paper and cake: Kids

Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts

Summer Mud

>> Friday, July 29, 2011

Have you noticed I haven't been around here much? Or maybe you haven't noticed? Well, I'm sure you have better things to do than to check up on me.

With summer here, the kids are home all day. All day. Did I mention that the kids are home all day? Well, with summer here and the kids at home all day, there isn't much time for blogging. Not that I don't have a ton of super fun projects and stuff to share about. There just are not enough hours in the day to tell you about them.

Here is just one fun thing - Adventure Playground. I am a big proponent of age appropriate activities that help your child to gain self esteem and common sense. Letting your daughter play in the mud, build a fort and steer a raft across a pond can take care of all of those things in one fell swoop. Now, these are still carefully chaperoned activities, but, at least she is out of the padded playground.

my daughter and her best friend Jake

Summer Projects

>> Thursday, July 7, 2011

With summer well underway, and not a camp in sight, what's a mom to do but call in reinforcements? My reinforcement is named "Aunt Janet" - or shall I call her "Super Aunt Janet"?

This is my mom's younger sister, a woman who taught middle school art for 25 years. She taught me how to sew when I was in kindergarten - and has been teaching my daughter the same skills since she was four.

I seriously could go on and on - about the quilts that she helped me make for raffle at my annual 50 Mile MS Walk, about how she actually spends her free time traveling around the world, about what a supportive and involved aunt she has been to me - but it might be time to go back to school before I'm finished.

So when she emailed last week that she had purchased a cute little dress pattern, and that we should come over to swim and sew, we jumped at the chance.

My daughter was able to cut all the pieces, and begin the stitching before we had to swim and have ice cream - it was so hot out! I'll be sure to keep you updated on her progress. Thank goodness for Aunt Janet.

Until the Fall

>> Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Well, that's it. School is officially over for the year.
YAY SUMMER!!! I am NOT setting the alarm. I am NOT packing endless lunches that don't get eaten. I am NOT driving across town to school twice a day. I am NOT going to miss it for one second!

Until,

about a week from now when the two of them are driving me nuts and I want to need to have to drop them off somewhere anywhere for just a moment of sanity!

Oh, summer. How I love thee/despise thee.

To celebrate the end of the year, all the school kids participate in the "Spring Dance Festival", and I'm going to force you all to watch!

autumn is the blond with the black pants and purple plaid shirt

jack is the little cutie all the way on your left - taking it very seriously

Wild Wild West!

>> Tuesday, June 7, 2011

This just goes to prove, you can have a Photo Booth ANYWHERE for ANY event.

Seriously.

We have a super ultra urban Farm in an area of our fair city that is mostly, well, concrete. One third of an acre has been reclaimed to grow fruits and veggies, and eventually to raise chickens in addition to strengthening a community and teaching the school kids in the area. Last weekend, we all celebrated the Farm's 1st anniversary with a street festival extravaganza complete with food, crafts, local vendors, and different performing groups like Kalpulli Tlaltekuhtli, Capoeira CDO Long Beach and some beautiful Baile Folklórico!

Who else was there? Well, Paper & Cake of course! I wouldn't miss offering a super fun themed photo booth for all to make a memory of this fun event. I came up with the theme "Wild West" mostly because of a "horse" that was brought over by the event's organizer (how could I turn her down?) to use in the photographs. Add some printable "Wanted" posters, some Cowboy hats and of course over-sized mustaches, and there you have it!

The backdrop was created with old fruit crates stacked one atop the next with a bit of maroon felt behind that to block out the direct sunlight, and the occasional car (I did mention how urban this farm is, right?). Old and young alike lined up to hold up ridiculous props or to just sit on the horse for their portraits. The booth was nearly free to set up, and worked perfectly as a fundraiser for the Farm Anniversary event - just charge a fee per photo and either: print on the spot, email to your customers, or have them pick up their prints.

Having your own fundraiser event? Or maybe a Cowboy themed party? You can pick up your own set of Wild West photobooth props - just add your own bandanas, a camera and a little imagination.

Post-Weekend Update

>> Monday, June 6, 2011

Where have I been? A week has flown by without a single blog post! Truth be told, I've been swamped. New collections, photoshoots and those kids of mine and all their year end school events. Migraines, event planning and eating bon bons on the couch. Cleaning house, paying bills and taking over the world one printable party at a time.

You know, the regular stuff.

And since what everyone wants is some beautiful photographs, rather than a buncha text, here is what I've been up to:

Singing his little heart out

Dance Party starring: Autumn

Trying for a new profile pic, for the new website

day off for kids = day trip to the Natural History Museum

Post-Weekend Update

>> Monday, April 25, 2011

I. Am. Tired. Easter was such a nice day with the family. Hope you all had a fabulous day as well. I am seriously taking a nap today.

before

after

Post-Weekend Update

>> Monday, April 18, 2011

This weekend was all about baseballs and antique malls. My friend Blair was appalled at the lack of furnishings in my front room, and forced me against my will (that last part was for my husband if he reads this) to the once a month antique market. We walked, and walked and walked and finally, at the last stall, found a super cute little black table. I'm hoping it will start me off towards grown-up-hood in furnishing my ultra echo-ey front room?

thats my table on the bottom left!

