Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and as the French say, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Let the good times roll! The festival of Mardi Gras is all about indulging in fun, eating delicious food, and sharing in excitement before the restrictions of Lent. Basically, it’s the perfect holiday.

Whether you get to celebrate on the streets of New Orleans or you are having a small gathering in your home, we have some products that will help you capture the essence of Mardi Gras.

For the kids

The parades, music, and sweets like King Cake make Mardi Gras a favorite holiday among children. Our LED Foam Sticks and Glow Necklaces are a great little favor to pass out to your kids. Operated with a simple button, foam sticks can toggle between six different color modes. Set to purple or green for your Mardi Gras flair! Glow necklaces come in a variety of colors, but we recommend green, yellow, or purple for this occasion.

Your children will enjoy waving their sticks and wearing their necklaces during parties and parades. I especially love these items because they never fail to get my kids excited. They also are great because they are disposable and unlike Mardi Gras beads, they don’t end up adding to clutter in your home. I call that a win for the moms!

For the adults

LED Ice Cubes are to adults what LED Foam Sticks are to kids. These little guys always deliver when it comes to bringing immediate joy. You might not think that your favorite Mardi Gras cocktail could get more fun, but trust us when we say that LED ice cubes are your next best party trick.

Like the foam sticks, LED ice cubes come with a simple one-button operation that gives you six different color modes to choose from. We promise you that your guests will love these brilliant blocks of color in their drinks. If you have any left over your kids will enjoy them, too.

For everyone

What’s Mardi Gras without some mess? Our confetti cannons offer the perfect amount of sparkle, excitement, and hoopla that your Mardi Gras celebration needs! Our Gold Streamer Cannons are a beautiful and actually easier to clean up than traditional confetti. Your guests will be snapping selfies against a backdrop of beautiful, gold mylar metallics.

Photo by Arden Photography

Want to add some color to the mix? We also have some beautiful green, mylar confetti for your Mardi Gras party. Simply twist the base of the cannon for an awesome blast of 15 ft of confetti! Let the good times roll, indeed!

Homecoming night at Little Cypress Mauriceville High School in Orange, TX

You can see these great items and more on our Mardi Gras page.

How are you going to spend Mardi Gras? We want to see! Please be sure and tag us on Facebook and Instagram with #superiorcelebrations. We love to follow our customers and find out how they use our products to celebrate!

One of the perks for working at Superior Celebrations is getting a front row seat on customer reviews. The reviews seem to flow in with the season. Sometimes all we see are wedding reviews, and other times it’s all about the babies.

Folks, we are in baby season here at Superior Celebrations.

One of our most popular products are our Gender Reveal Confetti Cannons. It’s always fun to see the anticipation build and then the glorious POP of gorgeous blue or pink confetti. So much joy surrounds the “reveal” and whether it’s pink or blue, excitement bubbles all around.

buying for baby is my new hobby! 😁 also, t-minus 5 days till I can blow that confetti cannon straight up in the air. 💨🎉#genderreveal #happymail

A photo posted by Laurie Hughes (@lauriehughes14) on Jul 11, 2016 at 3:20pm PDT

According to Instagram and our customer reviews there are a LOT of babies on the horizon for 2017.

The little precious human I’m carrying is gonna be a GIRL! 💕And I swore it was a boy! #SebAguiBaby #ItsaGIRL #Surprise #GenderRevealParty #WrappedAroundDaddysFinger #ConfettiCannon

A photo posted by Adagui Aguilera Gómez (@adagui_oyuki) on Oct 24, 2016 at 6:47am PDT

It is with these cherubs in mind that we look to our first big holiday of the new year, Valentine’s Day.

A Confetti Inspired Valentine’s Day

Besides the “I love you” and the sweets, Valentine’s Day is really just about thoughtful gestures. “I was thinking about you,” and “This reminded me of you,” and finally, “I want to celebrate you.”

Confetti is the perfect theme to encompass Valentine’s Day. Thoughtful, sentimental, and celebratory, confetti shows that special someone just how much they mean to you. We have gathered some of the best confetti-inspired treats and gifts to give to your loved ones. Hang tight, there’s a lot of sugar, glitter, and confetti coming your way.

Confetti Popper Treats

We all know just how fun it is to pop a confetti cannon. How about a chocolate filled cannon? Yes, please!

Source: Oh Happy Day

These DIY popper treats by Oh Happy Day will delight valentines ages 5-105. Not a fan of Lindt truffles? Fill with anything from Smarties to Sees candy.

