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The Big List of Healthier Fundraisers

August 4, 2016 · 11 Comments

The Big List of Healthier Fundraisers

The Big List of Healthier Fundraisers

If you have school children you might be like me and dread those chocolate boxes coming home!

Chocolate, cakes, slices, pies, lamingtons, more chocolate.

Hands up. Who ends up eating copious amounts of crap food because you feel obliged?

Yep. Annoying. I usually just donate money and say – don’t give me the goods!

When Australia is in the grip of an obesity crisis and schools are slowly implementing healthy food policies, it seems archaic that these fundraisers are still around.

I think it’s also confusing for kids and sends mixed messages – you can’t buy chocolate in the tuckshop or bring it to school but you can take home a box and sell it!

You can imagine my horror when my daughter came home from school once with a huge box of chocolates and then left them in the car at soccer practice in 30 plus degree weather.

The chocolates weren’t they only thing having a melt down!

I couldn’t send them back now, so between her and her brother the chocolates were frozen and consumed and paid for. Yikes!

However, there are some better fundraisers around.  I have researched and asked mums for their tips and here it is.

I have tried to feature healthy, organic, sustainable, ethical or eco-friendly fundraisers (hey, this is the Natural New Age Mum website after all!)

I have also featured fundraisers that are available Australia wide instead of being limited by geography. You might also be able to find some awesome local companies that supply fresh fruit boxes or mango trays in your local area that will participate in a fundraiser.

So, here is The Big List of Healthier Fundraisers!

 

Eco Fundraiser

♥ Zero Waste Fundraising

Biome Eco Stores have two fund-raising options – a zero waste box or online shopping where your school can earn 5% of online sales with a special code.

Find out more here.

 

Healthy Fundraiser

♥ Lunchbox Recipe Book

My gorgeous friends Anita and Micheline have written this fabulous cook book, Sandwich Free, Packet Free Lunchboxes. It’s full of easy, tasty recipes and ideas for a healthy lunchbox. Earn up to $10 per book and get FREE shipping.

Find out more here.

 

soap

♥ Eco Store Soaps

The Eco Store have a fabulous fundraising program featuring their natural soaps! Get a box of two types of soap and get back $1 per bar!

Find out more.

 

4my

♥ 4 My Earth

Julia at 4 My Earth has a range of reusable wraps, food covers, food pockets and more that you can encourage your school to be litter free and raise money.

Head here to enquire.

 

fundraiser

♥ Chooktopia

Fundraise with compost bins and worm farms! Legendary.

Find out more.

 

toys

♥ Educational Toys

Educational Experience Fundraising specialize in fundraising and have a huge range of good quality, educational toys and games.

Check out the website.

 

 

gingerbread-fundraising-large
♥ Gingerbread Folk

Yummy Aussie made gingerbread that has no artificial stuff. The kids will love it. The gingerbread houses sell really well at Christmas time.

Check out more info at the website.

 

smencils

♥ Smencils

Eco-friendly pens, pencils and coloured pencils. All packed and ready to go in tubs of 50, Smencils are made from recycled materials and are non-toxic.

Find out more.

 

soap

 

♥ Fair Trade Soap Nuts

The Fair Trade Fundrasing website has a few products you can raise funds with, but I love the soap nuts!

Find out more.

 

foost

♥ Foost

Awesome kid friendly products like apple slinky machines, smoothie bike and kid safe knives.

Find out more here.

 

♥ Life Cykel Boxes

The Life Cykel boxes offer a sustainable and educational fundraiser. You can choose from two grow your own boxes – mushroom or microgreens. Find out more here.

Sinchies Fundraising

♥ Sinchies

Sinchies are reusable pouches that save you money and save the environment! Make healthy whole food at home and pop it into a pouch. No more expensive and wasteful packaged snacks.

Check it out here.

 

 

StickyBeaks Fundraiser

 

♥ Stickybeaks

Stickybeaks have a range of products including reusable lunch ordering sacks for the tuckshop. You can make up to 77% profit!

Find out more here.

 

♥ Munchbox

Munchbox Australia have a great fundraising program where your school or group gets a commission on every lunchbox sold, plus free gifts! These lunch boxes are leaf-proof and Aussie made.

Find out more here.

 

What has your school done for fundraisers?

