Brush-a-brush, brush those teeth!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Chuck E Cheese 5th Birthday Success!
Today, my first born daughter turns five. She's been acting like a "big girl" for years now (yes years), but it's finally starting to feel official. Nail polish, lip gloss, tights, skirts and fancy dancing fills the air. I smile at her blossoming girlieness... I miss my cuddly baby. They all grow up one day and it's her day. Five here we come and we're celebrating with a party!
While I had initially planned to do it up big style for her 5th birthday, I gradually came off that idea and wanted to do something manageable. I didn't want a party at the house and after searching children's museums and other possible locations in the city, my husband simply recommended....Chuck E. Cheese. "Chuck E. Cheese?!," I squealed, "I CAN'T STAND Chuck E. Cheese." Of all my adult memories of Chuck E. Cheese NONE of them were particularly good (my childhood memories were of love for Chuck E. Cheese). Screaming poor-behaving kids, crowded game floor, hectic, just hectic. I didn't want my daughter's 5-year-old birthday party to be hectic.
But my husband reminded me that she loved Chuck E. Cheese. It is her party after all. I thought about it and I knew he was right. She would love it and at the end of the day, that's what really matters.
From the moment I told her she was having her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese I knew it was the right decision. She lit up with joy. She reminded me how much she loves Chuck E (the mouse). She couldn't wait to see him. She was so very excited. We bought her a very special big girl outfit, had her big sister do her nails and toes in pink polish topped in glitter, whipped up a fancy big girl hairstyle and off we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate her 5th birthday with family.
The place was hectic, but my birthday girl (my birthday star) had so much fun, that it was all worth it. Some of the many highlights:
The games: I rarely saw the birthday girl during the party she was so busy running around with her cousins playing games. While the games and "rides" seem so simple to me, they seem to suit her fancy just fine.
Chuck E.: She just loves Chuck E and the moment he hit the floor she ran to him like a lost relative.
Our hostess: I don't even remember her name, but she was awesome. She worked great with the kids, she kept the birthday girl happy and was always smiling. She was perfect. I could not have asked for a better hostess.
It was a great day and I knew that my birthday girl had a wonderful 5th birthday. Happy 5th birthday Miss Saada!
Thinking of a party at Chuck E. Cheese? Here are a few tips that can help it be as successful as possible. If not, give it a thought and consider the below.
1. Go early. We had a 2:30 party and that was too late. 11:00 is probably ideal. The place will be less crowded and you'll be happier.
2. When reserving space, err on the high side. Depending on how much space you reserve, you may have to pay a minimum regardless of how many people show up, but it's best to have more space than less. We reserved space for 50, while maybe half showed up. In the end we may have paid for 1 or 2 kids that didn't show and it was worth it to have the space to spread out.
3. If you can get it, reserve space by the wall with booths for the parents. Being in the middle of the floor can be pretty tight.
4. Bring coupons. Chuck E. Cheese has coupons online that can help with purchasing additional food (for the adults) and tokens. We were able to use two of our coupons while at the party.
5. Play the Ticket Blaster online game. You can win 30 tickets for each game you play. I played about 10 times before the party and brought the printouts to give to guests as they left to redeem their tickets on the way out.
While I had initially planned to do it up big style for her 5th birthday, I gradually came off that idea and wanted to do something manageable. I didn't want a party at the house and after searching children's museums and other possible locations in the city, my husband simply recommended....Chuck E. Cheese. "Chuck E. Cheese?!," I squealed, "I CAN'T STAND Chuck E. Cheese." Of all my adult memories of Chuck E. Cheese NONE of them were particularly good (my childhood memories were of love for Chuck E. Cheese). Screaming poor-behaving kids, crowded game floor, hectic, just hectic. I didn't want my daughter's 5-year-old birthday party to be hectic.
But my husband reminded me that she loved Chuck E. Cheese. It is her party after all. I thought about it and I knew he was right. She would love it and at the end of the day, that's what really matters.
From the moment I told her she was having her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese I knew it was the right decision. She lit up with joy. She reminded me how much she loves Chuck E (the mouse). She couldn't wait to see him. She was so very excited. We bought her a very special big girl outfit, had her big sister do her nails and toes in pink polish topped in glitter, whipped up a fancy big girl hairstyle and off we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate her 5th birthday with family.
The place was hectic, but my birthday girl (my birthday star) had so much fun, that it was all worth it. Some of the many highlights:
The games: I rarely saw the birthday girl during the party she was so busy running around with her cousins playing games. While the games and "rides" seem so simple to me, they seem to suit her fancy just fine.
Chuck E.: She just loves Chuck E and the moment he hit the floor she ran to him like a lost relative.
The Ticket Blaster: The machine had everyone's interest on high and she could not wait to get in. I told her to try to get the big tickets and off she went. And she did a great job, although most of the tickets ended up in her inflatable birthday crown.
