Sleepover Tips and Ideas, Pop Rocks Ice Cream Floats, Fleece Tie Pillows, and Electrolux helps clean up

Sleepovers spell fun.  Pure and simple... a whole night giggling with your girlfriends, doing hair and nails, dancing, doing a craft project, eating fun foods and simply being together, is most every young girl's dream.

Luckily for Liv and three of her girlfriends, the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Electrolux offered to sponsor us to host a sleepover and blog about our sleepover tips and experiences.  Liv, beyond excited, immediately set to planning food, crafts and tips.

Highlighting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Electrolux has teamed up with Kelly Ripa in a Virtual Sleepover Party.  You can help increase funds for Ovarian Cancer Research simply by clicking here to join Kelly's Virtual Sleepover.  For every person who joins the sleepover, Electrolux will donate another $1 to the cause, and you will be entered for a chance to win an Electrolux Perfect Steam washer and dryer set.  From the site, "the Electrolux Perfect Steam™ washers and dryers offer the most capacity to help parents shoulder any load, plus, with just 15 minutes to wash and 14 to dry, the laundry is done in no time."  15 minutes to wash?  Sign me up!

In past sleepovers, and as a former Girl Scout Leader, I have found that being prepared is always a bonus.  A little time spent planning activities, food, what to have the guests bring and where to sleep will give you a head start in your evening and some direction to your event.

Excitement built as the start time drew near our sleepover party, and before I knew it I had a houseful of happy girls, lots of music and an evening of fun in the works. Laughter only increased as the video camera came out and the girls set to the task of making Liv Life's first video:

The Sleepover Special

Sleepover Tips from Liv Life

Tossing the pizza dough.

Food:
Food is always an important part of any event, and a sleepover is no exception.  One of our most requested sleepover foods is the make your own pizza.  A quick stop at Trader Joe's provided everything we needed from the prepared pizza dough to the pre-shredded cheeses and a tasty jarred sauce.  Add a package of pepperoni and a few favorite veggies and you are set!  Rounding out the meal, a watermelon adds a bit of nutrition, while the Pop Rock Ice Cream Floats (recipe below) add even more fun.

Additional food favorites include veggies and dips, chips and guacamole, popcorn, Homemade Rice Krispie Treats, and fruit of any kind.

Banana Pancakes topped with a Warm Maple Glaze

Breakfast can be as simple as store bought bagels, or with a little prep you can have the "oohs and ahhhs" that we had with freshly prepared Banana Pancakes topped with a Warm Maple Glaze.

Mixing the dry ingredients before you go to bed has you simply measuring the wet ingredients, cracking an egg or two and whisking it all together before you set dollops onto a hot griddle in the morning.  The girls mixed the glaze and set the table and breakfast was ready before we knew it.

Remember to get the kids into the kitchen.  Many times they really want to help and they truly enjoy mixing, measuring, decorating and simply stirring.

Liv Life Tip:  Paper plates make clean up a snap!

Liv Life's favorite Sleepover Recipes:

Blueberry Banana Smoothies

Fruity Cereal Treats

Grilled Pizza with Semolina Pizza Dough

Cocoa Marshmallow Krispie Treats

Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes with Oatmeal and Banana

Activities:
Whether it be games, movies, dancing, a planned craft, or simply a bag of balloons, the kids will be more directed and hopefully less crazy if they have a bit of direction and something to do.  The Girl Scout Leader in me usually has some sort of craft planned, with this event featuring fleece tie pillows. 

A quick stop at our local craft store found sheets of fleece on sale.  Combined with scissors and stuffing we had no sew, tie pillows for all!

Fleece Tie Pillow Directions:

1. Purchase 2 pieces of fleece fabric at your local craft store (we found precut blanket sized sheets that were pre-packaged).  Liv chose a complementing pattern and a solid.
2. Layer the fabric one over the other and cut pillow sized pieces.  Liv and her friends chose a sort of square shape about 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet.
3. With the fabric still layered, use scissors to cut 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips into the fabric and all around the entire edges of the fabric.
4. Begin tying the fabrics together with the cut strips and tie nearly all the way around.
5. When nearly done, stuff the pillows with desired amount of stuffing and finish off the tying.

Easy, fun and a little time consuming the kid are on task for at least a little while, and they can even tie while they watch a movie.

Liv Life Tip:  While some planning is beneficial, try not to over plan... part of the fun of a sleepover is just that, having fun, and the fun will evolve.  Give the kids a camera to record their evening, turn on the music and let them dance! 

Liv, Devi, Vanners and Savy Activity Tip:  Avocado facial masks!  Avocados are known to contain minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, sodium, copper, magnesium, etc. Factor in the vitamins A, E, B and K and you have a concoction to ease dry skin.  My girls used a recipe of avocado, yogurt and oil, but numerous avocado facials can be found around the internet, find the one that works best for you.

Mom Note: avocados facials are not OK to do over the carpet, nor at 1 AM...

Clean-Up

Our 20 year old Electrolux vacum!

An evening of sleepover fun can often lead to a house of disaster if the kids are left to their own devices.  As the kids arrive I always lay down a few ground rules.  Set up what is important to you, but we include, no food, drink, makeup, nail polish or polish remover over any carpeted area.  Clear your plates from the table and don't do anything that you don't want me to talk to your mom about!

Getting everyone involved in clean up is key.  As the ending hour draws near have the kids help fold blankets, replace couch cushions, clean up old balloons, etc, and with everyone helping the clean up goes fast.  Again, turn on the music and have fun in the process.

Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Electrolux for sponsoring our sleepover.  Liv, Vanners, Devi and Savy had a blast, I survived, and the house is no worse for the wear.

Scoop ice cream, add pop rocks, add more ice cream, pour soda!