60th Birthday Party (and Free Printable)

It's been a while since I've tapped at my keyboard and posted decorating or party pictures... I've been busy having fun with the family celebrating some exciting events the last few months.  We finished a successful year of homeschooling our oldest daughter thru kindergarten (yay!), then we traveled to the northeast part of the country to visit family, attend a beautiful wedding and celebrated my dad's 60th birthday.

My sister, brother and I wanted to plan a special surprise for my dad since it was such a big year, a 60th birthday is definitely a time to celebrate!  I saw a birthday idea on Pinterest from Nothing But Bonfires to create a memory for each year.... so, we sent a note to family and friends of my dad asking for their help.... in the end, we compiled over 60 memories to honor my dad and present to him as we celebrated his 60th birthday.

Family and friends emailed their favorite memory of my dad to me.... I printed the memories (so they all had the same heading), stuffed the envelopes sealed with circle stickers and then stacked them in small boxes tied with bakers twine....

To present the memories, we planned a special evening at a AAA baseball game.  We rented a suite for our family and our kids, then surprised my dad as he walked in.  The surprise was a few weeks before his real birthday, so I think he was a bit shocked (and excited!).  Now it was time to celebrate (and watch a baseball game)!

In between all the game watching and eating, we surprised him with the memories.....

As my dad read through memories, there were so many great times brought back to life, some heart-touching, some super hilarious.  Lots of dare-devil stunts were mentioned, especially on four-wheelers and dirt bikes, and then of course over and over again we heard of my dad's humble heart and graciousness towards those he encounters....

Then we got a little camera crazy in between reading all the memories (the little ones took most of these photos!)....

Me and my dad...

... my sister and my dad...

... my brother and my dad....

... and I can't forget the mascot and my dad.

We had a great time celebrating, especially my husband!  He really gets into the game :)

And as promised, here's a free printable birthday banner for you.... there's three colors to choose: red, pink or blue.  For my dad's 60th birthday party I strung the red happy birthday banner across the wall with red and white bakers twine....

Here are the free printables:
Happy Birthday Banner - Red
Happy Birthday Banner - Blue
Happy Birthday Banner - Pink

Download the pdf file and print on 8.5x11" white/cream colored cardstock, trim along the dotted lines, then punch two small holes at the top of each card.  Thread twine, yarn, string etc in and out of the holes to create a banner just like the photo "happy" above.  Then hang the happy birthday banner and celebrate!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!!!  We love you...

Free Printable: Husband's Birthday Card

The husband's birthday is today.... while the kids were busy drawing, cutting, folding and coloring birthday cards for him, I created a another birthday card for my handsome husband.

As he ages, I think he gets even more good-looking!

I printed the design on cardstock, trimmed the edges, then signed the card using a gold marker.

Go ahead and let your husband know how handsome he is..... the card is available for your personal use for FREE.... download, print or just pass along the link: handsome husband card

Click the above link to downward, then print on 8.5x11" paper (preferably white/cream colored cardstock), trim, then sign (or write a sweet note on the back).

We'll be celebrating the husband's birthday tonight, so right now the kids and I have some birthday decorating to do before he comes home from work.

Enjoy your weekend!

Free Printable: Bunco

Do you play Bunco?  Last weekend, several friends and I got together to play the game, have a drink, eat sweets and enjoy great (and uninterrupted) conversation!  We had a blast.... I'm not sure if it was the game itself or more of the social aspect, but either way I'm sure we'll be playing Bunco again real soon.

This was my first time playing and hosting a Bunco party.... so, I needed a few supplies.  I bought dice and a few cute pencils, cut scrap pieces of paper (for adding scores), then created score sheets and table number cards.

The game is all about rolling dice and socializing with the people around.... no strategy, no planning, no thinking required!  The game encourages movement from table to table and switching partners, so it's a great way to talk with everyone at the party and also a great way to meet new friends.

There are several different ways to play Bunco and many directions posted online (google Bunco directions).  And if you're looking for score sheets or table numbers, I've made mine available to you for FREE!  Enjoy!

Bunco Score Sheets
Bunco Tables Numbers

Click the links above to download the pdf file, then print on 8.5x11" white/cream card stock and trim the edges.  For the score cards, cut down the middle both horizontally and vertically (the sheet makes four cards).  For the table numbers, cut down the middle vertically and fold each card in half so the number appears on both sides, then trim the bottom edge. 

Now you're ready... buy some dice and throw a Bunco party!

Color Palette and Me (You)

I was looking for a crafty art project to do with the kids and while I was searching through Paper Source's site, I stumbled on this color chart.  For fun, take a look at the color palette here and find out a little bit more about yourself...

