InspireMe Crafts

Gotta Bake It: Halloween Popcorn Balls

"Trick or Treat. Be so sweet. Give me something good to eat."

 

I've got a soft spot for Peanut M&M's so there's usually some hiding somewhere in the house...if I can even get them to last long enough to hide them! I purchased a special Halloween bag and noticed a recipe for Popcorn Pumpkins on the bag.  The mouth started watering as I remembered all the different colored Popcorn balls my mom would make for us as a kid.   I use to think it was the greatest thing!  This had to be a project that we would try!  Plus they had a cute idea of making pumpkins out of them (as you can see we didn't get that far because I couldn't find orange cellophane).  To see pictures and to get the directions go to Bright Ideas. 

My son has the same love for Peanut M&M's so they didn't quite make it into the Popcorn ball mixture when they needed to.  Instead of sticking to the popcorn balls, they went right to the bottom of the bowl.  Oh well.  And I must warn you to be prepared for the mess...that corn syrup mixture gets hard rather fast! 

We made some stickers on the computer, tied the bow and we had a gift for him to give to all his friends.  I'm sure their parents will love me since I tried one and oh my gosh does it stick to the teeth!  I seem to have forgotten that memory.  I guess when you are a kid you aren't too worried about tooth decay and cavities :)

I can't believe Halloween is almost here and even more I can't believe its the end of October!  Can someone please tell me what happened to the month of October?  Christmas is going to be here in a blink, and I'll probably miss Thanksgiving if November disappears on me like October did. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Pumpkin Toss & Bean Bags

"Have a fang-tastic Halloween!"

 

If you are looking for a Halloween game for that upcoming Halloween party, Fall Festival or just to have some extra spooktacular(hehe...I'm cheesy) fun with your family, then you'll definitely want to do some version of this Pumpkin Toss.  I took it a little further and made a morning project out of it by making bean bags while the Lil Man filled the bags with beans.  I also used it as an opportunity to practice on the sewing machine.  As you can see I need some more practice, however, to a 2 year old they turned out just perfect!  The greatest thing is that he'll point to it and say "I made it, mommy?!?", and after I confirm for the umpteenth time that "Yes, honey, you helped make it" its followed by the nod of approval and "Way cool".  I have no clue where a 2 year old picked  'way cool' up, but its now part of his every day vocabulary. 

The point of the game is pretty simple...throw the bean bag into the pumpkin.  No athleticism needed.  If you don't have bean bags or don't want to make any then you can use candy!  If the thrower makes the piece of candy into the pumpkin then they can keep the candy.  Another version is that depending on how many pieces of candy/bean bags they make into the pumpkin determines which bucket of surprises they get to choose from.  We've enjoyed playing with it even if the Lil Man likes to cheat and now we have our own set of bean bags to play with! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Bake It: Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes

"Trick or Treat!  Give me something good to eat.  Give me candy.  Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take".

 

I'll keep it short and sweet for you...I love Funfetti cupcakes!  So when I saw the Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes, I couldn't contain myself in the grocery store. If my son was old enough to understand being embarrased, you can bet thats probably what he would have been and then some.  I must have been so excited that I lost my mommy brain cells because we got home and got to work on making them.  The only problem was that when it was time to frost and decorate the scrumptious and fluffy cupcakes, it was right before naptime.  The problem?  My son was not shy about taking finger fulls of frosting and for every cupcake he sprinkled and put a candy corn on he probably ate twice three times that.  I treid to deter him, but that little fellow is quick and sneaky!  But didn't they turn out beautiful?  My son has some serious cupcake decorating skills....;-)!  Anyway, the moral of the story?  Make some yummy cupcakes, but not before naptime or bedtime!  Don't let the excitement of funfetti Halloween cupcakes cloud your mommy responsibilities!  Oh, how I love the simple pleasures in life! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Halloween Quotes, Sayings, & Poems

Here are some Halloween quotes, sayings, and poems that I thought you may find useful for gifts, crafts, etc!

You may be too old to go
trick or treating for sweets,
but I hope you enjoy this gift
filled with tricks and treats.

Have a fang-tastic Halloween

Trick or Treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.

Trick or Treat. Be so sweet. Give me something good to eat.

Old witch Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With moss and slime,
and poisonous vine,
and toadstools all in a row.

Eat, drink and be scary.

If you want a tasty sweet. . .
Be sure to holler trick or treat!

