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mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

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Make Your Birthday a Main Event

June 24, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo 31 Comments

Looking for a great birthday destination that makes it easy by taking care of all the details so you can have all the fun? With games, food, an event coordinator and a special party room, Main Event is the right place for your main event!

Thank you to Main Event for partnering with MamaChallenge so we could enjoy this milestone birthday without all the work! #FUNstigators

I love hosting birthday parties for my kids. We’d plan for months what was the theme, what would we do, what we would eat – I liked the whole process working with my kids to make it a special day for them and to be honest, for me, too! (And the fun we had!) 

Unfortunately, there is this unofficial age that every kids approaches when they ask to have their birthday somewhere else. And even more unfortunately, there is a realistic parent that realizes that they don’t have the one iota of creativity, patience, or time to create a great birthday party.


Main Event Birthday

This year was that year for us. My son wanted to have a Pac-Man birthday party and an opportunity to just hang out with his friends and have fun. Mom’s list of requirements was a little bit more picky, but it included a one-stop shop experience where the destination took care of everything and we just showed up for the party. And air conditioning…lots of air conditioning!

Main-Event-Birthday

Main Event was exactly the right place for us. We wanted to do something out of the norm of all the other party locations and because Jackson wanted a Pac Man theme and I wanted a place that not only wasn’t too far to drive, but the parents could have just as much fun as the kids (no matter the age or experience level bowling!) 

Main Event Party

When I called to book the birthday – it was so easy because it all came in a package. I let them know the date, how many kids to expect (although that would change) and what kind of food/drink to serve. A pizza party is always a homerun, but even with two kids allergic to gluten (mine), they still had me covered with a gluten-free version (that was good!) They even provided an evite template for me to use to invite people to the party.

Main Event Party

We also added a few fun platters to serve for the adults that were so good including wings, artichoke dip and even a fruit/cheese tray. The activities were all built in with an hour of bowling, 30 minutes for laser tag and a $5 Funcard for each kid to use in the arcade.

Main Event Party

And everyone signed a Pin for Jackson as a souvenir of his “main event!” 

Main-Event-Birthday

Really – that easy. All I needed to bring was the cake (gluten free at that)! THAT’S ALL!

Main-Event-Birthday

When we showed up for the party that day (just a few minutes before the party started), we met our event coordinator that managed our special day! While anyone knows I think I’m the hostess with the mostest (or at least try to be), she had me beat. She kept the party going the whole time from making sure the kids were having fun, the drinks were all full, and when it was time for the official party time, she kept that moving too. Even the parents were saying how great she was to take time to ensure all kids were engaged – even remembering each of their names. Her fun attitude and her over-the-top service made it where there was really nothing for me to do but have fun and take photos (something I never get to do as the mama.)

Main Event Party

And the cost? A package like ours is considered The Extreme Event, but birthday package ranges from around $15-20 a person. Even if that seems high to you, when I did the math of the last five birthdays we’d done, it still was way cheaper. And they did the setup, food, and the cleanup.

Main Event Grapevine Birthday Party Packages

The Extreme Event – $19.95 per person+ tax

  • Minimum group of 10
  • One hour of bowling
  • One session of laser tag
  • A $5 FUNcard for each child
  • Souvenir Bowling Pin
  • A selection from our Party Menu
  • Must be 48″ tall to play

Power Up Party – $14.95 per person + tax

  • Minimum group of 10
  • One session of laser tag
  • A $5 FUNcard for each child
  • A selection from our Party Menu
  • Must be 48″ tall to play

The Big Blast – $14.95 per person + tax

  • Minimum group of 10
  • One hour of bowling
  • A $5 FUNcard for each child
  • A selection from our Party Menu

At the end of the day though, the birthday party is really for the kids, right? I heard things like “best birthday EVER” and “that was awesome mama” so I think it was a slam dunk or better said, a strike! 

I admit, I’m a little sad that my yester-year birthday parties no longer hold rank as #1, but considering signing the check with a well-deserved tip and taking our gifts to the car was all I had to do, I didn’t cry for too long.

Create your birthday party at Main Event by calling even booking online at your preferred Main Event location.

Want to try out Main Event for yourself? Just answer this question below and you can win a $50 gift card to Main Event! Consider this our gift for our birthday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment

Best-Mickey-Mouse-Birthday

 

Frozen-Birthday-Party-Ideas

 

Ariel Birthday Party

 

Birthday Party Toolkit

Birthday Party Hosting Toolkit

July 28, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 23 Comments

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Wet-Nap®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ConquerTheMess http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

I like LOVE to plan my kids’ birthday parties.

Diapers and potty training sucked, but I consider one of the perks of motherhood is that I can get to plan events that not only my kids can remember, but the adults actually enjoy, too!


Party-Time

Each birthday the kids and I brainstorm together what their birthday theme including the decor, food, and entertainment. While photos always show the end results with cake, centerpieces, etc., the event planner in me B.C. (before children) has one trick up her sleeve that may not be make it to the slideshow, but always makes it to the party…my Birthday Party Mess Toolkit.

Wet-Nap
From Mickey Mouse, Dinosaurs, The Little Mermaid, and our recent Golf Par-tee, mama always packs these items to ensure a successful birthday with easy cleanup where ever you are!

Conquer-the-Mess

MamaChallenge.com Birthday Party Toolkit

1.  Scissors

This will save you every time. From prepping birthday balloons or if a kid gets stuck on a piece of wood (it happened), you’ll feel like Batman will you pull these out of your utility belt.

2.  Tape 

Like scissors, you never know when you’ll need, but when you do, you’ll save the (birth)day. Many times decorations come down at the last minute and a big thing of duct tape will make you better than Handy Manny.

3.  Twine

Twine or string end up with interesting uses, from hanging decorations to tying up that pinata, but at $1 buck a roll, you’ll be happy you sacrificed a George Washington.

4.  Black Sharpie Pen

You should never leave your house without one of these. Ever. From putting a child’s name on a favor bag you didn’t know was coming or making a direction sign to find the party, a Sharpie is your saving grace.

5.  First Aid Kit

This is a no-brainer; one kid will always need a band-aid, but make sure the bandages are the plain brown ones, unless you want to handout bandages like a birthday favor.