Paper Source

The walls in most of my house are a white color, Floral White by Benjamin Moore.  I love a neutral background because it gives me the freedom to change accent colors without feeling like I need to repaint the walls.  These are the accent colors currently all around my house and according to the color palette, here's a little bit more info about me:

If that's hard to read, here are the details:

• Peacock:  Patient and serious, you do love to explore but you worry about what you'll find.  Oftentimes you're inflexible, but the flip side is your compassionate and loyal. 
• Fuchsia:  Courageous and passionate, you have a playful side that balances your serious and spiritual nature.  You are confident and not afraid to take action.  Remember that the journey is often more important than the outcome of your endeavors. 
• Slate:  Hardworking and dependable, you are beloved by those you work with.  Though considered a wise intellect, you can be narrow minded at times.  Remain fair in your judgement, remembering life is not simply black or white! 
• Black:  You are highly emotional and very loyal to your friends.  You are disciplined, an overachiever and very serious.  You have a keen understanding of the past and aware of why things happen the way they do.

Whether or not the description about me is completely accurate, it's an amusing chart to read (or print, frame and hang on the wall!).  So, what does the color palette say about you?  Is it true?

Btw, this is where I go sometimes to gather ideas and how-to instructions from Paper-Source, very cute crafts for both me and the kids!

Free Printable: A Card for Husbands

This is the last Valentine's Day post, I promise (at least until next year!).  I've spent most of the month blogging about Valentine crafts, heart artwork, gifts and parties, but this next free printable could be used for more than just Valentine's Day, so go ahead.... read on.

I gave the husband this card (and cherry chocolate) yesterday to let him know how much I love him.... and let him know that he's my absolute favorite (boyfriend).  You see, the husband is constantly adding names to an imaginary list of boyfriends who he thinks I'd want to date (if we weren't married).... guys like Brad Pitt, Tom Brady, Denzel Washington, Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Reynolds, Peyton Manning, Ryan Gosling... the list goes on!  Sure, some are definitely nice to look at, but I know that I have the best "boyfriend" of all and I definitely wouldn't trade him in (not even for Matthew McConaughey), so I thought I'd let him know on Valentine's Day.... "you're my favorite boyfriend".

So if you play these silly little games with your man, download this free printable and pass along the love.  The card is available for your personal use for FREE.... download, print or just pass along the link...

You're My Favorite Boyfriend Card

Click the link above to download the pdf file.  Print on 8.5x11 paper (preferably white/cream colored cardstock), then cut along the black lines and write a sweet note on the back to your husband (or boyfriend).   Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Surprise

I promised I'd give my favorite Valentine's Day surprise..... so here it is....

8 YEARS AGO TODAY, THE HUSBAND ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM

Of course I said yes.... could you tell from the picture?  I look drunk and happy, but I was just really, really excited!  I was also in complete shock that he proposed, I didn't have any idea he had been planning such a special night.

It all started when he picked me up for our Valentine's date... he told me the evening was a surprise and wouldn't tell me where we were going.  I thought we were going out to a nice dinner, but he drove in circles all around Lynchburg Virginia (where we lived at the time) and kept driving right by the great restaurants.... I was so confused.  After a long drive, we ended up at the front door to his house.  When I walked inside, the lights were off and the living room was lit up with what seemed to be about a million candles.   It was beautiful.  He made a delicious dinner (ceasar salad and chicken parmesan), we ate and talked (and I had no idea he was about to propose).

Then he brought out dessert and because I like sweets so much he said he made me two desserts.  The first was a chocolate brownie sundae and then he brought out the second dessert....

... a box loaded with chocolates and a diamond ring resting in the middle.  I think I screamed.  Screamed again.  Then said YES!  Then took a lot of pictures (on my one-time use camera- sorry for the awful pictures).  Then called everyone we knew.

I think after all the excitement the husband wanted a ring?

It was an awesome night!

And the next day we were still celebrating (and busy eating all the leftover chocolate).

Eight years later, here we are (btw, it's much more challenging to take a picture of ourselves with three kids running around.... especially, a goofy boy who likes to constantly stick his face in front of the camera.  So this is take #582!).

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day celebrating with people you love (and maybe even enjoy a special surprise!).

Valentine Breakfast - Heart Eggs

If you ever stop by my house on a Saturday morning around 10am, most likely you'll find me still in my pajamas (unless it's Little League season or I've already been out garage-saling).  I love slow, lounging, long-breakfast Saturdays and staying in my pajamas gives me that extra relaxing feeling.  And since Valentine's Day is around the corner, I thought it was a good reason to relax all morning and make some heart shaped, sunny-side-up eggs (and toast).

