Wedding Wednesday: Spring Wedding Inspiration

Happy Wedding Wednesday!!  I didn't have enough time to jot down a blog worth reading for today, so instead, here is a little inspiration for the Spring season that we are so very close to. I hope it gets you in to mood for sunny, warm weather and outdoor celebrations.

Easter Egg Hunts!!

These don't just have to be for the kids anymore!!  Watching the little ones hunt for eggs is adorable, making room for loads of oohs & ahhhs, and plenty of sweet photo moments.  Now hide a few eggs for the grown-ups with some worthy stuff inside, and just watch the competitor in everyone come out!!  These can be geared at any age group, and be super fun for all.

First, some simple ideas for any age.  I have 3 children, and most plastic egg packages come with 6 different colors.  To avoid the fight of "They got more eggs than me!!, " on Easter morning the Easter Bunny would leave 2 colors of eggs in each child's basket, along with the number of eggs they had to look for.  This way everyone had specific colors that belonged to them, so no fighting over eggs.  As kids get old enough to avoid the hurt feelings, add in a few special eggs, like glitter or multi-colored, on top of the regular ones that contain bonus prizes for a little extra excitement.

At my grandmother's, my cousin always put on a hunt for the kids, but instead of candy-filled eggs, she hid fun non-candy items.  Okay, there was a little candy involved, but mostly little toys or books.  She placed a colored dot sticker on each item, and just before the hunt, gave every kid a coordinating sticker on their hand.  Everyone only got what was intended for them, and everyone got the same amount.  Worked like a charm, and as the kids got older, so did their items.  When my daughter went to college, her items included things like a travel laundry hamper and Ramen noodles!!

Adults sometimes need a little more motivation than purely candy.  Money is always a big draw for the older crowd, including teenagers.  The majority of the eggs can contain change, which can add up quickly if you're a good enough hunter, and put the big bills in just a few eggs.  Throw in some candy here and there for a little variety.

Another idea is to have everyone bring a bag of candy and $5, pool the money, and put special "You win!!" notes in some of the eggs.  The fewer winners, the bigger the pot.  And to save yourself some work, make stuffing the eggs part of the festivities before the hunt!!  You just need a couple of volunteers that don't want to hunt to hide the eggs for your group.  Kids are great for this.

I would love to hear any of your ideas or traditions for Easter egg hunts.  Comment here, or share them on my Facebook page.  Happy hunting!!

April Fool's Fun

April Fool's Day- the perfect excuse to be silly and have a little fun.  A good laugh lifts your spirits and brightens your day.  Hopefully even if the joke was on you!!
Here is a bit of inspiration for some "foolish" fun...

This party table is full of gags just waiting to be discovered.  The best part is that most of this stuff can be found at the Dollar Store, so lots of festive for very little cash!!  You, of course, HAVE to start with Whoopee Cushions in the seats.  Probably not well hidden enough for your guests to fall for it, but a great favor for them to take home and try on their own unsuspecting friends. 

The cup full of mini-M&Ms on each plate not only matched the polka dots on the centerpiece, but also contained it's own surprise. To eat dinner, the cup needed to be moved out of the way, but guests had no idea that each cup was missing it's bottom!!  Once picked up, the candy spilled out onto the plate.  

For added fun, the little cup had a water squirting ring on top, and a fake lottery ticket attached.  I wrapped the tix in colored paper and wrote "Good Luck" on each, but this would also be a great place to write names and double them as place cards.  It is attached to the cup simply with a colored paper clip.  

Under each place setting was a colorful maze placemat.  I copied mazes from the internet, but for this particular theme, I took a thin black permanent marker and made an extra line towards the end, blocking the path to the exit.  If you are careful, it isn't obvious at all, and then there is NO WAY OUT!!  This should keep your guests busy for a little while.  It said "Answer on back" in the corner, but when it's turned over, it just says "There is no escape...  HA-HA-HA!!  April Fool!!"

A classic gag is switching out the salt and sugar, so how could I resist?  I filled one shaker with each, then added the question mark to make them wonder.  

A couple of other things that I added were odd-flavored Jellie Bellies, and fake spilled wine, which I made pretty easily with nail polish and a plastic cup.  As an added bit of decor, I found a great quote, printed it out, and framed it for the table.  

                       

Fun Use For Plastic Easter Eggs

     
     I used this idea to invite my neighbors to an Open House.  It was close to Easter, and I wanted something to peak their interest.  Everyone loves a candy surprise!!  (Plus, I feel my creativity is terribly stifled if I have to use an invite that I didn't make!!)


     After you decide exactly what you want to say, and how you are going to say it, print up your invitation, and place it inside a colorful plastic egg along with some type of small, wrapped candy.  Remember, it has to fit inside a small egg, so short and sweet.  

     Next, take a piece of ribbon, and tie the ends into a knot.  This is to help it not slide out of the egg.  Place the knot between the 2 halves of the egg and close it.

     Since I was only leaving these around my immediate neighborhood, I walked around the block and used the loop to hang my eggs on the front door of each house.  If you really feel like being artistic, use markers, stickers, or whatever else you have lying around your craft room to decorate the plastic eggs.

                                                   


     These adorable Spring hangers also work great for making an Easter Treat Tree.  They are perfect for hanging on a branch as a centerpiece on a table.  Go another step further, and number the eggs for a countdown, like a Christmas Advent Calendar.