Balloon Wreath Tutorial

 I had a ton of twitter, FB, email, and blog questions about my balloon wreath, so I thought I would post a tutorial blog post.  Y'all, this was by far the easiest, quickest craft I did for the party!  I saw the original idea here, but tweaked it a little to make it easier for me.  Here is how I did it:

I used the following supplies:
- 4 packs of 72, 12" balloons from Factory Card Outlet in blue, yellow, black, and red
- 1 Styrofoam wreath, which I spray-painted black to match my door
- 1 package of floral pins
- 1 small Mickey Mouse

I got all of my supplies out on the rug and spread out the balloons (obviously this was done after bedtime for the toddler).  I arranged them into groups of 4 randomly every time and then put a pin around them like this...

I just filled the front of the balloon, then the side, and done!  It literally only took me about 45 minutes!  Quick, easy, and very cute!

When the wreath was finished, I used the pins to secure Mickey to the center of the bottom part of the wreath and he stayed until I unpinned him to give to N.  It was a huge hit and everyone commented on it.  Hope this helps to explain how I made it, if not, feel free to comment and I'll try to answer your question.

Meal Planning For The Week

I have been super slacking on my premade dinners, but due to some changes in Michael's schedule, I've got to get back on it.  It's hard finding time with N running around in full toddler mode, but I can usually get 2-3 hours of naptime out of him on Sunday afternoons.  This week I am making chicken spaghetti and meatloaf minis (made in a muffin tin).  We will be having leftovers one night and easy black bean quesadillas another.  Also to note for those of you looking for toddler ideas, Nicholas eats all of this well along with applesauce or yogurt with every meal and he also drinks milk with meals.


Here is our schedule this week:
Sunday: Michael smoked BBQ for a cookout with friends
Monday: BBQ sandwiches and chips
Tuesday: Chicken Spaghetti
Wednesday: Meatloaf Minis, Mashed Potatoes, and Crockpot Pinto Beans
Thursday: Black Bean Quesadillas
Friday: Pizza Night (N's favorite!)


Chicken Spaghetti (I've posted this before, but it has been awhile, so I'm reposting some good ones)
3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
8oz cooked spaghetti (drained)
1-10oz cream of chicken soup
1-10oz Rotel
8oz Cheddar Cheese


Cook chicken, spaghetti, set to the side.  In a medium saucepan, mix cream of chicken, rotel, and cheese (slowly add cheese while stirring).  Heat until mixed well and melted together.  Add chicken and mix well.  I use a foil casserole dish and pour my spaghetti in and cover with sauce.  Cover well with foil and freeze (I've frozen for over a month before and it was fine).


To cook: thaw completely.  Cook on 350 for 30 minutes or until heated throughout.  Serve with bread and salad.  Sorry, no picture.  I thought I had one on my computer, but I can't find it.


Meatloaf  (this will make about 24 muffins or 2 loaf pans, I always half it if it is just for us)

3 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3-1/2 cups milk
1 cup minced onion
2 eggs
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased muffin tin.  Cover with foil and freeze for up to three months. (I didn't make quite enough for 12 this time, oops)

To Cook: Thaw completely.  Cook on 350 for 20 minutes or until muffins are brown.


Hope this helps some of you who were wanting some new freezer meal ideas!  I'll have more next week!

Saturday Morning In A Small Southern Town

For those of you who may not know, we live in a small town just south of Chattanooga, TN, in Northwest Georgia.  We almost put our house up for sale to move back to Chattanooga a few weeks ago, but we decided to stay.  We decided that we love our little town because it has that small town feel and only has around 3,000 people.  Chattanooga has had a large farmer's market every Sunday for about 5 years and I'm so excited that some of those vendors have come to Ringgold (including a friend of mine that was selling adorable handmade pillows that I totally want for my patio!).  It just started about 6 weeks ago and I haven't had time to go until today, so we got dressed and went downtown (about 2 miles from my house) to the market!   It is set up right in front of our courthouse and it was so fun to just walk around and get our produce for the week.   

