Frozen Birthday Party

We caught the fever of Frozen! Lovebug had a pirate party half planned for her birthday when we went to see the movie. As we walked out of the theater, she announced that she wanted a Frozen birthday party.

 

This was mid-January, and as many know, there was no Frozen merchandise to be found both online or in a store. I loved Frozen as well, so it didn't take much arm twisting to get me on board. Lovebug wants to be Elsa for Halloween. I am all about multi-uses for costume. You can't find them anywhere OR a pattern for the dress, so I was left to my own devices. I used a princess nightgown to trace the  bodice and then winged it from there.

 

Here is my "Elsa"

 She didn't want poofy princess, but there was no way I was doing  a slit for a 5 year old, even if its only to the knee. A hidden pleat was the answer.

On to the party!!

 

The invitation

 

Decorations

 

We made a bunch of these snowflakes. I loved the youtube tute HERE:

 

 

 

I used the lithographs that came with my Blu-ray preorder from Disney Store here and there to add scenes from the movie. The cone trees are 12x12 velum and have Christmas lights inside of them.

 

Remember that parachute we have? Yep. Its not just a wedding canopy, its snow. I draped it all over the family room.

 

I didn't get as much done ahead of time as planned so the morning of the party was busy and I didn't get all the details photographed. I missed the major Christmas clearance at the craft stores, because we saw the movie and switched themes so late. But I did manage to find a lot of floral sticks, swags, etc at Joann and then used what I had left from Lovebug's fairy party a few years back. I was looking for white, silver, purple, aqua, and blue for the color scheme and everything was covered in glitter. :)

 

Party fun

 

All the girls received tutus

 and tiaras that I found at Joann.

The boys had reindeer antlers and scarves. The antlers were made from a pattern I found HERE

 

 

We also had lots of yummy treats to put in goody bags. I found some stickers on Amazon as well.

 

 

Everyone took home an Olaf building kit. I got the printable from HERE

There were a lot of Valentine versions floating around the web, but I liked this one because it wasn't Valentine themed. I did have to adjust the size of it.

 

Inside there are three large marshmallows- one has "hair" that we made with tootsie rolls shaped like his hair. Two Wilton eyes, one orange Mike n Ike candy for the carrot nose, two stick pretzels, three brown mini M&Ms and two small marshmallows for the feet.

 

 

The food/dessert table

 

I didn't get a photo before they started digging in!!

Parfaits made with keylime yogurt, coconut macaroon, and coconut. I used keylime and vanilla yogurt mixed them together to make the flavor more subtle. I also added a bit of blue food coloring to adjust the color. They were layed with the plain vanilla yogurt, macaroon and coconut, then topped with coconut.

 

Snowflake sandwiches 

 

Blue jello jiggles "ice blocks" were the most popular item!

 

Cupcakes! I made the snowflakes out of vanilla candy melts. The idea was from HERE and she did a much better job than I did. I think my cold kitchen was to blame.

 

The cupcakes were from HERE and were so delicious! Again my kitchen was too cold for the frosting to work with the swirl :( So we just spread it on the best we could as the party guests arrived.

 

In the background you can see the candy coated marshmallows. Just mallows dipped in candy coating and covered in sprinkles.

 

 

Candy coating dipped pretzels and munchkin 'Snowballs"

 

 

We played some youtube Frozen videos with lyrics on the TV and the kids sang karaoke with it for a while.

 

The big hit was the snowball fight. We used Snowtime Anytime snowballs. We have had a snowball fight every day since we bought them several weeks ago. So much fun!!

 

We played Pin the Carrot on Olaf. I used this PRINTABLE and enlarged it at Staples.

 

We played Freeze tag and Freeze dancing.

 

 

It was a great party!!

 



I'm a little teapot word art

Made this little gem for my kitchen. It turned out too cute not to share :)

 

 

Enjoy!



10 ways to prepare for power outages.

