Excavation Party

Eli has really been into rocks and minerals this year and he asked me to have an excavation themed party for his 7th birthday.  I had a difficult time finding inspiration on Pinterest for this theme. Most of the parties related to this theme were either about dinosaurs or diggers.  I finally decided to combine rocks with dinosaurs.

THE CAKE:
I made a cake with dinosaurs hidden inside and let Eli excavate the first dinosaur. Step-by-step instructions on how to do this can be found at Instructables.

THE INVITATION:

 
THE DECOR:

GAMES:
I reused the pull-string pinata I had made for Anja's Snow Bunny party. I just took the tissue paper off the outside, repainted the pinata, refilled it, and taped the trap door back on. This time it was completely torn apart, so there will be no more reusing it.
 

Another game I had planned was "excavate the dinosaur". The plan was for the kids to go digging in the snow in the backyard for dinosaurs, but it was -25 out. Instead I hid the dinosaurs in the living room and let the kids search for the dinosaurs indoors.

The last activity we did was make fossils from the dinosaurs they found on their hunt. (I forgot to get a picture of their finished products.) Idea found at Little Bit Funky.

PARTY FAVOURS:
I made fossil cookies for each guest to take home. The recipe and instructions can be found on Martha Stewart's blog. 

...and here's a picture of our littlest one after she inhaled her cake

Anja's Bunny Party

This year I let Anja plan the theme for her 5th birthday party. She very randomly decided on "snow bunny".  I have no idea how she came up with that. She is not particularly into snow or bunnies. One day when we were discussing her party she asked me to show her how to draw a bunny. I had Pinterest open on my Ipad and was looking at a blog (The Sweetest Occasion) about a very adorable bunny party. I loved the picture of the bunny they used for their party and thought it would be a cute bunny to teach Anja to draw. I drew a bunny myself and took her through the steps of shapes to draw for her bunny. I ended up loving her version so much, I planned her whole party decor around it.

We played a game where the children had to throw a "snowball" (aka styrofoam ball) at the stuffed bunny and try to knock it over.

My lopsided carrot cake.

This is a pull string pinata I made using instructions from the blog Young House Love. I love how it turned out, but should have predicted that 5-year-olds wouldn't be able to wait and all pull their strings at one time. As soon as the first couple had their strings the Pinata was pulled open and it was all over! I don't think any of the kids cared though. The were immediately distracted by the goodies that fell out.

I filled each bag with a hairband, magnet, bracelet, hair clips, and candy and put the bags in the pinata. I also filled the pinata with snowflakes to make it look like it was snowing when the kids pulled it open.

A Party for an Amazing Lady

I have been blessed with the most wonderful mother-in-law.  When Josh and I first got married we lived on the west coast and she lived in Ottawa, so we didn't get to see her very often. After we had our second child we moved to Alberta. Not long after that, my mother-in-law also moved to Alberta and actually lived with us for 6 months.  I always knew she was great, but having her live with us was a testament to how great she really is. She helped out so much with the kids, and was there to look after them when I was pregnant with our 3rd and had to stay in the hospital for a week. I was able to get the care I needed without worrying about how my children were doing because I knew they were having a great time with their Nana. She even brought them to the hospital everyday to see me. She now lives an hour away and comes to visit almost every weekend. I am so happy our children get to see her so often and she is such a big part of our lives. She recently had a "big" birthday and I was happy to be able to throw her a little party.

Pattern Testing the Louisa Dress

I had the honor recently of being a pattern tester for CompagnieM. I tested her Louisa dress which is 10% off from now until Dec 7th (23:59 CET time zone) with the code Louisa10off. Her pattern is for the experienced beginner or intermediate sewer. The Louisa pattern includes references to very helpful tutorials for sewing an invisible zipper, adding bias tape, and making your own bias tape. This was my first time sewing a pattern my CompagnieM. and I found her instructions clear and easy to follow. Pictures are included with each step. The Louisa dress pattern provides many opportunities for creativity with three back options.  Also, if you have purchased her Mara blouse, the sleeves from this pattern can be used on the Louisa pattern. (For those who have not purchased the Mara blouse, CompagnieM. is offering a 2pack where you can purchase both patterns for 12 euros.)

CompagnieM.'s description of this dress sums it up perfectly: The Louisa Dress by CompagnieM. is a vintage inspired pattern with a modern twist. Unique pockets and three back options make this a versatile pattern. Add lining according to the season and enjoy this pattern the whole year round.

I chose the horizontal back option and fully lined the dress so my daughter can wear it this winter. I made this dress in size 4 for my daughter who will be 5 in January. I made the dress 2 inches longer than the pattern since my daughter is tall.

Now it's time for a GIVEAWAY...

One of my lucky readers will have the chance to win CompagnieM.'s Louisa Dress pattern! 

To enter all you have to do is click on the Rafflecopter below. 

This giveaway will run from today (Dec. 2) until Dec. 5 at 12am CET timezone.

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