Winnie the Pooh Party – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

We hosted our very first Movie night last weekend courtesy of Mommyparties.com and Oral-B Stages and it was a blast!

Two weeks prior to the viewing of Winnie the Pooh the kiddos sat down and made a list of the friends they would like to invite to the Movie night and we sent out the invitations (movie tickets provided, too cute!). We requested that all our guest come in their pajamas, bring a pillow pet, snuggy, or pillow/blanket of their choice to cozy up with while they watched the movie, and to be certain to bring their movie ticket.

OralBStages 098 — These adorable movie admission tickets were provided as exclusive invites to the private showing of Winnie the Pooh movie. They really helped define the night and add to the excitement.

The anticipation seemed to mount with each passing day until it was finally the day of the movie viewing. When the doorbell rang announcing our first guest the kiddos made a mad dash to the door, screaming in pure excitement as the greeted their friend. When the next guest arrived they all joined in again, stampeding to the door and screaming with delight, (why do we lose this genuine excitement as adults? I can’t remember the last time I greeted my husband after he came home from work in the same fashion, I might try it some time. He will either love it or think I am a raging lunatic). It continued on like this until the last guest arrived.

OralBStages 024 — As guests entered our home they were greeted by one of our little ones who took their coats and this visual.

OralBStages 004 — The Best of Pooh CD played in the background as guest were greeted and made their way to the concession stand.

After the kiddos greeted our guest and took their coats they then directed them to the concession stand where they could get some goodies to eat and enjoy during the show.

OralBStages 035 — Little Roo Juice (apple juice) and cup with each child's name on it.

OralBStages 013 — Eeyore’s Tails (Pretzel Rods with Pink Marshmallows for Eeyore’s bow)

OralBStages 026 — Pretty Pink Piglet Treats (Graham Crackers with strawberry cream cheese and a slice of strawberry on top).

OralBStages 032 — Mini Pooh Kabobs (small pretzel sticks with sliced grapes, strawberries, and bananas).

OralBStages 011 — The kiddos favorite treat that night was the Make your own Hundred Acre Wood Trail Mix (Chex cereal, Cheerios Cereal, chocolate covered pretzels, mini M&Ms, and peanuts).

OralBStages 030 — Rabbit’s Carrots (of course no a single child touched these, wishful thinking).

By far the favorite treat was the Make your own Hundred Acre Wood Trail Mix.

Once everyone had their goodies it was time to form a line and hand your tickets to the usher (one of our kiddos) to enter the theater (our family room, we rearranged the furniture and moved out the coffee table so that there was plenty of space for the kiddos).

OralBStages 047 — The kiddos lined up for the show (it was difficult to capture the moment; they were so excited they could stand still).

Once everyone located a spot to call their own on the floor, had there goodies in their hands, the excitement started to build again and the noise level was rising. So, as a nice way to introduce the sponsor of the event and calm the children down prior to the movie, they were instructed to put on their thinking caps for a fun Oral-B Stages Flashcards game. The flashcards illustrated images that help maintain healthy dental care (included apples, milk, dentist, child brushing their teeth, etc.)and fun Oral-B Stages products (toothpaste and toothbrush) and a few questions towards the end acted as the perfect transition from the flash card game to the movie quite nicely (for example, one card had a picture of Oral-B Stages Toothpaste with an image of Winnie the Pooh on it and asked, what color shirt is Pooh wearing?).

OralBStages 050 — The flash cards were a great way to promote dental health for youngsters.

OralBStages 052 — The flash cards really captivated their attention and the moms were impressed to hear their children shouting out the answers.

After the Flashcards it was time for the movie. Lights were dimmed and the movie started.

I was amazed at how well the children did watching the movie giving the fact that the viewing audience was between 15 months and 5 years-old. Granted there were one or two who had a difficult time staying seated but for the most part the children stayed engaged in the movie until intermission.

OralBStages 055 — Some kiddos hit the concession stand a few more times…CAUGHT YA!

¾ of the way through the movie it was paused for a brief intermission. All the children were asked to go back to the front room where they first entered the home to receive their goody bags. Each child was handed their bag and then found a spot on the floor to go through the exciting gifts that waited inside. You would have thought it was Christmas morning as each child removed the items from their goody bags, the noise level rose, excitement was in the air. The children could be heard yelling “I have Toy Story Toothpaste….I have Princess Toothpaste….Me got Winnie the Pooh teeth brush….Cars, I have Cars toothpaste” while the youngest ran up to the nearest adult trying to get them to open her toothbrush. It was amazing to see how excited the children were but the excitement wasn’t just limited to the children. The parents’ faces also exuded enthusiasm realizing that they were going home with a new toothbrush for their kiddo, toothpaste, Naturals Lavender & Chamomile Hair & Body Baby Wash, and coupons for future Oral-B purchases, AWESOME!

OralBStages 063 — All the kiddos were so eager to brush their teeth…a mother’s dream come true, thanks Oral-B!

To add to the fun all the kiddos were told that they may go upstairs to the restroom and brush their teeth.

And off they went, it was a mad dash to the bathroom were the kiddos crowded into one of the more confined spaces in our home and took turns brushing their teeth with their new toothbrushes and tooth paste while the parents stood directly outside in the hall where a conversation started brewing.

OralBStages 069 — Surprisingly with all those brushers not one child accidentally spit on another child

Moms started talking about the various dental products on the market for children. We all agreed that we are no dentist and we do not know much about the ergonomics or constructions of the toothbrush. That being said we did like the fact that the littlest ones could hold their toothbrushes and brush their own teeth with little, if any, assistance.

OralBStages 075 — 15-month-old learning that this teeth brushing thing is fun with characters like Winnie the Pooh and thanks to Oral-B Stages the tooth-brush is just her size.

The moms also discussed the fact that some of us have tried products by competitors, in particular a toothpaste brand that allows kiddos to decorate the products. Most moms agreed that the children had a blast decorating the products as they pleased but when it came down to actually placing the toothpaste on their toothbrushes they had difficulty. So mom or dad always had to step in when they used that product to help the child place toothpaste on their toothbrush which was not facilitating independent teeth brushing, which is our ultimate goal as parents. On the other hand Oral –B stages makes teeth brushing fun for the children and fosters independence, all the parents gave it two thumbs up. The only suggestion that was brought up was to better the products by including toothpaste for the youngest teeth brushers.

After the kids had a chance to brush their teeth everyone went back downstairs to finish watching the movie eager to see if Piglet ever gets all of his friends out of the hole.

OralBStages 079 — Towards the end of the movie the kiddos almost got too comfortable.

Once the movie was over (tip for those who have not seen it yet, watch all the credits or fast-forward to the end there is a surprise waiting for you) the kiddos packed up their pillow and blankets, grabbed their goodies and placed them back in their bags, and put on their coats.

OralBStages 090 — Then it was time to say goodnight to our friends.

It was homeward bound where parents appreciated the fact that the kiddos were already in their pajamas and had already brushed their teeth so it would be straight to bed when they got home.

OralBStages 095 — A special thanks to Mommyparties and Oral-B Stages for making our movie night a night to remember.

A special thank you to Mommyparties and Oral-B Stages for providing the movie ticket invitations, balloons, popcorn boxes and popcorn, the Winnie the Pooh Movie, flashcards, bags, coupons, toothbrushes, toothpaste, product literature and hair and body washes for all the guests.