No More Packing Woes

Pinspiration:  Traveling with Children

OK, so, we just got back from spring break yesterday.  We began our journey traveling to Valdosta, GA (no the people there are NOT like the Hot GRITS chicks) to visit with old friends from our military days (we miss them so much... the friend AND the military days).  Then continued south to spend 3 days in Winter Haven, FL.  We spent 2 days at LEGO Land and I HIGHLY recommend it for little ones (2-12yrs), dare I say it's better than Disney?  Definitely, for little ones.

For the past 3 years, we have spent out spring break visiting GA pals and then spending a few days in FL.  Packing for the multiple places (and temperatures) can be challenging and quickly becomes disorganized.

Until I found this little gem. Hello!!  Why didn't I think of this?  It has become a lifesaver.  My husband even requested that I institute the "daily outfit bag" on a day to day basis, since he is so awesome and gets the kiddos ready for me every morning before work.  I make bags of clothes (including hair pieces,socks, and underwear) for the week and, voila, my kids don't look like giant messes going to the babysitter.

Back to vacation.  This year, I made a suitcase for each stop along the way.  This also helped eliminate clutter and disorganization.  Plus we didn't have to lug in huge suitcases everywhere we went.  Just one small roller bag and our toiletry bag, which included staples we needed at each place.  Talk about eliminating chaos... sorta.  We were at LEGO Land after all.

Happy Travels!

Indoor Fish Pond

Pinspiration:  Make an Indoor Frog Pond

I was invited to go to the Title 1 Conference in Seattle, Washington a few years back.  The sessions were awesome, but the expo was even better!

While I walked around soaking in awesome ideas and signing up to win the awesome products, I found the Learning Connections booth. The owner, Judy Guenzel, has taken classic children's books and created activity packs to go along with them.  She sells these packs for around $15 each and they come with everything you need to give your child a rich literary experience that often connects to other subjects. She also happens to be such a sweet lady, I talked to her for about 45 minutes and it was not all about business!

I couldn't pass up the Swimmy pack.  I mean, it was math related.  The activities for this books had small sea creatures which could be sorted and counted in many ways.  I love how each activity pack comes with very clear instructions on how to manipulatives as well as questions you can ask.

Anyway, my son fell in love with the little sea creatures and they became the ONLY toys he would play with for a few months.

Around the same time, my father-in-law, who loves geology, gave Jake his first box of minerals, another one of his favorite toys at the time.

Scrolling through Pinterest one day, I happened to stumble upon this pin and it could not have come at a more perfect time.  I made a few felt leaves, and we went on a nature hike to pick up some cool sticks and stones to embellish our indoor pond.

Here is our version of the indoor fishpond.  I love when pins do not need to be followed to a tee and still be perfect for you.

This project seriously took 5 minutes to complete and inspired the theme for Jake's 2nd birthday party.  Check it out!

Happy Fishin'!

Days of Parties Past 3rd Birthday Cars Party and 2nd Birthday Under the Sea Party

Pinspiration:  Jake's 3rd Birthday Party Board

Before I begin with the party, I have to give a quick shout out to this pinspiring idea.  We've started the tradition a few years back to have balloons outside the kiddos doors on the morning of their birthdays.  It is so much fun to watch their little faces light up when they see the balloons.  Last year, Jake played with his balloons for over a week.  He even took baths with them.  I also got the idea to interview Jake each  year on his birthday, starting at 3.  The questions from this pin are perfect and will grow with him. We audio recorded him answering the questions because his voice is so sweet and I could not do his responses justice on paper, they were too cute!

Like every 3 year old boy, Jake LOVES the movie Cars (and Cars 2 of course).  So, I got to pinning and WOW did I find some awesome ideas!  I'll make this post short and sweet because there are LOTS of pictures to caption.  I'm not really into organized activities at parties.  I like to provide creative things for kids to do as they choose then sit back and enjoy the fun.  It also gives me more time to socialize with guests.  Don't you hate it when you go to a party and the host is too busy to chat?  I mean, why have a party if you can't have any fun, right?

Here's this week's TBT dedicated to my favorite almost 4 year old (tomorrow is the big day!).

While the hubby was away for his reserve duty, I spent my evenings (my kids go to bed at 7pm which gave me lots of time) making these.  It was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it.  The kids had a blast with this at the party.

