Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Homemade Banner "It's A Girl"



We love to plan baby showers, and there's nothing better than being able to plan a baby shower where the decorations can double as adorable baby gifts! We designed this cute banner with that very idea in mind-each of the letters is appliqued onto a cloth diaper that can be used as a burp rag (all of my daughters think that these make the BEST burp rags because they're super absorptive).  
Planning a shower? Make your own 
burp rag baby banner! 


You can download the pattern HERE at Parties and Patterns.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Valentine Cupcake Liners "Hugs And Kisses"




Cupcakes are the perfect Valentine's Day treat-they're cute, trendy, tasty too and they're the right size just for you!  Make your cupcakes even cuter with these cute printable cupcake liners-just click on the link below!

Printable Napkin Ring "Hugs And Kisses"




You can't have a Valentine's Party without silverware! Jazz up your silverware with these adorable printable napkin rings--they'll give your table an extra splash of love and color! Click link below to download.

Monday, January 28, 2013

PVC Playhouse Pattern "Army"




This "GI Joe" themed playhouse is sure to just blow your little soldier away! Each side has everything that he will need to play the day away! Supplies, ammo, food, fuel--he'll be taken care of, which means that you will be able to get stuff done! Click the link below to download the pattern!

PVC Playhouse Pattern "Army"



Saturday, January 26, 2013

Printable Candy Bar Pocket "Hugs And Kisses"





There's nothing better than hugs and kisses at Valentine's Day...except for your loved one's favorite candy bar that is! Surprise your valentine with this homemade party favor and give them a special treat for the special day!

Homemade party favor--

Printable Candy Bar Pocket "Hugs And Kisses"


Homemade Party Favors "Hugs and Kisses" Cookie Pocket





Need a homemade party favor for Valentine's Day? These cookie pockets will do the trick! There's nothing better than getting your favorite cookie as a surprise treat--and now cuter way to package it than with these homemade party favors!

Homemade Party Favors "Hugs and Kisses" Cookie Pocket


Friday, January 25, 2013

Homemade Party Favors "Hugs And Kisses" Candy Box



Could you find a more adorable little homemade party favor than this cute little nut cup that you can fill with sweets and treats? I submit that you cannot! So simple, so tiny, and so cute :-) You can download this and many other homemade party favors for free!


Homemade Party Favors "Hugs And Kisses" Candy Box


Valentine Party Favor "Hugs And Kisses" Candy Box



Don't give your kids stuffed bears or socks, just fill up this cute candy box! This homemade party favor is sure to earn their love and satisfy their sweet tooth!

Homemade Party Favor 

"Hugs And Kisses" Candy Box


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Homemade Party Favor "Hugs And Kisses" Goodie Bag



Looking for a homemade party favor for your Valentine's Day Party? Well Look no further! These 'hugs and kisses' goody bags are the perfect homemade party favor for Valentine's Day.  Just fill them up with yummy treats and spread the love!




Bottle Labels "Hugs and Kisses"





Everyone loves soda as a homemade party favor--it's especially a big hit for children's parties! These Valentine's bottle labels make for a great homemade party favor and add an extra little splash of color to your party!




Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Valentine Peanut Butter Cookies



This is a great recipe for peanut butter cookies, and trading out a Dove heart-shaped chocolate for the traditional Hershey Kiss is a change not only appropriate for Valentine's Day, but one that I'm going to make permanently! (so creamy, so yummy, and so much more evenly distributed so that every bite get delicious chocolate with it :-P)


Recipe
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter-softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar-packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
additional sugar
1 package Dove chocolate hearts

Yields around 24 cookies

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in butter and creamy peanut butter until well-mixed.  Mix in sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in egg and vanilla-beat until well-blended.  Form dough into golf-ball shaped balls.  Roll in additional sugar.  Bake on un-greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and press one chocolate heart into the center of each cookie. Return to oven for two minutes.  Let cool.  Enjoy!