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.  ~Author Unknown

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Where there is no imagination there is no horror.  ~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

You wouldn't believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake.
~Carolyn Wells

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.
~Author Unknown

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.
- - - H. P. Lovecraft

Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- - - Shakespeare "Macbeth"

Remember the gh'oul times!

Time for a coffin break.

Have a beary scary Halloween

Gone haunting.  Will return at midnight.

I witch you a Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat. Give me candy. Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take!

May our best witches go with you

Mummy's little monster (on a child's t-shirt or under child's picture)

You're so boooo-tiful!

That's witchful thinking.

Old witch Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With moss and slime,
and poisonous vine,
and toadstools all in a row

If you have some more Halloween quotes, sayings, & poems that you think would make a great addition please share!  

Gotta Have It: Mr. Potato Head Pumpkin Kits

 

My mom sent this Mr. Potato Head Witch Pumpkin Kit in our surprise box of goodies and the Lil Man has been eagerly awaiting his chance to stab the pumpkin with eyes, ears, a mouth, and arms.  What I liked most about this was that we were able to do it on a whim's notice.  I was at the grocery store, decided to grab a pumpkin to surprise Lil Man and that night we pulled out the pieces and got to work.  And the cleanup after using the Mr. Potato Head for pumpkins doesn't even compare to carving a pumpkin because there is NO CLEANUP!  You can't get much better than that for a last minute project.  Now, don't get me wrong, this definitely does not replace carving pumpkins, which we'll hopefully be able to do this weekend...but it is an additional Halloween project that's great for kids and parents to do together.  I've seen these kits atboth Target and Wal-Mart so go grab one before Halloween is here...its just around the corner!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Halloween Hand Treat

"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile" - C.S. Lewis

 

This Halloween project is a crowd pleaser! I prepared this special Halloween Hand Treat for my MOMS Club and the moms were just as excited as the kids.  So if you are looking for a fun, easy, inexpensive Halloween craft that is sure to be a slam dunk with all ages then this is definitely the Halloween project for you!  Here's what you'll need:

• Clear, plastic gloves.  (These can be hard to find.  All I could find in stores were latex gloves.  I finally went to a fast food chain and asked if they could donate about 15 of them). 
• Hot Tamales
• Popcorn (no butter)
• Ribbon
• Plastic Spider rings

Once again, you can't go wrong with a project that requires less than 5 items!  So let the good times begin...

• Start by opening up your plastic glove by blowing into it or giving it a nice shake.
• Put two Hot Tamales in each finger to act as the fingernails.
• Add popcorn making sure to get it into each finger.
• Tie the ribbon around the end.
• Add the spider ring on to your preferred finger. 

These would be great at a craft table for small or large Halloween parties or you could even add a tag with a name on it and they could be the place setting or party favor.  Use your imagination and enjoy!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Glass Jar Ghost Luminaries

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."

     

I've been holding onto glass jars for a while now waiting for a project idea to pop into my head.  I  save them ALL whether its spaghetti sauce, salsa,  or jam...if its in a glass jar it gets a thorough cleaning and then placed in the pantry.   The time has come to put those jars to use and Halloween is the lucky holiday.  The salsa jars make a perfect base to create glass jar ghost luminaries.  The best part was that this project is one that Lil Man was able to help with so your kids will have a blast making these.  Here's what you'll need for the ghost luminaries:

• Glass Jars
• White & black acrylic paint
• Black Sharpie Marker
• Paint brushes
• Candles

Now that you have the materials situated (and who doesn't love a list that's only 5 bullet points?) let's get started:

• Lay out some newspaper if you have some important areas to protect. 
• Take your clean glass jars (all paper & stickers removed) and start painting with the white acrylic paint.  You may need to add a second coat after it drys.  Let dry.
• Using your sharpie marker draw in your ghost eyes and mouth.  Paint over with the black acrylic paint. Let dry
• Place the candle inside and light it up!

