March Madness is upon us once again! Time to show your team spirit. Whether you’re going to the games, throwing a party, or just watching quietly at home, we’ve got what you need to represent your team.
It’s no coincidence that the Final Four is being held in the city best known for Mardi Gras. What do you have to take with you on any trip to New Orleans? Beads! They’re the perfect way to show your team spirit at the game. We have beads in all the colors of the teams playing this year. Kansas Jayhawks can distinguish themselves from Ohio State Buckeyes with the addition of blue to their crimson or red. And if you’re going to the big rivalry game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Kentucky Wildcats, you want to make sure that your side is covered with either blue and white or scarlet and grey. Silver makes a nice alternative to grey, and the shiny metallic finish is eye-catching.
Throwing a party for the games? In addition to beads for your guests, you’ll want to do a little decorating. Some red or blue fringe around the table, or garland on the walls, go a long way toward creating the perfect festive environment. A few small foam basketballs scattered on the table make a cute and inexpensive decoration.
Those long, warm afternoons are back, and with them, it’s time to head outside. This time of year is perfect for outdoor entertaining, and we’ve got the perfect accessories to make sure your get together is memorable be it a family reunion party or a Fourth of July celebration.
Whether you catch your seafood in a boat or at the grocery store, no fish fry, crab boil or crawfish boil would be complete without our festive “Summer by the Sea” napkins, plates, and invitations. A few plastic crabs and crawfish scattered on the tables make a great decoration. Of course, don’t forget the beads. Shrimp beads, fish beads, crab beads…we even have corn and potato beads to go along with the crawfish.
If you are just throwing a few burgers and dogs on the grill? You’ll still probably want a tablecloth. Our 54”x 108” plastic rectangle table cloths make sure you have enough to cover the whole table, and make clean up afterward a snap.
Serving drinks is also a breeze with all of the options we have. Margaritas or hurricanes, martinis or iced tea, we’ve got you covered. Light up glasses are great for those evenings outdoors that last well past sunset. Even if you’re just serving cans out of a cooler, an assortment of huggers will help you remember which one is which.
Just make sure you don’t run out of ice! Which we do not sell at Toomey’s Mardi Gras, but we can help you with the rest.
Parties happen every weekend. Some parties are for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries. Some of the most fun and exciting parties are thrown for special holidays. One of the most fun holidays to have a party for is the Fourth of July. So much fun, excitement, and patriotism is already involved in this holiday, that a party is just waiting to happen. We would like to take this time to introduce some new party ideas to really set your party apart this year.
On the Fourth of July, most everyone already has some routines they follow every year. Grills are usually going in your neighbors’ yards, kids are out playing enjoying the nice summer weather, and of course there are the fireworks. The highlight of most celebrations happen when the sun goes down, and the night sky is lit up with fireworks. This is a fun and exciting time for everyone. Who doesn’t like to watch the magic of fireworks lighting up the sky in various designs and colors? For some though, there are concerns. Thousands of fireworks related injuries a year and you may feel that your child is not old enough to participate directly. So if you want your small child to still feel a part of all the action, try some of these ideas to keep them safe while still having a blast. Light up swords,necklaces, toys, and glow sticks are great ways for them to help light up the night. All these items are safe ways for the younger kids to participate in the celebrations, without any risk of injury.
Another unique way to help bring a little extra to your party is by having favors to hand hand out. Several options are available to give to your guest to help remind them later on down the year, how much fun they had at your party. A bag or two of Red, White, and Blue themed beads will give your guest something to wear during the day, then be able to display or keep it to help remember all the fun after the party is over. Fourth of July Beads can be displayed year round, so your guest will appreciate the party favor.
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Decorations are another great aspect to a successful party. Most people do not get heavily involved with Fourth of July party decorations, since the party is outside, and people feel it is unnecessary to do anything special. Even working on a budget there are options to add a little patriotism to your event. If you will have tables set up for food, try adding some skirting to the tables to bring a little life to the tables. If you have some trees in the yard, hang some mobiles in them, windsocks, or even lights. So now you see, even on a limited budget, Toomey’s Mardi Gras has safe, entertaining, and affordable options to make your party the best in town.