Monday, January 21, 2013

Chicken Croissants


This is a favorite in our family--so yummy and so easy!


RECIPE
For the Croissants:
2 large chicken breasts--cooked and shredded
1 package Pillsbury crescent dough (makes 8)
1 1/2  packages cream cheese at room temperature 
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature 
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce--
2 cans cream of chicken soup
half can milk
large scoop (maybe 1/4 cup if you want an exact measurement) sour cream
small can of diced green chiles (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Yield: 8 croissants

In a medium size bowl, mix the shredded chicken, the butter, and the cream cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix until everything is well-mixed (I usually just use my hands...it's the easiest way to get it done).  Depending on the size of your chicken breasts you can add more or less butter or cream cheese-you just don't want the mixture to look dry.  

Sprinkle a little bit of flour on your counter and carefully roll out each croissant triangle--flatten them, but don't roll them too thin or they'll tear.  

Scoop 1/8 of the chicken mixture onto each crescent triangle, like so:


Then fold the tips of the triangle in and wrap securely.


If you want, you can dip the croissants in melted butter and then in crunched up Corn Flakes (as pictured in the last picture).  Sometimes I do this...sometimes I don't.  Place the croissants on baking sheet (I always use tin foil to keep from having to wash pans).


Follow the cooking directions on your crescent dough package.  I baked mine at 350 degrees for ten minutes.  Remove from oven when the crescents are golden brown.  

Serve over rice with Chicken Sauce (just combine the cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper in a saucepan and cook on medium-low until heated through.  As an option add green chilies to give it a nice little kick and some great flavor).  


Enjoy! 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Playhouse for Kids "Gingerbread House Pattern"




I think that gingerbread cookies are just so fun and cute (and yummy to boot!) and that's what inspired this "Gingerbread House" playhouse.  I had actually started making this particular playhouse to be "the three little bears," but as soon as my daughter saw the red roof that I was using she said "Mom! This has to be the gingerbread house!" And she was right--it turned out to be so fun.  One side of the house is dedicated to baking.  It has a mixing bowel, oven, measuring cups, and everything you could need to bake gingerbread cookies :-)  The other side is a sweet candy side, and the front boasts a mailbox that you can leave mail (and treats!) in! This house can keep any little girl you know entertained for hours! You can download the pattern HERE.

Playhouse for Kids  "Gingerbread House Pattern"


                                                                           

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Playhouse for Kids "Train Station Pattern"


Playhouse for Kids 

"Train Station Pattern"

My little grandson absolutely loves trains--I think "choo choo" were his first words! He loves Thomas the Train, train tracks, and anything that has to do with trains.  For a special surprise, I designed this "train station" card table playhouse just for him.  I was up in Alaska visiting him in December and we celebrated Christmas a little bit early.  While he was out with his father my daughter and I set up the train station in his bedroom so that it was all ready to surprise him when he got home.  The train station was behind his door, and there was a box that we carelessly left out in front of the door that had held a little riding train that we bought to go with the station.  Upon entering the room he immediately saw the empty box.  He ran to it and started playing with it and we had to practically pry it out of his hands to get him to look on the other side of the room to see the real surprise! Needless to say, he was thrilled--he loves to play in it all day now! Delight the little boy in your dreams by making him this card table playhouse pattern to turn his room into a train station!

Download HERE  

Monday, January 14, 2013

Kid's Quilt Pattern "I Spy With My Little Eye"





I made this fun quilt for my grandson for Christmas and made a list of items for him to find. These spy quilts can keep kids busy for hours.  To order the pattern click HERE.

Size:  Quilt measures approximately 54”x72”.  

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Chicken Pot PIe



Chicken pot pie is a favorite in this house.  Now, there are tons of variations of chicken pot pie, but I like this one--because it is simple, fast, and yummy :-)


Chicken Pot Pie
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (your preference)
1 tablespoon onion flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup milk
1 3/4 cups water
2 - 3 cups cooked chicken (approximately two to three large chicken breasts)-shredded into pieces
2 cups frozen vegetables

Two 9" pie crusts--I used Pillsbury pre-made crusts, or you could follow the recipe below. Have the pie dough ready to go as soon as you make the filling.