6.  Bug Spray and Sunscreen 

No matter what time of the year, you need to be prepared for both of these. Nothing is worse than a child that turns into a tomato because she’s blistered by the sun or bit from a bug.

7.  Notepad and Pen 

The writing down of the gifts is the last thing you remember to prepare for, so just make sure to keep a little notepad in your kit and you’ll never feel like you have to memorize gift wrap to gift ever again!

8.  Charge Stick and Batteries

This is a new add to my kit, but is a MUST HAVE. One of those cheap battery backups will save you when your phone is dwindling on 10%. And batteries? If you don’t bring them, every gift you’ll get will have them and that’s no good – ever.

9.  Wet-Naps 

Every mom and dad will thank you for having Wet-Naps – all over the place. Safe to be used on face, hands and body, you’ll need for everything from crafting conundrums to cupcake cleanup. Just make picking up Wet-Naps as part of your regular run to Walmart with the eggs, milk and bread! (You’ll never not use ’em!) 

10. Large plastic baggy/plastic grocery sack 

Occasionally, you might have an accident (and when I say accident, I’m referring to a child that wets his pants ) or need to keep up with something special. A plastic bag is like that extra box of Girl Scout cookies that you don’t know why you bought them, but they always disappear.

Wet-naps

Visit Walmart for all your Wet-Nap® needs: 110-Count Hands, Face, & Body Cleansing Wipes, 24-Count Packettes Antibacterial Hand Wipes and 40-Count Canister Antibacterial Hand Wipes.

Birthday Party Toolkit

 

DINOmite Dinosaur Party Ideas

July 6, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 15 Comments

SponsoredPostDisclaimer

Jurassic World roared into theaters this summer and continues to dominate box offices nationwide! You can bring the biggest hit of the summer home with these adorable dinosaur party ideas featuring toys, games, and treats from HABA USA featured on EyeOpenerTV/Aol.com Parenting!


BRING JURASSIC WORLD TO YOUR KID’S SANDBOX Digging Claw by HABA USA // $12.99

  • Wear it like a glove to take a bite out of the sand. Makes digging fun and easy!
  • Cool dino design
  • For ages 1+

3D BOARD GAME IS DINO-RIFIC FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Expedition Dino Game by HABA USA // $37.99

  • Armed with a hammer and chisel, players excavate petrified bones from the rocks, avoiding the dangerous dinos hiding there
  •  Fantastic 3D game board
  •  Includes 1 game board, 1 wooden character, 1 die, 1 hammer and 1 chisel
  •  Recommended for ages 4+
  •  Made in Germany

WHIP UP A BATCH OF TRIASSIC-ERA TREATS! Dinosaur Parade Silicone Chocolate Lollipops Mold by HABA USA // $11.99

  • Mold creates 6 different Dinosaur shaped chocolate treats in minutes
  • Set includes 2 child-safe recipes
  • Mold is easy to clean
  • For ages 4+

SWEETEN UP PREHISTORIC PARTIES AND PLAYDATES WITH A DINO CAKE! Dinosaur Silicone Cake Mold by HABA USA // $11.99

  • Cake mold shaped like adorable dino
  • Comes with 3 child-friendly baking recipes
  • Easy to clean mold
  • Ages 4+

FUN FOODS WITH DINOSAURS

  • Peanut Butter Cookies – Use the refrigerated dough and a toy dinosaur foot to make a cute fossil cookie. Hide them in brown sugar for a fun presentation and activity in one!

Fossil-Cookies

  • Dinosaur Dig Cups – Layer chocolate pudding and crumbled Oreo cookies for a dinoriffic snack. Top with gummy dinosaurs for the perfect topping.

Dino-Dig-Cups

  • Herbivore Cups – Not all dinosaurs ate meat and a little veggie never hurt your tiny T-Rex either! Place a few tablespoons of hummus with veggies for a healthy snack.
  • Dinosaur Sandwiches – Nothing magic here, but the help of a brontosaurus sandwich cutter, bread and your favorite lunch meat!

VeggieCups

  • Dino Juice – Using a green juice or carbonated water like Sparking Ice Kiwi Strawberry like I used. Then go crazy with some whip cream for making your watering hole a little more fun!

EyeOpener

FOR MORE DINO-MITE IDEAS

Follow Autumn {mamachallenge.com}’s board Dinosaur Party on Pinterest.

Mickey Mouse Brunch Party with Waffle Bar #DisneySide

April 11, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

Disclaimer

A party featuring Mickey Mouse is always going to be a good time, but starting off the day with a Mickey Mouse Brunch Party is even better! See how we put together this get together easily featuring the Mouse, waffle bar and lots more Disney fun!

Disney Brunch Party


Everyday is a good day for a Mickey Mouse themed party…especially one that starts early in the morning, in your PJs and covered in syrup! Thankfully from the #Disneyside sponsors, we had some great supplies to put together this marvelous Mickey Mouse inspired reverse pajama/brunch party!

Disney-Side-Kids

Inviting some of our favorite friends and family members, via our favorite email service Punchbowl, we managed to create a hot diggity dog time – all before lunch time!

Mickey-Mouse-Invite

Centered around finding the coolest Mickey Waffle Stick Maker (affilate link) that makes four Mickey-shaped heads with sticks for waffle on a stick action that makes it easy and fun to eat. So the idea was born to create a Mickey Mouse Waffle Bar at our Reverse Pajama Party!

Mickey-Waffle-Maker

Aren’t they adorable? And with them just the right size, they are easy to eat AND you can eat more than one. Chocolate syrup, whip cream, strawberries, sprinkles and powdered sugar made for lots of fun for the kids to personalize their Mickey Mouse Waffles.

Disney-Side-Mickey-Waffle-Bar

Along with the waffles, there were tons of other Mickey Mouse-shaped breakfast foodsas well as decorative items like this easy MM centerpiece we made for another Mickey Mouse birthday party for the kids when we returned from Disney World.

Disney-Side-Mickey-Table

Of course, there were several Disney-themed edibles like these chocolate chip muffins with Mickey Mouse toothpicks (affiliate link) on this adorable resuable Mickey Mouse muffin/cupcake stand (affiliate link).

