Frozen Outdoor Movie Party : Frozen Birthday Party Ideas

Disney’s Frozen is still reigning as a giant with it’s legions of pint-sized fans.  Costumes are sold out.  Good luck finding the toys.  Luck is exactly what you’ll need, unless you want to pay an arm and a leg.  There is no end in sight to the fervor for famous sisters, Anna and Elsa.  That fervor very much includes Tate, who knew without a doubt, what kind of party she’d choose for her third birthday.

So, uh, tell me.  What made the queen go all ice crazy?  --Kristoff, Frozen

Not only did she want a Frozen party, Miss Stephanie would make her an Anna + Elsa cake, and she wanted an ice castle too.  Which was charming considering it is July.  I’m no Elsa, as Tate pointed out, when I tried to explain the fact that it wasn’t winter. 

Duh, there would be an ice castle.   Elsa would just make it with her ice magic.

I’m gonna tell him!

Don’t you dare!  --Anna and Kristoff, Frozen

MOST importantly, above all else, she wanted an Elsa dress.  The dress that was sold out everywhere.  Because, of course.

 

Tate didn’t doubt it for a moment.  Like icy magic, it came together exactly as she said it would. 

DIY Elsa Dress

Wow. Elsa, you look different. It's a good different. And this place...it's amazing.  -- Anna, Frozen

By DIY, I mean, I am convinced that my mother-in-law is secretly a fairy godmother because this dress is spectacular.  {She also did Tate’s Tinkerbell caplet for Halloween last year.}   Sue listened to my crazy ideas, had a couple top secret fittings with her very impatient Elsa-adoring granddaughter, and gave her the best gift ever.  She wears her Elsa dress daily, you can see why.  The dress snaps on to her bodysuit which is washable. Grandma even thought to sew a bit of extra length into it so as she gets taller, the dress will grow with her.

 

 

Elsa’s Ice Castle

The cold never bothered me anyway.  --Elsa, Frozen

When I was laughing and telling my husband about the fact that she requested an ice castle, her brother suggested using a tent.  It was a stroke of sheer genius and we already owned it.  The canopy came with sides that we have never used.  They were easy to attach, so we put three sides up and made it our official Elsa’s Ice Castle concessions.  We added some icicle Christmas lights and borrowed some hanging snowflakes from my mom’s Christmas decorations and threw in an Elsa chandelier for good measure.  I made a few Arendelle-esque banners tied together with glittery, sparkly tulle. 

Note to self: Glitter never goes away.  Ever.

 

   

  

Frozen Movie Menu

We finish each other’s…

Sandwiches!

That’s what I was gonna say!  -- Hans & Anna, Frozen

First up, the cake!  Stephanie at SugarBean created this cute masterpiece.  She melted down purple and blue jolly ranchers to make shards of ‘ice’ and she had a special surprise waiting on the inside!

 

SugarBean also created these cute Frozen themed cookies that were a HUGE hit with the kids.  There might have been some rock, paper, scissors over who got the last Olaf.

I made these Sven Chocolate Covered Oreo Pops and had summer Olaf taped to mini twirly suckers!  We threw in some of Sven’s favorite snacks, carrots cut up with ranch dip and a spicy nacho dip with chips to counteract the sugar overload.  We also had tons of popcorn and some pink Goldfish crackers because they are a favorite of the birthday girl.

 

 

My intention was to color the lemonade an icy blue with a packet of blue Kool-aid and I completely forgot to add it!

 

Dave’s aunt brought this adorable Anna piñata from Austin when she came up this summer.  It was as tall as Tate and so cute we couldn’t bring ourselves to break it!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tate!

Some people are worth melting for.  --Olaf, Frozen

After gift opening and cake, the kids {and some of the adults} chose glittery necklaces and princess crowns.  Then everyone hit the concessions for popcorn and movie treats.   

The main event was the outdoor screening of Frozen and the kids loved it.  We had our usual movie night set up with blow up air mattresses, blankets, pillows and tons of chairs.  The screen is just a white sheet hung on the fence, but the kids just think it’s magical every time we have an outdoor movie.  There was a lot of singing and laughing… and quite a bit of cheering when Anna punched Hans.

