Elf Workshop Party

We just had a great party for Elle's fifth birthday.
This year, I decided to use a Christmas theme, because her birthday is so close to the Holiday.

Invitation:
(they are supposed to be Elf hats...I know they kind of look like Christmas trees)

Banner: 

I made a felt banner, welcoming the kids to the "Elf Workshop"

Activities:

When the kids got here, we divided them into groups by color of elf hat.  We also gave them a name tag, so as not to confuse the 22 little elfs!

There were 4 little workshops:

Elf ornament workshop

Wrapping Present Workshop

(I gave them the bottom of a box at the beginning to collect all their crafts, and then when they got to this station, they wrapped the lid of the box, and put a tag on it.

Jingle Toy Station

(I played and played with ideas of how to make a simple jingle stick, and the best idea for their age, was just having them wrap twine (pre strung with bells) around a stick.  It worked great and they turned out darling!

Cookies for Santa Workshop:

they decorated cookies, and then I had prelabeled the bags to say "Santa's Cookies"

Snacks and Cake:

(the Elf EATERY)

Cake:

We went with a simple Elf Hat, to go with the theme...It started out looking funny, but by the end, Rob and I were proud of our little cake!

crowd favorite...oh, and SO easy to make and look cute...3 good reasons to make chocolate and sprinkle dipped marshmallows on a stick.

Pirate booty...instead of cupcakes, as if they need more sugar!

Elle, in her elf outfit...proud to be the birthday girl!

I had a lot of great helpers...My Mom, sisters and friend Muranda all helped MAN the party!

Oh wait...then SANTA came!  He was darling and they had a lot of fun sitting on his lap.

Elle was hesitant at first, because he reminded her of her poppa...hmmm

Santa gave them each a penguin shaped ring pop.

Then, after the festivities were over, they took their wrapped present with all their goodies home with them.

the tags say:
Thank you for helping at the elf workshop today.
My birthday party was wonderful because of friends like you.
Love, Elle, the Birthday Elf

The Cookie Exchange

I know it feels like a lot of work in the middle of December,
but this year's Christmas Cookie exchange saved me!

The idea (though it may never work like this)
12 friends
12 DOZEN cookies EACH, pre packaged for you to take home

You take home 144 cookies (12 different types) and make plates for your neighbors!

How fun is that!

This year I made

Orange Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
½ cup butter (1 cube)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. grated orange rind
½ package semisweet chocolate chips
½ tsp soda
2/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup whole oats
½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in order. Spoon into 1 inch dough balls onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. *Remember these are not your normal cake-like cookie, they are a lacey looking cookie that will be pretty flat.

Makes around 2 dozen.

Nest Cupcakes!

I have been dreaming of these for weeks! We finally made them for Jane's blessing...and I think Ill make a couple batches more this week.

These ones are
-lemon cake mix
-sprinkles recipe cream cheese frosting
-toasted coconut
-cadbury mini eggs

the cream cheese frosting is:
1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
3 3/4 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla

I always double the recipe...but then I have leftovers for weeks!

spur of the moment st. patricks day!

After I dropped robbie off at school, I took elle to the park...where I noticed people wearing GREEN! I had to do something about this fun holiday so I ran to the store and bagged some irish shortbread cookies for his class...I just picked him up a couple minutes early so that he could pass them out...

Then I made their FAVORITE food (crepes) and dyed them green.

of course I was hosting book club that night so I used a green tablecloths and put lime in the water. Really creative! I love holidays but it sure is hard to keep track of them all!

Neighbor gifts...

For the past four years I have made caramel and chocolate covered pretzel gifts for neighbors...so I thought Id better continue the tradition!

You will need: pretzels rods, kraft caramel squares, white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.

I add a little water to the caramel and then melt it in the microwave, and dip the rods in caramel. I use the back of a spoon to roll the caramel off and leave a thin layer. I lay them down on parchment paper and stick them in the fridge.

I dont add anything to the chocolate before I melt it, I put it in for 1 minute and then add 15 seconds if it needs it. I dip the rods in the chocolate just as I do with the caramel, using the same technique with the back of the spoon.

After they harden I drizzle the opposite color on them and then, WA LA!

I also made PEACE blocks...cause lucky for me, not a lot of people know about vinyl here!

And for Robbie's teachers, I made Spanish Christmas trees.

Neighbor gifts...Check!

decorating...its worth it!

I am so glad Kathy and I made all of those blocks last year...I have found places for most of them!

Even just to hide a mess!

I have not figured out my "dream ornaments" yet...so this year we did the costco special. And guess what, they are SHATTERPROOF!

I found a place for a kid tree. Robbie had SO much fun decorating it. Unwrapping the ornaments was like a little Christmas in itself.

It's nice because Rob loves coming home to "Christmas Land." With a little music and mulling spices, we enjoy the Christmas Spirit right from the living room.

It took an entire day to put up and will take an entire day to take down...but in the meantime, I will love it love it love it!

Decorating...its worth it!

Since we are always gone for Christmas, we never decorate...but this year since I have to stay home...I pulled out ALL of the bins!

I love this ornament tree from Urban Outfitters. It is my first time using it and all the russian ornaments on it!

What is the use of collecting nativity sets when you dont put them out, I got out all 20 of them (but not my Russian one cause I would cry to have one of the kids break it...give me a couple more years) Here are the foreign ones. The "replaceable" ones are in the other room!

So Im starting to collect stockings too...not so smart. I only put out 2 sets this year and I think i am just going to have to hold back on buying more until I can figure out what you do with them!