The coolest baked good I've ever made

So back to my recaps on Emmy's Tangled birthday party.  We've already talked about the decorations so now we're on the good stuff...the cake.

I love to bake.  I'd rather bake than cook.  For some reason, baking makes me feel creative and artistic. I don't get that feeling from cooking. Last year was all about being creative for my children's birthdays.  Noah got Lego cookies for school and a Lego cake for home.  When I started planning (or pinning) Emmy's party, I knew exactly what I was going to make.  I found this pin and knew this was perfect for my baby girl's party.

via

How perfect are these Rapunzel towers?!?!?!  A great twist on the classic cupcake.  I headed to Michaels and got my supplies.  They were quite easy to make too.  I used a boxed cake mix (I'm not above that) and prepared it per the directions. I put ice cream cones in a muffin tin to help stabilize them and filled them 1/2 way to 2/3's of the way up.  I baked them according to the box and they baked perfectly inside the cone.  I baked them all the night before because I knew I had 40 of them to decorate the next day.  If I could do it over, I would make sure the only task I had on the day of the party was the cupcakes because the cones got a little stale.  I'm not sure if being in the oven caused the staleness or because they were made the day before.  Either way, they were a huge hit.

My brother's girlfriend was a lifesaver and came over early to help me finish them.  I can't thank her enough because I'd still be decorating them months later if it wasn't for her.  I just love that girl so much!!!

Here's our Rapunzel Towers.  I think they turned out perfectly!

Our creations

That's a lot of cupcakes

My birthday girl

Make a Wish

And I have to share this picture because it captures Em's pure joy at her party.  She had the best time with her friends from school, her cousins, and our family. We're so blessed to have so many people who love our children.

Tangled Party: AKA Momma Gets Crafty

Let's jump in the time machine and head back to the summer.  Emmy turned 4 in August and, of course, wanted a Princess Party.  Every party she's ever had has been a princess one.  She was a 1st Birthday Princess.  Then there was Little Mermaid and Brave.  So which princess would be the lucky one for her 4th?  Rapunzel of course!!!  So I did what any good mom would do....create a party board on Pinterest!!!!

I had originally bought the standard party store decorations but with a week to go before the party, I shifted gears and went completely homemade for everything.  I made the Hubs take most of the decorations back and used the money for my craft supplies.  I found a few pins for bunting and other decorations.  I cut out the sun logo that's seen throughout Rapunzel's kingdom and got to work.  I painted it on the bunting.  I made paper lanterns.  I braided 25 feet of yarn to make a Rapunzel braid to decorate our entry way with.  Each girl got a Rapunzel braid on a ponytail holder to wear for the party.  I even made the Magic Golden Flower that gives Rapunzel's hair its magic powers.  I might have gone a little overboard for a 4 year old's party but I had so much fun doing it.  I have set a high standard for myself for future parties though.

Without further adieu....Emmy's decorations!!!!

Making my templates for the bunting and paper lanterns

Paper lanterns in full effect

Tea staining my Wanted Posters

25 foot Rapunzel Braid

Rapunzel braids for all the girls

It turned out really nice

I love the way the lanterns looked!!!

I'm so happy with how it turned out.  I don't know if I'd change a thing.  It wasn't overtly Tangled but if you saw the movie, you appreciated the touches I did.  I'm so thrilled with the cupcakes I made that they're getting their own post!!!  Probably the most exciting thing that I've done so far in my baking career!!!!

Legoland!!!!

It's only fitting to follow up yesterday's post with a recap of Noah's birthday trip to Legoland!  My boy is a crazy Lego kid so of course he wanted his birthday to be all things Lego.  This year I had found the courage to have a class party.  I was ready to have a house full of 5/6 year olds and their moms.   I even made a Lego Party board for everything I needed (I mean, come on....you can't plan a party without Pinterest.  How did I ever plan my wedding 7 years ago?)  Then  Noah decided that he wanted to go to Legoland instead of having a class party.  I might have sighed a sigh of relief with this.  So we canned the Lego party (and all my pinning) and planned our day at Legoland.  I did send in Lego cookies to his class on Friday (that's a whole different post).  I was fortunate enough to have 2 passes given to me by a sweet family so we only needed to buy 1 admission.  Legoland has really weird hours (9:30-6) so we got there at 9:30 ready to enjoy our day of Lego fun!

Class cookies

Noah got his birthday button and we were off.  We hit up the merry go round first, then the playground and a few other little kid rides....aka...Mom and Dad are almost too big to fit in them.  Maybe because we need to lose a few hundred pounds but probably because the rides are geared towards 3-5 year olds.  That's my story at least.

Putting out the fires

My driver for the day

Love this one!!!

The Hubs being crazy

Jousting

Em building while Noah was on a ride.  Every line had a Lego area so the parents could wait in line and the kids could play

We rode a few rides in the Kingdom area then headed toward MiniLand USA.  This was probably my favorite part.  It's an area where different iconic cities are built entirely out of Legos.  It was truly unbelievable.  They had St Augustine, Orlando, Daytona, Tampa, Key West, Miami, and Kennedy Space Center representing Florida.  Other areas were NYC, San Francisco, Washington DC, Hollywood, and Las Vegas.  Each area had moving elements and interactive elements.  Noah was really excited because they now have a Star Wars MiniLand area.  Each of the 6 movies were displayed as well as scenes from Clone Wars.  I will say, it was impressive (and I don't really like Star Wars).  Noah (and the Hubs) were in hog heaven.

