Coldstone Deal

It's hot where I live....REALLY hot - just like a lot of places in August. I heard about a great coupon from Coldstone that will help cool you off! Two Like it size create your own (ice cream + 1 mix in) for $5. The coupon expires on 9/30.  You have to download the coupon program to print anything, but it just takes a second and then you are ready to start saving!

Ice Cream Shoppe 7th Birthday

Well, my girl has gone and turned SEVEN already! I can hardly believe it. Once again, she decided on a theme months ago and stuck with it! I really followed my "party rules" to the letter this time - even finding leftover poster board in the basement! One party goer said "Wow! I didn't know Miss M had her own ice cream shop!"

As is our tradition, a silly pose is always required! Some of us have had more practice at this than others!

This doesn't show off the spoons very well, but they were so cute! The handles are each shaped like an ice cream treat: a fudge bar, banana split, milk shake, and ice cream cone. I watched and waited at my grocery store for SIX weeks until I knew the store would mark them down. They finally did and I scored them for 50 cents each down from an original price of $1/spoon. Dollar Store clear plastic jar were filled with sprinkles and bear a label reading "It was so sweet of you to come to my party!" We also found lip gloss in ice cream cartons at the $ Tree! So perfect!!! Miss M also added a cupcake eraser from Aunt J.

Another Miss M, Poppa, and Miss M. Trying to scoop "ice cream" into a dish....a lot hard than it looks! The girls had lots of fun watching one another on this game. These are also the ice cream dishes we used at the party. I bought 12 at Deals a few months back....$1 each of course!

Miss M and I made the awnings, with help from our bloggy friend Nikki. She has the lowdown on how to make the freezer paper awning and some other great ice cream party ideas. We also made the crepe paper ice cream cone. Cupcake Nana painted two "shoppe" signs. The one on the front door also says "OPEN". The effect was not lost on Miss M or me!

Mr C was so serious about helping churn the vanilla ice cream. Everyone took a turn, but Daddy finished the job!

A party goer giving her sundae order to Cupcake Nana. Bananas, strawberries, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, M&M's, chocolate chips, gummy bears, marshmallows, cherries, and of course whipped cream were the offerings.
Miss M's new favorite color is turquoise. (Notice the cupcakes and signs/awnings - even her nails!) She was so pleased to find Kool-Aide that "matched"! The girls and Mr C decorated soda jerk hats while taking turns churning the ice cream.
I received an ice cream cone cupcake pan for Christmas from my SIL last year and it was just the ticket for this year's party. (Cupcake Nana scored the cake stand decorated with ice cream treats!! for $2.50 at Goodwill.) Mr C spied the ice cream shirt a few weeks before the party and that was his gift to Sissy. Unlike her Christmas gift, he didn't tell her what it was this time!
After the party, Miss M said "THIS was the best party yet! I love homemade things...especially things you and Nana make for me." She is a girl after my own heart.

Friday Funnies

While reading to Miss M at bedtime, the character said, "Whew! I am pooped!"
Miss M broke out into hysterical laughing because she heard it as "Whew! I am poop!"
Realized she had never heard anyone say they were pooped!

*Yes, I know this is Monday. I was busy on Friday with birthday plans for Miss M. Pictures should be posted tonight! She said it was her best party yet.

Friday Funnies

We have been on vacation with my parents, brother, and SIL all week. (Pictures of daredevil Miss M to come later and crazy driver Mr C.) Overheard in the condo one day between my dad and Mr C.

Poppa: I love you more.
Mr C: No, I love YOU more!
Poppa: No, I love YOU more!
Mr C: Yeah, I love me too.
Silly boy.

Friday Funnies

My children are enamored with Go Fish music. Like wear the CD out in love. They routinely put on a show, singing with and dancing to their music. It was really no surprise that when Mr C got a hair cut from my mom last week and she spiked it up just for fun, he took one look and said "I have Go Fish hair!" (One of the guys has a mohawk.) He later found some really awesome sunglasses in the dress up box at her house that resemble ones they are wearing in a promo video for their latest CD. Yeah, he's a rocker!

Balloon Wreath

Miss M will be turning SEVEN at the end of this month and has had birthday planning on the brain for months. When we saw this wreath at how does she we knew we HAD to try it. We picked up all the supplies at Hobby Lobby today and made it while little brother napped.

Supplies needed:

• 144 ballons - we only found the 12 inch size
• 2 greening pin packs-found in the artificial plant section
• straw wreath -leave the plastic on so it doesn’t shed

Just take a balloon and put it in the middle of the pin, then push into the wreath. Then repeat, repeat, repeat.... It took a little time for us to discover that alternating the position of the open end of the balloon helped on spacing. We also learned that it's best to dump out  and mix up the entire bag of balloons because we had a ton of pink in one bag!

I also used some ribbon I had on hand to make hanging the wreath a little easier. Total for supplies: $15. Not only can you use it for birthdays, but you could also make a little "congratulations" or "celebrate" sign out of p cardstock and stick it on with a toothpick or floral pick. For a family known to celebrate Happy Monday with a cake, a balloon wreath is a perfect fit!

Simple Lunch Turned Special

We live in a large city with tons of things to do every day of the summer, but some days it is nice to just stay home. We recently had such an "at home day". It started out fine, but by lunch time the wee ones were in need of a distraction of some kind. First off, they dined on hot dogs and Cheetos, with a side of fruit and milk to drink. Hot dogs are a rare treat at our house...they usually mean that I am sick and/or really tired and that's all I could come up with!

Hot dogs are excitement enough but served in these cute retro baskets....and with little personal flags too? It was just what we all needed on a hot summer day! You don't have to use the baskets - just try a simple flag in your family's waffles, sandwich, fresh fruit...and see if they don't enjoy the special little touch.

(Thanks to my bloggy buddy Nikki for this idea!)