At first a little toddler I know wasn't too thrilled to be there.  He wanted to be at home watching Disney Jr, but I was determined we were not going to spend all day in front of the TV!After we started walking, Nicholas loved it!  I couldn't even get him to go home.  I tried to go back to the car twice and each time he screamed "NO MAMA!", so we just walked around downtown and went into a few little shops and the coffee shop.  I'm definitely going back next week.  It was a good way to keep N from sitting in front of Saturday cartoons and vegging all morning, plus an affordable way to get fresh, local produce.

I ended up spending $11 on squash, zucchini, salsa, and blueberries (which I couldn't get a picture of because a certain toddler had already taken the bowl of them to eat!).  Definitely worth spending an hour of our time together this morning just the two of us!

Oh Twodles Invitation

I know everyone is tired of my party posts, but I wanted to write a post to rave about one of the two vendors I used for the party.  The only things I had someone else do for me were the invitations and the cake/cupcakes.  I know when I was trying to decide on an invitation I looked on several blogs for invitation ideas.  I knew what I wanted and I was having a hard time finding just the "right" thing.  I finally found an invitation I loved on Etsy at Amanda's Parties To Go.  I still cannot believe how awesome the service was from her shop!  I got my invitation and two different thank you note printables for $15 and the best part was the turnaround...TWELVE MINUTES!!!  I took my file to Office Depot and in 15 minutes, I had 50 5x7 invitations for $16!  I seriously have never loved an invitation as much as I loved how cute these turned out (and that includes my super expensive wedding invitations!).  If you want a great invitation in a hurry, go to Esty and check out Amanda's store here.  I have had so many compliments on them and I hope to order from Amanda again next year!

***This post was NOT compensated.  This was strictly based off my opinion and experience and I am in no way compensated for my post.

Oh Twodles...The Details

I LOVE, and I mean LOVE planning parties and crafting for them.  I actually purchased a Cricut after last year's party because I wanted to do it all myself this year and I'm so glad I did!  I started working on it at the end of April and really went into overdrive about 3 weeks before the party.  I knew exactly what I wanted and after browsing Pinterest and Etsy, I came up with the fine details.  

We had 2 "adult" food tables and 2 "kid" tables.  Here are the larger centerpieces for the adult tables.  The children's tables were just a little smaller, but the same thing.  I used a red bucket from Hobby Lobby, black crinkle paper, dowel rods and three styrofoam balls to make the body.  I hot glued the dowels to a styrofoam block at the bottom of the buckets.  The only advice I have is to make sure you use craft spray paint because I didn't realize that the paint would eat the styrofoam.  OOPS!             

We had a bubble station under a tent and it was a huge hit!!!  I found the Bubble Maker here.

I saw a sign like this on several blogs and on etsy and had my dad make me one.  I cut the letters on my cricut and hotglued them on.  I had several comments on how cute it was.

The easiest craft I made for the party was this balloon wreath I saw on Pinterest.  It turned out so cute and only took about 45 minutes!  I'm going to do a tutorial post later this week on how to make one because I have had so many questions about it.

Friday night I made chocolate lollipops and candies to include on the cake table as a favor to bring home.  They turned out way too cute!!!

When I started looking for ears I wasn't happy with the quality of the ones I found at the party stores or online, so I decided to make my own.  I followed the tutorial here.  This was truly a labor of love that took me about 4 hours total.  I made 30 of them and they were not perfect, but turned out pretty cute regardless.

I decided this year that I didn't want to fool with having to cut a cake and serve it, but rather spend it mingling with my guests and enjoying the party.  I will say that I do not regret that decision at all!  We did a cupcake tower with 72 cupcakes and a 6 inch cake with a fondant clubhouse on top.  It was beyond precious!!!  We did half the cupcakes in funfetti and the other half in chocolate with red, yellow, blue, and white icing.  I say this all the time, but my cake girl, Becky is AWESOME!!!

