Almost every day for the first two years of my daughter's life we had "dance party" around 5pm in our home. Her favorite songs to dance to were from the Curious George Soundtrack. My wonderful husband is a part of the team that creates AOL's music show Sessions. He invited us to stop by the day Jack Johnson played. I am such a proud mama. Riley and her new friend Jack are caught on tape about :40 seconds into this promotional video.
We still dance almost every day and Jack Johnson is always in the rotation. Please share your child's favorite dance tunes too, we'll add them to our list!
And, check out AOL Sessions and my husband's work!
Jack Johnson: Behind the Sessions
Flowers for Mom
I have always been a huge fan of carnations. I think they add color to any party and, when properly displayed, they look as rich as any flower. I also love history, so I was thrilled to discover carnations are considered the flower of Mother's Day. It turns out Anna Jarvis, the "mother" of Mother's Day created the U.S. observance of mom's in 1908 to honor her mother, also named Anna. Carnations were her favorite flower.
Flowers are nice for Mother's Day, but so are hugs and phone calls. As a mom, I love just being thought of so to all the mom's out there I'm grateful for you. Thanks to my mom and mom-in-law, especially, for all you do.
Happy Mother's Day!
GOAL! World Cup inspired Soccer Birthday Party for kids
I recently held a Soccer Birthday Party for my daughter's third birthday. This is a great idea for children ages three-seven years. 32 soccer whistles, 21 children, 19 soccer jerseys, six soccer balls, lots of bubbles, and one amazing face painter equals a fun party for all. The day was planned to be simple and enjoyable for all; lunch, soccer, face painting and birthday cupcakes.
If you'd like my resource guide, send a comment! I'm happy to send everyone all the where-to-find info on everything!
The Hot Mom to Be Handbook
The Hot Mom to Be Handbook is an awesome book, not just for expecting mothers, but for anyone who has kids. The author, Jessica Denay, is a charming, witty and wonderful woman, who writes about life as a mom. One story she shares is from Elyse Wilk who happened to be 20-years-old and still in college when she had her baby. Instead of making lemons, she truly made the best lemonade ever. There are also great quotes sprinkled throughout the book, one of my favorites is " The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new".-- Rajneesh.
Her previous book "The Hot Mom's Handbook" is hugely successful and her company's website are amazing. She is a true dynamo. This new book is a pleasure to read, and if you are having a baby it is filled with amazing tips and treats you'll love. Chapters include fun tips for Dad's too.
Download it now on your kindle or buy it on amazon.com!
Let me know what you think!
Spring is almost here, but if showers have you stuck inside, use some flower power to bring spring indoors.
Ah, spring fever. It seems to be everywhere. I know Riley and I have it. We are so ready for sun, except, well, it is raining, again. No green, no spring flowers...yet. So, we cooked up an idea to bring spring indoors. With the help of our friends Courtney and Lydia, we made flower cookie bouquets. Yummy and fun.
Here is what you need:
An old fashioned sugar cookie recipe (make and refrigerate overnight)
Flower cookie cutters
I found some ceramic pots, half price, at Michaels Arts and Crafts store
Baking sticks
Roll out the dough, use the cookie mold, three or four large cookies fit on one baking tray. Place cut out cookies on baking sticks, which are on the tray.
To finish the bouquet, we added Mallomars, Oreo's and Graham cracker crumbs as soil.
This makes a great centerpiece for an upcoming birthday or spring party.
Happy spring and happy friends and family time.
And the Oscar goes to... Family
Maybe every year Oscar winners show overwhelming thanks for their family, but this year it really seemed like a theme. I was excited to hear how inspired each of the above actors were by their family support. If the best things in life really are free, these talented people were winners before the Acadamy granted them the award. Congratulations to all the winners and behind the scenes crew and talent for such a great show.
The Blind Side Party-To-Go from my Oscar Series as seen on E! (Part 4 of 4)
The Blind Side Party Suggestions as featured on E! News Wednesday, March 3rd 7:00PM EST and 11:30PM EST.
Décor Tips:
Mini footballs made from rice krispies and a rice krispy football field. I ordered from Lady Fortunes. It is not to late. The turn around time is next day to your home. Ask for Alex, tell her you saw it on E! News.
Serve food on wheat grass squares, to imitate the real feel of a football field.
Food on the field: skewers of meatballs, bow tie pasta and a cherry tomato.
And, you can't leave Ole Miss with out trying Shrimp and Cheese Grits. No really, it is great! And, totally a conversation sparker!
Duke on the Rocks Bulleit Bourbon Punch (It is like an Arnold Palmer with liquor- yummy)
I suggest a very southern style punch created by my talented friend and mixologist Elayne Duke. She plans parties for tons of celebrities, including some you’ll see Sunday on the red carpet. You can check out more drinks at www.dukeontherocks.com.
