cherry cheesecake

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Happy birthday to my better half! 

 To celebrate the occasion of his birth, 29 years ago, I'm spending the latter part of my morning baking a cherry cheesecake. It is in the oven right now and, let me tell you, the batter alone tastes soooooo good.  I used this recipe, Aunt Connie's Amazing New York Style Cheesecake.  According to the author, it is fool-proof.  Given that this is my first cheesecake ever, I'm banking on it.

nearly dye-free strawberry cake balls

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Like most elementary students, Alex had a Valentine's Day party at school yesterday. When the goodies and treats sign up sheet came out last week, I wrote in that I would send cake balls, much to my family's delight.

In developing this recipe, my goal was to provide a treat that was on the healthier side of the scale, as well as something that was tasty and not nearly nutritious. In my recent reading, I have been learning that kids with ADHD may have sensitivities to certain food additives and colorings, so I sought to eliminate the majority of the food coloring from my preparations. Yet, I wanted to do so in a way in which the result would be tasty, pretty, and fun. I must disclose that, at the end, I topped each cake ball with a smattering of red sprinkles, because I just couldn't help myself, but you could easily leave these out for a truly dye-free treat.

Ingredients:
1 French Vanilla Cake Mix, or ingredients for any white cake recipe of your choosing. I had very little time, so I went the way of the mixes.
2ish cups of strawberry puree (see below)
Vanilla Almond Bark
1 TBS Shortening
Sprinkles, if desired

Strawberry Puree
 Last May, we went out to a local berry farm to pick strawberries.  I bought way more than I needed so that I could freeze the excess and have strawberry treats all year long.   Before freezing, I washed, capped, and sliced the berries.  Then, I froze them in 3 cup increments.  If, like most, you didn't do this, then just pick up a couple of containers of strawberries from your grocer.  Or, substitute frozen berries.  If you go for frozen, check the label for dyes, though.

Thaw your berries, if needed, in a saucepan over low heat.  When berries can be easily separated, put them in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

Preparation:
Prepare cake mix as directed, but substitute strawberry puree for oil, as you would applesauce in any other recipe.  This will give the cake a delightfully berry flavor.  Bake in any cake pan as directed.  Let cool.

When cake is cool, slice cake into inch-size chunks and place in a large bowl.  Using a potato masher, mash.  Add strawberry puree in small increments until cake is wet enough to stick together in a ball, but not too gooey.  Put mixture in the freezer and let chill for an hour or so.

Ballin' it Up:
Remove mixture from freezer and, using a favorite spoon or cookie scoop, scoop cake mix into balls and place on plates or a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer.  If desired, roll balls to make them more round or shape into any form desired.  Hearts would be cute.  Freeze balls for another hour or so.

Alternative: Use buttercream frosting with strawberry flavoring instead of the strawberry puree to get a richer, more decadent treat.

Dippin':
Heat Almond Bark and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl for 90 seconds.  Stir.  Continue heating at 15 second intervals until melted and shortening is combined.  Using two forks for search and rescue, drop cake balls into almond bark and cover.  Retrieve and place on Parchment Paper-covered plates or sheets.  Sprinkle with candy immediately, if desired.  Repeat for all of your balls.

Serve whenever.  But, don't be surprised if these two-bite goodies don't last very long. 

For those of you following my mortified mama series, don't be surprised when I gain, oh... ten pounds this week.

For better directions, much better photos, and fantastic ideas, check out Bakerella's lovely site.

A special thank you to Nicole for teaching me how to make these yummy desserts.  My family loves you.  If you're in the Roanoke area, Nicole makes the BEST cakes and cake pops around.  Check out her One Bite Delights to place orders for cake balls or cake pops for your next party or social function.

Cake Balls are just the right size for toddler hands.

protesting in black

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Today I'm publishing a special guest post from a friend of mine, Katie Cordani. I met Katie about a year and a half ago through my local MOM'S Club and we've spent many mornings, afternoons, and evenings chatting it up over a variety of interesting topics. Katie is a mom to three, a sousaphone enthusiast, an aspiring writer, and an all around lovely lady. Just don't ask her to do anything on a Friday morning. That's when she meets up with her milkman. 

Confession time…I used to wear black on Valentine’s Day.  Yes, I did.  It was high school.  I was single.  I thought the tokens of affection, the one’s I wasn’t getting, were fake and pointless.  Maybe I was just a bitter, single female, longing for the love of a good guy.  Maybe it was just my rebellious streak…I know, sad, huh?

