A controversial statement probably but I think Valentines Day is my favorite holiday. When my daughter was almost four, I figured she would enjoy having a couple gal pals over to do some crafts and eat yummy treats. Luckily my friend and fellow blogger, Melissa of Petite Littles Everyday, decided to join in with her girls and help put on the fun afternoon gathering.
While red is primarily the color that dominates February, pink is a close second. I am always sucker for all things pink, so love month is simple the best in my books. More so, the candies that you can find to celebrate Valentine’s Day are the best. While conversation and cinnamon hearts dominated my childhood, walking the aisle of Target this year, I came to realize the candy options are now endless for the holiday.
It was a late August afternoon when I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower. One of my friends was expecting her first, so it only made sense to get our group of friends together to celebrate. While everyone brought a dish to the potluck barbecue, I was keen to add a little flair with a fun theme, decor and dessert table. With inspiration and party goods from shop, Pretty Day, “Peace, Love and Motherhood” came to fruition.
My best friends daughter (aka a little girl I love like my own and my daughter’s BFF) is quite shy and reserved. This year she attended Kindergarten and definitely came out of her shell a bit as she gained new friends and experiences. She also started Sparks, which is the equivalent to Girl Scouts in Canada. The girl lights up when she talks about camping and all the activities she does at the weekly sessions. She often reminisces about times we have spent around the campfire roasting s’mores together during shared vacations. Thus, it was a no brainer what theme to do for her 6th birthday. This animal loving, outdoorsy little lady deserved a “s’more fun” camping party with her new classmates and bestie.
When it was time to celebrate 10 years of marriage, I knew I wanted to mark the occasion in a special way. Like most couples, our life had changed substantially since the day we were married in the summer of 2008. We had added two wonderful humans to our family and had also experienced several other milestones, some good and some not so good. We had watched and supported our first born through a cancer diagnosis and months long treatment. We had furthered our careers and moved to homes. We had unexpectedly gotten pregnant and lost a child. But through it all, we had each other and I couldn’t have imagined anyone else I would want to walk the up and down journey with. Thus, the ten year vow renewal came to fruition and without a lot of extra cash floating around, it was put together on a tight budget.
Post COVID (or whatever phase this is), I think the return to in person birthdays is one thing I am most excited about. Obviously kids parties are my jam which you may know if you have been following along for a while. When my good friend said she had booked the local farm for her daughter’s second birthday I was thrilled to assist in making it memorable. I had my own daughter’s birthday at the same farm when she was turned two (you can see it at Somebunny is Two). While we could have done a traditional farm party the birthday girl is big on feeding the ducks and thus, the theme Daisies + Ducks came to fruition.
As I mentioned in my recent post 10 Unique Gifts Teachers Actually Want, teachers are one of the groups that really kept things going during the pandemic. Considered essential workers by the government, educators were online and in the classroom not only teaching, but keeping everyone safe. They enforced masking and sanitizing, while also comforting parents and students alike who were scared related to the unknown. Well, now that things are settling and returning back to “normal”, I know a lot of educating professionals are burnt out from not just the school year that passed, but all the hours spent teaching in/through a pandemic. I wanted to acknowledge some of my favorite teachers, so with a few local brands, I organized a fun night out where all they had to do was show up and be spoiled. Also so many teachers were too busy (with the end of school ironically) that I also decided a giveaway for another educator and their bestie had to happen. Read on for all the details of the night and the prize package giveaway.
I was so excited when my brother and sister in-law announced they were having a baby. Not only would that mean a cousin for my kids to grow up with, but another baby for me to snuggle and love. And of course, when my sister in-law said she really wanted a sloth theme, I knew it would be fun to join in the planning.
I recently hosted a Halloween Party for my daughter (see the Ghoul Squad Halloween Party) and I was looking for easy treats to serve to her and her little friends. I decided to use my base as various Oreo cookies so it was consistent on the dessert table. I also added some vanilla cupcakes and bought a small cake that one could easily make. Since they were all a hit, I thought I would share them all with you here.