Pretty simple if I do say so myself.  They'll look great if you have some stairs or a path in front of your house.  My glass jar ghost luminaries don't quite look 'perfect' since my 2 year old did the base coat, but if you took the time to do it 'nicely' they could definitely have a very professionall look to them!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Have It: Halloween Paper Lanterns

 

I saw these Halloween Paper Lanterns at the DollarTree and had to have them!  I wish we were having a Halloween party this year because these would make adorable decorations hanging over the table.  But since there is no party, I put them in the fireplace instead.  When you turn out the lights and turn them on they look really good in there!  They take some AAA batteries and then the magic happens!  I wish the pictures did them better justice.  :) 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Apple Orchard & Apple Recipes

Every fall, we like to take Lil Man to Carter Mountain Apple Orchard.  And if you are my mom, you like to point out that we've only lived in Charlottesville for 2 falls now.  With that being said, its still a tradition we like to do and one we'll carry out for as long as we live in this gorgeous town. It was a colorful fall day when we made the trek up to the top of the mountain.  Let's just say we are lucky that I didn't pee my pants.  We drove up the hill with two lane traffic on a one lane road with one side being the upper side of the mountain and the other being the drop-off that would have taken us straight back to the beginning of the winding road. I caught myself sitting in the passenger seat with my hands folded in my lap, shoulders hunched over and toward each other trying to take up as little room as possible... as if that was going to keep us farther away from the ledge of the mountain.  It was worth a try and the only thing I could control being in the passenger seat.  Needless to say we made it safely to the top and the bottom of the mountain thanks to the hubby! 

Two hours later, we left the apple orchard with a bag full of Fuji apples (yummy!) and our tummies full of Apple Donuts and Apple Cider Slushies.  We came home and the Lil Man went to work on washing our apples....those poor apples.  Who knew that washing apples and placing them in a bowl could be so much fun to a 2 year old.  So whenever I need to get dinner done, I set up his washing station and he gets to work.  I've lost count on how many times those apples have been washed.  I can't wait until he is older and can start doing laundry!   

Lil Man is still proud of the apples he picked and even asks for an "orchard apple" when he wants a snack.  My family loves apples, but we literally have apples taking over our kitchen. So if you are looking for some apple recipes like I was, check out the ones Carter Mountain provides on their website.  Some of the recipes look absolutely delicious!  I'm off to eat a yummy snack of apples and cheese while I use our experience as some inspiration for some new fall projects...hopefully :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Centerpiece

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." -Shakespeare, "Macbeth"

 

I love Halloween and decorating so I needed to come up with some Halloween centerpieces for our dining room table and kitchen table.  I decided to use what I already had laying around...no pulling out the debit card (I'm horrible about having cash on me) at Wal-Mart or Target.  And if you've been to either place lately and seen the adorable decorations, then you'll know how difficult it was for me not to throw those in my cart! 

My dilemma for creating these centerpieces was really the battle of 'fun, not-so-scary' Halloween vs the 'scary' Halloween.  With the lil man starting to understand the concept of scary, I've been going back and forth on what to use for Halloween decorations and more importantly what NOT to use.  So we did somewhat of a compromise.  I have mostly non-scary decorations in the house, but I did create one Halloween centerpiece with bones and skulls.  The other trick of this personal challenge was that I had to use other supplies I already had in my craft closet.

Let's start with the "FUN" centerpiece. You'll need:

• Glass jars, tin cans, flower vases, etc that you've saved to use for that 'special' project.
• Paper
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Colored plate (found at DollarTree previously and used it in the baby shower I hosted)

Once you look at the pictures for the Halloween themed centerpiece you'll notice its pretty simple.  Use some Halloween paper to wrap around vases, tin cans, or glass jars and tape into place.  At the end of Halloween you can remove the paper and use the jars again.  I'm going to put some candy corn in the empty glass jar.  I then had some thick ribbon in a fun design that I simply laid across the table and let some excess hang off each side.

Now for the "SCARY" centerpiece.  You'll need:

• Glass vase
• Ribbon
• Plastic bones
• plastic Halloween candy holders
• colored plate

Once again, this is a centerpiece that could be done andlooking "boo-tiful" in less than 5 minutes and definitely less than $5.  After I made the centerpiece I realized it would work great as a dipping tray for a party.  In the glass vase you could place those long pretzel sticks or long bread sticks and then in the cauldrons and skulls you could place different dipping sauces. 

I apologize that I couldn't share a full blown view of the tables, but to be honest they are such a mess as I'm trying to get Lil man's Halloween costume done.  My quick fix is of course just pushing it off to the side :).  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I'd love to see pictures of your Halloween decorations and Halloween parties so we can showcase them right here on InspireMe Crafts!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Wreath

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.