How do you convince people to choose an healthier option? I would love to know your thoughts.

If you have a healthy fundraiser or know of one that I haven’t listed, please email details to me: sonia (at) naturalnewagemum.com so I can add it to the list!

I hope you find The Big List of Healthier Fundraisers useful. Let me know!

 

 

Filed In: FAMILY / Tagged: eco, fundraise, fundraiser, fundraising, group fundraiser, healthy, heathy fundraiser, school fundraiser, sport fundraiser

Stocking Stuffers and Secret Santas under $15

November 27, 2014 · 5 Comments

Stocking Stuffers and Secret Santas under $15

Stocking Stuffers and Secret Santas under $15

 

I have so  many awesome ideas here for you for Stocking Stuffers and Secret Santas!

They are all healthy, natural, fair trade, organic or eco-friendly and the best bit? All under $15 and most under $10.

What do you put in stockings? Share your ideas with us.

 

Everearth_Pig_Grasping_Toy__24461.1411725308.1280.1280

Wooden Pig Baby Toyolieve-vanilla-lip-balm

 Vanilla Lip Balm

click-critterz-frog

Click Critterz

 

 

bamboo-pen-refillable-

Bamboo Refillable Pen

 

heirloom-seeds-carrot-cosmic-purple-

Heirloom Seeds

bamboo-hair-brush-smallBamboo Hair Brushgingerbread-christmas-miniatures-box-130g

Miniature Christmas Gingerbreads

 

I-Can-Save-The-Earth

I Can Save the Earth booksanctum-body-essential-pack

Sanctum Body Essentials Kit

onya-weigh-reusable-fruit-veg-bags-set-of-5

Set of Reusable Fruit and Vegetable Bags

 

Filed In: FAMILY, HOME / Tagged: eco friendly, fair trade, healthy, organic, secret santa, stocking stuffer, under $10, under $15

10 Healthy Winter Desserts

August 12, 2014 · 8 Comments

 

 

10 Healthy Winter Desserts

One of the best things about winter is tucking into a hot, comforting, delicious pudding!

This round up features healthier recipes – refined sugar free, wheat free, additve free and some are gluten free, dairy free and egg free as well. Enjoy them with hot custard, grass fed cream or homemade icecream for a treat that is oh so good for the soul!

Here are 10 healthy winter desserts from some of Australia’s most fabulous wellness bloggers (and me). You are going to want to use the PIN IT feature for these!

 

My easy gluten free apple and fig crumble

My Easy Gluten-Free Apple and Fig Crumble

 

Berry and Vanilla Clafoutis by Eleanor at Petite Kitchen

 

Apple Rose Tart

 Apple Rose Tart from Hungry Cub

 

Sticky Date Pudding by Jen at Living on Little 

 

Lemon Meringue Pie by Marinya Cottage Kitchen

Lemon Meringue Pie by Marinya Cottage Kitchen

 

Gingerbread Pudding Cake from Jude Blereau's Wholefood Cooking

Gingerbread Pudding Cake from  Jude Blereau’s Wholefood Cooking

 

Lemon and Elderflower Honey Puddings from Homegrown Kitchen

 

 Chocolate Self Saucing Puddings from Well Nourished

 

Creamy Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding from Jo at Quirky Cooking

 

Flourless Mandarin Cake with Honey Thyme Syrup and Nutmeg Cream by Kelly Gibney

What is your favourite winter dessert?

 

 

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: crumble, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, healthy, healthy dessert, healthy hot dessert, healthy winter dessert, hot dessert, pie, refined sugar-free, warm dessert, winter, winter dessert

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs

April 14, 2014 · 22 Comments

 

 Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs

 

 Why would you make your own Easter Eggs?

Well, I can think of several good reasons!

♥ Making your own treats means you know exactly what is in it

♥ Most ‘commercial’ Easter eggs are very high in refined sugar, contain a lot of nasty additives and hydrogenated vegetable oils and also palm oil (which while is okay for our health is not so good for our orangutans)

♥ Homemade stuff always tastes better (yep, it’s the love)

♥ It’s part of the slow food movement – slow down, enjoy making and eating food so it becomes mindful

♥ Homemade takes time and effort – you are less likely to over-indulge in treats if it’s harder to access

Of course, we don’t always have time, so there are other good options out there you can source – organic, fair trade and allergy friendly.