It’s finally here, time to start celebrating the Irish culture and history of St. Patrick. Different people like to do varying activities to have a great time. Some like to run off all that extra energy by participating in fun runs and walks. Some are more likely to be seen eating traditional Irish foods, and some just want to take a seat, enjoy some Irish beer and listen to music and socialize. No matter what you like to do this St. Patrick’s day, you are sure to find it close by. We want to go over some of the local activities going on in the Mobile, AL area.
Luck of the Irish Cook Off- Kicking off at 11:00 AM on March 17 at Bienville Square, Downtown Mobile, AL. Admission is $10.00 in advance, or $15.00 at the gate. Great cook off involving teams serving their Irish themed dish from tents all over Bienville Square.
Luck of the Irish Parade- Parade that will roll through the streets of downtown Mobile, AL. It will follow the GMAC Parade route.
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Entertainment:
Celtic Symphony–A Shamrock Celebration- High energy concert that will incorporate Celtic and Irish music. The Celtic band Mithril will make its third appearance for the concert. The shows will start on March 17 at 8:00 PM and a matinee will run on the 18th at 2:30PM at the Seanger Theater.
Paddy O’Tooles- Great music, Irish themed food, and of course Green beer.
Bienville Business Club- Mystery of the Missing Leprechaun. A can’t miss murder mystery dinner that is filled with action. 3 course meal included, along with a show and music. Cash bar available.
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With all these events and more going on, everyone is sure to have a happy St. Patrick’s day this year. Where ever you find yourself celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, be sure to stop by Toomey’s Mardi Gras to get yourself something Green!
It’s almost time to start thinking about Easter Basket ideas for your children. Some parents enjoy stuffing those baskets full with candies, while some prefer to mix in some toys to encourage kids to go out and play. Either way there is a cost efficient way to get those baskets filled up and ready to go this year. If your child reacts well to waking up with a basket filled with treats to enjoy on Easter try adding some new items in this year. The popularity of the Moonpie has spread nationwide. While it is heavily associated with Mardi Gras, it is available year round, so use it to bring a smile to their faces this Easter. Available in Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Coconut, Orange, and the newest crunch varieties Peanut Butter and Mint. You will be sure to find a flavor your child will love. Another great choice is to buy a bulk box of Assorted Candy to help fill those baskets to their brink. This option allows for your children to enjoy a variety of candy so they don’t get worn out of eating a single type of candy.
If you want to encourage your children to wear off some of that energy they got from the surplus of candy in the baskets, try adding some fun play items. There are options available to keep your kids entertained for hours outside while you prepare that wonderful Easter dinner. With a variety of options available from sports balls, to frisbees, and trinkets, your kids will be sure to burn off some of that sugar. With a assortment of sports balls available, your child will find one that will suit their interest no matter what it is. The assorted styles of frisbees will keep them running around all day, and with our new light up versions, even the night is open for excitement. Maybe your child wants to imagine being a knight or adventurer. With a variety ofswords and shields, they will be able to open up their imagination and save the backyard from whatever adversary they dream up. Or maybe they would prefer to dress up, and adorn themselves with bracelets, necklaces, and tiaras and be a wonderful princess for the day. What ever the case may be, let your child have all the excitement they want with smart purchases from Toomey’s Mardi Gras
Imagine the excitement of standing amongst thousands of people, waving your hands and screaming at the top of your lungs, to try and be one of the lucky few that get to go home with the fabled Golden Coconut. This has been a Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans for years. Originating in the early 1900, coconuts were used as Mardi Gras throws by the Krewe of Zulu. They were used because at the time Mardi Gras Beads were manufactured out of glass, which was more costly than beads are nowadays. The Krewe threw the coconuts that were often painted gold with glitter covering them. Another option onlookers could expect were coconuts painted with the Zulu faces on them. This tradition carried on for many years until the late 1980’s when the city decided that continuing to use coconuts as throws caused to much of a danger to the people trying to catch them. Not wanting the tradition to end, the Krewe of Zulu decided instead to hand the coconuts out instead of throwing them.
