This kid turned 4 at the end of December. He requested a party at Pump It Up. Since I love planning parties, this was not something I was excited to do. I mean, how the heck was I going to decorate the party with all those primary colors all over the place? Yes, many people choose to do parties at places like Pump It Up so they don’t have to decorate. But I’m crazy. And since the party was right after Christmas (2 days after…) I thought doing only a little bit of decorating away from the house was the best idea ever. And just look at that face. He gets everything he wants. And we had the best birthday at Pump It Up in Irvine.
To sum it up, I love Pump It Up. I booked the party for a Thursday to save a bit of money and since it was Christmas break, everyone was available. Do you know who else loves Pump It Up? The kids! We have been to parties there as guests before and the kids always had a good time. But the staff at Pump It Up Irvine, where our party was, is amazing. From the moment we got there, they helped out with bringing stuff in from the car, helping us with items that needed to be refrigerated and are absolutely amazing with the kids.
While the kids were playing in the first bounce room (if you have never been, they split the party time up between 2 rooms which is awesome because it keeps the kids from getting bored) I asked (ok, just about begged) for the staff to let me in to the party room to start decorating. I think they made concessions for me to let me go in earlier than normal because I’m sure they could sense the crazy by the look in my eyes.
The staff is super attentive and so good with the kids. They get in there and play with them and help to keep everyone safe. I’ve always noticed this on previous visits, but was extra aware of just how well they were making sure everyone had a great time, safely. I am in awe of how the staff is able to keep the party moving smoothly and while remaining super fun.
And even adults have fun in the bounce houses too. I propose a mom’s night out. Who is with me?
And at the end of every party, the staff gathers all the kids for a group photo. The kids are usually pissed because they want to keep jumping but you throw the words pizza and cake out there and they smile and cooperate.
I think this chair is the main reason that M wanted his party there. And the crown. He sat in that chair the entire time in we were in the party room and never got up once. He ate his pizza there. He ate his cupcake there. His cousins posted up as his security when other kids wanted a turn in the seat. He asked to bring it home with us.
Because I had heard that they don’t give you much time to decorate I really needed to keep the decor simple. Minted’s ready-made party decor saved me big time! And since Pump It Up has helium on-site, I figured that between balloons (always super festive) and the Minted party stuff the party would be pretty cute.
We chose the Cakeasaurus theme because my son LOVES dinosaurs and used it where we could around the party room. I covered the tables that clashed with the party decor with inexpensive plastic table cloths. It helped to tone down the over all brightness of the party room decor (which I’m not saying is bad, just not my aesthetic).
Minted has a few accessories to go along with the paper party decor like these grey and white striped straws. I added some flags to just a few of the straws to bring more of my color scheme in. And who doesn’t love paper straws?
For the tables I needed to do something that would be quick to set up and almost all disposable. I got a bunch of white plastic table cloths from the .99 cent store and used paper streamers that I twisted and taped to the tables with silver tape. I added little plastic dinos that I knew the kids would want to take home with them (or were cheap enough that I didn’t have to worry about getting them all back – on a side note, I got enough back that I used them as part of the Valentine’s that M gave his classmates. Word up). And for some extra fun, I added succulents I cut from my back yard. I also brought in the silver paper goods, but they include paper plates, napkins and cups when you book a Pump It Up party. I have heard people talk about how expensive the parties are but they really include a ton of stuff for the price. And I’m sure I would have spent just as much, if not more if I had held a party at my house. Big thank you to my mom and sister-in-law for helping with the super fast decorating. I met back up with the party in the second bounce room and had plenty of time to enjoy watching the kids have sweaty fun.
I added just a touch of silver glitter to various spots on the dinos. I think a hint of sparkle is perfectly acceptable at a boys birthday party.
My sister-in-law is rad and made the cupcakes for me. I am in love with the little dino picks that she found. By serving only cupcakes, I didn’t need to worry about silverware, extra plates or the mess of cutting a cake.
And it ain’t a party unless there are party hats. I used store-bought hats and tiaras and added some fun dino accents.
I used one of Minted’s blank coordinating cards for the favors as well as the stickers to seal the favor bags. Another thing I loved about Pump it Up is when it was time to pass out the favors, our party gal walked around with my son to make sure that each kid got a favor.
Nothing about this party was that revolutionary. I chalk that up to it being the holidays. I don’t know about you but I tend to slow the blog down around Christmas. And then I think it is so nice to not feel an obligation to anything that I think about quitting entirely. I pretty much jumped online one day and just bought a bunch of dino themed items to order for the favors. Throw in some chemical laden dino shaped gummy snacks and you are good to go. B T Dubs, I always get bored and start the blog back up again with a refreshed attitude. But Minted really saved this party for me. I didn’t have the energy to make everything from scratch but still wanted it to be cute which their stuff is!
The staff managed everything. From passing out the pizza to all the kids and making sure they each got what kind they wanted to making sure each got the right cupcake flavor they made it happen. They made sure we stayed on track in terms of time and even got everyone to start singing happy birthday. They took all the pressure off of me and allowed me to just interact with the guests. As the party was wrapping up I realized that they had everything that we needed to take home with us, from the gifts to leftover food, on a cart waiting to be loaded in to our cars. They were ON IT. But we never once felt rushed. It was a delightful birthday party experience.
An unexpected bonus to the party was the machine that sold stick on mustaches. Kids are still WAY in to mustaches. These are their best “look old” faces.
