(Wo)Man or Muppet: Kermit

Today I honor a leader, visionary, and friend...a Kermit! Happy Birthday, Sarah W.

Not only is Sarah a "Kermit" in my book, she's also a huge Muppet fan. Last October, Sarah shared her Halloween Muppet costume tradition.

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1. Sleep with your eyes open thanks to this Kermit eye mask

2. Whether it's a particularly chilly day or you're dressing up like Kermie for Halloween, these snoods take the cake

3. New webbed feet for diving or swimming around the frog pond

4. Sesame Street news anchor Kermit could use a new hat from Goorin Bros...

5. ...and a new trench

6. It's time to upgrade from '80s Robot, and Romo by Romotive is the perfect new friend

7. Whether you say it in English or in French, it's just not easy being green

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Man Or Muppet: Bert

I can't help but associate people that I care about with Muppets. How could a Muppet-loving gal like myself not think about these things? Don’t deny it. You do it too. It’s what made Man or Muppet so funny.

Today, I launch a new series of posts with a board for my guy, the Bert to my Ernie. As I was thinking about the best birthday gift for him, I listed all the things that described him or that he liked. My list included: smart, tech savvy, tall, stoic with a penchant for silliness, likes sweaters, loves pigeons. He's an undeniable Bert (and maybe there’s a little Scooter in there, too).

So this is what I would buy Bert…

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1- A sweater is the perfect combo style and warmth. Snaz it up with bright colors, stripes, or a monogram (so Ernie can't steal it).
2- If you want to share your Bert-ness with the world, these are the hats and gloves for you. The gloves are perfect for impromptu puppet shows.
3- Want to convey your affection for pigeons on your most beloved tech device? Rock this bird-loving iPhone case.
4- Saddle shoes are IN and there's more variety than ever. Now Bert can own more than just one pair of shoes.
5- Bert's paper clip collection is expanding with new selections of different paper clip shapes and colors!

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Let the Games Begin!

Do you remember watching the Olympics as a kid? At 11 years old, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta meant everything. Dominique Moceanu, only a few years older than me, inspired me to believe that young people were talented, capable, and dedicated. The US women's basketball team completely changed the game. Sheryl Swoopes was god!

Whether it's just watching, or getting out there and trying some of the sports themselves, the Olympics can have a big impact on kids.  Get your future medal winner inspired with an Olympic themed party. Need last minute invites? Paperless Post has got you covered! Get the party started right by asking your guests to create their own opening ceremony uniform, from either a country of their choice or a country of their own making! Let them show off their sporty digs while marching around the yard or neighborhood to outrageous fanfare played over your iPhone. 

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For decoration, hang up a banner of international flags, or have your guests create their own flags with white paper, crayons, a wooden dowel, and some glue. A chart to keep track of each country's medals is a great decoration, activity, and math exercise.

Don't forget snacks! I'll be making Olympic torches out of ice cream cones and popcorn. Air pop the corn kernels for a healthier option.

A photo booth will keep the party going, and helps each person remember the fun. Buy or make your own Olympic or sport-themed props!

Before each guest leaves, award them all with a medal. Turn it into a game by saying a few nice words about one child, give them a medal, and then have them say some nice words about another kid. Continue this activity, emphasizing that each person has to pick someone new, until each child has a medal.

Cheerio!
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Happy Birthday, Fred!

Are you wearing a cardigan today? I hope so. Today marks Mister Rogers' 84th birthday. Though he's no longer with us, this special day is used to remember his mission on this planet: to share, to love, to wear sweaters.

Such a special human deserves a special birthday, and iGeneration is your official party blog! I thought I'd jump start the week with a few tips on what you can do to bring a little more Fred into your life.

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1. Visit a factory

2. Teach someone how to tie their shoes
3. Zip up your sweater, then zip it down
4. Bring a puppet to life
5. Learn how to play a song on the piano


Stay tuned for the ultimate factory tour list later this week!

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Brunch & Puppets

It has been so fun sharing iGeneration with my good friend Tara Hewlett from As Long As It's Fancy this month. Tara's Muppet party boards were smart, colorful, and are making me think that I need to bring these boards to life sometime soon.

I continued the puppet birthday fun on my actual birthday with mi amiga, Anuja. We started our morning with brunch and then headed over to Puppet Kitchen for a puppet making workshop. I wish I could spend every Sunday eating brunch and making puppets. Puppet Kitchen, known in part for building the puppets on Johnny and the Sprites, has a beautiful, little studio in an old school kitchen. We were there to make fuzzy hand monsters. I was nervous...how would we make these things? Would I need to sew?! Eek!

