My Sleeping Beauty is now 4 days old, and seems to sleep all the time. She is so beautiful with all of her brown hair and long arms and legs! I wanted to take some Disney’s Sleeping Beauty photos of her while she was still a brand new babe, so now we can remember these first days that seem to pass so quickly! I am also looking forward to taking future Sleeping Beauty photos with her.
I hung a white sheet for the background and added a gold castle. I brought a newborn photo bed prop for her to lay on, and wrapped with a pink blanket around it. Then she just held the single red rose.
Luke 8:24 “The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.”
You might enjoy some of her other Newborn Photoshoots:
My son wanted to have a secret agent spy birthday party with his classmates. It was so much fun, and the weather cooperated with us too!
Crime Scene Gifts
Secret Agent Badges
“First thing you all need to do is to create your Secret Agent Badge. To figure out your Secret Agent name, you will draw a name from this “First Name” can, and then draw a name from the “Last Name” can. Then you can write your Secret Agent Name on your ID card. Next you can add your fingerprint to your ID card. Gently press one finger into the ink pad and carefully place it on the box in your ID card. Last choose a badge holder and place your ID card into it and clip it on your clothing.”
One girl even drew the name “Secret Agent”! I found the Badge Holders on Amazon.
Spy Gear
“Before we get started, we will need to equip ourselves with some Spy equipment. Unfortunately, the equipment has been kept under lock and key, so you will need to work together to release the supplies. To open the cuffs there is a key maze inside each cuff. Insert the lock pick in the maze and the rotate the lock pick left, right, up and down to follow the maze to reach the bottom and unlock the hand cuffs.”
The kids followed the clues around the yard and solved the puzzles to find the laser maze at the end. We used the Spy Code games that my boys already had. There are several spy contraptions in each game that we pulled out and used in our Mission Possible scavenger hunt. They have Spy Code Operation: Escape Room, Spy Code Yulu Break Free, and he got Spy Code Safe Breaker as a gift from Grandpa.
“Things to remember, if you come to a ‘Mission Envelope’ that is not the next number, just leave it alone until you get to that number… the envelopes must be solved in number order. Use the walkie-talkies to communicate and don’t open any of the “Mission Envelopes” until all of your agents are present. Work together to solve the code, and decide who will work on the Spy contraption. Who ever is not working the code or contraption can use the walkie talkies to find the next clue after solving is completed. Do not open the next ‘Mission Envelope’ until both the code and contraption have been solved for the current ‘Mission Envelope’.“
Laser Maze
Licorice TNT
Pop Secret Popcorn
Root Beer Floats
I scooped the icecream into jars ahead of time, so the kids could choose their flavor or icecream and soda. They really enjoyed these!
Party Foods
Basically I put out some of his favorite red and yellow foods to stick with my color theme. Watermelon, pineapple, salami and cheese and crackers, popcorn, and licorice, lemonade, and Koolaid!
Secret Agent Cake
I made a red, yellow, and chocolate checkered cake with my homemade white butter cream icing. Then I made marshmallow fondant to create the decorations.
Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Marshmallow Fondant Recepie
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.
This is the first time that we have celebrated Star Wars Day. We had tons of fun with our snacks while we watched the movies.
Light Saber Popcycles
I made these Light Saber handles from felt. I used hot glue to hold them together and glued buttons on as well. We go though a bag or two of these popcycles a week at our house (even in the winter). My youngest loves that now his hands don’t get cold.
Light Saber Pencils
Since we are having school at home because of COVID-19 stay at home order, we got to use our Light Saber Pencils.
Wookie Cookies
We made our Wookie Cookies with a gingerbread recipe.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 egg
White Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Melts
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Once dough begins to form a ball in the center, dust generously with flour.
Cover dough with plastic wrap or wax paper and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Dust a smooth surface with flour, and roll out a section of the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter slice out your Wookiees. Wookiees are tall, so you may want to stretch out the head and feet! Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and score the cookie’s surface with a fork to look like fur.
Bake at 350˚F/180˚C for 10-12 min.
With melted chocolate in a piping bag, add the bandolier, eyes and nose.
Add white chis to the bandolier.
Star Wars Snacks
We used Teddy Grahams for our Edible Ewoks, donut holes for our Death Star Donuts, and Rolos for our Han Rolos!
Light Saber Pretzel Rods
Definitely the favorite snack of the evening. I dipped pretzel rods in melted candies and chocolate. Then I added round sprinkles for the buttons.
7 Leia Dip
Last we had 7 Leia Dip with Trooper Scoopers for dinner!
My 4th grader now attends a private school, and the class worked together to create a class project for the school fundraising auction. The parents of the class also put together an auction basket too.
Collaborative Class Art
I had each child trace their hand up to their elbow (as close as they can). Then they decorated their hand with markers in any way that they wish. Then the children cut them out. I placed the cut out hands around a large black canvas. I stuck them to the canvas with Mod Podge. I then cut out and added some stars to the canvas around the hands. In the middle I used my Cricut cutter to add the quote to the middle of the canvas: “YOU have within you the strength, the patience, and passion to reach for the STARS!”
BBQ/ Grill Auction Basket
We purchased a small charcoal grill and sauces, spices, and rubs to fill it with. We also added 2 fun aprons that say, “King of the Grill” and “Always Cook with Wine”!
