You know what I love about tea parties?  All you need is some hot water, a couple of tea bags, and some imagination, and you have an instant party that can make any old day feel special.  Yesterday morning, I decided to throw a spontaneous Dress-Up Tea Party for breakfast, and it literally changed the whole atmosphere of the day.  Everyone came down the stairs dressed up for fun (and with a theme!).  It literally took me about 10 extra minutes to make this happen and reminded me how it really is the little things that make life so wonderful.

Want to try it?  Here are some easy ideas to make a dreary day feel like a holiday.  Don’t feel like you have to do all of them.  You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like.  And if you don’t like tea, make lemonade or hot chocolate or cider–anything that your family loves.  Do it your way!  Here are some thoughts from the Creative Family Idea Box to help spark your imagination.

Invitations:
Print out a little note inviting your children to tea.  You might say something like this:

Dear Heidi,

You are cordially invited to a dress-up tea party at 9:30 this morning.  Wear something fun!  Tea and snacks will be served.  Let’s have a great day.

Love, 

Mom

Wrap it up like a scroll and tie it with some ribbon or yarn and leave it somewhere your child will find it.

Decorate:
Throw a tablecloth (or bed sheet!) on the table, grab some wildflowers or a candle for the centerpiece.

Something Yummy:
Make something delicious to eat with your tea.  Muffins, Cookies, brownies, some dark chocolate, etc.  Think of something that is special for your family.  For my family, I served chocolate toast (slice up some bread, sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake at 300 degrees until the chocolate is just melty.), day-old english muffins with jam and cream cheese, and a bowl of frozen strawberries.  Keep it simple, and make it something you know your children will love.

Make Tea:
Boil the water and gather tea pots and tea cups.  Use the pretty stuff!  If you are worried about breaking a family treasure, stock up on some mismatched teacups from the Goodwill.

Gather Around the Table:
Sit together and share your tea.  Talk or tell stories or listen to Bach or read aloud.  Enjoy taking a slow pace in your morning/afternoon and just being together.  This is what it’s all about.

Let me know if you this post inspires you to throw a tea party for your family.  I would love to see pictures!  You can find and tag me on Facebook.  Until then, we will see you tomorrow with another treasure from the Creative Family Idea Box.  Make something everyday with us!

Love,

Mackenzie and family