Disney-Side-Muffins

And  you can’t ever forget the Mickey Mouse plates, cups  and napkins (affilate), especially when you have waffles with whip cream and chocolate chips. While the kids enjoyed watching classic Mickey Mouse cartoons like Steamboat Willie and Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland (affiliate).

Disney-Side-Mickey-Cups

Borrowing this idea from our Disney Princess party, we transformed the idea of princess wands to Mickey Mouse sticks using pineapple cut like Mickey Mouse, grapes and strawberries. If you don’t have a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter (affiliate) and have kids, you should buy one! It’s a quick and easy way to make sandwiches, cookies and these fruit kbobs fun to eat!

Disney-Side-Mickey-Kbobs

However, the fun didn’t stop there! We made these homemade Mickey Mouse marshmallows for our hot chocolate!

Disney-Side-Marshmallow-MamaChallenge

And the kids also received their own reusable travel mug with hot chocolate mix, Mickey Mouse marshmallows and other great treats to take home to show their #DisneySide including luggage tags, HP CMYK Pack with photopaper for their own photo memories and a DVD about planning your own Disney trip!

Disney-Side-Favors

 And you can’t ever forget the Mickey Mouse ears to make the PJ party complete.

Show-Our-Disney-Side
Disney-Side-Mickey-Baby-MamaChallenge

We’re so glad we were able to get together to show our #DisneySide  done breakfast style! The only thing that would have been better is to have Mickey Mouse join us!

Disney-Side-Mickey-Jackson-MamaChallenge

How do you show your #DisneySide? 

 

Sleeping Beauty Princess Spa Day Party

October 13, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 27 Comments

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

SleepingBeautySpaParty#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop

Since the first time my eyes spotted the beautiful sweet lips of my little princess, I was ready to celebrate all things princess. Princess tea party, princess dress up party, princess spa party…we were going to have fun enjoying being a princess as long as she would let me. So when Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Diamond Edition DVD Gift Set came out just last week we had the perfect reason to celebrate with a Princess Spa and Watching Party for my little gal and all her friends!


SleepingBeautyCollage

With just a little planning and one easy trip to Walmart for the DVD, the decor from and royal fare, I had everything I needed for the Princess Party.

PrincessSpaPartyChecklist#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

Download Your Princess Spa Party Checklist PDF | Google Doc

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FORMULATE

Just look at how cute these invitations are from American Greetings line called DesignWare? They even include the thank you notes, too, so must love a twofer!

Invitations#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop

I couldn’t get over how cute the decor options that were available including everything you need for a party like napkins, plates, utensils, balloons, tablecloths and SO much more like chandeliers, window decor and even beautiful princesses to bring the table, floors, and walls to life!

AGDesignWare#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

 

Decor#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#ShopAnd of course, a Sleeping Beauty Party wouldn’t be complete without a Sleeping Beauty dress for my gal! All the girls were also invited to wear their favorite princess dresses, but just in case, we also had a little dress up corner if any of the girls felt the need for a dress change (and like many girls at a special event, they did!)

DressUp#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

FUN

With the invitations, decor and the dress out of the way, I was ready to put together the plan for the evening’s activities. In addition to watching the movie (many of the girls had never seen it) and the refreshments, we had some spa fun to be had. The biggest goal of the evening was to emphasize that every girl was beautiful, so we made use of a mirror and using Crayola Window Markers (also purchased at Walmart), I wrote “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…” and made sure each little girl knew how beautiful she was with positive reinforcement from everyone. It was such a great way to get the evening started so they felt good about themselves!

MirrorMirror#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

The two-hour party was broken into stations:

  1. Glass Slipper Pedicure with Cinderella’s Pumpkin Foot Scrub, Happily Ever After Lotion and Sparkle Polish (part of the favor bag.)
  2. Fairest of All Facial with Snow White’s Apple Scrub, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) Lipgloss (part of the favor bag)
  3. Be the Belle of the Ball with Belle’s Up-dos along with tiaras and magic wands
  4. Jasmine’s Jewels with the rest of the favor bags available for the girls to pick up their DesignWare necklaces, rings, etc. for their favor bags

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Glass Slipper Pedicure

For this station, I purchased travel scrubbies, towels, dish buckets, sparkle polish and lotion I found ironically named “Happily Ever After.”

Pedicure#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

I also whipped up this super easy Cinderella’s Pumpkin Foot Scrub sure to make any foot soft and smooth enough to slide into any shoe!

 CinderellaPumpkinFootScrub#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

Print
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Cinderella’s All-Natural Pumpkin Foot Scrub for Princess Spa Party


Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E oil

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients together for a foot scrub sure to make any foot soft and smooth enough to slide into any shoe!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @mamachallenge on Instagram and hashtag it #mamachallenge

Fairest of All Facial 

Combining a little Snow White & Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, we did a little fun to put their best face forward!  First we applied the apple facial, then the girls were asked to lay down while we laid cucumbers over their eyelids for effect (which they loved and took off in 1-2 minutes), and we rubbed their arms with apple lotion while they relaxed watching the movie.  After 10 minutes, each princess facial was removed with a warm washcloth. Then each girl selected their own lip gloss for application and then put it in her favor bag to take home!

SnowWhiteFacial#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop

Be the Belle of the Ball Hair Station

All princesses have beautiful hair already, but we just added a little something extra shiny to make the girls stand out with tiaras and sparkle spray! Since it was Halloween it was easy to find sparkles spray and a run through the favor aisle and for under $1 a piece, each girl had her own tiara and wand! We did add some curls, braids and clips to make each of their dos complete, but we opted not to use any brushes to avoid hair issues like tangles or worse!

Tiaras#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop

Jasmine’s Jewels 

No princess look would be complete without jewels! Taking a cue from Jasmine, each girl was able to select her own bag of jewels from DesignWare to wear for the evening or keep for later princess adventures!

Jewels#Disneybeauties#Cbias#Shop

FOOD

Since this was an evening of royal treatment, I couldn’t forget the princess touches on dinner! Everything took about 5 minutes to complete, so this dinner was easier than the one I make for my family on most nights!

