Monday, March 18, 2013

DIY Hanging Balloons Decor

For a balloon decor that is as simple as the banderitas type or popularly referred to by balloonist as Balloonderitas, a professional balloon decorator is almost not required. Do it your own and save money! You can use the extra fund for food or additional give aways.

To be able to save significantly, balloons must be purchased at wholesale price from Divisoria. There are plenty of stores at 168 Mall and Divisoria Mall. Personally, I prefer 168 Mall as it is more accessible if commuting and there is ample parking space if you dare drive to Divi.

A regular sized balloon costs about Php100 for 12 pcs in SM or National Bookstore, but you can purchase them for as low as Php200 for 100 pcs at 168 Mall. You'll be amazed at the selection of colors too, and the sizes. Mylar type balloons are also available.

A simple balloonderitas consisting of 100 pcs of balloons can cost anywhere from Php1500 - Php3000. If you have the energy and patience, you can do your own for a humble price of Php200-Php300 (materials only, including nylon strings).

Here's what I did for my son's birthday bash at Jollibee. I hanged 10 sets of cluster-of-4 balloons as added decor to our party (stage part only). I spent only Php70 (and a sore arm from inflating the balloons).


How to make a balloonderitas (with curled ribbons):

1. Inflate balloons and make sure the sizes are uniform.

2. Attach curled ribbons at the end of each balloon (where you knot the end of the balloon to close it off) either by tying the ribbons or by taping them using transparent tape (Scotch tape).

3. Using a Scotch tape (preferably at least 1/2 inch width), attach each balloons to the nylon string. Tip to secure the balloon on the nylon string: tape the nylon diagonal from the left and right (creating an "x").

4. Depends on how scattered you wish to decorate the balloons,  a foot distance between each balloon should be fine.

How to make a cluster of 4 balloons:

1. Inflate balloons in uniform sizes.

2. Pair the balloons by tying 2 balloons together. Make several pairs.

3. Get 2 pairs of balloons and twist them together in the middle. You have now formed your cluster.

4. Tie a nylon string to the balloon (at the point where all 4 balloons are joined together) and hang as desired.

If you want a deviation from balloon decors, you can try tissue or paper pompoms.

Happy Partying!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Party Venue: Village East Clubhouse

For Cainta residents looking for a great venue for weddings, debuts or birthday parties, the clubhouse of Village East Executive Homes offers 3 venues.

The cafe area (open air hall) at the ground floor can perfectly fit 80 to 100 guests and is great for semi formal and evening gatherings. It's comfortable even with just only the ceiling fans especially during late afternoon 'til evening.

the entrance
 
left side of the hall from entrance
  
center

right side of the hall from entrance...that door after the bar are the comfort rooms/toilets

corner area, view is the swimming pool
 
For larger parties, the Function Room at the 2nd floor can easily accommodate up to 200 people. It is fitted with enough air-conditioning units to keep the guests cool throughout the event. The room is also L-shaped which suits parties that need a separate area for photo booths, kiddie salon, and other whatnot.

For summer parties, the swimming pool area including the covered hall and tables can be reserved for 4 hours.

Best of all for this venue is that the staff at the Admin office are very accommodating and easy to talk to. Look for Nonet if interested.

Details here:

their flier is from March 2009 but these are the same rates when we had our party in December 2012.
 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Burger King Kiddie Party Package

Yes, you are reading this right. Burger King has joined the kiddie party bandwagon.

When my sister announced they will be holding her son's birthday party at Burger King, I frowned and thought she made a mistake and actually meant perhaps Jollibee or McDo or even KFC. But it's true, Burger King has kiddie parties too!
 
My sister was very happy with the party coordinator. Aside from hosting the party, she helped with the preparations, including the assembly of the loot bags.


They offer only one theme which is the Royal Party (aptly because BK wants to fit the party around the word King in their brand name). My sister wanted Cars theme instead and was allowed to bring her own loot bags and even the cake.
 
 

Note: They allowed the cake to be served but asked my sister to sign a waiver.

The food is just okay but if you are someone who is used to the taste of Jollibee Chickenjoy, you may find BK's fried chicken a bit bland and lacking despite BK being owned by Jollibee Foods too. The burger of course is really good but I must say it's not for kids as they put mustard dressing.
 
The party area is huge and there is sufficient space allotted for games and party activities (at least at Timog Branch). We love the simple balloon decor with swags too.
 
 
Food Packages are as follows:
 
Package 1 @ Php154/pax
1pc. Chicken w/ rice value meal (with drink)
Regular fries
Sundae
 
Package 2 @ Php 204/pax
2pcs. Chicken w/ rice value meal (with drink)
Regular fries
Sundae
 
Package 3 @ Php239/pax
1pc. Chicken w/ rice
Whopper Jr. value meal (with fries and drinks)
Sundae
 
Package 4 @ Php254/pax
1pc. Chicken w/ rice
Chicken sandwich value meal (with fries and drinks)
Sundae
 
Package 5 @ Php284/pax
1pc. Chicken w/ rice
Whopper Value meal (with fries and drinks)
Sundae
There's also a Php3000 fee for party amenities.