What was my husband doing with the kids to keep them busy while I was out? Well, he took them to their first official baseball game! The Long Beach Dirtbags were playing, and although they lost - badly - the kids had fun filling up on sunflower seeds and bubble gum.

I'm thinking to the week ahead, and there is SO much to do. I have a sneak peak to share with you all about my son's 6th Birthday party - Sharks and SCUBA divers! And Easter wouldn't be complete without a free download - stay tuned!

P&C Real Life Party: Italian Cooking Class

>> Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A very good friend of mine has the stamina to teach cooking to children, I don't know how she does it! During the different school breaks, you will find her - and a bunch of under 10 year olds - making everything from "Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Soy Dipping Sauce" to PIZZA!

It was her Pizza day that inspired this, our Mangia Printable Party collection. Each child received a personalized place mat (that we laminated) to use as a work surface, and a cup with a personalized sleeve (so they could keep the same cup throughout the class). In addition they all got to take home a class cookbook filled with that week's recipes.

And YUM! The insane mess was all worth it! Good pizza, great friends, and a valuable cooking experience that could inspire a lifetime love of cooking.

Want to have a Pizza Party of your own? Whether it's a birthday, or a girls night - cooking pizza or ordering in, download and decorate till your hearts content!

Post-Weekend Update

>> Monday, April 11, 2011

To help get my otherwise completely obsessed mind off of business-y things, we took a little afternoon trip to the park for some baseball.

They take their practice pretty seriously too. Lucky for them, they have a dad who has the patience to teach them - even when they cry (Autumn) or take the ball and run in the other direction (Jack) or bring a camera along and ask for poses during crucial batting practices (um, me).

I hope you will stay tuned this week for

a real life party,

a super fabulous GIVEAWAY,

and some big, HUGE news!!

You Say Doughnuts and I Say Donuts

>> Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I have this brand new Wilton Mini-donut pan in my pantry, but even with the door closed I could hear it calling my name... louder and louder every day. Maybe that was my daughter, and not the pan? Anyway, the pan comes with a recipe, that I went ahead and whipped up while the kids were at school. After they got home we frosted and sprinkled them until we could frost and sprinkle no more!

Yum. But then I have a soft spot for donuts.. (remember this? Our Sweet Argyle donut party)

Post-Weekend Update

>> Monday, April 4, 2011

Good Monday Morning! Hope you are up, drinking your second cup of coffee and getting things done-ish. This past weekend was a good one, with a great balance of jammies, sunshine, craft projects and family. With out too much laundry, arguing, chores or deadlines.

American Girl craft project... FINALLY finished!

first project from Autumn's brand new art class

new record player arrives from ebay seller - a replacement for my childhood player that just broke

Fourth of July Patriotic printable photo booth props - DONE!

sneak peek of our NEW Fourth of July printable Block Party set

and lastly, no weekend is complete without a little lightsaber battle!

Spring Break!

>> Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Yup, the kids were home from school last week. All week. The whole week. When school is out there is no work getting done, what with all of the juggling, playing, driving, arbitrating, mediating, refereeing, intervening, resolving, settling, wait I think I said that.

My husband also took the week off. All week. The whole week. He mostly worked on his garage. I should take some pictures and show you all, it's pretty.

Among other things, we did take one big family day trip, and had one extra special afternoon outing with friends. We had SUCH a good time! Yesterday the kids went back to school, the house was so ... quiet.

their first time mini-golfing!

Cake Balls: Better left to the Professionals

>> Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Do you ever have one of those days when it's spring break, the kids are home, it's raining outside and you have a overwhelming urge to bake? Well, this is the part where I should have just packed them up in the car and drove to the mall. Instead, we made cake balls.

Mistake number one: "Hey kids, want to help mommy in the kitchen?"

Okay okay, so it did get calmer and more fun as we went along. The kids were really excited to help out.

Now, you can find recipes for cake balls and cake pops almost anywhere online these days, but I had a Bakerella book that I received as a Christmas gift that was all shiny and new. So, I baked my cake and let the kids crumble it up in a giant bowl. Then they stirred in the frosting (really, you have to read the recipe) without too much of a mess.

Mistake number two: "Wouldn't it be fun if we used this pan of little cakelet molds that has been in the pantry for 3 years?"

There is probably a way to do it without all the cake sticking inside, but spraying it wasn't enough - let me know if you figure it out. Anyway, those helpful kids of mine jammed cake into all the little molds.

After freezing, and prying all the cakelets out one at a time with a knife, I got to dipping in melted chocolate. The kids had had enough at this time and were out in the garage with dad - I'm sure up to no good.

I would say it took a good hour of dipping time - mostly because I had to take a break, or two, and check my facebook - before I was finally finished. They are not the most beautiful things to look at, but boy they sure tasted good!