The Magical Baby Girl and The Brokenhearted Woman

This is the story I tell my daughter every year about her birth story, the essence of the story is true, my hubby and I waited nearly a decade for the promise of parenthood to be fulfilled. 2 & 1/2 years before Kissi was born we suffered the loss of 3 babies consecutively and the heartache and loss nearly swept us away. It was only the loving hands of our Lord that kept us intact and the lessons we learned during those lean years still aid us in our walk today....

Frugal Fridays- MYO Christmas Gifts #1: Gourmet Vanilla Extract & Vanilla Sugar

I have seen a tons of posts ALL over Pinterst in the past few years of DIY BLOGGERS making homemade Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Sugar...  

So this  is what I am planning on giving my son's therapists, my visiting nurses, my besties, and my mom, step mom, & sisters (in-laws too!) For Christmas this Year... ALONG w/Customized Truffles, Coconut Bon-bons, & Buckeyes Candies

IT is SOOOO easy you can't even imagine, can be quite frugal, you have to invest in medium priced vodka (too cheap gives the extract an aftertaste that more gourmet vanilla just doesn't have~ it's what sets them apart.) You can get about 15, 4-ounce extract gifts out of one bottle and about $15 for 1/2Lb Vanilla Beans (I bought 1 LB), before you add in the tags and decorative jar, you have spend about $2/person!! For Gourmet NEVER ending GOOD Vanilla (INA would APPROVE!!)
  
I also made the recipe SUPER SIMPLE: 

• by adding the beans directly to the vodka bottles. 
• I will strain the extract with a coffee filter and mesh strainer. Sterilize the gift bottles before I add in extract with a small funnel. 
• I used the portion of  Vodka I had to remove, making room for vanilla beans, to make coconut extract (You could also make citrus extract or mint extract. Mint I would REMOVE after a week to avoid any mold or spoiling issues. The rest would be able to stay in to make a stronger flavor.)

 

The start up fee includes:

• Vanilla Beans: $31.96/LB
• * Vodka: $13/1.75L
• Decorative Containers: $14.92/Dozen

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• The best price for the amount rec'd I found online was Madagascar Bourbon Planifolia Extract Grade B Vanilla Beans 6~7" $31.95/Lb with FREE SHIPPING PLUS FREE I rec'd 1/8 pound of near gourmet Madagascar Planifolia vanilla beans. 
•  You will need to add about 12 beans per 1.75L (about 1/4Lb)... Now there were quite a bit shriveled and hard to scrape all the seeds out, but I was pleased that most were plump and all was fragrant.  

If you plan to make gifts plus have some on hand you can really purchase 1/2Lb and be just fine. I bought a little more- but I will have it for at least a year.

• The *Vodka- I bought 3- 1.75ML ($13/each) will make about 15- 4oz extracts in each bottle...I over bought, but I plan on giving some ppl a larger size and I want a LARGE size for my baking needs...  

*(I bought a medium price range vodka, "Smirnoff'"- When I went to State Liquor store within our neighborhood grocery store, the attendant knew nothing of the variety of vodkas they store carried. Fortunately for me the owner of a high-class restaurant in town that is known for their cocktails and mixed drinks overheard me. He told me the restaurant had a blind taste test where about 75 or so ppl chose from a variety of vodkas and "Smirnoff" was the most chosen vodka. So I decided on that brand)

• Decorative containers, there is about 60 oz in a 1.75L bottle, you loose about 1.3oz of your bottle when you add in beans, so account for that loss (I poured the excess into a smaller glass container and added some organic unsweetened coconut to make coconut extract- I will add to my coconut bon-bons). I mistakenly bought the 1 oz size, now I have a TON of vanilla extract... (BUT I did save various decorative bottles that once held capers, artichoke hearts, jams, tahini paste, canning jars. So some I will give a small amount some I will give a larger size!)

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Vanilla Extract:

•  1/4 Lb beans per 1.75L bottle of vodka (I use Smirnoff*), pour about 1.3 oz of vodka out in small container then cut beans into quarter (I didn't cut in half and scrape, b/c seeds will come out over the 12 weeks "curing time"), replace lid.

Place in a cool, dark area for about 9-12 weeks to develop a more rich and gourmet deep flavor.  

