Judah’s Dinosaur Birthday Party

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My big boy had his fourth birthday party this month and I’ve finally edited a few photos so I can share the party details with you!  First up, I ordered Judah’s cute dino shirt from a lady on Etsy called Mia’s Unique.  He also had a cool paleontologist vest that he wore that we had bought him back at TRex Cafe when we visited Orlando last fall.

This party was a marvelous as it was because I have many lovely family members who pitched in and did things.  If it weren’t for my mom and grandma he wouldn’t have had the cool cake {above}. They spent the whole day before the party baking it and decorating it.  That saved me a pile of money because had I bought a similar cake I would have paid through the nose!

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I made these cool lava cakes to have a second dessert offering.  They were super easy.  All you need is a regular cupcake/muffin pan, some cake mix, and some red and orange candy melts.  I baked the cupcakes without cupcake papers, I just greased the cups really well.  Then, after they were cooled I popped them out and turned them upside down. {That gave them a natural cone shape}.  Then, I melted the candy melts (you can find them at most hobby/craft stores) and dolloped the tops of the cakes.  I just pushed the chocolate down the sides to give it the flowing lava look. ;)

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Another little extra I did was add these cool labels {found these cute labels on Etsy at Three Little Monkeys Studio} to my recycled Starbucks frap jars. {You can get the low down on how to do this here}.  I added some cute striped straws and viola! Instant cuteness.

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Here is the party favor.  I used little Chinese take out boxes that I found at Michael’s craft store.  The tags are from the same paper pack I bought from Etsy mentioned above.  I tied the tags on with a little twine I had.  The treat inside is Chocolate Rocks or Dino Eggs.  Each rock tastes different – some have a minty inside, others taste like coffee, strawberry jelly, malted milk ball, and many others.  I bought them from Wants and Wishes Party Planning.

dino party foodThe food was an easy sandwich lunch.  I used homemade bread (It wasn’t that hard to make my own and it really made a difference!  They got rave reviews). We called them “Sub-a-sauruses.” I put turkey and my favorite Wellshire Turkey Ham {all nitrate free} on them.  I also offered some cute homemade uncrustable {used my Pampered Chef crimping tool} peanut butter and homemade jelly sandwiches for the kiddos.  We also had “dino eggs” {grapes} and chips, and of course pickles!

dino party egg hunt

After lunch we got the kids moving outside with a fun game of “dinosaur egg hunt.” I bought two mini watermelons, some mangos and coconuts for the dinosaur eggs.  My dad hid the eggs while my mom, grandma, and I finished up the food preparations before the party.  {I think he may have hid them a little too well!}.

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We also dug up dinosaur fossils in the sandbox. {I found dinosaur skeletons at the dollar store}.  I think the games were a success.

dino party food 2After the games we came back in the warm house (it was freezing that day!} to have some dessert.  My grandmother and mom did a terrific job on Judah’s cake didn’t they?  In addition to the lava cakes I also had chocolate dinosaur lollipops for the kids to eat at the party or take home.

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Of course, the highlight for Judah was unwrapping all his cool new toys. ;) He got so many really nice things.  It has been nearly a month since the party he is still playing with all of them everyday.  He is a lucky boy to have so many sweet friends that came out to help him celebrate. ;)

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Valentine’s Playdough Bakery – Fun with the Kids

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The kids and I had a wonderful time making our own scented playdough last week.  We made two batches – cake scented, and cherry scented and set up our own little playdough bakery right in our dining room. ;)

I gave them lots of tools from my own kitchen to use and they stayed busy as bees {or should I say bakers} for almost 2 hours!  I’ve never seen them stick with anything for so long!  Frugal fun at its finest – I had all the ingredients to make the playdough in my kitchen already {and you likely do too}, and the kitchen instruments were things I already had and use!  I will definitely use this same idea and use other scents/ingredients and different tools!

