Erin Go Braugh Party

Whether you are Irish or not, you can appreciate the Irish Pride that illuminates at this time of year. As we wait for spring to finally arrive, why not join into the festivities that surround Saint Patrick's Day and plan your very own Erin Go Braugh Party!

Party Tidbit - Invite some of your friends and their kids over to Kiss the Blarney Stone, Enjoy a Pot of Gold, Follow a Rainbow, Dance an Irish Jig and enjoy a taste of Ireland.


Kiss the Blarney Stone - Create your very own Blarney Stone out of a Large Dark Postar board with a Kiss Bulls Eye in the Middle and hang it up in an open area. Create Kiss Cut Outs from Red Construction Paper and add your party guests name to each one. To play the game blind fold your participator with a long scarf, place some tape on the back of their Kiss Cut Out, spin them and then off they go. Sound Familiar? You get the idea!
Materials - One Large Dark Poster Board, Red Construction Paper, Scissors, Blind Fold, Marker, Tape, Small Prizes


Follow the Rainbow Scavenger Hunt - For this game you want a package of colored construction paper or card stock. For each color of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple), you will want to cut out a shape (Square, Triangle etc.)of each color for each participant. This is done so that you can assign each guest a shape to find, of each color during the hunt. If you want to be creative, you can add clues where the next clue is for the participants that can read or you can just hide them around your home randomly. Make some doubles of some of the color shapes and put some Leprechaun Stickers on it as a road block. If your guest finds one then they have to give back the shapes they have found and start all over. The object is to follow the rainbow and collect all the colors of your assigned shape, to get your Pot of Gold. The pot of gold is a bag of Gold Coins in a Small Pot, found at any party store.
Materials - Colored Paper, Scissors, Leprechaun Stickers, Small Favor Pots, Bags of Gold Coins

Irish Musical Chairs - Pretty much the same game as the original, just done with some Irish Dance Music, found at your local library. The object of the game is to get into a chair when the music ends. Always have one chair less then the number of participants. Play until there is only one chair left. Surprise the winner with a small prize.

Shamrock your Beverage - Serve your guests Green Beverages by adding a small drop of Green Food Coloring to any Clear Beverage. Serve in Clear Cups.

Irish Dinner Ideas - Irish Stew, Soda Bread, Corn Beef and Cabbage Dinner, Corn Beef Sandwiches served with Creamy Potato Soup. Look up some easy Irish recipes online.

Pot of Gold - This is a tasty treat to serve your guests. Find a plastic pot at a party store to use as the container for this dessert. Now we are going to make a Golden Trifle. Buy two boxes of Golden Cake Mix and two boxes of Vanilla Pudding and prepare them according to the box instructions. You will also need a two large containers of Cool Whip, a package of Heath Toffee Bites and a box of Nilla Wafers.

When the cake is cooled, cut it into large sections to be used to layer your trifle in the pot. Start with a layer of cake, spoon some pudding for the next layer, then a thin layer of cool whip and then top the whip with a sprinkle of Heath Toffee Bites. Repeat until you run out of your ingredients! When you reach the top, finish off with a layer of whip and then pour out the box of Nilla Wafers for the Gold Coin look!

Remember to decorate with some Shamrock cut outs. Hang them from the ceiling with some fishing wire or just tape them all around. Pick up some inexpensive Green Leprechaun Hats. Get your grown up guests to have some fun with the kids by buying some Saint Patrick's Day scratch tickets to hand out for their prize. Get Creative and party like the Irish! I hope that my Tidbits inspired you to throw your very own Erin Go Braugh Party! Ireland Forever!

Freshen Up For Spring

Spring is right around the corner and we are all coming down with a little Spring Fever. Spring is all about lightening things up, letting in the fresh air and coming out of hibernation. With one month still officially left of winter, I have some Tidbits to help you Freshen Up For Spring!

Tidbit - Freshen up your home by adding some splashes of spring color and elements through out your home. Think Pale Yellow, Earthy Green, Lavender, Creamy Orange, Sky Blue and Soft Pink.

Treat yourself to some pretty inexpensive Throw Pillows and lighten up those cozy couches and chairs. While your at it, get some to brighten up your bedroom as well.

Change up your window treatments with some airy Bamboo Shades. They add a little Tropical Feel to any room for an affordable price.

Bring in some freshness with a new Tropical Plant or two. They will add that outdoor feeling to your living space and when the warm weather arrives you can use them to decorate your outdoor patio or deck. Your kid's will also enjoy helping you water the plant.

Look for some Potted Pansies at your local Loews or Home Depot. They come in a variety of spring colors and are extremely hardy. Put them in some decorative planters and add them through out your home for an early homemade Spring . Then you can plant them outdoors when the warm weather arrives. They will continue to bloom throughout the Spring and Summer.

