A new look for some old favourites in 2013

At TheBigParty.ie we find that with children’s characters there are two types of popular ranges.

Firstly the ‘new kid in town’ which appears on TV and is suddenly the one everyone wants. For example last year we had ZingZillas on CBBC and The Muppets movie. However, once the first series is over, and the production company are busy trying to get out a second one, it fades from the screen and is quickly forgotten by most. That’s why we have a great SALE section where we clear the items remaining at a huge discount. You can see some great items for just €1 such as Winnie the Pooh, Power Rangers, Handy Manny and few more.

Secondly we have the ‘old favourites’ some of which have been on screen in movies and TV shows for 50 years. What young boy or Dad could say no to a Spiderman party? 2013 is a great year for any parent or child who loves these ‘old favourites’ because many of the best and most popular have been given a revamp. Given a new look for 2013 are:

Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Cars
Toy Story
Spiderman
 

These are among the most popular characters each and every year but 2013 is going to be even bigger with many new products added to all of the ranges.

The big question is who will enjoy the party more? Will it be the parents or the children?

Introducing Lalaloopsy to Irish customers

TheBigParty.ie have many new ranges for Spring 2013 so we thought it would be a good idea to offer a bit of background to the ranges some of which are arriving from the US where they are extremely popular.
Hopefully when your child wants a Lalaloopsy party supplies for their birthday party you will at least know who they are and where and when they originated.

Lalaloopsy is an American line of rag dolls. They were originally released in 2010 as Bitty Buttons but the brand name was changed to Lalaloopsy shortly after launch. They are very popular in the US. A variety of large and small Lalaloopsy characters have been released. In November 2010, the Lalaloopsy toy line won the "Large Doll" category in the People's Play Awards. Lalaloopsy's original dolls were described by CBS’s The Early Show November 2010 as "the hottest toy of the season."The catchphrase the characters use is ‘sew magical...sew cute’ so expect to hear your child saying this following the launch on Nick in March 2013.

MGA continually adds additional characters to the Lalaloopsy toy line. As of February 2012 there are over 50 characters. The main toyline includes 13-inch Dolls, the mini-series, and a variety of mini play-sets, plush dolls,as well as Lalaloopsy Littles, smaller siblings of the 13-inch dolls.

 

They have over 75,000 likes on FaceBook and there are many videos on Youtube, have a look for yourself www.youtube.com/lalaloopsy.

Ireland Top 5 themed parties for girls 2012

As we already did the boys top themes we thought it was time to ‘release’ our top 5 girls party themes of 2012.

At TheBigParty.ie we take order for boys and girls themed parties in equal measure so sales are broadly similar. The products on offer tend to reflect the assumed preference of girls for princesses and boys for cars and guns.

Based on sales the top 5 for 2012 were:

1.       Minnie Mouse

2.       Tangled

3.       Monster High

4.       Disney Princess

5.       Charming Horses
 

The themes are categorised between boys and girls and so assumes that a sale of Minnie Mouse is for a girl whereas Mickey Mouse is a boy and clearly this is not 100% accurate.

It is amazing how strong the Disney factor continues to be with many other Disney themes selling well in addition to those above.  This will no doubt continue in 2013.

Other strong sellers in 2012 were Pirate Girls & HippieChick.

Across all the themes customers are increasingly looking for value and the party pack range which offers all you need for a party with up to 16 guests for €29.95 proved very popular in 2012. Whatever theme is the big winner in 2013 it is clear that young boy’s will continue to want their favourite to be a feature of their party.

Pantone ‘Party’ Colour of 2013 Is Emerald Green!

Pantone has announced its 2013 color of the year and it’s a gem!  The color announced earlier this month is Emerald green, more specifically Pantone 17-5641. It now reigns as the hot new hue for 2013. 

Emerald green, described by the experts as “Lively.  Radiant.  Lush. A colour of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony” sounds like the perfect shade to surround yourself in this year.

With St. Patrick's Day upcoming it is a great time to decorate your home or business in the ‘colour of the year’

Check our top 10 decorating party sellers for St Patrick's Day and/or any green party in 2013 so you can inspire yourself.

