World's Finest Chocolate?

Really?  So, nothing from Switzerland?

I pulled it off with little real skills and you can too!

So, in case any moms out there are asked by their daughters for a ladybug/sweet shoppe party and your baking/organizing/preparing skills are about a "2" on a scale from 1- 10 - you have come to the right place! 

I did it, y'all.  And I am still alive to tell about it.  No one was burned (namely because I opted against having hot glue guns), no one vomited from consuming too much candy (although that one was a close call), hubby said I was getting to be "quite the party planner" (thanks, hubby - I'll take that as a compliment), I managed to take some photos for y'all, and most importantly - everyone seemed to have a good time.

You can see the invitations I picked up at Hobby Lobby here.  Because it's kind of hard doing ladybug theme with a 10 year old.  Most ladybug themes are geared toward toddlers.

The fluffy decorations were a huge hit.  You can buy them in a huge variety of colors at Party City or online.  Although, not at Hobby Lobby where the saleswoman looked at me like I was daffy when I asked her if they sold "fluffy decorations."  She said, "Ma'am, that's great, but what are they really called."  She then eyed me suspiciously when I said (a little louder), "FLUFFY DECORATIONS."  I love balloons - so, of course, I also got red and black balloons. 

I can't find anyplace in my house that provides a nice white background for photos, so here are some of my fluffies against a weird combination of colors.

We got 20 balloons, but if I had the money I would have gotten 100.

The other "decorations" were the candy jars.  The turned out really great and I liked them.  I put some money into the containers, but happily I can use them again for our annual Halloween party.  And, yes, that is a the large bucket of Papa Dean's popcorn in the background - flavor (Girl 1's and momma's favorite) - CHOCOLATE.  Some of the popcorn also went home with each girl in the treat bags - to enjoy after the party.

The Wonka lollies were for the prizes.  Most of the containers and the candies I got at Party City.

We played a few games that the girls really seemed to like.  We played the Guess How Many game that seems quite common at sweet shoppe parties I read about online.  I just had the girls write down how many candies they thought were in one of the jars.  I also hid a tiny candy that was different in four of the jars of candy and they had to find it.  That one was not too successful because the girls screamed out each time they found the candy - so then all the girls knew.  Doh.  (Ten year old girls really like to scream.)  We played Sweet Shoppe bingo from this great post.  It downloaded and copied beautifully and the girls really liked this game.  I used cinnamon dots for the markers.  And we also played a game where I had them hold some cinnamon dots on a spoon in their mouth and "race" to fill up their team's jar.  Again, I didn't think this one out well enough and it ended up being a laughing game with cinnamon dots ALL OVER the floor.  Ah, well.  If giggling is evidence of liking something - the girls liked it.  And, the last game we played was a candy name scramble.  I scrambled 10 candy names and they figured them out.  That one was really fun and the girls liked it.

We were going to make the cute little purses that I posted a while back, but because both my girls got burned making them I decided just to make them and give them out. Instead, Girl 1 decided she wanted to make cake pops. It was a great choice. I made the cake pop chocolate balls that morning and the girls then decorated them. They weren't much to look at, but they were SUPER YUMMY. I actually think I might be on my way to making yummy and beautiful pops.

And there's the popcorn and one cake pop.

So, we gave purses and cookies for the "treat bags," and of course loads and loads of the leftover candy.  Here are some other photos in case you ever need ideas for a similar party. 



I got these super cute candy bags at Party City, too.

And another shot of the cookies because - yes - I am proud.



These are the bags me and my girls made for everyone.  You can see a better photo here.  And you can find the link to make them on my Ladybug/Sweet Shoppe Pinterest board.  

All in all it was super fun. Girl 1 had a blast and I hope her friends loved it, too.  With so little skills and original ideas - I love to see what other people have done.  So, if there is one person out there who is less creative than I am - here you go!  

I'd rather say "I love you" with clean undies, but that's probably just me.

So, here's what got done this week:

1.  My kids have pretty much always been those kids that take the Valentines directly from the bang-your-head-on-the-Wal-Mart box to school and pass them out as is.  No frills.  No candies.  Nothing home made.  Then they bring home all these Valentines that they've received that cost about $10 each, include all kinds of home made Valentines Monopoly games and chocolates that I have to eat because I don't want the kids to get too many cavities.  I feel like slacker-mom until I have consumed all the chocolate.  Then I feel like slacker-mom with a head ache.  Last year I vowed to change all that. 

Well, it's been moderately successful.  No one really seems to care that I am transforming myself into a quasi-Martha except me.  The kids (especially the Boy Child) are perfectly fine with giving store-bought Valentines and receiving home made Valentines or really anything as long as it's loaded with high fructose corn syrup.  So, since no one really cares I pretty much just did what I wanted this year.  No pressure.......... except Pinterest (damn that bitch).

