Wedding Favours From the Heart

Soda wedding favours. Refreshing!

Weddings are very much on our minds, having recently helped to provide a pair of stilt walkers for a couple's wedding carnival in an outdoor garden location. Ah... Beautiful setting, lovely couple... Actually, what we were looking forward to the most were the wedding favours. Isn't there a tiny part of you that anticipates the moment when you sit down at your place and find a lovely surprise waiting for you or is it just us??

It's the small details, isn't it, that makes a big difference. And wedding favours, small as they are, are an integral part of a memorable wedding. We believe that wedding favours should be delightful, unique and most importantly, personal.

Alas, having attended one too many hotel-held wedding (Singapore style!), we are just a teeny weeny bit tired of bringing home the same old oriental couple shot glasses (ring any bells??), chocolates in hotel-provided favour boxes and other similarly uninspired mementos that end up collecting dust on the shelves and eventually ending up in the box marked for the Salvation Army.

Thank goodness DIY and unique wedding favours ideas abound on the internet! Here are some great ideas that we came across and would like to share with you.

1. Edible favours that go to the heart through the stomach

Sandwich cookies in
cellophane packet wrapped with
Japanese-patterned paper.

Homebaked cookies, muffins or cupcakes decorated with the couple's names are sweet and delicious!
For us who do not bake, store-bought candies, chocolates, tea leaves, honey and cocoa powder are just some examples of common items that we can make special by packing them in handmade customised packaging that matches the style and theme of your wedding.

Our favourite!
Chocolate bars rewrapped with vintage comic book pages!
What better way to ensure that your wedding favour 
does not get chucked or thrown away?! 

2. Practical favours that serve multiple functions
We just love favours that can multitask! Cookie cutters, cheese graters, homemade bath salts, handmade photo frames and matchsticks (yes!!) are some creative favours that are useful as well! An edible and practical favour is an ingredient accompanied by a matching recipe - think small pots or containers of rosemary attached with recipes for rosemary chicken. Straw fans or miniature electric fans are just wonderful for outdoor weddings.

We LOVE:

Cookie cutters are available in various shapes.
Choose shapes that symbolise marriage or
suit your theme, like heart, flower, man and
woman-shaped cutters as your wedding favour.

This is 'grate'!

Matchsticks in spice bottles. Love the pun!

3. Favours that shout out who you are!
For the more intellectual group, bookmarks printed with your names and date and stored in envelope pouches are great. For rowdier guests, custom temporary tattoos simply rock!  If you are into 'go green', seed packets or young saplings are colourful and useful and friendly to the environment.

Seed packets. Just stick your names
and a thank you note on the packets!

Custom temporary tattoos

You know what, any thing can be used as a wedding favour, as long as it says something about you, and both bride and groom as a couple. Jazz it up with a touch of creativity and lots of heart, you have yourself a unique wedding favour that will wow and delight your guests. We hope you enjoy the process of creating something from your heart for the people who have come to offer you their warmest wishes for your marriage!

5 Fabulous Reasons Why Everyone Must Engage In Circus Arts

Afghan children celebrate the 2nd World Circus Day on 16 April 2011.

Circus activities are widely popular worldwide but remain relatively unrecognised in Singapore. According to the American Youth Circus Organisation in  2008, tens of thousands of youths are estimated to be participating in youth circus programmes to some degree, be it in summer camps, community based organisations, physical education classes or pre-professional companies.

What circus activities are we talking about, you may ask. To summarise, circus skills consist of various performance skills divided into four distinct areas:

• Acrobatics - e.g. tumbling, balance and contortion;
• Aerobatics - e.g. flying/static trapeze, ropes, silks, webs;
• Manipulation - e.g. juggling, diabolo, stilts, rola-bola, unicycle, poi;
• Clowning - e.g. drama, comedy and mime. (Carr, 2007)

What draws children, youths and even adults to circus activities? The reasons are plenty. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider picking up a skill and promoting circus art to your school, company or at home.

1. Circus activities are non-competitive and non-threatening. Instead, circus promotes cooperative learning. It is not about “us versus them”. It is “all for one and one for all”!

2. Circus is inclusive. Reluctant exercisers and children with special needs who are unmotivated or unable to participate in competitive team sports and conventional physical education programmes can participate in circus. There is a role for everybody in the circus, be it juggling, plate spinning or rola-bola. This is a great morale and self-esteem booster!

3. Circus allows children to learn at their own pace in their preferred skill area. There is no limit to what they can achieve as ability levels are incremental, allowing for continuous progress. This is a great morale and self-esteem booster! (Oh, have we mentioned it already!?)

4. Circus programmes in schools have seen academic benefits in their students. Circus learning teaches young people discipline, focus, effort, perseverance and the ability to move beyond failure. These programmes are also very popular with traditional “under-achievers” or “at-risk” youths.

5. Circus activities have been shown to improve balance, coordination, stamina, flexibility, strength, timing, reflex ability and weight distribution. Juggling for instance, has been found to increase brain power! Now, isn’t this a ‘shove’ factor for you to start picking up a circus skill today??

Of course, do not just take our words for it. Check out what the experts have to say!

·         Benefits of Circus in Education

·        Teachers Link Academic Benefits to Juggling

·        Juggling Increases Brain Power

8 Steps to A Themed Children's Birthday Party

Peanuts Theme Party

Have you ever attended a birthday party and gotten the sense that you have seen it all before?

