Merry Merry. Merry Merry.
Who is panic wrapping??? Who is panic wrapping???
If it’s going to be 80 degrees for Christmas I’m a If it’s going to be 80 degrees for Christmas I’m asking Santa for a spray tan gift card in my stocking.
As my boys have gotten older there is almost alway As my boys have gotten older there is almost always a friend eating dinner at my house or spending the night. The weekends are reserved for a driveway full of bikes and basketball. This year, in my haste to make my @shutterfly card I accidentally added a picture with one of my bonus kids in it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ #themorethemerrier
You are not shadow banned. Your content is not bei You are not shadow banned. Your content is not being hidden. Most of the time, it simply is not resonating with your audience anymore, especially if you are using the app correctly, which I will explain at the end.

People blame “shadow banning” when they see a drop in engagement, but when I look at their metrics, I can usually see small declines long before they noticed them. Social media platforms have millions of users. They are not punishing you because you took a week off.

What actually happens is this. Your audience stopped engaging with your content, and when you took a break, they filled that space with other creators. When you returned, the algorithm showed them the accounts they interacted with most, which was not you. They were not looking for your content because it was not relevant to them anymore. I see this over and over.

There is one real caveat. How you are using the app. If you upload unlicensed music, follow and unfollow in large numbers, run giveaways that break platform rules or respond to comments in negative ways, you can hurt your reach. That is not a shadow ban. That is violating the service agreement.

A case study. Someone told me they was shadow banned. When I looked at their account, a few things stood out.

1. There was no aspirational layer to the content. It was a business that relied on people physically coming in, yet nothing showcased a luxury experience, or a story people could connect with. Photos were blurry, captions were minimal and there was no searchable language to help people discover her business.

2. There was no engagement back to the audience. Not responding to comments is one of the fastest ways to lose your community. People want acknowledgment. If they do not get it from you, they will give their attention to someone else.

3. They were not using the app like a real user.  Instagram and TikTok know you are a business, but they still reward accounts that behave like humans.  Comment, watch stories and sending DMs. That signals genuine activity and community building.

Most of the time the issue is not a shadow ban. It is content, connection and consistency. And the good news is all of that can be improved.
Candy cane bow tutorial!! #chrismas #christmasbaki Candy cane bow tutorial!! #chrismas #christmasbaking #christmascake #christmastreat #holiday #holidaytreats #coquettechristmas #twee #coquetteholiday
Coffee with my favorite collaborator… Coffee with my favorite collaborator…
Shop local gift guide @shopstelladallas!! Shop local gift guide @shopstelladallas!!
Last Christmas, we took the Annual King Cookie Par Last Christmas, we took the Annual King Cookie Party in a whole new direction and it ended up being one of my favorite versions yet. I invited some of my closest friends to Kismet Cosmetics, decorated gingerbread houses, and made our own lip gloss and face glitter. It was such a fun way to reconnect with my friends during the busiest time of year. The full recap is on the blog now. Link in bio.
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At Home, Fun, Kids, Life · January 28, 2021

Kids Birthday Parties

Even before I had kids I knew that throwing birthday parties would be one of my favorite parts of being a mom.  I love my birthday and celebrating so it makes sense that I love to throw parties for my kids too.

2020 was the first year that we didn’t throw traditional parties for the boys. Peyton and Paxton had a birthday parade and Porter had a small party with three friends. Like many things in 2020 it was different but still special.

Celebrating in a Pandemic – Birthday Parade
Celebrating in a Pandemic – Birthday Parade

Over the years we have done a variety of different parties for the boys.  I try to focus on something they love and then direct the party from there.  We try to change it up each year just to keep it interesting.  I have written about their parties individually but I thought it would be fun to put them all in one post.

These are a few of my favorites!

{This post contains affiliate links.}

Night at the Movies.

The Big’s (Peyton and Paxton) birthday in 2019 was the hardest one to plan yet. They could not decide what they wanted to do and didn’t like any of my ideas. We offered to take them on a trip or to do a special outing with a friend but they really wanted to do a birthday party. After going to an outdoor movie night at our club they asked if we could do something similar at home.