My wonderful sister offered her house for the party (since we live so far out of town and our temporary house was so tiny). 

Party Room Set-Up

Pre-Party:

 So we drove in the night before (hiding all the party supplies) and surprised Jake the morning of his party with a Cars fun land.  

His excitement was infectious!  Even I had to get in on the action!

We also got a piece of plywood and sketched McQueen (using proportions to make him exactly like his toy... take that disbelieving math students, you do use proportions in real life!).

Activities:

My super handy hubby made this Kiddy Car Wash Sprinkler (also a Pinspired idea, check out my post here) for the kids to run the box cars through.

Even though he is a super cool high school student, my nephew even joined the action and had a great time running around dressed as a car with Jake.

Bean bag toss game... not as big a hit, but the kids still played with this.

Even if they didn't play with it the way it was intended.

Pit Stop, and you are part of the crew.  The second favorite activity.

Go fishing with Matter.  The Matter photos we glued onto cardboard and had a magnet attached to a piece of twine that could pick up the car parts.  I bought half a yard of cars fabric and cut out a few cars, sewed a blue felt piece to the back with a washer and piece of cardboard in between.  It's super easy, and I am NOT a seamstress.

Through the entire party, we had Cars, then Cars 2 playing in the background.  

Jake was so excited about his McQueen, he didn't even take him off to watch the movie!

How adorable is this? And how awesome is my nephew?!?!  My kids are so lucky have have such great cousins.

For the Babies

Food:

Treat table:

Stoplight Fruit Skewers

How cool is my sister-in-law?!?  She made the adorable stoplight brownies!

Motor Oil

Organic Fuel

Anti-Freeze (Blue Hawaiian Punch)

I guess we didn't get pictures of the food table.  It had a sign with Flo that said Flo's Cafe.  We served pizza, salad, and veggie dip sticks in a small cup of ranch dressing.

More Random Themed Fun:

Party Hats - Purchased online (don't remember where, but Google it, they will pop right up)

 When you are entertaining kids, you need to have a sanitation station. 

I have to give credit to me awesomely talented sister for doing this free hand to welcome everyone to the party.

The hubby and I wore shirts my sister made that said "Pit Crew".  Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of that though. Isn't is amazing how having kids makes you forget to take selfies?  

Everyone got a thank you note signed by Jake that said:  "Thank you for making Jake's birthday happier than a tornado in a trailer park!" ~Matter (Cars)

The kids got goodie bags with a toy car from the dollar store, Cars stickers from Walmart, crayons, and a coloring book that was printed from one of my pins.  Check out my board.  Please share your awesome ideas in the comments!

Jake's 2nd Birthday - Under the Sea Theme at the Jump Yard in North Royalton, OH

Pinspiration:  Indoor Fish Pond  

As I mentioned in the Indoor Fish Pond post, my son LOVED all things of the sea.  We read Swimmy daily and his favorite toys were the sea creatures that came along with the book that I purchased from Learning Connections.  Being out of town and not having a big enough house to entertain, once again, we had to travel to Cleveland for Jake's birthday.  

This year, we tried to simplify by taking the party to the Jump Yard.  It was a blast!  The kids loved it, I got to decorate the tables with sea creatures, and best of all, no clean-up!  It still made me sad and I more than make up for my withdraw for his third birthday as you read above.  

But, I did want to share the few little things I did do to make this party themed and special.  The tables were decorated with all of our fish toys and small fish bowls that were used at my sister's wedding a few months earlier.  They had Jake's sea creatures in them along with a few small koosh balls.  Each kid got a goodie bag with a few koosh balls, plastic sea creatures, and an adorable sea creature puzzle that I found at the dollar store (3 for a dollar!).  

I really got in to the cake this year, mostly because it was the only thing I could bring to the Jump Yard.  So, here is a picture of the cake.  

Jelly beans for "candy colored rocks" from Swimmy of course, sweet goldfish, sour octopus, green Twizlers Pull and Peels for seaweed, and crushed graham crackers for sand.  I also took cuties and stuck a toothpick with a sail on it for boats.

We also had cupcakes.  Jake of course would only eat the candy on top.

I highly recommend an inflatables place for kids birthday parties.