Want something different for your own children's parties?

Many parents now want original and creative parties. You can do it easily by customising your party with a theme and adding your own personal touch. Involve your child in the planning process and he or she will only enjoy his or her special day even more!

It does not have to be a huge production. Just follow the 8 steps here, add in a dash of creativity, plenty of love and humour and you are on your way to a bash of a party!



Step 1: Choose a party theme.
The more popular ones are: Disney Princess (Prince too!), Pirate, Jungle Animal, Fairy Tales, Super Heroes, Soccer, Fairies, Dinosaurs...

Or you can simply choose a favourite topic, show, story, or character, and designate it as your theme, such as a Ballerina party, Spiderman, Lilo & Stitch, or Cars. Just ensure that your party elements adhere closely to your chosen theme.

Most importantly, the theme must be one favoured by the birthday boy or girl. It is his or her day after all!


Step 2: Select a venue
Depending on your budget and theme, you should choose a suitable location to host the party. One important factor is whether your child's friends will be able to access the place easily on their own or will they need their parents to bring them? Will their parents then be involved in the party?

For a cosy indoor party, your house should suffice. A function room would be a better option if more guests are expected. Outdoor parties are ideal especially if you are hosting a Jungle Animal or Pirate-themed party and you are planning for the children to run around.


Step 3: Send out the invitation cards

Gruffalo Theme

Jungle Animal Theme

This is one of our favourite parts of organising a party - the part where you design and make your own cards! Based on your party theme, you can purchase or make your own invitation cards that reflect the theme.

For an added personal touch, get your child to pen the invitees' names instead of printing them with the rest of the details.




Step 4: The Birthday Cake
Yummy! Absolutely our most anticipated moment!

Depending on your own preference, you can order or bake and decorate a cake that is inspired by the party theme. This is not necessarily restricted to the birthday cake. Cupcakes and other food prepared for the party can be designed according to the theme as well!

Mario Theme Cupcakes

Mickey Theme Truffles

Step 5: Party Costumes and Party Crafts

Why do we put costumes and crafts together? We like to get the kids involved and we think this is one avenue to do so!

Since this is a themed party, it would be great if the invited children come in costumes or attire that befits the theme. You can enhance the atmosphere and triple the fun by providing accessories such as eye-patches (pirates), animal masks (jungle animals) or wands and tiaras (princess) for the children accordingly. These could also be your party favours!

Have problems entertaining the children who come early? Have them engaged in party crafts such as making their own party hats, animal masks or other theme-related accessories. They will enjoy themselves! Face-painting is another activity you can do yourself or by engaging a professional. Paint the children's faces as lions, tigers, fairies, or pirates, make them feel special!

Step 6: Plan your party games and entertainment

Cars Theme Pinata

Plan a few games for the children to participate during the party. These could be theme-related as well. For a Pirate-themed party, a scavenger hunt is just the thing. Tinkerbell's Wand, played like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, is suited for young fairies. Use your imagination and repackage traditional games in new ways!

The Pinata is one fun and exciting game that is simple to incorporate into your party. Nowadays, pinatas come in all sorts of characters and designs. You should be able to find one that fits your theme rather easily.

For added excitement, bring in the entertainers! Jugglers, magicians and balloon sculptors are sure-fire ways to jazz up your party for a magical and memorable occasion.

Step 7: Decorate the venue

Mickey Theme Balloon Bouquet

Pirate Theme Party Supplies

Balloons, festive garlands, banners...These are some of the materials you will need to dress up the venue. You can make your own balloon arch, or simply double-side tape some balloons on the walls to form a simple message. The possibilities are endless with balloons. There are many decorative balloons that are ready made according to popular themes. 

Simply purchase these balloons at your nearby party supplies store. While you are there, purchase party supplies like cups, plates, serviettes, and table skirting to match as well. 

Step 8: Pack your party favours

Again, we love this part. Who don't like goodie bags?? 

So much of yourself can go into party favours. For treat bags, you can easily purchase small baskets, loot bags, Chinese takeout boxes, plain paper sacks, popcorn boxes, terra cotta flower pots... Basically anything can be used! To make it your own, add a distinct feature to your treat bag that cannot be found anywhere else!

Paper Sack with Flower Cut-outs

Trim the opening of a normal paper sack with craft scissors
and use a coordinating ribbon and gift tag to create your own treat bag!

Party favours are to be given out at the end of the party. Let the birthday child hand them out to the departing guests and at the same time say "thank you". 

The perfect ending to the perfect day!

There you have it. 8 simple steps to a themed children's birthday party. We hope you and your child enjoy the process!

Fun Friday

After a few days of painting and moving, we finally shifted into our new office on 3 January.

Yeah!!!

NO more working from our cramped premises at home. As one member of the team puts it "I enjoy going to work. The people there are nice (of course!), it's Causal Friday everyday..." Hopefully this will translate into productivity. :)

Anyway, time for serious work. Well, as serious as it can get over here. Here is a video on how practice makes perfect. See how two news anchors amuse themselves during commercial breaks. We think this is something everybody can do, if you practise!

A great idea for children to entertain themselves while learning to work in a team and improve their coordination skills. Also a creative idea for a performance item for your school concert or company dinner! :) Enjoy and have a Fun Friday!