Make a Fairy Garden For Your Kids Party

This project is a truly unique kids party activity, combining fun, fantasy, and learning. Kids love getting their hands dirty and learning how things grow. They will also love the idea of making a magical garden place for a fairy to live.

A miniature garden takes little space and can rest on a tabletop. Maintenance requires only a light misting from time to time and watching for fairies to come to call. Just kidding about that last part, but you never know...


Start by collecting various containers such as woven baskets, large shallow bowls or deep dish clay saucers (like a birdbath), or even discarded bureau drawers. Check yard sales for innovative ideas and inexpensive materials.

Next, supply potting soil and a selection of small plants that will reach under a foot when fully grown. Dwarf zinnias, marigolds, violets, ivy, baby's tears and sprigs of vinca are all good choices. There are many types of mosses that will work nicely too, fitting into corners and small areas easily to add texture and interest. A variety of low-growing herbs such as thyme and rosemary lend aroma to the mix as well.

Start by lining your garden container with heavy duty plastic, fill to within an inch of the top with potting soil then kids are ready to landscape the top. Let them choose their favorite diminutive plants, interspersing them with various materials to add charm and character to the fairy garden.

For example, turn a colorful plant pot on its side and submerge it halfway in the soil to serve as a proper fairy dwelling. Add dollhouse sized furniture to set in the garden, popsicle sticks to construct a fairy fence, or small flat rocks to make a wonderful stepping stone path.

A small mirror symbolizing water making a faux gazing pool. The round flat glass beads
used in vases make nice accent pieces too. Tiny garden accessories like terra cotta pots and shovels give your garden a "lived-in" look.

Fairy gardens needn't be for little girls only. Boys can make a miniature dinosaur den using many of the same materials. Herbs, moss and other green plants can make a forest or wooded area in which small plastic dinosaurs return from extinction to live another day. Soil mounded to one side forms a volcano, spilling red aquarium stone lava.
A construction site garden is another option for boys. Tiny rocks, stick logs, and craft stick lumber can be stacked up waiting for the big rigs to move them. Small toy bulldozers and cranes can be scattered about, among the plantings.

These whimsical gardens can go wherever your child's imagination takes them. You provide the materials, they supply the ideas and creativity. Planting and maintaining a miniature garden teaches kids about plants, caring for living things, and most all the fun of gardening.

Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved

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Creative Kid Birthday Cake Ideas

A hush falls over the room as you bring out your child's birthday cake.

With its candles glowing, your cake masterpiece sits at its place of honor for all to admire as the room fills with the oohs and aahs of your envious party guests. Your creative birthday cake is wonderful and it fits your party theme perfectly.


Your birthday child makes a wish and your guests join in singing the birthday song followed by cheers and applause. Then it's finally time to enjoy the taste of your delicious birthday cake creation.

Now that's the kind of reaction you want for your child's birthday cake!

Kid Birthday Cake Ideas

Let your creative imagination run wild when you plan your child's birthday cake, because just about anything is possible. Here are just a few ideas.

Princess Birthday Cake

Skate Cake
Butterfly Cake
Ladybug Cake
Hot Dog and Fries Cake
Volcano Cake
Bug Mountain Cake
Lego Cake
Madeline's Hat Cake
Princess Castle Cake
Green Eggs and Ham Cake
Panda Cake
Treasure Chest Cake
First Birthday Cake Ideas
Baby's Bib Cake
Baby Cakes
Baby's Booties
Puppy Dog Cake
Pail of Sand Cake

Like I said, when it comes to kid birthday cake ideas for your child's party, the only limit is your imagination.

Kid Birthday Cake Recipes

For the recipes for these and other creative birthday cakes, take a quick look at Fun-Kid-Birthday-Parties.com

Once you and your child decide what their party theme will be, start thinking about your birthday cake masterpiece.

All it takes is a little imagination and your kid birthday cake will be a huge success!

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Top Ten Money Saving Wedding Tips

1. Plan your wedding ceremony and reception in the morning, on a Friday or Sunday night and consider the winter months for all these times and dates will be less expensive.

2. Try to keep your guest list minimal.

3. Make your own veil. You’ll find that most craft stores sell how-to books and even supplies on designing your own veil, which can save you hundreds of dollars.

4. Shop online for your wedding dress. Go to a nearby bridal shop and try on dresses so you know they fit, and once you find some you like, search for them online, you’ll most likely find them, and for much less.

5. Supply your own alcohol for the wedding if you can, you’ll be sure to save.

6. Opt to not have a dinner reception. Choose to have a brunch, cocktail or dessert party instead.

7. Use silk flowers. Silk flowers are beautiful, look real, and are always less than real flowers. Better yet, you can even rent them.

8. When decorating, use more greenery and baby’s breath, with fewer flowers to cut costs but still make the setting look fulfilled.

9. Create your own invitations. You can easily create a design with use of a computer and software programs available for this task, as well as purchasing your own wedding desktop publishing paper.

10. Consider using local universities qualified but inexpensive musicians, photographers, and videographers. Professors can point you in the right direction to finding the best students in the program..

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Baby Name Meanings

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning “Who is like God”), I’m really proud of my name. And I think that I – mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase “little devil” would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.

But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning “Little Darling”. Hmmm, that isn’t the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my “not like God” behaviour…!

And that’s the fun of baby name meanings – parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and “it just sounds really nice.” But – in the Western world – we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her “really nice sounding” name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.

You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently “a cliff dweller”, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities – consider the following:

Badu (as in r n’b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning “Tenth born child”

Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning “Firstborn daughter”

Aaliyah (the late r n’b singer): Arabic name meaning “High, exalted”

Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning “Cheerful”

Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname “Kaur”, meaning “Princess”, whilst the boys have the middle or surname “Singh”, meaning “Lion”.

An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be “Sondo” (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm…

Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your “bundle of joy”, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it’s never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.

Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name “Malory” is French and means “Bad luck”. You could get round this by spelling it “Mallory”, but this means “Without good fortune” in Old German!

Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example “Leah” is a beautiful girl’s name, but what does it mean? Well…

• In Hebrew it means “Cow” or “Weary one” – uugghhh! • In Greek it means “Glad tidings” • In Assyrian, it means “Mistress, ruler”

And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid “Bacia,” – its Ugandan meaning is “Family deaths ruined the home!”

For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning resources at www.all-about-baby-names.com.

Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!.

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