Lasso The Moon

Fourth of July 2015 - Ice Cream Social and Bike Parade

 

I love community.  And over the last few years, as I have pursued what I believe is a calling from Jesus, to love my neighbor and focus my ministry as close to home as possible, I have grown to love community even more.

When I was in high school, my parents moved into a small community with a town square, friendly neighbors, and parties.  Lots of parties.  We had block parties, Christmas parties, even a "howling at the moon" party!  And as a young woman, it affected the way I saw my neighborhood and the people who lived there.  I want my kids and my neighbors to have that, too.  Even if it has to start with me.

This weekend we had a July 4th ice cream social and bike parade. 

Y'all.  You have to try this.  It was almost NO WORK AT ALL!

I'll explain.

What you need for an ice cream social is this:

1) invitations

2) ice cream

What you need for a bike parade:

1) streamers and shiny decorations

2) tape and scissors

3) people with bikes

Seriously.  It could not be any easier.

Here's how we did it. 

One month before the party: I sent my neighbor Malika a text, asking if they'd be in town on the 4th.  Yes.  Done.

Four days before the party: I designed a simple but fun invitation using PicMonkey, a free graphic design program online. 

You don't even have to do this, because I've made one for you!

Click on the image to see it full-sized.  Then right-click on the image and select save.  Then upload to pickmonkey.com and add your own words!

Three days before the party: This part is FUN!  Get a stack of simple paper plates and tape one invitation to each plate.  Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each plate, about an inch down.  Loop a rubber band through the hole to make a stretchy hanger for the doorknobs on your street. 

Walk your invitations to each door.  If you've never met your neighbors, this is a great time to knock on the door and introduce yourself.

(I made him pose for this.)

One day before the party: Hit up the Dollar Tree for cheap decorations like crepe paper streamers, curling ribbon, and foil stars.  Balloons and flags are awesome, too!  Pick up a couple (or more) of those giant tubs of generic ice cream at the grocery store.  If you get more than you can fit in your freezer, see if you can store some in a neighbor's freezer.  This is a great way to ease someone into the party.  For ours, we had 6 tubs of chocolate and vanilla at three different houses.  That's community!

Optional: even if you have asked people to bring their own toppings, you might want to grab a few syrups and sprinkles while you are out.  Just in case.

The day of the party: On a hot day like July 4th, it's good to have water of some kind.  Sprinklers, baby pools, and plenty of bottled or cooled water for drinking.  We have this giant obnoxious blow-up slide that we only use a couple times a year.  It was a hand-me-down from family, but it has been well used and loved by us.  If you think you might be throwing a few of these block parties a year, think about investing in one (affiliate link) at some point.  Of course, that's totally optional.

Set up tables for the ice cream and decorating supplies.  Set out as many chairs as you can find.  Fill up your drink dispenser with extra water.  Fill a cooler with ice for storing the ice cream.  Find your ice cream scoop.  Maybe put out a bucket of sidewalk chalk for the kids.  Turn on some music.  And wait for the guests to arrive!

I have to admit, I did invite a couple of ringers--

my nieces who just got new bikes--to make sure the party looked full to passers by.

During the party: We kept two tubs of ice cream in the cooler, and two in the freezer inside.  When one got mushy, we switched them out.

Wear sunscreen!

Serve up ice cream like it's going out of style.  Let the kids pile on the toppings and go nuts. 

(Jesus is lavish with His grace.  The sprinkles should be free-flowing at the very least, while we are representing Him!)

 

Get to know your neighbors, where they live, their names, and even some phone numbers if possible.  Talk to them and see how they'd like to get involved as a neighborhood.  A street-wide garage sale? A book club?

I didn't know how to run a bike parade, and to be honest, I still don't!  We let the kids go wild with the supplies for decorating.

Helpful grown-ups are a plus!

 

Then we lined them up for the parade!

Boomhauer marched at the front of the parade as the Grand Marshal.  We all agreed that he was the Best Feline Grand Marshal anyone had ever seen.

We stood adults at the end of the block and the middle of the block (my house), in the street to discourage drivers from driving through.  Then we just let the kids loose. 

I thought they'd ride down and back and then be through.  But they didn't want it to end!  I was so moved by their enthusiasm!

They rode fast and slow, waving flags, and singing to the patriotic music Donnie was blasting from his phone onto a blue-tooth speaker. 

Next year, we might line up the adults along the sidewalks to cheer everyone on.

It turned out better than I ever hoped, and I can't wait to do it again!

Have you ever had a block party or have some ideas to share?  Let us know in the links below!  Just like my block, this blog is a community.  Let's work together!