I looked to rent a screen but one of our friends let us borrow theirs and their projector. I set up a hotdog bar and concessions with candy and popcorn. The kids picked out pool floats to use as a mat to lay on when watching the movie. The biggest hiccup was the fact that it was at night and we had to wait for the sun to go down so that meant the movie didn’t start until after 8 and didn’t end until almost 10. Late night but it was so much fun!

Balloon Garland Kit // Popcorn Containers // Hot dog boats // Table Covers

It’s Sweet to Be Three.

This was one of the easiest parties I have planned.  Porter loves ice cream so we just started there.  Rolling Cones is a local mobile ice cream parlor that comes to your home.  They have 8 flavors of ice cream plus toppings.  All I had to do was book the date and then I grabbed some decorations and cupcakes.  The kids loved it.

I also booked Sign Gypsie Northshore for the party since I knew we would be in the yard a lot I thought it would be fun.  The kids got a bigger kick out of the sign than I ever thought they would have.

Porter's 3rd birthday: It's Sweet To be Three
Porter's 3rd birthday: It's Sweet To be Three
Porter's 3rd birthday: It's Sweet To be Three

Mad Science Party.

This party was fun for everyone who attended from the adults to the kids.  The Mad Scientists included everyone in attendance making it a fun and educational experience for all.

Mad Science SELA is a full service party company that comes with everything except the cake.  They even provided gift bags for the kids in attendance.

The party was about an hour-long with the scientists going through a variety of experiments.  The finale allowed each child to make their own super ball!

I did some decorating for the cake table and my mom and I made the cake.  It was fun but stressful as I am not a baker and I don’t think I will be doing that again.  You can see my full blog post about the party here or view my pinterest board here.

Peyton and Paxton's Mad Science Party
Peyton and Paxton's Mad Science Party
Peyton and Paxton's Mad Science Party

Frappy Birthday.

We had a major love affair between Pops and Starbucks before his 2nd birthday.  He asked almost daily if he could get a frappuccino and cake pop.  A little Pinterest search brought up tons of ideas and this is what we ended up doing.

Porter's 2nd Birthday: Frappy Birthday Porter
Porter's 2nd Birthday: Frappy Birthday Porter
Porter's 2nd Birthday: Frappy Birthday Porter

The Little Gym.

The Little Gym was one of the simplest parties that we had and went so well we did it two years in a row and I may do it again for Porter next year.  They do so much for you and the party staff is attentive and fun.  The kids can participate in the group activity or they can play on the equipment.  I loved how easy they made it for me and the kids had a blast.

Peyton and Paxton's Little Gym Party
Jess Russell Photography
Peyton and Paxton's Little Gym Party
Jess Russell Photography
Peyton and Paxton's Little Gym Party

Where the Wild Kings Are.

Porter’s First birthday party was something that all of us planned.  The boys loved reading Where The Wild Things Are with his at night so when I asked them what kind of party they thought he should have they both said this theme.  I was able to find so many ideas on Pinterest and come up with a few on my own.  Having a December birthday I added a hot chocolate bar to make it a little more fun for all of the kids.  His hot chocolate bar has become a staple at his birthday parties.  Check out my Pinterest board here.

Porter's 1st birthday: Where the Wild Kings Are
Porter's 1st birthday: Where the Wild Kings Are
Porter's 1st birthday: Where the Wild Kings Are
Porter's 1st birthday: Where the Wild Kings Are

XO,

Tippy

In: At Home, Fun, Kids, Life · Tagged: birthday, birthday party, birthday party ideas, birthday party themes, birthday theme, fifth birthday, first birthday, ice cream party, kids, mad science, mad science sela, movie night party, night at the moview, party ideas, rolling cones, science party, sign gypsey

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I'm Tiffany. Although some of my favorite people call me Tippy. My favorite color is pattern. Seriously, I've never met a pattern I didn't like. My style is as bold as my personality and you should never trust my hair color. I am all about size inclusive style on a Nordstrom Sale budget.
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Merry Merry. Merry Merry.
Who is panic wrapping??? Who is panic wrapping???
If it’s going to be 80 degrees for Christmas I’m a If it’s going to be 80 degrees for Christmas I’m asking Santa for a spray tan gift card in my stocking.
As my boys have gotten older there is almost alway As my boys have gotten older there is almost always a friend eating dinner at my house or spending the night. The weekends are reserved for a driveway full of bikes and basketball. This year, in my haste to make my @shutterfly card I accidentally added a picture with one of my bonus kids in it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ #themorethemerrier
You are not shadow banned. Your content is not bei You are not shadow banned. Your content is not being hidden. Most of the time, it simply is not resonating with your audience anymore, especially if you are using the app correctly, which I will explain at the end.

