Top

Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

Tips for Hosting Your First Game Day Homegating Party

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UltimateHomegating #CollectiveBias

When we moved into our new house in the summer, we were thrilled about finally have a large enough space to host friends and family for events like the Big Game. We have yet to host friends for a big occasion, so we would like to take the opportunity for the game! While we’ve hosted parties in the past, we haven’t had a chance to host one for a football game, so lately I’ve been thinking of and researching ways to make such an event easier and fun. I hope these inspire your own Big Game parties!

First-time homegating party tips:

Cater to both meat eaters and vegetarians. This is my biggest tip for any party. I have been to so many events where I have no vegetarian options to enjoy, so I try to always have something for everyone when I host. This is why I suggest heading to Jewel-Osco. The deli has game-day staples like a bucket of wings.

 

For vegetarians, I made a three-ingredient recipe for Coke Red-marinated BBQ meatballs. With veggie meatballs from Jewel-Osco’s frozen meatless section, a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce and a Coke Red bottle, you can make a delicious entree that vegetarian and meat lovers will both enjoy.

To make the veggie meatballs, you need:

  • Frozen veggie meatballs (I made 16.)
  • 16 ounces of barbecue sauce.
  • 8 ounces of Coke Red (Cola-Cola Classic).

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker for 30 minutes and enjoy! I made sliders with mine by cutting rolls in half.

You can’t go wrong with dips. Jewel-Osco’s deli also offers a delicious taco dip and buffalo chicken dip. The dips come in various sizes so you have enough no matter the size of your party. Other game-day favorites to consider: spinach-artichoke dip, guacamole and salsa, as well as queso. Don’t forget to pick up Jewel-Osco tortilla chips! All of these dips pair perfectly with Coca-Cola products.

Have a variety of drinks from the range of Coke products to cater to all tastes. I also choose the Coke Red (Coca-Cola Classic) along with options like Sprite and Coke Zero Sugar. Always have water available, too! I don’t mind serving beverages in my own glassware, but choose paper cups if you prefer. You don’t have to walk far because Coca-Cola products are also available in the deli in the 1.25L size. Other sizes are in the beverage aisle.

Set up activities for kids to make it family-friendly and pick easy-to-eat snacks. You can use a table for children to color or play games while adults watch football. If the budget allows you can also have a sitter to entertain kids so guests can enjoy the party worry-free.

Set up a bingo game to keep the game-watching interesting. You can either search for printable bingo cards online or create your own. You could also give out prizes!

Dress for the part. Go all out with your game-day gear. The local team may not be in the big game, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear the colors or your favorite jersey! You can also paint your nails in team colors.

Set up a fondue/dessert station for a sweet treat to end the day. It doesn’t have to be fondue, of course, but it’s so easy! Treats can include marshallows, graham crackers, strawberries, brownie bites, apples, bananas, krispy treats, pretzels and waffers to dip into the chocolate. Otherwise provide your favorite desserts. This dessert bar can cheer up anyone disappointed by the game’s outcome.

What tips do you have for first-time homegating party hosts? Share them with me in the comments!

Find a Jewel-Osco near you!

CONNECT WITH ME:

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | PINTEREST

My Safari-Theme Baby Shower

Safari Theme Baby Shower

My older sister (and family) hosted the most adorable safari-theme baby shower and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! The decorations were darling and I wanted to share some of the details for those looking for baby shower inspiration.

I learned tt takes a village to put together a baby shower. First, my aunt made baby shower buttons for us to wear.

She also made a baby diaper cake also using blankets, rattles and plush toys.

My sister’s friend made diaper trees using tissue paper, ribbon and animal cutouts. They were on each of the tables. My sister found safari-theme candy boxes as favors, along with animal cookies and candy.

My sister ordered the safari-theme baby shower cake from Sam’s Club. The top tier was chocolate and the bottom tier was vanilla. It was almost too pretty to eat, but it was delicious!

I loved the idea to use Zebra Cakes as treats as well, along with animal crackers. She also decorated the cake table with a photo board that she gifted to me. For food we had sandwiches, shrimp (cooked) cocktail, potato salad, chips and salsa, veggies and ranch dip, macaroni salad and ambrosia. The non-preggos could also drink my aunt’s sangria.

One of the games we played was the pin game in which you have to avoid saying baby so you don’t get your pin stolen. I have no idea what happened to my pin. haha

We also played two rounds of baby shower bingo. As you can see, I didn’t win.

One the gift table she had another diaper tree, safari decorations and gift bags to give as prizes for the games. We also had envelopes to fill out for thank-you cards.

Our baby girl was gifted some precious things! I can’t wait to use them!

Hope you’ll save some of these ideas on Pinterest for any baby shower planning needs! Other unphotographed details: The e-invitations were also safari theme. Other animal decor hung on the walls and the table covers were pink and white. The prizes for the baby shower games were Bath & Body Works products.

Also, watch our new short video on my YouTube channel! (Please subscribe!)

 

Related posts:

Baby Girl Clothing Haul
Drone Gender Reveal

 

Victoria’s Hawaii-Themed Party & a Wrappily Gift Wrap Giveaway!

** Thank you Wrappily for sponsoring this post. All opinions are always my own.

Victoria’s favorite movie is Moana, which she watches almost daily. And the Flora family’s favorite place on Earth is Hawaii. That made choosing a theme for her third birthday celebration easy. Part 1 of the festivities was a Hawaii/Moana theme birthday party with family in Phoenix. She shared the first part of her birthday celebrations (Let’s be real: We’ll be celebrating for weeks!) with her cousin Olivia, who is turning 2.

