Mad About a Birthday Theme!!

Would you please take a look at this incredible Mad Scientist themed birthday party??!!?!! I'm dieing... It's just too precious!!!!!

AHHH!!! I'm totally loving the color schemes they're using in this, it's so fun for a little one's birthday party, or even a young kid! As well, I'm going to have to find out where they got the intricate back drop that seems to tie the whole theme together!
They used all kinds of cute little effects to pull this scene together, the rock candy test tubes, "Professor Hugo's Science Lab" invitations, and then the cute cake! I love the lab mice running around the top tier!

Go check out some more of these "mad" pictures and inspiration kickers here: http://catchmyparty.com/parties/professor-hugos-scientific-8th-birthday
That website is full of other creative party themes! I'm about to go start digging through it myself to see the gold I can find!

- Stephanie

Fun kid's snacks

These snacks are absolutely adorable!! It'd be such a fun way to get your kids to eat a little more healthy, too!!

 

I'm pretty crafty, but I just don't know if I'd have the patience or skill to make some of these... What do you think?
My favorite is the crab croissant! It's SOOO cute!!!

- Stephanie

The Black Rat Pack - Halloween Day 1

 
I stumbled upon this seriously cool photo on Pinterest one day. I looked closely at it for a while, coming back to it a few times and running across it else where a little later on. I decided to invest some time into discerning how this set up was created, thinking it to be way more difficult that it really is. Come to find out, it's incredibly easy!! A little time consuming, yes, but so simple.

The credit for this super fun Halloween decor has to go out to Martha Stewart (of course!). [I'll post a link to her page for this at the end.]

So, that being said... All that you need to make this Halloween project happen is scissors, black construction paper, white pen/gel pen, a rats template (found here: http://www.marthastewart.com/sites/files/marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf1/1005_creepymice.pdf ), and then some double sided tape OR fun-tac.
Print out the rat templates and you're good to go!! Start tracing and cutting out those rats for your stairwell this Halloween season! You could even do these for your stairs outside if you laminate them for more durability!

I have 15 stair backs to cover for my stairwell. I'm estimating cutting out 35-40 rats, just to make sure that I have enough to cover my stairs. I currently have around 22 rats cut out for our stairs here, and it is time consuming. I usually will sit and work on them at night after I've gotten Jocelyn in bed and am just watching a movie, relaxing before bed time for myself.
I will HAVE to post a picture of my own stairs once these creepy critters are plastered over them! And I encourage you to do the same once yours is finished next month as well!!

As promised, the link to Ms. Martha's website where you can find the originals for this rat pack is here: http://www.marthastewart.com/271198/paper-mice?czone=holiday%2Fhalloween-center%2Fhalloween-center-decor&gallery=274730&slide=271198&center=276965

Hope your nights are filled with inspiration!

- Stephanie

A Halloween with some COLOR!

So, this isn't one of the Halloween things I promised you earlier, but I just found these and had to share!!!
You can find these on: www.tutuomg.com
These are just too cute for you little princess to wear around the season! AND they aren't too dark and "goth" like, like so many other Halloween outfits I've seen lately, they have skulls on them and that sort of thing... I just don't really like those for little girls. These are hit in my book! Super cute and colorful!


 

- Stephanie

Scavenger Hunt Learning Game!

 
Oh my goodness this is seriously amazing!
I found this at: http://www.sugaraunts.com/2013/09/sight-word-scavenger-hunt.html It shows you the WHOLE set up right there!
I mean, who is it that comes up with things like this?? I certainly wouldn't have... This is such a fun way to help your kids learn and recognize different words. You go and write them along a path or the driveway or even around the house, on paper of course, and give the kids a bucket with the words that they have to find inside.
Once they find the word, they lay their card over the matching word! This is brilliant! You could easily use this as a fun way for the kids to learn AND to make it even better add a "treasure chest" at the end. Maybe something small with a new book in it that looks fun to encourage them to read even more!

Happy hunting!
:)

- Stephanie

A Brief Halloween Sneak

Okay.

I'm hard at work drawing up an outline for my week long Halloween posts! I'm pretty excited about this... I can't wait to share these things with you! Each day (STARTING TODAY!!!)
I'll post one Halloween craft/DIY project each day that you can do to make your home a little more "spooky" for next month! Along with some tutorials and how-to's and helpful hints for making these fun projects!

These are all projects that are fairly easy to do.. I've (currently) already made most of them myself. You can even have your little helpers on some of them! I am working on some posts for fun Halloween crafts for the kiddos, too, that will probably publish the first of October! I just love Halloween... I always have! In my house growing up it was such a huge thing, mainly because my mom's birthday is ON Halloween, so we went all out for the holiday with decorations and parties and costumes!

I can't wait to share these with you later!!!
Enjoy your Monday!

- Stephanie

Party Decor Made Easy

I adore this!! This would be so cute and easy to do for a little girl's candy party!!
It's just those paper lanterns, some tulle, and some ribbon tied on to pull it all together! I'm in love.
Here's a link for the full DIY tutorial:
http://icingdesignsonline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/candy-globes.html

- Stephanie