On Saying Yes.

I could have said no.  It would have been less messy and a whole lot less time on her part.

It started with her asking for the last fourth of the watermelon that was sitting on the counter.  I thought at first, how I knew she couldn't really eat all of that.  But, then I thought how cute she would be putting her whole face into the huge piece of watermelon.

The next time I looked, she was not eating, but working.  Creating.  Dreaming.

As she scooped and mashed and juiced away, I saw delight in her heart.

She said,

"Mom, this is going to be for all the people walking by!"  (to which I thought, 'all the people' meaning, the very few people walking their dogs?)

I could have spoken realism into her hopeful heart. I could have corrected her spelling.

But, then, I wouldn't have had the best watermelon juice I had ever tasted.  And, even though her only customer was her very own Mom, she felt like she had just served the queen.

Sometimes, you have to say no. But not always. And the times that I choose to say yes, seem that much more important.

What are you saying yes to this week?

Myth 4. I Can't Throw a Party Because I Don't Have Any Time (And 10 No-Prep Parties to Plan)

Ok, folks, this is it.  The fourth (and possibly most believable) myth about why you "can't throw a party."  However, hopefully, I'll be able to convince you otherwise!

Sure, you can spend time making fun things to embellish your events.  But those things are not a must have. You can bake until your fingers turn blue to make sure all your items have been made from scratch, but again...not necessary.

If I had to sum up the reasons to party, I'd say, "To enjoy one another's company and to celebrate life."  I'm sure we could add to that list immensely, but those are the biggies. To do those things, it doesn't take much.

To wrap up the myth series, I thought I'd end with a list of how parties can happen with little to no preparation involved.

Here's 10 easy ways to add a little more partying to your life...

1.  Grab a blanket and take out easy things (carrot sticks, fruit, yogurt, cheese, leftover pizza, etc.)  from your fridge and meet your friends for a party at the park. Take a frisbee or a football to add a little action to your evening.

2.  Host an ethnic dinner party. Decide on a type of food (i.e. Mexican) and ask people to bring their favorite dish.  This could be something you host even on a monthly basis!  You get the best of both worlds...literally.

3.  Have a wine and cheese party.  Add chocolate if you really want to make them happy.

4.  One word for ya...potluck. Always the best food ever, and everyone takes their dirty dishes home with them.

5.  Make the kids happy and have a banana split party.  Ask friends to bring their favorite topping...you provide the bananas and ice cream. Easy and so very fun.  My genius of a friend did this for her wedding reception and it was a blast!

6.  Have a movie night.  You could make this one family friendly or not, but either way, the prep is a cinch.  Just have the popcorn ready...and maybe a little movie theater candy!  Want it on the big screen?  Martha has a great idea for really seeing the stars!

7. Have your friends over for a pizza party...but instead of getting it delivered, let everyone make their own! You could provide the dough, sauce, and cheese, but let everyone bring a different topping.  It's fun to see what people like on their pizza, and you have your dinner and party planned!

8.  Another fun one for kids...have their friends come over in bathing suits and have a water party.  All you really need is a hose and a hot day (which we have plenty of right now!) You can keep it completely outside...even have it at a local park if you're worried about your house getting soaked.  Because it's a water party, give them water to drink and watermelon to eat.

9. Game night is always a blast.  You could start with game stations for the warm up games...Checkers, card games, or board games are classics.  Then, end your evening with a large group game like Charades, Pictionary, or Catch Phrase.  Outdoor games are great too. It's always fun to get a Horseshoe or Cornhole competition going.

10. Last but not least (and probably the easiest!)...wait for it...have a take out party.  Let everyone bring over their favorite take out, and all mix and match family style! Don't forget to grab menus from each restaurant to make sure you can share your favorite local spots.

Remember to simply enjoy the people in your life.  When it comes down to it, the party trends will change, and your guests will forget what was on the menu.  What they won't forget is that you asked them to come over, and party on.

bunnies making room.

My mom always had a tradition of giving the book Pat the Bunny as a baby gift. However, there were some things that she didn't do. Like decorate with bunnies. Which, on most occasions, I do not either.

However, Easter is a special time of year. It makes people do crazy things...like decorate with bunnies. And chicks. And jellybeans.

Our Bunnykins Breakfast Table

I hope you were able to fully celebrate this season!

The Great Grocery Store Challenge...

Last week, I was feeling pretty crummy. My annual respiratory virus had decided to come visit...and I was in no state to figure out simple things like meal planning and grocery shopping. As we were driving home that afternoon, I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner...their response? An excited...

"Mac and cheese!"

