Must Be official Waterslide Season!

Here in Sarasota, we had our week of winter and now my phones are heating up with requests for waterslides!  And WHY NOT!  This week is suppose to be high 70's all week long - the sun is shining (the tank is clean!) and it sounds like a perfect excuse for a party! 

When choosing a waterslide, you want to consider the average age of your guests and plan the height of the waterslide accordingly.  Little kids are probably fine with a slide 16' or under while older kids and adults obviously would like something a little more challenging!  Surf & Slides are a great option too - but are best suited for kids over five years of age as little children will have a hard time running up to it and getting enough speed to make it from one end to the other!  It's a long way! (Our longest Slip&Slide is 48' Feet Long!!!! 

Foam parties are a huge hit these days as well!  I hesitate to add them into our inventory because I was concerned about potential allergies etc, but they have turned out to be an awesome addition!  Pair them up with a waterslide or slip-n-slide and you have an awesome party! I've updated our Pinterest page to help you plan your own water themed party for the Sarasota and Bradenton areas  - but if you want to chat - give me a call!  Party Jumpers loves to help you plan your next, best party!  (941) 343-0370. 

Kids and Organization - the Essentials!

I don't tell many people that I meet for the first time that I have five kids, but when I do, I get many wide eyes stares that range from the "Are you NUTS" look to the "You MUST be NUTS" look :)  Truth be told, because it's our life, it dosen't seem like a big deal,  but when I look at a friend that has eight kids, I am blown away.  "How do you do it?" is the most popular question - so I'm here to tell you the secret!  ORGANIZATION

A Closet Sweater fabric bin

Folders for each kid!

Really!  That's it!  My grandmother told me to do an extra 20 minutes of housework everynight - and that was a great piece of advice!  I call it "Getting my ducks in a row" - don't go to bed without the laundry flipped, the dishwasher running, the floors and kitchen cleaned.  Waking up to a mess is the WORST!  I'm including some crummy pictures (from my phone)  of some of the things that help my house look like it's not a warzone - the key is HIDE STUFF! No coffee "tables" - coffee "trunks" - that end table is - yup - another trunk (holds a Huge train set!)   The playroom - an 8 foot room divider holds board games and a small part of a huge book collection.  The laundry room has a bin for each kids clothes - comes out of the dryer and into the bins.  In the kitchen there is a folder for each kid that holds school info ( 5 different schools! Yikes!)  as well as a folder for each activity with the schedules, guidelines etc.  Online organization I owe to Cozi - an online family organization system really - it's our calendar, all my shoppings lists, to do lists, and more.  You'll love it trust - trust me!  Check out my Pinterest page as well for the board on Stuff with Kids!  If you are organizing a party in the the Sarasota or Bradenton areas - check out Party Jumpers - I'll help you organize your next best family friendly event or birthday! Here's to Spring and your organized home!

Coffee table or Train Set container?

There's alot of toys, games and craft in them there cabinets!

Ikea - a Mom's best friend!

Great kid parties on the Suncoast!

Loving Pinterest!

It's so much fun to help a customer find a great theme for their upcoming birthday party!  So many wonderful choices here in the Sarasota - Bradenton areas!  Today, one Mom I spoke to is planning a Minion party for her child! Fun!  I helped her find a great bouncehouse - and then hopped over to our Pinterest account to start working up some fun ideas to make the party a complete success!  The bright colors and simple design of Despicable Me lend themselves to a great party!  Do you have an idea?  Call us at Party Jumpes and we'll help you get your party bouncing!  (941) 343-0370.

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!

My secret for stress free holidays.....

We love the holidays! The hustle and bustle, family and friends, presents and decorations. I'm the goofball in line next to you at BJ's humming Christmas carols with the eggnog mustache. At our house, the whole family comes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Thanskmas (which is the holiday where everyone who was too busy during the OTHER holidays comes for a big meal and festivities between the two!) Shopping for five kids alone can take a month!

So I totally get that the holiday season can be chaotic and always look for ways to cut down on stress so that we, as parents, can enjoy the holidays with the family. Spending less time in the kitchen for me was a priority, so I look for ways to farm out work there. Who wants to be slaving in the kitchen when I could be playing Just Dance on the Wii??? I've worked to not make everything "perfect" as in the past. I'm just going to leave that up to Martha Stewart...to me perfect would be getting in that epic Nerf battle.

I have another family secret for keeping the holidays stress free. I have a little unfair advantage here. We throw up an inflatable bouncehouse, waterslide, or other great game. At any holiday here at the house, there are a MINIMUM for 8-12 kids ranging in age from 5-15 years old. That's alot of kids in a house that is not huge. And ALOT of energy. Depending of the weather, I throw something up outside to keep them occupied and happy! The key is to divide by ages...the little girls (5-10 years old) will just don't play as rough as the boys...so we have other activities to keeps people happy while waiting for their turn. This Thanksgiving it was tablecloth decoration (with fabric markers) and gingerbread house making! The teenagers needs space too. We make sure that they get time on all the fun inflatables. The hidden beauty is that the adults get a minute to enjoy a quiet conversation (or a fun game of charades) while we watch the kids have the time of their lives.

The holidays are precious times - and I'm so grateful for the memories we have made as a family here in Sarasota. Here's a wish that your holiday season may be filled with wonder, laughs, and love.

Michelle

Party Jumpers

941.343.0370