MommyParties Hosted by Oral-B Stages

All of the great items before getting packed in goodie bags!

Recently, I held a Pajama Party and a Morning Movie at my home through my mothers' group.  It was all thanks to Mommy Parties and hosted by Oral-B Stages.  Mommy Parties are a mashup of social media and playdate.  Companies utilize Mommy Parties for the power of reaching moms and spreading word of mouth in a natural and engaging way. 

Attendance was lower than we'd hoped; December sure is a bustling month, plus illnesses and a sudden visit from out of town family dwindled the expected numbers.  We ended up having five children ranging in age from 9 months to five years and three moms.  Interestingly enough, all the kids were boys!  I don't recall the last time having a get-together without it being mixed gender. 

A closer look at our guests' gifts

Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and child body wash

My Oral B Stages party kit included:

• 11 Oral-B Stage I Brushes
• 11 Oral-B Stage II Brushes
• 11 Oral-B Stages Pastes
• 11 Bottles of Disney Lavender Wash
• Disney's Winnie the Pooh Movie DVD
• Recipe & Activity Ideas (that would be the flash cards featuring the happy kid and toothpaste with Pooh Bear above)
• Balloons
• Popcorn for guests
• Guest Gift Bags

Slim and Curly were super eager to have friends over - from the time they woke on the morning of the event, they were jumping up and down asking if it was pajama party time!  Because I'm weird, I changed them out of their actual pjs after breakfast and into a fresh pair.  Then, it was time to set up.

The boys wanted to decorate with the bears they made at the previous week's bear themed storytime & craft we hosted.

Our menu directly tied in to the film we'd be viewing, 2011's Winnie the Pooh.  We served:

•  Winnie the Pooh popcorn
• Rabbit gummies
• Kanga cookies
• Hundred Acre Wood trail mix
• Backson (a key part and character of the movie) box juice
• And for the moms, coffee or tea with hunny

Table set up to welcome our friends

Goodie bags were stocked, balloons were blown up, and my personal favorite,

the giant toothbrush and plastic dental teeth model were displayed so that everyone could practice their toothbrushing skills.

Curly making a comfy, cozy spot for himself

Our guests arrived, and given everyone's mood, we started off by playing the movie.  However, the lure of toys not theirs called the other guys and we soon headed downstairs to the playroom.  I will say, as the photos below attest, that what was watched was greatly enjoyed!

While the kids played, the moms socialized.  We talked about our child(ren)'s sleep patterns, how differently we handle a second or later kid, and past and upcoming events of the mothers' group.  Of course, we also discussed Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Oral-B Stages and taking care of our sons' dental health.  I have often argued that I don't understand why movies geared towards kids have to have such incredibly scary and dramatic moments or such evil bad guys.  Frankly, Slim does not care for movies that scare him.  So, even though he is five and likely aging out of the Winnie the Pooh targeted age group, their innocence and mild scares are much more up his alley.  My mother-in-law took him to see Winnie the Pooh in the theaters this Summer and the Zooey Deschanel song, "So Long" has been an oft requested one ever since.

 

One of the other moms said that Winnie the Pooh was her two year old's first going to the movies experience and he loved it!  She was amazed at how easily it captured his attention for the entire film.  At this point, we started talking about how things like character toothbrushes help our children get more into wanting to brush their teeth.  We agreed that anything that could aid the process along (some of our kids have or still do fight brushing teeth) was a plus.

Taking the playroom from immaculate to well-played in and many rounds of jousting in which, surprisingly, no one was hurt, the boys worked up a big appetite.

Despite the varied menu, the Rabbit gummies (from Annie's) were the runaway hit snack.

Before our friends went on their way, we gave each child a goodie bag and I allowed the moms to select a toothbrush appropriate for their son's age.  Even though Slim and Curly knew what was in each bag, they took items out with great anticipation.  Just goes to show, that dental hygiene can equal fun!