Last year I did a “Days of Thanks” blog posts during the month of November leading up to Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed finding something new each day to be thankful for. I wanted to participate again this year, but come Nov 1 I felt stressed about the idea.
I shouldn’t feel stressed about being thankful, that seems counterproductive. I was stressing about having to remember to write something and post it everyday. What if I don’t have time (I was at home on maternity leave this time last year, and now I am back at work) to write about it before the day is done and I am crashed out, asleep, exhausted? What about the days that a “thankful” post will interfere with another post I want to write? Will I end up doing a post about my kids everyday? or maybe about my coffee?
Those thoughts, and more, were going through my head as I was up with a sick baby at 4 o’clock in the morning.
So I decided it would be better to do a recap of the things I was regretful for during the week.
7 Days of Thanks Nov 1-7
Nov. 1
Our humidifier. When Sid woke up in the middle of night having a hard time breathing, I was thankful that I already owned a humidifier. His breathing was back to normal by the time the sun came up.
Nov. 2
Pinterest. I am thankful to be able to share creative ideas with millions of strangers. I found the idea for these Mummy Juice Boxes on there. Ian took them to his school Halloween party, and all the kids loved them.
Nov. 3
Brothers. These two are amazing.
Nov. 4
Ian’s love for LEGOs. It is no surprise our family loves LEGOs. I love being able to pass on my childhood favorites to my kids.
Nov. 5
That second cup of coffee. Yep, I did it. I posted about my morning coffee. But it is so necessary and everyday I am thankful for that cup.
Nov. 6
Preschool. I am so thankful that someone else is teaching my kid. I could never be a parent that home-schools their kids. Way too hard for me. How do I teach this left-handed kid how to write from left to right.
Nov. 7
Face Time. I don’t have an iPhone, but my mom does. My baby cousin is away at college, a freshman, and we all miss her terribly. It is so great to be able to see her face when we talk to her. Baby Sid get’s so excited he tried to eat the phone. OK, so maybe he was giving her kisses.
Ian is in preschool now. I know I can’t believe it either.
His school is having little Halloween parties on two days. That way everyone gets to participate, since it is preschool, not everyone goes everyday. The day that he gets to attend, Wed., is my day off! That means I get to go too! Whoo Hoo!
The great thing about him going to preschool at a private school with about twenty students is that I can make treats for the kids!
Christine (I Dig Pinterest) made caramel popcorn and then poured melted Caramel Apple Taffy over it and accented with candy eyes. (For her recipe click on the picture above)
I just knew this would be the treat I wanted make for the kids at school. I thought about just putting some in little plastic bags, but realized that is a bit too simple for me.
So I designed these popcorn boxes.
I used the graphic from a couple of Halloween kits from Just So Scrappy.
The PDF file has two pages to print on cardstock or other heavy-duty paper. Each page is for two sides of the popcorn box. Simple cut each out and glue/tape them together then secure the bottom (download includes instructions).
When Ian was born during spring break, which is in March, I was sad he couldn’t ever have a pool party at my mom’s house. Well unless everyone has wet suits.
Then Sid was due in mid-Sept. and I thought for sure he would be early and was excited cause we could have a pool party/BBQ for his first birthday.
I was wrong and he wasn’t early, but right on time, he was born on his namesake’s birthday. So when his first birthday was approaching I decided to have his party on the first Saturday after the Labor Day holiday. In hopes that the weather would still be nice that early in Sept.
I decided on a beach theme; melding a luau, surfer and underwater theme.
As usual I spent a lot of time on Pinterest finding inspiration. I can’t believe how creative people are with food!
I got one of my hubby’s old surfboards down and sat Baby Sid on it for some pictures for his invitations.
The picture for Sid’s invitation
For the decorations I used five digital scrapbook kits from Just So Scrappy.
I of course had to make a “Happy Birthday Baby Sid” banner for the gazebo on my mom’s deck. I also made some triangle and circle bunting banners.
“Happy Birthday Sid”
Bunting
I also made an “I am 1” banner for Sid’s high chair.
Highchair bunting and The Birthday Boy
I saw these Jelly Fish made out of paper lanterns and thought they would be perfect for hanging in the gazebo.
Jelly Fish
My mom collects mugs, and has a wall of mugs in her dinning room. Yes a WALL of mugs, which holds the ones she doesn’t want used that often. Cause there are more in her kitchen. This is only a problem when I am trying to take pictures of our food table and/or cake.
This time I decided to make a back drop to hide the mugs. I made the “Surf’s Up” banner and glued it to cardboard taping the crape paper behind it along with some circles taped to ribbon and the blue “Happy Birthday” garland.
Backdrop and Cake
Let’s talk about THIS cake. Not only was it adorable, with the little fondant boy to match the invitations, but it was DELICIOUS!!! My Auntie made the cake, she does all our cakes. It was vanilla with an orange cream filling. Yes it tasted like a dreamsicle ice cream bar. And yes it was dreamlike and I probably could have eaten the whole cake. By. My. Self.
The Cake table
The Cake!
We made some fun beach themed food. My mom hand dipped the Bugles in white chocolate to make sweet/salty shark teeth. I bought the white powdered sugar doughnuts and pipped on frosting to make life preservers. Using frosting we turned Nutter Butter Cookies into flip-flops. The oyster pearls are Sixlets and Bubble Gum that I bought at the craft store in the wedding section.
Shark Teeth, Life Preservers, Flip Flop Cookies, Oyster Pearls
My nieces decorated Jello cups with Teddy Graham, Swedish Fish and Gummy Life Savers. My sister and nieces then made a beach scene on a platter for more fun edible decorations. Brown Sugar was used for all the beaches and sand.
Of course I had to have food tag tents, how else would people know what they are eating? My sister came up with some witty little names for the dishes.
Food Tags
The menu included
Puffer Fish Pizza Puffs; Three Cheese or Pepperoni
I made this sign to hang on the front of my mom’s house.
Beach Access Sign
I also made this photo collage of pictures from Baby Sid’s first year.
A year of photos collage
Baby Sid woke up from his nap right before the party and came down to see the house decorated. He was so excited! I wish I had my camera at hand, but I didn’t know his whole face would light up! He was wonderful and such a little trooper with all the excitement and people.
The weather was great so the kids got to swim and use the slip ‘n slide.
As always I couldn’t have pulled it off with out the help of my mom, sister and the rest of my family.
I Tri and Craft 