To which, I kindly replied, "We don't have the stuff guys. How about leftovers?" I used my most appealing voice...however, they were not impressed.

So, I thought...I have no motivation, and no meal plans for this week...how about I let them do the meal planning this week?

They were ecstatic. I told them that each had $30 to be able to plan the weeks lunches and 4 dinners for our family.

It was so cute to see their faces processing, and reading specials.

They had a blast. I pulled out my iPhone calculator, and they figured it out. I'm not a homeschooler, by any means, but I did think how fun it was to be able to teach them first hand about budgeting and meal planning. I did require that they had some vegetables or fruit at each meal, but other than that, it simply had to be enough to feed our family.

It only took about an hour, and they were so proud to be able to take part.

Here were the meals they came up with (remember, their 5 and 8.)

Monday - Mac n Cheese and Hot Dogs, with apple sauce

Tuesday - Rotisserie Chicken, salad, and rolls

Wednesday - Veggie Tacos

Thursday - Turkey Sandwiches and cous cous, with fresh fruit

They were so proud to later tell my husband what they had accomplished. That our meal was all their idea!

* My tips if you try this: have a calculator on hand, get the coupons so they can understand how things go on special, make sure you have a good hour to shop, and keep them focused on the "meals" and not all the food to choose from - good advice for myself as well!

Beach Spa Sneak Peek

About a month ago, my sweet little girl, decided she wanted just a few girls from her class to come have a slumber party for her birthday. But, not just any slumber party. She wanted a spa party...but also a beach party... (can you see where this is going?)

So, we've been prepping and decorating...and getting everything set. We (meaning her) decided to stick with the bright colors, rather than the muted vintage look. She is so excited about turning 8, and I couldn't be happier with how things are going.

She has several snack items that are on the must have list...

We'll have lots of fun girlie activities including nail painting, hair styling, and even a little fashion show of the beach babes...complete with the photo booth.

I'm excited about seeing all their cute feet in these fun DIY flipflops!

I'll give the tutorial on those next week...perfect cheap and easy fun addition to any spring or summertime girlie gift!

Now, after all that sweet stuff, let's hope that there will be at least a little sleeping happening this weekend!

Linking up with Jen at In the Studio today. Go have fun and visit all those artsy folks!

Grate{full}

With costume pieces flying around and presents being wildly unwrapped, we successfully managed to have a fabulous carnival for the birthday boy, and celebrate three great performances with our little star. I say "we managed", but really, I had nothing to do with it.

As I arranged the pumpkins on the back table for the {Paint Your Own Pumpkin!} activity, I caught myself almost taking for granted how the day had turned out to be such a glorious fall day. It was warm and sunny, and not a hint of chill. Back when I decided to start planning this party, I remember thinking to myself so confidently, how November is still a really nice time of year here. Being confident that the weather wouldn't interfere with our plan to have an outdoor carnival. But, really, I was forgetting the many pasts November 12ths that were full of cold wind, rain, and even snow. I begin to think of my ideal as my expectation, rather than being suprised with appreciation.

I think sometimes we are so eager to see things our own way that we forget to thank the giver of all good gifts. We become focused on what we have, and almost expect to have things go our way. Then, when it doesn't go our way, we become bent out of shape, like how could it not go our way?!

As I continued to place things outside and prepare for our party, I realized how much of a gift the day was. As I watched little ones playing games and saw parents chatting and enjoying a minute of friendship amongst crazy preschool days, I found myself so grateful for the gift of celebration.

That as much as I had wanted a fun party for my little boy, my Father had even greater plans of celebration in store for us. And even if it had rained, sleeted, or snowed, I wonder what gifts we would have found inside our home, waiting to unwrap. I wonder if I had been so willing to give Him praise even when my plans got "messed" up?

My challenge to you over the next few weeks, as Thanksgiving approaches, is that you would find the goodness in your day. That you would see even trials as gifts, and that somehow you could celebrate the time you have been given. That we would be grateful, today.

Day 15: Let the Games Begin!

Last but not least, a circus party should always include some fun games!

I think the most fun part of a carnival or circus themed party is the games that you can plan. You can create a unique atmosphere simply by having several areas set up with interactive games, varied to the age group of the guests coming.

For a preschool aged carnival, you could have some simple stations, such as "Bean Bag Toss", "Knock Down", "Pin the Tail on the Lion" or even a "Dress Like a Clown" dress up area.

At a preschool carnival party I did a while back, the guests enjoyed decorating their prize bags as they arrived. It was a simple way to get the kids engaged from the beginning!

Or for older kids or adults, you could have more interactive and challenging areas set up. You can tweak it to your age group, child's personality, or simply what you want the party to feel like.