We have definitely had some experience with power outage where we live. There are a lot of trees, lots of wind. Its a recipe for outages. 

While getting ready for the next big possibility of being without power for several days, I was looking for a list I had made previously of things to have on hand and ways to prepare. I couldn't find. it. :( 

I decided having a post about it would keep it in a spot I could find AND it might help anyone else out there who too is preparing at some point in time. 

Hurricane Sandy is the instigator this time around, but we were very familiar with Isabel. 

We thought we were prepared, but it turned out nothing can prepare you for trees falling on your house :)

(except maybe to not have trees near your house.)

The ones that fell didn't look at all like they were thinking about falling. 

We're a bit more ready now. 

A few years back we bought a generator. While it's not the nifty "in your basement ready to take over when the power shuts off" type, its a generator, nonetheless. 

So here is my list of plans/preparations based on my circumstances. You can adjust however you need to. 

I live in the woods, on a well, with septic, and a sump pump in my basement. 

1. FUEL- For generator, for outdoor grill, for dutch ovens. We have a several 5 gallon containers for gas, two propane tanks, and always keep several large (read Sam's club) size charcoal bricket bags ready. We also have a charcoal grill, so if we run out of propane, we can fall back on the other grill. 

2. WATER- My husband can hook the generator up to the well, but its nice to have a back up just in case. We fill our large bathtub with water to use for bathing (sponge "bath's" in the shower) for filling toilet tanks to flush them, and for anything else not food related. 

We also have water stored, and when a storm is coming, we fill up three other large 5 gallon jugs with drinking and cooking water. Our well water is NOT tasty..so we fill up drinking water through our reverse osmosis machine while we still have water running. 

3. FOOD- Not usually an issue or a huge need to adjust what its the house already for us, but I do try to plan some things that I know will be easy to make for several days. We hook up our refrigerators to the generator, so perishable items are not a problem. I do plan on making a trip to the store well before the chaos starts. Since I already have a large food supply in my home (usually 3 months worth), I pick up more milk, fruit and veggies, etc. The stores get ransacked a few days before the storm!

4. COOKING- Our stove and oven are electric, which is why we use our grills. However, because we have a generator, I can still use my electric hot plates if I need to, and even a crock pot or the microwave. 

We also have an AMAZING camp stove. Which I'm sure will get a lot of use this time around if we lose power. Any excuse my husband gets to use his nifty stove, he does. The griddle is big enough to cook my three year old on. Don't worry, we never get that desperate. 

We make sure to have oil, etc on hand for cooking. 

5. LIGHT & NEWS- We use candles in the main areas, flashlight for when we are moving from room to room AND solar lights from outside that we bring in and put in vases or inverted on the counter or table. Solar lights also are great for the bathroom. And the kids use them for night lights. (we also use them when we are camping. No batteries needed) I prefer the style with switches on them. 

Have a battery or hand crank radio ready to keep up on your local conditions and news about your situation is also good planning.

6. NECESSITIES- Toilet paper, paper towels (won't be doing laundry), Clorox wipes, paper plates- etc, diapers (if you need them) medication. Anything you need daily, make sure you have a weeks worth at least. Think about not being able to use a dishwasher or washing machine- what do you need? Make life easy on yourself.

Do you have pets? Don't forget them too.

7. INSURANCE- Not only do you need insurance for your home (always), when its stormy its nice to have the info handy for your insurance company *JUST* in case you need it. Being one of the first ones to report a loss is a good thing. I also have a few contractors numbers handy because we learned with Isabel, they booked up quick!

8. EMERGENCY CONTACTS- Have the numbers of people you need to reach printed out somewhere. If you can't get on the internet, if your phone doesn't work so the address book isn't accessible, whatever the reason...You need to be able to have a way to reach people without depending on the stored number on your phones. . If I can't use my cell phone for some reason, and need to use the land line, I have to switch to an "old school" regular land line phone since our phone is cordless. I could plug it in with the generator, but we try to limit what gets put on it. You should also have handy your power company's number and local authorities just in case. Not everything is a 911 call. 

