Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A Superhero Birthday Party!!

This past month we celebrated Andrew's 4th birthday. If you know my little man, you know that there was absolutely no question of what the theme would be! I was so excited to get started on this party, there are so many amazing ideas out there and it was really hard to restrain myself from attempting them all!

superhero party


I wanted to keep the decorations as "DIY" as possible, there are many items that can be purchased, but the cost can really add up. I have a large supply of card stock on hand and lots of ribbon. I only had to purchase the balloons and two comic books! I think I spent less than $20!

superhero party
Our new place has a great big mantle which is fabulous for decorating for events. I used Andrew's giant batman, some balloons and the cake and cupcakes to decorate this space. I always try to put the birthday cake front and centre... after all they take a lot of effort! I used rolled fondant for the buildings and Superman logo getting my inspiration here and the cupcake toppers were found online (here). 

superhero party

superhero party

I used a couple of comic books to make some colourful banners by cutting each page into triangle and stringing them on ribbon. When selecting the comics I looked for bright pictures with appropriate content (some can be pretty gruesome!). I strung these banners around the mantle, across some mirrors and along the counter. They added a lot of colour to the party!

super hero party

We snapped some priceless photos of Andrew modeling his new superhero underwear, on Christmas morning. I couldn't resist printing a bunch and adding them to the decor. His friends thought they were pretty awesome (probably not an option for future parties!!). I also used one to make this little sign that his friends could sign and had it ready with some markers for their arrival. 

superhero party

We gathered all of our Superhero toys and books and had them ready for the little ones to play as they entered. I always find this to be a chaotic time and having an activity that kids can join whenever they arrive is very helpful. 
superhero party
We also had a Superhero Snack bar ready for munching and a little cape for every little Superhero (this little sweetie was the only girl at the party but that didn't slow her down)! I used fabric from a previous project for the capes and this pattern. The fabric was actually taken from inexpensive flat sheets that I bought at target for $5.00. 

We kept the kids busy with lots of fun Superhero games! We decorated Superhero masks, used "Silly String" to get some Super villains (pictures on the back of a door), practised jumping over skyscrapers and raced to change into superhero costumes.

superhero party

After lunch everyone sang to Andrew and many little buddies helped him to blow out his candles. This is always my favourite part of the celebration. His big smile makes all of the party prep more than worth the effort!

superhero party

superhero party

It was so nice to see all of Andrew's new friends come together to celebrate his birthday. It's hard to believe that just a few short months ago we knew nobody in this city! I think he will be wanting to take a few back to Canada with him!

**please grab a printable for your little superhero's big celebration!**








Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Simple fingerless mitts...

Back in the fall, when the temperatures started to drop, I caught the knitting bug. This is pretty common for me, and usually means that someone special will receive some hand knitted Christmas gifts! I have been knitting for years, but haven't really made it past the novice stage. However, simple knitting patterns are easy to find and don't have to be limited to dishcloths and pot holders! Here are some of the fingerless mitts I made for Andrew's preschool teachers!

fingerless mittsfingerless mitts

These mitts were very simple. I am not a quick knitter and I was able to complete one mitt in an evening of knitting (About one episode of Downton Abbey). 

I completed the grey pair first, following a knitting pattern that I found on Pinterest. You can find the pattern here. The blue pair were very similar, but I altered the pattern to get a different look, the pattern for these can be found at the end of this post. 

fingerless mitts

We packaged the mitts by wrapping them and a Christmas card with twine. I loved the simple, rustic look and was happy that the mitts were displayed, rather than being covered up! Andrew's teachers were thrilled with their gift and very touched that I took the time to create something handmade... I was pretty proud!

fingerless mitts

fingerless mitts

Now that temps are above freezing, maybe they'll be able to get a little more use out of them!!

Simple Fingerless Mitts
worsted weight yarn, size 7 needles

Cast on 28 stitches (increase by increments of 2 for larger mitts)

Cuff - knit one row, pearl one row (for 5 rows)
Arm - knit 2, pearl 2 for 20 rows
Hand - knit one row, pearl one row (for 13 rows)
Trim - knit one row, pearl one row
Cast off all stitches

Sew together the top 5 stitches, and then sew together the length of the "Arm" and "Cuff", leaving a hole for the thumb. 

Friday, February 14, 2014

*#%* my FOUR year old says...

This morning, Andrew completely blew me away with his thoughtfulness... Could it be that we are finally moving towards thinking of others before ourselves???

Here's the story...

As Andrew stumbled into the kitchen this morning, I grabbed a handful of chocolate kisses and hid them behind my back. After an all too quick morning hug, I held out the chocolates and said "Happy Valentine's Day Andrew!!" His smile was wide for a moment, but he quickly turned and ran away, returning seconds later with his most prized possession, The Gotham City Jail,  he thrust it towards me and yelled "Happy Valentines Day Mommy!!" My heart melted a bit, bursting with pride for my loving little guy.... when he quickly snapped me back to reality. "Ummm, sorry Mommy, you can use it for the day, but you can't keep it forever. Maybe we should go to Target so you can buy me a new toy too!?"

Baby steps...

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Back to blogging... and a last minute printable!

Hello? Anybody out there? I hope some of you readers are still checking in now and then. It has been pretty silent around this blog lately, which is the opposite of what it's been like in this house! Between sick kiddos, two trips to Canada and Andrew's fourth birthday party, the past six weeks have not been project friendly! However, I am desperately needing to get both the boys and I back into a routine, and for me sharing a project or a kids activity every now and then helps me feel productive and maintains my motivation! So, I am hoping that the multitude of stomach bugs are behind us and I can get back at it!

Today I wanted to share the printable Valentine that Andrew shared with his Daycare friends last year.
If you are interested in sharing these Frog Prince Valentines with your little sweeties you can download the file here! (Frog Valentine PDF


Valentine Bag topper

valentine bag topper