DIY PARTY SERIES: Chloe's Doc McStuffins Party by Yan & Jenly

It's quite rare that i come across fathers who play an active role in the planning and DIY of his child's birthday.

Most would think it's the mom's domain but for a refreshing change, I'm happy to introduce you to Yan who went beyond merely being paymaster for the party but together with his wife, Jenly was hands-on from the planning, DIY-ing, to the setting up of the party.

We welcome Yan to our second installment of Babylicious DIY Party Series.

(1) We are spoiled for choices when it comes to party themes. How did you ended up with this adorable Doc Mcstuffins theme?

Chloe loves the characters from the series. Bonus was that my sis-in-law already had the template for the theme. We just needed to figure out how to complete the look and tie it all together.

(2)  Are you a DIY kind of person? What items did you personally make?

I see a lot of personalized designed labels & printing which were done by you. Could you tell us briefly about the process?

I am an avid DIY-er. We customized the wordings, printed and cut most of the stickers and labels. With the amazing template available from my sis-in-law and from the internet, we started to put all available materials together and had the labels customized.

goodie bag favors made to resemble doctor medical bags

goodies in the bag. visiting the dr has never been this awesome!

kitkat "bandages"

can anyone refuse m&ms "medicine"?

customized labels

(3) With DIY parties, help from others are crucial.
What are the things that you outsourced/purchased or got others to do for you?

Our sis-in-law did a wonderful job putting together the design and template for us. She even printed out the backdrop, and had most of the stickers that were used in the decor & food labels sent all the way to us from Jakarta.

We ordered the main cake homemade by our Indonesian friend residing in Malaysia that came with a special design that matched the theme. We added a Doc Mcstuffin figurine for the finishing touch.

Our  former neighbor was so kind and thoughtful to make a set of customized cupcakes with Chloe's name on it.

Nini's Homemade Cupcakes

Food spread were ordered from our friends except for salads and fruits which were done from home.

(4) What are some of the things which you did yourself which saved you a considerable amount of $$$?

With DIY, we saved a great amount of money which went to the renting of the party venue. We wanted parents to enjoy mingling with friends & food while the kids occupy themselves with rounds of golfing fun.

(5) Anything that you would have done differently?

Any advice or tips for parents who would like to host a party at a particular venue outside the home?

If possible, try not to do too much. We spent a considerable amount of time preparing the sandwiches and fruits on the day itself that we ran out of time decorating the venue. We ended up having our guests helping out in the last minute decor.

DIY-ing may include some level of stress and can be tiring. It took us 5 nights of printing and cutting of labels/stickers (after Chloe went to bed) but we were pleased with the end result. Guests acknowledged the hard work that went to it and we hoped everyone had a good time.

Happy 4th Birthday Chloe!

 

||Credits/Sources||

Photography: Yan YL

Printables: Sis-in-law July @ Suryavi

Cupcakes: Nini's Homemade Cupcakes @ 012 9781327

Food: Yan YL and Restoran Surabaya @ Sunway

"Doctor" bag: Daiso

Venue: Mini Putt

ps: If you hosted a diy party and would love to be interviewed & share it here on Babylicious, do drop me an email on babylicious.info@gmail.com. It'll be fun!
For previous DIY Party Series post, click here.

DIY PARTY SERIES: Sophia's Woodlands Party by Vivienne

I'm delighted to finally reveal our very first DIY Real Parties to kick off the DIY Party Series on this blog! You know me, I get wobbly on my knees when i see a pretty party especially one with a homespun charm to it.

The idea sparked off from a desire to encourage both working & stay-home mommies (and daddies) to give a go at Do-It-Yourself parties.

It definitely involves some extent of research, perhaps several late nights hand-making party items, getting props ready, but i assure you the effort would be immensely rewarding.

I liken the process to childbirth (ha!)

After the chaos & the thought of all the hard work that went into the celebration, you kinda mentally mutter that it'll be your last! Very soon though, that thought would have gone into the non-core memory and you'd find yourself planning the next!

Whether it's a small do or one that calls for the whole clan, hosted at your own abode, a quaint cafe or even the local playground, birthdays are worth celebrating. And even more appreciated & remembered, when sweat & panda eyes were called for in the process.

To start the ball rolling, I'm pleased to introduced you to Vivienne, who recently hosted an amazing WOODLANDS themed party at her home for her lovely daughter Sophia.

(1) I know of many moms in modern day often balking at the idea of hosting a party at home.

From putting up the decor, organizing the food, all this while having to entertain guests, oh! and did i mention the CLEAN UP?!
What made you decide to host Sophia's 4th birthday party from home?

Venue outside home has restrictions and less flexibility in terms of time frame, the hassle of logistics eg transporting food plus setting up the venue would be overly time consuming. It's more intimate to have it at home especially with most guests being family members, and not a whole lot of children attendees. The home setting makes an ideal option & convenient for guests who are mothers with infants.

(2) The party theme would often be at the top of the "to do" list before you decide on anything else.

You chose an enchanting Woodland theme. With the myriad of themes available, what made you choose Woodlands? Tell us briefly about the process.