Make this in a punch bowl and serve in Mason Jars.
You need:
Bulleit Boubon
Iced tea
15 lemons quartered
Three to four times the amount of sugar for each lemon depending on how sweet you like it. Basically it is about 1/4- 1/2 lb of sugar
Muddle to squeeze the lemons in the base of the punch bowl. Add the sugar. Muddle some more. This is like making fresh lemonade.
Then, fill the rest of the punch bowl with equal parts bullet bourbon and iced tea. It is that simple.
For a fun party trick you can make an ice floater to top off the punch and keep it cold. Freeze water in a metal mixing bowl for about five hours. Remove from freezer and take the ice out of the bowl and gently float into your Duke on the Rocks Bulleit Bourbon Punch.
Up In The Air Party-To-Go from my Oscar Series (Part 3 of 4)
Here's a party even George Clooney would like to attend. Welcome to our Up In The Air eco-friendly party. Thank you for flying with us today. See video here.
The idea here is to create the "scene". Set up stations around your home that are signature items you would find when flying in first class (as George Clooney does) or coach (an area I'm very familiar with).
First, add a personalized touch to your Oscar party with custom made paper luggage tags to hang on your glass or mini Moet champagne party pleaser. These were created by my talented friend Valisa Tate at Valisa Tate Design. You can create your own with card stock or heavy copy paper and use an office program like Microsoft Word. We choose the Los Angeles airport code LAX and used all the folks from Up In The Air (hoping maybe they could attend), but you could type your friends names on each one.
Create stations of food around your home that resemble First Class food trays and Coach servings (you can seat your guests into these sections too, for fun)
Have Coach serving items as pictured below. Where everything is in individual serving packages, like terra chips (the official chip of Jet Blue airlines), Annie's bunnies, peanuts, crackers. Use a cardboard box found at the container store to place these items in. Use bamboo flatware and include a package disposable sani-hands wipes under the flatware. Again these can just be props around the house to create an environment.
Have a First Class section. This should be where your heavy hors d' oeuvres are. I served mini burgers (compliments of my friends at Prohibition in NYC) and a large cheese and fruit bowl on my first class trays from Verterra. Verterra produces dinnerware all made from fallen leaves, so very eco-friendly. Also in this area, have ramekins filled with warm nuts.
If you have great luggage use it as props around your home.
Have travel hotel soaps in the bathroom.
Instead of paper towels roll up napkins or washcloths on trays to pass around, like you would find on some flights.
Find a few mini bottles of liquor for your bar display. Here is a bit of trivia. Moet was the only champagne seen in the Up In The Air Movie. So I suggest buying their Mini Moet Oscar Pack, created just for Sunday! The top of the package is just like a film canister. This makes a genius gift also!
Give guests a gift to take away that even George Clooney would love, an environmentally friendly travel kit from Eco-Tools www.eco-tools.com. Green, Clean, Go!
Thank you for flying the Celebrate Everyday skies. Please visit again soon.
The idea here is to create the "scene". Set up stations around your home that are signature items you would find when flying in first class (as George Clooney does) or coach (an area I'm very familiar with).
First, add a personalized touch to your Oscar party with custom made paper luggage tags to hang on your glass or mini Moet champagne party pleaser. These were created by my talented friend Valisa Tate at Valisa Tate Design. You can create your own with card stock or heavy copy paper and use an office program like Microsoft Word. We choose the Los Angeles airport code LAX and used all the folks from Up In The Air (hoping maybe they could attend), but you could type your friends names on each one.
Create stations of food around your home that resemble First Class food trays and Coach servings (you can seat your guests into these sections too, for fun)
Have Coach serving items as pictured below. Where everything is in individual serving packages, like terra chips (the official chip of Jet Blue airlines), Annie's bunnies, peanuts, crackers. Use a cardboard box found at the container store to place these items in. Use bamboo flatware and include a package disposable sani-hands wipes under the flatware. Again these can just be props around the house to create an environment.
Have a First Class section. This should be where your heavy hors d' oeuvres are. I served mini burgers (compliments of my friends at Prohibition in NYC) and a large cheese and fruit bowl on my first class trays from Verterra. Verterra produces dinnerware all made from fallen leaves, so very eco-friendly. Also in this area, have ramekins filled with warm nuts.
If you have great luggage use it as props around your home.
Have travel hotel soaps in the bathroom.
Instead of paper towels roll up napkins or washcloths on trays to pass around, like you would find on some flights.
