A Halftime Bathroom Break with Febreze & Charmin

So, pretty much everyone knows I'm not a huge sports fan... especially when it comes to football. Which is sort of hilarious since I married a guy who LOVES the sport (and plenty of other things, too, thank goodness). But that being said, I always watch the Super Bowl. Sure, it's mostly for the commercials & half-time show, but I do love the "all American" aspect of the whole event. And once upon a time, these two sure looked cute in their cheerleader outfits (though too bad it's not the Packers playing this year)!

For this year's big game, I've partnered with Febreze & Charmin to help spread the word about The Halftime Bathroom Break. Yep, you guessed it... this is the phenomenon of millions of Americans rushing to the bathroom for those precious few minutes between the halftime whistle & the start of the halftime show. Hurry, hurry, people!

Given the bathroom's popularity during the big game, I found it surprising to learn that half of Super Bowl party throwers aren't prepping their bathroom ahead of time & not only that, are forgetting to buy bathroom supplies. For shame! More toilets are flushed between the 2nd & 3rd quarter than at any other time of year (throw that little nugget out at your next dinner party!) And here's another fun fact: 3 rolls of Charmin Ultra Strong Mega Roll are long enough to span an entire football field. That, my friends, is a lot of TP.

So, when you're party planning, note to self: DON'T FORGET the bathroom supplies! We're having a few friends over to watch the Super Bowl, and I'll be prepping with Febreze smallSPACES with OdorClear technology (perfect for our tiny bathroom!) and Charmin Ultra Strong.

Keeping your bathroom stocked and smelling good (for the entire game and beyond) has never been so easy! Thankful that we'll be clearing away odor molecules instead of just masking them AND having Charmin around to keep everyone feeling clean. I would say that's a win win... regardless of who wins the game!

Disclosure: I partnered with Febreze and Charmin for this post & was provided with compensation & product, including a gold toilet seat. Yes, really! All opinions herein are my own.

Children's Tea Time at The Russian Tea Room

Millie just turned 7 (SEVEN!), and while she floated many an idea on how to celebrate her birthday, she finally decided a tea party with a couple close friends would be a fun way to ring in her special day. I looked at several options for children's tea parties, and ultimately we decided on The Russian Tea Room, both for it's gorgeous, over-the-top decor that I knew the little girls would get a kick out of AND the fact that it seemed more reasonably priced (surprisingly) than other options.

photo credit: Husband extraordinaire

I'm happy to report that the birthday girl and her friends had a blast! The tea itself was delicious, the ambiance was amazing, and the staff couldn't have been more accommodating. Our waiter made sure we visited the Bear Lounge before we left, home of the Tea Room's famous dancing bear fish bowl and Faberge egg tree. While this certainly seems like more of a "special occasion" place to us, if you're visiting NYC or live here and have never been, all I can say is... GO. This NYC institution is quite the experience, and it's one my brand new 7 year old won't soon forget.

A Pirate-Themed Birthday with Bang & Boom Parties

While Vivian opted for a more low-key birthday this year, Millie was all about an actual par-tay to celebrate turning six (pardon me while I hyperventilate for a second... am mother to six year old... breathe, Ellen...)

Okay, I'm back. WHEW. This one will take a little while to digest.

And while I do like planning parties, I was a little unsure of how to proceed. October can be a bit dicey weather-wise, so having a party in the park didn't seem like the best idea. Instead, we opted for a shin dig in our tiny quaint apartment, keeping the guest list small so as not to be overrun with children, thus leading Husband to exit for "a pack of smokes" & never return. Also, not that I was phoning it in this year, but I just didn't feel like spending hours pouring over Pinterest planning a theme & all the little details like I have in the past. But of course, I wanted the party to look like I had -- HA!

As luck would have it, two mom friends of mine, Lizzi & Gaby, have started a truly thoughtful & creative party kit business called Bang & Boom Parties. Essentially, you choose a theme for your child's party & a box is delivered to your door with EVERYTHING you need except the kitchen sink (or cake, in this case). Inside, you'll find all the decorations (garland, banner, balloons, cake toppers), tableware, thank you notes, guest wearables, activities, a custom shirt for the birthday kiddo, party favors... even matches & candles. Last but not least, a cake recipe (as well as a gluten-free option) & plenty of tips to make your party a success. They've truly thought of everything so that you -- mom extraordinaire -- can put a party together in 20 minutes with no stress in sight.

Millie chose Bang & Boom's pirate theme, which was so much fun! As with all of their themes (check out Farm Fresh, their latest addition!), Lizzi & Gaby's attention to detail & creative flair comes shining through.

Party contents

Guest party favors

Cake or cupcake toppers

Pirate

Guest wearables: bandanas & eye patches

Coordinating tableware

Birthday kid t-shirt & "gold" treasure for each guest to find. Reward: birthday cake!

Always important to say thanks!