PrincessTable#DisneyBeauties#cbias#shop

Princess Spa Party Dinner Menu: 

  • Princess Sandwiches made with bread, cheese, turkey and cut with a princess tiara cookie cutter!
  • Princess Wands made by skewering grapes to a kabob/dowel rod and adding a star-shaped pineapple slice from a horizontally-sliced fresh pineapple.
  • Disney Princess Fruit snacks I found at Walmart in the fruit snack aisle!
  • Princess Pink Cupcakes spotted at the Walmart bakery and added a bag of silver favor rings found in the party section for $1!
  • Princess Juice discovered on the water/juice aisle at Walmart with tops so there were no spills as the girls traveled to each station.

Food#DisneyBeauties#cbias#shop

When the night was over at just about bedtime, we were all sad to see the fairy tale come to an end! But all princesses need their beauty sleep, so each left with their bag of jewels, tiara and wonderful memories of the evening with her princess friends!


Princess#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#Shop

 

Go Under the Sea with The Little Mermaid Birthday Party Ideas

August 28, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 29 Comments

Affiliate links have been included.

Birthdays are a big deal at our house (at least when you’re little!)

Pinterest


So when my little princess announced several weeks in advance she wanted to “Go Under the Sea” with a Little Mermaid themed birthday party, I knew we couldn’t disappoint – even if it was August.

While I normally love putting our parties together, with everything else happening, we had to whip something together quickly!

She seemed quite happy with her party when she saw it, so I thought we’d share how we put this party together with just a little bit of planning.

INVITE: 

While there are plenty of adorable customizable invites for The Little Mermaid available, there’s something to be said for a FREE emailed invite that also keeps up with RSVPs and will remind your guests when you forget that the party is happening a few days! Heck, you can even thank them with a few clicks, so that’s why I am a huge fan of Punchbowl for their designs. I started using them for our son’s Frozen inspired birthday and fell in instant love. Did I mention these are free? No brainer!

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DRESS:

A little princess has to have the right outfit for her party, so this Ariel swim suit was perfect…and so were the accessories including her crown and sunglasses.

Taylor

DECOR:

What makes an outdoor party in the middle of the summer look like we’re under the sea? It’s all about the decor! From Little Mermaid Table Decorating Kit to Ariel party plates, a little blue and shells made everything feel like we were hanging with Scuttle and Sebastian.  We also used crepe paper on the fence to look like algae.

Table

FOOD:

The food is always my favorite part of a party! However, we didn’t go too crazy to complete the theme; we just added a few fun touches to step it up from a normal backyard party. The only item I didn’t get to make was lobster rolls (AKA Sebastian Sandwiches!)

Seashell Sand Dollar and Starfish Cupcake Rings

Store bought cupcakes and put these rings on top right before we blew out the candles!

Cupcakes

Octopus Hummus Dip

octopus

Sand Dollar Cookies

(Just use sugar cookies with slivered almonds on top of flaxseed!)

cookies

ENTERTAINMENT:

The rest of the yard was completely full of every water feature I could find – from the a Slip n Slide, Sprayer and a little wade pool. And by playing The Little Mermaid Soundtrack was an important part of creating the experience for the kids.

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After hours of water fun and food, I wanted the kids to calm down from all the fun as the sun went down. However, I didn’t want all those wet bodies in my house, especially for the other 25 people at the party. I needed a movie OUTDOORS! A little Google time later, I found Starlight Productions, a turnkey outdoor movie company that does everything for you to make movie magic happen outside. They arrived with a truck, completed set up while the kids played around them and even played some fun music for the kids to keep the party going!

Movies

Then once the sun went down, the kids took to their quilts, we passed out the popcorn and glowsticks while “The Little Mermaid” began! The kids were totally taken and the parents were able to watch a movie without worrying if their kiddo was too loud or needed to go the bathroom! Everyone was happy as they went “under the sea” with Ariel, Eric and “the mean witch” Ursula. Everything was so perfect and I didn’t have to do anything! I’ll totally be using Starlight Productions for another party this fall like maybe a Halloween horror movie marathon for my birthday!

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For more Under the Sea ideas, check out my BIRTHDAY PINTEREST BOARD! 

Follow Autumn Reo {mamachallenge.com}’s board HOLIDAYS: Birthday Ideas on Pinterest.

Frozen Birthday Party Ideas for Boys

July 8, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

Whether you have an Anna, Elsa, Sven or Olaf, we have the coolest ideas for your Frozen Birthday Party. affiliate-links

“Let it Go” is always the theme for our birthday parties!

I love the whole production from concept to thank you notes and my son has now gotten in the act with me.

Last year was pretty hard to beat when two weeks after we returned from the most amazing trip to Disney World to hand deliver an invite, he “returned” to see us in Texas for a fun Mickey Mouse birthday experience where he joined in all the fun.


Snow-Frozen-Birthday

So when Jackson announced this year’s challenge was actually a Frozen-inspired boy party, I knew I had my work cut out for me. So we’re sharing our Frozen birthday party ideas here (and on a budget!)
 
Frozen-Birthday-for-A-Boy
 
My first plan of action included having snow at the front lawn and an appearance by Sven for a little reindeer petting opportunity. Unfortunately the $850 for the snow delivery to the house and $200/hr for the reindeer wasn’t in the budget. While a sad mama that I couldn’t make the coolest party ever happen, I still had hopes that we could create a little bit of Arendelle without breaking the bank!

The Invite

While there so many cute Invites available for a Frozen birthday, I opted for using a free emailed invite that could also keep track of RSVPs. 
 
 
After the party, I quickly uploaded photos from my iPhone to my local photo shop and within a few hours a cute Thank You with photos from the party and used the back to have Jackson write his name.

The Decor

Using some large appliance boxes, I freehanded a few snowflakes to hang on our fence to give it a little ambience. A very sweet set of friends cut them out for me and then we spray painted them white to hang on our fence with zip ties.
Cost of project:  $2 for six of snowflakes! 
 
Frozen-Birthday-Snowflakes
 
We also blew up tons of white balloons to float on the ground to give the kids the illusion of snow. Also with a piece of blue material I was able to make it look like a lake in the middle of the concrete.

At the entrance of the driveway we made white snowflakes, taped them to dowel rods and placed them up to the entrance of our own little “Arendelle.” 