I made the toppers myself using my Cricut and cardstock.  I was super happy with the way they turned out!  I made Mickey heads, pants, and hands.

We had red and yellow plates and napkins for the adults and Mickey plates for the kids.  I hotglued ribbon to the silverware buckets and drink dispensers for a little additional detail.

We had Mickey themed food...duh!  I bought Mickey nuggets from Costco for the kids.

We also had watermelon cut like Mickey heads, Pasta Salad in a Mickey head bowl, chips, and fruit salad.

Here is the entire food table.  My mom found the Mickey at Hobby Lobby back in March in the garden stuff!  I thought it was cute as a centerpiece!

What Mickey party would be complete without a Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog, Hot Dog Bar?!

This was my drink table after the fact.  I forgot to take a picture before. :-(  I made a Oh Twodles banner and drink labels with my Cricut.  We also had these cups for the kids from Amazon.  They were a big hit!

As always, we had a coke/sprite bucket and a beer bucket.  When I made my "We've Got Ears...Say Cheers" sign Michael joked I should make one that says "We've Got Beer...Say Cheers".  I thought it was cute, so I made one for the beer bucket too.  Haha!  So inappropriate, but funny.  Everyone thought it was cute and laughed about it.

I would like to give a huge shout out to Michael and my mom for all of their help!  I never could have pulled this off without all of their help!  Hope you enjoyed this little tour of the party details.  It was so fun and I loved planning it all.  I would LOVE to be able to party plan as a full time job, but unfortunately, we need benefits and a steady income, so that isn't possible.  I guess for now I'll just have to blow it out once a year for Nicholas' parties! :-)

And yes, I am already in planning/brainstorming mode for next year.  I am going to do a pirate party next year, complete with a treasure chest full of loot (for favors instead of doing bags).  If you follow me on pinterest, watch out, lots of pirate pins coming your way! :-)

Oh "Two"dles! Nicholas Is TWO!!!

It's hard to believe that my little man is TWO!!!  Yesterday was the day to celebrate Nicholas and his second birthday!  When I was on maternity leave and Nicholas spent 20 out of 24 hours a day screaming from his GI issues we watched a LOT of Mickey's Clubhouse while bouncing in our bouncer.  I decided then that for his 2nd birthday I wanted to do a Oh "Two"dles party!  Last year we had the Safari party to match his room decor, but I knew that by the time he was 2 he would have his favorite things and Mickey is DEFINITELY in the top 3 favorites!  I love planning and having parties, so we blew it out...yet again!  We had a great turnout and a wonderful time!

Here is the adorable birthday boy!  My friend Chea made his outfit and it was too cute for words...until someone had a diaper accident and ended up in khaki shorts for the party!

 The cake table.  I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED how cute it all turned out!!!  We had cupcakes and I made chocolate Mickey head lollipops and candies Friday night.  I also made ears which I also had on the table.

 My mom had the awesome idea of a bubble station for the kids.  It was a huge hit and all the kids loved it.  My cousins helped me by staying under the tent and running the station for us.  Nicholas spent a lot of time with the bubbles.

 The food table.  We also had a hot dog bar on the back counter.

 Nicholas didn't really know what to think of the attention when everyone was singing Happy Birthday to him.  He was more focused on getting into a cupcake! :-)

 Nicholas was more into opening his gifts this year and was so funny.  He loved everything and we are going to have a busy day today of opening everything up.

 My inside pics turned out bad, but here is one of the three of us.  Poor Michael spent the first part of the party grilling hot dogs in 95 degree heat, so I didn't make him dress for the theme.  :-)

Our little man was WORN OUT!  We had some friends that stayed until almost 10 and we finally got him in the bed around 9:30.  He slept until 9:30 this morning!  He probably partied a little too much, but he comes by that naturally!  Haha!  I'll be back tomorrow with a details post of all the decorations and show you the crafting that I did for the Oh Twodles Extravaganza!  I'm excited to show you all the little details that made it so fun!

