a month! In addition we have some very exciting news coming in January of 2012.

Once again thank you for your custom this year, we hope Father Christmas brings you everything you wish for and we hope to see you again in 2012.

Treasure Hunt

A great kids party idea for the younger set is a treasure hunt. Party materials are readily available at almost any party store. Props you may use for a treasure hunt could be a homemade treasure chest, chocolate wrapped coins, and pirate patches and newspaper hats. Leave clues around the house or in the garden (depending on the time of year and weather)for the children to follow and lead them to the treasure chest.

Hawaiian Theme

Another fun idea for the younger ones is a Hawaiian theme. You can purchase inexpensive grass skirts and lei’s at the pound shop, and the kids can all come in their swimsuits. Kids party ideas don’t need to be complicated, just fun and imaginative! For food you could serve Hawaiian pizza and pineapple juice and play Hawaiian music. Then have a hula contest and watch them laugh!

Craft / Art Party

A fun kids party idea suitable for all ages is an art party. You need an age appropriate craft to do, little ones can finger paint or paint on a small canvas, and older children can do a more elaborate art project with clay or paint on a larger scale. The birthday cake can be in the shape of an artist’s pallet and party favors could be a good set of brushes or art supplies.

Garden party

If the weather permits a garden party is easy and fun.  Set up an age appropriate obstacle party in your garden and set the kids loose. You can also set up a limbo station, have some water balloon fights, and a good old fashioned game of tag will keep everyone entertained and laughing. Serve drinks and cake outside as well for easy cleanup.

Colour Party

A final kids party idea that is suitable for all ages is a colour party. Let your child pick a colour and run with it! Buy party accessories and decorate to suit the theme, and likewise with the cake and snacks if possible. If your theme is purple for example, you can buy grape soda for a drink and keep purple food coloring on hand if anyone wants water or a light coloured drink. Party bags can also be coordinated, and don’t forget to tell your guests to dress in the theme color.

With a little imagination you can make this year’s party perfect. Please come back soon as we will be adding another 5 great party ideas shortly.

In this tutorial we are going to create another festive nail design. This design is a little easier than the snowman design (see previous tutorial). Once finished this holly nail design will go perfectly with any Christmas party outfit!

Prepare your nails

Apply a base coat

Paint on the first holly leaf

Add another holly leaf

The finishing touches

In this tutorial we are going to create another festive nail design. This design is a little easier than the snowman design (see previous tutorial).

Prepare your nails

Apply a base coat

Start with the berries

Make the stem

That’s it!

Girls Christmas Party Ideas – Theme

Every good party has a theme. The theme is what everything else is based on and how you can coordinate colours, designs, and even things like food and activities. For Christmas there are a huge number of themes that can create a fantastic party. Some of the most popular are a cookie exchange, trim-the-tree and movie night. A cookie exchange requires each guest to bring a different kinds of cookies (6 for each invited guest) divided into individual bags that can be exchanged during the party. For a trim-the-tree party each guest can provide an ornament (see activities) and throughout the party the Christmas tree is decorated. A movie night is a crowd-pleasing party of refreshments and friends watching seasonal movies. Choose your theme first, it can even just be “Christmas” if you want to be more open, and base everything else around it for a pulled-together party.

Christmas Party Invitations

Invitations should set the tone for the whole party. Making your own invitations is a fun way to create a personalized note to your guests so that they know exactly what is in store. To make adorable and effective invitations choose a Christmas shape, such as an ornament, gingerbread cookie or Christmas tree and cut them out of card. Use glitter and other embellishments to decorate one side and then print out the information for the party onto another piece of paper and glue it to the other side. Make sure your invitation includes the date and time of the party, where it will be held and any instructions for your guests (such as bring cookies).

Festive Food and Drink

A party isn’t a party without food and drinks. Plan to have several types of food that can be eaten easily so that people will continue to have fun while eating. Try incorporating seasonal flavors or decorating your food so that it looks like a familiar christmas item. Sparkling non alcoholic punch, egg nog and cranberry juice are popular, seasonal drink choices.

