Dear Legos, I hate you

Hate is not a word we're allowed to use in our house, but here I make an exception, I HATE Legos.  There's really no way around it "dislike" isn't a strong enough word to convey my disdain for these little cubes of death.

I have stepped on them (and felt the spikes they grow in the dark of night), vacuumed them, thrown them away, dug them out of the babies mouth, they are cubes of pure evil.

Yep pure evil right there on my stairs, waiting to attack. (I won't go into asking why this is the preferred construction site)

I curse the inventor on an almost daily basis while looking for the "one key piece" to build whatever horrifically complicated thing my son is insisting upon building.  Then comes the BIG problem, the 3 in one Lego set, 1 set of pieces to build 3 different things.  Great idea, right?  Less pieces to keep track of, 3 different vehicles to build, more Lego fun for your money.   No.... Terrible idea.  Clearly the guy in product development doesn't have a Lego loving 4 year old.  If he did he would know the fit that is going to ensue when I tell  Mr. C that we have to destroy his helicopter to build the boat or the car.  (A mom totally would have realized this, thought ahead and thrown in a few extra pieces for combining all three into an amphibious flying vehicle)  There's also the pieces that stick together like they are glued, really how are you supposed to get those little lights and flat finish pieces off?

Right here, these little blue pieces, they don't come off, it's like they're stuck on with some sort of nuclear glue.

 Of course then there are the ones that I've actually glued together.... shhh don't tell Cole, when he figures it out I'm going to be in so much trouble!  But seriously how many times am I expected to put the roof on the firetruck.

After the 700th fit about the lights coming off I got out the super glue, problem solved :) At least for now.

These little cubes I curse so hard my son celebrates with equal enthusiasm.  He loves them and I mean LOVES them.

Big ones, little ones, put them in front of him and he will build something.  (but of course we much prefer the small ones!)

 This weekend we went to the children's museum and he discovered the "Lego room".  Upon entry he proclaimed "Mom I want THIS many Legos!"  He was in heaven, I was in my own personal hell.  His enthusiastic proclamation tells me the Legos are here to stay.  My son being the persistent little guy he is keeps asking "Mommy, can I get MORE legos at home?"  My reply to just make the question stop, "You learn to build the new boat one you have, BY YOURSELF, and I will get you more Legos"  So we come home and he does this the next morning.

 By himself... Crap....

Then he modifies it, remember the amphibious flying vehicle I was talking about... Told ya... a mom so would have thought ahead with that kit and put in the extra parts.

I was trying to find the silver lining thinking about this amphibious vehicle and all the great things he's learning from it.

1.) Hours of screen free play

2.) Problem solving

3.) Following written directions

4.) Counting

5.) Simple math skills

6.) Lots of imagination

7.) Engineering stuff

8.) Fine Motor 

9.) Patience 

10.) Completing something start to finish

and 11 might be my favorite

11.) Quiet play

I'm sure there's more, his little mind is a sponge right now.  Big questions and lots of them, all the time.  All of which require answers, immediately.  The kid keeps me on my toes.

So I suppose if you take out all the threats of bodily harm Legos bring to the table (to adults and babies mind you) they're not so bad.  

Ok Legos, I don't hate you.  I just strongly dislike you most of the time.  (However, I don't promise I won't continue to throw you away and curse your inventor)

Resolutions

So I think about my blog on a daily basis.  I have friends who blog, I read their blogs.  Yet somehow I can't seem to find the time to get out more than a  3 sentence Facebook status.  So now is the time, new year, new beginnings, new blog.  (Well old blog, new posts!)

So welcome to the *NEW* The Little Things blog, no longer just about parties (since I'm 18 months behind on those) about all the little things in my life.  My little people, little projects, little annoyances, and little blessings.

Now someone hold me accountable......

Art party baby shower!

Working backwards with past parties, we recently had another baby shower in my family.  My brothers girlfriend was expecting and she is a very artsy person and does not like to be the center of attention.  So my sister and I set off to have a low key, non traditional baby shower.  However I do not posess the ability to do anything "low key".  (it's that darn DNA kicking in again)    The best way to plan a party, divide and conquer.  My sister headed up the food and I the decor and activities.  After a few planning sessions it was all settled. 

For activites we settled on things that didn't put Mandy front and center, we made custom onesies for baby and played baby themed  Win, Lose or Draw, in teams.  As guests arrive we insturcted them that they could choose to eat or start working on a custom onesie for the baby.  For the onesies we had a table set up with fabric, templates,onesies in various sizes and of course a clothesline with sample onesies hanging on it.

 

They would choose the fabrics of their liking and then templates if they wished to use one.  They then trace their designs to the fabric and ironed it on to heat bond fabric adhesive, then ironed it on to the onesie, and completed their design with a "made by" tag.  After the shower we put fray check on all the raw edges to keep them from coming apart when they are washed.  I was a little nervous about everyone being comfortable enough with their creative side to get involved but even Mandy's grandma made a onesie. 

While the ladies were crafting we had a craft table for the little girls to create with.  Beads, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, glue, markers, paper, scissors and play dough were all available to keep the younger guests entertained!