We also purchased  Snowflakes Dessert Plates, tablecloths and napkins  as well as this cute Olaf the Snowman Balloon  (that I accidentally over aired and popped so that’s why he is on the wall!) Apparently you can’t get this Olaf balloon hardly anywhere so I highly suggest ordering it early!  

The Fun 

For the feature part of our entertainment, we invited to Kona Ice to the party for a little snowcone fun for 30 minutes. The colorful van pulled up with a friendly driver and music, handed out shaved ice and then each of the kids could make their own flavor. The driver also let my kiddo jump in the truck to check things out and take a photo! It was super easy to book by just connecting on their website. 
 
 
We also created stations for the kids to have fun before and after the snowcones.
 
Let it Snow:
 
Through lots of research, we found a great product called Insta-Snow that when added to water made eight gallons of snow. When the kids found out how much it felt like snow, they went crazy – including making snow angels. (The only warning I have to add is when too much water gets added, it gets very slick and messy, but they LOVED IT!)  
 
Frozen-Birthday-Snow

Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Activity Table:
Using the fantastic download from HappyMoneySaver.com, I was able to print out these wonderful labels and bundle up our own activity packages.

Frozen-Party-Favors
 
Find Your Ice Treasure:
 
Probably one of the easiest activities ever, I purchased these inexpensive Frozen Cupcake Rings and froze them in a round ice tray like this. During the party we placed them in the bowl and the kids were able to pick one, melt it in their hands and then get a ring! (Of course, there was lots of trading, so it was lots of fun!)
 
Frozen-Ice-Rings

The Food

Cupcakes:
 
To make things easier for distribution, I always like using cupcakes! Since I didn’t want to use a premade cake at the store, I asked my neighborhood Tom Thumb to recreate and they did!
 
Frozen-Cupcakes
 
Other Snacks:
 
For other fare at the party, I decided to go light since it was a morning event and we already had snowcones for the entertainment. We made “ice” with sugar, used powered donut holes to be our “snowballs,” and these cute string cheese snowmen.
 
 
 
 
And for drink refreshments?
 
Sparkling Ice for the adults & Bottled water with “melted snow” labels laced with a little bit of spray snow for effect.
 
And let’s not forget the Wet Ones that were used to clean up all the mess from marshmallows, cupcakes, snowcones and of course, the snow!
 
Elsa-Frozen-Birthday-Party

Don’t miss these #MamaChallenge Birthday Moments 

Best-Mickey-Mouse-Birthday
 
Disney Brunch Party
 
SleepingBeautySpaParty#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop
 
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HOTDOG! Mega Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan

July 17, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 45 Comments

Every child usually requests at least one Mickey Mouse birthday. So we’re sharing our Mega Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan for a real HOTDOG time! disclaimer-links

I don’t pretend to be a crafty woman. I wish I was. However, I’m one heck of pinner and can find pretty much anything on Pinterest. Especially party ideas.

So as we approached two monumental birthdays for my kiddos, with my daughter turning 2 in August and my son turning 5 in June, planning began by February 1. However, when my son was granted his wish to go to Disney World from A Wish With Wings, everything became Mickey Mouse. I mean everything. So of course, so did the birthday party.

Best-Mickey-Mouse-Birthday

Thankfully, with just a little help from some lovely bloggers on Pinterest & Etsy, some Amazon purchases, a  local party rentals and 1 lovely neighbor who happened to have some leftover Mickey Mouse decor, we had a party to make Walt Disney proud – or at least make my little ones excited!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan

Since the party was at 10 AM, we had a lot to put up and get up early that morning. So to keep all the details in check, I took a template from Vertex42 and reformatted it to my own needs! Feel free to use this Mickey Mouse Birthday Plan downloadable as a PDF or in Google Docs for a plan to manage everything from invitations to day-of birthday deliveries, pickups and must-dos. 
 
Mickey Mouse Birthday Plan
 
PDF // Google Docs // My Actual Completed Version

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Invites


Oh Etsy, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…Thanks to MyCelebrationShoppe, I had these adorable invites made!

TaylorMickeyMouse

Then using the following graphic and downloading a similar Disney font I downloaded online, I addressed the invitations.

 

Mickey_Mouse_head_and_ears

Best of call, since we had the invited printed before our trip to Disney, Jackson was able to personally give his invitation to Mickey Mouse at Disney World during his wish trip. It was such a precious opportunity!

Jackson & Mickey

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Look

Like any good mama going to Disney, I had personalized clothes made for my kids. We then repurposed them for their birthday outfits! Adorable and affordable from ThePolkaDotLollipop (she was amazing, quick and so easy to work with!)

 

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Decor

As I mentioned I had a neighbor who had balloons, a Mickey cardboard standout, and some banners to start with, so I was already in good business.

But mama never stops at that.

I then ordered the essentials – plates, napkins, tablecloths, including this little polka dot one, and even a photo backdrop to stick up on the fence to welcome families when they arrived at the party. 

Borrowing an idea from the Mickey Mouse Playhouse attraction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, we added a balloon drop to pull after signing “Happy Birthday.” I mean, who doesn’t love balloons? And it’s was less than $12.

balloons

So I wasn’t selling out completely, Jackson and I spent an afternoon making a Mickey centerpiece for the refreshment table from a post I had found from The Simple Life using styrofoam, a terra cotta pot, a dowel rod and spray paint.

mm

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Food

My favorite part of the party is always the food! We we made it easy serving hotdogs of course (Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!) and chips along with lots of snacks!

Since we always do AM birthday parties (key to a successful party when you have littles), we needed a little something healthy, my grandparents sent over this adorable Edible Arrangements (perfect!)

Ediblearrangementdisney

At this age cupcakes are a mandatory since cake + 2 year-olds just makes a big, sticky mess on me.  Just purchasing cupcakes from our neighborhood market, we put cute Mickey Mouse toppers and then this adorable cupcake stand from Wilson. 

I tried to make our drinks easy, but it actually took a little tracking down. Langers actually let me know where to find these Mickey Mouse apple juice pouches, so I bought around five cases just to make sure I didn’t run out!