My kids LOVE eggs, but seeing eggs formed into heart shapes sent them into a world of excitement.  Making the eggs took a little longer than usual, but it was well worth the effort to see their happy faces!

To make the heart eggs, I coated heart shaped, metal cookie cutters with butter and then heated 1 tbsp of butter in a pan on the stove until it was bubbling (but not browning).  Once the butter was heated, I placed a cookie cutter in the pan, slowly cracked an egg over the cutter and even more slowly let the egg white drip into the shape (the egg white should almost immediately cook and take shape when it hits the pan).  I let the eggs sit in the pan until the egg whites were cooked all the way thru (no flipping needed).

Once the eggs were cooked, I removed the cookie cutters from the pan with tongs (they're hot!) and then placed the eggs on plates (if part of an egg has seeped thru the cutter, no worries.... take a knife and cut off the excess before removing the cookie cutter).

I sprinkled salt and pepper on the eggs, spread jelly on toast that was cut out using a heart shaped cookie cutter, poured orange juice in a glass and served it to three hungry kids (I bought the napkin from Target and the striped straw from Shop Sweet Lulu)....

Yum.... I'm getting hungry again!

San Antonio & Parfait Ingredients

We traveled to San Antonio for the weekend.... I call it extreme field tripping.  The kids have been learning about ocean life and the Alamo, so what better way continue their excitement by visiting Sea World and touring The Alamo!  We stayed along the riverwalk, which is absolutely fantastic... we took a boat-ride to see an alternate view of the all shops and restaurants that wind along the walking path....

The Alamo was a great reminder of those who lost their life fighting for freedom.... my son wanted to stay all day....

The animals at Sea World are incredibly beautiful!  We had an up close visit with the dolphins and the kids were ecstatic (me too!).  If you visit Sea World a Dolphin Encounter is worth the extra cost!

It was a long weekend of walking and standing in the hot Texas sun.... by the time we drove home, I did not feel like cooking so we made quick parfaits!  So easy.... cut up fruit....

Then layer.... yogart, granola, fruit, yogart, granola fruit.... until you get to the rim of the glass (or in my case a plastic cup so I didn't have dishes to wash!)...

The parfaits were a hit with the kids and I'd like to say that they went right sleep after dinner, but I think they were wound up with way too much energy.  They were up too late last night.... so, maybe we'll catch up on some sleep during the week!

Free Printables: Daily Schedule

Today marked the first day of school in our house.... for my three kids and me!  This morning we embarked on our journey of homeschooling.  Kindergarten, pre-K, preschool and teacher....

I saw these school picture ideas (so cute!) on Pinterest, my new favorite (you can follow me here), and plan to keep this as a tradition at the start of every school year.... I love the idea!  I even dressed up for the first day of school, but tomorrow you might find me in my jammies :)

The kids are ecstatic about school at home.  You could say I have mixed emotions..... excited, a little nervous and everything in between, but most of all I'm thrilled that I have the opportunity to be with my kids on a daily basis, teach them the values we hold strong as a family and create a curriculum that expands their thinking and caters to each of their likes and interests.  Such a great and amazing adventure!

To help me stay semi-organized, I have a schedule.  I'm one of those lists, schedule-type people.  I have to-do lists all over the house and I need my calendar, always!  I love crossing off things on the list that I've accomplished.... somehow, I get a real satisfaction.  Anyway, back to my schedule..... here's how I hope to stay a little more organized during our weeks of school, my daily schedule is clipped to the back of my pantry door....

I'm sure this schedule will change about 2,351 times throughout the year, but for week one I think it'll work.  It's our master plan to help me stay on track during the day/week.... when to do reading, writing, Math, etc, or when we need to be at a kid's activity (dance, Taekwondo, playgroups, field trips, etc).  I even have times set aside on the schedule to clean, do laundry, exercise, etc.  And most importantly, there's a rest time.  This mom LOVES rest time!

So, if you want a blank sheet to create your family's master schedule, I've made one available just for you, for FREE!  Go ahead.... download, print, or just pass along the link... enjoy!!!!

Daily Calendar/Schedule

Click the link above to download the pdf file and print on 8.5/11 paper (preferably white/cream colored card-stock), then hang where it's visible! 

One more thing.... if you want to know how we spiced up our clothespins, the tutorial is here. Then I took the clothespin apart, nailed one end to the door (it split the wood a little), slipped the spring and front part back on and then clipped our schedule to the door.  Fancy!

Enjoy the new school year!

PS - I finished decorating the playroom just in time to start school.... I hope to post the details and of course tons of pictures by late next week!  Oh, and did you get a sneak peak above of new furniture in the living room?  More on that soon too :)