The thing is, I haven’t really outgrown it, maybe just softened a bit.  Granted, the tokens of affection I get from my husband aren’t pointless, and they do mean something, I just have a problem with the whole idea of dedicating a single day to love.  Love is something we should share, teach and show on a daily basis, and not with some stuffed, singing bear/dog/cow/whatever.   And as a stay at home mom, the practical side of me kicks in.  “Honey, we could have spent that money on diapers/food/etc.”

As with everything though, I do ignore that sentiment when it comes to getting the kids something.   I have to let my hubby buy them a gift because I know I’d go overboard.  It’s all just so cute!  I think it comes from the guilt I feel for having to yell and scream at them on a daily basis.  Maybe, if I get them this one stuffed, singing bear/dog/cow/whatever, they’ll know how much I love them and they’ll listen better.  Yeah, still waiting on that one.

My point is, take the time this month, whether it’s Valentine’s Day, or any other day, to show those around you how much you do love them.  It’s the least we can do for our husbands who support us, or our children who, in their own ways, show us daily how much we mean to them.  Without them, we wouldn’t be who we are.

(Me again...)
Personally, we ignore Sweetest Day (whenever that is...) and tend to do a little something around V-Day, but not a whole lot.  We don't get the kids anything.  We tell Alex that V-Day is mainly for grown-ups to exchange presents and show their affection.  He takes cards to school, and a treat, and that's about it.  Does that make me unsentimental?  I don't think so.  Does that make what the millions of other people do for their kids each year wrong?  Nope.  Just different. 

The wearing black thing though, that's weird.

What about you?  Do you and your honey do anything special on February 14th?  What about for your kids, aside from the school valentines?  Do you have special traditions or do you forge a new path each year?  Or, like Katie, do you ever protest in black?

welcome 2011

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So, it is a new year. Somehow, a new school year seems to have more excitement and significance to me than a new calendar year. Except, it is more acceptable to imbibe at midnight on December 31 than during the early morning hours of September 5 or whenever. But, besides that...

We had portraits taken last Thursday, a little after Christmas. Unlike most families, we weren't rushing to the studio in early November. Or, even early December. We don't do Christmas cards, so the timing didn't matter too much to us, as long as we got our yearly portraits taken in some fancy clothes. Hot dog! We did it.

Can I just say that I love Portrait Innovations? Because I do. This was the first time that we've gone there, but I'll never go to any other portrait studio. The kids had a blast, the photographer was invested in the session, and the pictures turned out great.


*I was not compensated in any way for this endorsement.

short takes

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We're having a snow day today. Alex is out of school, the roads are covered with slippery snow, and we're stuck inside. Today will be a day to relax, make some Christmas crafts, and spend time as a family.

Today, I'm baking a Cinnamon-Apple Cake using some bruised apples from the grocery store.  I don't know if I accidentally bought bruised apples, or if Katie bruised them while shuffling the bag around the house once I got it home.  At any rate, no one has wanted to eat these things and they are about to go to waste.  So, we're going to have a treat.

I'm also planning on making some salt dough ornaments with the kids today.  We'll give these as Christmas presents to teachers and some family.  I can't wait to see how they turn out, as I've never made them before. 

At some point, we'll likely go outside to play.  We're expecting 3-6 inches of snow today, according to the latest reports.  This afternoon, it will turn to sleet and freezing rain, so we'd better get out there while we can!

whitewashing the walls

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Yesterday morning, a gaggle of friends brought their kids to my house to decorate Christmas cookies. I love hosting play groups like this, where the moms can get together to drink coffee and laugh, and the kids have a little activity and then time to play. We had a blast. My friend, Catherine, names have been changed co-hosted with me and brought over tons of cookie cutters and Alton Brown's Sugar Cookie dough.  Several other ladies bundled up in this frigid weather and joined us for the fun.

photo by dano, via a creative commons license

This is the thing, though.  While I love to have people over for a good laugh, I don't enjoy having to clean up my house before they arrive.  I had an even harder time of it this go-round because my son's Cub Scout den (for which I am the leader) had a meeting the night before.  And, I had had errands to run and other stuff to do for much of the day.  And, after I got home, I spent some quality time with the mister instead of cleaning up all of our crap.  So, come sun-up Tuesday morning, my house was not in tip-top shape.  By far.