To continue the rest of the pie:
Put the bouillon cubes in a small cup and cover with a little water--melt in the microwave for a minute.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat. Add in the onion flakes, salt, and pepper. Once the butter is melted, add the flour to make a paste. Slowly stir in the milk and water. Stir until smooth. If you like soupy chicken pot pie then you just need to stir over the heat until consistent and mixed through. If you like it to be thicker, turn the heat up and wait for it to thicken to desired consistency while stirring constantly. Once it is as thick as you like it, toss in the frozen vegetables and the shredded chicken. Let sit while you roll out the pie dough.

Pie Crust (Makes 4 single pie crusts)

Whisk together:

4 cups flour
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
With a pastry cutter, cut 1 3/4 cup shortening into the flour mixture.

Mix together with a fork:


1 tbsp. vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 cup water

Add egg mixture to flour/shortening mixture. Roll dough out into pie crust. Freeze unused dough.

From there it is simply lining your pie plate with your crust, adding your chicken mixture, covering with the second crust, and fluting the edges--like so:


Cut a couple of lines into the top of the pie crust when you're all done.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

And, voila! I would have tried to a get a better picture...but my husband ate dinner before I could get a picture--and when I went downstairs this was literally all that was left! He's a pretty big fan...


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Printable Invitations "Temple Invitation"


We made these "Temple Invitations" for a Young Women/Relief Society Activity. They were personalized and hand delivered for that special touch. Doing a temple theme? Make it extra special with these extra special invitation!  Download HERE


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Homemade Party Favors "Temple Candy Box"



Celebrating a special moment for a bridal shower, baptism, or perhaps a first trip to the temple? Make the moment extra special with these boxes! Download HERE

Monday, January 7, 2013

Hot Chocolate


Looking for an easy, yummy hot chocolate recipe? Look no further!

Recipe:

¾-1 cup sugar 2/3 cup hot water
½ cup cocoa 1½ tsp vanilla
½ cup creamer 8 cups milk
1/8 tsp. salt Whipped topping

In a saucepan mix together sugar, cocoa, creamer and salt.
Stir in water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir and
boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and heat through. Do
not bring to a boil. Top with whipped topping and candy canes.

Makes 8 servings.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Card Table Playhouse Pattern "My Dollies Playhouse"



For Christmas this year I bit off a little more than I could chew and decided to design a card table playhouse for each of my grandchildren! This dolly house turned out so cute that I couldn't help but share!  The house is super interactive--doll’s can be placed in the baby carriage, strapped onto the high chairs or laid on the changing table for diaper changing.  Little girls can have fun playing all day long  with this fun doll house and at night they can tuck their dollies into bed inside the house!  In order to give the kids more room to play, I've designed the playhouse to use pvc pipe on the card table legs to make the house a couple inches taller.  You can download packet includes instructions, pictures and printable pattern pieces HERE.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Grandma's Birthday in a Box


Planning a Birthday for a boy, 
And don't want to get him just any old toy?
Then do something different and clever and fun,
 Surprise him with a paint ball gun!
We've created the game, the goody bags and more,
There's even a banner to enhance the decor.
This is the first of my theme "party in a box",
To be mailed to a loved one instead of lame socks.
And since I'm a grandma, I know it's a hit,
A package any boy would be so thrilled to get.
So whether you're throwing this party at home, 
Or sending it off to Cincinnati or Rome,
Download the packets right HERE from our site,
And make someone's birthday full of delight.



