Humana Grand Opening

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to do balloons for the Humana Grand Opening in Sandy, Utah. Here's what we did.

Columns at the entrance of their Suite.


The wind blew when I took the picture, but the letters spell HUMANA.

Pink and Brown

A few weeks ago we did a job for a graduation party. The colors of choice were pink and brown. This is a very popular combination right now and has been for the last couple years. It will be interesting to see how long this combination lasts. It is a yummy combination that has been used at The Utah Chocolate Show as well as for many weddings. Here are a few pictures from the event.

These little bundles were all around the room. It was very sweet.


A String of Pearls arch for the entrance to the event.


A string of pearls arch for the stage. This was during set up, but they were to have Polynesian Dancers for the program. Super fun!

Freedom Festival Baby Contest

This is the second year we have participated in America's Freedom Festival Baby Contest. This is a fun event that gets the whole community (especially those with children) beginning to think about the upcoming holiday. It is also a fun event because we are able to do some things we don't often do. This year, just as last, we did little baby pacifiers. I think these are so cute and they really tie into the event. We try to make them patriotic in feel as well. Along with the cute pacifiers we did a few string of pearls arches, balloon bundles, and balloon columns. Enjoy some of the pictures from the event and all the balloons you see are available at our online store. We can also do the decorating for you, just contact us.













The stage with a String of Pearl arch and 2 columns & A bunch of the pacifiers waiting to be set around the event.




















One of the patriotic columns for the awards ceremony.

Designed to Sell

"Designed to Sell" on HGTV (Home and Garden TV) recommends that when you are trying to sell your home, purchase colorful balloons to display at the end of your street and in front of your home during an open house. Balloons are noticeable and could attract buyers who may not see your house otherwise. This could be a big help in today's market where homes are selling...they are just selling a lot slower than a year ago. So, good luck with selling your home and remember balloons help any occasion!

Creative Balloon Delivery

Currently there are many teams playing for the NBA Finals in both the East and West Conferences. Apparently if your team wins, now is a good time to call us and rub it in your rival's face. Our company received a call to do a GREAT balloon delivery. A Laker fan wanted us to deliver a balloon bouquet to his co-worker (A Jazz fan). He ordered 2 deliveries, consisting of 36 balloons per delivery. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each delivery consisted of the Laker team colors (purple and yellow) as well as white balloons with phrases written on each balloon such as "Jazz out of tune". All these balloons were inflated well and floated quite high and lovely. The other balloons consisted of the Jazz colors (Light Blue and Dark Blue). These balloons were on smaller strings and were under-inflated so they wouldn't float as high. Some were even filled with air so they couldn't float. The client also requested we wear a Laker Jersey to the deliveries.

It was quite funny and showed that the possibilities are endless with balloons. Any kind of delivery can be done and when it comes to decor, the possibilities are even more endless. So...have fun with those rivalries and next time you need to send a triumphant message...remember balloons can make a statement!

Luau Season

Aloha!

It seems as if everyone is having a Luau lately. I think it is great! Luaus are a great way to celebrate a wedding, a birthday, graduation, or just to have an excuse for a party. The main ingredients for a luau are usually kalua pork, rice, fruit (especially pineapple) and in some cases poi.

There is also one very important part to every luau...the decor!

There are some important things that need to be remembered for your luau. You can use balloons, but there are also many party supplies available from Balloons to the Max. Here are some ideas and examples.

1. Grass skirts for hosts and/or guests.
2. Grass table skirts.
3. Leis (Check out our many varieties at www.balloonstothemax.com/store)
4. Flower curtains to cover the entrances and exits.
5. Finishing touches such as paper lanterns which Balloons to the Max has for as little as $1.00.
6. Centerpieces. You can put a glass bowl in the center filled with shells or shells and a lei coming out. If you are outside you can put water in the bowls and float flowers or tea candles.
7. BALLOONS. Not only can you use foil balloons that fit the theme, but there are great latex balloons for luaus. If you are really looking for something different give us a call and we can help you with palm tree centerpieces made from balloons or giant balloon palm trees that are about 10 feet tall. It will definately make your luau stand out.