Confetti Pouch

Source: Packed Party

If you don’t already follow Packed Party on Instagram you are really missing out. Their feed is literally one giant party. They have some great products including this confetti Everything Pouch. Give this to your valentine and she can use it for literally “everything.” Pencils, makeup, toiletries, Shopkins (for the younger crew) yep, this is the gift that keeps giving.

Confetti Pancakes

In my household there are few things that pancakes won’t fix. Besides donuts, they are just the happiest food. This recipe from Chez Catey Lou adds some extra oomph to breakfast cake. They’re made with Greek yogurt for some extra protein, and have a honey sauce instead of syrup.

Source: Chez Catey Lou

Confetti Card

Source: Happiness is Homemade

What better gift than a tiny little stash of confetti to wish someone a happy Valentine’s Day? This adorable DIY is made using jumbo straws. Genius, right? Pair with the free printable and you’ve got yourself the perfect Valentine’s favor to pass around. Hint: blowing on a handful of confetti makes for the BEST pictures! Be sure to capture your valentine “wishing” on their confetti.

Source: Happiness is Homemade

Confetti Cannons

Finally, this confetti post wouldn’t be complete without our very own confetti cannons. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to blast one and capture the expressions of your loved ones. You may choose from a wide variety of colors, but may we suggest red?

From our customers Matt and Dana

We hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day! If you plan to hop on the confetti train please share your photos and tag us on Instagram or Facebook!

January is almost over and for most of us the “new year, new me” resolutions are starting to wear off. Yep, we accept that 2017 is in full swing. However, if you weren’t quite ready for the new year to start on January 1st you’re in luck! The Chinese New Year begins January 28th and according to the Chinese zodiac, 2017 is The Year of the Rooster.

Wait, what?

You might be wondering a few things:

1. What is the Chinese zodiac?
2. Why a rooster??
3. How do we celebrate?

First things first, you’re going to have to bear the brunt of the research and learn about the Chinese zodiac on your own. I will tell you that the Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is based on a 12 year-cycle with different animals assigned to each year. I promise, it’s every bit as fun and interesting as you might think. Do you like learning about your specific personality type? Enjoy sorting friends and family into categories according to their temperaments and dispositions? The Chinese zodiac is perfect for you!

Unless you find yourself assigned to the Year of the Rat…which, I did. You will most likely love your Chinese horoscope.  Go ahead. Google it. We’ll wait here.

This brings us to our next question: Why a rooster? 

Well, the Sheng Xiao is not to be messed with, and mathematically speaking, this is the animal for 2017. You might not be a huge fan of roosters. I know I’m not. When you’re nine-years-old and find yourself locked in a chicken coop with an angry rooster,  you don’t ever find it in your heart to “like” them. Especially when said rooster attacks you.

*cough*

Moving on…Childhood rooster trauma aside, the Year of the Rooster is something you just have to get on board with!

The Chinese New Year: 6 Things You Should Know

1. Good Luck

The Year of the Rooster is a great year to come into the world.

Source: Adobe Stock

Rooster babies are trustworthy, punctual, and extremely popular. Yes, this is a great time to have your firstborn child. For reference, wanna know another rooster baby? Beyonce. Yah. Short of marrying Prince Harry, this year is the best for roosters.

2. Clean Up

You really should clean your house. Yes, cleaning house is extremely important when it comes to celebrating the Chinese New Year. As we learned with Diwali, cleaning the home ushers in good fortune and prepares a fresh canvas for the new year. You absolutely do NOT want to be caught sweeping your house on New Year’s Day, as this would be a sign of “sweeping away” the new year’s “good fortune.”

3. Give!

Giving is part of receiving. One of the most important traditions in celebrating the Chinese New Year is the gifting of red envelopes. Red envelopes contain money and are bestowed upon the younger generation. While the gift of money is exciting, the red envelope is really the most important feature of this tradition. Why?

Source: Adobe Stock

For one thing, the money that is placed in the red envelope will be new, crisp, and clean. This signifies newness and fortune. In addition, the red envelope is received with both hands. It is accepted as a complete gift and offering, not a favor. It must be both received and valued as fortune.

4. Eat Right!

Our American holidays almost exclusively revolve around the food we serve. It should be no surprise that Chinese cuisine is of paramount importance in observing the new year.  While there is a whole menu of foods to be served during new year celebrations, two of the most important courses are fish and dumplings.