I jumped out of bed and promptly started cleaning blogged.  It was a short post, but one that required a little research.  When I finished, it was 8:30 ish.  I jumped in the shower, because you can't be a stinky hostess with a messy house.  That's just not cool.  Catherine was due at my door at 10 AM.

Upon finishing my shower, I finally began to pick up the mess.  Clean the table, counters, bathroom... check.  Pick up toys... check.  Remove random junk that has been strewn from one corner of the house to the other... semi-check.  All that stuff got piled on my bed to be dealt with later.  Vacuum..... vacuum.... vacuum... why isn't my vacuum working?  Crap and double crap!    Fling the vacuum aside... check.

Dishes.  Oh, the dishes.  Needless to say, I hadn't worried over the dishes the night before because I was too, um... busy.  The sink was piled high.  The time is ticking down.  The dishwasher was already full of clean dishes that would have to be unloaded.  What to do?

courtesy of miss pupik, via a creative commons license

What to do?  Suddenly, the name of a favorite blog came to mind, Just Hide the Dishes in the Dryer.  Grabbing up my large turkey roaster, I starting piling dirty dishes inside.  One, two, three pots and pans.  Numerous plates, coffee mugs (Yes, Liz, that's why you had to use hubby's John Wayne mug.  My nicer ones were hidden), silverware, serving spoons, all the random junk we use in our day to day lives.  Out of my sink, into the roaster.  Four, five, six... where do I put this shit?  Lifting the roaster (wow, this is heavy), I dashed down the hall and into my bedroom.  The dishes were plopped on the floor by my bed, roaster and all.  I would deal with them later.  Back out to the kitchen I go to semi-shine my sink.  They'll never know!

That is, until I write a post about it.  But, I do have a point.  Yesterday, my home looked presentable.  Obviously lived-in, but (fairly) clean.  My vacuum did break, remember?  Hopefully, my home exuded comfort and welcome and a sense of this-is-me-not-trying-too-hard.  Out of respect for my friends, I cleaned up my home so they would feel comfortable.  So they wouldn't have to look at all of my grime.  I think that's perfectly acceptable, even hospitable to do.

But, what about ourselves?  Do we clean up our personalities when we're with our friends?  Or, do we let it all hang out?  Do we really show them our true selves?  Are there corners that we try to hide away from prying eyes?  If so, why?  Why must we fake a perfect persona for the world to see?  Why must we always be the peppy, perfect cheerleader?  Why must we always be dressed to the nines?  Can't we wear our sweats once in awhile?

Let down your hair, ladies.  Allow your friends to really get to know you.  Seek out a few close relationships, if you haven't already.  Sometimes, it's okay to have proverbial dishes in the sink.

weekend recap

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 Raked leaves for someone who needed a little help

 Played with snow

Snow's COLD!

Built and decorated a gingerbread tree.  Ate a lot of candy!

Went to Sesame Street Live

Squealed with delight over seeing Elmo

What did you do?

mosaic napkin rings

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Here's a simple craft for kids of all ages. While watching the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving morning, I helped my children make fall-themed mosaic napkin rings to place on the table for our big meal.  Katie had a great time tossing the tissue paper into the air, before smacking them into place on the napkin rings, while Alex was creative and made "3D" versions of the craft by folding the paper in half before gluing it on.

Materials: Red, orange, and yellow tissue paper, cut or torn into small pieces.  Red cardstock cut into 1.5 inch x 3 inch strips.  Glue.  For quick drying, we used glue sticks, but white glue would probably work better.  A stapler with staples.  Patience and a vacuum cleaner also come in handy.

Glue tissue squares to card stock in any pattern you desire. 

See? Nothing on the back.  That way, your ring doesn't accidentally get glued to your napkin if you're a last-minute-mama like me.  When you're finished, curl the ring into an appropriately-sized circle and staple. Cut off excess.

We also cut out and colored some leaves to use as place holders.

The finished table was pretty casual.  Everyday plates paired with paper napkins.  I did pull out the good silverware, though.  Mr. Hull set the table for me.  I think he did a great job.  The napkin rings are wrapped around the napkins and the place cards are laying on the plates.  The centerpiece is just a simple pillar candle on a solid white plate, surrounded by real leaves.  And, the runner?  Four pieces of fall fabric that I had picked up over the summer and had not yet turned into something fancy.  I like the patchwork effect and have folded these up to use again next year.

