Kaile Hunt 0:09
Whether you are planning your baby's first birthday, celebrating an event and want it to be Baby Friendly, or just want to plan a fun meetup with other new moms, today's episode is all about baby and toddler friendly party ideas. Thanks for joining us. This is newbies.

Welcome to newbies. My name is Kaile Hunt, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at New mommymedia.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week. Another great way to stay updated is to hit that subscribe button in your podcast app. And if you're looking for a way to get even more involved with our show, then check out our online community. It's called Mighty moms. That's where we chat more about the topics discussed here on our show. And it's also an easy way to learn about a recording. So you can join us live. This is going to be a super fun episode today. I'm really excited. The summer months are right around the corner. So our expert today is Natalie. And Natalie is a proud mom of three, happy wife to Nathan and owner of chic event boutique. Through her years in the low country, she has celebrated all of life's moments like engagements, weddings, first steps, birthdays, neighborhood, oyster roast, love it and family reunions. Natalie is thankful for the life filled with celebrations, big and small. I'm excited to dive deep into your company. But first Natalie, thanks for joining us. Tell us, where is low country for those of us who are not on the East Coast, specifically in the South and the ages of your children, of course. Well, Kelly, thank you so much for having me. I myself and my event company, chic event boutique, we're located in the low country, which is going to be the region in the barrier islands in South Carolina. So Hilton, Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort, the surrounding South Carolina. Low Country is how it's known. I love that. And so tell us a little bit more about your organization and where it came up, how how you created it, and what you guys do, because it's awesome, of course. Well, I'm a mom myself. I've got several here under my belt, 17, 13, a nine year old, and I'm expecting. So congrats, yay. Thank you so much. So we've had many birthday parties over the years, and something that I noticed was that for our littlest ones, so turning one and all the way up to, let's say, four or five. Where are we having those birthday parties? They're primarily at home, and these little ones need an area that's all for themselves, that's safe and fun to explore. And this is known as a soft play set. And so I create these beautiful play lands that allow toddlers to roam, explore, because we're not necessarily taking these tiny tots to Chuck E Cheese or anything of the sort. And so we really bring the party to the home of the esthetic host and focus on as fun space for these littlest ones to celebrate. I love that, yay. Well, we're gonna get more into it. Your soft play sets. What inspired you? The cute little colors that you have, I saw some, and my daughter played with it anyway. We'll get into all of that. But first, let's take a quick break.

Kaile Hunt 4:01
Welcome back. We're continuing our discussion with baby toddler friendly party ideas. So first, let's chat about birthday parties, right? That's what I think of, right? When you think of soft play sets, I don't want to get out of the box yet, even though I know I have some good ideas for out of the box, ideas for why you might want to hire Natalie through her organization anyway. But let's talk about birthday parties. Specifically. Before the break, you mentioned a little bit about, you know, birthday parties for one year olds two year olds at home. And when you have a birthday party for a one year old, typically, other moms have other small babies, right? Like they have a three month old, or you bring your two year old and then your, you know, your six month old. So when you speak of like baby and toddler party ideas. It's a wide range of ages, and so I love how your play sets can accommodate that. So for birthday parties, walk me through, what does one of your play sets look like for a toddler turning one, of course, well, our main goal is to have a area where the littles can roam.