In Chinese, “fish” or “yu” is pronounced in the same way as Chinese word for “abundance.” Serving a whole fish is the perfect way to communicate a wish for abundance and prosperity for the whole family.

Source: Adobe Stock

Beyond fish, there is an entire menu full of unique and delicious dishes that are typical of Chinese New Year celebrations; however, beyond fish, fortune cookies, and noodles reigns the supreme dumpling. Dumplings are, by far, the most important dish served at a Chinese New Year celebration.

Due to their unique shape and size, dumplings are the perfect embodiment of wealth and fortune. They are prepared and eaten on New Year’s Eve, and “Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebration, the more money you can make in the upcoming cycle” (source).

Source: Adobe Stock

I could certainly eat dumplings like my wealth depended on it, how about you?

5. Celebrate and Sparkle!

Like our New Year’s Eve, midnight is the magic moment for lights, noise, and chaos. One of the best things about celebrating the Chinese New Year is shooting off confetti cannons and lighting some sparklers!

Our Red confetti cannons produce a gorgeous stream of metallic confetti and shoot up to 15 feet! They are perfect for parades, parties, and even photo booth fun. You can blast these off at midnight for an exciting New Year’s welcome.

Fireworks and firecrackers play a very important role of welcoming the new year.  However, many towns and cities do not allow firecrackers, so our sparklers make for a fun alternative and photograph beautifully!

If you are really paying attention to the lunar calendar you’ll know that the new year celebration isn’t over at midnight. The traditional holiday period lasts until the 15th day of the first lunar month. Yuan-Xiao, the Lantern Festival, is the final celebration of the Chinese New Year. As you can imagine, Yuan-Xiao is observed by lighting up the night with sky lanterns. You can celebrate Yuan-Xiao with our gorgeous, biodegradable red sky lanterns and white sky lanterns.

Source: Adobe Stock

6. Dress Up!

If you have any traditional Chinese garb, now is the time to flaunt it!

Source: Adobe Stock

If you come up short on an heirloom wardrobe you can more than make up for it with red apparel. Gold is also considered to be lucky. Why dress in red and gold? These are the colors that represent wealth and good fortune. Just don’t take your uniform too far–red undergarments are considered highly taboo. You learn something new everyday.

Source: Adobe Stock

We hope this little post helps you plan and prepare for your Chinese New Year! We would love to see your Chinese New Year celebrations so tag us in your photos on Facebook, or post to Instagram with  #superiorcelebrations.

Many of us are frantically filling our carts at Amazon and checking our lists twice to make sure we have all of our gift list covered. We’ll muddle our way through the days until Christmas Eve, look up, and realize that like it or not, Christmas is here. Instead of letting it fly by, though, how can we make Christmas Eve its own special day?

Unlike most holidays, Christmas Eve is a celebration of anticipation. You could say the same for New Year’s Eve, but while we all wake up to presents and cinnamon rolls on Christmas, not much happens on New Year’s Day. Besides the inevitable gym membership enrollment, that is.

On Christmas Eve, we enjoy our final moments of preparing for Christmas Day. We’re wrapping presents, baking pies, and stuffing stockings before morning, so the day is full of urgency. For kids, it’s all about the countdown for presents.

Maybe you already have your Christmas Eve planned. Maybe you’re going to just wing it and hope for the best. Either way, we’ve gathered some of our favorite traditions to implement into your Christmas Eve celebration. These tips are meant to encourage your planning and help you have the best celebration ever.

Christmas Eve Traditions

Christmas Eve Box

One exciting way to get Christmas started is with the Christmas Eve Box. Now, there really aren’t any rules or parameters, but the basic gist is this: a box that includes all of the essential items to have a celebratory Christmas Eve. New pajamas, popcorn, candy, a new movie, hot chocolate, cookie dough, etc. Hint: This is a spectacular gift to give at a December wedding, to your kid’s teacher, or for some friends who are splitting rent.

Source: Oh My Creative

You can see how versatile the Christmas Eve Box really is. What you put in it depends upon the crowd you are hosting. Newlywed couple? First Christmas traditions like hot cocoa, ornaments, and a movie. Roommates’ Christmas? Funny games, drinks, and matching PJs. Young family? Pajamas, hot cocoa, and a bedtime story.