1. Stovepipe TopHat with Shamrocks
2. Premium Emerald Green LatexBalloons
3. Plastic Green Martini Glass
4. Forest Green Paper Plates
5. St. Patrick's Day Inflatable Beer Cooler
6. Green Shimmer Star Confetti
7. Green Round Paper Lanterns
8. Glitter Shamrock Cutouts
9. Green Spiral Garland
10. Shamrock Strings Decoration

Oscar Night Party

 

The pinnacle of award season comes to a head at the Oscar awards on Sunday 24^th February, giving you a good excuse to have a few people over for celeb-watching.

Is there a better night to have a themed party that all your friends and family will enjoy and never forget?

Fast becoming Ireland’s most popular themed party night in homes, hotels and clubs a Hollywood party is easy to organise and always great fun.

 

All you need:

·         A red carpet to welcome your guests

      ·         Hollywood themed decorations
      ·         Cocktails
      ·         American themed food: pizzas,  brownies, cupcakes – you get the idea
      ·         Large screen TV

·         Friends & family

Where to source decorations and red carpet http://www.thebigparty.ie/productgroup/19/themed_parties.html

Tips for preparing your house http://housekeeping.about.com/od/timesavingideas/ht/partyprepclean.htm

Photographic party ideas on Pinterest                                                      http://pinterest.com/philZENdia/oscar-party-ideas/

Great Hollywood Party ideas http://www.party411.com/PlanYourParty/Theme/Hollywood/FilmAwardsParty.aspx

Ireland Top 5 themed parties for boys 2012

When parents are planning a party for their young boy’s birthday it is always worth knowing what is popular. TV shows and movies continue to be the biggest factor when it comes to popularity. Old favourites continue to be popular while ‘new kids on the block’ come through each year and then fade away.

TheBigParty.ie is Ireland’s number one online retailer of themed party decorations and tableware so are particularly well placed to assess what is hot and what is not! Themed parties outsell generic product by a wide margin.

Based on sales the top 5 for 2012 are as follows:

1.       Toy Story

2.       Jake and the Neverland Pirates

3.       Thomas the Tank Engine

4.       Mickey Mouse

5.       Cars

 

Also popular throughout the year were Fireman Sam & Camouflage. In addition the Soccer Themes are a big favourite with Manchester United coming out on top in that category.

Meanwhile themes such as Ben 10 and Spiderman faded in popularity and probably need a new show or movie to get the young children interested in them again.

Across all the themes customers are increasingly looking for value and the party pack range which offers all you need for a party with up to 16 guests for €29.95 proved very popular in 2012. Whatever theme is the big winner in 2013 it is clear that young boy’s will continue to want their favourite to be a feature of their party.

Retirement Party Ideas

Many people consider retirement to be one of the most relaxing and happy times of their life, however, others may approach this time with mixed emotion. Above all else, when you are planning a retirement party, be sensitive to the feelings of the retiree. All retirement celebrations should be as upbeat as possible, and should honor the life of the retiree.

As with any party, whether it be a milestone birthday party, anniversary etc., we recommend that you center your theme around the guest of honor’s interests, hobbies or hopes and dreams for the future. Does the retiree like sports, kick it off with some sports themed tableware and decorations, for wine and food lovers make a barbeque theme and wine tasting party, for passionate travelers you could create a travel the world themed party using a maps, guidebooks and international flags decorations. Creating a themed party is also an idea while getting a gift for the retiree and you should definitely stick with the theme. Or if the retiree has no special hobbies you could create the theme around, you could use the work history. If you have a retired teacher, why not to make the look of your place such as the one in the classroom? Find old books and school equipments and spread it around the house. If you are still not too sure, why not to stick with some nostalgic themes? You could collect some old photographs, print them and use them as a decoration around the house. Or simply use some popular party themes such as 50's or 60's party. Retro and rock 'n' roll parties are always a success!

After you make your selection, choose invitations, decorations, party favours and games/activities that match your theme. And don't forget choose some Retirement party supplies (available on our website http://www.thebigparty.ie/productlist/3/513/retirement_party.html) which will remind the retiree and the guests what is the party about.