Before the party, I reached out to Wrappily, an eco-friendly and adorable wrapping paper company based in Hawaii. I had previously written about them as a fantastic option for gift wrap supplies for the holidays, but they also have wrapping paper for other occasions. What more perfect paper to use for our Hawaii party? While planning a party can sometimes create some waste, you can always choose to do your part in small ways by purchasing wrapping paper that is made from recycled newsprint, compostable and printed with soy-based inks. Wrappily has you covered! Bonus: The sheets are also reversible.

Before the party, I wrapped one of Victoria’s gifts in this whimsical Sand Dollar and Fiesta Piñas print from Wrappily. I showed both sides below. I opted to use the pineapples on the outside for her doll.

Wrapping one of Victoria’s gifts with Wrappily’s two-sided gift wrap.

I wrapped the gifts in twine for a natural, simple look.

I found that the Wrappily wrapping paper and cupcake toppers I was sent fit right in with our Moana/Hawaii theme for the party.

For the party, we cut pineapples and used them as vases for faux flowers (since we couldn’t find real tropical flowers). The faux flowers are great because they can be reused and you can obviously eat the fruit.

I also found a tutorial for Jello Moana-inspired treats on Pinterest, so I attempted to replicate them. It was pretty easy, though mine don’t look as good as the originals. Partygoers ate all of them, though, so that’s a win! We ended up having more than 30 people show up, and they also gobbled up all the barbecue chicken, rice and macaroni salad.

Our cake and piñata were Moana-themed, of course, and a family friend was able to adorn a bounce house in a Moana banner. Victoria and her guests jumped in this for HOURS. The goodie bags were simple blue and pink bags that were decorated with Moana printables my sister found online. The coconut cups you see in this photo were reused from a previous party as decor. We also put faux leis in a tiki bucket (reused from previous party).

Another family friend made the piñata.

Another idea for the party: Use Wrappily’s DIY Hawaii-theme print toppers for cupcakes. You can also add a green frosting swirl to replicate the heart of Te Fiti from the Disney movie. The cupcake toppers are super easy to put together. You simple use a glue stick to put two flower prints together with the stick in between. Then use a glue dot (which is provided) to add a button detail wherever you want. The buttons come in various colors to match any decor.

We found another Hawaii party snack idea on Pinterest: to shape a kiwi and pineapple platter like palm trees. The original idea used oranges for the base, but I skipped that part.

When you plan your own party or give your gift, you can at least feel good about using eco-friendly gift wrap from Wrappily for any occasion! Below you can enter to win a cute prize pack from Wrappily! And you don’t have to win this giveaway to get your hands on this charming gift wrap; you can use code ALOHA15 for a discount on the site! (This is not an affiliate code, just sharing!)

Wrappily Giveaway!

Thanks to Wrappily’s generosity, we are giving away the prettiest prints of wrapping paper to a lucky follower! You will also receive cupcake toppers and a flower kit to adorn your gift!

The giveaway contains:

  • Nautilus/ Aloha Flower print
  • Hawaii Love print
  • Cupcake topper kit (for 12 cupcakes)
  • DIY paper flower kit


Entering is super easy:

1. Follow @maretteflora on Instagram.
2. Follow @wrappily on Instagram.
3. Like this photo.

For a bonus entry (one entry per item below):

  • Tag a friend in the comments of the Instagram post.
  • Comment on this blog post.
No purchase is necessary to win. Open to U.S. residents only. Must be 18 or older. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. Value is approximately $25. Contact me with questions. Winner must respond to my DM on Instagram within 48 hours or a new winner will be picked. Winner will be picked via random name picker. Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries. Prize package was courtesy of Wrappily but giveaway is hosted by me.

A Hawaiian Birthday

Last weekend I hopped on a plane to Hawaii for a 1-year-old’s birthday party.

Just kidding, the party was in Phoenix. The guest of honor was Olivia, my niece. She looked adorable in her grass skirt, Aloha shirt and flower hair clip. Guests got lei’d on arrival to get the party started.
The theme could not be more perfect for a birthday pool party in the Phoenix summer. My mom cooked barbecue pork, macaroni salad and potato salad, and we also munched on fruit cups and sipped tropical (adults-only) drinks through pineapple straws.

Hula girls danced atop the Hawaii-themed cake. Hibiscus flowers decked out the patio space we used for the party. And we tried to stay cool as a Hawaiian breeze.

My nieces splashed around in the kiddie pool, and I melted. It wasn’t the heat; it was the love!
An afternoon in the sunshine with family was just what I needed after a rainy and stressful few weeks in Chicago. 
Watch my short video of the party on YouTube and follow my channel if you’re so inclined. Mahalo!

Ready for a summer bash?

Inspired to host a Hawaii or pineapple theme birthday party this summer? Check out these adorable decor items I found online!

*This post contains affiliate links.

All That Glitters: Gold Holiday Party Dresses

I can’t remember the last time I bought a dress. Seriously. It had to be sometime last year. Lately, I can’t stop researching holiday party dresses as I sit in my yoga pants. I’m excited for my upcoming trip to Phoenix and for a chance to get dressed up to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. Last year, Graham and I went to a football game and then spent New Year’s Eve at home, and while it was nice to get cozy on the couch on a cold night, I have different plans this year: I want to spend the evening with friends in a girly, gold dress. I’m looking at more affordable options, because I just can’t bring myself to spend a ton on a party dress I won’t wear that often. What do you think of my picks? I’ve never used Rent the Runway, but the service sounds tempting. Otherwise I’ll end up in one of these low-cost but lovely options. 

Shine on, post signature Note: Affiliate links included.

); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('require', 'linkid', 'linkid.js'); ga('set', 'anonymizeIp', true); ga('send', 'pageview');