I live far away from some of my grandchildren, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to be able to spoil them for their birthdays! I made this paintball package to send to my  grandson on his birthday, and he loved it! Needless to say, it was a huge "hit"... I included in my "birthday in a box" everything that he could possible want to have a fantastic birthday--a birthday banner, candy boxes, cookie bags, soda labels, silverware covers, cupcake holders, candy bar labels, and an AWESOME activity (if I do say so myself) in which he followed rhyming instructions on a scavenger hunt to find all of his paintball themed presents.  He was in heaven! If you want to really WOW your grandson, you can copy the whole theme and print out all of the necessary pieces HERE.  Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Card Table Playhouse "Pirate Island"


This is an interactive playhouse--squirt guns and other weapons can be stored inside the ship.  Play swords can be attached  to the outside of the playhouse for easy removal.  Play jewels and gold coins can be placed in the treasure chest and a place to insert a map.  Special coded notes are placed in the bottle. Boys will have hours of fun playing with this imaginative pirate playhouse!  This pattern download includes instructions, patterns (larger pattern pieces  need to be taped to gather), and pictures.  Download Card Table Playhouse "Pirate Island" HERE for non-stop hours of fun!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Signs


Sorry for the blogging break! We had a crazy Christmas vacation full of food, fun and family--it just couldn't have been better.  Last night we rang in the new year playing games, so I thought I'd post about this one game we played that was a particular crowd-pleaser.  It is called "Signs," and it had everyone laughing their heads off! This game is best played with larger groups of at least ten people...


To play:

Everyone needs to sit in a circle--you can arrange chairs and couches...it's best if people are sitting up in something and not just sitting on the floor.

Everyone needs to select a "sign" that is uniquely their own--just any signal that they can make with their hands/bodies ("thumbs up", "ok", "pig nose", "hang loose" for example--it could be anything).  Have everyone go around the circle showing each other their signs a couple of times so that everyone is familiar with all of the signs in the circle.

One person starts by standing in the center of the circle.  This person is "it." The other people sitting in the circle pass around "the sign" (think of it as an imaginary ball) while trying not to be caught by the person in the center.  If it helps you can think of it as "Monkey-in-the-Middle", but the ball is imaginary.

To pass "the sign" (again--imaginary ball) one person starts by making another person's sign (while trying not to be seen by the person standing in the middle).  When the person signaled sees that their sign has been made, they acknowledge it by repeating their own sign.  This person now has "the sign" (the imaginary ball).  They want to pass it before they get caught by the person in the center (who must tag touch someone if they think they have "the sign").  This person now makes another person's sign.  When that person sees their sign, they acknowledge it by repeating their own sign--thereby accepting "the ball"--and then passing it on to someone else by making that person's sign.  You can not sit on a sign.  It needs to be passes quickly.

There is only one "sign" being passed at a time. If my sign is thumbs up, and my friend's sign is hang loose, then I can pass the sign to her by making a hang loose sign.  She accepts the sign by repeating her hang loose sign, and then can pass it by signaling another person by doing their sign--say, a peace sign for example.  The person with the peace sign catches the "invisible ball" by repeating the peace sign, and then perhaps does a thumbs up sign to pass the ball back to me.  If they get tagged before I have been able to repeat my thumbs up sign back to them, then they are now it.  It's as if the monkey in he middle has caught the ball from them.  The two now trade places and the person that just sat down from the middle now passes the sign (the ball) by signalling someone else in the circle while the person who has now stood up in the middle closes their eyes and counts to ten to give the other players a chance to get a head start with the sign (that way, when they open their eyes they won't know who they should tag).

 Going back to the last example: if, however, I had repeated the thumbs up sign before the "monkey" tagged the person passing it to me, then that person is safe...the monkey may realize that I was the one who "caught the ball" and try to tag me, but I am fast--so naturally I will have already passed the sign by signalling someone else before the monkey can reach me :-)

It can be a little slow for everyone to catch on, but the game is a riot--we played for nearly two hours without even realizing how long we had been going! We've played with kids as young as seven years old and grandparents as old as 85--and everyone has loved it! 
We hope you enjoy it too :-)


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