Ding-Dong Ditch

I realize this title carries images of obnoxious teenagers and bad pranks. So put that aside and think of it this way: We all want to spread cheer and pay it forward during the holiday season, so make sure your family actually gets involved! There are so many opportunities that most of us think, “Yes! Absolutely! I’ll sign up in five minutes!” And then we forget. Christmas Eve is the time to actually put our money where our mouth is and pay it forward.

I love the idea of Ding Dong Ditch because it operates in our own social circle among people we already know. You get to be anonymous, but you know where your impact lies. Leave a basket of fresh-made cookies, or even a Christmas Eve box on someone’s doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run! You also get to experience the joy that is giving, and if you have kids–its a great time to get them in on it too. Here are some Ding Dong Ditch ideas to get started.

Goals

Most of us wait for the New Year to lay out our new goals, however, Christmas Eve can be a great time to decide what the new year will look like for you. My family likes to make our goals together and share them with each other. It takes some assessment, honesty, and a bit of  vulnerability to share your goals.  This is what we do: everyone writes their goals on a card, shares what they are, then seals it. The next year we all open our cards and recap on how we did and what we learned throughout the year. Then we make up next year’s cards. We usually pick a spiritual goal, a physical goal, and a personal goal.

If that sounds like a lot, a simpler way to do it is to pick a word for the year. That word will be the theme that you hope to flesh out in the new year. For example, maybe you hope to take more risks. Your word for the year could be Brave or Risk. Or maybe you want to have more faith. Your word could be Trust or Faith. Make sense? I am a big fan of the company The Giving Keys because their mission is to embrace a word, and then when you meet someone who needs that word (or theme/message/hope) you give the key to them. They are a really great brand that employs people transitioning out of homelessness, so you know your money is going to a good place.

Source: The Giving Keys

Remembering Loved Ones

For some, the holidays are a painful reminder of the ones we have lost. It can feel intrusive and even absurd to celebrate when your heart is missing a loved one. Yet, the holidays have to be observed in order to move forward and heal. Rather than pretend like everything is fine, I think the healthiest way to acknowledge grief and move forward is by taking the time to remember your lost loved ones.

Visit their graveside and leave flowers or a wreath. Talk about what you miss most and exchange funny memories with your family members. Another sweet way to both remember them and celebrate Christmas Eve is to release a sky lantern in their honor. Sky lanterns can be a beautiful tribute and a great tradition to honor that family member who is no longer with you.

Special Food

Let’s face it, for most of us the best thing about the holidays has to be the food, right? While you might be maxed out on turkey, gingerbread, and candy, Christmas Eve can be a time where you have what my kids call special food. It’s the food that they know they will likely only get on Christmas Eve. Some of my friends with Italian heritage like to make homemade gnocchi, ravioli, and sausage for Christmas Eve. If you’re lucky enough to have Latina heritage, chances are someone is making homemade tamales. My husband and I buy a very expensive brie and eat it all by ourselves. Our kids have little smoked sausages, fancy crackers and nachos. I realize nachos don’t sound very glamorous, but I never make them at home so it’s a big deal. Needless to say, whatever special food your family likes, be sure to bring it out on Christmas Eve!

I hype it up even more and let the kids drink sparkling cider from champagne flutes, and they eat off fancy little dessert dishes. We also light as many candles as possible and then they get to open one present before watching a movie. It’s traditions like these that they talk about all year long and look forward to in December.

What are your favorite Christmas Eve traditions? We’d love to hear! Hopefully this post has helped you better plan your Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas, everyone!

It is December 9th , which means there are only fifteen days until Christmas, fourteen days until Hanukkah, sixteen days until Kwanzaa, and twenty-one days until New Year’s Eve. We are officially in the holiday season with so much to look forward to, so let’s enjoy every minute. We strive to make every celebration superior, and December is a month full of celebrations! To maximize time spent with family and friends, we’ve put together a list of activities to make December the best month of the year.

15 Fun Family Activities for December

1. Play in the Snow

First of all, try to have a snow day. Maybe you’re like us and you live in Florida, the Sunshine State. Guess what? There are places that pack in a bunch of ice and snow and give you the opportunity to have a snow day. Even Disneyland and Disney World have Olaf’s Snow Playground to give your kids a taste of snow.

Source: GeekDad

2. Get Outdoors

If the weather permits, head outdoors and take your family on a hike. December is undoubtedly the most expensive and stressful time of the year. Just being outside gives everyone a nice boost of vitamin D and physical activity is a shot of feel-good endorphins. The best part is it’s free!