Here are a couple other articles you might find interesting, if you liked this one:

A Novice's Guide to Throwing a Block Party

If You Bought Two Lasagnas, Give One to Your Neighbors

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Do Something Small

 

 

 

Elijah Turns Two

Y'all.  I honestly was not sure if I would make it this far, but here we are!  I have survived two years of being Eli's mom!

This little guy is the most high-maintenance, strong-willed, manipulative, adorable, irresistible kid I know. In the last month, this special gift has flushed three toy trains down the toilet (causing MAJOR blockage!), emptied a bottle of superfine glitter throughout the whole house, decorated my bedroom door with his feces, and squirted body wash into his sister's mouth, causing her to throw up into her own bathwater.

But as much trouble as he is, I just can't quit him. 

We don't have a party for our kids when they turn two.  Instead we fill their room with balloons and just let them go wild.  It is the most fun thing. ever.

Here's the video we made of all the fun!

 

And if that's not enough, you can watch Esther's balloon birthday from 2 years ago.  She's adorable of course.

 

We still think this is the best gift you can give a two year old!

Here's some stuff to help you get started on your balloon party:

(affiliate links)

 

 

 

Watercolor Birthday Party :: Emma Turns 9

This was my first real birthday party to throw since having our fourth child, and can I just say?  I am over my head.  This time of year is always tough for parties.  We have to squeeze them in between Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, vacations, and school work.  (What is up with all the homework due this time of year??  Not just a book report here and there, but huge, time-intensive projects requiring planning, specialized art supplies, and an engineering degree?!)  And having a toddler and infant on top of everything else...well, I am just...beyond.

Thank goodness for the internet.  I love this blog by Ashley and Jamin, The Handmade Home.  They have great taste, and share all the behind-the-scenes details it required  to complete their projects.  I fell in love with her 5-year-old's watercolor party last year, so I borrowed their "tips and tricks" almost 100 percent.

The food was basic.  We like to have parties in the mid-afternoon, so only snacks are required.  I filled up some glass containers with solid-colored treats: cheese puffs, peppermint marshmallows, solid green sixlets, baby carrots, and strawberries. 

Each guest got her own set of paints and paper to use.  We bought two pads of real watercolor paper, and just divided it up for the party.  Each kid got about 3 sheets.

Donnie took on the role of art instructor.  I love this about him.  He's always willing to jump in and ham it up for company.  The girls ate it up.  (So did their moms.)

The cake was chocolate buttermilk with white chocolate icing from The Cake Mix Doctor's cookbook.  I mixed up a few different pastel colors and carefully swirled them into the cake.  It looked like it was watercolored, too! The sprinkles on top are clear sugar sprinkles.  They look like sparkly glitter, and they add a yummy crunch.

I literally threw this party together in a matter of days.  I found those missmatched candles in the kitchen drawer.  The plates, napkins, and forks were left over from past parties.  I don't think there was a single original-to-me idea used in this entire party, but you know what?

She loved it.

Her friends showed up, painted their masterpieces, and giggled at Emma's crazy dad.

Her family told her stories about when she was little, and she ended the day with her heart full of love.

I love this kid!  She is cheerful and generous, empathetic, creative, charitable and gracious.  I can't wait to see who she becomes, and I'm so honored to be allowed to watch her through the process.  Happy birthday, Sweet One!

Rainbow Party

I must just now be coming out of the fog that is being a youth pastor's wife and mother of four during the summer.  Because it just now hit me that is September.  September!!  As in, I have 3 weeks before the next JBF sale, which is just three weeks before costume day, and three weeks after that is Turkey/Emma's birthday/Black Friday madness, which is only a fortnight before Ethan turns 7, and 14 days after that is Christmas.  When did it become almost Christmas already?  My gift shop, Lasso the Moon is embarrassingly understocked, so most of this week (and probably several weeks after) I will be working to fix that. 

I will be spending more time on the Facebook page, uploading pictures of new product, and just popping in to say hi, so if you want to be all up in the loop, head over there and "like" my page already!  I've also decided to give facebook fans first dibs on new product.  And I'm working on some fun new stuff, so this might be something you want to be a part of.

Oh yeah, the rainbow party.  It was awesome.  I would love to give you a complete play-by-play of decorations and activities, but I have to get sewing, so I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.  If you have any questions about the details, I promise to answer every single one in the comment section, so ask away!

Someone does not want to wait until cake time for a cake pop.

Cake pop tutorial

I have to jump in here and say, my sister Abby MADE this cake.  Actually it's two different cakes, because she wanted the stripes going one way for the presentation, and another way for the kids' slices, so they could each have a whole rainbow.  Maybe if we ask nicely, she'll make a tutorial for us.  Pretty please?  With rainbow sprinkles?

