Farm / Barnyard Party - the perfect fall party theme!

I love Fall - not like - love.  Growing up in New England, it was such a magical time of year.  I love it here in Sarasota too - we have so many fun fall festivals, it reminds me of home.  It also reminds me of what a great time of year it is to throw a "Farm" themed party - you have pumpkins/hay/scarecrows - so many things available to decorate the perfect backyard party (or festival - carnival!).  I've been busy working on some cute ideas up on our Pinterest board - check them out here!  Of course - we have the perfect bouncehouse to go with your theme - but check out all of the other great decorating ideas, cakes/cupcakes, invitations and food!  Perfect for boys or girls on any age - I hope you have fun planning!

Farm Bouncehouse - Party Jumpers

Popcorn Party - Possibilities are endless!

Cute popcorn "ice cream" cones!

Your next party is popping with this theme!  I've seen mind blowing themes rolled around popcorn. It's so easy to use this simple treat to host a great - easy - and inexpensive party! Birthdays! Baby Showers! Carnivals themes! Weddings! School and church functions! Movie Nights! Slumber parties! You NAME it!

I've collected some awesome ideas on our Pinterest page for you to check out - but here's a couple of my favorites for your next party.

Marshmallows "popcorn" cupcakes

You'll find ways to make popcorn ANY color and a rainbow to mix in's that will make your mind pop. Add a popcorn bar to any party.  If the party is "kid" centered, make sure that you add some softer treats for kids with braces - They can't eat the popcorn! You'll find popcorn themed cakes as well. Consider yellow and white balloons for decorations - red and white striped table linens will complete the look!

Concessions from Party Jumpers

Baby showers are adorable when wrapped around the "She's Going To Pop" concept.  You'll find so many awesome invitations on Etsy you won't know which to choose. Wedding Shower or engagement party? He "Popped" the question!

Concession rentals are available in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas through Party Jumpers - free delivery when you rent any one of our great inflatables.  Call (941) 343-0370 and check us out online - Follow us EVERYWHERE for our monthly specials!

Planning A School Carnival? Step Right Up!

Planning a large scale fundraiser for a school can be complicated.  I've planned more Jog-A-Thon's and school carnivals and fundraisers for my kid's schools than I can count over the last 15 years.  It's tough - but doable with plenty of planning - and hopefully - a little help from other parents!  Here's

dunk tank

some little tips that I've picked up along the way!

* Ask for HELP! And more importantly, TAKE THE HELP!  I get that sometimes you are running so hard that it's hard to stop long enough to really ask for help - but you should!  There are other parents that want to help - they just don't know what to do.  If you plan in advance and break down some manageable steps for people, when someone says "I can help!", you can answer "Awesome - do THIS thing!".

*Make COMMITTEES!  People really are intimidated by the whole process, and mostly just want to avoid looking like a fool!  If you have an outline made up explaining the job and the steps - people are more likely to say "Yeah - I can do that!"  Put it in a BINDER - so that future PTO's or planners don't have to recreate the wheel!

Rock Walls and Bungee Jumps

*Have a THEME! It may sound silly - but having a specific theme really does help focus you in term of planning.

*Concessions are a BIG MONEY MAKER! Need volunteers? Call your local teen organizations - they often times have access to kids that need community service hours (check how to make sure that you are qualified to GIVE those hours too!)



*Put your MOST popular pieces towards the back of the event - it will pull people through!  Have MAPS where things are - it's crowded!  Have more than one ticket booth and consider selling them in advance for a discount! (Armbands will save you a lot of hassle!)

Obstacle Course 

*Involve the staff - but NOT TOO MUCH!  They already have so much on their plate, think about how you can benefit the classrooms (or your charity) without adding to their load!  Delivering flyers to classrooms? Sure! Calling on the Class Parent to stuff envelopes for their class or assign volunteers for their booth? Why not!

*Have a AFTER THE EVENT meeting!  What was awesome - what was terrible - what can we do better next year.  This often overlooked step can save alot of heartache for the next years committee!

Want some expert help planning your next event? Call Michelle at Party Jumpers for help from Jousting Arenas -  Obstacle Courses - Rock Walls - Bungee Jumps - Bouncehouse - Giant Slides - Interactive Sports Games - to Cotton Candy - Sno Cones - Hot Dog Warmers - and Popcorn - one call does it all! Party Jumpers - (941) 343-0370 in the Sarasota and Bradenton Area!

We have 2 giant obstacle courses!

Celebrating Everything - Suncoast Style!

     As I sit here writing, the house is unusually quiet.  All five kids have gone back to school today, and I'm faced with a stack of "summer" work that has piled up the last couple of months while trying to balance kids with work.  It's quite a stack, but I would trade it for the kids being home one more day in a heartbeat.