Let's hear it for my awesome nephew again!

 And one of my awesome nieces who also checked her pre-teen card at the door to have fun with my little guy.

It really was a great day for him.

 Happy party planning!

1st Birthday Party - Dr. Seuss

Pinspiration:  Dr. Seuss Party Theme 

I LOVE entertaining.  My husband and I have thrown some awesome themed parties!  With my son's birthday coming up, he'll be 4 next Friday, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.  So, I am dedicating this TBT to my favorite little man.

It is one of my biggest regrets that we did not throw my son a bigger 1st birthday.  My husband always says, "he won't remember", and it's true, but I still wish I would have done more.  At the time my little man turned 1, our family was in transition.  My husband had just separated from the Air Force and moved to Ohio to start his new job.  However, the little one and I stayed behind in South Georgia so I could finish out the school year.  (I still miss my old school and students, and of course the weather, everyday!)  So, the party was small and we only invited our immediate families, mostly because our condo was so tiny.

When I was pregnant, I remember reading that babies recognize the color red first.  I happen to believe this as my son's first smile took place as I was folding a red shirt.  (Of course, I had to fold that shirt about 10 times because he loved seeing it flip through the air.)  Being a first time mother, I had no idea what to do with a 3 month old, so I began reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas to my little guy.  He loved it and soon, it became a great way to sooth the screaming babe (seriously, the ONLY thing that would calm him on the 20 hour drive from South GA to Cleveland OH).  Needless to say, I have that book memorized.  As he grew, he began to love books, particularly anything Dr. Seuss (now I can also recite The Cat in The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and the ABC Book)
I didn't have Pinterest when my son turned 1, but I've found some awesome pins for you.  Check out my Dr. Seuss Board!  Back then, I had to plan the party the old fashioned way.  Here are some pictures from the awesome day.  It truly seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital, now he's 4!!

Welcome to the party!  Every month since he was born, we took a picture of the birthday boy with a huge stuffed teddy.  We displayed the pictures along with fun party costume wear.  (We asked the family to come dressed in primary colors to match the theme.  Everyone did a great job, especially my brother who came dressed head to toe in red with a yellow minion hat.  It was AWESOME!)

The party wear was super easy to create using foam hot glued to small dowel rods.

Goo-goo Googles from the ABC book

Lorax Mustaches

Sneech Stars

What Dr. Seuss Party would be complete without the Cat's hat?

Truffula Trees in cylinder vases.  We covered the vases with felt to look like the Cat's hat and sat them on a white circle of felt.  The Cat finger puppets were party favors made out of red, white, and black fuzzy sticks and white and black pompoms.

The birthday boy got a fun ball pit and tube set for his birthday.  I think it added to the festive decor.

Decorating was easy since we have just about every book by Dr. Seuss.  All food followed the party theme as well.

Pink Ink Yink Dink (Pink Lemonade)

Beezlenut Splash - (Berry Infused Water)

Diffendoofer Fruit Salad

One Fish Two Fish (Rainbow Goldfish)

Yertle the Turtles

Roast Beast (My sister-in-law's famous Pot Roast... yumm!)

My super awesome and creative sister did all of the food labels!

Green Eggs and Ham (Just a few drops of green food coloring and voila!)

Oodles of Noodles (Pasta Salad)

Yot in the Pot Beans (I know this one is odd, but at the time, the only healthy thing my little mad would eat was lima beans.)

Who Hash (Jello Salad)

My awesome sister-in-law and niece also made these yummy cupcakes for the party!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Macaroons made by my talented brother!  He did this on his own!  I had no idea he was making these!  Isn't he awesome!  (OK, my whole family and family-in-law is awesome!)

The Birthday Boy enjoying the decorations.  Seriously, this was the only thing he liked to do until he was 2.

Smash Cake and cupcakes.  I glued a hat and toothpick to a photo of the birthday boy to decorate the cupcakes.

Smiles with the birthday boy and his hat smash cake.  

(Red velvet circles with white frosting in between.) 

One happy little 1 year old.

My sister and brother-in-law showing off the party wear.

I hope this has gotten the creative juices flowing for your Dr. Seuss themed party.  What awesome things did you do for your fun Seuss party?

Happy party planning!