Movie Night: The Greatest Showman

This movie was SUCH  a hit in theaters and we could not wait for it to come out on video so we could watch it and do a movie night.  The Greatest Showman did not disappoint!

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Circus stripes, peanuts and tickets gave our table a circus feel.  

We snacked on the peanuts before dinner and I was so pleased with myself when the movie referenced peanuts several times... ha!

Barnum's Animals Crackers were too perfect.  Each of the kids got a box.

We had fare you find under the big top for dinner:  cheddar brats, chips, pickle spears.... and chopped salad. That isn't really circus food but balances out the rest.

For dessert we had popcorn and mixed in caramel M&M's.  Y'all.  DELICIOUS.

We listened to songs from the movie while we ate.  My daughter has been singing along with the soundtrack ever since.  Seriously... non-stop.

I loved the circus theme and we all really enjoyed the movie.  It's fun, it's a musical, and it's an interesting story... even if it's the Hollywood version.

“All the eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus”

— Britney Spears

When Calls the Heart

Do you watch When Calls the Heart?  If you don't know about his darling show on the Hallmark Channel, you are in for a treat!  This is a family-friendly series I highly recommend.

Image from Hallmarkchannel.com

This charming series takes place in a turn-of-the century coal mining town.  Residents face hardships, celebrate life's special moments, and often weave their faith into the story.

A friend told me about this show last year and over the summer my kids and I binge-watched the first four seasons.  (The first three are on Netflix, we bought the fourth on Amazon Video.)  We would spend the day outdoors, swim at the pool, then settle in for rest in the afternoon by watching and episode (or two) together.  We eagerly awaited the show's return with a fabulous episode airing on Christmas day and airing weekly starting in February.

Image from Hallmarkchannel.com

It's exciting without being too scary and romantic in a completely appropriate way.  We like to shout "woo woo!" when Jack and Elizabeth kiss.  It's so fun to get wrapped up in a quality series that I can enjoy with my kids.  My husband occasionally watches with us too.  If you're looking for something to enjoy as a family, give When Calls the Heart a try!

Unicorn Birthday Party!

Eight is a magical age, deserving of a magical party.  My daughter picked unicorns for her birthday theme this year and it was too fun!

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We had no shortage of sparkles, darling friends, and enchantment.  I LOVE planning birthday celebrations for my children.

Today I'm sharing the details of this sweet party, broken down by category.

Decor

It was all kinds of pink, purple and sparkly for this party... too fun!  I found the little signs at Zulily and Prep Obsessed.

I picked up the little unicorn cake plates at Walmart.

I adore these floral arrangments from Costco.  For $19.99, they are beautiful and easy!

I always do custom napkins for my kids' birthday parties.

Unicorns everywhere!

Food and Drink

The party took place after lunch time, so we just did some simple snacks, lemonade, and of course birthday cake.

I found the napkins at Homegoods and the plates at Target.

The cake is from Sugar Bakeshop in Denver and was absolutely gorgeous.  It was vanilla with caramel filling and so delicious!

These unicorn straws make me so happy!

Activities

We had about two dozen kids for this party so I had several activities to keep them entertained.  Of course we HAD to have a unicorn bounce house!

These little unicorn wand kits are from Oriental Trading and proved to be an enjoyable craft.

Second grade girls LOVE to color, so I found this free image on Pinterest and we printed them on cardstock.

Favors

I've learned to keep party favors simple because no one likes their kid coming home with a bag full of tons of tiny junk.  Am I right?!?

When the guests walked in they could choose a unicorn horn.

Each child left with a favor bag holding a little plush unicorn and either a pen or necklace.

I found the custom labels here.

It's always a joy to choose and birthday theme with my children and plan their parties.  When else in life can you wear a unicorn headband and eat cake?

I hope you have a magical day!