If you do have time, here are some awesome recipes you might like to take a crack at.

 

Hippy Hoppy Healthy Easter Bunny from The Hippy Homemaker

Make your own “Lindor Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles” from Damy Health.

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Creme Eggs from Chocoalte Covered Katie

 Chocolate Covered Katie has some Healthy Creme Eggs.

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Creme Eggs from Healthy Indulgences

 Healthy Indulgences also has a healthier take on Creme Eggs!

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Bunnies from Chocolate Covered Katie

The clever Chocolate Covered Katie makes Healthy Easter Bunnies.

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Ricki Heller's Cheesecake Easter Eggs

 Ricki Heller makes these nomolicious Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Easter Eggs.

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Coconut Bunnies from Chocolate Covered Katie

 Coconut Bunnies! You can also make these chocolate too. Cleverness from Chocolate Covered Katie.

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Ferrero Rochers from Quirky Cooking

Jo at Quirky Cooking has these amazing homemade Ferrero Rochers! Gluten free and dairy free.

 

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs - Ideas from The Earth Diet

The Earth Diet has some ideas for healthy Chocolate Easter Eggs, including white chocolate.

 

 

Do you make your own Easter Eggs??? Share with us your recipes and links!

 

 

Want more?

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Bars

 

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: chocolate, easter, healthy, healthy home-made easter bunny, healthy homemade easter egg, home made, treats

Healthy Hot Cross Buns

April 9, 2014 · 18 Comments

Healthy hot cross buns

 

Such a thing does exist!

The commercial hot cross buns you buy are laden with additives, hydrogenated vegetable oils and lots of sugar. Read your labels and check them out. Better still, make your own!

Sure, these take a bit more time and effort, but I think it’s great. Get back to slow cooking and make it a family tradition. Plus, you won’t eat as many if you have to make them!

Check out these amazing recipes from very clever food bloggers. Serve them with lashing of organic butter!

Enjoy!

 

 

Quirky Cooking's Hot Cross Buns

Quirky Cooking’s Gluten Free and Dairy Free Hot Cross Buns.

Also check out Jo’s Grain Free Hot Cross Muffins that are GAPS friendly.

 

Spelt Hot Cross Buns AGAGFAF

A girl, A Guy, Fur Kids and Food’s Spelt Hot Cross Buns.

Wheat free, thermomix.

vegiesmugglers-buns

Hot Happy Buns from Vegie Smugglers.

Traditional buns, homemade and additive free!

 

Healthy Hot Cross Buns - Grain Free, Gluten Free Co

Tania Hubbard (Food for Everybody) has tweaked her Hot Cross Bun recipe this year.

They are Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free and Paleo.

Healthy Hot Cross Buns from Teresa at The Healthy Chef.

Wheat free, dairy free.


Paleo Hot Cross Buns from The Merry Makers Sisters.

Gluten free, dairy free, paleo.

Healthy Hot Cross Buns - Well Nourished

 Healthy Hot Cross Buffins from Georgia at Well Nourished. 

They are wheat free with lots of allergy options and a chocolate option.

 

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns from Home-Grown Kitchen

Traditional sourdough with pumpkin added.

 

Raw ‘Hot Cross Buns’ from Lauren at Acension Kitchen.

Vegan, refined sugar free and gluten free.

Do you make hot cross buns at Easter time?

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: buns, easter, healthy, healthy easter, healthy hot cross buns, homemade buns, hot cross buns

Salted Caramel Popcorn

October 25, 2013 · 33 Comments

Salted Carmel Popcorn Healthy Dairy Free

Popcorn is one of the most favourite snacks in our house.

It’s gluten free and it tastes yummy. I jazzed up our normal, plain popcorn with this sticky salted caramel sauce.  A bit of a treat and dead easy to make when you get a yearning for something sweet late at night.

 

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Naturally Sweetened, Nut Free, Egg Free

Okay, so this is what’s in it:

6 cups popped organic popcorn

1/4 cup organic maple syrup

1/4 cup virgin, organic coconut oil

1 tablespoon organic coconut sugar

1 scraped vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1 – 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Pop your popcorn and chuck it into a large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Mix all other ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a medium temperature.

