Wild West Party- Food & Goodies

FOOD

-Western shaped ice cream sandwiches (see below for "how to")

-Hot dogs

-Beans

-Corn on the cob

-Mac & Cheese

-Potato Chips

-Cornbread & Biscuits

-Cactus Juice (green Hawaiian Punch)

-Rootbeer

-Salsa & Chips

-Watermelon

-Cole slaw

-Serve food using baskets & cast iron cookware

GOODY BAGS

-Paper bags gathered at top with "Happy Trails to You" tag.

-Bag  was tied with wild west cowboy ribbon (found at Michael's, but could use twine)

-Coloring/Activity book attached to front with birthday boy's name.

-Sheriff Badges

-Cowtail Candy

-Clip on Mustache

-Horse toy 

How To: Ice Cream Sandwiches

These were really easy... but a little messy!

I had a kit to make them, but you could use cookie cutters (the deeper the sides, the better).

For Chocolate: Bake a batch of Brownies in a large baking pan

For Vanilla: Bake a sheet of Sugar Cookie Batter in a large baking pan

-Take a cookie cutter and cut the desired shape.  

-Gently push the "cookie" in, so it's now at the top of the cookie cutter. 

-Pack ice cream into the bottom of the cookie cutter, leaving about a half inch of the cutter exposed.

-Cut the bottom "cookie" with this same cutter, creating the sandwich inside the cutter.

-While still in the cutter, firmly press the cookies & ice cream together.

-Once you know it's compressed nice & tight, gently push the entire sandwich out of the holder.

-Store on a baking sheet in the freezer (cover with plastic wrap)

-Repeat for as many sandwiches as you need!

OTHER IDEAS 

Things I've found after-the-fact, that I would have liked to use!
(isn't that always the way?)

Barb wire cord

My Pet Cow Balloons

Cow patterned Balloons

Cupcake decorators
Cactus Party Picks

Haystack Hunt- hide little toys in a bale of hay for kids to pick through & find

Stick Pony Races

Potato Sack Races

Related Posts:
-Wild West Games & Activities

-Wild West Invitations & Decorations

Wild West Party- Games & Activities

GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Dress Up- Children each get cowboy hat & bandanna upon arrival.

"Wanted"- each child has photo taken in front of poster.  We provided them with hats and plastic, stick-on mustaches.

Milking the Cow- create cardboard cow, attaching pink rubber kitchen glove with holes poked in finger tips as udders.  Fill glove with watered down milk (just enough milk so it is white).  We found it best to have two gloves and a helper to refill the second so kids didn't have to wait long.

Boot shaped Pinata

Bean bag toss (throw beanbags into cowboy hat)

Pin the badge on the cowboy

Sheriff Says (instead of "Simon Says")

Campfire story-time- read "How I Spent my Summer Vacation" by Mark Teague

Round 'em Up -two hula hoops are on the ground, a dozen balloons of two different colors are in between the hula hoops.  Kids are split into two teams and have to try to herd their color balloon into their team's hula hoop.  

Rattlesnake Tag- Kids line up & put hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them.  The child in the front of the line needs to catch the last child in line.  When the "head" catches the "tail" the child that was the head, becomes the new tail.  The second child in line becomes the new head.

Lasso Practice -Rope is tied to hula hoop.  Kids take turns trying to lasso rocking horses & pull them in.  Prize- Licorice Ropes

Knock out at OK Corral- Paint plastic bottles white, line them up to be knocked down with beanbags. 

Prize- Gold coins

Gold Rush!- Panning for silver & gold (spray painted gravel rocks) 

Prize- Kids get to keep the "gold" they find.

Our Cow "Betsy"

Milking Betsy

Gold Rush!

Milk bottles on bench for "Knock out at OK Corral".
Child gate used as "Corral" for rocking horses

Lasso Practice

Photo Op

Pin the badge on the cowboy

Related posts:

-Wild West Invitations & Decorations

-Wild West Food & Goodies

Wild West- Invitation & Decorations

DETAILS

This party was for a 5 year old boy.
It took place in the winter, so all activities had to be indoor.

INVITATIONS

DECORATIONS

-Red & White checkered tablecloths

-Wagon Wheels made out of hula hoops & yellow streamers

-Horseshoes to hold down helium balloons

-Signs out of cardboard, hung with twine

-Snacks served in cowboy hats, lined with red bandannas

-Red bandannas on mantle, small tables, etc.

-Pie tins for plates

-Galvanized tub for soda

-Kid sized rocking chairs

-Wanted Poster for photo backdrop, hay for child to sit on

-Scene Setters for party room walls

-Triangle hanging near Chuck Wagon- birthday boy rings it & yells "Come & Get it" when lunch is ready

Food serving table is "Chuck Wagon"

Kid-sized rocking chairs

"Saloon" set up for adults

Bathroom Door

Related posts:

-Wild West Games & Activities

-Wild West Food & Goodies

Circus Party- Food & Goodies

FOOD & GOODIES

-Animal Crackers (in the circus train boxes)

-Popcorn in circus themed bags, and also in an old fashioned looking popper.