To give the party that carnival feel you can make signs for each game,

so the kids feel like they're visiting each station and game of the carnival.

Here's a pretty extensive list of carnival games and activities that have variations and ideas for each game. Or you can come up with your own. The possibilities are endless!

We're half way through our 31 Days to an Artful Event. I hope that you'll join me this coming week as we enter into week three of our journey!

Previous 31 Day Posts:

Day 1: 31 Days to an Artful Event

Day 2: The Haves and the Have Nots

Day 3: A Few of My Favorite Things

Day 4: Thinking Outside of the (Berry) Box

Day 5: It's the Little Things

Day 6: Layering is a Good Thing

Day 7: Allowing it to Be

Day 8: The Finished Product

Day 9: Indulging on a Sunday

Day 10: The Greatest Show on Earth

Day 11: Come One, Come All!

Day 12: Could it Get Any Better?

Day 13: Drink & Be Merry!

Day 14: More Sweetness to Come

Day 11: Come One, Come All...

After having been inspired by a pack of stickers,

I went on a hunt to find an artful invitation.

I knew Etsy would have more than enough options to find the perfect one. I simply searched for my theme ("vintage circus invitation") and up came a ton of choices.

I always love supporting a fellow artist, and it's so fun to be able

to carry out the theme of the event. To me, the invitation is like a

sneak peek into the event!

We were well on our way to making this circus party a grand celebration!

Catch up on the 31 Day Posts!

Day 1: 31 Days to an Artful Event

Day 2: The Haves and the Have Nots

Day 3: A Few of My Favorite Things

Day 4: Thinking Outside of the (Berry) Box

Day 5: It's the Little Things

Day 6: Layering is a Good Thing

Day 7: Allowing it to Be

Day 8: The Finished Product

Day 9: Indulging on a Sunday

Day 10: The Greatest Show on Earth

Day 10: The Greatest Show on Earth

Have you ever designed a party around a pack of stickers?

Ok, maybe it's just me, but I love these. I found them for about .14 cents each this summer, and decided that someway, somehow, I was going to design a vintage circus party.

When we were first pregnant with my oldest (about 8 years ago), we decided that we would be surprised, and not find out if we were having a girl or a boy. I didn't want to just do the same old green or yellow, safe gender neutral colors. I wanted to use reds and browns and amber, and sage. I wanted to use old antique toys and books to decorate. I couldn't stand all the choices at all the big box stores, and so for a while, it felt like it would never come together. But, then, we found this beautiful little blanket in the most unsuspecting spot.

And it was perfect. It was all I needed to design the sweetest little nursery for the little one growing in my belly. And she was a beautiful surprise when she came out. From the beginning I could tell she was a star, so the vintage circus theme seemed just perfect for her.

Then, when we found out our second was going to be a boy, I saw no need to deter from using the same nursery things. So my dear friend surprised me with this fun lamp she found.

A show stopper indeed. I remember pulling it out of the diaper box it had been wrapped in, and exclaiming...

"This is so much better than diapers!!!"

So, there you have it. My love for vintage circus must run deep. I'm not big on the cutsie animal themes, or the character clothes, but give me a bear drinking tea any day.

Since those days, my babies have grown, and almost outgrown any care for things circus related. But, when I told my son we'd have fresh popcorn, tug o war, and relay races, he got pretty excited.

So, off we go to have another adventure this week on our 31 day journey to an artful event. Won't you come along?

Previous 31 Days Posts:

Day 1: 31 Days to an Artful Event

Day 2: The Haves and the Have Nots

Day 3: A Few of My Favorite Things

Day 4: Thinking Outside of the (Berry) Box

Day 5: It's the Little Things

Day 6: Layering is a Good Thing

Day 7: Allowing it to Be

Day 8: The Finished Product

Day 9: Indulging on a Sunday

Spa Party!

Not too long ago we planned a birthday party for a little girl who was turning 8. She gave us a list of things that she wanted to do; paint nails, make-up, hair, facials, and a fashion show! So, we combined all of those things into a very fun...

spa party!

{Foot Bath Massager}

We set up stations with a "spa stylist" at each station, doing the girls nails, makeup, hair, and facials. Upon arrival of each girl, they got to choose a headband to keep their hair back during their facials, and then went right to the foot bath massager, where they soaked their feet for a couple of minutes and tried a couple of hand scrubs and lotions.

{The Birthday Girl Getting a Facial}

After the foot soak the girls got facials and had their nails painted whatever color they chose.

{Hair and Makeup Stations}

Next, they got their hair and makeup done by one of our stylist

and got all dolled up for the fashion show!