It was a great day and I knew that my birthday girl had a wonderful 5th birthday. Happy 5th birthday Miss Saada!
Thinking of a party at Chuck E. Cheese? Here are a few tips that can help it be as successful as possible. If not, give it a thought and consider the below.
1. Go early. We had a 2:30 party and that was too late. 11:00 is probably ideal. The place will be less crowded and you'll be happier.
2. When reserving space, err on the high side. Depending on how much space you reserve, you may have to pay a minimum regardless of how many people show up, but it's best to have more space than less. We reserved space for 50, while maybe half showed up. In the end we may have paid for 1 or 2 kids that didn't show and it was worth it to have the space to spread out.
3. If you can get it, reserve space by the wall with booths for the parents. Being in the middle of the floor can be pretty tight.
4. Bring coupons. Chuck E. Cheese has coupons online that can help with purchasing additional food (for the adults) and tokens. We were able to use two of our coupons while at the party.
5. Play the Ticket Blaster online game. You can win 30 tickets for each game you play. I played about 10 times before the party and brought the printouts to give to guests as they left to redeem their tickets on the way out.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Helping My Children Achieve
Thanks to the makers of Pine-Sol® for sponsoring my writing. A study shows a clean smelling home can help children succeed, so Pine-Sol® is supporting Reading is Fundamental (RIF) this year. Click "Like" on Pine-Sol®’s Facebook page here and they will donate books to RIF!
Being a parent can be tons of fun, but it is also a lot of work. Having a little person’s life in your hands is a huge responsibility and you have to take it seriously. My husband and I always have our children’s future in mind and we do everything that we can do to help them achieve and set a foundation for a successful future.
We start with love. I believe that making sure that your child knows s/he is loved sets the foundation for positive self-esteem and positive self esteem sets the foundation for achievement and success. We shower them with kisses and hugs, we tell them we love them and we know that they believe it. Our girls are proud, confident and loved.
We stress learning. Children look to their parents to outline the road on which they travel. In our home, we work to set a road that is built on learning. We read every day. We find educational programs for our children to watch on TV. We purchase educational games and toys. We find educational websites for our children to surf on the web. We know that our children will look to TV, games and toys for entertainment and we make sure that some of the entertainment will also help them learn.
We explore their talents. Every child has a talent and some kids are lucky enough to have a few. As parents, it is our job to uncover our child’s talents and invest in their development. All of our girls have shown strength and interest in swimming from an early age and we have invested in classes to help develop their swimming abilities.
We celebrate success. There is nothing better than your child knowing that you are proud of them and what they have achieved. We reward everything that our children achieve from straight A’s and cheerleading championships to successfully reading through a book and coloring in the lines. Our children know that we see their effort and nothing makes us happier than seeing them at their best.
While there is no roadmap to guarantee that my children will achieve all that I envision for them, there are things that my husband and I do every day to help them along the way. Our goal is to give them the best start and while we feel we are doing a great job at it, we still look for new opportunities to help them every day.
Don't forget to click over to Pine-Sol®'s Facebook page to support our children's success. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
Being a parent can be tons of fun, but it is also a lot of work. Having a little person’s life in your hands is a huge responsibility and you have to take it seriously. My husband and I always have our children’s future in mind and we do everything that we can do to help them achieve and set a foundation for a successful future.
We start with love. I believe that making sure that your child knows s/he is loved sets the foundation for positive self-esteem and positive self esteem sets the foundation for achievement and success. We shower them with kisses and hugs, we tell them we love them and we know that they believe it. Our girls are proud, confident and loved.
We stress learning. Children look to their parents to outline the road on which they travel. In our home, we work to set a road that is built on learning. We read every day. We find educational programs for our children to watch on TV. We purchase educational games and toys. We find educational websites for our children to surf on the web. We know that our children will look to TV, games and toys for entertainment and we make sure that some of the entertainment will also help them learn.
We explore their talents. Every child has a talent and some kids are lucky enough to have a few. As parents, it is our job to uncover our child’s talents and invest in their development. All of our girls have shown strength and interest in swimming from an early age and we have invested in classes to help develop their swimming abilities.
We celebrate success. There is nothing better than your child knowing that you are proud of them and what they have achieved. We reward everything that our children achieve from straight A’s and cheerleading championships to successfully reading through a book and coloring in the lines. Our children know that we see their effort and nothing makes us happier than seeing them at their best.
While there is no roadmap to guarantee that my children will achieve all that I envision for them, there are things that my husband and I do every day to help them along the way. Our goal is to give them the best start and while we feel we are doing a great job at it, we still look for new opportunities to help them every day.
Don't forget to click over to Pine-Sol®'s Facebook page to support our children's success. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
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