For food we went with some of Mandy's favorites combined with the creative theme.  We did a create your own panini bar with lobster bisque and broccoli cheddar soup.  Guests went through the line and chose from a varitey of breads, meats, cheeses, sauces and veggies for their sandwiches.  When they got to the end of the line my sister cooked them with the press grills.  (unfotunately I don't have any pictues of the panini bar, it was very pretty and colorful!)  For Dessert we did top your own brownie and cheesecake bites, the toppings held in plastic squirt bottles made to look like giant crayons.  Of course the flavor of toppings coordinated with the bottle color.

We couldn't skip the cake though, Mandy's favorite Raspberry filled.  Courtsey of our favorite cake person, Melanie Davis of Melanies Pink Cake Box (links to her facebook page)

 Isn't that the cutest cake ever! Not to mention soooo tasty.  The cake pedestal tutu is so fun too!  Just 1/2 yard chunks of tule layered over the cake plate with the cake setting on top of it.    

Finally we get to the decor, after all it's the little things that make the party.  We'll start with the welcome banner above the dessert table.  Mandy's mom who is a scrapbooker extrodinaire took my idea for the banner and ran with it, and she did an AMAZING job!  It says "Baby you color our world"

The paint pallette's at the top coordinated with the party invitations and the words hung from the pallette on paint blobs.  The tule cake plate above was designed by my sister, and let me tell you, she is not a crafter so it's easy peasy.  She bought 1 yard of each color of tule, then she criss crossed them over the cake plate then put the cake on top!  SO easy yet so fabulous!  These are the little details that get missed when most parties get planned.  Something so simple that can make the party sparkle. 

Next empty paint cans purchased from a local home improvement store were hung from the ceiling and colored table cloths taped inside hang down to create a great backdrop and give the illusion of spilling paint.

No party is complete without centerpieces.  To anchor the centerpieces we chose the primary color dots squares.  We couldn't find a fabric we really liked for these squares so we found plastic flannel backed table cloths on sale and cut them up into table squares.  The centerpieces themselves were pint paint cans with various art supplies spraying out the top, we varied the heights and made them stand by wrapping floral wire and pipe cleaners around each item.  On each table was also a primary colored bowl of fruited popcorn for the guests to munch on while they crafted.  (I'll post the recipe later)



Lastly I always think above eye level, you don't want your decorations to stop at 5 foot.   From the ceiling we hung tissue poofs.  These poofs take very little time to make and are very inexpensive.  Don't waste your money on the store bought ones go for the custom look and make them yourself.  (poof tutorial anyone?)

So after everyone was done with their onesie making and having lunch we played one group game.  Baby themed Win, Lose or Draw, we divided the group into two teams and each team member took a turn choosing  a baby themed word from the deck of cards and had 30 seconds to draw their word and get their team to guess it.  However they could not write any words or use any hand signals.  The words included like "nurse, epidural and c-section".  In the end Mandy's team won and was rewarded with a selection of gourmet chocolates to choose from. 

My sister and I had a great time throwing this shower and I think it was an amazing success. 

Until we party again.....  Jenni

Play dough for mommy

I am honestly not a fondant fan.  I love the look of it but it usually isn't very tasty, in my opinion.  I am also terrible at getting frosting smooth on a cake, so I knew fondant was my only option when I was faced with making my sisters baby shower cake. (see the original post here)  I tried multiple fondant recipes and store bought fondants and didn't like any of them.  I finally ended up morphing several recipes into one to get a flavor I liked.  I've had several friends ask for the recipe so here it is:

Mommy's play dough fondant recipe. 
(because, hello, it's just like playing with play dough!) 


1 16oz package mini marshmallows
splash of water (little less than 1/4 cup
2 tsp clear vanilla (I use Bourbon vanilla, it has AMAZING FLAVOR, but gives it a slight ivory color)
1/4 tsp almond flavor
2 lbs powdered sugar
gel food coloring


Melt marshmallows in microwave safe bowl.  (Glass seems to work the best with the super sticky melted marshmallows.)  Add the water, vanilla and almond flavorings and stir until the liquid is incorporated and a smooth, but sticky batter forms.  If you want your whole batch of fondant colored now is the easiest time to do it.  Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, stirring thoroughly.  When you can no longer stir with a spoon grease your hands with butter and knead the remaining powdered sugar in, reserving 1/2 cup for rolling out the fondant later.  If you wish to color in small batches divide your fondant into smaller balls and make a well in the center, add the gel coloring and fold in sides sealing the coloring in the middle, then knead and knead untili color disperses.  If dough becomes too sticky wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Once colors are blended in wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.  When ready to use let warm so it is pliable and roll on a pastry mat dusted with powdered sugar, or mold into your desired shapes.  Don't forget to grease your hands! 

Oh and one last sidenote on fondant, don't forget to frost your cake with regular frosting before your roll out your fondant.  The fondant dries rather quickly and will crack if it sits and dries before going on the cake.  I learned this the hard way.  But I just pulled it off and balled it up and rolled it out again, the frosting that stuck to it just added some moisture back in.