Since we are stuck at home for COVID-19 pandemic, no one could go with me to my ultrasound to see the baby gender. When I got home I made a gender reveal cake for the family to cut open and see the gender of baby. I also Zoom called extended family members so that they could be apart of the excitement too!
I mixed up a white cake mix then add either blue or pink food coloring for the reveal.
Then I greased 2 heart shaped cake pans and put half of the mix into each pan.
I baked them according to the directions on the box and then let them cool.
I mixed up some of my homemade buttercream to cover the cake with. 1 cup butter, 1 cup Crisco, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 tablespoon milk (if thick).
Last I colored the left over food coloring blue and pink to decorate the cake with, I wrote “Brother or Sister?” on the cake.
My husband cut open the cake to reveal the gender during our Zoom call with family!
I made Fruit Pizza and Vegge Pizza for Easter this year. This is also the first year that I made a homemade Easter meal for the family. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic we had to stay home rather than going to family’s houses for Easter dinner.
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients:
1 Sugar Cookie Dough
1 Marshmallow Cream
1 Cream Cheese
Fruit
Directions:
First grease a cookie sheet and place roll out the sugar cookie dough in the shape of an Easter egg.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
Let it completely cool.
Mix together the marshmallow cream and the cream cheese and cover the cookie egg.
Cut the fruit to small pieces and decorate the Easter egg.
Vegge Pizza
Ingredients:
1 Crescent Roll Dough
1 Ranch Packet
1 Cream Cheese
Broccoli
Carrots
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
First grease a cookie sheet and place crescent roll triangles on the sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
Let it completely cool.
Mix together the ranch packet and the cream cheese and cover the triangles.
Chop the broccoli and place on the wide end of the triangles.
Shred the carrot and cover the rest of the triangles.
Add shredded cheddar to the carrot portion of the triangles.
They should look like triangle carrots 🙂
Traditional Easter
Even though we had to stay home we tried to have all of the traditional Easter fun that we usually do (except attending church)… egg dying, egg hunting, and Easter baskets!
This year we decided to try some fun family time for Christmas. We played a few Minute-to-Win-it challenges together. Our family has a large age difference, so we tried to choose games that would be equally challenging for each of all.
Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls
Materials:
1 minute Timer
Cardboard Tube
Ruler
6 Christmas Ornaments
Directions:
You have just 1 minute to…
place the ruler across the upright standing cardboard tube. Be sure that the ruler is smack in the middle so there is the same distance on each side of the tube.
Then hang all 6 ornaments on the ruler (3 ornaments on each side of the tube).
Jingle Run
Jingle Run
Materials:
1 minute Timer
18 Jingle Bells
18 Cups
Empty Cup (across the room)
Directions:
Place a bell under each cup and spread them out on the table.
Place an empty cup several feet away. (We put ours in the living room behind us).
You have just 1 minute to…
uncover 1 jingle bell at a time and run it to the empty cup across the room.
Place the bells in the cup one at a time.
Jingle RunJingle RunJingle Run
Jingle Bell Race
Jingle Bell Race
Materials:
1 minute Timer
Straws
Masking Tape
Jingle Bells
Directions:
Spread out the jingle bells on 1 end of the table and place a line using masking tape across the other end of the table.
In under a minute…
use the straw to blow the bells across the table across the tape line.
Jingle Bell Race Jingle Bell Race
Snowman Slide
Snowman Slide
Materials:
1 minute Timer
Plastic Cups (with snowman faces)
Balloons
Directions:
Arrange the snowman cups at one end of the table.
In less than 1 minute…
players stand at the end of the table and slowly release air from a balloon to knock the snowman cups off the other end of the table.
Snowman Slide
Snow Fall
Snow Fall
Materials:
1 minute Timer
White Balloons
Directions:
Players keep one hand in their pocket and try to keep two white balloons up in the air for one minute.
You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking away a balloon.
Candy Suck
Candy Suck
Materials:
1 minute timer
M&M’s
Straws
Plates
Directions:
Player needs 2 plates with 10 M&M’s on one plate.
In less than 1 minute…
Use the straw to suck up the M&M’s, one at a time and place them on the second plate.
Try to get all of the M&M’s to the second plate in less than a minute.
You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking M&M’s.
North Pole Pop
North Pole Pop
Materials:
1 minute Timer
White Balloons
Mittens
Directions:
Player puts on mittens and has 1 minute to pop the balloon. (It’s much harder than is sounds.)
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
Materials:
1 minute Timer
Hershey’s Kisses
Directions:
Each player needs 6 Hershey’s Kisses.
Players place one hand behind their back.
In less than 1 minute player opens all of the Kisses with one hand.
You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking Kisses.
The kids and I made some fun snacks for our teachers, coaches, and neighbors… We placed a variety of Hershey’s Kisses on the square shaped pretzels and melted them for a few minutes. After they came out of the oven, we added M&M’s to the middles of them.
I saved our Crystal Light containers for the past few years, and then I wrapped them in paper and added a bow and tag.
We made fun ornaments in my son’s class Christmas party… Snowman, Santa, and Roudolph.
One of our family Thanksgiving traditions is making Gingerbread Houses. This year we continued our tradition with mini Gingerbread Houses and Waffle Cone Christmas Trees. I also tried something new this year, I made a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board with foods that my family enjoys.
