Summer is coming and I'm over at The Centsible Life sharing a practical DIY craft that is perfect for outdoor entertaining. Head on over for the full tutorial on how to make these fun napkin weights that are also great for holding down picnic blankets and towels by the pool.
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Now that the weather is warming up are you enjoying picnics as much as we are?
If you are looking for the perfect picnic essentials, recipes, and picnic fun, take a look at my article over at Blissfully Domestic - you will also get the scoop on where you can find all of the fabulous picnic items pictured above.
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I am the last stop on the Get Creative With The Lorax Blog Tour, so please stay a while and enjoy some treats because it's party time! We are not only going to be celebrating Dr Seuss' The Lorax which is being released on March 2nd, but also celebrating Dr. Seuss Birthday, which is the same day.
There is a wonderful environmental message behind The Lorax, so I wanted to incorporate some tips for greening up your Dr. Seuss party plans.
Even when it comes to baking delicious cupcakes, you can be kinder to the environment by using cupcake liners that are biodegradable. I just love my silicone baking cups too, they are easy to clean, and can be re-used over and over again.
Note: The cupcake toppers were made by printing The Lorax Reflection Activity Sheet, cutting out the discs and attaching them to toothpicks.
Instead of serving juice boxes (with plastic straws), or soda to the kids, fill a beverage dispenser and leave out glass bottles of water. Serve beverages in re-useable glass bottles or jars.
My party tip: If you are using jars instead of bottles to serve beverages, turn your straws into truffula trees that tickle your nose when you are drinking. Kids will love it.
Note: The Lorax face on the beverage dispenser was made by printing the pumpkin carving template available on The Lorax Movie site, under downloads.
Glass vases, hurricane candle holders, bowls, and canning jars are another great way to present your party treats. Finn and Gil's jelly pond treats were made by pouring the jelly into canning jars and refrigerating until set. The lids help protect your treats from bugs, and little fingers, plus you can pop these jars into a shallow ice bucket to keep the jelly cold.
Another thing I love to use for parties is fabric, bed sheets, or tablecloths for both back drops, and to cover tables rather than plastic table covers.
When planning your party food, get to know what your characters like. Do you know what the characters of The Lorax love to eat?
Finn and Gil: Marshmallows
Bill: Truffula Fruit
The Lorax: Truffula Berry Pancakes
Pip: Mini Marshmallows
These should give you some great ideas for your Dr. Seuss' The Lorax party.
I made some delicious blueberry pancakes for our party table. I used my standard pancake recipe, then added in about 1/3 of a tub of fresh chopped blueberries. Then I used circular metal rings in the pan to make the perfect little round pancakes pictured. Note: Make sure to spray the rings before using so the pancakes don't stick to them. Once you flip the pancakes, carefully remove the metal rings (not with your fingers silly), and set them aside to cool for a few moments before making your next batch.
Now a party doesn't just begin or end with food. The other ladies on The Lorax Blog Tour have lined up some fabulous things to do that would be a great addition to your Dr. Seuss' The Lorax party.
Follow The Lorax on Twitter and Facebook for more updates.
AS SEEN ON:
Luxe Finds ... Babble ... Tutto Bella ... iVillage ... Cute Food For Kids ... Tip Junkie
Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Get Creative With The Lorax Blog Tour in support of Universal Pictures’ DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX that is in theaters on March 2. I was compensated.
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I don't think it's any secret that I am a huge fan of Marshalls. I shop there frequently. I always seem to find great bargains, especially items for the house.
A while ago I found some very pretty tableware, however there were only 4 small plates, 4 cups and 1 dinner plate left. I wandered around the store picking up other bits and pieces while debating whether I should grab this too. It was just too pretty to leave behind though and I spent less than $10 for it. Who can possibly pass up a pretty bargain.
I decided in the store that I would turn the larger plate into a cake stand and then this set would make lovely tea party tableware for when I have girlfriends over to visit.