Find a few mini bottles of liquor for your bar display. Here is a bit of trivia. Moet was the only champagne seen in the Up In The Air Movie. So I suggest buying their Mini Moet Oscar Pack, created just for Sunday! The top of the package is just like a film canister. This makes a genius gift also!
Give guests a gift to take away that even George Clooney would love, an environmentally friendly travel kit from Eco-Tools www.eco-tools.com. Green, Clean, Go!
Thank you for flying the Celebrate Everyday skies. Please visit again soon.
Avatar Oscar Party-To-Go Idea from my Oscar Series (Part 2 of 4)
The next few blogs will contain what I call "Party-to-go" info. All the resources and ideas you need to plan a fast, affordable, but FABULOUS Oscar bash at home. If you love Avatar (as I did) this party is for you! See video here.
Every theme party needs a GREAT cocktail.
Are looking to shake things up with your own Oscar themed party this Sunday? Why not try an original Absolut Avatar Cocktail? District Bar in Chicago, IL teamed up with champion mixologist Bridget Albert, author of Market Fresh Mixology, to create an out of this world cocktail inspired by James Cameron’s masterpiece and Oscar nominee, Avatar. Serve in Champagne glass (rim in blue sugar).
1 oz Absolut Berri Acai
1/2 oz St Germaine
3/4 oz Pineapple juice
1/2 oz Fresh sour (Lemons, Limes, Simple Syrup)
Top with Moet Champagne or Prosecco
Add all ingredients, except champagne, into cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake. My friend and master mixologist Elayne Duke gave me this Party-to-go tip. Rim the glass in sugar with no mess. Here's how: cut a slice into a lemon just wide enough for the rim of your champagne glass to fit. Twist the lemon around the glass rim a few times. Then dip glass in sugar! 1, 2, 3 so EASY and no mess!
Food suggestions:
Terra Blue Potato and Stripes and Blues Vegetable Chips
An all green crudites- on a three tiered trey you can create your own tree of life from your favourite raw, green vegetables.
Organic salsa
Guacamole
Food and Decor
Suspend mini frozen potato puffs from miniature toy trees. I found this amazing acacia tree from Schleich at Moomah in NYC. It looks like Target carries them too. I used clam shells I found online at Delta Shells to rest the potato puffs and nestle in the tree branches.
I suggest serving Wolf Gang Puck’s Salmon Blinis on clear glass tray's covered with a blue stone, like these found at Michaels . The pirogues or blinis are from the freezer. I just make a sauce of sour cream, smoked salmon and topped with chopped chives.
Set the food a top glowing blue rope lights to set the scene. I used an old round vase that was about 21 inches high and wrapped this Hampton Bay Blue Rope Light found at Home Depot. You don't even need a vase, you could just rest your bowl right on top of the coiled lights.
For more every day ideas check out my new site www.celebrateeveryday.tv
Party like an Oscar nominee with these "INSIDER" OSCAR Party tips (Part 1 of 4)
Here are some “official” Oscar tips from the party pros who plan Oscar Night. And, check back to this blog for my three "Party-to-go" ideas using themes based on the Best Picture Nominees; Avatar, The Blind Side and Up In The Air, so you can have your own fabulous bash. See video here.
This year the florals for the official Oscar after party, The Governor’s Ball, are all shades of purple. Cool water lavender roses- Deep purple calla lilies- Purple Orchids. You can substitute that look at home with purple hyacinth and tulips.
Maybe you don't have an invite to the Vanity Fair party, but who says you can’t have the inside scoop? You can sip at home like the celebrities with the official Oscar cocktail and Moet and Chandon champagne featured at this HOT post-Oscar bash.
The Moet and Chandon Golden Glamour
4oz Moet Imperial
.25oz Navan
1.5oz Passion Fruit Juice
Served in a coupe or Martini Glass with sprig of mint
Oscars.org has a fantastic website with some at home tips too:
Hosts print you’re your Oscar ballots from the official party site
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/partykit/index.html
I recommend printing on nice card stock and having plenty of pens around for your guests!
Wolfgang Puck is the official caterer of the OSCARS and he has some tasty recipes he’ll serve the celebs Sunday. I tried out the Smoked Salmon Bilini's and added my own twist. If you are tight on time you can subsitute home made Bilini's with frozen ones or frozen perogies. It is all about presentation. I chose to serve mine on blue polished sea glass and square Hoya Crystal plates.
The best gift to bring to an Oscar Party, this year, is the Moet Party Pack. Created just for the Oscars, it is four mini Moet Imperials, 4 toppers (you can drink right from their cleaverly provided topper, no glass needed). No mess party planning may not exactly be a celebrity tip, but is sure is one of mine!
Stay online as my Avatar Inspired Party Ideas are next, tomorrow.
