Mickey & Minnie -2yr- Mickey Shaped Sandwiches

Mickey & Minnie Mouse Party for 2 yr.-old twins (boy/girl).  A theme that represents something my twins are crazy about, and one that would be fun for other small children.  The \*INVITATIONS\* were sent in unique shaped envelopes (tall and thin) and filled with Disney magic (colorful confetti with mouse ears punched from black construction paper - purchased from stamping/scrapbook store).  The invite itself was made from traditional Mickey/Minnie colors - red, white, yellow and black papers - with Mickey and Minnie saying, "The twins will be two, and want to celebrate with you!  Experience the magic at…(list the details)."  The invitation was a hit and set the theme for the party.  We decided to have the entire party outside in the backyard to add to the atmosphere and theme (and to accommodate 31 people comfortably). 

DECORATIONS:  We rented tables and arranged them so the twins and other "little people" were at a child-size table in the center of a circle made up of larger tables around it -thus keeping everyone together and able to see the children.  We decorated tables in yellow and red plastic - alternating tables, then made Minnie and Mickey centerpieces by enlarging some Disney clipart, and attaching it to bottles with large red sprays of tinsel shooting out of the middle.  The plates and glasses were Mickey and Minnie with red and yellow utensils all purchased from BirthdayExpress.com.  Since the children love balloons, we filled 100 red, yellow and black balloons and decorated the backyard - it was so festive!  We also had bubbles, hundreds of bubbles! 

ACTIVITY:  We wanted to give the yard a magical feel, so we created a bubble station.  The bubble station was lots of fun and consisted of homemade bubbles (easy to make - www.teachnet.com) with equipment/wands for all ages and difficulty.  I also rented a bubble machine ($10/day) that produced tiny bubbles all day - it was a wonderful touch and added so much to the Minnie and Mickey magic.  Two more items set the Minnie & Mickey stage - two huge cardboard boxes wrapped in red Mickey Mouse paper with a big yellow bow, consisting of two Mickey/Minnie plates attached back to back with glue and lots of yellow, curled ribbon.  (underneath the boxes were bright red tricycles)  The twins were dressed in complementing Mickey/Minnie clothing, made by Grandma with fabric found at Wal-Mart.  The guests were dressed (mostly) in Mickey/Minnie t-shirts, or the mouse colors, and were all given mouse ears to wear.  

CAKES:  The cakes (of course there were two!) were Mickey and Minnie from Wilton pans (purchased off eBay some Mickey’s are retired) and very EASY to decorate!  One star tip, and that's it.  If I can do it, anyone can!  The first cake (Minnie) took about two hours, and the second cake(Mickey) only one hour. 

FOOD:  The food also kept with the theme - remember those picnic lunches that Mickey, Minnie & Friends would pack?  We had:  Sandwiches shaped liked mouse ears, A brightly colored fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries and pineapple Mickey/Minnie colors),   Cheesy Potatoes & Cheetos chips - since mice like cheese, Watermelon, A veggie tray, and Mickey Mouse juice boxes. 

GAMES: Since the children were very young - some too young for games, we kept the games very simple and played "Pin the nose on Mickey" and "Musical chairs" to songs sung by Mickey or Minnie on the Disney’s Classics cd. 

TREAT BAGS:  The children were given Mickey/Minnie treat bags which were decorated with clipart (just a general Disney clipart search on the internet).  They included:  Mickey Mouse fruit snacks great for the ride home, Minnie Mouse hairclips for girls, Mickey sunglasses for boys, character pencils and lots of candy. 

THANK YOU NOTES:   They consisted of yellow card stock folded in half.  The front was a double matt of red and black, with a picture of the twins standing together with their Mickey & Minnie cakes, mounted in the center.  I punched black mouse ears (like the invitation) for the corners on front, and for inside message.  The message was typed in Mickey font and read:  Laughter, Bubbles, Ice Cream and Cake, Mickey Mouse and Minnie, Gifts that were great!  Thank You for a Magical Birthday!