When I was a kid, it was always exciting to attend a friend's birthday party. It was a chance for a whole bunch of us to get together and party! Of course, for a 7 year old, party meant games, entertainment, cake, lots of running around and PRESENTS!!! Whenever gifts were opened, we'd all gather 'round and wait with breathless anticipation, wanting to see what the next cool toy to be unwrapped would be. While the toys belonged to the birthday boy or girl, for a brief moment, at that party, we'd get to play with them too. That sense of wonder and discovery at unwrapping gifts always filled me with giddiness and bubbling excitement.

Imagine then, the feeling I had when not only did the birthday child get gifts, but we, as guests, got something too! Oh, that precious loot bag; it was like I got a little mini birthday for myself as well. Nothing could be greater. I'd reach inside the bag and slowly pulled out each item, one by one, savoring the discovery of each bauble. There would be an assortment of wonderful treasures, from noisemakers to temporary tattoos, from little pocket games to candy treats. The best part...they were all mine! Yes, these were my little toys to take home.

To this day, I still treasure that feeling. Let's face it, most of us do. Even as grown-ups, we still enjoy getting a little something at parties. If you've been to a wedding, you probably received a small party favour from the bride and groom. Sometimes it's candy, sometimes it's a keepsake to commemorate the event. Whatever it is, it's always wonderful to receive.

At BirthdayPartyMagic.ca, we're keeping that feeling alive. Loot Bags are now available with all the terrific treasures that will make your guests jump with glee! Check out the available selections right here.

For your next party, a little Loot Bag goes a long way to making memories that last.

This past weekend was just perfect weather wise. The sun was out. It was warm, but not oppressive or muggy. There was a light cool breeze. It was perfect. It also happened to be an insanely busy time for my Bouncy Castle rental. I don't know why, but it's like everyone wanted it for that weekend. Sure, I drove all over town setting up and tearing down the bouncy over and over again, but isn't that the point? Business was as good as the weather.

During the numerous bouncy gigs, I noticed a phenomenon that kept happening. I'd show up and set up the bouncy. The kids would immediately jump in. I'd come back a few hours later, and the same kids would still be bouncing around like crazy. The parents would look at me and simply say: They haven't stopped! Big smiles were on everyone's faces.

At one party in particular, I witnessed the cutest thing. I had returned to pick up the bouncy after a 2 hour rental. The older kids were still jumping. Next to the bouncy, all splayed out in a lawn chair, was a 3 year old boy. He was completely passed out. His father explained that the child had bounced non-stop for over 90 minutes. He then got out of the bouncy, pulled up a chair right next to it so he could be close, and decided he needed a little rest. Within seconds of sitting down, the child was sleeping soundly, having burned up all his energy. The parents were thrilled that the kids all had so much fun, and that the rest of the brood would be going to bed early after having bounced so hard. Mom and Dad would get a nice quiet evening to themselves!

So parents, take note! Not only will the bouncy castle make the kids happy, not only will they burn up all of their excess energy, but you just might get a nice little night to yourselves afterwards. Rent your bouncy castle today!!!

The average child will attend approximately 5 to 10 birthday parties a year. That's a whole lot of partying going on. Sadly, most of those parties will blend into one big montage of party memories in their minds because most of these celebrations don't really stand out. Parties seem to follow a basic formula: Kids arrive, kids play a few party games, kids eat, kids have cake & ice cream, presents are opened, kids go home. The end. This common party practice is fun on the spot, but hardly creates any lasting memories.

So how do you make your party stand out? Two ideas come to mind. The first is to provide some kind of special entertainment (magic shows, balloon animals, face painting, super heroes,...) Yes, I know this seems like a shameless plug for www.birthdaypartymagic.ca, but the fact remains that memorable entertainment makes for memorable parties. However, that's not the focus of this blog. No, today we're focusing on the second idea: the party theme.

Theme parties are an easy way to make the ordinary extra-ordinary! With a simple idea and a few decorations, you can transform your event into an enchanted kingdom with knights and princesses, a jungle paradise, or simply a tribute to a favourite character!

Once you have your party theme, try to incorporate it into all the little things around the party. Having a Pirate party?..have a treasure hunt complete with map and hidden treasure chest. Having a Princess party?...have all the little girls dress up as their favourite princess and include a princess tea party with cupcakes. Having a dinosaur party?...go on an archaeological dig for fossils.