Cook it for about five minutes or until it has reduced a little and is all gooey and syrupy thick.

Resist urge to pop finger in and test – this stuff burns!!

Pour over popcorn and mix well with a large metal spoon.

Let it cool down before chowing down. Refer to above advice.

Tips:

♥ Using organic popping corn means you don’t have to worry about GMO corn. Get it at your health food store or online here.

♥ Popcorn is actually pretty good for you – it contains lots of fibre and the antioxidant polyphenols.

♥ Use an electric popcorn machine or pop it the old fashioned way on the stove. Microwave popcorn is nasty!

♥ If you want to get fancy, add in some coconut, nuts or fruit and press it into a slice tin or roll into balls.

♥ You can totally swap out the maple syrup for rice malt syrup if fructose bothers you or honey if you prefer. And if you are okay with dairy, try it with some organic, grass fed butter instead of coconut oil.

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: caramel, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, halloween, healthy, kid's party, kid's snack, Naturally Sweetened, nut-free, popcorn, vegan

Takeaways: Are you being fooled by the ‘healthy’ options?

August 7, 2013 · 46 Comments

Takeaways: Are you being fooled by the 'healthy' options?

Image courtesy of Rob Wiltshire.

 

Is healthy fast food really healthy?

Many of us feel better about choosing a ‘healthy’ takeaway option instead of the obvious poorer food choices like Big Macs.

However, you still have to be careful about what you choose.

Eating takeaway every now and again is no big deal and definitely falls into the 20% treat part of a healthy diet.

Just make sure you and your family are not eating these foods daily thinking they are a great option.

Here are my top three ‘healthy’ fast foods that I think are not so healthy after all.

 

1. Sushi. While sushi can be healthy, there are some things you should watch out for:

  • Deep fried fillings are more than likely fried in a cheap, nasty vegetable oil.
  • Fake crab fillings are high in sugar and salt and are full of artificial ingredients.
  • Mayonnaise can contain artificial ingredients, including MSG.
  • Tuna can contain high levels of mercury.
  • Soy sauce  is really high in salt, can contain GMO and wheat.
  • Sushi rice can contain high levels of sugar.

When choosing sushi for takeaway, I try to stick to plain vegetable and avocado fillings. Better still, make sushi at home using quality organic ingredients (it tastes better too!)

 

2. Subway. You only need to check out the ingredients list at the Subway website to see what I think is wrong with Subway! There are so many artificial ingredients and numbers (including preservative 282 which is a known problem for kids), soy, canola, palm oil, sugar and hydrogenated oils.  It is actually scary looking at all this list! If you have to go to Subway, stick with a plain salad, no meat, cheese or dressing or condiments.

 

3. Healthy Pizza. The ‘Good Choice’ range from Dominoes with 97% fat-free pizza sounds pretty good right? And didn’t the Biggest Loser, Shannon Ponton advertise them?  Well, Dominoes won’t actually give you an ingredient list. They give out nutritional information, allergy advice (yep, soy is in everything) and an additive list. You can bet on the ‘Good Choice’ range being full of numbers, processed meats, trans fatty acids and sauces full of sugar and salt. They might claim salt reduced, but it’s still high in salt compared to fresh foods. I think the only way to get a truly healthy pizza is to make it yourself or find an old-fashioned pizzeria that makes them from scratch.

 

Have you come across any fast food that claims to be healthy but isn’t really?

 

Vegie Smugglers

 Check out Vegie Smugglers at my affiliate shop link.

Filed In: HEALTH / Tagged: fast food, healthy, pizza, subway, sushi, takeaway

Raw Chocolate Banana Mousse Cake

May 24, 2013 · 116 Comments


download

 

Like Chocolate for Women. 53 Shades of Chocolate.

Are they not the best book titles ever ?  These ladies are geniuses I tell you.

Well hold onto your undies, because I am giving away both books and sharing some chocolate love with you.

Wayhay!!

Many thanks to the lovely Kim Morrison for sharing. I can’t tell you how much this lady inspires me.

images (7)

 

From when I first read Like Chocolate for Women (many years ago now), to signing on as her affiliate partner and watching her fabulous life unfold on my Facebook feed, this lady encourages me to do better every single day. Now, let me tell you about both books before we get onto the recipe.