Grow your own Wheat Grass in a pretty outdoor planter. Wheat Grass seed is available at any health food store and is very easy to grow. The grass will grow in about 6-10 days. If you plan it correctly, you can create a nice base for a Beautiful Easter Centerpiece to show off at your Sunday dinner. You can add decorated eggs, artificial chicks and butterflies(found at any craft store). It's a great project to do with the Kids. They will really enjoy helping and they will be able to feel a sense of gratification by watching how quickly it grows.

Spring is almost here, I hope that these Tidbit's help you to hang in there and Freshen Up For Spring!

Winter Fun Before It's All Done

Well here we are approaching the end of the Winter Season, which gives me a reason to give you some Tidbits on how to have some Winter Fun Before It's All Done!

Kid's Craft Tidbit - Ice Sculptures are so beautiful to look at and very difficult to make, but with a little creativity, you can make some of this whimsical beauty for yourself, before it melts into your spring flowers.

Step One - Look through your home and find some rectangular shaped pots and pans, then look through your children's sand castle makers from the summer and you will have the basic items needed for creating your Ice Sculpture.

Step Two - Fill your containers with cold water and Get Creative! Add some Food Coloring to add that Wow! factor to your ice blocks. You can make colored ice cubes in your freezer and then add them to your containers for an ice confetti look. Also, look around your home for other items that can be trapped in the ice, such as plastic toys and figurines. Make sure that the items are not your child's favorite and that they are made from a material that won't damage in the ice and water. When you are done being creative, place the containers outside and let them freeze. The temperature must be below 32 degrees.

Step Three - After the containers have frozen you are ready to make your sculpture. Grab a laundry basket and line it with a large plastic bag. Fill your sink or tub with hot water (Remember to keep the kids away from the Hot Water of course) and submerge your containers until they loosen from their mold. Place the ice blocks into the laundry basket and bring them outside. Now you can use them to create your very own Whimsical Ice Sculpture. You can stack them or arrange them in any way you can imagine. Have Fun!

Extra Tidbit - Use this same idea to make a Sun Ice Catcher. Fill a shallow container such as a pie pan with cold water and add some colorful items. I think that natural items work best like some citrus slices, berries, small branches or you can go with the confetti idea. Add a loop of a durable rope and submerge a portion of it in the water while it freezes. Later, when frozen you can hang your Ice Catchers in your yard on a plant hook.

Go and make the best of these last weeks of cold and have some Winter Fun Before It's All Done!

Happy Birthday Morning

When your a child, your birthday is one of the most anticipated days. My children start counting down the days to their next birthday almost immediately after their special day ends. Because the day is held in such a high regard to my precious little one's, I do my best to make it a wonderful, fun filled day and I start with the Happy Birthday Morning!

Tidbit - Make the first moments of your child's birthday, moments that will never be forgotten.

Months before my children's birthday we start talking about what kind of theme they would like for their big day, and they love to pick it out. Have your child pick out what theme they would like for their next birthday.

The night before your child's birthday decorate an area in your home that your child will see first thing. For me it's the dining room. I start with hanging streamers from the ceiling. There is something about streamers to a child, when they see them they just know that good things will follow.

Next, put out Mylar balloons of the theme they have chosen. (Note: Regular helium balloon's only last a short time, so go with Mylar which seem to have a never ending life span)

Have a table cloth on the table and birthday decorations all around and have waiting for them on the table, one of their birthday presents.

Serve a special breakfast such as pancakes with whipped cream and sprinkles. It starts their day out in a special memorable way and they will always look forward to their Happy Birthday Morning!

Extra Tidbit - We use every birthday as an opportunity to look back at the years that have passed. We do this by looking at the video's and pictures of their birth and the past birthdays. They enjoy looking at how they have grown and we enjoy slowing down time and remembering to appreciate them before they are all grown up.

Home Made Date Night

When you have children, it is hard to make time to be a couple. Whether it's finding the right baby sitter or just finding the time, energy and motivation, it becomes a challenge to have a little romance in your life. When my husband and I find that we are having a lull in our alone time, I create for us a Home Made Date Night!

Love and Marriage Tidbit - You don't have to leave your house to have a relaxing and romantic date night. It just takes a little time, thought and effort. For starters, your date night needs to include things that you both enjoy and that you don't get to have all the time. Things that will get you excited.

First, Plan the kind of setting that you will both like and time it for when the children are snug asleep. Set up a close seating arrangement in a room that you don't normally eat in. This could be the formal dining room or even setting up a small table in the living room. Be Creative! Make sure you add table linens, candle light, fresh flowers and music. Keep the lights dim and make sure that you are dressed for the occasion. I know this may seem difficult with kids but you can do it on a night that your honey gets in late or have him do the night routine with your child and surprise him.