A Thanksgiving Fable

by Oliver Herford

It was a hungry pussy cat,
upon Thanksgiving morn,
And she watched a thankful little mouse,
that ate an ear of corn.
"If I ate that thankful little mouse,
how thankful he should be,
When he has made a meal himself,
to make a meal for me!

"Then with his thanks for having fed,
and his thanks for feeding me,
With all his thankfulness inside,
how thankful I shall be!"
Thus mused the hungry pussy cat,
upon Thanksgiving Day;
But the little mouse had overheard
and declined (with thanks) to stay.

memory lane

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I was going through some old photos recently and came across a set from Christmas 2003.  Alex was 2 and a half years old.  It's hard to believe that he's nearing 10. 
Where does the time go?

We came across this tool bench in the attic while getting out Christmas decorations this weekend.  He loved playing with it so much that, when he out grew it, I couldn't make myself get rid of the thing.   Other finds were Little People toys, a boppy, and the menu from my hospital stay when he was born.

 Peek-a-boo!  See the box in the corner?  We had just moved into that apartment.  We would stay for a year before buying our house.  The first thing to go up in our new home was the Christmas tree.

 Among other things, Santa brought Alex a corduroy Mickey who is still hanging around somewhere.

And, there I am with my fuzzy-caterpillar eyebrows with the first turkey that I ever cooked.  It's just the breast, but it counts for something, right?  We ate Christmas dinner with my dad on a small end table because we didn't yet have a dining table.  Cooking dinner for my family has always been important to me, at least on the holidays, even if I haven't always been good at it.  It seems as if this turkey had to be put back in the oven after the picture was taken, as it had a bloody streak running through it.  I added too much milk to the mashed potatoes, so they were runny, and I only cooked my green beans for a few hours.  That's okay, I believe we had a good time of it anyway.

too much is too much

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This weekend, my wonderful husband chose to be super helpful around the house. For that, I am very thankful. During his time off from work, he mulched the leaves, cleaned the gutters, watched the children so I could sleep after shopping all night, stayed home while I went out to the Star City Comedy Club with good friend, Jannine, got the Christmas decorations out of the attic and did the dishes. And, you know what? I didn't even ask him to do any many of these things. What a dear!

source

The thing is, he hit a snag the last time he did the dishes.  The soap packet that had been put into the dishwasher for the previous run had not dissolved.  So, my handy husband decided he would add Dawn dishwashing detergent to the cup to get the job done.  I think he may have mentioned that we were also out of the Cascade packs.  I don't remember.  At any rate, he squirted a cupful of Dawn (the type you use to hand wash dishes) into the machine.  He turned it on.  A little while later, he went to get something from the kitchen and found a mess.  "Oh....." he groaned.  I asked what was the matter and he told me, "There are some bubbles on the floor."  Some bubbles?  A good quarter of the kitchen was covered in suds.  Oh my!  Deja vu, anyone?

For the second time in three months, I started to clean up a wet mess.  We bypassed the bath towel route this time because I didn't want to add to my backed-up laundry pile.  Instead, he grabbed the mop and I used the dust mop.  He would swing his tool across the sudsy floor, and I would push back, trying to keep the water and bubbles from spreading even further.  It felt like we were playing a gentle game of hockey, or participating in that weird-ass Olympic sport, curling.

source

Eventually, we were able to get the floor mostly dry and we turned our attention to the dishwasher.  You see, when John walked into the kitchen, soap was pouring out of the front of the machine.  He promptly turned it off, to minimize the flooding, but we realized we would soon have to deal with the mess inside.  Opening the door, we found a wall of bubbles.  Slowly, but surely, we began to scoop them out until the were nearly gone.  When we had removed as much soap as possible, we turned on the dishwasher to let it finish the cycle.  Water continued to dribble out for much of that run, but now our machine is as good as new and cleaner than it has been in a very long time.

This whole ordeal got me to thinking (bad idea, I know!).  A lot of times, we think that if a little is good, then a lot is a whole lot better.  Like the little squirt of dawn turning into a good half cup being poured into the dishwasher.  We have a tendency to go for the overkill, especially with our children.

Christmas is coming.  I have a difficult time moderating how many gifts my kids receive.  I just love to give them things and there are so many toys and items on the market that they would love to have.  Once I get started buying presents, I find it so hard to stop.  But, is more really better when it comes to giving things to our kids?  Or, should they learn the life lessons that go along with disappointment and/or hard work?