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First we made cake scented playdough as follows:

Then we made cherry scented playdough as follows:

playdough

I gave the kids a mini rolling pin, a mini muffin tin, some silicone baking cups, some birthday candles, Valentine heart cupcake picks, some paper hearts that we had cut out of red paper for “sprinkles,” heart shaped cookie cutters, and a donut cutter.  They went to town making mini cakes, cherry pies, cupcakes, donuts, and cookies.

Even Eliana got in on the action.  Sitting in my lap, she made several little treats of her own.  I made sure she didn’t try to eat any of the playdough – which she immediately tried to do since the playdough smelled so delicious.  Lucky for us, it didn’t taste delicious, so after that first lick she wasn’t tempted to do any more tasting. ;)   {You would want to put the family pet away while you play though…dogs will try to eat the playdough and all that salt wouldn’t be good for dear doggie}.

Judah was so proud of his creations!  When he was all finished he wanted to play pretend that he was the bakery shop owner and I had come to make some delicious purchases.  After he took my “order” several times we cleaned it all up and I put the playdough in some plastic containers to keep in the fridge until we play again.  The playdough will keep a few weeks in the fridge.

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Strawberry Banana Yogurt Pancakes

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This recipe was a total experiment.  And, experiments can go one of two ways – good or ugly.  I am happy to report that this itchen experiment turned out more than just good…it is now elevated to my new FAVORITE pancake recipe.  I am likely to use this recipe as my regular pancake recipe with plain yogurt or other flavors of yogurt.

For this recipe I used two cups of Stonyfield fat free strawberry banana yogurt and it made these pancakes so moist and melt in your mouth!  They have the best flavor and texture!

This would make a great Valentine’s breakfast for your sweeties.  Or, if you don’t have time for pancakes tomorrow morning, why not make them for dinner – or for Saturday morning as a treat!  When ever you make them, I’m sure they’ll be a hit!

yogurt pancakes

 

 

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Valentine’s Day Baking Projects

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My kiddos and I have had such a good time baking, decorating, and packaging up some Valentine’s goodies for our friends and for ourselves. ;)   Just yesterday my little had a great time decorating these heart cookies from this cookie kit I purchased at Walmart.  This kit has everything you need: 4 packages of icing, candies, sprinkles, and 12 shortbread cookies.  This is the perfect size for a fun decorating party at home or for a Sunday school class or pick up 2 for a school activity at your kiddos Valentine’s Day Party.

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I made it super fun for the kids while making it super easy on me – I took our little kid’s table out on the porch so that clean up would be a breeze. {Especially where toddlers and sprinkles are involved!}.  We deocrated a few of them and saved a couple packs of icing and about half of the cookies for another day {yay!  two fun activites for the low price of one!}.

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We also baked up some cookie brownie cups with a Nestle Toll House Cookie-Brownie Delight.  We added some festive little heart sprinkles to the top and enjoyed a couple as a snack today!  Then, I boxed up the rest to share with our extended family.

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They were so tasty {super chocolatey in my opinion} it was hard not to eat them all – especially while they were warm. Swoon.

Last, but definitely not least we baked up some classic chocolate chip cookies – I always use the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House morsels package, it is perfection.  The only difference this time is that we used the super cute, Valentine’s morsels!  They included some red and pink morsels in addition to the brown chocolate ones.

When the cookies were finished we packaged them up in the cute tin I had on my shelf from last year.  It is perfect for gifting to unsuspecting friends. ;)

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It’s fun to give gifts to your friends during this holiday – and not just your sweetheart ;)   Everyone loves to feel loved. ;)   And, since chocolate chip cookies are so easy – and universally loved- why not bake up an extra batch for someone who could use a little extra special love lately.

All of these products are very affordable and available at Walmart -so baking up some smiles and hugs should be a pretty easy thing to do this season.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.