To see some of the things we have available for your next luau visit our store and the luau page here http://www.balloonstothemax.com/store/index.php?cPath=60_57&osCsid=5353fa5f7b24f37d255d10c6d45c4492

The Wedding Season

The wedding season is fast approaching and in many cases it is here. Balloons can be a great way to make a wedding beautiful, special and unique. Most of the weddings you walk into you will hear few to no comments on the decor. The weddings you go to that use balloons will always get a comment. One of our most popular wedding decorations is a balloon canopy. It is an elegant way to dress up a hall or (weather permitting) cover your guests for the outdoor ceremony or dining. A decor idea many forget are centerpieces. You can make balloon sculptures or topiaries or simply decorate with a small cluster of helium balloons. Another fun option is to do a floral centerpiece that also includes balloons. We once did a small floral arrangement and mixed in small balloons, making them look like small glass balls in the arrangement. The client loved it and it was very different so it was commented on by almost everyone.

Wedding colors is also very important to a bride. People would be amazed at the unlimited number of colors available for weddings. We ususally take a sample of colors with us for our consultations and in every instance we have been able to match the bride's colors. You can often layer balloon colors to hit a specific color, but most of the time our standard colors are what they are looking for. Another popular option for the colors is to use pearlized balloons. These are the regular colors with a soft coating on the balloons making them have a pearl like exterior. These colors are beautiful and make any room elegant. Add special lighting and it will reflect off the balloons, making the room have a romantic glow. Another trend in weddings right now is to use neon colors. With the bright colors of spring and many colors of Gerber Daisies (popular flower right now for weddings), many are opting for neon/bright orange, pink, blue, green, etc. We have these balloons as well, making your indoor or outdoor wedding unforgettable and beautiful!

To see some wedding ideas and see some of the weddings we have worked on please visit our wedding gallery at http://www.balloonstothemax.com/weddings.html to see some of the many colors that are possible please see the color charts at http://www.qualatex.com/pages/color_chart.php

We hope your wedding day is unforgettable!

TV and Movie Challenge

Prior to working with balloons I simply never knew just how many uses there are for them. I also didn't realize just how often they are used in the media. I challenge you to watch TV and during the length of your sitcom or drama look for balloons used either in the show or in a commercial during that time. We started watching and noticed that almost every show we would watch, would either use balloons or there were balloons in at least one commercial during the duration of the show. We were further amazed to see the use of balloons in so many movies. Some movies that come to mind are Enchanted, My Best Friend's Wedding, even horror movies. We challenge you to check it out and start balloon hunting in the media.

Balloons and Learning

Balloons help everyone learn science. Below is a fun experiment you can try with your class or family. It is reccomended by the Balloon Council and is a great way to teach and learn. This experiment is to teach/learn about wind direction.

Children can use helium-filled balloons to observe wind direction. They will see that even a “steady” wind changes direction frequently and that it also changes its speed. You may want to also supply a magnetic compass if you will be comparing the direction in this manner or for a less formal approach you can indicate to the students which way is North, South, East and West.

Getting Started:
On the playground or from the classroom window, call the children's attention to the wind. How can we tell it is blowing? (From the classroom by watching leaves, branches or flags move. Outside you also can feel it.)

Which way is the wind blowing? What do we mean by “which way”? (From and to some compass direction. From the west and to the east, for example.) How could we measure the direction? (Use a magnetic compass.)

Collecting Data:
Wind Direction.
This experiment is done outside either with the entire class using one balloon or with children in groups, each group having a balloon.

Tie the helium-filled balloon to a string -- 20 to 50 feet long. Choose a site where the balloons will not get entangled on nearby objects. Tie a loop in the end of the string so it is easy to hold -- or tether it to a heavy object such as a hammer on the ground or a fence.

Have the students observe and comment on the fact that (assuming the wind is blowing) the string does not go straight up, but inclines at an angle away from the wind.

