Sprinkle Party (Part 2)

Today I…wanted to share with you pictures of some of the details from my daughter’s 1st SPRINKLE THEMED birthday party. Just a little background…my husband originally told me that if we had a big baptism party than her first birthday will be small. BUT…I couldn’t do it! He was SO mad! He gave me (somewhat jokingly) a budget of $200 for her 1st birthday party. I was like… $200? !! I can’t even buy food with that. So..nonetheless, I had to be creative! DIY party for sure!

I decided to make it a SPRINKLE party/breakfast theme…it was a little cheaper bc breakfast foods are typically cheaper..and I already had a bunch of colorful paper and such so I could just reuse all of that. It was held in my parents backyard which we cleaned the weekend before. (so much work!) I love it though because it’s spacious and has an amazing view! Thank you mom and dad for allowing us to host her party at the house!

Okay, first the food… since that was the highlight to me!!

We had a waffle/pancake station where guests could “sprinkle” whatever toppings they wanted (berries, bananas, whipped cream, etc.) We also had a scrambled egg station with various toppings such as bacon, sausage, spinach, cheese, etc.

Also, thank you Sylvie for the amazing egg quiches! People actually came up to me asking if there was anymore!

Then…for the diabetics..we had a “SWEETS” table with..well, more sweets than I could even handle!

Special thanks to my cousin Lauren, Risha, Yvette, and Johanna for making all the goodies! (Thank God for the bakers in my life!)

Then, my husband approved a mimosa bar (per a special request from my friend Jenelee). I know..I know.. a mimosa bar at a 1st birthday party!?! Don’t judge! It only costed $6/bottle at Sam’s club so it’s hard to pass up!
Are you tired of all the polka dots yet??

We also threw together a quick “Kids Zone” bc I didn’t want to be in charge of any games so just decided to have some stuff for kids to do. In my opinion, it was a success!

Oh! And I totes almost forgot about the cereal bar we had! Duh! Who doesn’t love cereal!

And..last minute idea..we threw in a Headband making station so the older kids and adults could have something to do! Such a success! So glad we decided to have it. (Thank you Holly for setting this one up..literally at the same time the party was starting!)
And…the cake (Thank you to my cousin Yvette!), party hats, and the goodie bags!

Oh..and by the way..the budget didn’t actually stay within the one my husband gave me! (impossible!) However, I was able to keep a lot of costs down by asking people to make things. Thank goodness for the amazing people in my life!!!

DIY Polka dot envelopes

DIY: Teething Kit

Today I..thought I’d share a fun teething kit I made for my friend’s baby awhile back. So, just when you thought you were getting the routine down, getting comfortable with having a baby…teething starts and throws everything all off! Ugh, I’m not going to sugar coat it, IT SUCKS! We are still going through it, but it hasn’t been as bad as when it first started. Sheesh! There came a time where I just tried everything..I mean.. EVERYTHING that’s out there in the store. These were just some goodies I would recommend because many of them came in handy during my UGLIEST moments as a mom.

Contents of basket:

1. Loads and loads of bibs (I thought I had too many bibs, but when teething started and the drool came pouring out like waterfalls (okay, may be a bit exaggerating)..I couldn’t get enough of them! Some are made very cheap and thin, and to those I say ” No Bueno!” Others are nice and thick and drool friendly..I LOVE LOVE LOVE those. I really like this one that I found at the new CottonOn Baby store in the Del Amo Mall.)

2. Hyland’s Teething Gel (A little dab of this gel goes a LONG way. My daughter doesn’t really like the taste of this too much, but it really does soothe her gums and provide some relief for a few minutes.)

3. Teether/Teething Toys (There are so many different kinds of teethers out there. Some moms have recommended this teether ball, others the teether pacifier, but it really depends on your child. See which one works best for him/her simply by trying them out…that’s the best advice I can give. My daughter’s not too fond of those teething toys for some reason..so I’ve strayed away from buying them already.)

4. Baby Orajel (This is another good one..I believe it comes in a fruit flavor which sounds YUM!)

*NOT PICTURED: They also have Teething Tablets which you dissolve in water, but I didn’t find much success with those. They are said to be more natural though.

Related articles

• Comfort For a Teething Tot {Ends 10/13} (atticgirl.com)
• The Trials of Toddler Teething (everydayhealth.com)
• A Parent’s Guide to Teething (topdentists.com)

DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

Today I..was on the prowl for some cute DIY Halloween Costumes for kids. Ugh! People are so darn creative, it disgusts me! Haha. JK. Anyway, still debating what my daughter is going to dress up as for her 1st Halloween. I already have a duck costume, but I kinda want her to be a ladybug instead..or maybe one of these:

Up costume from  google

DIY Lion headress by Sweetpeatoadtots

Adorable bear and pirate costumes found here

Pebbles and Bam Bam by Raegun found here

Can’t get enough of this DIY owl costume from alphamom.com

Check out this Octopus costume made of leggings!

Really love this simple ladybug costume from Zoodies!

Wish I could make all of these!!!

DIY Friday: Burlap Coasters

TodayI.,.thought I’d share another thing I made with the burlap I purchased last year. So, after I made the place mats, I went crazy. Literally. I started gathering all the scraps that I hid in my closet and tried to come up with something simple I could make. Here;s what I came up with:

Took me less than 5 minutes. Not too shabby!

My Reflection on Marriage

Today I… decided to look back on my wedding and just remember the good ol’ times. Sorry for the lack of post yesterday. Honestly, I published a post and it literally disappeared! I’ve heard of that happening to people before, but I never knew what they meant. How can something get lost in the blog world? Well, ladies and gents, it is possible. So… I still cannot find it and it was labeled “Reflection Wednesday” so if you see it pop up some time…you know where it was supposed to go.

Anyway, its not much of a blog post today, but I did update and add a *NEW PAGE* to my blog entitled “My Wedding.” You can view it here. I figured I’d include details of my wedding after having a conversation with a friend who is currently planning hers. Weddings are so exciting!

Enjoy! & Happy Thursday!

~Melinda