9. MENTAL PREPARATION- Make sure you have a family meeting. Let all family members know what is  probably going to happen, and that they are going to still be safe. Have them help you get ready, it makes it less scary for them if they see the process of preparation. Discuss what your plans are for food, water, etc. Have comfort items handy and possibly discuss new sleeping arrangements if needed. Kids get scared when the power is out at night, even if they normally sleep in the dark. 

10. PHYSICAL PREPARATION- Get all the laundry, cleaning, and other household things done that will make life easier for you. Having clean clothes, clean dishes, a vacuumed floor, etc makes being without power a bit more easy. 

Keep in mind the time of year. If it's cold outside, be sure to have blankets, sleeping bags etc handy in case you are without heat. 

Prepare fun activities to do that don't use power, and even some fun things to do in the dark. If the power is out in the fall or winter, you could very well be in the dark for several hours before bedtime. Light sticks, and other glow activities are fun in the dark. Play flash light tag, set up some board games. 

If you have a portable DVD player, have it charged up for at least ONE movie, or on your computer perhaps. You can even make popcorn ahead of time and plan on a movie night. 

Have some sweet treats prepared-- chocolate is a must :)

DO NOT plan on feeding your children lots of foods they otherwise wouldn't eat. Like MRE's. No toddler is going to devour those if they aren't used to eating them already. 

Have a place planned outside your area to stay in case you will be without power for a longer period of time than you've planned for. 

The biggest thing that we do, is think through how three-seven days without power might affect us, and try to plan the best we can to have everything we NEED. Need means HAVE to have to survive on our own.

When that list is done, you just get busy preparing in those areas.

Attitude goes a long way, and if the adults in the house are panicking, or are upset about the situation, it trickles down. Think of your power being out as an unplanned camping trip, or staying in some exotic location that lives a bit more primitive. Living without things that make life so fast paced could be just the break you've needed :)

When the Power goes out:

Don't panic. Unplug electronics so they don't get hit with a surge when it comes back on. We do this DESPITE having a whole house surge protector. It often goes off and on repeatably before going out for a longer time.

Call your utility company to make sure they know you don't have power. Some areas don't get reported for a long time because everyone assumes someone else did it. There may also be a recording that lets you know when you can expect it to come back on (but don't hold your breath-- that changes often)

Keep in contact with your loved ones. Letting those who don't live near you especially know that you are okay will put them at ease. The media blows things way out of proportion. For all they know, you could be under the depths of the sea, even though you live at 3000 feet. 

Listen to local news stations to keep updated on the weather and other issues in your area. 

Keep in contact with local family and friends in case they need help. 

A little preparation goes a long way. :)

Blessing/Christening dress

I made a dress for my new little granddaughter Pumpkin to be blessed in. 

I used a McCalls pattern for the shape and size of the bodice and sleeves and then just designed it the way I saw it in my head. 

My daughter picked out the fabric. 

I LOVE how it turned out. 

Lil' Pumpkin Baby Shower

My daughter is having our first grandbaby-- as I've mentioned here before. She is due on Halloween and of COURSE I volunteered myself to throw her a shower. A few of my friends T and K told me that they wanted to throw it but I arm wrestled my way into doing it with their help. :)

Since the due date was Halloween, we loved the idea of pumpkins. Thus the Lil' Pumpkin theme was born (no pun intended)

Pinterest again--- heavily borrowed from and a big thank you to everyone out there who posts their party plans as I do. Don't we just love each other??

We served pumpkin and fall themed foods for dinner

Pumpkin Ravioli with sage butter sauce

White chicken corn chili served in mini pumpkins with corn bread muffins

Apple, bacon and caramelized onion turnovers

Individual lush cakes- that look like upside down candy corn

Caramel apple "nachos"

We made individual pies in mini mason jars for our thanks for coming gift

We had some fun with pumpkin bowling

We made a few "mummies"

and we had a great time!

