A Minne Mouse Birthday Party

This past weekend, we celebrated my first daughter Elise's 9th birthday. We haven't celebrated Elise's birthday at home for several years so I wanted to make this birthday special for her, which meant putting on my creative hat and searching through Pinterest. ;)

Elise has been asking for a Minnie Mouse theme birthday for months so choosing the theme and color scheme was the easy part. Since Minnie Mouse is a common theme enjoyed by many children, it was fairly easy locating cute and easy-to-use free printables online.

1. FREE PRINTABLES

I ended up using the following free Minnie Mouse printables found here at Catchmyparty.com.

I also used some printables found on One Charming Day. My graphic design skills are limited so I was glad to find blank printables that require basic photoshop knowledge. The colors worked well together into one cohesive theme. 

2. DIY TABLECLOTH CURTAIN 

*Made with a roll of plastic tablecloth purchased from Party City

I decorated our hallway with cheap plastic tablecloth from Party City. I purchased the roll instead of individual packages for the first time, which turned out to be a good decision. I simply cut the tablecloth to a size I want (No measuring tape needed- I eyeballed it and it turned out fine) and used thumb tacks to secure it on the wall. I then used black tulle to make bow accents.

3. EASY TO MAKE OREO POPS

This was my first time making cake/oreo pops and it turned out to be a fairly easy and fun project.

MATERIALS

1. Lollipop Sticks (longer works better)
2. Plastic wraps
3. Bows/Ribbons for decoration
4. Styrofoam

For Oreo Pops

1. A bag of Oreos
2. A bag of marshmallows
3. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8oz)
3. 2 bags of candy melts (I used black and pink)
4. Sprinkles
5. Lots of paper plates and napkins (for easy clean up)

HOW TO MAKE MINNIE MOUSE OREO POPS

1. Let the cream cheese soften.
2. Crush oreos in a food processor or put them in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
3. Mix cream cheese with crushed oreos.
4. Make them into round balls (about 1 inch). I used a cake pops shaper.
5. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
6. Put them in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Fix the shape. (You can make them more round and firm at this stage).
8. Insert pop sticks.
9. Put them back in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
10. Melt Candy melts in a microwavable bowl. (Try 10-15 seconds at a time.)
11. Use candy melt as "glue" to glue on the marshmallow ears.
12. Put back in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
13. Dip the oreo and marshmallow in the chocolate melt. Use a spoon or stick (I used chopsticks) as needed to make the surface as smooth as possible.
14. Use sprinkles to decorate.
15. Let it dry.
16. Wrap them in the squared bag and tie it with a cute ribbon!

Here are a few tips.

Be prepared to make some mistakes-- you will get better as you go.

And USE COMMON SENSE! I tried following a recipe but you can't follow it to a tee- you have to keep checking the texture of the oreo ball to see if its ready for the next step and melt the chocolate as long or short as needed. Everyone's equipment work differently (i.e. refrigerator, microwave) and it's hard to follow someone else's recipe exactly.

BE CREATIVE AND THERE IS NO NEED TO BE PERFECT!

I had fun decorating these and tried different techniques. Even if they are not perfectly shaped or coated, they will look cute and taste delicious to your little guests. Have fun with them. Once they are wrapped with cute bows, they look so adorable and the kids love them!

4. BANNERS & PRINTABLES: 

MATERIALS: 

• Color printer
• Cardstock paper (80-110lb)
• A hole puncher
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Tulle or ribbons in the color of your choice
• Little bit of creativity!

 4. Paper Lantern Hanging Mickey Mouse Decorations

MATERIALS: Made with two packs of paper lanterns purchased from Party City. 

I got this idea from Pinterest as well and it was so easy to follow. Simply purchase paper lanterns at your local party store (one big, one small) and use the smaller pieces as ears!

5. Disney Inspired Menu

MATERIALS: Made with Photoshop, printed on cardstock paper and framed in existing frame. 

I also had cute place cards made but I didn't get a chance to photograph them. Actually I didn't have the time to photograph a lot of the little accents and decorations strewn all around the house because I was busy hosting, setting up tables and talking to guests.