3. Do Good

Go and do some good in the world. Whether it’s finding all the bell ringers in town and dropping money in the bucket, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or leaving a huge tip, this is the time to spread cheer. Find a cause that resonates with you and your family, and get involved! Last month we talked about ways to give back to veterans for Veteran’s Day. Guess what? Christmas is still a great time to give back to veterans. Take a peek at that post for some inspiration.

4. Ice Skate

Take your family ice-skating. Even though you can do this any old time of the year, ice skating at Christmas is something special. Wear scarves and beanies and go find your inner figure skater, or hockey player…whichever speaks to you.

5. See a Play

Watch a Christmas musical or play. White Christmas is a really fun musical to see, and The Christmas Carol is always moving. You can’t watch Scrooge transform from jerk to jolly and not be filled with the Christmas spirit. “God bless us everyone,” right?

Source: Weekend Notes

6. Christmas Candy

Make Christmas candy! This is the only time of the year where making candy is a thing. You do not want to miss out on it. If you’re not super confident in the kitchen, you can do something super easy and make Christmas Crack. Oh my word, this stuff is ridiculously delicious and addicting. That’s why it’s called crack. If you feel up to the task, Peppermint Patties are also absolutely delicious. Pack up your treats and divvy them out to your friends and neighbors!

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

7. Movie Marathon

If you’re not able to get out to watch an actual play you can have a Christmas movie marathon. My family always kicks off December with Elf and The Santa Claus. We pretty much have those movies memorized. The Home Alone franchise is also a great one to watch in a marathon, although I personally think they go downhill after they replace Macaulay Culkin.

Source: Moviefone

8. Game Night

Host a game night. You can get a large crowd together and have an old fashioned Bunco night. Or if you have younger children a really fun game is Pie Face. Actually, this game is fun for adults too. Games can be your salvation when your kids are on winter break. Stock up on things like Jenga, Uno, and Checkers to keep your kids from turning into screen zombies.

Source: Walmart

9. Random Acts of Kindness

Go do some random acts of kindness. Get your kids make some cards and take $30 (or more) worth of quarters to a laundry mat. Fill up the slots and leave the cards on the machines. It won’t cost you much, but you will serve a bunch of people in a sweet and unexpected way.

10. Tacky Party

Have a Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. Every year thrift stores get to charge ridiculous prices for hideous Christmas sweaters. Why? Because Tacky Christmas Sweater parties are always one of the biggest highlights of the season. Know one really knows why, exactly, so just embrace the ugly sweater and drink some punch.

Source: Esquire

11. Scavenger Hunt

Go on a photo scavenger hunt! Whether it be Nativity scenes, Disney montages, or just plain old Santa Claus, set a goal and see if you can get X amount of photos in X amount of time. You can use this printable to get you started!

Source: Someday Crafts

12. Spice Ornaments

Making spice ornaments is perhaps the easiest activity you could do with your kids this Christmas. They require three ingredients: applesauce, glue, and a boatload of cinnamon. They smell amazing and make really cute gifts for teachers and neighbors. You can even use them as gift tags. Check out this recipe and instructions to feel like you won Pinterest.

Source: Creative Me, Inspired You

13. Progressive Dinner

Get some friends, neighbors, or family members to help you put together a progressive dinner. This is a fun way to have a party without having to spend a ton of money. It’s also a great way to see each other’s homes decorated for Christmas. If you need ideas on how to get started Taste of Home is a great resource for learning how to put together a successful progressive dinner party.

14. Letter Writing

Write a really funny Christmas Letter. You know those letters that basically tell of all the successes of a family? Yeah, why not write one that is both realistic and funny? Letter writing is a lost art, and with social media most people do not feel it is necessary to update people on what is going on in their lives. Chances are you are already sending out a holiday card–why not include a little letter? This post is really helpful in planning out your Christmas letter and includes tips on how to not appear “braggy.”

Source: How Many Days Until Christmas 2016

15. Gingerbread House

Make a gingerbread house. I have had some major gingerbread fails in my day, but it doesn’t stop me from trying again each year. There’s something so fun about building a tiny house made of cookies, frosting, and candy. My kids enjoy it even more than I do and it’s an activity that gives everyone great memories. Want some gingerbread inspiration? Check out The Decorated Cookie’s roundup of gingerbread creations.

Source: The Decorated Cookie

We hope this little list gives you some ideas for making this December truly superior. If you have any other ideas you would like to add, feel free to post in the comments!