Oaklyn's Ballet Birthday Party

So, if you haven't figured it out by now... I'm kind of obsessed with party planning and party throwing. I love hosting guests, making holidays extra special, decorating anything and everything and always, always making all the above extra. Once I get a theme or a general color scheme going in my head, I can't stop! I know how silly this sounds, but it honestly makes me feel alive! I've always loved creating with my hands and mind. Sitting in a classroom and learning all things science or math... not my jam. Choosing the linens, centerpieces, and backdrops for a party... I'm all in! Having kids gives me several really good excuses to throw parties. Holidays, birthdays, special occasions, you name it! Last year I went a little overboard and really tired myself out. It was a really great distraction for a pretty tough year, but I promised Hunter this year would be cheaper, ha! Because even though party throwing is sooo fun, it isn't cheap! Oaklyn is just like me and wants any excuse for a party. When she found out her birthday was coming up, she couldn't stop talking about a party! I asked her what kind of birthday party she wanted and it was an easy choice, a ballet party! Not only do pink and gold seem fitting for this kind of party, but I also already had a bunch of decor with this color scheme, score! That is one of my biggest tips, reuse decor! Save all forms of banners, centerpieces, and backdrops. Usually you can recycle them in some way or form. Anyways, since this is a "cheaper" year, we decided it would be at a time where a meal doesn't need to be served and we would just have treats. We also invited significantly less people. Previous parties have been a family affair, but Oaklyn made the guest list for this party which consisted of her little girly besties. SO cute! The girls came dressed in their tutus, we decorated crowns, danced with a ballerina, hit a pinata, played in the backyard, and ate lotsssss of treats! Seeing Oaklyn's smile was soo worth blowing up over 100 balloons and baking a million treats!

The treat table was the focal point of the party. The backdrop stand is from amazon, linked here. We hung white curtains on them from IKEA to create a clean slate backdrop. I made the balloon arch with leftover balloons from Cambria's birthday party and a couple more packs from the dollar store. I don't know a for sure number but I think there's over 100 balloons in there. I did the threading method which I showed on my IG stories! Saved under the party prep highlight! The pink tablecloth is from the dollar store and the gold sequin one is from Amazon, linked here! Some cake stands were borrowed from my mom and others are mine, but cake stands are seriously the best thing to collect if you plan on hosting! They are perfect for every party and look so cute! The treats were funfetti cupcakes, gooey rice krispies with sprinkles and pink chocolate drizzle, oreo truffle pops, cheesecake cups, pink goldfish, and donuts. I made the cake and it was so fun! I actually made the cake and cupcakes a few days before and froze them. It made frosting the cake way easier and made for saving time the day before and day of. I frosted the cake and decorated it the day of. It started to lean because the lollipops were so heavy, oops! But a little more cardboard saved the day! I love baking cakes from scratch but it honestly is just too time consuming with everything else so I've started doctoring up boxed cake mix with a packet of instant pudding mix! It's the best! Just add a little more oil and water and you're golden!

We pushed two 6 ft tables together for the girls to sit while they ate and decorated. I rented the chairs from Allie's Party Rental and always love their service! The plastic pink tablecloths are from the dollar store. They're super thin and lightweight and honestly I love that we can just throw them away once everything is done! The sequin runners are from Amazon, linked here. The centerpieces were mason jars painted pink then distressed with twine hot glued to the mouth. I used my cricut to cut out the numbers and the ballerinas. How I made the poof balls are also on my party prep highlight. I made the gifts banner years ago for Oaklyn's first birthday and have kept it since and reused it 3 times! The tassle banner is also from her first birthday and has been reused several times! On the drink table we had pink lemonade, pasta salad, and onion dip with potato chips.

The girls had lots of fun decorating little crowns with jewels and stickers. The crowns were found at Hobby Lobby and were like $5 for a pack of 8! Don't forget that 40% off coupon! Then they danced around with a "real" ballerina with some ribbon wands and it was the cutest thing ever! The ballerina was my brother's girlfriend... she's the best and the girls loved her! I played some Frozen songs and Baby Shark and it was too cute! Then they hit a pinata and went crazy over all the candy! In their pink bags were little jewel rings from the dollar store and more plastic crowns from Party City. They also used those bags for grabbing the candy. 

After that we sang, ate cake, opened presents, and played around in the backyard. It was a fun little party and I'm so glad Oaks had a blast! 

If you have any more questions about where anything came from or how it was made, feel free to message me!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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The quickest and easiest holiday appetizer!

This post is sponsored by Frank's Red Hot but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

So, we all know how the end of the year goes... Halloween is over and the madness begins! There's Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Holiday parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Work Parties, Gift Exchanges, you name it! Weekend after weekend there is something to plan and prep for. Between getting yourself ready, making sure the babysitter has the kids under control, and trying to remember the white elephant gift, you really don't have much time to throw "an appetizer to share" together. You quickly run by the store and grab the last of the picked over dips and not only are you late... but no one even eats the dip! If you're sick of this, you're totally in the right place! I recently came across Frank's Red Hot delicious wings at Walmart and they are the PERFECT thing to bring to any holiday party! 

When it comes to the taste of Buffalo sauce, Frank's is the only way to go. Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce was used as the secret ingredient for the first ever Buffalo Wings in Buffalo, New York. The amazing flavor started the craze that has led to consumers obsession with all things Buffalo-flavor. I just think that is so cool! Frank's RedHot is the reason we have so many delicious buffalo-flavored dishes today! We absolutely love all of the Frank's RedHot sauces and constantly keep them stocked up in the fridge, so you can only imagine my excitement when I saw they sell their own wings now! Not only are they priced perfectly, but they are so convenient for anyone that wants a tasty snack throughout the day, someone who needs a delish appetizer to bring to a holiday party, or the dedicated game day fan that needs to refuel during halftime. They are packaged already coated in delicious sauce and are ready to be thrown in the microwave or into the oven. They're done in just a few minutes if you choose the microwave and the smell alone will have you drooling! The Kickin' BBQ is definitely my favorite flavor with original coming in at a close second. I loved that the wings had the perfect amount of sauce and great quality meat. 

My favorite way to eat these wings is with ranch and Frank's RedHot Original sauce mixed on the side. It's the perfect flavor combo with the original wings. Frank's RedHot also has several other dipping sauces that you will fall in love with such as buffalo wings sauce, sweet chili sauce, Chili 'N Lime Hot Sauce, Stingin' Honey Garlic Sauce, and Xtra Hot Sauce! 

If you have a grocery section in your Walmart, RUN over and grab some of these wings from the frozen section. My local Walmart made sure to have plenty on hand since these will easily become a game day/holiday party appetizer and snack favorite! While you're there pick up some of their sauces, trust me, you can never have too much buffalo flavor!

I'm so excited that I feel prepared for any last minute parties or anytime I forget to bring something because my freezer is stocked with Frank's RedHot delicious wings! What flavor are you looking forward to trying... Buffalo, Kickin' BBQ,  or original?? 

Let me know your favorite!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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