Mickey-Mouse-Juice

But I had to do one more thing when I came across some photos of some cute cake pops and cupcakes featuring Oreo cookies for Mickey Mouse ears. While I found several different versions of how to do them Mickey Mouse Oreo Cookies on a Stick, I ended up with my own shortcut version. But, let’s face it, if I can do it, anyone can! 

Mickey-Mouse-Oreo-Cookies 

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Games and Fun 

On to the fun! Since bounce houses are the way to go with kiddos at this age, we were able to find a everything Mickey Mouse 5-in-1 combo playhouse for a great price from a local bounce house company in Fort Worth. They did everything from set up to breakdown. We kept it dry while the party was happening, but afterwards I let the kids go crazy when we hooked up the hose to slide for a little water action! 

bouncehousephoto
 
But the real entertainment of the part was a special visit from Mickey Mouse himself! A sweet invitation from Jackson (and a call to It’s a Party Today) made sure Mickey was available to come by for a special birthday treat! After the party had started, Mickey showed up with his own DJ to play fun birthday games and music to get the whole party going for around an hour. He even stayed for birthday cake, photos and passed out restaurant gift cards to the kiddos! We had a blast with Mickey and his friend and the kids couldn’t get enough of him either! (Even if you aren’t doing Mickey Mouse, don’t worry, they do a little bit of everything!) 
 Mickey-Mouse-Birthday

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Favors

What’s a Mickey Mouse party without ears? Unfortunately, most the ones I found rather expensive ($5 at least a pair.) Thankfully I found an international online company called AliExpress.com that was able to send me a package of 30 Mickey and Minnie ears with bows for less than $1 a pair! While I had to order these well in advance of the party (two months), they sent them over in no time and with no issues. 
 
Disney-Side-Mickey-Baby-MamaChallenge
  
The whole party was so much fun and we are so thankful to everyone who came to celebrate! 
 
You can find more Mickey Mouse party ideas on my Pinterest page. 

Follow mamachallenge.com’s board All Things Disney on Pinterest.

 Don’t miss these #mamachallenge birthday plans: 

Disney Brunch Party
 
SleepingBeautySpaParty#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop
 
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Birthday Party Toolkit
 
 
 
 

When Your Little Baby Turns into a Big Boy (Happy Birthday Jackson!)

June 19, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

Wow Mom Wednesday:

I would be remiss not to discuss probably the most life-changing moment in my life – the birth of my son – on his five-year-old birthday. 


It’s a huge milestone for our family, especially when we have had the reality that he might not have made it to this point five years ago. But thank goodness we have arrived at this moment and he is here in all his glory (including his new freckles courtesy of his mother.) 

And while there are some cool moments I’ve been able to have in my 30+ years pre-children, it’s is the unexpected, overwhelming joy my children has given me that continues to remind me what is important. 



See, I wasn’t one of those gals that even wanted kids. I was the girl that scowled when she had a kid bang the back of her seat on a plane and now of course, I’m the mom with the kid kicking the seat. I hated loud kids in restaurants. And messes, I deplored them. 

Now you know why I really named my blog “Mama Challenge,” right? 

Oh how things have changed. But for the better. (Although I still don’t like messes, loud kids or kicking your seat, but be reassured I have drink money ready to give you if you sit in front of us on the plane.) 

So while I can still think of the life I was going to lead, it doesn’t raise a candle to what my son cotinues to teach me everyday. From how to treat people, the importance of birthday parties, artistic masterpieces and even some Spanish, my kiddo is so awesome. 

And I thought as the parent I was going to be the teacher… (Crazy girl.) 


Recently on one of our little adventures together (even going to the grocery store is an adventure for the two of us), I couldn’t make a choice about a purchase. 

“Jackson, which one should we get?” I asked my son. 

He gently leaned over in the cart, grasped both side of my face sweetly and slowly said, “Mama, just trust me.” And then he gave me a kiss. 


All I can say whomever marries this boy is going to be the second most luckiest woman in the world. 

Happy Birthday, Jackson Benham Reo! 


How We Survived Our Angry Birds Birthday Party!

June 23, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

My now four-year old was very specific after his Thomas the Tank Engine 3rd Birthday party (complete with a full-size train), that he now wanted an Angry Birds Birthday Party. Not really much of a fan of the online craze, the search was on to figure out what an “Angry Birds Birthday” was going to be.

Thank goodness, of course, for Pinterest and many other much-more creative moms that had already “been there, done that” and the posted it online for the rest of us. While I wish I could take credit a lot of the great ideas included here, I was able to pull the best of the best Angry Birds Birthday ideas all into one, and with the help of some very creative and very generous family members, it all came together beautifully.

Disclaimer: I was provided samples of Red Jacket Juice and Sunridge Farms for purposes of a review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.


Meet this Mama: Autumn Rose Reo

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I can’t believe these are my people…my people I can’t believe these are my people…my people are supposed to be toddlers with Thomas the Train and Disney Princess backpacks! 

Goodbye 11th and 7th grade!
🚨 ACT NOW: Keep Public $$$ in Public Schools! 🚨

Click Here (takes less than one minute): 
https://www.txpta.org/take-action

Tomorrow, March 11, the Texas House Committee on Public Education will hear HB 3. Let’s make it clear: Public money demands public accountability!

Texans have rejected vouchers since 1957—yet lawmakers are once again pushing them through with SB 2 and HB 3.

💰 Vouchers drain public school resources.
📉 They don’t improve student achievement.
❌ They aren’t about "parent choice"—private schools choose their students.
🏫 Texas parents already have school choice.

Governor Abbott is making vouchers a priority, but Texans are pushing back. Lawmakers are feeling the heat from voters who refuse to let public schools be undermined.

📲 Take 1 minute to make your voice heard NOW!

📷Jackson and Taylor are 2 of the 5.5 million reasons why Texas must keep public dollars in public schools. I was a product of public schools and had an amazing experience in a rural community with some of the best teachers. Change needs to happen, but taking away resources like these from schools is not especially when they ste already underfunded and our teachers’ morale is at an all time low. Communities work better together not when you separate them further apart. 

#studentsrworthit
#txptarally25
❣️…Pressing pause (for while)… Forgot wha ❣️…Pressing pause (for while)…

Forgot what it feels like to RELAX? The Sanford House Inn & Spa is ready to help you “Leave Your Worries Behind” with packages to treat yourself (or someone else) this Valentine’s Day! 