 

 

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A Boy’s Valentine’s Cards – Love Bug Cards

buggy valentine

I have been surfing Pinterest for a cute Valentine card that Judah could take to “school.”  I’m not crazy about Valentine’s cards that include candy {although they are a hit with kids}.  But, I know kids enjoy something more than just a piece of paper with a sentiment. ;)

So, when I found these cute bug Valentine’s cards I knew they would be the perfect solution!  Judah LOVES them and I love that they are fun with  out cavities and sugar. ;)

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I found some SUPER cute little bug finger puppets on Oriental Trading to use.  They come in packs of 12 for $5.  I know toys from Oriental Trading can be a hit or miss, but these are really good quality.   The colors are wonderful!  You can find them here.

Since these bugs are a bit larger than the cheap plastic bugs you can sometimes find in party supply stores or dollar stores, the Valentine’s Card from the original post was too small (they are four to a page).  So, I made my own card two to a page and if you like it, you can print your own here.  I took Judah’s name off of it, so you can print your child’s name on the card if you like!

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Judah is so excited to share these with his friends and he hand selected each bug for each child.  It was such an important decision to a 3 year old – to make sure each bug was the exact one his friend would like the most. ;)

I think his friends will love the little bugs too.  And, they are great little imaginative play toys – that will last a bit longer than a piece of candy anyway. ;)

 

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Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $10

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Have you purchased {or made} Valentine’s gifts for your loved ones yet?  I challenged myself to purchase gifts for all three of my family members for $30 {that is $10 a piece}.  I also tried to stick to healthy items – no big boxes of chocolate.

While there are TONS of different boxes of Valentine’s chocolates at Walmart that fit well into this budget, my kids already eat WAY too much chocolate {yes this is a confession}.  So, I tried not to be too stingy – Judah did get some cotton candy as part of his gift but the rest of the gifts are either:
1. healthy
2. fun to do together

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Here’s what I go the littlest member of my family – Eliana {17 months). Her gift comes under the $10 mark.  I purchased the pack of Valentine’s stickers in the section with Valentine’s Party supplies at Walmart.  There are several sheets in this pack that could be split and put into goody bags for a child’s classroom.  I decided to purchase one and split the sticker sheets between her and Judah.  My kids LOVE stickers.  It is a great, quiet {calm} activity that both of them {and I} enjoy. ;)

I also found this cute Elmo book – Eliana LOVES Elmo {like most toddlers}.  I added the Peter Rabbit’s Organic strawberry banana {in a lovely pink, Valentine’s package} to her gift – a yummy AND healthy Valentine’s treat that she loves.  Eliana’s gift came in at about $7 including the cute gift bag for $0.97.

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Judah {who is nearly 4} did get this $1 container of cotton candy.  A treat he will go gaga for but that he doesn’t get very often. Other than that his git is similar to Eliana’s.  He got this super cute, affordable {$3.77} book that we’ll enjoy reading together.  He will also get a yummy {and healthy} Peter Rabbit Organics Peach & Apple Sauce – in a lovely shade of Valentine’s red. :) My kids love these fruit sauces in the tube packaging – they often choose them their selves as their one treat at the grocery store.  These are great because they are organic but a bit pricey at around $1.50 each.  I could’ve chosen candy and come in a lot cheaper but I was trying to give healthier gifts – and I still came in under $10.  Judah’s gift cost around $8 before tax.

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Daddy’s gift was a bit more than $10.  The super cute coffee and mugs set was $10.  So, after adding the super funny card and $0.97 gift bag his gift was about $13 and some change.  But, with the money left over from the kid’s gifts I still came in at $30 for all three gifts!

I packed them all up in the gift bags along with some tissue paper I had picked up on clearance last year (go me!).  I am super excited with what I found for my sweets for Valentine’s Day and I think they’ll love their gifts too!

How about you?  Are you trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.
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DIY: Festive Winter Wreath (A Tutorial)

I made a cute wreath to hang on my door this season.  I’m going to be totally up front and tell you that #1 – I am a perfectionist and LOVE to decorate. #2 – I AM BROKE!  I mean seriously.  So, while it was most definitely important to me for this wreath to look AWESOME… it was almost as equally important for it to be affordable.   I bought all the supplies I needed at Walmart.  And, suprisingly, you don’t need much to make a wreath look rockin’.