 

I wanted a Halloween wreath for our front door so I've been brainstorming for a couple days (maybe that's why I can't go to sleep lately...hmmm...).  Well, I thought I had a priceless Dollar Diva idea so I ran to the DollarTree, grabbed my supplies (wreath, ribbon, bones...plastic, of course) and got to work.  The original plan was to cover the wreath in a black ribbon and then have the bones going around the whole wreath.  The problem?  My wreath size to the size of bones ratio was just not right.  The wreath was too small and the bones were too big.  Bummer.  But I couldn't let that put a damper on my creativity so we improvised.  I had some black and silver ribbon (purchased from DollarTree awhile ago) and I wrapped it around the whole Styrofoam wreath.  Then using a plain black ribbon I used some chipboard cut outs to spell "boo!" across the middle of the Halloween wreath.  I added some hand bones (in a pack of 8 at the DollarTree) and here was my new wreath.  I actually think it turned out pretty well for improvising on a failed plan and it looks just perfect on our door!  If you decide to let your creativity flow and make a Halloween wreath, I'd love to see pictures!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It..with the Kids: Halloween Door Hangers & More

"At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below."
~Theodosia Garrison

I love that the lil' man is REALLY into creating things these days and that he is understanding Halloween. With that combination it was definitely "Gotta Make It...with the Kids" time...the Halloween Edition. :) 

Every time I go to our craft table (aka the kitchen table), he pulls up the chair to the exact position he likes it (there's that OCD coming out again), and says "I make things".  So that's exactly what we did the other day.  We made spiders, ghosts, pumpkins and Picasso worthy art.  There's just something about wiggly eyes and Halloween that make the perfect match so I had to make sure we got full use out of them along with my other favorite supply...craft foam in all different colors. 

Exhibit A:  The Hand Spider : Your child will love this because he/she gets to trace their hands and depending on their age, cut them out.  Glue them to a square piece of paper (the spider body), add wiggly eyes, a mouth, nose and a bow-tie for fun and you have a not-so-scary- spider.  I decided to add a ribbon on the top so we could hang them over chairs or doorknobs. 

Exhibit B:  The Pumpkin Magnet: Although you do not see wiggly eyes on these pumpkins do not be fooled!  Wiggly eyes were placed on the pumpkin I made, but I wanted to showcase lil' man's art.  He decided to add pre-cut shapes in neon colors (another craft supply from his craft basket that we have and love).  To make it a little extra special, I glued a magnet on the back and the neon pumpkins will be getting shipped shortly to the grandparents to proudly display their grandson's artwork.   

Exhibit C: Wiggly Eyed Ghosts: I cut the foam out in ghost shapes.  Lil Man added the eyes, made the mouth (I was so proud of this accomplishment) , and he added a little style to that plain white ensemble with some strategically placed stripes.  :)  I added the ribbon so once again we could hang the Halloween ghosts on a chair or a doorknob.  You could even use them as place setting if you are having a party. 

Exhibit D:  Interpretive Art:  No wiggly eyes on this one, although if you really wanted to nothing could stop you.  I supplied the paint, paper, and paint brush to the creative mind and he let the juices flow and created these fabulous one-of-a-kind pieces of art.  Ok, ok, ok, I might be going overboard - but they do make fabulous refrigerator decorations and there is even one that is going to get a nice special frame! 

Now that lil man is at the age where his curiosity is beginning to bloom (although, we have not reached the 'why' phase yet...thank God!), I'm trying my best to create an environment where he can explore and be creative.  One of the best, and simplest, ways is simply by displaying all his creations all around the house.  He gets so proud every time he sees something he made and the smile says enough.  Make your child feel proud of themselves by putting their art work EVERYWHERE to continue encouraging their creativity.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

NEW Hanging Letter Design - Red & Blue Polka Dots

I completed another new design this weekend and its now available in my Etsy shop.  This blue and red polka dot hanging letter is personalized just for you.  This design can be done for any name and any letter.  You purchase this design from my SHOP and then in the message during checkout you let me know the letter and name.  3-4 days later its in the mail to you!  Gift certificates are available..just email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com. 