Christmas Party Activities

Keep your party going with planned activities such as dancing, crafts or your cookie exchange. A cookie exchange simply consists of everyone placing their cookies on a table and everyone picking up a bag of everyone else’s kind. It helps if the bags are labelled so everyone knows what they are getting. For a trim-the-tree party it is fun to make ornaments that will be put on the tree. Before the party cut out shapes from foam, or make shapes using dough and cookie cutters and allow to dry, add holes at the top and hangers and then provide guests with embellishments, paint and glue. Let everyone create their own ornaments then set aside to dry for the rest of the party. At the end decorate the tree. It is also fun during a Christmas party to provide a craft that can be used as a gift. Providing Christmas-themed beads and nylon string or elastic is a great way for guests to make necklaces or bracelets that can later be given as gifts.

Thank You Notes

After your party you will want to thank your guests for coming and participating in your activities. A fun way to do this is to take pictures throughout the party and send one, along with a personalized note, to each guest.

As you can see a Christmas party doesn’t have to be like a party you would hold at any other time of the year. Make the most of the opportunity and give your party a Christmas theme and spread a bit of festive joy amongst your friends.

1. Jewellery

This present is mostly the teens and upwards solely because of the delicate nature of jewellery. When you give a girl a necklace, ring, or even a pair of earrings, they are meant to last forever and there is nothing more wonderful than providing a present that will never be forgotten.

2. Digital Camera

Women are notorious for photographing family moments and family events so that they can be placed in photo albums for future reference. Digital cameras are a great way to provide ease and efficiency when it comes to putting together that family album.

3. Gift Cards

A lot of people do not like giving gift cards as a Christmas present but sometimes it may prove to be the best and/or only option. A lot of girls are picky when it comes to choosing clothing, accessories, or even their makeup and so it is beneficial for the giver to present them with a gift card that allows them to buy whatever they want from their favorite stores. You can also purchase mall gift cards which allows them to spend the allotted money on whatever store in the mall they wish to spend it in.

4. Dress Up Costumes

You can never go wrong with purchasing dress up clothes! Whether they want to be princesses awaiting prince charming or a character from Harry Potter, there are so many dress up choices for you to choose from.

5. Teen Pop Movies

If your teenager has been showing a keen interest in your movie collection but has found that there are no teen pop movies available for her use, buy her some of her own! Movies such as Hannah Montana or even Prom are great additions to a teenagers movie collection.

Christmas shopping is one of the best times of the year and it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a lot of gifts available for women of all ages, as long as you know the person that you are buying for, you will be able to give them the perfect gift.

With all of the party themes and ideas out there, it can be difficult to choose which would be the perfect one for your celebration. A perfect idea for a girl’s party– especially one in the sometimes-awkward preteen years but really at any age– is a spa day ( girls spa parties). Girls Spa Parties are a fun alternative to other themes that may seem childish or over-done.

Throwing a glamorous day of pampering for a group of girls is not only exciting, but it can be pulled together quickly and easily, often with things you already have around the house.

Girls Spa Parties – Deep Moisturizing Facial

Start your party with a facial that will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth and smelling wonderful. Wash your face first and then apply this facial in a gentle but firm circular motion, relax for a few minutes (now is a great time to do the hand soak!) then rinse thoroughly. If the scrub remains on the skin, wash with a very gentle cleanser. This facial scrub can also be used as an all-over body scrub for a delicious glow.

• Olive oil (known both for its moisturizing and antibacterial properties, olive oil has been used for beauty treatments for thousands of years)
• Honey (helps skin hold onto moisture and also acts as an antibacterial)
• Granulated sugar (a natural, gentle but effective exfoliant)
• Vanilla (for the wonderful smell…optional)
• Blend all ingredients into a thick paste

Girls Spa Parties – Hand Srub and Soak

Beautiful hands are important to girls of any age. This hand scrub and soak will soften even the driest skin.