Ok I'm off to work on plans for my grandmas 80th birthday party in July!  Have fun making some sweet creations!

A Seuss-tacular baby shower

My sister is expecting her first child, a baby girl, in July.  After mulling over the many themes to go with I chose Dr. Seuss.  Some of her favorite childhood books were written by Seuss and of course the decorating ideas were endless.  The weather (30 mph winds) put a slight cramp on some of our decorating, we used lots of tape and had to give up the rainbow archway entry and the primary striped tenting coming off the front of my house.  However the truffula trees were a huge success and stayed swaying in the breeze until we took them down.  Take a little walk through the party with me, it was a super fun time.

Guests were greeted by the Cat at the entry to the party and a Seussian rhyme instructing them on what to do next.

"Please sign your name and go on in,

up to the table is where you begin.

To create a headband for baby Lutgen.

We have a game, but in order to win,

you should know the books and speak Seussian!

Enjoy your time, dear family and friends.

You will leave this Seussland with a bookmark and a grin!"

We used a Seuss book as a guest book and then had bookmark favors for them to take home.

From there they went on to the headband making station.  Here they could choose from a variety of ribbons, flowers and headbands to make a headband for baby girl.

While some guests were making headbands others headed over to grab some Seuss inspired lunch.

Each item had a marker indicating it's Seuss name.

Our Menu:

Who Roast Beast (sandwiches)

Truffula fruit and Beezelnut salad

Poodles noodle skewers

Ten apples up on top pie and brie bites

Green eggs and ham quiche bites

Lorax punch

Butter Battle butter cream cake

and of course

Schlopp with a cherry on top!

And the thing I think I am most proud of is the cake!  So if you throw a baby shower in May, specifically the weekend before graduation, don't expect to be able to order a cake anyplace but Target.... and I didn't want Target cake.  I had my heart set on THIS cake.  So.....putting to use things I learned from an ex boyfriends mom a long time ago, I made the cake. (and took a million pictures of it!) This was my second fondant experience, if you count the test cake I made!  I was really fun, it's also the tastiest fondant I've ever had and was incredibly easy to make. (the fondant was easy not the cake!)  :)  My kids are still munching on the leftover fondant in the fridge.

Mamma to be with her cake!

Here is a little more of the decor. What Seuss land would be complete without truffula trees!?  (both small and large ones) Which as I was making the first one Izzie confirmed, "mom they're soft as silk, AND they smell like butterfly milk!"  

There's also something I've learned about parties, it helps a TON to have a graphic designer and an avid scrapbooker on your team! Many thanks to Mandy (you can find her at trulyoudesigns@hotmail.com or leave a comment and I'll get you in touch with her)  She does all my printing now, the signs, the banners, favors... etc.  It is amazingly awesome!!  Soon you'll be able to check out her etsy store too!

Here's the banner, which again due to the wind we had to edit how and where we hung it.  It says "one fish, two fish, welcome new fish!"

Speaking of fish, every table needs a centerpiece right?  Well hello, of course what better than GOLD FISH!  You're thinking, who buys goldfish just for a baby shower?!  Yep that's me, the certifiably insane person with the party planning sickness.  Yep 12 gold fish purchased for the expressed purpose of swimming around in a vase for 3 hours, after the party 3 remain in our posession, happily swimming in grandmas fish tank.  Just a note however, the fish were purchased from Walmart for $0.28 each, and 1of them expired before we got home and two more before the day of the party.  We also lost two during the party... so I would suggest perhaps spending $.50 each on them and getting them from a reputable pet store.

Finally, what shower would be complete without a game.  My party DNA does not allow me to do the standard taste the baby food or memorize the items on the tray games, like our parties our games are more creative and non-traditional.  We made our own version of Becky's favorite game show.  Jeopardy! 6 categories of Seuss trivia, played in teams, with a daily double and with a human buzzer.  Rachel I'm sorry if you have bruises today! Thanks to the other team losing the daily double the game was tied going into the last question and Becky's team came up from behind for the win. 

So there you have it my sisters Seuss-tacular baby shower, I hope you enjoyed you tour and got a few ideas for your next party.

Remember it's all about the little things! 

Till we party again!

~Jenni

Grandma Kay DNA

So I have this problem, in my family we call it "Grandma Kay DNA".  What is this you ask, well allow me to explain.  It's this little obsession, something completely out of my control, about parties.  My Grandma LOVED ANY reason to have a party, Tuesday was a good enough reason.  When grandma did a party she did it well no expense was spared and no detail was lost.  Now we're not talking just a, "Oh hey it's Suzie's birthday lets have some cake on some coordinated plates and napkins:, kind of parties.  This is an all out crazy, over the top, down to the last detail production.  Grandma Kay DNA makes you do things like dress your entire family up in costumes, theme an entire menu around dirt, create a petting zoo in your back yard, or possibly my best yet buy a dozen goldfish just for a party.   So to all my friends who are always wanting pictures posted online of my parties, Here ya go!  A blog by me of all things party in my world.

First party on the list... my sister's baby shower, stay tuned