 

The kids had a blast, the parents had time to visit, the food was great (and pretty) and the decorations were gorgeous.  I'm still figuring out all the lighting stuff with my new camera, but it was a fun place to practice.  And since Emma's party in November is going to have a watercolor theme, you better believe I'm going to be borrowing a few of these ideas for that.

But now it's back to the sewing machine to crank out some fun stuff for the shop.  Does it seem like the holiday season is sneaking up on you, too?  How early do you start your mental checklist? Mine starts clicking in around July.

 

 

Esther Turns 2

 

Esther turned two on Friday.  How on earth has it been a year since her Sunshine Party?  In general, we like to celebrate birthdays on the actual date of the child's birthday.  We also decided years ago that big, fancy, friends parties can wait until the little one is turning four.  They don't really know what's going on before that anyway, so if we have a party, we just invite whichever relatives are in town and available on the right day.

But, poor Esther. This year, not only was her baby brother born just 13 days before, but it seemed every single relative was busy on her birthday.  So we made a batch of pretty cupcakes, stuck two candles in them, and told the family to drop by whenever they could.

Guess what? She didn't know the difference.  And not only that, but she got to blow out her candles again every time someone new came over.

What else could a two-year-old want?

Instead of a gift (can you tell we were really cutting corners this year!) we filled her bedroom with 75 balloons and let her loose in there.

It was hysterical mayhem for more than 30 minutes.

Here's the video we made if the pictures don't say enough.

 

I'm not sure a real party, with friends, clowns, jumpy houses, and ponies could have lived up to a room full of balloons.

Happy Birthday, Essie Bear!

Emma Turns 8 | A Cheesecake Party

My two oldest kids have to take turns having big birthday parties with lots of friends.  That's what happens when your birthdays are two weeks apart, both smack-dab in the middle of the holiday rush.

This year, it was not Emma's turn.  She had her big party last year.  But on the actual day of her birthday, we invited all the local family over for cake and presents.

I asked her what kind of cake she'd like for the party, and she asked for cheesecake.  So I made my way to Pinterest to see if I could find a good recipe. 

I found 5.

Plain Cheesecake

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake from Woman's Day.

Red Velvet Cheesecake from MyRecipes.com

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries.

Recipe from The Sweets Life.

Seriously, is there a better theme for a party than cheesecake?  I think not.  Donnie says I went a little overboard with the food.  Oops.  Blame pinterest.

A couple notes about the cheesecakes:

Always place a pan on the oven shelf below the baking cheesecakes.  All cheesecakes leak a little.  Some leak a LOT. And some leak so much that your oven catches on fire, and you have to stop everything at 11 pm to take your oven apart and clean it.  Hypothetically. 

Second, you'll notice that I didn't include the recipe for the plain cheesecake.  I actually made something called an Italian Cheesecake, which called for 1/2 ricotta cheese.  Everyone said they liked all of them, but I think they were lying.  The ricotta stayed kinda gritty.  I would not make it again.

And lastly, if you make one of these cheesecakes, I suggest the triple chocolate.  I don't know why it's only called a triple, because with the the topping and the chocolate cookie crust, there are actually FIVE layers of chocolate in this cake.  This is the cake they'll serve in Heaven.  It is AMAZING!

I can't believe I have an 8-year-old!

You Are My Sunshine - Esther's 1st Birthday Party

 

A couple years ago, we decided that we would only have "family" birthday parties for our kids until their fourth birthday.  That seems to be the age that they are able to anticipate the party and their friends, and doing a "friends" party before that brings on  a lot of unnecessary stress.

Our family parties are almost always held on the actual birthday, and we usually don't start planning and inviting people until just a day or two ahead of time.

We came up with the theme "You are my sunshine" on Tuesday, called people on Wednesday and Thursday morning, and had cake and ice cream in our backyard on Thursday night.

It was the best possible outcome.  Esther had so much fun being the center of attention.  She daintily picked at her mini-cake until we helped her out a bit.  She smiled, made faces, laughed, and was generally the star of the show.  (Thank you, Lord for that long nap she had before the guests arrived!)  The only part she didn't understand was the presents.  Those fancy bags and papers just slowed her down on her way to the green grass.

The weather was beautiful, the early evening sunshine was eerie and gorgeous, the cake was yummy, the decorations were simple and fun, and the company was hilarious.  What more could we ask for to celebrate our Essie's first year!

 For more ideas on throwing your own sunshine birthday party, check out these party supply ideas (may contain affiliate links).

