Sunday, February 12, 2012

Our Valentine's Day Candy Bar!

Hey everyone! It's been a LONG weekend! My 5 year old asked to have a Valentine's Day Party a while back. SOOOOO, I have obviously planned it for months now :)
I don't do many parties b/c I am usually busy making decor for all the orders in the shoppe, but I always try to have a great birthday and something small for his friends in the middle of the year.  I really try to cover all the basis, but of course, there is a long list of the things I forgot, or that didn't pan out the way I had thought! Nonetheless, the kids had a good time I think, the parents got to snack on the "adult" food (ham and swiss poppy seed sammys, chicken salad croissants, winter fruit salad, artichoke cups, and sausage wontons), the kids played, crafted, ate, and left with favors, and it's all not cleaned up :) HA!
Here is how it turned out!


 (I didn't make the Heart Cookies, they are by GoosieGirl.etsy.com :)
Twizzlers Cut in half and tied with twine
Pretzel Buttons- Easy peasey!
Melt Hugs (I used the raspberry Milk chocolate ones! in the oven on 200 for a couple minutes and top with an M & M!  I make these at Christmas every year b/c they are SO easy!)

 Cupcakes, Cake Pops in Ice Cream Cones, Chocolate covered Strawberries and Fruit and Jello Cups!

 Marshmellows Kabobs (covered in candy melts and sprinkles!)
My fabulous Goodwill find- a WORKING bubblegum machine!
M&M's of course!

 Kool Aid Bursts (Easy and none wasted!)
Red Velvet Cake Pops, Mini Cake Pops, Suckers with Lips:), and Cupcake PushPops!

 Close up on the push pops! These were a hit! (See below) :)

 Lexi Agreed!

 2 Carft tables for the kiddos! They made Valentines, Princess Crowns, Colored, etc

 And I made some props for our make shift Photo booth!

 Who said kids were the only ones who used the props and took pics :)

 Details! Covered the drinks of course!

and my sweet boy by the favor bags! He was so incredibly thankful for his friends who came and to us for letting him have the party. He thanked me no less than 30 times! His room was a WRECK from all the kiddos (21 in total I believe), but they had a great time! Luckily, my sister spent the weekend, so she helped me prep/set up/ and break down!
I hope he carries these memories! If he forgets, I'll be sure to mark the pages in his scrapbook that will document them! HA!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Photo Clip Picture from a Client!

I love it when sweet clients send me photos of their parties! Here is a set of our farm photo clips in action :) Sooooo cute! Thanks so much for sharing! I just addes several more new sets to the shop today! Little Red Wagon, Hot Pink Polka Dots, Frog Prince, etc! Havea  great day everyone!!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Recipe Day :)- Homemade CrockPot Baked Potato Soup!

I love a good recipe. Wanted to share this one I made for Superbowl! I may be using it for an upcoming party as it was SUPER yummy!!!
Homemade Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
64 ounces Chicken Broth
3 lbs (I used about 8 large) Potatoes
(Wash, do not peel, dice)
1 lg onion diced
1 tablespoon season salt
5 teaspoons minced garlic
16 ounces Cream Cheese (room temp)
Shredded Cheese
Crumbled Bacon

Place broth, onion, potatoes, season salt, garlic into the crocpot. Cook on high for 6 hours.
Pour about half of soup into a large blender and add cream cheese. Blend well. Add mixture back to original soup and mix well. (If you only have a small blender, you could do it in 2 parts or such.) Dip out, add shredded cheese and bacon as desired and enjoy! *Note: this freezes REALLY well! I suggest freezing enough for a family meal in one bag/container so that you can pull one as needed for a quick dinner addition.  Enjoy everyone!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Frozen Sandwiches :)

Okay- a crafty post today, but not about paper crafts or parties :)
Now, many of you probably already know this or do this,  but it has been a wonderful addition to my routine!
Matthew goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. He takes his lunch and always wants me to pack a sandwich. I love the convenience of Smuckers Uncrustables, (I used to keep a box in the freezer just in case I got ready to fix a sandwich and was out of bread or tortillas, or for those mornings where everyone overslept :)
Well, no more! I discovered freezing snadwiches at the beginning of the school year and I love it! I will spend 30 mins on a Sunday night and make a whole loaf on sandwiches. Turkey, PB, PB&J, Ham, Roast Beef, Cheese, etc.  I then cookie cutter them (He LOVES me sending a shaped sandwich :) and put them each in a baggie and pop them in the freezer! In the mornings, I grab a sandwich, throw it in the lunch box with his fruit and juice/milk, and off we go! It thaws before lunch and tastes just the same! (Don't put mayo or anything on it or it will be soggy.)
I get to send the healthy sandwich I want, made with love :) and in a cute shape, but didn't spend any time on it that morning!  Best of all, I never let a loaf of bread go bad! I have about 15 sandwiches in the freezer as we speak :)
Happy Sandwich Making :)

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