July And Kidzville, Cymplified!

It’s November, and I’m still talking about July? Am I crazy?

Probably.

But…

July was a month of hot and sunny days. And also cold, wet, rainy and stormy days. Of the children’s staying home three days before one weekend because of class suspension.

July was a month of broken scanner glass plate. Of nervousness and palpitation. Of pain on the left side of the chest. Of a dark cloud looming overhead. The cloud that is breast cancer.

July was a month of Cayla’s sudden clinginess before classes start. Of different colored nail polish she painted on my finger nails.

July was a month of showing the origins of the yellow, pill-shaped minions so popular with children. Of watching the movie in the cinema of The Podium. Of watching in the movie house with the three kids for the seventh time.

July was a month of Ella’s 8th birthday bash in Kidzville. Of her pleasant time with friends and cousins. Of opening gifts. Of playing with new toys. Of Caleb, turning five years old.

July 12 was our target date for the party. Less than a month to go and I haven’t booked anything yet. I wondered if it will still push through.

We finally decided on Kidzville just two weeks shy of the said date. I’m just so glad that it was available on a short notice. We chose the princess theme, but with a twist. It had party packages that included details too tedious to attend to one by one.

Details like:

1. Party venue, chairs, decor and tables with preferred tablecloth colors

I loved that the chairs had covers, even the kiddie chairs. Thankfully, I can opt for three colors instead of just two. They said that the area could accommodate 150 people.

2. Party favors

For the boys, there’s a crown, a sword with tiny lights inside the blade, a puzzle and a Kidzville bag inside the loot bag. For the girls, there’s a tiara, a wand, a set of necklace, bracelet & earrings and also a Kidzville bag. There were also balloon sticks for 30 kids.

3. Party host

I met the host the day itself. Gosh! I forgot her name. She’s warm and friendly. She talked to me about the programme and asked for my input. Her attire was in line with the theme. I think she’s channeling her inner Elsa. She’s professional and really made the effort to connect with the guests, kids and grown-ups alike.

4. Games

The host naturally facilitated the party games. I think she also came up with them, which was a relief for a busy mom like me. Thank you to the adults who participated in this game!

5. Prizes

In any kiddie party where there are games, there must be prizes. It’s a good thing these were included in the package so I need not go buy.

6. Face painting

The kids also got to have a painted face or arm to remember the event by… Until they washed it off, that is!

7. Invitations

I chose the package for 30 children and with it came 30 invitations. Here was the twist. Instead of the human princess, like so,

I got in touch with the one in charge of the printing and requested a slight change.

I wanted Princess Celestia to be the pony, but when I emailed the peg, the invites were already printed. I should remember to be more specific when I opted for a pony princess and to email the desired photo right away along with the request.

For the cake to be consistent with the theme, I ordered from Wynne’s Cakes as recommended by Kidzville. It did not disappoint. It’s not only beautiful, it’s also delicious; just eat in moderation! Ella chose the chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, under the fondant design.

8. Play

The fun part of the package was the unlimited play the children were treated to. I thought they spent more time playing, before and after the party, than eating. They couldn’t wait to go back to the play area once the party proper was done. I could tell they enjoyed this the most.

9. Guest book

One minor detail that could be overlooked was the guest book that Kidzville provided. There was also a gift for the birthday girl – a coupon for an unlimited play sesh valid for a year. Maybe we could go back during Christmas break.

10. Food stalls

Aside from the catered food, we were given a hundred servings of snow cones. Plus, food carts of squid balls and nachos.

In order to avail of the party package, though, we were required to order from the party menu (grown-ups’ food) for at least 30 people. This was okay since we needed to feed the parents/guardians, too. The meals for the children were included in the package.

I just managed to take pictures of the potato salad and the chocolate eclairs because we did not have a photographer. That was one detail we overlooked. Since my hubby is a photographer, he said he will do it. We asked family and friends to take the family photos, though.

I think everything went swimmingly considering I had only a couple of weeks to plan this. It’s virtually stress-free for us. At least we know that the party and the play place were ones the birthday girl would immensely enjoy.

How about you? What was the most relaxed birthday party you have ever planned?

 

Suppliers:
Party venue and package: Kidzville, The Podium
Birthday cake: Wynne’s Cakes
MLP headband and hair clips: M + K = a
Aqua princess skirt: ERC Textile