                   

 

 

 linked to: TDC

"BEE MINE" A Valentine's Class Party

Here are a few shots of the party my sister Abby and I threw for our kids' pre-school class last week.

The theme was "Bee Mine".  Our colors were yellow, pink, black, and white.  I thought the theme was fun for girls, but also not too lovey-dovey for the boys.

The refreshments were simple. Jarritos are my go-to party drink.  They are gorgeous, but FULL of sugar, so we only poured a small amount into the party cups.

We filled the heartsy bags with a chex-mix recipe that you can find here.

We printed out the labels from Bird's Party.  So perfect for our theme!

Besides the printables, we only needed a few other decorations. The huge pink pom was left over from Emma's birthday.  Yes, it has been hanging in my house since November.

The ruffle streamers were easy, fun, and cheap.   I love those things! You take two colors of crepe paper streamers and sew them together side-by-side. They ruffle automatically. Instant custom decoration! 

There's a great tutorial by Dana at Made.

The balloon decor was added by Abby's husband Greg, who does some clowning as a hobby. It's nice to have some talent in the family.

We had ten kids to entertain for a whole hour, so we had to come up with a couple games. The first was "bee ping pong."

The paddles are paper plates with tongue-depressors hot glued to them.  We drew flowers on the plates and told the kids to help the bee fly from flower to flower collecting pollen.

My sister is going to kill me for this picture.  She's the tall bee with the green scarf.

The kids LOVED this game and played it for more than ten minutes, when we had to shut it down and move on.  It was funny watching a "queen bee" personality emerge from the group and take the lead.

For the next game we sat in a quiet circle while I sang a Valentine Song that was also a guessing game.  They had to guess who my valentine was.  The song is to the tune of "Muffin Man".

Oh, do you know my Valentine, my Valentine, my Valentine

Oh, do you know my valentine? He's wearing a (insert clue here..ie red shirt.)

I made the clues super-easy and they all guessed right away.  I made sure I gave each one a turn to be my Valentine, and then sang the song a few more times, letting each child insert her own clue for the others to guess.  This was another successful game, and we had to cut it off for time reasons.

The Bee Crowns that the kids are wearing was one of our simple crafts.

Start with super-heavy duty construction paper.  I did not know there was such a thing until I bought it on accident, but it is WONDERFUL!  Almost as stiff as cardstock, and less that $2 for a pack of 50 sheets.

We hot glued white pom poms to black pipe cleaners before the party.  Then cut the paper in half long-ways and staple both pieces together in a long strip. Before the party, punch two holes in the front of the crown.  The kids can add the antennae (with help) and decorate with stickers. 

When they are done, measure it to their heads and staple or tape to fit.

For the second craft we made valentines.

To prepare, we cut out the hands (the heavy construction paper again!) and glued them to the paper, leaving the pointer finger free.

We gave each child a square of white cardstock and a choice of hearts to decorate with crayons.

Then we went around and taped them up like puppets.

We couldn't do a bee party without a great party favor, so we made up 10 sets of my "cutting board" wings to give each little bee.  They really could not be any easier. I cut them all out, and Donnie drilled the holes through them all at once.  It might have broken my hand to use the hole-punch that many times on that stiff material.  Then we made t-shirt yarn from three youth tees that we found a the dollar store. In all, each set of wings cost about $.60.  You cannot beat that!!

We let the kids decorate their wings, too.  You can't get too many stickers!

If you are planning a class party soon, here are a couple of tips:

1. Enlist a planning partner.  Abby and I tag-teamed everything from the planning to the games.  She made the snacks; I hung the decorations. I finished a craft; she started the next game.  Even planning was a cinch with two of us working together.

2. Search the internet for ideas and pin everything you find to pinterest.  Make sure you and your partner follow each other's boards, and tag every idea you like so you can  communicate.  Abby and I only needed one phone meeting and a couple hours face-to-face to complete everything. We both have little babies at home, so this was huge!

3. Over-plan.  You never know if a craft or a game is going to be a hit with little ones, so be ready to change course fast if something isn't working.

4. Make a list of tasks, cross them off, and pack everything to be transported as soon as it's done.  It's a bummer to work so hard and leave a major piece at home on the kitchen counter!

4. Have fun!  Remember, most of the details are for the enjoyment of the adults, not the kids.  All they want to do is run around and eat treats.  If something wasn't perfect, don't sweat it.  The kids will remember the fun, and that's all that matters.

 

P.S. : I went ahead and sourced some fun party supplies for your bee party!  Click on the pics below to find them.  Most are affiliate links,  which means we get a tiny commission (with no extra cost to you!) for everything you purchase through these links.  It's a fun way to support our blog!  Thanks so much!