A few months ago, LD discovered A Whole New World outside of Anna and Elsa (umm, What?!?!), and upon discovery, she was amazed.
So amazed, that she decided she wanted to celebrate her 4th birthday, not just with Jasmine… but AS Jasmine.
In fact, we all got into the spirit. Meet pseudo Aladdin, and the ultra pseudo Abu, the monkey. I’m not quite sure what we were actually… however, we served a very important role at LD‘s Royal Princess Ball.
We were pretty much… her lackeys.
It was a mad dash to set up. We weren’t missing a beat. Not today.
With gold paper plates, utensils, and tulle, a touch of blue to tie in Jasmine’s colors, accented with hues of purple throughout – it was definitely an Arabian night for our little Royal friends (held in the middle of the afternoon).
But the Queen… err, I mean, Abu the monkey (that’s me) decided that we had to do a little prep work at home first.
The plastic mini goblets, trimmed with sequined stickers…
Elegant mini-sized gold candle holders (holding fake candles, of course) to set the mood…
An oversized ornate sign spray painted in matte gold, just in case our guests forgot what they were attending…
Which was the final touch to our Arabian Night photo booth, decorated with silk pillows, golden butterflies, holiday lights, and animals of the kingdom…
Food tents were displayed with all the characters of Aladdin, and topped off with a crystal sticker stud. Some of the favorites were “Sultan’s Crackers, “Genie’s Juice“, and “Magic Choco-ride“…
A coloring station was made available where each child was given a Princess shaped crayon and a scroll of Genie and his friends. The kids had a blast choosing their favorite colors.
We had the most fun preparing the “loot bags”. But these weren’t just any loot bags. Each royal guest received their very own genie lantern filled with gold beads, sparkly foam stickers with their initials and their age, and of course “4” dollars worth of Chocolate toonies. (the Princess put us to work, indeed!)
But what made this take-home lantern so special, was the little Princess‘ 4 wishes for each of her royal friends…
The final display was well received, with the added gold coins and all the guests’ individual names.
The most lovely display created by a good friend added the perfect personalized touch. This included the Princess‘ favorite sayings, foods, things to do, and aspirations (which was essentially, to one day become Princess Jasmine – that’s my girl, always shooting for the stars). It was truly magical to see her current interests contained all in one piece.
It was important that the celebrant had a little something to bring back home as well – to add to her box of memories. All of our guests wrote down a special wish or words of wisdom that was placed in an embellished faux-glass jar. Many brought a tear to my eye. I can’t wait for her to be able to read them when she becomes a Tween-cess. I sure hope she follows some of the great advice she received. Especially the one that said “Always listen to your mom. She knows best.” Yeah. That one.
And what is a Princess Ball without breaking out a couple moves? The little and big people alike, were thrilled to dance the day away in the studio where LD normally takes her preschool dance program. All of LD‘s fave jams were played, including, of course, “Genie in a Bottle”. The kids were all smiles while following the lead of one of the celebrant‘s most beloved dance instructors.
The ball was wrapped up with a surprise visit from LD‘s favorite person of all time – Princess Jasmine herself from Cafiker Castle. The kids were so excited to see a Disney Princess up close.
Then, it was time for the feast.
We only had one table to work with, so we used up every inch. Since it was a kid’s party, most of the food was finger food – fruits and veggies, peanut-free PB&J sandwiches shaped as a crown, an arabian elephant, and Abu the monkey, bowls of popcorn, and of course donut pops. The adults enjoyed quiche and spanakopita dishes which never ran out, as we kept an extra stash hidden only steps away. I mean, a lackey’s gotta eat, right?
And let’s not forget Genie’s Juice. That was definitely a crowd pleaser.
As the adults were clearing off the table, Jasmine brought the kids into a circle and played the “hot lantern” game (think, hot potato, or poisoned apple, but Aladdin inspired – after all, it’s all in the details right?)
LD had many questions to ask of the Princess and was certainly not shy to do so.
She sang a special song for all the kids, who in turn, were silenced in pure amazement.
The energy in the room was palpable. Aladdin Disney songs filled every corner of the room (and lingered in my head for the week to follow), laughter and screams of sweet delight were heard from within the enclosed dance studios, and all relished in the magical atmosphere. Kids, both big and small truly had a ball…
The wee ones kept close to their Queens throughout the party, but had a healthy dose of the royal treatment.
Especially, when the cake made its grand appearance. LD was over the moon when Jasmine carried the cake over to her to blow out the candles.
Every cupcake was made specifically with little hands in mind:
We held a quick game of “Who has Jasmine under their plate” and Princess Jasmine presented each of the winners an Aladdin book, or a Fez hat. It was either that, or pin the genie on the lamp, and we knew that would be a gong show, so we kept it simple.
LD continued her cupcake-fest as she and her royal guests enjoyed a corner of Princess dress up games.
Followed by a very important photo opp moment with her favorite Princess – cupcake still in hand…
All of the families enjoyed a good dose of the visiting with the Princess, including Poppy and Grammy – who quietly enjoyed the blissful atmosphere from the sidelines.
The kids all received a gold balloon presented by Jasmine (boy, we kept the poor Princess busy, didn’t we?), along with their genie lamps and coloring scrolls. With all the excitement and laughter, it was definitely not easy to clear the room.
Once home, our exhausted little Princess was overwhelmed with all the gifts of love from her very special friends. From a Jasmine card, to an Easy Bake Oven (WHAT?), to coloring books, to a fancy salon chair, to lovely home made cards (her fave), she is sure to be kept entertained for the entire year!
Of course, Queen Mama was pretty excited that she received a Minnie Mouse Tee that says “BLOG – Let’s Talk Fashion”. Was this LD‘s birthday, or MINE??
All in all – we couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate my sweet Princess‘ big 4.0. I am certain there were varying thoughts on my level of crazy – but there is nothing I wouldn’t do to bring a smile on my little mama‘s face. Much like this…
The best part – every single piece of decor you see here, were fun finds from the local Dollarama Store, or the clearance rack at Michaels‘ moving sale (we’re talking 70% off everything, say what!?), “going going gone” clearance shelves at Target, some super sharp sleuthing skills around the house (every single pillow you see belongs on some sort of piece of furniture in our house which usually goes ignored), stuffed animals that I literally had to pull out of the “ready to goodwill” bags, and most importantly, the support and assistance of my loving family and friends that helped before, during, and after the party. It was for the kids after all.
All this.. and not one nail broken. How’s that for a magical way to end the day?
Happy 4th Birthday to my sweet girl. You are our miracle, and we want to give you some of that magic back. Make those 4 wishes, my love. And we’ll try our best to make at least one of them come true.
Accessories:: J Crew Gold elastic headband | Mama’s gold knotted necklace (similar Disney Jasmine Jewelry set here) | Costume:: Disney Princess Jasmine Deluxe Sparkle Costume | Footwear:: Joe Fresh Sparkle Maryjanes (similar Kenneth Cole Reaction Maryjane here)
The LOOK:: Want it? GET it!
How do you usually celebrate birthdays in your household? Do you keep it simple and intimate? Do you go all out? Somewhere in between? What do your kids prefer?
Think outside the Princess box,
“Like” us on Facebook
“Tweet” us on Twitter
“Catch” us on YouTube
“Hangout” with us on Google+
“Follow” us on Instagram @babystylista
“Pin” us on Pinterest
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.
Bonnie Way recently posted…Blog Mastery Conference Wrap-Up
Have you every thought about hosting events for other kids!?
Besos Sarah.
Sarah at Journeys of The Zoo recently posted…WIN at the Canadian-Friendly Giveaway Linky, CAN, 6/2 #canwin