This is not a sponsored post. I had such a great experience hosting a party at Pump It Up Irvine that I wanted to share it with you. Many other adults at the party told me how amazing they thought the staff was with the kids too. It is obvious they like what they do. From the minute I made the first call to ask questions and finally book the party, they were helpful and friendly. My sister-in-law booked a party for my niece at the Anaheim location after our party and had the same experience there. If you are thinking about holding a party at Pump It Up you should totally do it. I’m sure we will be booking there again!
All images (except photos 1, 11, 16, and 18 which are mine) by Dez and Tam Photography – the most wonderful people around. I heart them SO much!
Hand-made dish ware from 
A week or so later a big box showed up amid the holiday package delivery hustle and bustle. And inside, I found the most amazing bowls and platters I’ve ever seen. They are so simple but the colors are exquisite. They are imperfect from being hand-made which makes them, well, perfect.
I used them for all my 
Do you know what is even better?! They are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe!!!! Ridiculous. These are meant to be used, not stored away for special occasions. You can even 
For sure follow their 
Have you guys heard that there is a big game coming up? It is just weeks away. I’m not a big football fan, but there is something so exciting about that game. Ok, well maybe I’m not excited about the game, but I’m excited about the food. I love a good party. And every party has food. Make it a football party, and you’ve got a party that doesn’t need much fuss. Just yummy food, a little fanfare and good friends.
Our house is on the smaller side. We really just don’t have the space to invite a lot of people over for big shindigs so most of the time, my parties end up taking place somewhere other than my house. I’ve become really good at packing things up and hauling it with me all to ensure that it looks a certain way. Sure, you can consider me a bit of a control freak. I prefer to think of myself as a traveling hostess, on a mission to give people a good time in their own homes. I’ve tried many different ways of bringing food and supplies to and fro but we really need to look no further than 
Now is the perfect time for you to try them out for yourself. Did you know that 
I also picked up these 4 cup rectangle Take Alongs containers. I was kind of stupidly excited over these. This is the perfect serving dish size for small get togethers and I haven’t seen it in a storage container before! For some reason I get bent out of shape when you put food in a dish and it doesn’t reach the top of it…so odd, I know. I feel like it just wastes a ton of space, especially in terms of fridge real estate. These are perfection! And they have the slightest little flecks of sparkle to them. Men probably wouldn’t even pick up on it. But all the ladies are going to love it! You may not have thought to use storage containers in your entertaining before but I’m telling you, 
There is no need to make a ton of food. Choose ready made items that you know everyone likes to nibble on. Instead of flopping the bag on the table, take just a second and put them in one of your new storage containers. Pretzel rods fit perfectly! And the best part is, if you are like me and have to bring your stuff to another location, these containers will protect the pretzels and keep them from getting smashed in transit! When the party is over, snap on the lid and bring them back home. They can be stored right in your cupboard for late night snacking.
Mix and serve an old favorite, onion dip, right in the same 2 cup Rubbermaid storage container. You don’t need to get crazy with decorations, but food labels are a great way to add flair and let the guests know what they are eating. This 
As a way to add in some team colors to the food area, you can easily make these chip bags. I used a roll of kraft paper purchased from Lowe’s for under $10 (it’s a pretty big roll, I’ve used it for wrapping presents, creating table runners, craft projects with the kids…you will use it for ever!) and some washi tape. If you aren’t feeling particularly crafty, just grab a set of Take Alongs serving bowls!
Make something easy, but tasty, that your guests have never had before. These delicious Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls are sure to be a hit. ”What’s that?!” you say, probably a little bit in horror. It is the most delicious appetizer you’ve never heard of. And I don’t even like cream cheese. Or horseradish. True story. Pick something simple with elements that you know are crowd pleasers (hello, beef and cream cheese) and try something new. See, I knew these low sided four cup containers were perfect for serving!
Whether you are hosting the party at your house or somewhere else, these containers make it super easy to plan ahead with your prep work, put together a crowd pleasing spread and then easily store leftovers.
And they aren’t just for food. They are the perfect way to transport decor items and other supplies to wherever your party is going to take place. There is an Easy Find Lid container that is approximately 9×13 (not pictured, I’ll be printing off another coupon and heading back to 
And now for the recipe. For real. Try it once. They are salty and creamy with a kick. Yum!
Grab a Rubbermaid container that will hold at least 2 cups. Place your softened cream cheese in the container. Add 2 TBSP of prepared horseradish and mix well. Taste. If you want more heat, add more horseradish. If you are feeling like you need more depth of flavor try adding garlic powder or a little Worcestershire sauce. Spread cream cheese mix on a slice of dried beef with a knife or off-set spatula. Make sure the cream cheese goes to the edges so that when you roll it up, it will stick to itself.
Roll it up, cut in half and place in whatever Rubbermaid container you want to serve them in. They are ready to serve or can go in the fridge for later.
You can also vary how much cream cheese you put on each one. I prefer a light spread while others might like a whole lot more. I love recipes like this! If any of you try this, let me know what you think! What are your football party plans?
I’m totally in love with the images from my friend, Anita’s wedding. You have to see them all! It was just 
Painted silverware. Totally awesome. Painted knick knacks, including but not limited to this trophy above. Even more awesome.
Radical calligraphy by 
That dress on the most beautiful bride?!! The MOST awesome. And hey, I spy to lovely gals I went to high school with. I see you Misha and Kerry! Gorgeous!
