Construction Birthday Party!

August hit me hard this year. I think it was the first time I've felt so busy as a mom. My husband said I was finally to the Soccer Mom stage of my life. Well I've finally slowed down a bit and would like to share the boy's combined birthday party we had a couple weeks ago.

I took a picture of the construction going on behind our house and used it as the back ground for the invite.

As guest arrived they had to follow a few construction signs to get to the back. I made these with orange poster boards and black paper I cut out with my silhouette SD.

As they went through the gate they received a hard hat and apron. In the apron was a demolition ball (jaw breaker) and measuring tape (bubble tape). The kids then played in the sandbox as we waited for the rest of the kids.

First activity of the party was hammering nails into wood. They seemed to really like this and didn't want to stop to go on to the next game.

The next game was pin the wrench on the pipe. I came up with this one from an idea I saw online. They did pin the nail on the hammer, but I was already doing a hammer game and wanted to use a different tool.

Next we did some building and demolition. you could use cereal boxes for this as well. I hadn't saved any so I was really excited to find these brick boxes at Wal-mart for only $10. The best part is my kids still love playing with them even weeks after the party.

The next event and the biggest hit with the kids was painting. We replaced our air conditioner this summer and still had the box. I'm sure you could get one from a store or I have seen cardboard houses that are meant to be painted or colored. Not sure where to buy those though. I bought some cheap paint trays, foam brushes and rollers, and poster paint.

After the painting we got everyone washed up and got ready for cake and ice cream. They kids watched the construction going on behind our house as they waited.

We had chocolate cake(dirt), ice cream (cookies and cream to look dirty) cones (orange cones).

Here is the cake. sorry the coloring is so bad.

We then opened presents.

I'm showing this gift for Brig, because it was the one I made. I just used a small mans black shirt, which I trimmed a bit and hemmed. Bought the rubber boots on clearance. I put yellow duct tape around the edges. I'm sure the tape will come of, but it is easy to fix.

Lastly we did a pinata. I looked everywhere near me for a construction themed pinata and could not find one, so I made one.

As they left they got a party bag with candy corn, reeses pieces, stickers and a small truck or tractor.

Safari Baby Shower

My brother's wife had their baby last week! she is adorable! don't you think? I could just eat babies up they are so sweet! 

Last month my mother and I through a bridal shower for mommy to be! the invites where printed and pasted with animal print paper as back ground.

We're “wild” with excitement.

The time is drawing near.

The Queen of the Safari, is almost here.

Amanda's tummy is expanding

So let's shower her with gift's and cheer!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

7:00 pm

(address)

American Fork, UT 84003

Give us a roarrr if you DON''T plan on swinging by!

Cathy: (phone) email@email.com

Emmalee:(phone) email@email.com

(there is no theme for their nursery and they do not need any of the large baby items.)

We went with a safari theme. 

 

We got the balloons at Macey's Food and Drug, but you can get them at most party stores or on Amazon.

Simple palm decoration I got from Dollar Tree.

 

 

 We wanted to go with a more traditional safari look rather then pastels. the table cloth is just a canvas paint drop cloth from the hardware store. I had some safari fabric I bought a while ago so I made a table runner and banner. we used dowels to hold the pineapples together to make the tree and added palm leaves from Dollar Tree to add to the top. 

 

The letters on the banner are pinned on with safety pins. I thought it would go well with the baby shower idea. The letters were cut out with my silhouette SD on pink card stock.

 For food we had a yogurt bar. The guests had a choice between plain, honey or vanilla yogurt. a variety of fruit, granola, monkey bread, banana bread, and water.

 It's hard to know if you should play games or not at these things. The older generation seems to like games, and the younger generation seems to dislike them. We decided to do a few games and paint onesies for the new arrival.

 

 We had a game as everyone came in that had a list of animals and you are to name the baby animal. This was the deluxe version. has things like "what is the name of a baby Ant?"

We then had the guest go on a safari and count all the baby items hidden around the yard. 

