Halloween: Monster Bash 2011

This is the time of year that I spend my free time concocting another Halloween party. This is my favorite party to throw every year. Last year was a very successful party and I was pleased with the turn out. Due to the blog change, I have lost the opportunity to post the details. So, as I was looking back at past parties, I thought I would post a few of my favorite parts from last year... think of it as a little inspiration for the upcoming holiday... a teaser before the details unfold for this year's bash!

The "Monster Mash-tini" Bar:

We had a "Monster Mash-tinis" complete with the "spare parts" bar. Guests were served martini glasses filled with mashed potatoes. Everyone was then able to add whatever toppings they wanted and enjoy their "mash-tini". (hence, the spare parts...)

The spread also included a few... "Dreadful Edibles" including "Purina Wolf Chow" (Chex muddy buddies with candy corn and peanuts), Fruit "ninja bites" (fruit pizzas), a jello heart, and my mom's panna cotta brain.

Jell-o heart

Ninja bites

sorry for the terrible pictures...

The Bug Juice:

 This drink was my favorite of the night. Did you know that if you put a raisin (or in our case, raspberry crasins) into a carbonated beverage it will rise to the top and sink to the bottom? It was way fun to watch! I used the Berry 7-up that was purple and plopped them in. The picture doesn't do it justice... 

Activity: Haunted House contest:

We decided to hold a graham cracker haunted house contest! Entry into the contest was a bag of a candy you could use to decorate with. We provided the graham crackers and the royal icing. 

Activity: Pumpkin Bowling

We also had our traditional pumpkin bowling lane set up in the carport. Small, round pumkins work best when using water bottles as the pins. I make sure to have a few extra... the first usually get pretty smashed. We have also used a fake pumpkin I buy at Michael's. (though, that too ended up in pieces...)

Tip: glow sticks in the water bottles made them easier to see.

Costume Contest:

Everyone placed a vote for their favorite house, as well as their favorites for Creepiest, Cutest, and Most Creative costumes. Awards were presented and the party ended with a movie (Ghostbusters) for those who wanted to stay for the after-party (the clean up...). 

we won the office "best family theme" prize at Bryce's work. just FYI.

one more, just because it makes me smile... :)

Time Sure Flies!

My little man is not so little anymore. 18 months. Where did the time go? Well, it went toward crawling around the house, learning to walk, and running around the house. We spent a lot of time making random animal noises and doing funny little dances. Plenty of time went to playing with cars, balls, and stuffed animals. 100s of stories read, thousands of pages turned, and Veggie Tales has been watched more than once.

Where are we now at 18 months?

24 lbs, 32 inches. Taller than average.

He can also slide down slides mostly by himself, loves to swing, and will occasionally give kisses to a select few... High-fives (and the famous fist-bump) are passed around and we are still very into clapping for ourselves. And we finally have all of our teeth (which we love to brush, its our favorite part of our daily routines)! He eats almost anything (as long as it looks like we are eating it too)... including the curried chicken I made last night... I am so proud!

Words + English translation:

"Ma"- Mom

"Da"- Dad

"Am-mam"- Amen

"ba"- ball

"Ca"- car

most recently "Mo"- more and "og-gog"- hot dog (can you tell what his favorite lunch is? yep, hot dog and cottage cheese.)

Animal sounds include: cat, dog, cow, horse, pig, duck, sheep, chicken, bird, elephant, tiger, bear, monkey.  

Interests include: Cars, Lightning McQueen, turning the TV on, climbing, coloring in our coloring book, throwing anything that seems it should fly, and drinking water from a cup. 

Tantrums include head banging on any hard surface available and collapsing on the floor, but luckily he seems to be getting that it hurts more than he wants it to...

I have always heard the cliche "enjoy them now because they grow up so fast"... but I understand it better with every day that goes by. Time sure flies! Love my little man!

Thanks for letting me brag a bit!

Free Verse Poetry Night

As I continue meshing my old blog with this one, I thought I would re-post a party I helped put together for a ward activity back in February... Its almost cold again so the thought of hot-chocolate excites me a little bit...

Free Verse Poetry Night: 

Each of the tables had a centerpiece of old books stacked on a square of fabric. We used a mini easle to hold a faux calkboard with an inspirational/famous poetry quote. Some of the books were poetry books for inspiration/help. There were also instruction papers on how to write haikus and such... and pens with stationary for guests to write their own poems.

The mic was at the front with a few soft chairs around it and the lighting was low and relaxing. We had a guitarist and drummer to serenade us while we wrote. There was even a bongo drum for added drama. (Yes we snapped our approval and everything.) 

To complete the "coffee house" feel it was necessary to have a drink bar. :) Through a series of events I was basically put in charge of the food and drink. I admit I was excited to give it a try in the full scale as I have only done a very small version. 

We started with two options for a "base." I made a homemade basic hot chocolate and kept it warm on the table in a crock pot. I also used our Cocomotion to warm up plain milk for another option. 

Then come the mix-ins. We had a wide variety to keep the creative juices flowing... Flavored syrups, peppermint powder, cinnamon, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips,caramel syrup, sea salt... the flavor possibilites were endless!

 

Top it off with one of three types of whipped cream (peppermint, cinnamon, or vanilla) and grab a donut to complete your delectable creation! :) 

Being one who likes a little inspiration we used the "chalkboard" theme onto the drink bar and had instructions for flavor ideas. It turned out so great! I am pleased with how it turned out.

Party Date: February 10, 2012

Provo Married Student 41st Ward