While waiting in line to shop at Toys R Us on Thanksgiving night, I spoke with Jessica, a young mother of a two year old boy.  Her son will be receiving many things this Christmas, among them a 32" flat screen television.  Her reasoning?  He needs something to entertain him.  Feel free to roll your eyes.  Inwardly, I did, too.  My response, "My kids are getting an aquarium."  Jessica's mother, who was along for the ride, just about died laughing.

You see, over the years I have come to realize that the bigger and better presents aren't always the best.  If you get your two year old a giant tv, then what is there to look forward to as he grows up?  Hell, we don't even have a tv that big in my home.  When Alex was young, he was overly spoiled.  I couldn't wait to get him the next best thing for his "age."  However, I failed to realize that just because he was in the appropriate "age range," and I was able to buy the items, they weren't necessarily suitable playthings for his stage.

When you jump ahead and buy anything and everything for your children, they lose more than they gain.  The kids no longer become enthralled with the gifts they receive, they become spoiled, and they lose interest in their toys more quickly.  They don't learn the value of hard work with suitable rewards, nor do they experience the thrill of receiving something they have longed for. Things become disposable.  In general, items lose their value when they are given by the bucket load.  While a squirt of generosity is good, a cupful just creates a mess. 

How will you balance your desire to give it all with your children's need of moderation and value this season?  What are the top gifts on your list?  Will you go all out, or will you (attempt) to keep it simple and sane?

southern-style green beans

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Nothing says Thanksgiving like a big ol' bowl of green beans. You can keep your green bean casserole, ladies. Don't let any creamed soup or fried onions touch my beans. I serve up Southern-style slow cooked green beans in my house and that's the way it is. My granny did it and my mother does it, and so do I. This flavorful crockpot full of goodness is a tradition in my family and no feasting holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, the random birthday...) would be complete without it.

not my beans, but close enough

Southern-style green beans
4 cans of cut green beans
3 cans of shelly beans
1/4 package of fat back, side meat, or streaked meat
water
salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans in a large crockpot.  Cut meat into chunks and throw it in.  You'll want to cut your meat in larger chunks if you plan on fishing it out (my mother-in-law doesn't like beans cooked with pork, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, so I always remove the meat before serving to her.  Do it however you want).  Stir and cover with water.  Add salt and pepper with taste, you probably won't need much salt.  Cook on low 24-30 hours or high 12-18.  I prefer to put mine in the afternoon before the meal and let them cook all night and most of the next day.  The longer you cook them, the better they taste and your home will smell SO good.

A note on shelly beans: These are really hard to find in some grocery stores.  Essentially, they are green beans with some brown beans mixed in.  So, if you are unable to purchase shelly beans, just buy pintos and rinse off the juice.  1 can of pintos would be equal to 3 cans of shelly beans, but you'll also need to add another can or two of green beans.  Lucky for you, this isn't rocket science, so combine them any way you please.

one busy week

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Okay, ladies and (a very few) gents... it's Thanksgiving Week. What will YOU be doing? If you're anything like me, you'll be:

Cleaning like a Mad Lady

Cooking Up a Storm

Keeping Up With Weekly Errands

Wiping Noses

Changing Diapers

Chasing the Dog

and

Losing Your Mind

Why?  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Oh, yes.  It is all in the name of tradition.  Our mothers did it, their mothers did it, so we should do it too.  Or, did they?  Did your mother and grandmother try to shuttle kids to a million and one different activities every.single.day while keeping the house, tending the garden, feeding the dog, and walking the husband?  No?  Hmmmm.

It's Thanksgiving week.  Let's be thankful for our blessings and our families without all the craziness.  Sure, mop your floor and bake your pies.  Make your house presentable.  But, trust me, no one is going to notice if there's a stain on the couch or the baseboards need painting.  Take a break and put your feet up once in a while.  Chill.  In the end, you'll be a happier mom with more relaxed guests.  And that, my friends, is something to be thankful for.

halloween on a budget

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About a month ago, I posted about how I was going to attempt to make my kids awesome costumes for a total of $40 or less. Did I do it? Absolutely! I couldn't come back here saying I had failed, right?

 In my previous post, I had no clue what Alex had wanted to dress up as, but I had determined that Katie would be Little Red Riding Hood.  Well, obviously that didn't work out so well!  My sweet little two year old has a mind of her own and absolutely insisted on being a monkey.  

