Sometimes the most simple parties are the best parties. Last minute. Or maybe inspired by a set of cupcake liners you saw at the grocery store that week. Often, my best parties come from a simple question from my kids. “Mom, can I have some friends over this week and celebrate ____?” This time, it was my youngest that asked to have a couple of friends over after school the week of Valentine’s day.
Inviting her friends over and having them play outside with no structure until their hearts are content is wonderful. But, over the years I have found that it works best at our house to have a little something to bookend time together when there are 3 or more friends. So for this afternoon play date, we had a few special details to make our time together fun.
I purchased some foam, scalloped book marks for Hobby Lobby with some heart stickers and pulled out all of our markers. The girls had fun creating their own masterpiece as they snacked.
I prepared some simple snacks for the girls to enjoy and put them on fancy serving trays. Just putting food in unusual plates or serving pieces makes gatherings set a part and fun. Little girls love little things. Like these little forks taped with heart tape to individual fruit cups.
Every time we have people in our home I ask myself the question “How can I make this matter? To these specific people?” Each guest is unique. Their needs. – Emotional and dietary. Their life season. Their hardships and triumphs. I take all of this into consideration when infusing impactful details in to gatherings. For this group, I felt it was important to communicate that they were LOVED. That they were valued and worth celebrating. I communicated it through the lens kindergarteners. A special treat box to take home with their name on it. Personalizing things communicates value. They are important enough for someone to hand write THEIR NAME on a gift just for them. Personalization makes people feel seen. When you feel seen and known, you experience love.
This playdate did not cost me much money or time. As I shopped for our usual grocery items, I just grabbed a few extra things. Fruit, cheese and crackers, and pre-baked cookies. I used a little butcher paper to put over the island and table to make this time together feel set a part. I purchased some fun party plates and napkins that further communicated the message I wanted to bathe over these sweet girls.
I hope that these pictures will inspire you to take a couple of hours to communicate love to your friends and neighbors. Even if it is just some chocolate dipped strawberries with a personalized note of encouragement. These details are worth it. They pick chins up on hard days. They infuse a little bit of JOY into the ordinary.
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Meet the Hostess
I'm a Southern girl who loves a good party, a house full of laughter, and a porch swing full of friends and family. I blog about how to host in a way that matters. Curious what I mean by that? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND READ MY STORY.
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