More decorations to hang... I let the birthday girl put them where she wanted. Aarrrr!

Skull & sword garland

Coordinating Happy Birthday banner

Party snacks before the pizza arrived.

Another party activity: treasure box decorating!

My big six year old. Waaaah!

Party was a total success & as you can see above, we had a happy pirate on our hands. Thanks to Bang & Boom for making me look like a rock star! Consider supporting this local mom-owned business the next time your child has a birthday.

And finally, I love reading this poem to my brand new six year old. Winnie the Pooh is truly the gift that keeps on giving!

"The End"

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,

I was hardly Me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But not I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

-- A.A. Milne

Disclosure: I was given a party box as a promotional thank you & for review purposes. All opinions herein are my own.

millie's thoroughly modern afternoon

The girls and I travelled alllllll the way downtown last week for an afternoon of arts and crafts celebrating the Kid Made Modern line by Todd Oldham at Target. Such fun! First of all, Target knows how to throw a party. But then, that doesn't surprise you, does it? The event was held at Todd's studio, and the halls were thoroughly decked with yummy food and drinks and enough crafts to keep a child busy for hours. Todd's line encompasses everything from ready-to-go "kits" (which include all the materials you need to make something FAB) to a la carte accessories like double-pointed crayons and fabric paints. Perfect presents for your budding artist!

On that note, the timing could not have been more perfect as Millie has really started to get into drawing and coloring, and instead of lovely line after line after line, she's drawing people now and oh, "Central Park" the other day. It's been so fun watching this side of her develop.

Lastly, I have to add that Mr. Oldham could not have been nicer... as we were leaving, he went running around trying to find a napkin for us as we took a couple peanut butter and jelly snowflake sandwiches for the subway ride home. And Vivian? She managed to sleep for the entire party but woke up 5 minutes before we left, with just enough time to take a picture and pick her nose at the same time (I'll still claim her).

'Tis the season to embrace your inner artiste!

Disclosure: I was given a gift bag with 2 Kid Made Modern arts and crafts kits. All opinions expressed, as always, are my own.

tea time with babar at hotel plaza athenee

We had quite the lovely afternoon yesterday at Hotel Plaza Athenee for a special tea time with the King of the Elephants, Babar. I loved, loved, loved Babar when I was little, and we've only recently introduced the series to Millie, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect. I am so happy that this classic character from children's literature is alive and well and being celebrated in such an elegant yet kid-friendly way.

I have to say the girls mastered the fine art of holding their tea cups pretty well (felt sure there would be a spill...) and the menu is filled with tasty treats all kids will enjoy. While Vivian clammed up when Babar himself arrived, she did love the plush-non-moving version we met. Millie loved drawing his crown and the Babar-themed Christmas tree. And Mommy? She really enjoyed her flute of Prosecco.

Tea with Babar officially begins this Saturday, November 30th and will take place every Saturday through December 28th (from 3-5pm). Along with yummy tea sandwiches, scones and cookies, not to mention a meet-and-greet with Babar, your child will go home with a fun goody bag.

Price: $39/child; $45/adult
Reservations are recommended: 212.606.4647

Goody bag contents

Disclosure: We attended tea as guests of Grand Communications and were given a goody bag. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fabulously Four Years Old

October might just be my favorite month. The first half is spent celebrating the girls' birthdays, leaves are changing colors in the most beautiful way, I'm wearing jeans again and the end of the month brings a full-on candy binge otherwise known as Halloween. Cheers all around!

This year, Millie didn't have a singular obsession (remember her dinosaur birthday?), so I had a bit more free range with the party planning. She does love Dora the Explorer, but I couldn't bring myself to do a full-on Dora party (!) --  instead, I used a pink/orange/purple color scheme and threw in Dora dessert plates. Other than that, Millie requested I serve Goldfish, so she was low on demands and an easy client to please. Ha! We hired a lady who lives in our neighborhood to do face painting and "music time" and the kids had a blast. I have to admit, if you can find affordable entertainment, it takes a lot of pressure off the party planning.

I decorated with supplies from Oriental Trading, Target and 3 Sweet Memories on Etsy and kept things fairly simple (I always look to Weelicious and Pinterest for recipe ideas). We once again used our building's community room so as not to have a gaggle of screaming children running through our apartment for 3 hours, and I think that was a wise choice (particularly if you happen to be my downstairs neighbor). The photo backdrop was a simple crepe paper DIY and the girls dresses came from wearhop. More on that fun site coming soon!

Face painting transformation:

Dinosaur complete with bling:

Party preparations coming along... 

Millie had a blast celebrating with her friends, and the adults enjoyed the mimosas and coffee we had on hand. More on the contents of the fun Kiwi Crate goody bags we gave her guests coming soon... they look intriguing, right?!

Happy Birthday to my fabulous 4 YEAR OLD, Millie!