The Glowing Air Fort

My son starts school in a few days so we are focused on fitting in as many super-fun activities as we possibly can this week! We made a play fort we called The Glowing Air Fort and it was a huge hit with my kids and their friends! I attached a blower to the plastic sheeting with tape and threw in a black light for extra fun! We used glow sticks, neon stickers and neon toys inside the fort. The kids had a blast and played for hours! TOTAL WINNER!!

Inside!!!

Baby Shower Diaper Bag Gift Basket

For my friend's baby shower, I wanted to give her something she would definitely get a lot of use out of.  With my second child, I was completely over having to go back and forth to the baby's room to change diapers.  I was having health issues after my pregnancy and walking up and down 20 stairs every time she needed a diaper change just wasn't going to happen!  So what worked for us was having a small tote the fit lovely on one of the bottom stairs and keeping it filled with everything we needed for changes.  Everything was right at our fingertips for daily use and when we went out of town for the weekend, all we had to do was grab the bag and head out the door (I did not use this for a daily-use diaper bag to take to the store, etc. as the bag was open and did not close.  Here is the ThiryOne bag I used).   I found the Organizing Utility Tote on the ThirtyOne website and thought this bag would fit my plan.   I filled it with diapers, wipes, diaper cream, a changing mat, "poop bags", hand sanitizer, gas drops and a few extra items that may be helpful during a diaper change!  Check out the Sugar and Spice baby shower here!

Sugar and Spice Baby Shower

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice,  

That's What Little Girls Are Made Of

My best friend is due with a little girl in a few months so I threw her a baby shower.  The theme I went with was Sugar and Spice based on the well-known nursery rhyme.

I started with designing all of the printed/paper items (invites, table cards, games, labels) which are all available to purchase in my Etsy shop.

There was a buffet of Sugar and Spice foods. 

Some of the "sugar" foods included powdered sugar donut holes, dipped rice crispy treats, rock candy, cupcakes and dipped pretzels.

For the "spice" foods, I included mini cinnamon buns, cinnamon pita chips, sausage balls, chips and salsa and cinnamon donut holes.

I was also sure to include my friend's current favorite cravings: brownies and mac and cheese :) 

Gifts!

Big sister helping her mommy open gifts!

I put together bag of diaper-changing necessities, monogrammed with the baby's initial.  See the details here.

How stinkin' cute is this?? What a cute idea!  There were bath washes, lotions, rubber duckies and a cuddly frog in "the water"  

The big sister holding a stack of awesome burp clothes made by her Nana

Nana certainly has been busy!  Look at this GORGEOUS quilt!

The favor table included hand sanitizers, bubble gum cigars and shakers filled with cinnamon and sugar.

What a fun time!

And all the kids were sent home with balloons...

...except one!  OOPS!  LOL

Mine Craft 8th Birthday Party

Like most 8 year olds, my son LOVES the computer game, Minecraft!  I wanted to give him a Minecraft party for his birthday but there was nothing available in stores yet.  So it was time to get creative!  My son actually had two birthday parties this year: one was celebrated with family while we were on vacation visiting them.  The other was celebrated at home with a few close friends.


PARTY #1:  The "Out Of Town" party with extended family

I designed and printed this Happy Birthday banner.  

For the centerpiece I printed out pictures from the game and attached them to a pre-made centerpiece I bought at the dollar store.

I cut out a Creeper face from black paper and glued it to a green plate.  I then glued a clear plate on top of the green plate.  Instant Creeper plates!

I used Twizzlers to make TNT

Cheese cubes for Gold Blocks 

Pretzel sticks for Torches

 I drew Creeper faces on bottles of sprite to make Creeper Juice

 I designed a brownie cake using Grass Blocks made with brownies with green icing for grass and rice crispy treats for the Sand Blocks.  I put the cake together on a tray covered with part of a blue plastic table cloth to represent water.  The figures on the cake were printed from here and cut out by myself and my mother-in-law.  I then folded and pieced together the figures and blocks over a two day period (talk about tedious work!).  The cake turned out awesome and my son LOVED IT--which is the only thing that matters anyway, right?! :-) 

PARTY #2:  The "At Home" party with friends

 Again, I used cheese cubes for Gold Blocks

Pretzel sticks for torches

Twizzlers for TNT Blocks

Graham cracker squares for Sand Blocks 

Cups of chocolate pudding for Dirt Blocks

I decided to make a square Glowstone Block cake for this party

I love how the pattern turned out!