• Petroleum jelly (created for deep moisture that is held maintained by the skin)
• Honey
• Sugar
• Milk
• Gentle liquid hand wash
• Olive oil
• Lotion
• Begin by covering hands thoroughly with petroleum jelly and letting sit for at least 30 seconds
• Blend the next three ingredients into a paste and scrub into the hands for at least 30 seconds, allowing the sugar to exfoliate your skin
• Use the liquid hand wash to remove all of scrub and dry your hands
• Warm the olive oil to a comfortable temperature and soak your hands for three minutes
• Wash again, dry and apply a light lotion

Relaxing Pedicure

Even though they aren’t seen very often, having well cared-for feet does wonders in making a girl feel pretty all over. At your girls spa party this pedicure will relax you and make your feet ready for strappy sandals–or flip flops.

• Warm water
• Epsom salts (known for their relaxing properties)
• Eucalyptus essential oil (the blend of these oils is very calming)
• Spearmint essential oil
• A pumice stone (a lightweight, porous stone used for exfoliating the skin)
• The sweet scrub used for facials
• Gentle body wash
• Petroleum jelly
• Thick white cotton socks (colored socks will stain the feet)
• Soak the feet in warm water with salts and essential oils for 10-15 minutes
• Scrub feet with the pumice stone, concentrating on the heels and anywhere where your feet have become rough
• Use the scrub and then wash thoroughly with body wash
• Dry thoroughly and apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly
• Put on the socks and allow the warmth to soften the skin

Girls Spa Party – Glamorous Make-Over

Even the youngest of girls can enjoy a little touch of glamour with a pampering make-over. Provide a selection of make up products appropriate for the girls’ age group and let them experiment, or act as their personal make up artist and give each a pretty look to finish up the spa day.

• Very young girls can use tinted lip balm and shimmer powder
• Slightly older girls can add glitter and lip gloss
• Home party-style make up distributors love doing make-over parties and can provide plenty of samples in various types of make up for teenage and adults enjoying a spa day.

A girls spa party is a relaxing, rewarding way to celebrate any special occasion, or just add a touch of glamour to a sleep over.

If you are organising your own girls spa party remember to check for allergies before you begin and also ensure that you use age appropriate products.

However, if the thought of organising  girls spa parties seems a little daunting you can always give us a call and let us take care of every aspect of you party – after all it’s what we do !

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is an amazing story for girls aged 10-14 solely because it tells a true tale of friendship. Over the course of the summer, 4 friends go their separate ways and spend their vacation on opposite parts of the world. Unfortunately since they can’t be together, they instead decide to share a special pair of pants, a pair of pants that fits every single one of the girls although they are all different heights and sizes. The pair of pants signifies that their friendship is everlasting and they genuinely help each and every one of the girls to overcoming some trying times that they may have during their vacation. For a heartwarming tale of true friendship, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is perfect.

Sleepover

Although the title mostly speaks for itself, Sleepover is an amazing film for any teens who are looking to have a little extra fun. A few girl friends decide that on the last day before summer begins, they will have a sleepover. Needless to say, they end up getting themselves involved in a scavenger hunt all over the city and that’s just where it starts to get interesting. Julie Corky, the main character, finds that she has fallen in love with a boy and he’s a part of the scavenger list and so this movie is full of laughs, tears, and craziness as the girls attempt to finish this scavenger hunt to win the best lunch spot in their high school.

Freaky Friday

Not only is Freaky Friday perfect for teens but it’s perfect for parents as well! With Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, mother turns into daughter and vice versa…literally. Watch as the movie unfolds as a 17 year old girl is forced to act like her mother and a 40 year old woman is forced to act like her 17 year old daughter after switching bodies from a magical spell put on them in a Chinese restaurant. This movie is sincerely perfect for the whole family, not to mention that there are an abundance of morals to be learned.

What a Girl Wants

Amanda Bynes really wants to meet her father…who just happens to be British royalty. Go on this amazing trip with her to find her father in the luxurious city of London and see just how her life changes before her eyes. After the absence of him in her life, she realizes that it’s time to finally meet the other half of her life and with the amount of plot twists and hilarity, What a Girl Wants is a perfect sleepover movie.

So, if you are looking for the perfect movie for a girls night in or slumber party, you can’t go too wrong with one ( or two) of the above films.  Just remember to stock up on the popcorn!