Dayton International Speedway (I was supposed to put a caption in that blank spot but forgot)

Tampa. San Fran, Washington DC, Key West, Miami Beach

My fave NYC!!!!!

Star Wars (oh I did it again with the blank space)

Noah and Vader (I can't believe he's all Legos)

Darth Maul (Noah's fave)

R2D2 and Noah

We ate lunch at a pizza/pasta/salad buffet which was probably the best value I've seen at an amusement park in a while.  Legoland definitely had healthier options at every food place.  Disney can definitely work on the healthy options area of their dining.  After lunch we wandered the park some more.  Emmy rode on a rollercoaster (Noah didn't).  She definitely our daredevil, no doubt.  The kids were pretty much beat by 5 and wanted to leave.

Driving school for Em

Noah hanging with the Lego Pirates

Noah's turn for driving school

Em and the Hubs on the rollercoaster....they're in the second to last row

Em and Mia from Lego Friends

We grabbed some dinner at Subway and then surprised Noah with our plan to catch fireworks at Disney!  The Hubs found our new fireworks watching spot (if you want to know where it is, shoot me an email or on Twitter....I don't want to give it away!) It turned out to be a great day!!!

I love Disney fireworks!!!

So here's my official opinion on Legoland.  At first I thought the hours were ridiculous.  We're Disney people so we're used to parks being open til 10 or later.  But after being there, I can see why it's closed early.  There really isn't a ton to do.  It is definitely good for my kids age groups but I think Noah will outgrow it in about 2 years.  It's very overpriced for what they have to offer.  We paid $65 for Noah's admission (with an online discount).  I'm glad that's all we paid.  If we had bought admissions for the Hubs and I, I'd be really mad.  It definitely is not worth $75/person.  With all that being said, it is really cool.  There are tons of Lego statues everywhere.  The fact that they're made entirely out of Legos is awesome.  The lines weren't too long and the park wasn't that crowded.  Since my kids are really into Legos right now, it's right up our alley.  We'll probably head back there a few times over the next 2 or 3 years but that's about it. Plus the kids had a great time and Noah had a great birthday.  There's no price tag on that!!!

Happy Birthday Kid!!!!
  

A few days late but Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!!

I'm so mad at myself for not staying up late and getting this post done Friday night so it would go live on Saturday but such is life.

My sweet boy turned 6 on the 12th.  Yes....6 years old.  I'm having a hard time believing that he's 6. Mostly because I really don't think I should be old enough to have a 6 year old.  But I guess I'm 30 now and it makes sense.  Noah has gone from this little thing to this grown up boy overnight.  He's more mature, funnier, he understands more, and I think more affectionate too.  He now makes funny comments and picks up on a lot more than he used to.  While I always say that he was an accident (he was born 5 days after our 1st Anniversary) I cannot imagine my life without this kid.  He taught me the true meaning of love at first sight and taught me what unconditional love is.  This world is truly a better place because my sweet boy is in it!

January 12, 2007

January 12, 2013

He's grown up so much since 2007.  I'm blessed to have him as my son and proud to be his Momma.

Man I love that kid!
 

Why my friends are the best

I'm really lucky.  I have awesome friends!  Not only are they just amazing to begin with but they definitely made turning 30 so much fun!  I mentioned earlier that I was going to see Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean last Friday night for my birthday.  Well let me tell you, it was one of my favorite birthdays ever!  And it isn't even my actual birthday yet!!!
Be prepared for photo overload
We planned out our tailgate (I wish I took a picture of our planning sheet) and met up at the Hard Rock Casino to consolidate cars and head over to the amphitheatre.  We set up shop in a nice little spot and started our tailgate.  They decorated a little for my birthday:

We had some food, even if there was only sourdough and white bread ;)

An intense game of Flip Cup ensued

Followed by what I think was modified corn hole or "throw the bean bags at whoever/whatever you could throw them at"

And of course there were millions of pictures taken

And Mindy ended up on the roof of our car.  I still don't know why or how that happened!

Then we headed in to find our seats.  The Hubs was nice enough to let Mindy take his ticket and sit down low with us while he sat in the lawn with the boys.  Luke Bryan was amazing as always!  I just love him!!!  Can't wait until he starts headlining his own tours.

Then we went up to sit with the boys on the lawn for Jason Aldean.  He was good too but definitely not as good as Luke.  Although I might be a little partial!!!

Then we headed to the cars, where we sat for like 40 minutes without moving.  We made it back to the casino, grabbed some pizza, and then called it a night.  I could barely keep my eyes open. Yes, I'm officially old.  I can't even stay awake past midnight!

I know this sounds cheesy but I am so blessed to have met such amazing people.  They are the best!  They still love me regardless of my limited availability, my crazy husband, and my kiddos.  I think my 30s are definitely going to be the best years of my life!!!!