Gatherhaus had the unique pleasure of helping throw a delightful and joy centered Christmas party for a local North Minneapolis daycare. Rooted in the community and offering extra love and attention for hard-working families, Beautiful Beginnings Daycare owner and lead teacher Lashonda Flowers wanted to take time out of the hustle and bustle of the holiday and give her families a festive afternoon. Ms. Shon wanted her families to feel the joy of the season and to walk away feeling spoiled.
Choosing a location close to the daycare was key to the planning so families didn’t have to travel. We choose Harrison Community Center’s gym as it allowed space for dinner, games, a photo booth, crafting area and of course, all the room to run around and play!
Ms. Shon picked out a vintage 50’s Christmas invitation steeped in reds, pinks, white and teal with homemade ornaments. Decorations followed suit and allowed us some design nostalgia in recreating this children’s party look. Families arrived through a lighted snow flocked archway. A full comfort dinner of fried chicken, Mac and Cheese, sweet potatoes, and green beans was served. We made a special Christmas punch that was festive in color and flavor that paired nicely with the theme.
Tables wore spirited vintage colors and donned a centerpiece of bare homemade sugar cookies just waiting to be decorated. Next to them were bowls of frosting and sugar sprinkles which helped create dessert and a fun family activity all rolled into one. There was a craft table to make ornaments and momentos and festive music playing.
Part of the activities for the evening was a performance by the students and Ms. Shon for the parents. They sang and danced, twirling in their dresses and warming the hearts of every parent. When the performance was over, we brought out hot cocoa with marshmallows while a parent read “Twas the Night before Christmas” to the kids. They sat on pillows and snuggled under blankets sipping their cocoa completely entranced.
While everyone was already seated around the tree, Ms. Shon still had two extra surprises! She had handpicked a toy for every child to take home. And not to be outdone by herself, two weeks earlier, Shon had the kids paint mugs for each of their parents to be given out at the party so no one was left without a gift. I watched as parents unwrapped these precious tokens of a rare time in their kids’ lives that they would have forever. Hand prints, and scribbles that say mama and daddy.
It was a meaningful experience to bear witness to the love and care of Ms. Shon to her families and their love for each other. It was a special night to bring magic to her families. The magic of time, love and hope. A chance to connect outside of business and return to being mothers, fathers, children, and friends together.
It is a testament to the center Ms. Shon runs that her deepest desire was to make sure families knew they were loved and appreciated.
To Beautiful Beginnings, thank you so much for allowing Gatherhaus to be a part of your special night. What a gift to help set the stage for an enchanting Christmas party.
To those who want to know more about Beautiful Beginnings, they have been around for six years and are located at 725 Irving Ave Minneapolis 55411. They are currently expanding to offer more spaces to more Northside families.