Second, create a menu that includes some of your favorite dishes. Start with an appetizer and a cocktail and relax on the couch (make sure if the couch is in a different room then you create the same mood with candles, flowers and music)

Next, move into the eating area and serve yourselves like you are at a restaurant with soup, salad, main course and dessert. To make it easy, splurge on some fancy plastic platinum trimmed dinner ware found at any wholesale or party store. This way you can just toss it after. Create a meal around some take out options or prepare the dinner ahead, so all you have to do is reheat it and there is little to clean up. Make the salads ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Have all the items to make your dessert ready on the counter.

Remember that the main objective of any romantic restaurant is to give you the ambiance that creates a feeling of comfort and relaxation with your loved one. With a little thought and effort, this same atmosphere can be easily created in the comfort of your own Home Made Date Night!

Be Better On the Go

Mothers spend a good amount of the day in their cars. We are dropping, shopping, and always stopping to do something. Our cars become our home away from home, so I feel like it should have a system like our home. So here are some tips that I use to Be Better on the Go!

Tidbit - Keep you car stocked for the unexpected. What does this mean? It means be prepared for the hungry mom and child, be prepared for the boo boo at the playground, be prepared for the unexpected thunder shower and the whining child.

Always keep some nonperishable snacks in your car. Like a bag of goldfish, some granola or cereal bars. Store them in the glove box or in one of your storage areas in the front of your car. Also keep a box of juice boxes or water under the seats. It is also smart to have some stop whining snacks on hand, like a lollipop, for those breakdown moments.

Make a Kid Traveling Survival Kit - It is always good to keep some stuff in the car that is only for the car. This way your child will get excited for it when needed. When creating it keep in mind occupying your child's senses, such as sight, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling. My suggestions are some picture or reading books also look for some scratch and sniff books, children Cd's, a doddle pad or etch-a-sketch, a small map and some goggles, a kaleidoscope, a magnifying glass, a small flashlight, a Rubik's cube (for older kids) or some other mind and hand toy and of course some snacks. Keep it all in a tote in your car and bring it out when needed. I know that kids today have DVD players and hand video games, but those should only be allowed during very long trips. Kid's today are already stimulated enough.

Car Staples - A box of tissues, a package of wipes for spills and kid cleanup, anti bacterial gel for after every shopping trip, a loaded first aid kit, an emergency kit, a blanket for an unexpected picnic, a ball, a kite, a few diapers, some plastic bags for trash, and a couple of umbrellas. Keep stuff organized in a basket or tote bags, and keep the bigger stuff in the trunk.

If your a coupon mom, keep any fast food coupons, restaurant coupons, oil change coupons and car wash coupons in the car.

Keep your car clean by picking up trash and toys after each trip. Keep a few small plastic bags in your glove box for easy cleaning. Have on hand some empty tote bags just for the car. Tuck them away under your seat for easy access. Restock your car every couple of weeks. Make sure that you hang a great smelling air freshener in your car to keep you energized and Be Better on the Go!

Focus on the Inside

We are all day dreaming of warmer days and of blooming flowers. Many of us may be starting to think of our back yards and summer nights on the patio. I have already started planning my gardens and flower pots in my head. Although the Spring will be here soon, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. In my home I like to take advantage of these upcoming months, it is a good time to Focus on the Inside.


Organizing/Decorating Tidbit - Take care of things on the inside before the time comes to focus on the outside.

You can begin this process with going from room to room with a small notebook and writing down what can be Fixed, Improved or Changed in each room. As you walk from room to room, think about whether it is serving it's purpose for you and your family and it is functioning the way that you intended. If you are not completely satisfied with the room then begin to think about what area you want to focus on the most. Such as making it more Organized, De-cluttering, and Cleaning or Painting, Rearranging or Re-Purposing the room.

After deciding what can be done to the room, make a list of supplies that you will need to get the job done. See if you have any of the supplies on hand and then estimate the Time, Labor and Cost of each rooms projects. If you can only do some of the things that you have listed, then start there and keep the list so that you can refer to it later. If you can manage more change and improvement in your home, then set some dates with yourself and plan the budget to get them done.

Extra Tidbit - When looking at each room, don't forget about the Closets, Cabinets, and Drawers. Sometimes getting those organized first can help you focus on what you really want from each room and how you want it to function.

Extra Extra Tidbit - Remember to be realistic about your goals and start with the small things that can be done in each room. Also think of Paint as a great changing tool, it can be used to give any room a Decorative Lift by the use of color on any paintable object, like the wall, Trim, Ceiling, Tables etc. And if your brave enough, be a do-it-yourselfer. It will be gratifying in the end and save you some hard earned cash.

So Get Moving and Focus on your Inside!