You “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with multiple options including a Hot-Stone Massage, Facials, Spa Manicure + Pedicure, Blowouts, Foot Reflexology and even lunch (with wine!

Just take a look at my face - I was able to “turn it off” (for a little while) and when I left my dry winter skin was just glowing - plus I learned how to make it stay that way from my very  knowledgeable esthetician! 

If you haven’t tried this gem in the middle of Arlington, you’re missing out! The Spa is just part of experience with its 12-room Inn and acclaimed 506 Restaurant (don’t sleep on the brunch), @thesanfordhouse is your little piece of heaven in the middle of downtown!

Think it’s only a little dream? It will be if you don’t make an appointment or nudge your loved one this is what you NEED for Valentine’s Day! (But don’t worry you can still get a great experience anytime!)

Link is in my stories for full list of Valentine’s Day packages! 

📍506 N. Center Street, Arlington, Texas
(Less than 1 mile from @attstadium)

#valentines #dfw #ArlingtonTx #sanfordhouse
Texas Bucket List ✔️= Johnson City Lights Thi Texas Bucket List ✔️= Johnson City Lights

This is the last weekend of the “Christmas lights you can see from space” from the twinkliest town in Texas, @visitjctx!

You have until Sunday…and while you’re there you should hit up @halterranchtx, my other new favorite.

#gofredtx #fredericksburgtx @visitfredtx @visitfredericksburgtx
FLASH GIVEAWAY: Just because Santa’s left the st FLASH GIVEAWAY: Just because Santa’s left the station doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate a Classic Christmas (and we have the keys!)

@ClassicChristmas has been extended until Sunday, Jan. 5, so if you haven’t been enjoy this VIP experience with ice skating and snow tubing! 

Giveaway includes 4 Tickets to Classic Christmas + 4 Premium pass upgrades plus: 
🎟️ Exclusive Express Lane entry to popular activities 
🎟️ $10 merch credit at the Classic Christmas Gift Shop  
🎟️ Coca-Cola Beverage

To enter:   
⭐️ Like this post  
⭐️ Comment what’s your favorite Christmas song 
⭐️ Tag a friend who would love the chance to come
⭐️ Share this story as an extra chance to win!

The giveaway is open now through December 30 at 11:59 pm and you’ll have December 31 - January 5, 2025 to enjoy the fun! Winner will be contacted by DM so profile must be public.  (Giveaway is not associate with Instagram/META.) 

#classicchristmas #cocacola #Arlingtontx #ArlingtonTexas #cocacola @enchantdallas #dfw #dfwevents #mamachallenge #dfwinfluencer #dallasinfluencer
WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW // Trinity Falls Tour of WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW // Trinity Falls Tour of Trees

 🎄 Tour of Trees at Trinity Falls in McKinney
 🗓️ Now through Dec. 15 (so hurry up!) 

Know what’s better than touring homes? Touring homes with beautifully decorated Christmas trees! 

@trinityfallstx has brought both worlds together by inviting the public to explore their model homes with professionally- styled trees by @absholidaydecor at the 5th Annual Tour of Trees. While you marvel at the homes and the trees, take your photos in front of the trees for a chance to win $500 Amazon gift card.  

TIP: Don’t miss the tree collaboration with #RHOD @dandrasimmons - it’s “beeutiful!” 🐝 

This event is FREE, but registration is required. (Link is in stories or DM “Tree” for the link.)

 #touroftrees #trinityfalls #trinityfallstx #mckinney #mckinneytx #mckinneytexas
WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS - Dallas Zoo WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS - Dallas Zoo Lights

🌲 Dallas Zoo
🗓️ Now - January 4 

Wonder what the @dallaszoo is like after dark? Once Upon a Wild Light comes alive with more than two million lights, 5:30 pm - 9 pm each night through January (so you can do this one with your family during the holiday break!) 

While many of the animals sleep, DinoLumia and DinoVision: a Jurassic adventure comes out to play, along with tons of holiday light photo opps and winter fun experiences. Enjoy catching up through self-guided, self-paced walk-through and spend time together while taking photos, which is ideal if you don’t like the holiday overload! And don’t sleep on Santa here, as he has a certain twinkle in his eye the kids always seem to like to catch up with (mom was even able to get a shot.) 

And for the even bigger kids over 21, Dallas Zoo: After Dark, goes wild on Thursday, Dec. 12, 6-9 PM with eats, treats and holiday drinks,live music, and games and other ways to get you in the holiday spirit! 

 @DallasZoo @ReliantEnergy #dallas #dallasholiday #dfwevents #dallaszoolights #holidays #zoo #dallastexas #mamachallenge
WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS // Classic Ch WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS // Classic Christmas 

🌲 Coca Cola Classic Christmas - Choctaw Stadium in Arlington  
🗓️ Now through Dec. 29

Growing up @cocacola made the holidays magic, so when Coca Cola Classic rolled down the road, we had to go peek! Partnering with @enchantchristmas, the experience is part lights, part photo opps and for my kids mostly FOOD and overall a lot of fun - all washed down with (of course, a Coca Cola!) 

What was also great was a little walk through memory lane with Coke Christmas moments throughout the years - cue the polar bears and 18 wheeler!

Experience: 
🎅Market Square (definitely hit up the t-shirts - reading each one is half the fun)
🎅 Snow Tubing (always our favorite)Ice Skating (truth: we don’t skate, but it’s perfect people watching) 
🎅 Interactive Light up Dance Floor
🎅 @cinemark Theatre with holiday movies 
🎅 Coca-Cola Lounge - 21+ Cocktail experience (looked great to go with the girls)
🎅 Santa Landing

And of course, the Eatery! Eyes (and mouths) got big here with featured food from State Fair of Tex winners like The Drowning Tacos (SO GOOD we then ordered the Birria Tacos, too all cooked onsite and with all the sauce!) 

It’s the real thing!

#ClassicChristmas #ChoctawStadium #ArlingtonTx #CocaCola #Dallas #DFWEvents #DFWHoliday #DFWInfluencers
WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS // Prairie Li WHERE TO CHRISTMAS IN DFW WITH TEENS // Prairie Lights

🎄 Prairie Lights, Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie 
🗓️ Now through Dec. 31 (NYE) at 6 pm 

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without @prairielights- with a packed car with blankets, Santa hats, hot cocoa and coffee, and blasting holiday music while we sing them even louder.  