     You see, my oldest started college today. COLLEGE. When the heck did that happen? When your kids are little, the days go by slow - but the years go by fast. When they hit school age, your family enters this wormhole of a time warp and things enter lightening speed.  My hubby stood, coffee in hand this morning, reviewing the driving schedule I posted on the fridge to get the other four kids to their four schools.

     "When did things start moving so fast?" was his question.

     I'm not quite sure when it happened. What I do know is that we, as parents, need to take a minute everyday to just stop. Stop talking on the phone, surfing the web, being preoccupied by work - just stop even for 15 minutes - and just BE with the kids.  Play cards - listen to that paintball story - make dinner together - SOMETHING where you are 100% present with your kids.

     On my wedding day, one of my best friends advised me to close my eyes for 2 minutes and just BE in that space.  She said the day would be gone before I knew it and I'd regret being swept away by so many moments.  I took her advice, and that two minutes are still my favorite memory of the day.  What I heard, smelt, felt - those sensations are still with me.  Why not take that advice everyday with the people the most important to you!

     I hope you and yours have a wonderful first day back to school.  Celebrate everything - every small and large victory!  Have dinner on the beach tonight!  Swim in the pool instead of putting on the T.V.! Break out the Monopoly game and let them stay up an extra 15 minutes!

With Love,

Michelle

Want a great party idea for everyone!  Try this new inflatable!  We call it the Octodome - you'll call it the best idea EVER!  It's Basketball - Jousting - Volleyball - Twister - or just a HUGE bouncehouse!  Great for all events and ages!  Check out this video while it was out for a youth group event at our church - We Bring the Party!  Party Jumpers!

Check out the fun on this link!

Why a Sports Birthday Party is a Win-WIn Idea!

There are so many great ideas for kids parties these days - you can almost get lost in the colorful mire of concepts!  Sometimes, the oldies and goodies are the best!  A sports theme is a great idea for a kids party for alot of reasons!

1) Boys and Girls? No problem - no worries of the little guys turing up their noses at a princess cake!

2) Activity Activity Activity! Plenty of opportunity to burn off sugar!

3) Healthy focus! Get them moving! You might inspire the next Willie Mays! Who knows!

4) Low stress - no tiny crafts to make here or complicated games. Just lots of fun!

Naturally, if your kid already has a favorite sport, you should start from there.  If not, I've seen a cute "Twister" theme idea lately, decorate with dots (even on the cake!).  We have a great new inflatable called the Octodome - play your way!  Play basketball, volleyball, jousting, boxing, bouncing or TWISTER! A HUGE Twister mat is also included!  I can't even describe how much fun this is bouncehouse is - our new favorite! If you are in the Sarasota/Bradenton are and are having a kids party, call Party Jumpers at (941) 343-0370 and ask for this baby! Your kids will thank you for it!

Concession Obsession!

Kids love to eat - and a party is a great place to have some treats that they would not normally be enjoying! Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Sno-Cones and such really make little eyes get BIG! It may be your backyard, a church event, or a school carnival - concessions make a big bang! I'm loving our brand new cotton candy maker at Party Jumpers ( partyjumpersinc.com) . I just found a great link for making cotton candy that might help you at your next function! check out the link for instructions and then call Party Jumpers at 343-0370 to rent all the concessions and inflatable that you need for your event!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElNKDxT9pSQ

Backyard BLASTS!

Had to share some pictures of my new waterslide, dunk tank, and obstacle course! So much fun! Perfect for events as well as backyard parties - my kids when nuts when they saw them! (And the dunk tank is going to be a big part of the most fun science project EVER this year!!!)

Contact partyjumpersinc.com or call 941.343.0370 for more information!

CARNIVAL!

Working on some super fun carnival party ideas for a 9 years old birthday! Will let you know how it goes - but here are some basic ideas!

*Balloons Balloons Balloons! They are such a fun and easy decorating idea!

I've found some super cute cupcakes that look like a balloon bouquet too!

*Carnival games - ones that don't require too much adult intervention are best unless you have ALOT of help! I've chosen a Treasure Hunt, Fish Bowl, and a Putt Putt game! (available for rent through Party Jumpers 343-0370)

*Think red and white stripes for your color theme!

*Food is easy and fun - we can provide a hotdog warmer, popcorn maker and cotton candy machine! Bagged peanuts are great if we know in advance no one has an allergy (nothing rains on a party more than an EPI pen and ER trip - well - and rain!

*A great fun bouncer - our Adventure Combo is the easy choice here with the balloons on top! Kids love the slide AND bounce options! Get it from www.partyjumpersinc.com (941) 343-0370

*Designing some super cute custom invites too! I'll post pictures when I get them done!