People blame “shadow banning” when they see a drop in engagement, but when I look at their metrics, I can usually see small declines long before they noticed them. Social media platforms have millions of users. They are not punishing you because you took a week off.

What actually happens is this. Your audience stopped engaging with your content, and when you took a break, they filled that space with other creators. When you returned, the algorithm showed them the accounts they interacted with most, which was not you. They were not looking for your content because it was not relevant to them anymore. I see this over and over.

There is one real caveat. How you are using the app. If you upload unlicensed music, follow and unfollow in large numbers, run giveaways that break platform rules or respond to comments in negative ways, you can hurt your reach. That is not a shadow ban. That is violating the service agreement.

A case study. Someone told me they was shadow banned. When I looked at their account, a few things stood out.

1. There was no aspirational layer to the content. It was a business that relied on people physically coming in, yet nothing showcased a luxury experience, or a story people could connect with. Photos were blurry, captions were minimal and there was no searchable language to help people discover her business.

2. There was no engagement back to the audience. Not responding to comments is one of the fastest ways to lose your community. People want acknowledgment. If they do not get it from you, they will give their attention to someone else.

3. They were not using the app like a real user.  Instagram and TikTok know you are a business, but they still reward accounts that behave like humans.  Comment, watch stories and sending DMs. That signals genuine activity and community building.

Most of the time the issue is not a shadow ban. It is content, connection and consistency. And the good news is all of that can be improved.
Candy cane bow tutorial!! #chrismas #christmasbaki Candy cane bow tutorial!! #chrismas #christmasbaking #christmascake #christmastreat #holiday #holidaytreats #coquettechristmas #twee #coquetteholiday
Coffee with my favorite collaborator… Coffee with my favorite collaborator…
Shop local gift guide @shopstelladallas!! Shop local gift guide @shopstelladallas!!
Last Christmas, we took the Annual King Cookie Par Last Christmas, we took the Annual King Cookie Party in a whole new direction and it ended up being one of my favorite versions yet. I invited some of my closest friends to Kismet Cosmetics, decorated gingerbread houses, and made our own lip gloss and face glitter. It was such a fun way to reconnect with my friends during the busiest time of year. The full recap is on the blog now. Link in bio.
I have been creating online for almost a decade, a I have been creating online for almost a decade, and the landscape has shifted in major ways. These are the changes that matter right now.

1. People don’t want to be influenced. They want to be educated. Audiences want content that improves their life, solves a problem or teaches them something useful. Value builds trust and trust builds connection.
2. Organic engagement is no longer the only metric. Paid reach is a smart tool when you know your audience and use the right placements. Sometimes your best content needs a push to reach the right people.
3. Community requires evolution. As you grow, your audience grows. Their needs change. Listening to what they save, ask for and respond to is how you stay connected.
4. Personality is the new niche. People follow people. Your voice, humor and perspective are what separate you from everyone else in your category.
5. Consistency matters, but sustainability matters more. Batching, content silos and systems help you show up without burning out.
6. Social SEO is essential. People use Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest like search engines. Keyword dense captions, clear hooks and intentional hashtags help your content get discovered long after posting.
7. Community is more important than virality. Viral moments fade. A loyal audience stays, engages and converts.
8. Creators are becoming brands and brands are becoming creators. Storytelling, personality and real time content now matter more than being perfectly polished.
9. AI isn’t replacing creators. It supports them. It frees up time so you can focus on creativity, connection and strategy.
10. Transparency matters more than perfection. And transparency isn’t the same as authenticity. Transparency means not gatekeeping and letting people into the process so they feel empowered.
11. Growth isn’t just about new followers. It’s about nurturing the audience you already have. Engagement and trust will take you farther than any number at the top of your profile.

The creator space is evolving and so are we. Staying curious, adaptable and connected to your community is how you grow long term.

#personalbranding #contentcreatortips

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