-Circus Peanuts

-Boxes of Cracker Jacks

-Hot dogs

-Pizza

-Cotton Candy

-Cupcakes with plastic animals or candy stars on top (pic & recipes below)

GOODY BAGS

-Striped bags to hold goodies

-Clown noses

-Circus themed tattoos

-Circus rubber duckies

-Lions used from the Leaping Lion game

-Box of Animal Crackers for little kids, Cracker Jacks for big kids

OTHER ITEMS 

Things I've found after-the-fact, that I would have liked to use!
(isn't that always the way?)

-Big Top Baking Cups
-Finger Puppet set
-Plush circus hats
-Paper circus hats
-Felt clown hats
-Inflatable seating here and here
-Clown Puppets
-Circus Train Cupcake liners & toppers
-Big Top placemats
-Circus Magnets

CUPCAKE RECIPE

I made two kinds of cupcakes, with two types of icing.  

Both recipes were easy and came out great.

Devils Food Cupcakes

(makes approx. 20 cupcakes)
1 3/4 cups flour

2/3 unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs (room temp)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

-Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tin with cupcake liners

-Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt together in bowl

-In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, while continuing to beat.  Beat in vanilla.  With mixer on low, add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk- beginning & ending with the flour mixture. 

-Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each approx. 2/3 full.

-Bake 17-19 min. using toothpick test to ensure center is cooked.  Let cool completely in muffin pan.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs (room temp)

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

-Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with cupcake liners

-combine flours in small bowl

-In large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium.

-Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy (3 min)

-Add eggs on at a time, while continuing to beat.  Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  

-Beat so ingredients are well incorporated, but do not overbeat.

-Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full.

-Bake 20-25 min. or until toothpick test is clean.

Cream Cheese Icing

16 oz. cream cheese, softened & cut into small pieces

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened & cut into small pieces

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

-In large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter with electric mixer (medium speed) until smooth- about 3 min.

-Add vanilla and beat well.

-Gradually add sugar, 1 cup at a time, continuously beating.

-Add desired food coloring

-Cover & refrigerate for 2-3 hours (but no longer) to thicken before using.

Buttercream Icing

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

-In large bown, cream butter with an electric mixer until soft & light (about 3 min)

-Add remaining ingredients & beat until smooth & fluffy

-Add desired food coloring

-Use immediately or cover & refrigerate until needed.

Related posts!
Circus Party Invitations & Decorations
Circus Party Games & Activities

Circus Party- Games & Activities

GAMES & ACTIVITIES

-Decorate party hats with pompoms & foam stickers.

-Photos of kids with their hat and clown noses.

-Ball pit: It was just a little blow up one that we set up in the living room.

-Leaping Lions: Made fire rings with hula hoops and fringing up some scraps of the plastic tablecloths.  The top ring was actually an antique bird cage holder that had a sturdy stand to attach the other two hula hoops to.  The object of the game was to toss little stuffed lions through the hoops.

-Primary colored tunnels for little ones to crawl through

-Elephant Pinata

-Pin the nose on the clown

-Flip Flop Face beanbag game

Ball pit

Hat decorating

Photo Op

Leaping Lions

**Disclaimer: This party occurred long before I even knew what a blog was... so please excuse the fact that I didn't take photos of all the details!  :)


Other ideas:
Circus Doorway game


Related posts!
Circus Party Invitations & Decorations
Circus Party Food & Goodies

Circus Party- Invitations & Decorations

Sign on front door

DETAILS

This party was for a one year old boy, 

but we wanted to also make it fun for his 4 year old brother & other young party-goers.

Invitation

DECORATIONS

-Dining Room turned into circus tent using  yellow & red plastic tablecloths purchased by the roll.  

-A small parachute was used as a tablecloth on one of the kid tables. 

-Brightly colored balloons, and anything remotely circus related (like a clown jack-in-the-box and elephant shape sorter used as centerpieces on the kids table)

-Old Circus Advertising signs were created that featured photos of the birthday boy.

Circus tent ceiling

-Photo spot was created using wrapping paper

Photo op & goody bags

Photo Op Results

**Disclaimer: This party occurred long before I even knew what a blog was... so please excuse the fact that I didn't take photos of all the details!  :)

Related posts!
Circus Party Games & Activities
Circus Party Food & Goodies 

Introduction

One of my favorite things in the world is planning parties- especially children's parties!

I started blogging about our house renovation adventures, but feel like I'm needing a creative outlet for sharing party themes & ideas.

I'm going to start by posting some of our old shin-digs (sorry- just got done going through Cowboy Party pics!)... but with only two kids, I'll run out of material fast!

So, I also hope to use this blog to brainstorm & prep for future ideas- sort of combining my Pinterest files with the computer files I've had going for years.  One easy location in the cloud!

Let's see where this goes & we will certainly be having fun along the way!