Natalie CHIC Boutique Events 5:00
Free and a sense of peace of mind for the moms who are going to be the guest at this party. So instead of having each mom with their baby on a hip, trying to hold a plate, trying to sing happy birthday with a soft play set, you're going to have a large area, maybe 20 by 20 feet. We start with premium soft play mats. So imagine a gymnastics tumbling mat. So it's thick, it's soft, it's padded. We offer so many different colors, so it's rarely easy to tailor this to any theme. And then from there, there are some structures that we place on these mats, anything from soft seesaws to slides into ball pits, from blocks that are giant size in the toddler's eyes, to be able to make castles and all sorts of creations. So there's really a sense of wonder and creativity that keeps them very busy and highly entertained. It's a great birthday party. I love that, and I love that. It's so it can accommodate different ages, right? So I saw you at a Mother's Day event, and there were babies who were six months old, who were crawling and climbing and pulling themselves up. But then there was like, two year olds there, which were totally, you know, rocking on the rock horses that you guys had out there, and, like, going in the ball pit. So I love how versatile it is. What made you make it so versatile for kids of different ages? Typically, what I've seen at birthday parties, when I have a little one, you're going to have moms with other children there are mixed ages, typically at a birthday party, especially for 123, year olds, you're going to say, Hey, is it okay if older sister Jamie comes? Yeah. But of course, the more the merrier, but we want to make sure that everyone's entertained, and I just love how it creates a sense of collaboration between the littlest ones and some of the older ones, who love to feel like helpers, to each be able to have their own independent play activities, but also be able to support each other socially, using the play space as well. How fun. And so let's talk about different themes. How can your play set fit different theme ideas, different color schemes? What have you seen? And how have you seen moms incorporate your play sets to fit their I don't know, like I've seen. So for my daughter, I did somebody turned one, you know, so I did a lot of pink and white, and her birthday is near Easter. And so anyway, talk me through some themes for moms who want some ideas. And I love that I'm a theme girl myself. I think once you latch onto a theme, you instantly have a color scheme, and then you can really dive into the details. I know for my daughter's first birthday, she looked just like pebbles from the Flintstones. So we did a whole Flintstones bash, but I really honed in on the details. We had rocks that were actually chocolate and giant bones for the children to be able to stack. And so I love a good theme, because it allows you to just go wild from with the details. So some of the amazing themes that I've seen here have been nature inspired, so say, mermaids with an ocean theme. I've seen butterflies done very well. One theme that I just thought was completely adorable was pancakes and pajamas. It was a day party, so it was set a little earlier in the morning, probably before that first nap, and the children gathered in their pajamas to play on the play space, eat some pancakes, open some presents and called it a day. And I thought that was just genius. I love that idea so much. I'm gonna highlight that definitely, especially for turning one, and even for moms, oh my goodness, to just have your kid stay in pajamas. Sometimes, fun fact for moms, sometimes I just, like, put my kid in like, neutral ish looking clothes that totally could be pajamas or not if we have an early morning thing to do. And so that is a genius idea. I love little set exactly. Yeah, that's so cute. Okay, so you said for one of your kids you did like a pebbles theme. What about some other party ideas that you've done for your littles, or even for friends that you've had your play sets used in? Yeah? So what I really like is how you can take a neutral set, for example, we can use a tan base and all white soft play and be able to customize it. From there, we use custom vinyl decals. So imagine a large sticker or banner that will be able to create some custom phrasing. So off to the races. We did for a Kentucky Derby themed party with giant pictures of horses and jockeys as well to place on what we call the castle blocks, to be able to add those fun details and really carry the theme through the play set. So sort.

Surface level, it's just all white surf soft play. Excuse me, on surface level, it's just all white soft play. But when you add in these custom decals and customize the colors of the ball pit blend, you're really able to take a big step back and see all the cohesive details that come through for a party theme. Yay. I love that. Well, we're gonna take another quick break, and when we come back, I'm excited about this one. We're gonna talk about, maybe not your typical birthday ideas, party ideas, but ways that you can use these play sets in another event that you wouldn't normally think about. So we'll be right back.

Kaile Hunt 10:42
Well, welcome back. We're continuing our conversation, so let's chat about ways your place that's could work for other types of parties. I'll go first, because that's where I met you. Was at a Mother's Day event. It was so sweet. So here I live in Beaufort, there's this cute little mom group, and we have meetups quite a bit, like three to four times a month. It's actually really lovely. And we all have littles, yeah, it's amazing. And so the organizer of our little mom group, you know, contacted you, hired you, and so we had a flower boutique area, and then it was at a park, and then we had a coloring station, which I believe you helped with, um, and then we had the play set structure, the play sets that were there for the kids to hop on, it was so fun. And so that's a not a birthday idea, but also just an party idea, where kids can come and just play on these beautiful structures. So what else have you been booked for? What else have you seen your play sets be used for? That's right. So you can branch out beyond just birthdays and beyond just soft play sets. We do offer the tiny tables and chairs that you got to see at the recent moms event, and we have modern bounce houses so all white clean lines, and it really keeps that modern esthetic that really highlights chic event boutique. And we have been invited to do some other fun things. For example, a food truck meetup. We were able to have a kids station there, so moms are able to grab the pizza. Kids are highly entertained, and a Kid Zone. And here's another one that might rock your socks a little bit. Weddings. Ooh, I love See, this is what I want to hear. Yes to our listeners who are planning a wedding or going to a wedding, and they're like the bridesmaid, but they're, you know, people get married and they already have kids or young toddlers. I love that idea. Okay, exactly. Some families are large and they've got little shadows, and they're definitely going to be there. And if you want to clear them off the dance floor. Well, give them a kids zone, and that can have one of our modern bounce houses, a soft play set. Go ahead and put an entertainer over there and call it a party. I love that, and you kind of already mentioned it. But why might having a play area specifically for toddlers? Because I feel like a lot of parents, we all love parenting, right? And we all love our kids, but I feel like when kids grow up a little bit, people forget toddlerhood. It's a lot. Toddlers are a lot. They require a lot of attention, and so why am I having an area specifically for toddlers, right? Not kids who can get their own snacks and tie their own shoes, but toddlers who are still in diapers, why am I having an area for toddlers be beneficial for you know, a wedding or a food truck meetup or a Mother's Day event? Why might it be beneficial to have a special section for them? Just like you mentioned, those toddler years are hectic. They are moving left to right. They want to do everything on their own, but they need an over watching eye. It's a lot, and so when you can create a space that's just for them, where they don't feel like they have to have mom or dad be the ones to pass them everything or watch over their play, where they can truly feel independent and mom can have some peace of mind to step away knowing that their child is going to be fully engaged in that activity. I think it really adds so much to any event for both the host the guests, both young and old. I love that I can just definitely see it even like some even work events too. There's some very family friendly companies that do have company parties, they could totally book you. And then it becomes so much more family friendly, because instead of mom chasing around the toddler or dad chasing around the toddler and the baby, you know, like you mentioned earlier, on the hip, there's a nice safe area for them to play on and burn out energy. And then hopefully nap time becomes easier, which is so cool, so nice. Oh, I love this so much. So you mentioned you blew my mind with the whole wedding. I love that idea. Talk to me about some unexpected feedback you've gotten, and I'll go first. I was shocked with how just Baby Friendly your play sets were. I loved, loved seeing the little six.

