Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Happy Fat Tuesday!


Our online customer care representative, Julius, was kind enough to share his King Cake with us (see left, yum!!!!)! Hailing from New Orleans, Julius has brought the cheer and fun of Mardi Gras, which begins on Jan. 6th, to Psycho Baby, and we have learned so much that we would like to share with you! Here's our tips for a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras celebration with the kids at home or on the go in New Orleans!


Party on at home...

-Make your own masks using the classic paper plate, string and glitter combo! Since Mardi Gras celebrates diversity, we love starting with the classic paper plate palette and then jazzing it up beyond your widest dreams! While we love the classic gold, green and purple of Mardi Gras, we say go hog wild, adding bits of construction paper or extra plates, markers, crayons and more to make the coolest masks ever!
- Make a mini float out of an old cardboard box! A perfect group project, kids can pick a theme or just have fun creating a "giant" version of something they adore!
- Have a parade around the play room with your floats and masks and costumes - just don't forget the beads, glitz and music!
- Order a specialty King's Cake straight from New Orleans! Julius recieved one from Haydel's Bakery and was kind enough to share! This yummy cake is based on the story of the epiphany and the Wise Men. A sculpted braided round pastry, the King's Cake is beautifully decorated and comes with a surprise good luck charm inside. Varying from a coin to plastic babies, the "finder" receives good luck and gets to host the party next year! (I was the lucky recipient of ours, and I do have to say that it was like winning the lottery, and I can't wait to host the fun next year!) After a special Mardi Gras lunch or dinner where you eat in your costumes, the King's Cake makes the perfect ending to a fun and Fat Tuesday, the last day of Mardi Gras!

If you visit New Orleans don't miss....
-The Mardi Gras parades! Get the routes on the bigeasy.com
- Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World! Get a tour of the digs where some of the coolest floats are created! While you're there, take a trip to the Prop Shop (wheee!) and grab a tour which includes a visit to the costume shop! The fun begins when you set off for Mardi Gras World, which is a ferry ride away from Canal Street!
-Storyland! Part of the City Park Attractions, Storyland features over 25 famous scenes from books that kids can play away on! Storyland is a fun and imagination-filed play date, but remember that all City Park Attractions are closed on Fat Tuesday!
-Bonus pick from Julius: the Lousiana Children's Museum full of family fun!

image courtesy of haydelbakery.com

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