When I was planning Kay’s birthday party this year, I (very!) briefly considered making my own Pinterest-worthy decorations, hand making a themed banner, folding and cutting DIY paper lanterns…
But then I remembered that I parent two active kids, work out of the home part-time, blog full-time, and I’d rather spend any time I have left playing with my kids or, um, sleeping! So store-bought it was.
I looked around for local sources, and I found Apples & Bananas Party Supply, a local home-based party supply store in Surrey, BC.
Apples & Bananas has over 110 licensed and non-licensed themes to suit any kid’s taste. It took forever for Kay to pick between Frozen, Bubble Guppies, Max & Ruby, and Minnie Mouse, but eventually she settled on the super cute Minnie Mouse Bow-tique theme.
Angie was kind enough to put together a themed party pack for her, including plates, cutlery, cups, napkins, a table cover, decorations, balloons, a pinata, and party favours, all in Kay’s selected theme. Everything was very, very PINK.
Kay loved all the Minnie Mouse paraphernalia and for a few minutes she kept bugging me to wear her Minnie Mouse pajamas to her party. She quickly changed her mind when I pulled out her fancy ruffly party dress though.
We were at another party a few months ago with a pinata, and ever since then the girls have been asking to have one at their own birthdays. So we HAD to have a Minnie Mouse pinata.
I filled ours with a few mini chocolate bars, candies, and some small toys. It was a huge hit! Kay needed a little help figuring out how to open it – she wanted to pull the ribbons one by one instead of yanking them all at once – but once she got the hang of it she took great satisfaction in opening it for everyone.
But what’s a birthday without balloons? Angie sent some regular printed latex balloons and this neat beach ball round foil balloon. We stopped by the local dollar store to fill it up with helium – Kay loved it! Unfortunately, despite multiple warnings, she couldn’t stop herself from poking at it with her action figure and she popped it that same evening. ๐
Angie’s prices match what I would pay at larger big box stores or the dollar store, but by shopping here you know that your money stays local and helps support a mom and her family.
Apples & Bananas offers free pick-up, same-day courier shipping within Surrey or next day delivery within the Lower Mainland, or flat rate $16.95 Expedited shipping across Canada. As a busy mom, the convenience of shopping online and not having to drive out to pick up supplies and decorations is worth it to me, especially when I’m right in the middle of cleaning up or baking.
One more thing that I love? Apples & Bananas is part of the community too. Angie does year round fundraising for a few of the local elementary schools. Parents order through their school’s link and and a percentage of the sale is then returned to the school’s PAC. Parents pick up their order from Apples & Bananas or at their kid’s school for extra convenience! Ask your school if they have an account!
Shop online at Apples & Bananas, and connect on Facebook to be first to hear about deals and when all the new party themes hit the store.
Win a $25 Gift Card
Angie is generously providing one of my readers a $25 gift card to use on anything, including shipping, from Apples & Bananas. Enter in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only, 18+. All entries will be verified.
While youโre here, check out my other open giveaways on my Giveaway Page!
Disclosure: I received sample items for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
Tough call for my girl….either Cinderella or Minnie Mouse!
I think Angry Birds would be a cool theme!
I would love the HUGS & STITCHES GIRL 1st birthday theme for my granddaughter.
Thomas and Friends is a wonderful kids theme for a party.
marvellous selection and I’d choose Star Wars – and this for one of my adult sons who’s nuts about Star Wars ๐
I love Apples and Bananas! I would choose a Paw Patrol party for my daughter!
I think a great theme for the next party would be Barbie as my niece loves Barbies so much.
I would pick the Tonka Theme for my nephews next birthday. They have great patterns!
I think I’d choose the Lalaloopsy theme. I know my kids would like it.
For our next party theme were doing a tea party ! (beginning of Septmember). I found the website difficult to navigate. Some links didnt work. It was okay. But I didnt know I had to click on the 99 cents deals to see everything. Over all it was an okay site ๐ We will probably do a bubble guppies theme party which after using the search option, brought up tons of BG items for the future ! ๐
My daughter loves a number of the themes there, but her favourite would be DIsney Princesses!
I would get the powder blue, and new pink latex balloons
My son and daughter both love Thomas the Train! http://www.applesandbananas.ca/product-category/birthday/preschool-birthday/thomas-and-friends-preschool/
Besos, Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
Love the Sock Monkey Chocolate theme. So adorable.
The ANTMAN supplies that are on sale would be fun for my daughter’s b/day. She is right into superheroes this summer.
My niece loves Barbies and a Barbie theme party would be perfect!
My son would like to have a Ant Man party.
I think my son would love a Thomas and friends themed party