Frozen was top on Sophia's list. But I was overwhelmed with so many frozen parties featured that i lost the uniqueness and excitement for the theme. I dropped the idea and slowly moved on to her next favorite - fairy!! Woodlands fairy theme seemed appropriate for both genders! With much persuasion, Sophia was game for it too! Tutus and fairy wings - what's not to love?!

little fairies had to have wings & tutu skirts paired with headband & magical wand

(3) With home DIY parties, help from family members are crucial (unless you decide to forego your sanity) What form of help did you get/receive?

When hosting a party at home, family help is most appreciated! I'm blessed to have my mom who is a wonderful cook, who could manage catering to a crowd. My sister who is a talented baker has not only help me with cookies and cake, but also the decor setup & diy. Younger cousins also chipped in to help with many crafty work and moonlighted as kitchen helpers! 

We not only had a party that was diy-ed but one that saw the whole family coming together to make it a success!

(4) For one who enjoys crafting, what were the DIY items you made?

Backdrop using acrylic paint to draw the white branches. The burlap banner "Sophia is 4" was cut and free hand painted

Wooden number 4, diy distressed to match the woodlands theme.
Glitter foam alphabets and paper flowers & ferns were use to decorate the signage

                 

The handmade woodlands masks were the most time consuming as every piece was cut by hand and assembled

Chalk board frames signages

Lace used for holding the desserts jelly spoon & butterfly paper puncher used for decorating food jars

Diy flower cake banner twigs and artificial flowers

diy pinata lantern

oh boy! free flow candies!

Besides balloon decor, paper lanterns were decorated with butterflies clip-ons

Do-It-Yourself craft station for kids

Food and decor for desserts table decorated with mini fairy figurines

(5) What help (services) you decided to hire which you wouldn't be able to do it yourself & you know would make a great addition to the celebration?

On hindsight, I would have outsourced the catering to reduce mom's hard work so that she could have more time to enjoy the party. With budget and sufficient children attending the party, a balloonist/clown helped liven up the event. I wanted a face painting artist but to save cost, I bought some face painting sets and had the kids and parents participate in their own face painting creation.

mom cooking for the whole party

(6) Any piece of advice for moms who would like to attempt a home DIY party?

Plan ahead as soon as you set on the theme. Pssst... physcho your child to stick with the chosen theme and allow them to input ideas and get them involved with the planning. That way, it saves the hassle in case he/she changes his/her mind at the last minute! Start buying relevant items you need for the party decor and making a to-do list. Don't be afraid to get assistance from friends/family to avoid being drowned by overwhelming ideas that simply can't be achieved by a one-man show.

Thank you Vivienne for sharing Sophia's lovely party with Babylicious' readers. 
Seeing family members come together, lending a hand & chipping in their talents for a loved one's celebration ~ that's what makes a party extra special isnt' it?  
I know i came away completely smitten & inspired and i trust our readers will too.

the lovely Sophia in her beautiful fairy attire. 

Happy 4th Birthday!

ps: If you hosted a diy party and would love to be interviewed & share it here on Babylicious, do drop me an email on babylicious.info@gmail.com. It'll be fun!

||Credits||

Photography: Vivienne

Cookies & Desserts: Cookie.my

Food: Vivienne's mom

Clown: Bryant Low @ 016 2633007

 

URBAN STOVE: for the Family

I remember with much fondness having my friends over for birthday parties, casual dinners & BBQ happening at my parents' home while we were growing up. It wasn't anything fancy except for the candlelight dinner with my sis & very close friend by our room balcony overlooking the stars (i think i was about 13??)... complete with the whole works of table napkins & champagne glasses!

We were happy having friends over either celebrating someone's birthday or some special occasion. Mom would more often be the one cooking up a feast while dad would be the man behind the pit whenever we had a BBQ.

While i didn't inherit mom's cooking skills, i still very much enjoy having friends over to our humble home for a casual dinner & good company. The dilemma lies herein. I've been getting better at the kitchen (well, i'd like to think so) but not confident enough to cook a full meal to host friends.

So when i stumbled upon Urban Stove, it was the perfect remedy!
Very simply, Urban Stove aims to help all to cook healthy restaurant-grade dinners in just 30 minutes by providing fresh pre-portioned ingredients right to your doorstep.

Here is my take on the experience.

Customer Service:
The day of the delivery, i received an email from Urban Stove reminding me of the delivery and what to expect. The email was warmly written & i like that kinda thing. It makes the experience more personal. My package arrived in a taxi & was greeted by a friendly & courteous pakcik. He handed me my dinner box & i couldn't wait to rummage through its contents!

Packaging:
There's something about brown packaging that makes me weak at my knees. The ingredients were neatly packed & labeled. The meat were packed and placed within non-toxic ice packs.

Portions:
My menu selection is as below. Each meal serves 2 adults.
*Chicken Schnitzel with Potato Salad
*Spaghetti Prawns with Chilli Garlic (olio)
*Shangri-la Beef with Sesame Noodles

While i would have personally liked more pasta & noodles in my box, i easily had that remedied as i already had pasta/noodles sitting in my pantry. The meat portions were however very generous.
For example, i cooked a good amount of beef for 2 portions and found that there were still enough beef for a stand alone beef dish which i accompanied with rice the following day.

