A little luau love

Our luau-themed birthday celebrations this week (yes, we had two) were a smash, and I'll be the first to admit that when planning the parties I was sorely tempted by the vast amount of luau-themed party decorations and favors I saw.

Ultimately, I reigned things in and kept things to a $12 bill and not a lot of waste. How did I manage?

• $4 went toward a tablecloth that will get plenty of use and will be easier to clean up after the kids (until it gets destroyed - possibly sooner than later, given the number of fork marks stabbed into it by a restless preschooler.)
• $4 went for freezer cups for the kids to keep their drinks cool at the neighbor celebration. It was fun for them, and we didn't have the waste or hassle of giveaway bags that way.
• $4 went to leis, the one extravagance, which I admittely overbought.

By breaking the party to a friend party and a neighbor party, we didn't have to rely as heavily on paper plates and cups, which we already had on hand.

The rest of the party decor came from two sources: my office, where a package of unused tabletop pineapples faced the fate of a dumpster during a recent storeroom cleanup, and a scrapbook store my mother frequents, which recently had a tropical-themed crop.

The decorations are fun, but after a week of the tropics, this Midwestern home needs a purge. But I hate the idea of throwing decorations away if I can find them a good home.

So here's the deal: We still have two more months of summer, plenty of time for a celebration or two. So, whether you want a Polynesian-themed party or just pineapples for your preschool class, I have decorations and some leftover leis up for grabs.


All you need to do to enter the giveaway is add your name to the comments section of this post, and tell me what you'd like to read more about on this blog.

The contest ends July 15, at 11:59 p.m. EST, and I'll announce the winner later that week.

The contest is over! Congratulations to Lisa Sharp. E-mail your mailing address to me at goinggreenmama at gmail so that you can collect your prize.

Thanks to all of you who entered and provided feedback on the site.