A stunning two-mile drive through light park complete with a midway stop - The Holiday Village with carnival rides, amazing bites (corndogs, funnel cakes and more, oh my!) And this year we were surprised with a new light tunnel, reimagined walk-through forest and new displays, great photo opps, gifts, visit with Santa, a lighted strollable forest.  It’s perfectly timed for food, fun and a little time on foot! 

PRO TIP: Go early, get tickets in advance and spring for the fast pass on the weekends and prime holiday times. And enjoy it and don’t try to rush it - enjoy it! That includes entry and the experience (so bathroom before you go, but thankfully there’s one at The Holiday Village and you get the corn dog.) 

#GoGrandGP @grandfungp #GrandFunGP #dfwinfluencer #Dallas #grandprairie #prairielights #dfw
Mariah may be singing “it’s time,” but there Mariah may be singing “it’s time,” but there are still some ways to give a little love to Thanksgiving with a little DIY (hello old pumpkins!) from Mama Challenge! 

So excited to see my friends over at Good Day Fox 4 today for this fun segment!
Peardon My Reach - this one’s on repeat. 🍐 # Peardon My Reach - this one’s on repeat. 🍐 
#nationalcoffeeday 

#cinncinati #kentucky #newport #coffee #fall
Arlington makes Taco Tuesday even better by celebr Arlington makes Taco Tuesday even better by celebrating all month long with its #SaveTheTacos campaign, now - September 30.

Try and vote for “Best Taco in Arlington” from 12 participants:

🌮 Fiesta Fusion Shrimp Taco at Boiling Tails Co.

🌮 The Hunter Taco at Cut & Bourbon

🌮 El Jefe at Grounds and Gold
 
🌮 Jamaican Me Crazy at M’Jays House of Smoke

🌮 Champiqueso at Papaya Mexican Grill

🌮 What the Falafel at Prince Lebanese Grill

🌮 He’s Just a Po Boy at R Bar and Grill 

🌮 Celestial Pork Belly Taco at Rocketbelly
 
🌮 House Special Barbacoa at Tic-Taco
 
🌮 The Chicken of Wall “Street” at TJ’s Catfish & Wings & BBQ

🌮 Baja Shrimp Taco with Mango Salsa at Tom’s Burgers & Grill
 
🌮 Wanna Taco ‘Bout It at Zack’s Bistro

We can tell you which one is our favorite, but take away all the fun to find your favorite! 

(Link to Vote in Stories!)

#ArlingtonTX #TacoTuesday #SavetheTacos
Always great to see a few guys who work together l Always great to see a few guys who work together like each other, too.

It’s even better when they’re Texas Rangers and  we’re celebrating Hall of Famer Adrían Beltré!
And just like that…11th grade and 7th grade (and And just like that…11th grade and 7th grade (and then they drove off!)
Follow the “red light” to this one-of-a-kind e Follow the “red light” to this one-of-a-kind experience in DFW. 🚨 

Named after Bangkok’s legendary road of entertainment of all kinds (Sukhumvit Soi 11), it seems fitting this newly imagined destination would find its home in Arlington’s Entertainment District. Anchoring the NEW @loewsarlington, @soycowboytx (also from @bbbutchers / @berghospitality) recently swung open the curtain this summer with an opening that made heads turn at every corner of this 12,000 sq. ft. of sexy space - with 3 unique bars, patio, viewable kitchen and dining room. 

To call it a “Pan Asian restaurant” doesn’t do it justice with its rich menu of fresh sushi, dim sum, caviar, truffle, lobster, waygu (all things you don’t find in the home of the margarita machine and ballpark nachos.) And if you’re looking for entertainment, just take a peek into the expansive kitchen and watch your rolls or omakase be made. The cocktail menu is just as extravagant with everything from mezcal to Japanese whisky, you’re eyes will be just as happy as your lips upon your first sip. 

While we experienced live music, fashion show and more as part of the opening, the cool smoke installation and the people-watching is definitely just part of the menu at Soy Cowboy you’ll have to explore. 

Food Nerd Note: SoyCowboy is on the upcoming @dfwrestaurantweek menu for just $39, so it’s a steal to take your own trip on a budget. (Make your reservation.)

Chon mean (or what we hope is Cheers in in Thai!)
NEWS ALERT: Dallas Food Nerd is now on TV! 📺 ( NEWS ALERT: Dallas Food Nerd is now on TV! 📺 
(Well today at least.)

Normally we’re always behind the smartphone camera, today we stepped out in front of the TV screen! The lovely folks at the new morning show Morning on Merit Street @morningonmeritstreet invited DFN for a little “roundtable” discussion about dining trends with our own Food Nerd @autumnreo / @mamachallenge and Bill Trevino of @craftandvinerestaurant CraftandVine along with hosts @dominiquesachse and @fanchonstinger for a little dishin’ on dining!

(If you’re able to take a look online, keep watching to see our new friend Pearl 🐶 and friends from @sweetpearlsicecream share their incredibly sweet story with @hungreehannah!) 

✔️ And just like we shared on the show, we want to know what you think! What do you think about Table Limits on reservations? Yes restaurants should have them or no way?
Round #2: Now he’s off for CIT at YMCA Camp Grad Round #2: Now he’s off for CIT at YMCA Camp Grady Spruce! It’s hard to separate them, but we’re excited he’s so happy to be ready for this adventure!
July 4th kicked a week early! 🎆 Love when the n July 4th kicked a week early! 🎆 Love when the neighborhood shines!
Left my heart at PK! It’s Jackson’s last year Left my heart at PK! It’s Jackson’s last year as a camper at YMCA Camp Grady Spruce and his birthday this week! His view: right center with Hell’s Gate. These are the memories!
Today was a “Good Day in Arlington!” with the Today was a “Good Day in Arlington!” with the Topping Off of One Rangers Way! Nice to be able to put our mark on it! Great job to The Cordish Companies team and Texas Rangers! 

If you want to be in the middle of everything - this is the place!
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