Back to School Party....for the moms!

The First Day of School....Some Moms are sad.  Some Moms are happy.  

(A local school calls it:  BOO HOO YAHOO)

After the kids get on the bus and head off to a new school year, gather your neighbors and friends and enjoy a Back-To-School breakfast.

 

 Add "blackboard" graffiti on a disposable tablecloth with a white paint pen.

Pencil vase instructions HERE.

Use notebooks and textbooks as "trivets".

Wrapped utensil holder is a pocket folder.

What to do with that zucchini from our garden!

So the largest zucchini from our garden this year weighs in at a hefty 7.5 pounds.  The thing is as big as a newborn....so much so that you want to hold it like a baby!

 I found some great recipes at Our Best Bites.  Check out these two recipes that I've used in the past couple of weeks to make some very good zucchini bread....one is orange flavored and one is chocolate (okay, they can call it "bread"....it's really cake but let's pretend the vegetables in it make it actually nutritious!)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe  

Zucchini Bread with a bit of orange flavor 

Memory T-Shirt Quilt

Four years of high school memories; countless t-shirts narrowed down to 17; a few days of work; a couple broken needles; yards of fleece; one comforter; two crying sessions as "You'll be in my Heart" shuffled on my ipod....and the memory quilt to send with my 18 year old baby to college is (finally) finished.  

Quilting it with batting and a cotton panel may have been easier but he likes the extra weight so I sewed the panels onto his twin xl comforter.  Ready for his dorm room!  Now to make some pillows to use on the futon and a pillow sham and he'll be one step closer to ready-for-school. 

Back to School Teacher Gift

Have you seen the Shredded Wheat commercials that say 

"Happy New Year" as the kids go off to their first day of school?  

They copied me!  Okay....maybe not but... 

Eleven years ago, my son's first day of first grade, I presented the teacher with a 

"Happy New School Year!" gift filled with fun teacher supplies. 

Never hurts to make a good impression....for your child!  =)

Here's another idea that is SO easy to get ready for your child's first day of school.

 

A pencil vase.

Hot glue new unsharpened pencils around a glass jar.  Tie it with a ribbon.

Fill this unique, fun, school-daze vase with flowers and give to your favorite teacher!

Baby Shower Cupcakes

We're in baby shower mode.  Well, ehem, not at MY house.  My first baby is getting ready to head off to UW-Madison in a couple of weeks (sniff, sniff, wipe my tears!)

My husband's sweet cousin is having a baby and we're celebrating!  Last night was the family baby shower.  A week night baby shower works well for our family.  Frees up weekend days and the atmosphere is light hearted and festive.  Dinner was a huge buffet of salads: Chicken curry salad, spinach pasta salad, fruit salad, tomato bread salad, black bean jalapeno, couscous.  All were yummy!  A few of us made them so there's less pressure on the hostess getting the house and drinks ready.

Here's a picture of  a very simple cupcake dessert dressed up for the baby shower!

 

The shower umbrellas are die-cut paper and dressed up with glitter and pearl dots and all tied up with a bow.  These can be cut out in many different colors or imagine them all in white for a wedding shower.  Showers of happiness!

You can buy these cupcake picks in my etsy shop:  

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79619191/shower-cupcake-topper-umbrella-for-baby 

How to make a Diaper Cake for a Baby Shower

Blogger The Social Secretary's BFF is having a baby!  I know the BFF and we're so lucky to have her in our family.  The BFF has so many friends too! SS has so many cute ideas for her baby shower in a couple of weeks (see her blog!)

Here's my gift to the best-mom-to-be...

a super cute and useful Baby Shower Diaper Cake!

You can make one too!  

This "cake" is made of:

• Bottle of Dreft detergent (hidden in the center)
• 50 size 1 diapers
• 36 size 2 diapers
• 6 onsies
• 5 receiving blankets
• teething toy
• lots o'links
• baby spoons
• thermometer
• brush & comb
• aspirator

The foundation of the cake is made of the bottle of the detergent and the diapers.  The rest can be whatever you want to buy!  The toys and receiving blankets just happened to be in coordinating colors so I bought spools of gross grain ribbon to match.  The possibilities are endless!
You'll also need:

• a platform (I cut out a 14" circle of foam board but you could use sturdy cardboard or a large platter)
• rubber bands
• safety pins
• duct or packing tape
• coordinating ribbon

Secure bottle of detergent to center of platform with duct tape.

Make bundles of diapers by rolling the diapers and securing a few together with a rubber band. 

Stack bundles around bottle of detergent to fill the platform to make the first "layer".  Tie all of the bundles around the bottle.  (You can use any ribbon or string....it'll be hidden; it's just used to keep the layer together)


Make more bundles of diapers and stack to make a layered cake tying each "layer" with string to secure to bottle.

Roll the onsies and secure with rubber bands.  Use the onsies as the top "layer" of the cake.

Fold receiving blankets diagonally and then roll to form a long strip.  Wrap each "layer" with a blanket and secure with a large safety pin.

Tie gross grain ribbon around each layer.  Add on the extra toys and supplies by securing with safety pins and tucking into each "layer".

Make sure to include a list of "ingredients" with your gift!

Convo me at my Etsy site:  www.etsy.com/shop/clevor1 with any questions if you need help or would like to purchase a Baby Shower Diaper Cake.  We can discuss colors, "ingredients", pricing and shipping!