Progressive dinner....in one location

My husband and I love to cook. Some of our greatest date nights are creating a delicious meal together. But what we really love to do is entertain. Guess you may have gathered that if you frequent this blog. :)

Enter: Progressive Dinner Party

I used to be the person in charge of social events for our church congregation. One year we hosted a progressive dinner at our home, as a means of getting to know each other better. Progressive dinners were not a new idea, by any means. But the problem with them is that you are traveling (and in our case, the homes weren't close together-- 10-20 mins apart in most cases) and you are with the same group of people the whole time. Not really reaching out and learning more about people outside your regular circle. 

Having it all in one place, but still moving around was my goal, and it worked out perfectly. It was a very successful and fun night. Here's how we did it.

Our theme was MOVIES.

We began with a group of 40 that RSVP'd

In our home, we had 5 rooms set up with a table that would each seat 8. Dinner would be five courses. 

(dining room, living room, family room, morning room, kitchen)

We asked for volunteers to be one of five "table captains". These couples would decide on their table's movie (theme), decorate their table and the room it was held in, decide what food they wanted served, and would divide up making that food with the other couples who would begin at their table. 

As it turned out, we had the following "Movies" and food-

Casablanca- Moroccan

Lady and the Tramp- Italian

True Grit- BBQ

Pirates of the Caribbean- Tropical

Julie and Julia- home cooking (Julia Child's dishes)

As everyone arrived, they received a name tag- which obviously had their name on it, but there was also a number in the corner: 1, 2, or 3. I made sure each couple's name tag has the same number on it. If there were singles in our group, I paired them up for the night. (a moving buddy :)

Dinner began at the table which guests brought food for- the table captains they were under.  But as each course began, the couples would move to another table. I wanted to mix it up so that you never ate with the same couples twice. Get to know more people. 

Here is where the number on the name tag came into play. Each table had three couples that "move". The "table captains" never moved. They stayed at their table the entire time.So each table had a couple with number 1, number 2, and number 3 on their name tags.

The tables were also numbered 1-5 (to make things easier)

When it was time to "move" for the next course, each couple would progress the number of tables stated on their name tag, clockwise. SO.... the folks at table number 1 did the following:

name tag 1 moved to table 2

name tag 2 moved to table 3

name tag 3 moved to table 4

At table 2- 

name tag 1 moved to 3

name tag 2 moved to 4

name tag 3 moved to 5

and so on.

Following Couple number 1 from table 1 for all the courses...they would eat at tables 1-5 in order for each course.
Couple number 2 from table 1 ate at table 3 for 2nd course, 5 for third course, 2 for 4th course, and 4 for 5th course.

get the idea? Each course would have the couples moving forward the number of tables that was on their name tag. So each course had 4 new couples together.

(if you are confused, draw a circle like this one and map the movement of the couples..it'll all come together)

Now this would be perfect the way it's stated here. However, we wanted to have some "free mingling" time. So we actually had dessert together. 

Our movie for Dessert was Charlie and the Chocolate factory, and we had chocolate fountain. 

So in our rotations, there was one table that each couple never made it to. But for dessert, they could sit with whomever they wanted. 

There were only a few things that attendees wished they had been able to do

1. try all the different food- because you only got one course at each table (and missed one in our rotation)

2. try all the different food ;)

It would have been a LOT to have enough of each course to let 40 people even try a bite. There were leftovers here and there, so folks did mull around and take a piece of this and that at the end.

Dressing to go along with the theme would be a fun thing to do as well. A few table captains did dress up, which was great! 

So that was our fun Progressive dinner in one location!!

NOTE: Some couples were disappointed that they didn't get to try the food they brought, because they are only at that table for the first course. It would have been wise to let them know that they should make a little extra to try at home before they bring it. :) There were dishes from different countries, and some people made things they'd never eaten before.