Have several children measure the direction the string inclines -- that is, the direction the wind is blowing -- with a magnetic compass. The children may need instruction on how to use a compass to measure directions. For example, they will need to know that the compass needle points north and when they hold the compass to measure a direction, they should hold it so that the N is at the end of the needle. To observe the correct direction, the compass must be held at a place where the balloon appears to be vertically above the tether point --that is, directly upwind.
Have the children record the wind direction as a compass reading. They then can make a map of the experiment site, using arrows to show wind direction.

Changes in Wind Direction.
The wind does not often blow steadily from one direction. Usually, it wobbles back and forth a few degrees. If it does when you are doing your experiment, have the children try to measure how big the wobble is. Have them record the directions they observe. They can make a map of the observation site, using arrows to show the different wind directions.

Extensions.
You may want the children to try other ways to demonstrate wind direction such as observing weather varies, blowing soap bubbles and flying kites.

Happy Experimenting!

Go Green!

Today more and more people are becoming educated in conservation. People are desiring to learn ways they can conserve and be environmentally friendly. Decorating with balloons is a great way to do this.

Balloons to the Max uses two types of balloons: Latex and Foil. Our foil balloons are only used a fraction of the time and are disposed of properly by our company and are NEVER released. We mainly use latex balloons produced by Qualatex. These balloons are latex and not rubber. These balloons come from rubber trees. Here are some environmental facts you may find interesting when planning your next "green" event.

1. Latex is collected by cutting the tree’s bark, then catching the latex in a cup. Latex harvesting doesn’t hurt the tree!

2. Latex balloons are Earth-friendly! Rubber trees grow in rain forests. Latex harvesting discourages deforestation because latex-producing trees are left intact. A tree can produce latex for up to 40 years!

3. We can decorate with air-filled balloons rather than helium filled, which limits the cost as well as the use of this natural material. However, if helium is your desired product please know that helium is constantly leaving the earth's surface and will either leave the atmosphere on its own or can be used for products such as in balloons prior to its release into the environment, so the use of helium is also environmentally friendly.

4. A latex balloon is made from 100 percent organic material and it’s 100 percent biodegradable. Stress caused by inflation starts this decomposition cycle. Exposure to sunlight accelerates the process — oxygen and ozone continue the molecular attack even in the dark. Deterioration is clearly evident within a few hours — it begins to oxidize or “frost” — and soon the balloon will break apart. Research has shown that under similar conditions latex decomposes as quickly as an oak leaf.

5. Rarely do released balloons return to the earth’s surface intact. Studies show these balloons usually rise to an altitude of about five miles. At that point, freezing and air pressure causes “brittle fracture” creating spaghetti-like pieces that scatter to the four winds.
While some balloons don’t reach this altitude, research indicates that in an average 500-balloon release, the unexploded balloon return density is no greater than one per 15 square miles.
Research shows that regardless of the latex balloon’s ultimate form when it lands, it will decompose, forming a natural soil nutrient at the same rate as that of an oak leaf.

So if you are interested in making your next event unforgettable and yet environmentally friendly decorate with balloons!

Statistics and information courtesy of Qualatex and the Balloon Council.

Balloon Camp

Our newest offering is our Balloon Camp. We offer basic balloon twisting instruction, an instruction book, balloons and a balloon hand pump to participants as well as a fun treat and a picture to remember the event. The events are 2 hours and are for ages 8-18. Class size minimum of 8 children. We are very excited about this new project! We will be offering Balloon Camp at our location for any children who want to sign up for the class. We will also travel to you if you can enroll 8 children. We will schedule you a private Balloon Camp wherever you want the class. Call us for more details!

Welcome

We are so excited to move our business and website to the next level with our balloon blog. Our business specializes in supplying party supplies and balloons to anyone in the world. We carry a diverse inventory and offer even more than our website shows. We are also in the exciting decorating business. We decorate using balloons and specialize in taking events "to the max!" We enjoy working with our clients to try new things that will make a statement for their events. We mainly offer our decor services in Utah, but we are willing to travel for your main event. We will use this blog to help other artists as well as our customers. We will inform you of new offerings and services as well as tell you ways you can use balloons. We look forward to hearing your comments and helping in any way we can.