 

LCFW website

 

♥ Like Chocolate for Women is the ultimate self-care bible. Written by Kim and the gorgeous Fleur Whelligan, this book takes you on a journey of self- love. From beautiful aromatherapy rituals to healthy recipes to learning how to drop the guilt and pamper yourself, these ladies have it all covered. It feels like two best friends guiding you gently to a better life.  I refer to it often and my copy is looking well-loved now. You can get it online from Kim here.

53_Shades_Chocolate_Cover__88175.1365423558.1000.1000

♥ 53 Shades of Chocolate is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. 53 healthy chocolate recipes! What is not to love? This book is available for immediate download and it’s cheaper than a box of chocolates! Written by Kim with the gorgeous Cyndi O’Meara (nutritionist at Changing Habits), it starts at breakfast and goes through to drinks, slices, cakes, desserts, biscuits and dips. It includes raw, gluten-free, dairy-free and thermomix-friendly recipes. You can get it online from Kim here.

Okay, now that I have told you how good they are, you can test it out yourself with this amazing recipe. It seems wrong that something so good can be healthy, but that is where the genius factor comes in!

 

Raw Chocolate Banana Mousse Cake

by Kim Morrison and Cyndi O’Meara from 53 Shades of Chocolate.

 

cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, so this is what you need:

Base:

1 cup soaked almonds (soak for 2 hours in water, then drain)

½ cup pitted dates

1 Tbsp Changing Habits Coconut Oil

¼ tsp Himalayan (or sea) salt

Middle Layer:

4-5 bananas

4-5 tablespoons Changing Habits Coconut Oil

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

2 tsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod, scraped

Top Layer:

2 avocados

2 bananas

¼ tsp Himalayan (or sea) salt

3 Tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp raw honey

2 cacao wafers 

Okay so this is how you do it:

1. Place all base ingredients into TM on speed 10 for 5 seconds.

2. In a spring form round tin, press the mix into the base firmly and evenly.

3. Wipe out the TM and add all the ingredients for the middle layer. Blend on speed 8 for 10 seconds until smooth.

4. Pour this mixture into cake tin and spread evenly.  Place tin in freezer to set the layer.

6. Meanwhile add the top layer ingredients into the TM and blend on speed 8 for 10 seconds until smooth.

7. Add this mixture to the tin and smooth to create a nice clean and even surface.

8. Garnish with some fresh fruit or berries.

9. Pop back into the freezer and leave to set for a couple of hours. This will make it easier to slice and serve.

If you don’t have a thermomix, your food processor and blender can be used in place of the thermomix.

 

Giveaway:

** This giveaway has now closed. The winner is Sandra. Congratulations!!**

If you would like to win a copy of Like Chocolate for Women and 53 Shades of Chocolate all you need to do is:

♥ Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the top right hand box)

♥ Visit Kim’s online shop here and have a browse

♥ Leave a comment on this blog post, telling me what other product from Like Chocolate for Women catches your eye

Terms:

This giveaway runs from now until Wednesday the 29th of May at midnight (AEST). The winner will be drawn using random.org, emailed and announced on this blog post from those meeting the entry requirements. Sorry, only available to those with an Australian address.

Good luck everyone!

Enjoy the cake and please let me know if you try it and what you think.

Anyone else a chocolate tragic like me?

 

Like Chocolate for Women Book

In case you didn’t realize, this post contains links to my awesome affiliates! 🙂

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: Changing Habits, chocolate, dessert, healthy, Kim Morrison, Like Chocolate for Women, raw, vegan, vegetarian

Healthy and Eco-friendly Kid’s Party Bags

March 7, 2013 · 23 Comments

Healthy Kids Party Bags - Natural New Age Mum

Healthy and Eco-friendly Kid’s Party Bags

The party bag. The lolly bag. The loot bag. The bane of parents!

Let’s eat heaps of junk for two hours and…… if you still haven’t had enough, here’s a bag full of sugar and plastic to take home with you.

How did that all happen?

Anyway, it doesn’t have to be like that. You can certainly still participate in the party bag tradition in a much healthier and eco-friendly way. The parents will thank you too.

Okay so here are some of my top tips for Healthy and Eco-friendly Kid’s Party Bags:

 

The bag.