Let's visit a party I did just a few weeks ago. This was the Mickey Mouse* party of a lifetime. The hall was decorated in blacks, reds and yellows. The food, the desserts, even the service-ware was all Mickey themed. This was the ultimate Mickey bash!!!

In all honesty, the Mickey party was probably the biggest themed event I had ever seen. Most households go for something smaller yet still lots of fun. As a magician, I often get parents who go along with the Magic theme, providing kids with top hats and wands. Of course, Harry Potter** themes are still going strong with the older kids.

The point is this, with just a bit of imagination and decorating, you can truly make a party stand out amongst the rest. Whether you spend $20 on decorating, or go all out and hire a professional party planner (I recommend Lil' Expressions Party Planning), you can easily create a lasting impression

* Mickey Mouse is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company

** Harry Potter is a registered trademark of Warner Bros.

I've had many great moments in my life, but none greater than the chance to talk face to face with one of the world's greatest living legends. Below is a transcript of the interview session we had.

IQ: Captain, you're obviously a great American hero, what brings you to Canada's capital?

Captain: Well Ian, first off, I'd like to say it's a great pleasure to be here. Ottawa is a beautiful city and the folks here are very friendly. I came to Canada as part of an exchange program to promote Super Hero parties.

IQ: Super Hero parties sound like a lot of fun. Is anyone invited to these parties or do I need "Top Security" clearance?

Captain: No Ian, anyone can host these parties right in their own homes. They're usually done when a young boy or girl celebrates a birthday party.

IQ: That does seem like an ideal setting. So all ages can attend then?

Captain: Truth be told, kids under 3 might have a little difficulty following everything going on. These parties include loads of activities. But we believe in equal fun for all, so we don't worry too much about age.

IQ: What can one expect to do at these Super Hero parties?

Captain: Alright, let me take you through a typical party. When I arrive on the scene, I'm ready to party with the kids. High fives all around. Recruitment then takes place. All the kids want to be Super Heroes, so I take them through basic training (fun stretches & Super Hero exercises). Of course, physical training is only the beginning.
            Next up, I train their minds. this is done through guessing games and hero trivia. You'd be amazed at how much kids know about Super Heroes! Afterwards, it's time to introduce my sidekick. He's a soft, cute, plushy, mini version of me. My sidekick is instrumental in 3 fun-filled games we play: "Catch that Super Hero", "Hot Potato Super Hero", and "Dunk that Super Hero". It's an absolute blast.
            When it's time for my sidekick to take a break, we'll play "Mr. Freeze Dance" and "Super Hero Piggy Backs". If there's time, we might even play a little Super Tag. If my colleague, the Starfighter, is performing at the party, there's even a lightsaber training session!

IQ: Wow, I'm exhausted already. There's certainly a lot going at these Super Hero parties. Let me ask you though, does the birthday child get anything special? It is his or her special day, after all.

Captain: Of course, they do! When it's all done, the birthday child gets a special Super Hero Birthday certificate. It's the official proof that they graduated from Super Hero Academy! It's a great school. I graduated with honours. Class of '41.
            Of course, being a Super Hero means always being helpful. If mom or dad want a little help serving the birthday cake and singing, I'm always up to the challenge.

IQ: Let's go back a bit. Earlier, you made mention of your colleague, the Starfighter. Do any of your Hero friends help you out with these parties?

Captain: When you call BirthdayPartyMagic.ca for a Super Hero party, you have a choice of several heroes. There's myself, of course, the Captain. There's also my Spider friend, and a couple of Bats (both classic and movie versions). And as I've mentioned, there is the Starfighter from a galaxy far, far away. Of course, as time goes by, we'll be recruiting more heroes to the roster.

IQ: So many heroes to choose from.

Captain: Excuse me Ian, I've just received a call on my communicator. Duty calls. I have to go perform a Super Hero party now.

IQ: Thanks for joining me Captain. Have fun!

  There you have it, folks. If you want to book the Captain, or his Super Hero friends (the Spider, the Bat or the Starfighter), just visit www.birthdaypartymagic.ca or call 613-860-4747613-860-4747.

"Our birthday party service is intended as a fan representation only.  The characters that we offer are NOT name brand copyrighted characters; we only have professional theatrical costumes. Any resemblance to nationally known copyrighted characters is strictly incidental and unintentional. We only accept bookings from those who are aware that we do not represent any licensed birthday party character, nor represent them by their licensed name."