This project of course had flitted to the back of my mind recently, you know, with moving house and my office/craft room being in a right royal mess still. Then, whilst staring starry eyed at Pinterest the other day I came across a link to Brenda of Cozy Little House who has the same tableware, she has found some lovely co-ordinating items too. It jogged my mind that I still hadn't done anything with my lovely set. So I dug it out of one of the boxes in my office, then headed to a local thrift store where I found two lovely candle sticks for $1.99/set - I now have a spare for the next lovely plate I find to build on my dessert plate obsession.
You are going to need some seriously strong glue to hold this together, but isn't it lovely.
Such a pretty pattern. In the words of Miss M: "I like flowers".
I like cake too.
This would also make a lovely dessert stand, don't you think?
Now who is going to come over and enjoy cake and tea with me?
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I have to say that I really have gone a little nutty for gnomes over the past week. It's all gnomes all the time over here. Remember the giant card and activity station I made for the twins last week.
Well, I took them to see Gnomeo & Juliet on Valentine's Day. They LOVED it. I loved it.
It's a sweet movie about star-crossed garden gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet (ala Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet) whose feuding gnome families, (who come to life when humans are not looking - very Toy Story), threaten to keep them apart. It's the age-old battle of the red hats vs the blue hats, or vice versa, depending on who you speak to. And let's not forgot those cement bunnies, the sniffer dog mushroom sidekick, and the voice of reason, the lonely flamingo. A little drama, a lot of love and it's really quite an adorable movie for kids.
There were a couple of moments when I found myself holding my breath and waiting for Marisol's bottom lip to start quivering, and with no trains to be seen for miles I thought for sure Flynn might be bored. Alas, it was not to be. To the right of me was Marisol with one hand in her popcorn tub, the other on her beverage and bug-eyed throughout the movie. To the left of me, Flynn doing more of the same.
But the suspender thong clad gnome (ala Borat) may have been a wee bit much. Thankfully 4year olds don't get that reference though.
So with the gnome theme still very much on our minds, we made this adorable terrarium for the kids playroom.
Unable to find an apothecary that was quite large enough I opted for a large hurricane candle holder and then a glass candle plate for the lid.
Items you need to make your own terrarium:
Start by placing a layer of clay pellets across the bottom of the glass container, this is for drainage. Then add a thin layer of charcoal on top of that, which is to prevent any moist soil from smelling. Cover with about 3-4 inches of potting soil and then you can start decorating, plants first and then adding in your knick-knacks.
I can see myself becoming quite addicted to making terrariums of all shapes and sizes. I do have quite a lot of jars left over from this project. Hmm, maybe I need an Easter one too with little bunnies.
Wouldn't this be a fun garden party activity for little ones. Supply them each with a jam or pasta jar and have them make their own terrarium to take home.
Tip: I have heard that if the glass starts to fog up a little, take the lid off to let a little of the moisture out.
Disclosure: This review was compensated as part of the Valentine's Day #couchcritics Gnomeo & Juliet campaign on Collective Bias
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or tyre tracks as my family back home would say. Somebody is sure to yell at me for spelling it 'wrong'.
Upon receiving an invitation to a little friend's birthday party over the weekend and finding out that he likes cars and trucks I had the kids make very special wrapping paper for his gifts.
That's right, tire tracks. So fun. I purchased a pack of Cars tire stamps from Target for under $4 (4 per pack - located in the party section).
Another idea I had was to tie another little gift onto each parcel.
So here is a fun little experiment your kids can do at home. I call this the "Tire Track Experiment".
Take assorted tires and ink pads and let your kids explore the different patterns tires can make. The tires we used were from a Lego set, a random tire that had fallen off a car (I put a lollipop stick through the center), a toy car and the Cars stamp. I'm sure if you have a little boy in the house you have a lot of odd tires laying around in the mountains of cars and trucks they have collected.
This would make a great (shhh and educational) party activity for a cars or trucks themed party too. Or even just for your kids to play at home. Don't we all love rainy day activities. Use assorted stamps and print tire tracks on paper. The child who matches them all / the most tire tracks together with the stamps wins and receives a small prize.
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