Celebrating Nicholas' 2nd Birthday...Part 1

Last Sunday we started our celebration of our little man's 2nd birthday!  We had confetti waffles for breakfast because what else would a 2 year old want for breakfast on his birthday!

After he ate breakfast we gave him his birthday gift (well, his big gift was back in the Spring when we gave him his swing set).  He has been showing an interest in using the potty and he will start hardcore training in his new class at school, so he got a cheer for me potty!  He was fascinated by it!

After lunch and a nap, we went downtown to our favorite ice cream shop, Coldstone Creamery and had a special treat for his birthday!  He seemed to enjoy himself! Ha!

For dinner we went to Gigi and Pawpaw's house for a special birthday dinner of some yummy roast, carrots, mashed potatoes, and fried okra! Yum!!!  I love how she decorated with a Mickey centerpiece (look for it again in our party pictures this weekend!)

 The birthday boy was still a little full from ice cream and just wanted to play in his food...

Until the cupcakes came out!

He had a very special, fun 2nd birthday day, but the real FUN begins tonight for his birthday party!!!!  We are super excited to celebrate our sweet boy with all of our friends and family at the Oh "Two"dles Extravaganza complete with a hot diggity dog hot dog bar! :-)

Happy Second Birthday Sweet Nicholas

My sweet baby Nicholas, as of today you are no longer a baby.  You are a big boy!!!  Today is your second birthday and I have no idea where the past two years have gone.  It seems like just the other day I was meeting my special miracle boy for the first time.

 I'll never forget the first couple of weeks after you were born and how much I LOVED watching you and Daddy get to know each other.  Those are days that I will always look back on and laugh and cry knowing what amazing days those were.

 The day we brought you home was the very most amazing day of my life.  It was the day we were finally at home just the three of us...and Spencer.  I had waited for that day for almost three years.

So hard to believe it has already been two years!!!

In the past year since we celebrated your 1st birthday you have grown and changed so much both physically and developmentally.  I LOVE looking back at pictures of you as you've grown.  It makes me so happy to see how much you've changed.

 You've become such an independent, happy, fun loving little man!  You LOVE to have a good time and you pretty much have a good time no matter what you are doing.  Everywhere we go people stop us and comment on what a happy, handsome little man you are!

 You are my cuddlebug that LOVES to be held and to give hugs and kisses to everyone you meet.  You love your Mama more than anyone and that secretly makes my heart a little happy. :-)

 You have added such happiness and joy to our lives and to the lives of everyone you meet.  Your teachers, your friends at school parents, and all of your family comment on what a sweet child you are. Nothing makes Mama happier than hearing that.  You have never been at trouble at school for harming anyone else and I hear that you always hug and encourage those that have been hurt.  I love your caring heart.

 You are our good little helper.  You LOVE helping us no matter what we are doing.  You want to be a part of everything and enjoy being a big helper! I am pretty sure your daddy is anxiously awaiting the day you can help with the yard and washing the cars! :-)

Our hearts burst at the cuteness you display on a daily basis.  You have a bubbly, animated, infectious personality that shows through in everything you do.

 You have developed a love for animals and especially dogs and farm animals.  We had your picture made with Easter chickens a few months ago and you loved it.  You were having a bad day and no one would ever believe it based off of your pictures.

 My one wish for you is that as you grow into a little man and away from being our tiny baby, is that you continue to display these traits that have made you who you are at this point.  May you always enjoy yourself, be a caring, loving child and adult, and may you always have compassion for those around you.  We hope that you will always have your priorities of 1. Faith 2. Family 3. Friends and that you never forget the important things in life.  Nicholas Allen, you are our sunshine and no matter how bad our day is, you always bring a smile to our face and happiness in our lives.  Thank you for being such a special, wonderful child.  We love you more than you will ever know!