Please let me know if you have ANY questions!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Crayola Crayon Halloween Costume

I've been getting so many emails lately about my son's Halloween costume from last year that I thought I would post the detailed directions many of you are looking for.  This costume is foolproof and super easy.  I used a hot glue gun and did it in one night...and its not because I am one of those super women. :)  It would probably look more 'professional' if you have that fabulous sewing capability, but at this time last year I was not so lucky :).  Here are some down-loadable directions and templates:

Download crayon_directions.doc

Download crayola_template.doc

Download crayola_gift_bag_pic.doc

Doesn't he look adorable?!?  This year I've whipped out the sewing machine and am beginning a new adventure for his trick-or-treating pleasure.  I have very fond memories of my mom making all our Halloween costumes from Robots, to Clowns, to Rabbit in the Hat's.   I want my son to have those fond memories as well so its time to overcome the overwhelming feeling every time I look at the sewing machine.  I'll keep you updated on my quest to learn how to sew as I hit some major (and minor) milestones!

Take a look at some of the other Halloween ideas from last year by checking out my Halloween Category. (WARNING:  It may take a while to upload.  All of the pictures and posts were imported from my old blog hosting company and I was new to the blogging world and didn't know some of the tricks...so I apologize for the wait)

Stay tuned for some more budget savvy Halloween ideas...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 10: MISC Decorations

It's bittersweet to say that today's post will wrap up my "Last Minute Baby Shower..on a Budget" series.  I hope you enjoyed the ideas as much as I enjoyed planning and creating this celebration.  For the last post I just wanted to share some quick, simple, and budget friendly decorating tips that you can really use for any celebration..not just baby showers. 

1.  Centerpieces don't have to be flowers:  Although I love flowers as centerpieces, it just was not within my budget.  Instead I found these adorable gift bags (2 for $1 in the Target $1 section), added some tissue paper, placed on top of a plastic plate I found at the DollarTree and added some Sweetarts around it.  My bags were empty, but you could add a simple gift inside and have a drawing or something to let a guest take it home.

2.  Paper & Ribbon can tie a whole event together:  Find some paper and ribbon you love and add it everywhere.  It will really tie your whole event and decor together.  Its inexpensive and absolutely adorable!  I used the same paper for the magnet party favor, the clothespins, the onesies, etc.  All of that did not cost much at all...it just took time.  So don't overlook the small details.

3.  Wrapping Paper can be your best friend:  I was lucky to find some coordinating wrapping paper that was just adorable.  I kept my empty cracker boxes, wrapped them up, added "Sweet" and I had instant decor.  I also used it to elevate the food so that it wasn't so one-dimensional.  It was great to have on hand, because at the last minute I needed to come up with a hard writing place so I quickly wrapped up a large book and voila!  You could also use it on tables as a table runner to spruce things up a bit. 

4.  Do what you can:  We all have different budgets and spending plans so if you want to throw a friend a shower, but are worried about money...just do what you can and don't be afraid to ask some of your friends to help out by bringing a dish to share or whatnot. 

Now its time to move on to Halloween ideas....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 9: Sweets Table

We are winding down to the last couple of posts about the last minute baby shower and the ideas you may be able to use for your future entertaining.  I've had fun sharing everything, but I'm definitely ready to move on to Halloween! 

With my "Nothing is Sweeter than a Baby Girl" shower theme, I had to have a table just dedicated to sweets.  To add a couple special touches I did the following:

1.  To make the table more dimensional instead of having everything at the same level, I wrapped some empty boxes in the wrapping paper I had used elsewhere. 

2.  To carry on the theme I made the "Sweet Baby Girl" sign from a pink cutting board I found in the $1 section of Target.

3.  The pink & green pails were also found at the $1 section of Target.  I added some Styrofoam and then stuck dum-dums in one.  On the other I used a triangle stryrofoam to glue "baby girl" candies to. I started at the bottom and worked my way up.  I used a pink coloring pencil as the 'trunk' of the candy tree and to hold it up in the pail.  I then added some sparkle hear and there.  On the third pail, I used a flat, round piece of Styrofoam, and starting from the middle I started gluing twizzlers around and around until it was full.  I added a "R" for Reagan and voila! 