There were 8 of us in the workshop, the perfect amount of people to fit in the space comfortably. Our instructor was warm, encouraging, and knowledgeable. We started with pre-cut fabric, and then our instructor glued a mouth plate on for us while sharing some information about the company and all the "chefs" that work there. 

Sewing the puppet was a lot easier than I thought. The furry fabric probably helped make the stitches less noticeable.

Decorating the puppet was my favorite part. We all started with blank, furry canvases. 

It was interesting to see how each participant decorated their puppet friend and brought it to life. I absolutely recommend the workshop for anyone interested in what happens before the puppet hits the hand. Though the workshop is fun, it's probably best for kids over the age of 10, due to the stitching that's involved. I recommend taking the workshop with a side of brunch! For more information, check out their website!

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Prettying Up Your Puppet Party

By Tara Hewlett of As Long As It's Fancy

Now its time to dress up our party.  Let's start with our table decor, to ensure that all of the goodies we baked have an equally pretty backdrop!  Our centerpiece flowers get the Muppet treatment by borrowing some beakers and test tubes from Beaker and Dr. Honeydew.

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Next, let's add some fun to our chairs.  All we needed were a few pieces of paper and some string.  We cut a decorative edge on a large piece of card stock and attached to the chair back with ribbon.  Next, we printed a film frame and a still from our favorite scene of a Muppets show.  Finally, we glued this scene onto the card stock and we have dressed up the chairs for our party!

 I loved some of the modern artwork I found of the Muppets.  Need to let guests know at which home to stop for the party?  Try blowing up some of the graphic artwork and cut into streamers for the porch! 

artwork here 

An accent wall in your entry will get guests in the Muppet party mood immediately.  The best part about this accent wall?  It's temporary!  These wall decals get an extended life after the party by moving them to the playroom or bedroom.

wall decal

I used the cute Muppets alphabet to create garland.  String this anywhere around the party where you feel it's not looking festive enough. 

 
alphabet artwork

We definitely want our guests to remember how much fun they had celebrating this month, so make sure they grab a Muppets favor bag on the way out.  Fill the bags with treats and decorate with some contemporary Muppet artwork and bow!

 

 favor artwork

It's time for the finishing touch on our decor - the theater!  Not sure how to put it together, check out the instructions here.    Don't forget about the personalized Muppets we made during game time.  This is the perfect setting to show them off.  Just make sure that you set up your theater in a prominent place so that all of the guests can see the show!

theater

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Games for Party Animals

By Tara Hewlett of As Long As It's Fancy

Miss Piggy is the ultimate fashionista.  Make sure she looks her best with a game of "Miss Piggy Bank Dress Up."  Start out with some plain piggy banks then grab some of Miss Piggy's favorite accessories such as pearl stickers for a necklace or earrings.  Lipstick and nail polish can be used as makeup or substitute paint for the same effect.  Finally, Miss Piggy loves a boa.  You can secure with a bit of hot glue.  Now you have the perfect spot to save up for your own fashionista accessories!

nail polish, lipstick, pearl stickers, piggy bank, boa

Gonzo has the most perfectly shaped nose for a game of ring toss!  Let's hang gonzo from the ceiling, grab a few rings and see which party guest has the best aim!

gonzo puppet, rings

Animal loves to play the drums, but some of our guests might have other talents.  At our music station we can make guitars, drums and tambourines.  We just need some cardboard, tacks and string for our guitar.  We need some embroidery hoops, bottle caps and tape for our tambourine.  Finally, to make Animal's favorite instrument we need some lollipop drumsticks, a coffee can and fabric.  After we're finished making and decorating our instruments we can even record our own song!

guitar, animal, tambourine, drum

Beaker wanted to join in on the musical fun as well, so he came up with a fun experiment.  He filled up a few beakers (or glasses if you want to simplify) with some water and added food coloring for fun.  With the water at different levels in each beaker he has created a range of different tones! 

beaker

And what Muppet party or Christina party would be complete without some puppet making!?  If you're feeling fancy you could head on over to FAO Schwarz before the party and have everyone make their own Muppet!  Christina is on the left sporting her signature glasses and a statue of liberty outfit to represent New York.  I am on the right with my red hair and cheerleading outfit from college!

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If you are a bit far from the famous toy store you can still make your own Muppet using paper bags or socks.  Any of these options are fun and leave all of our guests with their very own personalized Muppet!

 birds, giraffe, sock, panda

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Happy February: The ultimate Muppet birthday party

It's February! To some, February means love, snow, or presidents, but not to me. February is my birthday month, and I've teamed up with my pal Tara at As Long As It's Fancy to present the best Muppet birthday party out there.

Each Wednesday this month, we'll be posting different aspects of the party so you and yours can celebrate your favorite occasion in fancy, Muppet style. First post is up tomorrow...stay tuned!

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