The tiger prawns were still fresh & juicy despite it being in my freezer for 5 days. And again generous portions of prawns.

There were still lots of breadcrumbs & flour from the chicken schnitzel recipe so i quickly took out some meat from my fridge, coated & fried it & my family had more than enough which we enjoyed for the following day's lunch. Nothing went to waste... even the excess garlic from the recipes were stored & used for my other home cooked meals.

There really wasn't much preparation needed except for rinsing the vege. I enjoyed the whole process of cooking!
The step by step recipe cards complete with pictures made it so easy peasy. You really couldn't go wrong.

Time-saving: 
Having to prep & cook dinner for the family before my evening classes can sometimes be very tiring. Most of the time i prep them a day before or boil a one pot meal to keep things easy. Now i'm glad to have an alternative. In fact each meal took me less than 30 mins!

The aroma from the cooking made one really hungry. Hence i didn't had time to style the cooked dishes for some nice photos. Didn't want to risk showing badly shot photos as it wouldn't have done justice to the delectable meals.
So i've pinjam a shot below compiled by Urban Stove from fans who have sent in their beautifully shot pics @thatskinnyelephant, @syee_x, & Christine Liow

Urban Stove is currently preparing for its launch. Sign up for pre launch deals.
I got my 3 full meals, each meal served 2 adults for only RM49.90. I'm hoping subscribers would still get to enjoy a good price post launch.

So, friends, anyone for dinner at my place?

ps: this is not a paid post. i enjoy sharing tried & tested gems like these with my readers. good things are meant to be shared!

GIVEAWAY: Babylicious with GUMTOO

Temporary tattoos are often a hit with kids! I haven't heard a kid refuse one when offered ;)
Over in this side of our region, it's quite a task to locate nice looking kids tattoos. We experienced this when we were looking high & low for attractive tattoo designs for Luke's pirate theme party a year or two back but found none.

So, when Gumtoo approached Babylicious for a review, i was delighted :)
Their designer tattoos had the most vibrant colors & looked cute & cool plus it's non toxic.
Say goodbye to goddy tattoo designs & adult-ish motifs.

I for one think it's a splendid activity for both an indoor or outdoor kids event, a wonderful party ice breaker & crowd-pleaser.
No need for skilled hands - just a damp cotton & voila!

It's also the perfect activity to whip up on a rainy weekend afternoon with the kids.

For parents who want a fuss free party activity, this DIY Tattoo Booth Party Box is ideal.

I think these tattoos make for a brilliant valentine's day gift or a simple party favor.
Just cut them out from its sheet & package them in a clear bag stapled with a cardstock & there you have it!

{GIVEAWAY}
The good folks at Gumtoo are collaborating with Babylicious to giveaway a set of assorted tattoo sheets to not just one but 2 lucky winners.

Ie; Each winner will win a set of 6 x assorted tattoo sheets (worth USD30) which includes Gumtoo's latest designs!

It's super duper easy to win!
1. "Like" Gumtoo on their Facebook page
2. "Like" Babylicious facebook page
3. Post "I Love to Party with Babylicious & Gumtoo!" on Babylicious' facebook page

T&C: 
Giveaway is only open to Malaysian residence . Winners will be chosen randomly . Giveaway ends March 20th . Winners will be notified via facebook by March 21st. Prizes will be posted by mail.

Field Trip: DINOSCOVERY by Dinosaurs Live!

We found ourselves pockets of time over the recent CNY holidays & it was nice to make a short drive downtown to visit the much talked about Dinoscovery, which is Asia Pacific's first-of-its-kind interactive, edutainment dinosaur exhibition.

We were greeted by a friendly host who handed each of us a smart looking explorer vest.
We volunteered Luke to be the leader & he was given a torchlight & a card.

The kids both received a map each to began our scavenger hunt. Upon completing each activity, at the end of the tour, the kids were able to redeem a Junior Paleontologist certificate from the Gift Shop.

Besides reengineered life-size animatronic dinosaurs in true-to-life adventure-like settings, the kids got the opportunity to:

climb a wall to have a glimpse of a Pteranodon’s nest

challenge Gallimimus in an interactive race

had fun at the volcano spewing lava balls

excavating for fossils

Other activities include shooting pest at the paintball section to save the sleeping Diplodocuses
& watching a short documentary in a 3D cinema.

There's also a little corner for the younger ones to color & a cozy cafeteria in the space as well to get some bites & quench your thirst.

Entrance fee:
17 years and below @ RM35 for Malaysians (RM50 for non-Malaysians)
Adults @ RM25 for Malaysians (RM40 for non-Malaysians)
kids below 60cm foc

Opening hours:
10am to 7pm on weekdays;
10am to 8pm on weekends including school and public holidays.

note: cameras are not allowed but you'll get to pose with dinosaurs in 3 different settings & have your picture taken by the staff.

 

DINOSCOVERY by Dinosaurs Live! is delighted to announce the extension of its exhibition period in Discoveria, Avenue K until 30th June 2015!

this post is sponsored by Dinoscovery. all content, opinion & pictures are of my own.