{Accessories for the Fashion Show}

Each girl was introduced as she strutted down the "cat walk" and the other little girls called out compliments like "you're gorgeous" and "I love your hat!"

Dinner was after the Fashion Show. We had the birthday girl's favorite, pizza. One pepperoni, one cheese, with some fruit on the side and Parisian sparkling lemonade in fancy glasses! And of course, birthday cake for dessert!

The girls had such a great time and so did we. Be sure to try this girly party theme for your little girl's next birthday party!

About A Boy

As he stepped into the 3 feet water, he had to stand on his tiptoes. He wanted so desperately to be tall enough to walk around in the "shallow end" of the pool with the others. Making the best of it, he swam as best as he could to keep up with everyone, working twice as hard to stay afloat. That night, he told me that he couldn't wait to go swimming again the next day. We talked about how he would get some good rest, and be ready for swimming the following day.

That next morning he slept a little later than normal, and as soon as he woke up, he said, "Mom, I slept in, and I can't wait to see how much I've grown! I bet I'll be able to reach in the pool now!" My heart sank a little as I knew later he would be disappointed, but also loved how expectant he was.

When he stepped into the water that day, his face fell as he realized that he wasn't any taller, and it was still just as much of a struggle to swim in the deeper water. He really believed that he might just be that much taller (it would have literally been growing about a foot overnight).

Even though he hasn't felt like he's grown overnight, it sure seems like it to all of us.

I know I told you about how she learned to ride her bike this summer, and how I couldn't say no to the light up shoes. But, what I didn't tell you is that her little brother, who is only 4, also learned how to ride his bike...with no training wheels. He can count to 100 (with a little help) and he runs faster than anyone in our family (except Daddy). I'm so sorry if it sounds like I'm bragging, but really he amazes me...all. the. time.

Tonight we went back to school shopping (with DiDi this time, thankfully!), and it came as no surprise when he headed straight for the light up shoes. He was so excited to be able to have shoe's like "Sissy", and I loved how eager he was to get them on his feet once home. However, after I came home from my meeting, I went upstairs to find this.

I just laughed. His enthusiasm to enjoy life is so contagious. He is such a gift. And, I can't believe how long his legs have gotten...I'm just glad he still sleeps with his stuffed animals!

Simply Celebrating

Is it just me, or do you love this. I tweeted about it immediately. Twice. Because the first time I messed it up and didn't give her the link right. But, just saying...Love her!

I'm so thankful for bloggers like her who share their thoughts and creations. Because there's no way that I could do all of this, but how fun that we can benefit from what she is celebrating. Maybe I'll get to a day or two, maybe I won't, but either way, I love that there is such a community of bloggers who share life together. That we are helping each other celebrate life. And somewhere in the midst of all the events and weddings going on, I can take a minute and go outside, and enjoy this creation that we are stuck right smack dab in the middle of. That I can take a second, and go look for Tree Swallow with my little ones. It encourages my heart to celebrate...not just my hands.

There are so many of you out there who share their thoughts, ideas, and fun ways to do this thing called life, and I am so grateful for these gifts. These are truly simple pleasures.

Girls (& Little Brothers) Just Wanna Have Fun

Today my sweet girl turned seven. We had so much fun this weekend celebrating her life. When we were planning the party a while ago, she said that she just wanted to go to the mall with some of her best friends. Well, I decided that I would spruce up her little adventure by adding a few fun surprises.

I did not want a brood of six and seven year old girls aimlessly meandering through the mall. I figure they'll do enough of that when they're teenagers. So, I came up with a fun scavenger hunt, covering all the places in the mall where she wanted to go with her friends. I had gone beforehand and talked with the clerks and planted the clues, and so it was all set to go!

We all met at the Starbucks, where we started our party

with our signature drink of fancy chocolate milk.

Then, the clues began.

We went from here...

(I love all their expressions in this picture)

To there...

And saw funny things everywhere.

(Couldn't help but throw in Dr. Seuss this week!)

But, we really had so much fun. And as far as birthday parties, it was her favorite thus far! You could make it more specific to what your little girl likes, but it was actually a very inexpensive party. A little more time consuming with the planning part of it, but so fun for them!

We ended at the food court for pizza and cake.

(Don't ask me about the healthy snacks! haha)

These little women are so amazing. I pray that they will stay friends for all their lives, encouraging one another daily. It does my heart good to be around them, and to have their fresh and fun personalities add a little more spunk into my own life.

I love you, River, and I'm so glad that I get to be your Mama. These last seven years have been the best of my life. You bless me beyond measure, sweet girl!