Month olds, or the nine month olds in their little socks, you know, have bare feet climbing in the ball pit, and toddlers just love to play together. I feel like that's a good age where they don't the sharing isn't too big of an issue. Yet, if someone takes a ball, it's fine. There's a million more, you know what I mean. And so what's some unexpected feedback you have gotten from people like me, who you know, have never seen something like this for toddlers. Usually I just see a bounce house, right? And that's kind of dangerous for a one year old. So what's some feedback you've gotten from moms who just, you know, love your play sets? Yes? Well, some feedback that we often receive is how easy it is for the mom, instead of a birthday party where they're blowing up balloons the night before and buying everything on Amazon and trying to get everything set up. It's a phone call, it's a click, and we show up and handle everything from setup to break down, and so that ease of having a party really set up for you has been so well received with our clients. Another great feedback that we've received have been moms of children with special needs, so having a space that's very accommodating for all has been really wonderful to see there's such great opportunity for gross motor development and some of those social connections that you've seen in a sensory rich environment, such as a ball pit or the soft blocks that are so adaptable. I love that. But yeah, I think that's also very important too, because, like I mentioned, I've done bounce houses with my daughter, who's now two, but I have to be in there with her. She's so little, and I just in some kids are bouncing and double bouncing, and she can easily get hurt, especially if there's like six kids in there already, and so, yeah, I like the openness. I guess we haven't talked about walk me through, if you're setting up one of your play sets, what are the different types of activities toddlers can do? We talked a little bit on a ball pit, right? I talked a little about this rocking horse. But what exactly do you have to offer, and what's the different

Natalie CHIC Boutique Events 17:01
setups you can do, of course. Well, when arranging a party for a client, we love to get the age range of their anticipated guests so that we can select activities to place within the soft play set that are going to be targeted really towards them. So for our smallest crawlers, some of our soft play sets are going to be focused on some of the sensory that they'll get from crawling on their hands and knees, from having foam rollers across the belly, from having some of those options that let them stand up and cruise a little bit. Imagine a bar that is set at a height that lets them cruise on over to the next activity. So we're pretty intentional about how the play set is set up from the child's perspective of what are they going to wander towards first balance beams are popular. We also have these very fun hoppers. We call them hip hoppers that the child can straddle. Use their feet to hip hop off the ground, and they are so adorable. They come in so many different shapes, sizes and colors. For example, we've done cows. We had a moo party. So we had a set of cows. We have some adorable bunnies that were very popular in the spring. So we just love to, love to see it. I love that, yay. Well, we got more questions coming up, but first, let's take one of our last breaks.

Kaile Hunt 18:31
Welcome back to newbies. We are continuing our conversation, and so this is fun, too. I always like to leave on a happy note, but where can our listeners find you. And before you answer that, how common? Because I'm just thinking of this. How common are these play sets? Because I've never seen anything like this before for toddlers. So I feel like, especially in the low country, there's not a lot. But how common are these play sets for the listeners who unfortunately don't live down here? Yeah, that is looking elsewhere. It depends on where you are, depending on where you are in the country, some areas are gonna be a lot more popular than others, California, Texas, New Jersey, Florida. These are everywhere you'll see some amazing luxury companies that I've loved to sing and connect with to do some great themes on a very extreme level, and so in those larger markets, that's where you're going to see soft play as a more common approach for a toddler birthday party. I just took that concept and I brought it to the low country. So I'm definitely one of the first here in Hilton Head Island. I love that. So where can our listeners find you? So shout out, your Instagram, your website. Where can they find you? And how can they book you? And I'm sorry I'm throwing a bunch of questions at you. And do you get busy during the summer months? This episode is going to be released during the summer. So do you get busy during the summer months? So should they be booking you well in advance?

