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.

Waz up Wednesday? - Anniversary idea

Waz up Wednesday's is when I talk about a project I've been working on recently. It may still be a project I'm currently working on or one I have recently finished.

This past Valentine's Day was our 8th year wedding anniversary. Yeah!

It's not a big one, but I wanted to do something memorable.

maybe because last year we were so busy getting ready to move that we pretty much over looked it. 

we finally decided in May to get us a BBQ grill as a anniversary/mother's day/ father's day gift.

I found this idea and loved it! 

Giving a gift every hour, at eight past the hour, for eight hours.
 (you could do this with any year)

I gave my husband a box, with all the gifts labelled with their times, right before he left for work.

The first one was to be opened at 8:08 am.

Each gift had a quote added to it. some were funny some just sweet.

(some of the ideas came from other sights so click on links below pictures for original  posts)

I started off with a funny gift.

magic 8 ball

Quote:

Things that matter most, must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.

9:08

8 book marks

Quote:

I wanna be your favorite hello and your hardest goodbye

10:08

I made lemon bars and didn't take a picture of them apparently.

Quote:

Pucker up! because I love you!

11:08

8 fortune cookies with things I hope happens in our life

Quote:

Sometimes on the way to the dream you get lost and find a better one

12:08

8 coupons in a coupon book

Quote:

Happiness is being married to your best friend

1:08

8 heart/butt cookies

 Quote:

I love you with all of my butt, I would say my heart, but my butt is bigger!

2:08

library checkout  card with 8 major things in our life and book light

Quote:

Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite

3:08

scroll of 8 things I love about him

Quote:

I loved you then, I love you still, I always have, I always will

It was a lot of fun putting this together. My husband still talks about it. He did say it made his day feel longer, but that it was okay because he liked it.

sewing lover's bulletin board

 

What you will need:

sewing starter kit

about two medium patterns

bulletin board

mod podge
hot glue and gun

pencil

fabric

fabric button kit

pliers

step one: mod podge patterns on to bulletin board. you want to layer them, but try to stay as close to one layer as possible.

 Step two: cut pattern paper into 2" squares. this does not have to be exact. wrap the squares around the end of a pencil. put a spot of hot glue on the tip and stick it on the frame. you can make this as thick or thin as you want.

 Step three: hot glue sewing kit items around the edge however you would like.

Step four: make button push pins. you will want to use pliers to remove the loop on the back of the fabric buttons. then follow the instructions that come with the fabric button kit.

hot glue thumb tacts to the back of the buttons. you can also use regular buttons as well.

science kit

This was so fun!

I made this kit for my nephew for Christmas.

first I gathered science experiments from Science Bob. and printed out the ones I felt were age appropriate (he's four).  

 

I then gathered some of the supplies that were commonly mentioned in what was needed for the experiments (like balloons, food coloring.)

I found kid safety glasses on Amazon (came in a pack of six)

I made the lab coat out of a mans button up white shirt. I choose to buy one, but I'm sure an old one would be a cheap, great idea. I cut off the bottom a bit and hemmed it and used the fabric I cut off to make the pockets. 

I put it all together in a bin I bought at Walmart and it was done!

Ginger bread fun!

My family started to do gingerbread creations last year and the tradition I think is here to stay.

This year my husband and I decided to do a nativity scene.

nativity scene

angel

Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus

three wisemen

cant forget the camels

Donkey (I know it looks more like a horse, right?)

Shepherds and their sheep

Here are some from last year. 

our train

log cabin

out house to the cabin

Salt Lake City Temple