I bought 3 stems of silk flowers – 2 green hydrangeas ($10 each)  and 1 white baby’s breath ($2).  This grape vine wreath cost just $3.50 and the green glitter ribbon was just $6.  I couldn’t decide which ornament to use as my accent so I bought 2 – a snowman and a little white bird.  Both were so cheap ($1.97 each) I figured if I didn’t use one for this craft I’d use it for something else.

The first thing I did was Google how to make a loopy bow. :)    I am NOT gifted in that department AT. ALL.  So, after three re-do’s I was finally satisfied with the way it looked.

Then, I trimmed the flower stems to a shorter length and I poked them into the vine wreath.  {Note: I first attempted to cut the stems with a pair of scissors and quickly realized I needed some wire cutters.  Lucky for me – my husband happily loaned me his}.  I also trimmed the leaves from the flowers off separately so that I could poke them in separate from the flowers and add them exactly where I wanted them.  I placed both of the green hydrangeas first, then I trimmed and poked in small sections of the baby’s breath in just as an accent.

The final step was to add the bird ornament.  Isn’t it cute?  I think it rounds out the wreath nicely!

What do you think?  A cute wreath I can leave up all winter long.  Walmart has lots of affordable decorations for the holidays.  And, even though my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas they still had something that worked for my winter decorations to brighten things around here.  You can check out the holiday options in the Walmart Christmas catalog here (also available in most stores).

And if you want to see other ideas for holiday wreaths check out these posts:

Jenn at Frugal Upstate
Sheena at Sophistishe
Heather at The Domestic Diva
Lori at a Cowboy’s Wife
Jennae at Green Your Decor
Linsey at Lille Punkin’
Lynnae at Freelance Homeschool Mom
Liz at Hoosier Homemade

Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart.   Walmart has provided me with product and/or compensation in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post. My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinion is my own.

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Road Trips with the Kidlets

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‘Tis the season for travel.  The fact is, most of us who work outside the home will get a few days off in the coming months – starting tomorrow!  And, many of us will take some of those days to visit with family and friends that we might not get the opportunity to see as much as we would like.

My husband’s family lives about 7 hours away from us and that means we don’t get to see them nearly as much as we would like.  But, we take every opportunity we can to make a road trip for a visit.  That means three day weekends and any vacation time we can scrape together is usually spent traveling in our car with our two littles to visit Grammy and Gramps.

So, with many of you traveling this week {and in the coming weeks} I thought I’d share how I keep my two littles entertained during those long drives.

1. Keep ‘em busy:
To keep Judah (who is a little more than 3 1/2 years old) entertained and busy I pack him lots of things to do.

  • I pick up packs of stickers that I find cheap at the dollar stores (and free in the mail!) and squirrel them away until we take a trip. Stickers paired with a small notebook will keep him entertained for a while!
  • Coloring books with “special crayons” (ie: ones he doesn’t use any other time) like Crayola Twistables work great!
  • Crayola color wonder paper and markers are great for the car because the markers don’t write on anything but the “magic” color wonder paper! (keep your car interior marker free!)
  • I spy games and car bingo are also great games that will kill time (see my Pinterest board for road trips for lots of great ideas and links!)
  • Judah has a hand held game called a MobiGo that we pack for road trips.  We only let him use it on road trips so that way it will be new and interesting and will keep his attention longer since it isn’t something he gets to play with on a regular basis.

2. Pack lots of snacks:

  • We pack our own cooler with snacks and drinks and keep it inside the main part of the car where it is easily accessible (not in the trunk).  Not only is packing your own snacks cheaper, you can make sure you pack some healthy alternatives and not just sugar.
  • Fruit like grapes, apple slices, and whole bananas make great snacks for the car as well as crackers with cheese or peanut butter, tubes of Organic yogurt, squeezable apple sauce, raisins and other dried fruits, and pretzels.