Natalie CHIC Boutique Events 20:00
Dance. You know, there's always time for a celebration, and so we do typically book for a party six to eight weeks out. There can be availability for some last minute moments. But given the level of detail that we like to bring into the event planning process, I love to really dive deep into a theme and take on that for mom, to really make the party very special. So the more time to do that, the better. But hey, I'm a professional. You can call me anytime to reach chic events boutique. Our website is www dot chic, C, H, I, C, event boutique.com

we're also pretty popular on Instagram, and would love to connect with you there. Our handle is at chic event boutique, yay. Well, any other helpful tips about planning a party that's baby toddler friendly? I know I'll go first. I just absolutely love your play sets. I thought it was just so unique, so special, especially for small groups and for large groups. I think it could be very versatile for both. And so I love this out of the box like, Hey, we're gonna have a specific area for toddlers. I think even for like company parties like, mention it to your boss, like, Hey, since we're inviting the whole family, maybe we should have a specific area for toddlers, if it's within the budget. What other helpful tips do you have when you work with these moms or these businesses,

Kaile Hunt 21:31
when they want to incorporate your play set for specifically baby and toddlers? What's that planning process like? Yeah, well, we talked before about themes. So whether that's just your company branding and focusing on a color scape or leaning into butterflies, I think it's important to start with the theme to give you a sense of direction. And another great tip for planning children's parties is to take the zone approach. So what I like to think of is great. Where's our play zone? That's going to be the main area for our soft play set. I also like to craft a sit zone. So again, we do offer the pint sized tiny chairs and tables for our littlest guests. Those look like lovely chivari chairs and wooden tables that let the child, kind of step away from that high energy play zone, have a place to sit and partake in maybe a calmer activity, like a coloring sheet or just enjoying a snack cup. And I also have been seeing this trend on the rise, which is something more interactive, for example, an adopt me station. So let's say we're having a one Silly goose party. You can have a whole wall of stuffed geese available for each child to kind of take and customize with a hat or some goose boots, and really have some fun favor element to the party that's also interactive to each guest who attends. I love that. I also love that you mentioned too, like your little, cute chairs and tables that are perfect height for toddlers. I love that you incorporate that in your play sets. If you know someone wants to add that on, what made you incorporate that, because that's definitely a different activity, right? That's sitting down, eating a snack, coloring, what have you. But I also feel like it's very important, because, again, it's like sitting kids at the kids table, you know, but they're not kids. They're toddlers. What made you incorporate that exactly? Well, it really began for me. I'm I'm an esthetic girl. I'm gonna have the hydrangeas. We're gonna be wearing polo, you know, you're gonna get some beautiful pictures if we're at an event together. And so taking that vision and bringing it to the kids table, choosing to elevate the kids table, will you there? We can do so much more than a folding chair, you know? And so that's where I begin with. Offering the chivari style seating, which is a beautiful chair you typically see at a wedding boat. It comes in pint size. And I just think it's a great option. And another reason why I think it's important to have some kids seating is, well, we can have all the fun in the world over at the play set, but kids do get over stimulated just with the amount of energy and excitement that takes place. And instead of needing to run to mom and and be taken to a separate room, they can have a dedicated area under a shaded oak tree to have that moment, to have that full down, to have that space, but also, again, have it elevated, yay. Well, this has been such a fun episode. I loved all the ideas I love out of the box thinking. Because if you are planning your baby's first birthday and you're like, What do I do? Do I get a bounce house? I don't know. My toddler can barely walk. Some toddlers can't even walk until 1314, months. Play Set is where it's at. Natalie, yay. Thank you so much for joining.

Natalie CHIC Boutique Events 25:00
Me today, this has been so much fun and informative, and I really hope it gives our listeners some ideas when they are planning a birthday party or a Mother's Day event or a wedding. I love that idea as well. So thank you for coming on our show. Thank you so much for having me.

Kaile Hunt 25:27
That wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love newbies as much as we do, please consider checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor our show week after week. And we'd also love for you to tell another new momma about this resource, which, of course, is absolutely free. And if you want to check out some of our other podcasts we produce, such as preggie pals, parent savers, the book group and twin talks, visit our website at New mommy media.com and don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways and more. Our handle is at New Mommy Media.

Disclaimer 26:04
This has been a New Mommy Media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts while such information and materials are believed to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care, and should not be used for diagnosing or treating healthcare problem or disease or prescribing any medication if you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified healthcare provider you.