My Trees

The red button tree was my first tree that I created, back in 07, while looking around 2Peas in a Bucket.

That tree got me addicted to making trees. Next was the white pom pom tree, then the ribbon tree. Last year I found the tac tree on Landee See and Landee Do.

 

 

 

This year I will be trying a peppermint candy tree.

Our Halloween decorations

I love decorating my house and I love change. Not life change (LOL) just changing up my house. This year I actually started decorationg early I was just to excited.

Each year I try and make at least on new thing and of course I buy a few too. This year I made this ribbon wreath I found on Landee See, Landee Do. It hangs on the inside of our front door. cute huh?

 

This is my shelf above my coat rack. This plate was my craft last year. The printable is from eighteen25.

 

My favorite thing of this house if the mantel. I LOVE decorating it.

 

Crafter's Crop Poll

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Pintrest Menu

This week everything on the menu is from my Pintrest Food Folder. I just love pintrest. I love the ease of it, all my recipes shown all infront of me at once. No more going through my saved folder. So here is what I am making.

Sour cream and Bacon crockpot Chicken

Sour Cream Beef and Rice bake

Sausage in Tomoatoe and Onion

Crockpot Italian Chicken

Buffalo Chicken Garbage bread

My Pantry

BEFORE

 

It was pretty organized before, but I don't think I will ever be done organizing. I think I wanted less original packaging. But I also like seeing my items, so I didn't want anything to dark or clouded. So my flour containers had to be clear.

 

AFTER

 I needed new containers for my flour, sugar, ect. I have been searching forever for just the right containers and found these Martha Stewart one. I just love and they are a great price at $9.99 each for the bigger ones, can't beat that.
I also put alot of the items I buy bulk in mason jars. And I kept my cans the same, I like the grocery store look of it.

I put the coffee and drink items that were on top shelf in another place. I was tired of the drips of coffee all over and under the cans.

Lego party

So I am about a month behind on these pics, I have allot to catch up on on this blog.

I can't believe Wyatt turned 7 this year. He has changed so much. Loves first grade, gym, Lego's, The Avengers, and playing with the neighbour boy. He has grown two inches since his last birthday.

This print is available from eighteen 25, I love them. You can find the Rainbow Subway Art birthday printable here.

 Wyatt got a fishing pole from his grandma Candy and Appy. Which he has already used a ton.

 He says his favorite gift was this chair from my parents. It is so comfortable, now if I could just get him sit in it and read. :)
 Wyatt got so much great stuff from everyone and LOVES all his Lego's.

I can't believe I don't have pics of these two tables from earlier, but one table had Lego's the kids could play with and the other had a Lego man that they could color on.

You can look at these other posts I did earlier for a rundown on cost. Here, here, and here. And also here is my Pintrest Lego 7th birthday folder for all the great ideas I collected to throw this great party.

Pops and bags.

The marshmallows pops were actually easier to make than I thought they would be. I used Large and small marshmallows to create these.

I just cute the small ones in half, put a little water on them to make them stick to the top, put them on the stick and then dipped in yellow candy melts.

The gift bags took some time to make because I didn't want to go buy a punch, so I used my CM circle cutters.  

Bags cost $7. I bought a set of 12 bags form Hobby Lobby and I bought a pack of bright paper from Micheals. The skimmers in the bag were $4. The mini figures cost a little more, but I did get them on sale. $30. (They were $2.50 each) I bought these several months before party as to not hurt the budget to bad. The coloring books were free, I just used paper I had.

And the crayons, free, I made these. I a friend had the tray and she let me borrow it and I just used crayons we had to make them. 

Total cost per bag was $3.41. I try to do some homemade things in with store bought. One it cuts down on your total cost and two it makes it more personal.

 I got my invite and Lego coloring book free templates from Cleo Livin' life. I love that she shared them, there isn't much Lego party stuff out there.
I got the cute bag idea (and banner idea) from several spots, but Homemaking Fun gives actual size dimensions on them.

Lego Party Decorations

I just loved how the decorations turned out, again low cost.

The Pom poms I made myself and it cost me $6 for the tissue paper (I already had the yellow ones from another party I did).

The cake was done by a good friend and cost me $50, probably would have cost more if she wasn't such a good friend. You can find some of her other stuff on her facebook page A Slice of Heaven by Nette.

 The Banner- $3. The red card stock was .50 from dollar tree and the white I printed the Lego font on was 2.40 from Micheals. I just got a cheap white card stock. Behind the banner is a yellow piece of material my mom had in her stash.

I only had to buy 3 vases most were bored or I had them. The two small ones were from the dollar Tree for $2. And I did need to buy one bigger one for $10 from Target, but I know I will get allot of use from it in the future.

Some of the vases are filled with Lego pieces and the others candy. The candy I purchased in bulk from Winco. 

Lego Party Mantel

This set up did not cost alot. I am big on trying to keep things cheap since I do have such big parties.Here is the cost run down.

Capri Sun boxes- nothing (He takes them to school everyday so I just saved up.

Colored Paper- $6. I saved bought at Party City and Dollar Tree for a $1

Foam discs- $4. I also got these at the Dollar Tree, they are called floral plugs and I cut each one into 3 1inch pieces.

Lego Poster- $7. A friend of mine created it and them I printed it as a 16x20 at Costco.

Lego Man garland- Free. I already had purchased the pack of paper to make the gift bags. And I also already had the embossing thread, but you can find these at any craft store for around $1.

The lego brick and poster idea came from Hostess with the Mostest. And the Lego man stencil came from zakka life's site.

Tater Tot Casserole

So my hubby is kind of the king of casserole's. Ok that is self proclaimed, but he does love them and would eat them all the time.
I have made lots of different kinds, but he wanted one made with Cheez wiz. I found several different recipes and made lots of different kinds, but none were just right for him. So after finding out exactly what he liked about them all I came up with this recipe.

1 lb hamburger
1 lb sausage
1 14 oz jar Cheez wiz
1 16 oz container of sour cream
2lbs frozen tater tot CROWNS (the flat ones)


Thaw out your crowns out on counter. 
Heat oven to 350-375. Brown meats and drain. While meat is cooking layer the bottom of 9x13 pan with half bag of thawed crowns. When meat is down and drained, mix in cheex wiz and sour cream till bubbly. Pour mixture on top of first layer of crowns. Layer the second half of crowns on meat cheez mixture. I them shake a good amount of Johnnys seasoning salt on top.
Then bake for 30 min or until the top of crowns are crispy.

Lego Thank You gifts

  One of the Thank you gifts for my son, Wyatt, lego birthday party I am making little coloring books. But I couldn't decide what I wanted to do a book, pocket style, pad or just buy them. Well buying them was out of the picture, since I always try to keep cost down.
  Well the best way of course is to text your sisters and send them pictures and let them help you. LOL. Thanks Kim and Beth. We decided on the pad style.

And you can't forget the crayons. Not gonna make these, decided was easier and cleaner to buy.

If you would like a link to any of the ideas above just click these links. Pad, Book, Pocket, or Buy.

Rainbow Baby Shower

 Above were all the gifts for the games we played. We just played all the basic games played at every shower so I won't bore you and list them. Each basket was a theme (Garden, candy, cooking, mainicure) and rainbowed out.

 The cookies my friend Nette over at A Slice of Heaven by Nette, made.

 I froze different colored juices for the colored ice cubes, then just aed sprite.

 Can't have a rainbow party with out rainbow cupcakes.

We hung punched out circles on all the windows. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of them, but with the light coming in, it just won't take one.