Another example of an explosion of popularity of a Mardi Gras throw began with the introduction of the Moonpie. The Moonpie originated by the Chattanooga Bakery in the early 1900’s as a cheap lunch option to miners working in Tennessee. It wasn’t until 1956, in Mobile, AL, that the Moonpie became a famous Mardi Gras throw. The rest is history. It instantly became a hit among the locals and visitors to the Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile. The popularity then spread along the coast to other popular Mardi Gras destinations. It is now one of the most recognized Mardi Gras throws. Available in several different sizes and flavors, people go crazy to fill their bags up with this marshmallow-based snack. Some people stick with traditional flavors like banana or chocolate, while others crave the flavors of recently released flavors like Peanut Butter or Mint. No matter where they come from, it is hard to find someone that just can’t resist the flavor of this popular Mardi Gras throw.
Here at Toomey’s Mardi Gras we love to stay up to date with the latest Mardi Gras throws and local traditions of Mardi Gras hotspots across the nation. So if you have a throw from your local parades that may be unusual or specific to your location we would love to hear about it. Feel free to comment, letting everyone that enjoys our blog know what your various local traditions entail. If you happen to be one of the unfortunate people that do not get to enjoy the Mardi Gras celebrations but still want to flaunt a piece of Mardi Gras tradition or see what all the hype is about on these Moonpies, feel free to stop by Toomey’s Mardi Gras to browse and order some Mardi Gras favorites.
It’s getting close to that time of year again. Time for drinking green beer, wearing articles of clothing with green, and leprechauns roaming the trees in Mobile, AL. While Saint Patrick’s day is most commonly known for its pub filled parties and lavish parades, the true celebration of Saint Patrick is missed by the masses.
Saint Patrick was a very well known Religious figure in Irish history. He was born in 387 AD and was to follow in his family’s footsteps within the church. At the young age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish Raiders, where he was held captive at a location still in speculation today. But in a dream God revealed his plan for Saint Patrick. He was to escape his captives, and flee to the coastline where he would find a ride on a boat to Britain. Soon after fulfilling his dream from God he studied and became a priest and is known for diminishing the Irish Pagans. He used a shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity to the Pagans. This illustration has become the foundation of the present day Celebrations. He spent the rest of his life spreading the word of God and ridding the Irish of their Pagan beliefs. Several different accounts have his death place and date at different locations and times. But once the Irish started fleeing their land due to fears of starvation, they spread what has most commonly believe to be his death date on March 17 in Downpatrick.
To this day the yearly celebration of Saint Patrick is growing every year. As more and more Irish influence spread across the world, there are few places that do not recognize and celebrate him in some way. The most commonly used way to celebrate is with large gatherings and celebrations that includes outdoor theatrical performances, fireworks, parades, and of course drinking green beer. One unknown fact about early celebrations of Saint Patrick is that the original color associated with the festivities was actually blue. Over the years it is unsure how green overtook blue, but it is more than likely due to the association of green with the shamrock, which is another historically used item to celebrate.
In many cities across the world the celebration begins up to three days before the official St. Patrick’s Day. During this time people gather to celebrate and have a good time with friends and families. People will gather along the streets for parades put on by Irish pubs or organizations. During the parade people can expect to see an array of items from green beads, green umbrellas, green flowers, and many other St. Patrick’s Day throws. Bagpipes and Irish drummers are a common site on most parade routes. People can be seen enjoying a glass of green beer, or several other Irish originating drinks. One more thing you want to make sure you do on St. Patrick’s day is wear something green. If not, it is commonly practiced to pinch someone that is caught not wearing green in some form or fashion.
No matter what kind of celebration you might be attending this year, be sure you have a good time, wear something green, and take a few moments to reflect on why you are celebrating. And if you just can’t seem to find that certain green piece to wear to protect against the pinches, don’t forget Toomey’s Mardi Gras carries a vast selection of St. Patrick’s Day Decorations and St. Patrick’s Day Beads to choose from..
