What is so good about goody bags?


Lu turned 5 on Monday! More on that later...

Back up to Sunday night.

Lu's new school just instituted a no food birthday policy. Instead they suggest your child give out a small token, a pencil or a sticker. Right. Do I really think someone was going to give out a plain old pencil. Not in this day and age of goody bags. Of course, Lu's birthday is the first of the school year and I had no idea what the protocol was and what extent people go to for these things. Yes, these are the things that keep me up at night...I know! So sad.

I racked my brain. That is when I saw a bag of Smencils at Barnes and Noble. Perfect, I though...fun, smelly, recycled and a step up from a regular pencil. I was all set. That is until about 8 o'clock Sunday night when I said to myself, "Self, you can't just give out a pencil. That is lame! It has to be wrapped, or put in a bag or have some sort of identifying label on it. Aargh!" I mean really, I write a craft blog! This is when Papa King judiciously stepped away slowly and left me to my kvetching. 

I didn't have any cute wrapping paper or gift bags on hand and I wasn't about to run to the store. I did have sticker paper on hand. So this is what I came up with. 

Of course this is the night my printer runs out of cyan ink. So my colorful flags were now black and white. They still came out cute. I cut them out into long strips and wrapped the sticker around the top of the pencil tube to create a little flag. The kids were smiling and waving them and shouting bye to Lu when I picked her up. Worth the effort? Yes. Definitely, yes! My hubby said to me afterwards, "You know, you are a great mom. I don't think I tell you that enough." Sigh!!! After 7 years he still melts my heart :-)

So here is the best part. Lu decided, after her day of stardom at school, that she had changed her mind and wanted to have a birthday party. Yes, you read right. Hmmm...so the Smencils were just the Quickfire Challenge and now I am up for the Elimination Challenge (Top Chef reference.)

Luckily, Miss Em and I had discovered the local Audubon Society the previous week. I signed the girls up for a 4 week workshop on Native American Customs and Crafts. Guess what? They do birthday parties there! AND yes, they have an opening! AND the kicker, they are super affordable!


Lu wanted to buy princess invites. I reminded her she was inviting the entire class and not everyone, mainly the boys, love princesses. So Lu suggested she make an invitation with a princess and a pirate on it. She is a chip off the old crafty block! It just warms the heart. I am completely biased, but is this not the cutest invitation you have ever seen? What is it about your own child's artwork that just turns you to mush?

So, you realize, this brings us back to goody bags. Haha! 
Don't worry. This time I am not sweating it.

Have fun crafting with your kids! Mama King

8 comments:

***Sharon*** said...

I feel you! I SOOOOOO feel you! Now I gotta go see what smencils are!

Abbie said...

You have me smiling mama!! I was just laboring over early-morning cup-cakes in this home...another child in my daughter's pre-school class has a birthday today, and food-stuffs are allowed, but without nuts. So, since we are gluten-free, I have to provide my child with their wheat-free, sugar laden treat...but oops, put a touch of almond extract in to make the frosting taste better without thinking...a new frosting batch was approved by my daughter as we made it pink, and I think they will be ready to go by 9AM. Whew!!

I hope that your party plans go smoothly...I just absolutely love, love, love her invites, she is quite an artist! And of course, goody bags...who can forget those? Paper baggies with stamped designs, mini cloth totes marked with fabric pens...tiny tin pails from the dollar store...are you going to fill them with Audubon-related stuff? I know I, and the rest of your readers, really want to know the details! Yes, the details that keep you up at night! You make me smile girl!

makeup_girl said...

I take comfort in knowing that I am not the only mom who stays awake at night worrying about such things as goody bags and how much is too much or not enough when it comes to school birthday stuff!

Mama King said...

Thanks ladies! It is good to know I am not alone.

Michelle said...

I love this post, what a great idea for the flag pencil toppers. The birthday party invite is adorable!!

M for Short said...

Aha! And now we know the inspiration behind the Magic Wands too! Good luck with the Princess & Pirate party. BTW Filth Wizardy has a tutorial on simple paper swords if you haven't seen it before:
http://www.filthwizardry.com/2008/10/paper-pirate-swords.html

Katie said...

Smencils are fun, I haven't let ER have one because she put one pretty far up her nose at a friends house when she was smaller. Technically, she still has it...somewhere. I like your flag idea, how cute:) Part of me thinks it's super ridiculous not to allow treats, I mean now...with the exception of your cool pencils, kids are likely to get a ton of disposable junk. A cookie is eaten and gone, done.

BTW I just love the darling hand drawn party invite. I hope you'll share a bit about the party events. I'm curious what kinds of activities they'll have for you.

Nicole said...

Such great ideas, and wonderful your hubby recognizes it. Your blog is adorable and full of great ideas- thanks!

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