3. Make regular stops:
Little kids need breaks to get out and stretch their legs.

  • Keep a frisbee or ball in your car and stop at a rest stop for a quick bathroom break and a fast game of frisbee or kick ball.
  • We pack our own snacks and drinks to save money but we usually make at least one stop for gas and let the kids go in and pick out one special treat.  This gives them something to look forward to and we usually try to work it in when everyone is starting to get stir crazy! By the way, did you know Racetrack now has many healthy snack options available?  It is called the Better for you line and it includes items like Kind Bars, Yum Nuts, and Pop Chips, among many other items.
  • Stop for lunch.  If you are traveling a long period of time (like our 7 hour trips) I recommend stopping and sitting down for a real lunch instead of hitting a fast food joint and eating in the car.  Although it means you’ll arrive at your destination a little later, it is so helpful to let everyone get out, move around, and get a good meal in them (which usually means a nap will follow!).  Besides being healthier, it is also just plain easier to feed little ones inside a restaurant strapped to a high chair rather than in a car seat while trying to drive!

Where ever you are headed this season, be safe and remember that a road trip is more than just arriving at  your final destination, getting their is half the fun!

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Kia Motors

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Veterans Day – Express Your Gratitude

Does your family celebrate Veterans Day?  It is a special time to us all as Americans and probably more so to you if you have a loved one who has served or is serving in the military. Regardless if you throw a big shin dig for the holiday or not, I’ve got some great ways that you can spread a little love and show a little gratitude towards those who have given so much.

In 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed $10 million over five years to help our nation’s heroes find employment when they come home. Then in 2011, they doubled that number to $20 million. Some of the things we they have accomplished already with these funds are helping organizations such as Veterans Green Jobs, Entrepreneurship Bootcamp Veterans with Disabilities and the American Red Cross.

Now they are asking you to get involved.  In most Walmart stores starting the week of November 11th, there will be red and white note cards made available to customers to write their words of appreciation and gratitude to veterans for their service.  Customers can then pin these cards to a corrugate board measuring approximately 4′x6′  to create  “The Flag of Thanks.”

Once the board has been filled with notes of appreciation, the store manager should make arrangements to present the Flag of Thanks to the local VA Hospital Center after the event. (If no local VA Hospital Center, then it will be presented to a local VFW or American Legion)

Walmart is also apart of the  iThanku Carrier Classic sponsorship where fans submit ‘iThanku’s’ through Walmart’s Facebook page for the live TV broadcast on NBC, November 9th at 4 pm. If you’d like to submit a thank you for a chance for it to be broadcast live on Thursday check it out here.

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Fall Decorating with…Duck Tape

It is my favorite season of the year… FALL.  I love the weather here in Fall with the crisp cool mornings and evenings, the leaves changing colors, and the decorating. :)

I have some beautiful leaf garlands, a cute sign for my door, and some wicker pumpkins I love to use.  Not too much, just enough decorating to say “Fall is Here.”

To add to my Fall decorating this year I decided to do a little art project with my kiddo.  We decorated a pumpkin with…duck tape!

First, I punched out circles and scallops using a paper punch.  I used a scallop punch that was a 1/2 inch smaller than the circle punch.  I used the solid circle punch with the black sheets of Duck Tape and the scallop punch with the full sheets of zebra Duck Tape.   I helped Judah pull the paper backs off of the stickers and then showed him how to place them.

I think the end result is kinda cute!  There are many ways you can decorate your pumpkin with Duck Tape.  There are so many colors and prints available now at your local Walmart, the things you can do with Duck Tape are limitless!!   There are some wild examples on the Stick or Treat, Duck Tape Site.  And, as a matter of fact, you can enter to win $1,000 if you have an original idea for decorating a pumpkin with Duck Tape. Just enter your photo by November 1st.

Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart.   Walmart has provided me with product and/or compensation in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post. My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinion is my own.

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