Animal Show Birthday

Amia's Five!

Mandi's Baby Shower

Keely's 10th Birthday Party

American Girl birthday party

Girl- and doll-size treats

Karaoke

Celebrity

Trading "Cards"

Ice cream sundae bar

Doll "breakfast" made with white chocolate, reese's pieces, and pretzels sticks

Luau Birthday Party

While we're working out the details of Keely's 10th birthday, here's a look back at her 8th - one of my favorites.

I made the volcano cake out of red velvet cake, fudge frosting, oreo cookie crumbles and red icing for the lava. We also did candy sushi with rice crispie treats, fruit by the foot and Swedish fish, and I attempted a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free cake for our guests with allergies. I feel like I should again apologize for that.

My first Thanksgiving

A look back to 2008, the first year I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner.

Menu: butternut squash soup, turkey, stuffing, mushroom risotto, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce and tons of appetizers and desserts that our friends had brought.

I can't tell you how much effort I put into my first turkey, researching different cooking methods, brining, finding the perfect stuffing... I finally understood why women go crazy on Thanksgiving in the search for perfection.

Keely made the centerpiece

Girls playing the leaves that afternoon

 

A couple of months later, a turkey visited our front deck. I hope it wasn't a relative.

Pest infestation

 

Enchanted Garden Party

Amia's 4th Birthday

I made the girls' fairy crowns by twisting faux ivy vine and adding purple flowers, securing all with floral wire.

I made the place mats by cutting out rectangles of moss bedding.

A mesh canopy protected the food from insects while the girls were playing.

I tried my hand at giant crepe paper flowers that we hung around the shelter house.

I went super easy with the craft this year, just decorating fairy wands with adhesive gems and other embellishments.

Here's how I made the invitations.

Kids' Spa Day

Being girls, sometimes we need a bit o’ pampering ourselves. Here’s our to do list of a successful kids’ spa day.

1.     Turn on some spa jams and set out towels and bowls.

2.     Get dressed in play clothes--it can get messy. You could do robes for the full experience, or for spa parties.

3.     Make treatments

a.     Facials: We use what we have in the house, usually avocado, banana or mango mixed with yogurt or honey

b.     Scrubs: Brown sugar or raw oatmeal mixed with olive oil.

4.     Put on our face masks and scrub our hands and feet.

5.     Fill the soaking bowls with warm water and either powdered milk or peppermint soak. Add a few marbles to the bottom for an easy massage.

6.     Relax and soak for 6-10 minutes with cucumber eye masks.

7.     Take off masks and clean up the areas. (I’ve found this is an important time to do this, as otherwise the girls’ will be far too concerned about messing up their nails to help clean up.)

8.     Paint nails and add decals.

9.     Do something girly after, like have a little tea party.

We did a spa as part of Keely’s hotel-themed birthday last year, so after the girls came and sat in the “lobby,” we whisked them away to do these treatments. Afterwards they got their hair and makeup done and dressed up in costumes and my old dresses for an elegant dinner.

We love us a fancy menu. Chicken tenders and fries? Nope, panko-crusted chicken fillets accompanied by pomme frites and fresh seasonal fruit.

"Corn"-on-the-Cob Cupcakes

Full disclosure: We made these cupcakes for a Fourth of July party, but they're super cute for any barbecue--hello Labor Day festivities--and so easy to make. We just frosted cupcakes with light yellow frosting, and topped with jelly bean "kernels" and a pat of yellow Starburst "butter." On the platter we lined them up in groups of threes and popped in some cob holders on the ends.

Keely has never been one to take a holiday lightly.

Party Invites: Garden Fairy Birthday

See the whole Enchanted Garden Party here

I ripped the top and bottom of the paper, leaving extra on either side to glue the sticks.

Gold roller stamping on the back of the invite.

Modge-podged yarn and sprinkled pink glitter for scroll ties.

I hot-glued the sticks and then rolled them up and tied them with the glittered yarn.