And, tune in. You can watch the Riva Events OSCAR Party E! News Segment at 7:00PM Eastern March 3, 2010
This year the florals for the official Oscar after party, The Governor’s Ball, are all shades of purple. Cool water lavender roses- Deep purple calla lilies- Purple Orchids. You can substitute that look at home with purple hyacinth and tulips.
Maybe you don't have an invite to the Vanity Fair party, but who says you can’t have the inside scoop? You can sip at home like the celebrities with the official Oscar cocktail and Moet and Chandon champagne featured at this HOT post-Oscar bash.
The Moet and Chandon Golden Glamour
4oz Moet Imperial
.25oz Navan
1.5oz Passion Fruit Juice
Served in a coupe or Martini Glass with sprig of mint
Oscars.org has a fantastic website with some at home tips too:
Hosts print you’re your Oscar ballots from the official party site
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/partykit/index.html
I recommend printing on nice card stock and having plenty of pens around for your guests!
Wolfgang Puck is the official caterer of the OSCARS and he has some tasty recipes he’ll serve the celebs Sunday. I tried out the Smoked Salmon Bilini's and added my own twist. If you are tight on time you can subsitute home made Bilini's with frozen ones or frozen perogies. It is all about presentation. I chose to serve mine on blue polished sea glass and square Hoya Crystal plates.
The best gift to bring to an Oscar Party, this year, is the Moet Party Pack. Created just for the Oscars, it is four mini Moet Imperials, 4 toppers (you can drink right from their cleaverly provided topper, no glass needed). No mess party planning may not exactly be a celebrity tip, but is sure is one of mine!
Stay online as my Avatar Inspired Party Ideas are next, tomorrow.
And, tune in. You can watch the Riva Events OSCAR Party E! News Segment at 7:00PM Eastern March 3, 2010
Mooooove on down to Moomah Cafe a new, hip, kid restaurant and art center in New York City
Moomah Cafe is my discovery of the week. Thanks to my new, talented friend, Lara Paul, who created a really helpful i phone app called ikidny, that allows you to find any NYC kid friendly spot (including subways with elevators), I found a wonderful, inventive restaurant for my daughter and me on this rainy Tuesday in New York City.
Moomah is a delight for adults and children. The cafe features kid friendly foods like the Froggy Dipper and the seasonal Super Tryer. The Froggy Dipper is guacamole decorated as a frog face and served with blue corn tortilla chips. The Super Tryer features any 6 awesome offerings such as: chicken, cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, cucumbers, dates, apples, bananas... the list goes on and on.
In addition to being a cafe, it is also a great spot to do arts and crafts. You can choose from a variety of art offerings to create at their mini art stations. Riley liked making the placemat and tiger out of construction paper! Next time we go back we'll find out more about the name Moomah too. Riley and I did buy a small cow, and now its name is Moomah...
My favorite part was the high tech Funky Forrest! Every Friday and Saturday kids can learn about how to make a forest grow by actually doing it themselves via a giant computer projected wall that responds to heat and movement. Kids have to water the trees to make them grow. The cool water, which is actually light projected onto the floor, actually moves when kids scoop it towards the tree roots. This is super high tech and LOADS of fun!
Moomah Cafe is located at 161 Hudson in New York City. It is open 7 days a week and the hours are online. I recommended mooooving it to the top of your NYC to-do list!
Looking for a Wedding Gift? Colin Cowie, Jeff Leatham and Daniel Boulud team up to launch Dom Perignon's new "Wedding Case" today in NYC
Today I had the pleasure of attending a launch party for a genius wedding gift. Dom Perignon designed a bottle that can be personalized with your friends names, for any occasion. The DP unique and famous shield is engravable, something never before done, with the exception of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding. Good company to be in, if you ask me.
The PR force, Nadine Johnson, along with DP communications director, Nicole Ruvo, pulled together a dream team of designers to launch the delicious gift. Colin Cowie created a bubbly, beautiful table with vases of mirror, inspired by the DP bottle itself. Floral designer, Jeff Leatham, dreamed up gorgeous calla lilies and Chef Daniel Boulud designed a menu paired with the champagne to bring delight to all guests.
Jeff Leatham (look for his show Flowers Un Cut on TLC March 5)
Daniel Boulud's amazing wedding cake dessert
Colin Cowie was a true gentleman and gracious host
The table had clear glass "bubbles". The details were perfect.
The case of champagne is only available at select stores. It can be found at Crush Wine and Spirits. Click to purchase. The special bottle takes about two weeks to engrave. This gift is great if you decide to go in with another couple to afford. It is a little over $160 a bottle for a full case, including an additional bottle with the special engraving on the the iconic shield.
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