 Here she is, at our MOMS Club Halloween party.  This is the only time she wore the ears at all.  For this costume, I made a leotard-type shirt out of brown furry fabric, adding a little cream tummy.  The top was baggy enough to give her some more body, so she didn't resemble a skinny monkey, and had a long stuffed tail attached.  The tail was so long it dragged the ground and, if I had it to do over again, I would shorten it just a little because it seemed to bother her a bit.  To make the ears, I wrapped an old headband in matching fabric, sewed and stuffed two semi-circles, and hot-glued it all together.  She wore the get-up with a pair of leggings and a shirt that she already had.  Here's how it breaks down:

Fabric: $10 for a total of 1/2 yard.

Snaps: $2

Total: $12

I had the stuffing, thread, headband, glue, leggings, and shirt on hand.

Alex decided he wanted to be a ghostbuster.  Pretty simple, right?  Well, I had to search all over for a khaki shirt because I waited until the last minute and thought that it would be easy to purchase.  I should have ordered online weeks prior because I went to many stores and a men's size small was the best I could come up with.  That's okay, my little munchkin liked it anyway.  I painted the ghostbuster logo on one sleeve and his name on the left chest pocket.  We paired the shirt with a pair of khaki pants and his belt.  Then, I had to make the proton pack.  I happened to have an old vacuum extension, so that worked out nicely.  I hot-glued that to a piece of foam board, added some faux-tupperware containers, and spray painted the whole thing black.  Then, I dissected a backpack that we never used and stapled the straps to the board.  Grandma completed the outfit by purchasing those goggles at the Spirit of Halloween store.  He loved it!  And, he got more compliments than I even could have imagined for such a homemade costume.

Shirt: $7

Red and white paint: $6

Black spray paint: $1

Tupperware containers: $2

Foam board: $4

Pipe cleaners: $1

Goggles: gift

Total: $21

Total for two costumes: $33.  I even had enough left over to buy that fun Halloween shirt for $5.  Score!

**Photos courtesy of Amy Stamp.

sesame street birthday bash

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Katie turned two a couple of weeks ago and I have been such a slacker in regards to posting about her party.

Katie is a huge Sesame Street fan, so of course we had to base her party around her favorite friends.

 I made these cake toppers out of fondant, which was surprisingly easy to do.  They are sitting on top of a grocery-store cake.  What happened to the cake that I baked, you ask?  Well, that's a great question.  These little guys are on top of a store-bought cake because the one I had so laboriously prepared fell apart when I went to dirty ice it.  I was so concerned with it drying out because I baked it so early, that I used too much jam in the filling and should have skipped the simple syrup drizzle altogether.  As I unwrapped the cling wrap covering, my precious cake fell apart in my hands.  Oh the misery!  My wonderful husband saved the day by suggesting we purchase a cake for me to decorate.  Sing with me now, "He's a hero... he's a guy..."

See the lettering and the crayon scribbles?  I did those, too.  Yes, I know.  I work magic.

Katie was enthusiastic about getting a slice of her Sesame Street cake, too.  While I was modeling the characters, all she could do was sit and talk about them, and try to grab them a time or two, so I made sure that nobody chomped down on one of the muppets.  They did, however, meet their fate with the trash can about a week later.

As for decorations, I simply shunned the out-of-the-box Sesame Street decorations from my local party store.  Instead, I used primary colored tablecloths, balloons, homemade tissue poms, and blowers to set the stage.  The paper products were an assortment of red, green, yellow, and blue as well.  See that banner flying overhead?  That's simply cardstock triangles that I strung along a fishing line.  Pretty easy and effective.  

Can you see the party hats in that picture?  They are plain primary-colored hats that I bought locally.  Then, I printed out the facial features of the various characters and stuck them on with a glue stick.  The kids loved them and they were so easy to make!

For food, we had a mid-afternoon party so I kept it simple.  Chocolate chip cookies, pigs in a blanket, bagel pizzas, popcorn, cheese doodles, and party mix were gobbled down by everyone, but were super easy and stress-free.

 And, having the party at a park (and being blessed with fantastic weather for late October) helped me focus on the guests without having to worry too much about the house, whether everyone had a place to sit, and if I had put out enough toilet paper (excepting my friend Jannine and her husband, who had to dash to my house to use the potty since the park bathrooms were closed for the season.)

Happy, happy birthday to you! to you!

Happy, happy birthday to you! to you!

 You're good to grow, so let's count the candles and blow.......

Happy, happy birthday to you, to you, to you!