Sundae Funday {Ice Cream Party}

Do you ever have moments in life when you actually have to pinch yourself?  This past weekend I did!  You see, awhile back my friend Jane and I were swapping ice cream making tips and came up with the idea to host a "Sundae Funday" party.  We wanted to keep it casual, fun and make it a great way to beat this Portland heat wave.

At the end of the night, when I was shutting down the house, my phone was flooded with texts, emails, tweets and Instagram love. Everyone seemed to have a genuinely fantastic time!!! That is when the pinching came into play.  You see, my ultimate goal as a hostess and friend is that my guests leave thinking "I am so glad I attended!!  I can't imagine a better way to spend my evening."  

The Guests

After determining the the key things, like when and where, decide the who.  While this could be a great party for families, kids, and couples; we decided to have it be a ladies only event.  We invited 16 ladies and 12 attended.  Having one dozen guests was a perfect amount!!  There were enough people that we had a variety of toppings, but, still intimate enough for everyone to chat, meet and catch up.  

Jane and I were very thoughtful when making the guest list.  There were a good amount of bloggers, but, we also invited some of our own friends.  Knowing everyone has amazing, sparkly personalities.  Trust me, this is always the most important part of any party.  The people!!

Ice Cream Flavors

Since Jane and I both love making ice cream we each decided to make two.  Jane made Cake Batter and Bacon {my favorite} and I made Peach and Cookies'n'Cream.  We also picked up vanilla ice cream and two small dairy free options.  The homemade ice creams were such a hit!!  It worked out very well having a balance of fruity, chocolaty, sweet and savory options!  It was also very fun pairing the flavors.  The Peach and Bacon combo was life changing.

Ice Buckets

To keep the ice cream as cold as possible we used a few medium sized plastic tubs.  These ones are from the Dollar Tree and have been amazing!!  I highly recommend them.  We filled the buckets 3/4 of the way with ice and plenty of kosher salt.  The salt helps keep the ice cold and prevents melting. I'd seen the trick on Pinterest and it is amazing!!

Toppings Bar

For the toppings bar, we asked all of our guests to please bring their favorite toppings!  There were fresh berries, candy bars, sauces, gummi bears, whipped cream and HOMEMADE fluff!!  Having this as the designated "What can I bring"  not only helped us out, but, it was also really fun to see what everyone brought.  We were also able to make some really unexpected  combinations.

 

Vessels

I happen to have a very large Fiesta Ware collection, so, we used all of the teacups as our bowls.  Whether you use glass or paper vessels, make sure they are on the smaller side.  By having smaller containers it forced everyone to make small sundaes. Think, a baby scoop with 2-3 toppings.  This allowed everyone to go back for seconds and thirds without feeling guilty or ill.  Before guests arrive set out all of the bowls, spoons, scoops and containers for toppings.

Refreshments

While milkshakes are amazing, be sure to have plenty of refreshments for guests.  We set out a large bowl of ice, pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, sparkling and still waters along with all of the glasses.  Guests were able to help themselves throughout the night and stay hydrated.