For the onesies we had images cut out with my silhouette SD on freezer paper. If you iron the freezer paper shinny side down it will stick to the onesies and makes a great stencil. Some people also free handed things. We had paints, brushes, sponge blotters, and paint markers available to everyone. It turned out better then I had hoped!

Here is the gift I made for her. You have probably seen them all over lately. I think everyone is excited to do something different then the over used diaper cake.

Granola

Summer has hit and as many of you know that means kids home, vacations, and overall just busy. Sorry it has been a month or more sense I last posted. I have been doing many fun things I want to share. They just take up so much of my day, it has been hard to find time to post them to share with all of you.

Last night I hosted, along with my mom, a baby shower for my sister-in-law (more on that later). We had a yogurt bar with fruit and granola toppings. The granola was a great hit and everyone was asking for the recipe. I wish I could take full credit for it, but I got it from my sister, who got it from a friend. I had made a few small changes, for the original recipe check it out here on my family's recipe blog. what better treat for the summer then granola and fresh berries?

Granola Recipe

2 Cups old fashioned oats
1/2 Cup wheat germ
1/4 Cup ground flaxseed
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (I like pecan too, any nut will work)

Put all dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Turn stove on low heat and add to a small saucepan:

1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (canola oil will work too)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on how strong you want it)
1/2 Cup Honey

Mix together until runny. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spray cookie sheet and spread granola on cookie sheet. (It works fine if you skip the spray)

Bake at 275 for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, as not to burn.

When done, let cool completely before putting into a airtight container. I normally put mine in a gallon size zip up bag. triple the recipe and it fills it all the way up.

Other birthday party ideas

We have had a party every year for each of my boys, even the day I came home from the Hospital with toad 2, we had a party for toad 1 (my mom helped a lot with that one). Here are some cakes and ideas from the past birthdays at our house and one from my sister's house, because it was so cute I had to throw it in.

snake cake

dinosaur cake

pin the horn on the dino or a pinata.

drum cake

ducky cups

duck snacks and cakes

ducky cake

ducky cake

ducky cake

Here is a cute carnival birthday party.

Dinosaur Train birthday party

I did this party when the show had only been out for about a year. they were just coming out with the first dinosaur train figures the week of the party. So keeping that in mind this is what we came up with.

The invites were made to look like the train tickets off the show. On the back we put: come have a train-tastic time at (child's name)'s birthday party. All aboard the Dinosaur train at (place of party). Departure is (time and date) come travel through the time tunnel for a dino-mite of a party.

As the kids arrived they were able to color dinosaur train pictures. They are available on PBSkids.org. they received conductor hats to match Mr. conductor's hat on the show. 

We had three activities/ games for the kids. They played toss the lava rock into the volcano (we used tin foil for rocks and a trash can and black garbage sack to make a volcano.) they then played hatch the dino (we put small dinosaurs in black balloons and blew them up. the kids had to step or sit on them to "hatch" pop the balloons). lastly we had them dig for dino-bones. (we bought skeleton dinos from Oriential trading, but i have sense seen them at the dollar store. we put out a tarp and put dirt over the dinosaurs (you could use sawdust also) we then gave the kids paint brushes to dig for the dinosaurs.

We then had cake and ice-cream and opened presents.  My sister made the cake.

 

In their goodie bag they got a wooden train whistle, dinosaur fruit snacks, dinosaur suckers, magnifying glasses, notebooks. and they got to keep the dinos they hatched and the ones they dug up, and the brushes they used to dig with.

 Things we liked, but cut out : I was planning on making fossils with play-dough and plaster of Paris, but I couldn't get it to work well on the trial run. also I was going to make a balloon arch as a time tunnel, but after the party a few days earlier with the wind I decided not too. I was also going to make large paper mache dino eggs for the goodie bags.

The very Hungry Caterpiller birthday party

The invites to The Very Hungry Caterpillar party were made with finger prints. I attempted to use my one year olds, but got to messy so I had my four year old help me with the rest. My finger print was the head. Inside It said "COME VERY HUNGRY!" for dinner cake and ice cream

We had the guest wear antennas to look like bugs.