Think outside the square. You don’t have to go and buy plastic bags that end up in landfill. What about…..

 

mini_wooden_dolly_pegs

 

Paper bags. Get your kids to decorate and add their friend’s names. Use stickers or stamps in keeping with your theme or just drawings! Fun and personal. You could even put a little eco message ‘recycle me’ on the back! I love these mini wooden dolly pegs too – super cute!

Fabric bags. If you are clever on the Janome, whip up some little cloth drawstring bags – these can be re-used by the kids to store their treasures. If you are not so good at sewing (like me), just cut some circles of fabric, load your goodies in and tie up with a pretty ribbon or string.

Noodle boxes. Again decorated by your child or you can also use this as a craft activity at the party. (Can you see how good delegating is?!)

Paper doilies. Fold large paper doilies up into an envelope or cone shape for the goodies.

fuzz

Snack pockets. We love these little snack pockets for our lunchboxes, but they also work well for parties! They are 100% cotton and canvas fabric, ethical and eco-friendly. The Natural New Age Girl is in love with the little birdy print! Visit the website here.

Paper cups. Decorate paper drinking cups and add a cute little string handle. Get them from as cheap as 0.29c each from Eco Party Box.

 

The goodies.

Here are some ideas that don’t involve lots of sugar, artificial stuff and cheap plastic. My tip is to not go overboard. A party bag is just a small token to say thanks for coming.

 

IMG_6185

 

Popcorn Butterflies. I love this cute idea from Collette at Cut out the Crap. Take a look here to see how to do them. This in fact can be the party bag!

Mini boxes of dried fruit. Try to find organic ones as regular dried fruit often contains sulphur dioxide.

 

chocnuts fin

 

Home-made treats. Pop in a biscuit or some chocolate coated nuts (pictured).

Nutra Organics Super Foods for Kids Berry Choc Chunk Bar

Organic, good quality packet snacks. Here are some good ones – Berry Choc Chunk Bars (lots of superfoods) or some organic biscuits and bars from Organics on a Budget.

 

Organic_Times_Chocolate_Little_Gems_35g__57009.1348579959.1280.1280

 

Organic or additive-free lollies. I don’t serve usually serve lollies at the party, but pop one or two into the party bags. Check out Organics on a Budget for some healthier lollies and chocolates.

Playdough. So easy to make a batch of homemade playdough – colour with some beetroot or spinach for a really natural dough!

 

cache_240_240_Tomato Sweetie comp

 

Organic seeds. Cute and eco-friendly! Find them at Gardening 4 Kids. They have lots of other cool things as well.

Colouring-in pages. Print off some colouring in pages to suit your theme, roll them up and tie with string.

 

finger_puppets2

 

Bits and Bobs from The Eco Party Box. Crystals, eco-balloons, alpaca wool finger puppets (pictured)  pencils, notebooks and wooden whistles.  Browse the goodies here.

click-critterz-frog

Wooden Click Critterz. Eco-friendly beechwood with lead-free paint from Biome.

 

Or do something different to a party bag and try:

Lucky Dip. Wrap small toys in some tissue paper or recycled gift wrap and put in a box!

Little Golden Books. You can buy these so cheaply and you can inscribe in the cover – “Thanks for coming to my party, Love xx”. They also make an awesome idea instead of a birthday card, but I digress.

Craft. Get the kids to make something crafty at the party for their take-home gift.

 

I always think it’s a nice idea to include a thank you note in the party bag too. It’s old-fashioned, but it teaches kid’s good manners and to focus on the fun time spent with friends, rather than just presents!

 

A tip if you don’t want your child to have a party bag from a party, is to tell them you will swap it for a healthy treat at home.  How else do you handle this?

I would love to hear what healthy and eco-friendly things you put in your party bags !

 

 

 

 

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: eco friendly, healthy, kids, party, party bags

Tips for a Stress-Free Kid’s Party

March 5, 2013 · 19 Comments

A stress free kid's party

Does the thought of hosting a kid’s birthday party at your house make you break out in a cold sweat?

 

No wonder so many people choose the option of birthday parties held at fast food places and play centres!

Personally, I have never done that because I am a cheap-skate and I think they are over-priced. 😉

Not to brag or anything, but I have hosted around 25 kid’s parties in some form or other, over the years.