4.  To add some quick color I used Tropical Mike & Ike's and Dots in glass jars. 

Tomorrow I'll share some misc decorations to conclude my "Last Minute Baby Shower" on a budget.  Have a great day!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Quote of the Week

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 8: Party Favors

This project was one of those accidents that you are glad that happened. I wanted to give a party favor, but knew I couldn't spend a lot of money, so simply looking in my closet full of stuff that I've held on for the right time, did the trick! I've had leftover business card magnets for 3 years and I finally found a use.  I simply took various papers I was using to decorate the magnet, cut to size, attached to the magnet, and then added different words.  They ended up being a huge hit so I've decided that I'll start selling them on my Etsy shop shortly.  So stay tuned.  :)  They could be great for anything really...baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, birthdays, and one guest is even thinking about giving them to her students at the end of the year.  If you want more info about the magnets or would like to inquire about purchasing them please contact me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 7: Baby Shower Trivia

I'm not much of a game person at baby and bridal showers.  I don't mind having the bride or expecting parents to be put on the spot, but when it comes to myself, I rather just sit back and enjoy my food and drink.  I'm a loser :(.   As a result, I went with this alternative 'game'.  Its more like a silent auction.  I placed a trivia question on each clipboard and then had a spot for everyone to write their guess down.  Whoever got the questions right, or was the closest educated guesser, got the corresponding prize.  Simple, yet guests can win something and we all love to win!  Here are the details of where I found what:

Those cute gift bags were in the dollar section of Target (2 for $1).  The clipboards were from the DollarTree and then I covered it in paper.  The adorable trivia coasters are from Michaels.  There were 20-something trivia coasters in a set.  I used three for the game and then placed the others all around as conversation starters.  You could certainly make these on your own instead of buying them, but it just saved me a lot of time! 

For the Expecting Parents, we kept with the "Sweet" Theme and played the Pregnancy Candy Bar Matchup.  There were words related to baby and pregnancy on one side and then candy bars on the other (attached with velcro so they could be moved).  They had a set amount of time to get the correct candy bar with the correct term.  Here are some examples:

WORD:  Conception            CANDY:      Skor
             Hospital Bill                             100 Grand
             Poopie Diaper                          Tootsie Roll
             Hospital Address                      5th Avenue
             Contractions                             Whoppers
             Nurses                                      Sweetarts

I found this game at www.creative-baby-shower-ideas.com and there are some other great ones that were recommended to me at http://nested.typepad.com/blog/files/mommy-to-be-traits.pdf

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 6: Blessings for Baby Memory Book

I love having mementos that capture special events.  That being said, most of the time I throw everything in a box and say "When I have time, I'll put together a book".   The box full of special memories sits there, I look at it in the closet and think I need to work on it soon, it collects dust, it sits there some more, I look at it again and its still sitting there.  You get the picture.  So whenever I throw an event I try to have some sort of memory book that is ready to take home and display. For the baby shower, I chose to do a "Blessings for Reagan" book.  I found this pre-designed scrapbook at Target a while ago on clearance for around $2.  It's hard to believe, especially since its normally around $18, but I knew I couldn't pass up that deal.  A year later, I found its use! 

The original plan was to use my Polaroid camera to take polaroids of the guests as they arrived.  They would then write their blessing, note, wish, or prayer to the baby while it was developing and then we would add it all to the book right there.  I went to Wal-Mart to get the Polaroid film and it never made it into my cart when I saw the price of $16.99...for only 10 pictures!  Since I was going to need at least 30, this was not an option.  So instead I just took pictures throughout the event (with my digital camera) and will give the parents the pictures so they can insert them into the book. 

I found the adorable sticky notes in the $1 section at Target, along with the mini gel pens.  I just added a piece of plain pink paper to each sticky note so there was a place to write the blessing.  It worked out well because guests just stuck their note to the baby on the counter and you could see what others said.  At the end, we attached the sticky notes to the different pages in the scrapbook.  Once she gets the pictures in she will have to secure the sticky notes down with glue or double sided tape.  But its still a heck of a lot better than starting from scratch with everything thrown in a box! 

This is not the first time I have done something like this.  I threw my best friend her bachelorette party and we had a plain mini scrapbook, Polaroid camera and film (I was working outside the home at that time so I must not have had the same sticker shock as now), and some pretty gel pens.  It was a small group of us so we would take goofy pictures throughout the night and then make funny comments, etc.  You can see us starting out so fresh and as the night goes on we just keep going down hill :).  I look at it every time when I go to her house and get a good laugh!

Whether its a baby shower, bridal shower, wedding, wedding anniversary, birthday party, going away party, retirement party, etc that you decide to try this idea for, just remember that you can do this without breaking the bank! 

Here's a picture of the whole table set-up and a hint of the other ideas I'll be sharing with you tomorrow. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!