For dinner we served Pizza, we had a few side dishes which were a fruit salad made with plums, strawberries, apples, oranges (mandrine), and pears. We had a platter with pickles, sausages, and swiss cheese with holes that looked like the caterpillar already ate through them. (I made these with a straw). We had a spring mix salad which is made of many different types of leaves. I also had a watermelon. we had about everything from the book.

For decorations I had red and green balloons down the center of the eating tables to look like the caterpillar. The wind made it hard to use the tables to eat, but I did get one good shot of them. I also made caterpillars out of egg cartons for the food and gift tables.

I also do a new shirt for the birthday boys each year. they have started to become part of the theme.

We played two games. We had a caterpillar beanbag game, which we handed dum dum suckers out for prizes. The big hit was the cocoon making contest. we had everyone pare up into groups of two or three and raced to see who could get one of their team mates in a cocoon first (toilet paper) the prizes were gummy worms and lollipops. It was a lot of fun! (it would be a fun game for a Halloween party as well and call them mummys)

 

My sister made the cakes. we follow the tradition of having a cake for the birthday child on their first birthday. toad 2's cake was chocolate and the rest of us had cupcakes, chocolate and white cake. After all the hungry caterpillar ate through a chocolate cake and a cupcake.

Here is another cute Hungry caterpillar party.

Superhero birthday

My two boys birthdays are 3 days a part. last year my youngest turned one and we tried doing two parties. This year we got smart and threw one big party for the both of them. Super hero themed.

Invites: 

the letter states:We here at the CRIME FIGHTING SUPER HERO LEAGUE have noticed you and your special skills. Skills that are necessary and vital to crime fighters. Do you think you have what it takes to be a Super Hero? Super Dean and his side kick Super Brig seem to think so. They have invited you to our SUPER SECRET SUPER HERO TRAINING FACILITY at (address). Training begins at 17:30 hours (5:30) on the tenth day of September 2011. Please come in your Super Hero uniform (if you don't have one, one will be provided for you) and be prepared to work hard. Becoming a super hero is not for everyone, but it could be for you. We hope you decide to become a part of the CRIME FIGHTING SUPER HERO LEAGUE.

Regards, Justice Forall

As guest arrive we had felt masks and plastic table clothes (cape) available.

We had a jar of Peanut M&M's for everyone to guess how many where in there.

We also had a photo booth area. There were props; dumbbell, wham, pow, bam signs, and the backdrop had a speech bubble that said happy birthday super(so-n-so).

 

We then had dinner and served Superhero sandwiches, sidekick sides, Hulk juice (green kool-aid and lemon-lime soda), and iceman water.

After dinner we had a trivia sheet for the adults, to test their superhero knowledge. And the kids went out to train to be a superhero. 

 

First: they must cross a lava pit (water and red kool-aid in a pool)

second: they must find the kryptonite from the bat cave. ( blankets over chairs to make a dark cave. We then put glow-sticks in there.)

third: they had to learn how to dispose of hazardous material. (using tongs they moved green painted rocks (kryptonite) to a cooler labeled hazardous material.

Fourth: vaporize a villain (we put villain faces on Helium filled balloons and gave the kids cans of silly string (spiderman webbing) to take down the villains. You could also use a person dressed like a villain.)

some ideas I did not get around to doing were: jumping over buildings (made of boxes, blocks, or legos) learn to fly. (Jump off stool into pile of pillows), getting yourself out of a sticky/stringy situation. (have yarn strung into a web. Have each child take an end and follow it to the other side. We were going to have the silly string on the other side.)

After training we went inside for cake and Ice cream. Most years I've had my sister make the cakes, sense she is a pro, but she move across the country this past year so I took what I learned from her and went for it myself, this year. In case you cannot tell what it is we have a city scape on the bottom with the bat-symbol in the sky. Then the top is a web for spider-man with a superman cape draped off the side. The two figures on top are hulk and ironman.

While everyone ate cake and ice-cream we read off the winner of the candy jar and the answers to the trivia questions. We then opened presesnts.