I saw it with the kids. I noted that the plot didn't, strictly speaking, make any sense and that the girl ended up with the wrong guy. I thought I'd just carry on with my life. Frozen-free.
But that didn't happen. Because I underestimated how much my girls, but also the rest of my children, but also all the rest of the people on this planet would love the music from this movie.
So, when time came to plan Anita's fifth birthday party, I gave it my best, I really did. But it HAD to be Frozen. So Frozen it was. And I might even be coming around a bit on it. But you'll have to read to the bottom to find out.
Here's what we did to celebrate Anita's 5th birthday and her cousin Lucy's 3rd birthday, in Gramma and Papa's backyard. 'Cause that's how we do.
THE DECOR:
Tables set up in the garage, homemade birthday banner, iridescent tablecloths, kid-made character drawings, icicle lights out of the Christmas decoration box.
THE FOOD:
Olaf Noses: bowl of carrots
Troll Meatballs: meatballs sprinkled with parsley
Sven Sandwiches: PB&J, inspiration here
Kristoff's Ice Blocks: blue jello
Olaf Arms: while chocolate dipped pretzel rods
Oaken's Big Summer Blowout Fruit Salad
Olaf in Summer: vanilla yogurt with Candy Carrot
noses and melting chocolate eyes and arms, found here
noses and melting chocolate eyes and arms, found here
Hans' Half Sandwiches: ham & cheese (add mayo to make sandwiches evil)
Personal Flurries: popcorn
Marshmallow (that's the ice monster's name) Snack Mix: corn chex, vanilla chex, Blue Shimmer Sixlets
, pretzel sticks, mini marshmallows
, pretzel sticks, mini marshmallows
Sven's Snacks: veggie platter
Elsa's Blue Snowball Punch: found here
Anna's Half Sandwiches: chocolate & cream cheese
Anna's Frozen Hearts: white chocolate dipped strawberries
Weaselton Imported Cheese Platter
not pictured: melted Olaf pitcher of water
not pictured: melted Olaf pitcher of water
These are the food tags I made:
THE GAMES:
Kristoff and Sven's Quality Ice Sales Ice Block Pull, inspired by this.
We pulled the sleds out, bought six ice blocks from the liquor store, and set up a little course in the back yard. We split the kids into teams of three, with a big kid as team captain of each. Then they had to load up three ice blocks onto their sled and get all three teammates across the line.
It. Was. Awesome.
And the ice blocks were a huge hit with the kids for the whole rest of the party. Blah, blah, blah, not fit for human consumption . . .
Pin the Carrot Nose on Olaf, drawn by my talented sister-in-law.
We had also planned a Toilet Paper Snowman Wrap Up game, complete with sunglasses and leis, (to be Olaf in SUMMER!) but the kids were having so much fun playing with the ice blocks and the sandbox + baby pool "beach" that Jack set up, that I decided not to drag them back for any more organized games.
THE CRAFT:
We made Melted Olaf Snowglobes.
Supplies (links are to Amazon, but I found it all cheaper at Michaels):
12 Pint Jars with Lids
jar labels (download below) printed in wallet size and cut and taped to the jar with packing tape
jar labels (download below) printed in wallet size and cut and taped to the jar with packing tape
Orange Polymer Clay
to make noses
to make noses
Assorted googly eyes
Shrinky Dinks Paper
+ brown sharpie to make arms (arms drawn the width of the paper turned out right)
+ brown sharpie to make arms (arms drawn the width of the paper turned out right)
Assorted Glitter
in white, silver and/or black
in white, silver and/or black
2 gallons Distilled water
THE CAKE:
This cake inspired the whole Olaf in Summer theme for the party. Here's my take on it:
I don't use fondant on my cakes because I don't think it tastes very good. So, I made my Olaf out of marshmallows.
The cake itself was an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake, which I was led to believe was my grandmother's secret recipe until I googled it just now, and, apparently, it's a thing. But it's quick and easy and delicious and super customizeable. And kids who don't like cake love it. All MY kids like cake, but there are a couple kids at every party who just don't like cake. I've never met a kid who didn't like Ice Cream Sandwich Cake.
THE PINATA:
We always have a pinata at our parties. After one of the kids pointed out at Jack's Indiana Jones birthday party, that it was kind of sad that we were hitting Indiana Jones with a stick, we started making our own pinatas. And we make them a bad guy, so we can really enjoy wackin' 'em.
Jack made this Marshmallow the Ice Monster pinata out of a diaper box, white printer paper, and packing tape:
The kids each got a little Do You Wanna Build a Snowman kit to bring home, inspired by this.
The whole party was very fun and awfully cute. The weather really cooperated. The forecast was for thunderstorms from 3-6pm, the EXACT time of the party. But they didn't hit until 6:10, just after the last guests left! Whew.
My sister drove six hours from Iowa to bring her girls to the party, so Anita had ALL of her cousins there! Plus lots of great friends.
And since it was a Frozen party, I finally broke down and let the kids buy the Frozen soundtrack. It's been in near constant rotation ever since. I do have to admit that the songs ARE really catchy and clever and well-sung. It comes with a bonus disc of demo songs that didn't make the final cut of the movie. And, honestly, I can't figure out if it makes me like the movie a little more or a lot less that apparently, at one point there was a whole "prophesy" storyline that actually explained where the magic came from and who the trolls are and what in the world is happening in the movie. But . . . they cut it.
Maybe they'll put it back in for the Broadway version?
Other posts to check out here:
I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT FROZEN
And at other blogs:
7 Ways Frozen Could Be as Good as Tangled
And check out the "Cakes and Parties" tab at the top for the scoop on lots more parties. We throw a lot of parties.