Here's what me and the big girls made (straight from a photo on Pinterest).  It was pretty easy and delicious.  It cost about 8,000 dollars and we didn't have enough left over to suit my stomach taste.  But, I'd do it again and just save up and buy twice as much. 


Um, yeah.  That's yummy, right?  I like to say "Happy Valentines Day" directly through my stomach.

Here's how you make it because usually Pinterest just shows you the finished product.  Oh, except the generic coffee maker.  (You don't really need that.  Unless you stay up all night to do this.  Then you will need lots of caffeine.)

And this is the cute finished product.  Like I said nothing says, "Happy Valentines Day" like loads of sugar.

And, here's what the tiny girl is taking for her classmates (mainly because there are only 12 classmates).


They were "meh" I'd say.  I'm still working out the kinks of making cookies on my own (yeah, I know, I'm only 39???).

I *think* the lady who taught me/us all the cookie classes *might* be getting sick of me stalking her.  Unfortunately (for her) she works at a cake shop that is just around the corner (too bad I couldn't make a cake if my life depended on it).  So, I've been going there like everyday to ask her mundane questions about every detail of reproducing her cookies in the comfort of my own home (and by "comfort of my own home" I mean in my pajamas drinking a beer).  I think she's growing weary.

She did tell me, though, that my issues with getting the consistency of the frosting just right to squeeze is "perfectly normal" for morons beginners.  Of course, that was after I'd been questioning her for about three hours, so she may have just been trying to get me to go away.

Anyway, friends.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I am posting all my not-perfect handiwork on Pinterest because you know it needs more normal people like me.  Oh, and did I say not much else got done this week?  I am frantically trying to finish all the shiz for the Ladybug Sweet Shoppe party, my fingers are numb from gluing, and there are piles of dirty laundry everywhere.

So, I guess what I am learning is that keeping up with the Marthas has its advantages.  I get to feel semi-smug and my kids look cool.  It also has its disadvantages - we feel smug and cool wearing yesterday's undies and foraging for food.  That's the wrap guys.  I hope you have a great Valentines...or at least have clean undergarments.  I'll post again when I recover from the third degree burns on my hands.

Going for a world record.

I haven't blogged in a while because Girl 1 is turning 10 in a couple weeks.  And remember - we do 10 big in this family?  And, after the amazing success of Boy Child's 10th (and by "amazing success" I mean: I didn't burn anything, everything I made fairly resembled what it was supposed to, and all children made it safely back to their own parents), I am kinda feeling pressured.  I started to plan late and my ideas are nonexistent.  So, here's the skinny.  Maybe you guys can help.

Girl 1 wants a ladybug theme.  Again.  For the fourth (or is it fifth?) time.  She absolutely loves ladybugs.  It's weird.  And kind of creepy.  But, she does.  They're cute, but really?  Four times?  And for the 10th birthday?  But, alas - it is her birthday not mine, so we're doing it.  We are combining ladybug theme with sweet shoppe theme.  How do you do that, you ask?  I don't freakin' know.

Here's what I have so far that I love.  What will actually make it to the party - it's anybody's guess.

These are the super cute invitations I bought today that are kind of lady-bugish?  (That's all I really have so far besides grandiose ideas.)
 

I know.  It's a long shot.  Mine will probably look like murder balls, but one can hope, right?



From amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com.  I've made these before and they are fairly easy, so I figure I'm good with this one.  I'm going to do red with black sprinkles.

From catchmyparty.com.  This is my sweet shoppe idea.  I want to put some red and black candies in clear jars?  How hard can that be?  Except, of course, black licorice.  Because it tastes like crap?

 

I'm abnormally nervous about more than four children in my house with nothing specific to do, so of course I have researched a craft because Girl 1 also loves crafting.  I found these.  Which are incredibly cute and also incredibly labor intensive.  So, these might not make it to the party.  I am going to do a trial run this weekend.  If I never blog again - it will be because I was eaten by the wicked witch of crafting everywhere.

This is way above my level.  What's my level?  Gluing...paper...to paper.

And, lastly I found these things called, "Fluffy black decorations" at Party City and I kinda love them.  A lot.  I also love their name.  It's like I named them.  The person who named them was all, "I'm really tired from inventing these and so let's just name them 'fluffy decorations.'"  I want to get black and red fluffy decorations and lots of black and red balloons.

And, games.  I have thought of two games.  Don't laugh.  It took me a long time to think of two.  First game:  Guess how many red and black M&M's are in the jar.  Second game:  Scramble up a bunch of candy names and have the girls unscramble them.  If you guys have some great games for 10 year old girls related to ladybugs or candy (because I know that's really common) - please send them my way!

Wish me luck this weekend friends.  And if my creation is not complete crap maybe I'll post it.  Cheers!