Party favour ideas for a little one's birthday

With the birthday season well and truly in swing at Two Cheeky Monkeys HQ, today's post is a timely one for all those mums and dads who are tired of handing out party favours full of sugared up treats that have little ones bouncing off the walls and rotting their teeth!

If you're so exhausted from parenting and party planning that you can't even begin to research alternative party favours, then this is for you!!!  This list of party favour ideas is full of easy, affordable and, most importantly, fun and useful gifts to thank little guests that will make them and their parents smile.

1. Animal themed terrariums

Terrariums are a great idea for older children, and can even be created as one of the party activities!

2. Adjustable floral rings

What could be easier and more adorable for a little girl's party than adjustable floral rings for party favours?

3. Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles

Small bottles or tubes of bubble mixture are possibly the most affordable party favour you can find and will provide hours of fun to boys and girls of all ages.

4. Temporary tattoos

All kids seem to love temporary tattoos - why not give guests a packet of tattoos matched to the party's theme?  

5. Children's books

This gift not only thanks your guests for coming along to your party, but also encourages the important love of books at a young age.  Children's classics such as Little Golden Books or the Mr Men and Little Miss series are easy to find and afford, but be sure to have a range of books to give in case a guest already owns one of your offerings.

6. Stickers

Last, but not least, is the perennial favourite, stickers!  You can opt for commercial brand stickers from department stores and $2 shops, but if you've planned ahead enough, order some specially handmade stickers to suit your party's theme. 

Image credit: Lolly bag

DIY mini chocolate cups - the perfect little treat to serve at kids' parties

As is my (rather foolish) wont every year, I allow the Cheeky Monkeys to decide on the birthday treat they want to bring to school to share with their classmates.  And, of course, we don't just bring a bag of chocolate bars or candies to share with their class, we make something, just to make our lives that bit more homemade and complicated!

This year youngest Monkey decided that a nice easy compromise on homemade treats was little chocolate cups decorated with any cake decorations and sprinkles we happened to have on hand.  I have to say that this is such a fun little treat to make up for kids' parties and bring and share situations!  So to help other mums whip up something that looks amazing but is ridiculously easy, here's a little "how to" for your next birthday celebration.

Ingredients

- 600g dark or milk cooking chocolate

- 100g white cooking chocolate

- mini cake decorations such as cachous or sprinkles (mini marshmallows work well too)

- mini patty pan containers

Makes approximately 30.

Method

1. Arrange patty pans on a large biscuit sheet, leaving room between them for manouevring.

2. Break up the dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and heat until just melted through.  In a separate bowl, do the same for the white chocolate.

3. Spoon melted dark chocolate into 5-6 patty pans till about two thirds full - it is best to do about 5 patty pans at a time to allow every step to be completed before the chocolate sets.  Quickly dollop a little white chocolate into the filled patty pans.

4. Using a toothpick or skewer, swirl the white and dark chocolate together to get a pretty design.  Sprinkle with desired cake decorations and put aside to set completely.

5. Repeat with the remaining patty pans and chocolate.  And there you have it, an easy treat that will delight pretty much any child and look like you slaved away all afternoon to make such a beautiful delight!

And, of course, you need to have darling dessert servers for serving up your delicious treats - you can't get any sweeter than Domum Vindemia's cupcake stands and share a photo on IG or Facebook tagging @domumvindemia!!!

Decadent Celebrations Recipe Roundup

I am currently in the process of baking cakes for a women's high tea at my church as well as prepping for youngest Monkey's birthday celebration requests, so this week has seen my kitchen full of flour, sugar and rather decadent food ingredients.

I have put together a roundup of some of the more luscious dishes we love to eat but don't indulge in very often, so that you can enjoy a decadent feast too!

1. Chocolate and salted caramel tarts

2. Maple glazed duck with potatoes

3. Sichuan sliced pork belly

4. Blackberry and vanilla pies

The Care Bears Family Comes To Domum Vindemia

A month ago I announced that I had expanded our party supplies range with the addition of May Gibbs cupcake toppers and matching buntings.  So today I am excited to announce that I have further added to the party range with a slew darling Care Bears creations!

At the moment there are two Care Bears buntings and a few sets of cupcake toppers available, perfect for those of us who have fond memories of the Care Bears when they first made their debut in the 1980s.  This new range of party supplies also include some of the newer bears that were unveiled in the "noughties".

As mentioned, this is a very limited range for the time being, so lovers of the Care Bears will need to get in quick to ensure these darlings come home to you.  Which bunting do you love best?  And who was your favourite Care Bear when you were a child?

Swarovski crystals and Jane Austen

Today I am very excited to show off a sneak peek of our upcoming crystals and Jane Austen range of necklaces!  Combining darling Austrian Swarovski and Czech Preciosa crystals with Pride and Prejudice's infamous "obstinate, headstrong girl" quote, this new range will be the centrepiece of our Spring/Summer range for 2018/2019.

At the moment the range will include a choice of eight crystal colours and styles, though bespoke orders with specific colour requests will be accepted too.  And, for the first time, these necklaces will come in your choice of length rather than our usual option to add a necklace extender chain!

Which crystal would you choose?  And do you love this quote, or would you choose another?

Completely and perfect and incandescently happy

I was recently approached by a bride-to-be to create a pair of earrings for her big day which featured a wedding day appropriate quote.  Although it took a bit of fiddling around to feature her joyous quote in the design, I loved every minute of this bespoke order.

And even more, I can't wait to see a photo of these darling Swarovski crystal earrings in action at this bride's book-themed wedding!  If you were to wear bookish jewellery for your special day, what quote would you choose?

Delight with May Gibbs

About a month ago I blogged about our latest restock of our super popular May Gibbs range of homewares and party decorations.  Well, I have been hard at work to further restock this delightful gumnut babies range!

I am very thankful to all of my wonderful supporters who have been making purchases or sharing news of our latest restock, with some of the new additions already sold out and others selling fast.  So if you're planning to add a touch of May Gibbs wonder to your little one's nursery or birthday party, you'll need to act quickly to grab the one you love.

DIY Childhood Treats

As the mayhem and fun that is the winter school holidays starts here at Two Cheeky Monkeys HQ, I thought I'd share a roundup of recipes for some of my favourite childhood treats.  Some of these were made by Grandma Monkeys for special occasions, while others were store bought on a fairly regular basis.  Do you have recipes for your favourite childhood treats?

1. Iced gem biscuits are always a hit!

2. Hate to bake? Then hedgehog slice is just for you.

3. Chinese laughing balls are sooo unhealthily delicious.

4. If you can look past the green colour, pandan chiffon cake is a must.