A pretty good birthday, she tells me.

 

There are a TON of Frozen birthday party ideas, if you need more, check out my Frozen Pinterest Board!

Margarita Melon : Margarita Appetizer.

These drunken watermelon bites are perfect for a summer party.  They taste like a mini watermelon margarita and they are so cute that your guests won’t be able to resist.  They have a great tequila flavor, but not enough alcohol in one to make you tipsy.  The sea salt provides a great contrast with the sour of the lime and the sweet of the watermelon. 

It’s the perfect appetizer or amuse for a Mexican dinner with friends.  I’m currently working out dinner party details, just so I can plan around these. 

Directions

• Using a melon baller {I just used a metal measuring spoon for mine} scoop out melon.  If you don’t have a melon baller, you can also cut the melon into half inch cubes.
• Place the melon ball on a tasting spoon.  I used ceramic soup spoons. {amazon affiliate}
• Pour 1 teaspoon of tequila, 1/4 teaspoon of triple sec, {Grand Marnier, or Cointreau will also work} and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh lime juice over the top of the watermelon.   Make sure to use fresh lime juice, it makes a huge difference.
• Store in the fridge for at least half an hour to allow alcohol to soak into the watermelon.
• Top with a pinch of sea salt just before serving!  If these are going to be passed hor d'oeuvres or appetizers sitting out, you can have a little salt cellar on the tray for the guests to add a pinch of salt themselves just before eating.  I used a smoked sea salt that I picked up at Trader Joe’s, but a vanilla sea salt or pink Himalayan is also a great choice.

Just be careful not to indulge too much or you’ll be dancing around with a sombrero on your head before you know it.  It goes without saying that these need to be kept out of the hands of little ones.  You could always do a non-alcoholic version with a little fresh lime juice, and sea salt… just be sure to label them clearly! 

Fun Things To Do in Ohio: Cedar Point.

Located on the coast of Lake Erie in Sandusky, is perhaps one of my favorite summer activities in Ohio.  Where else are you going to have a gorgeous view from the best rollercoasters in the world?

If you live anywhere near the Midwest, or if you are a fan of roller coasters, you have heard of Cedar Point.  We are fortunate to live a short drive from America’s Roller Coast and head to the park a couple times a year.  Visiting Cedar Point each summer was a highlight of my own childhood and a tradition that we are happy to pass on with our children.  No matter your age, that first glimpse of the coasters when you drive onto the causeway, still starts the butterflies in your belly and squeals of excitement fill the car.  There have been many changes over the years, but classics like the Blue Streak {celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year!} and my favorite, Raptor {celebrating it’s 20th! anniversary} never go out of style. 

Cedar Point has really become a great place for families with young kids.  This year especially, they have added two new incredible family rides in the Gemini Midway.  The Lake Erie Eagles and the Pipe Scream are Cedar Point’s new rides for 2014 and they have added in some new seating and shaded spaces, really improving the entire aesthetic in that area of the park. 

A change that we were also thrilled to see this year was in concession choices.  Our kids tend to eat {mostly} healthy stuff and amusement parks are notorious for overpriced junk food.  My personal favorites are those Cedar Point fries, I justify every delicious bite with all of the miles we log walking around Cedar Point.  But, man can not live on fries alone, so I LOVED seeing that Cedar Point has added healthier snack options at the park.  At the Coca-Cola drink station near the back of the park, you can grab oranges, apples, and cut up watermelon to go, along with water and juice.  We also picked up the souvenir cups, worth every penny, and re-filled iced water and lemonade all day for free.

We hit up all of our favorite rides, some countless times, and had a great day at the park!  What is your favorite Cedar Point ride? 

Military members, both retired and active duty can take advantage of FREE admission from June 30 through July 6th with a valid ID {military ID or honorable discharge papers} and military families will receive huge discounts on tickets as well.

Disclosure:  Cedar Point invited us to visit the park as their guests and treated us to lunch.  All opinions, commentary, and fun having are our own.