What was I thinking?

No, really, we have such fond memories of all the crazy themes (Star Wars, Monsters, Bike, Garden, Fairy, Princess, Pirate, Gross, Disco to name a few), the great kids and the FUN! All on a budget and (mostly) healthy.

Well, you are in luck today. It’s Tip Tuesday and I am sharing my top tips on how to host a kid’s birthday party without the stress.

Ready?

* KISS. Keep it simple, sweetheart. Unless you are a party planning goddess and get off on this stuff, keep it really basic. The kids won’t notice. Promise.

* I like having the party on a different day to my child’s actual birthday. The times we have had it on the same day, I haven’t had time to properly enjoy the day and my child.

* Host a morning or afternoon tea. Less catering required.

* Serve finger food. No plates required and less washing up.

* Keep the food very simple. You don’t need to create gourmet masterpieces (it will be lost on a three-year old anyway). See how to make a simple, healthy birthday cake here. More food ideas in tomorrow’s blog post!

* Limit guests. You do not need to invite the whole class. Choose the number of guests to coincide with the child’s age as a rough guide.

* If you have family invited, get them to bring a plate.

* Always make it easy for guests to RSVP. Include mobile/phone/email or even a tear off slip on the invite. Chase them up if need be.

* Plan well ahead of time. Shop ahead for non-perishables – this makes it easy on the budget too.

* Don’t overcater. In my experience, younger kids will not eat loads. Four different items and cake is plenty. KISS remember?

* Set up a tea and coffee station so parents can help themselves.

* Don’t make special food for the adults. They will eat the kid’s food anyway. Many do not even eat anything.

* Keep the entertainment cheap and simple. You don’t need to hire a jumping castle or entertainers. Choose 3-4 old fashioned games to play. In fact one of the most popular games we had at a teddy bear’s picnic theme was all the kids holding onto the edges of a picnic rug and tossing teddies into the air! Another fun idea was our water fight party – everyone bought a water gun and that was the entertainment sorted!

* Put hubby or older child to work and make them in charge of games. You can even load them up with some organic lollipops and get the kids to give chase!

* Ask parents to stay if the kids are very young. Supervising toddlers en masse is not easy!

* Ask the parents staying to help you out. Usually at least one will ask what they can do. Don’t be a martyr – delegate!

* Set up bins and recycling bins close by so clean up is easy.

* Take the whole shebang to the park! If you have a fabulous local park with lots of good play equipment, you are set. One of the best parties we ever had was ‘pancakes in the park’. I just made up a big pancake mix at home and we cooked them on the bbqs. Put out lots of yummy toppings and fruit and get the kids to help themselves.

* Make food ahead of time and freeze. The birthday cake and muffins will freeze really well.

* For older kids, a home-made pizza night with movie and a sleepover is often more fun than a full-on party.

* A simple craft activity is fun for older kids and they can take home their masterpiece as the party favour. Check out the Veggie Smugglers ‘Craft for Non-Crafty Parents‘ for ideas.

* Don’t compare yourself to other mums, other parties or Pinterest. Do your own thing.

* Limit the party time to two hours. It will go fast, trust me.

* Remember the candles and matches and don’t forget to charge up the camera and video recorder. Ask a friend or family member to be in charge of the photography.

* Relax and don’t sweat the small stuff. Let go of your ideas of perfection and just enjoy the time with your child and their friends. They won’t notice that the cake is a little wonky or you forgot the balloons.

* If you are really pushed for time, consider purchasing the party bags ready-made from companies like Organic Party Bags. The amazing people at Organic Party Bags are offering all my readers a huge 25% discount! Just use the coupon code NNM13. Valid until the 30/6/13. I love the eco-party bag!

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* Don’t forget your sense of humour!

* Put some Instant Calm Blend aromatherapy oil from Twenty 8 in the diffuser.

* Have your ABFE emergency essence or Puraforce Remedies stress drops on hand.

* Have some down time planned for after the party. You’ve earned some quiet time with a nice relaxing bath and a cup of chamomile tea.

* Enjoy the party and make precious memories. Kids grow up way too quick.

I would love to hear your ideas for making kid’s parties fun and stress free.

Leave me a comment or a link!

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: healthy, kids, parties, party, stress

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