But that's okay--- all that matters at the end is that everyone had a wonderful time, especially the birthday girl. We hosted two parties, one with school friends earlier in the day and one with family and close friends for dinner so it was so hectic. It was a lot of work but in the end, worth every effort.

I really enjoy making DIY party decorations as it serves as a creative outlet for me. Overall, the birthday party was a success and the birthday girl enjoyed her special day. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives and Elise is lucky to have so many people who love her.

Hello Spring: Simple Lessons From a 7-Year Old

My 7-year old daughter has a habit of marking off her calendar every morning. Her calendar is one of her most prized possessions in her room, and this year's calendar contains pictures of dogs & puppies in various shapes and sizes.

As I lazily drag my weak and tired body out of my bed into her room, this simple morning routine of my young daughter teaches me one of life's greatest lessons- that EVERYDAY IS A BLESSING and I should begin every morning with such zeal.

Today as always, she grabs a pen by her desk, runs to her calendar and marks off her day with a big X. Then she shrieks, "MOM, GUESS WHAT??? Today is the first day of SPRING!!!"

Nowadays my daughter is the one who reminds me when St. Patrick's Day is and when Spring begins.
She is the one to remind me what leprechauns are; that they are tiny, mischievous little beings who leave behind gold chocolate coins.

She believes in unicorns, magic and pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

She reminds me what jinx is and that I need someone to say my name not one but three times to speak again. When I tell her "Adults don't play jinx," she looks at me with confused puppy eyes and genuinely asks why. Her curiosity and wonder makes me ashamed of my loss of innocence.

She reminds me daily that perhaps God's greatest gifts to mankind is children's innocence and the joy it brings to their parents.

She makes me rollerblade at a park, fall on my ass, and laugh out loud at myself. While watching TV she tells me there is this great product for my pimples at only $19.99. She tells me she wishes she never gets spots on her face when she grows up.

I love the simplicity of her thought process, her unfiltered honesty and how she still believes in promises, even the false claims made by advertisements.

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING.

Today will never come back. Today will one day be a distant memory. Today is the youngest I will ever be. The clock is ticking and I will one day be an old lady.

Today I realize why we have children. We all age, lose volume and gain wrinkles. And during this natural course of life called aging, our children are here to teach and re-teach us lessons in life that we must encounter to fully grow as adults.

A real woman must continue to grow until her death, and without children, that learning process can come to a halt like a broken machine.

Thank God for children and their fervor for life. Thank God for their innocence and honesty. Thank God for their beauty both inside and out. Thank God for their sweet smiles and belly laughters.

If I had a chance to go back in time and do it all over again- the weight gain, postpartum depression, crazy woman hormones and all----- I would. And coming from me who never regarded herself as a natural born mother, that means a lot.

Fishing at Big Bear Lake, Last weekend of Winter

DIY: Valentine's Day Cards for Kids

This year I decided to make my own Valentine's Day Cards & goodies for the kids. I was tired of the cheap yet overpriced cards I get from Target every year and its very limited selections.

I browsed Etsy for cute ideas and came across this cute tic-tac-toe cards for kids. It was only $7 for an instant download file that can be personalized; meaning I only had to make one purchase for both my kids.

By YourPrettyParty on Etsy

I originally purchased the pink one but found the color to be too light for my liking. I contacted the seller and she was kind enough to send me the blue version which gave me two files for the price of one!

I then purchased 4X6 clear bags at Michaels. I bought the longer one which would allow me to secure and tie the top with red/pink ribbons for a more decorative look. I simply printed out the little cards on 110lb. stock paper, cut them out with a paper cutter, fill them with Hershey's Kisses and M&M's and voila~ made cute, personalized Valentine's Day goodies for my kids and their teachers.

I also found some free Valentine's Day labels online and made personalized stickers. I always enjoyed making goodie bags for my friends even as a young girl and still find myself having so much fun while making these!

Here are some more cute ideas for next year's Valentine's Day by Your Pretty Party.