DON'T FRET if you have started this later than you had hoped, you could always make a tag that reads, "For best flavor-Don't use until ___date". I think the recipient of the gift would love rec'ing the extract then wait expectantly to use later, like 2 gifts in one! :-)

  

  
Vanilla Sugar:

• From the same batch of beans I added about 3-5 beans per 19 once glass containers, filled with sugar, then added lid. 

I then shook the jar once/week to distribute the sugar. This will keep about a year, if kept air-tight will nearly be indefinitely, its the humidity that will compromise your beans and cause mold. So an air-tight container is a must, if you want this to really last! 

Coconut Extract in center made with the vodka I had to pour out to add in beans

Your extract will immediately darken, and continue to do so, you will see flecks, this is the seeds and IS NORMAL, that is the FLAVOR. 


Shake once a week and leave alone to develop the rich sweet smoky vanilla goodness!

The sugar will start to clump, keep shaking the jar to break up clumps and incorporate the vanilla taste throughout. Now specks and flakes  are normal for vanilla sugar. 

What I intent to do, bc I am not sure the recipients of these gifts will understand 

the flakes and pods are normal-  

I will be using a food processor to on half of gifts to blend the pods, sugar, and seeds.  

The rest I hope will be ok, bc you can continue to add sugar to the pot, and have a "Never Ending" vanilla sugar to add to coffee, teas, baked goods, breakfast foods...

Oooohh yeah!!

Linked to Weekend Potluck

   

Encouragement Thursdays...# 2: Encouraging our Kids to be GOOD playmates

How to encourage our kids to be 

GOOD playmates...

I never thought I would have to deal with "mean girls" at  4 years of  age and I am so shocked I had to soothe my sweet baby girl after an older child on the playground told her to go away & that she didn't want to play with her.  Seeing her sweet little face streaked with tears and heart broken that someone didn't want to play with her, was heart rendering for me to witness, it still evokes emotion within me writing this.

Pic credits from this site

I don't know if I handled the situation on the playground as well as I should have, all I could do was:

• Calm my baby girl down 
• Tell her know she did nothing wrong  
• she was not the one with the problem
• The other little girls were the ones who had a problem.  
• THEY were missing out on the all fun by not choosing to play with her. 

I calmly told her she was a fun little girl and we were going to have fun playing together, that if I was a little girl I would always choose to play with her.

What a tough concept for a 4 year old to grasp and this was NOT the first time something like this has happened, it is the first time she noticed other children being intentionally mean and excluding her.

I can remember my volleyball coach being furious with us if we didn't practice as hard as we played matches. She would make us run "suicides" or do "maniacs" if she caught us being lackadaisical and yell the whole time,

"You will play like you practice!" 

over and over again. I have often gone back to that phrase & applied it to many life situations and now that I am a mother I see it still applies and it is no different with my kids.

With those words in my mind, my daughter and I were playing and as imaginative as she is that day she was pretending we were lions on the pride lands and she started acting out the "situation" on the playground.  I acted out what I would like for her to say and how I would like for her to respond when she was pretending she was mean, as she told her imaginary friend to "GO AWAY!"

I responded, "I am sorry you feel that way. I will play over here and if you change your mind &  say NICE things to me and play NICELY with me I would love to play with you."

She went on and played out other mean things, each time I would respond,

"I am sorry you feel that way, I will play over here and if you change your mind and would like to say NICE things to me and play NICELY with me I would love to play with you."

After a time we switched places and I was the mean child, only I decided I wanted to play with her after she told me my "I am sorry you feel that way", speech. We did this for quite some time, she really got into it and was so gracious when I changed my mind and wanted to play with her.

My biggest hope is that this kind of role play, "PRACTICING LIKE WE WILL PLAY", better equips her to to handle "mean girls", I don't want her to be a doormat nor do I want her to be a bully or just be mean back.  

Giving the other kids a chance to change their mind allows room for change and hopefully allows my children to be gracious and generous as well as firm as to how they will ALLOW others to treat them.

Linked to Better Mom Link & Growing Home

Encouragement Thursdays...#1 The Miraculous Baby the Fearful Hearted Woman

Welcome to the first of many installments of 

ENCOURAGEMENT THURSDAYS.

 

In an attempt to be more purposeful with my blog and post in a more organized fashion, I am going to assign Thursdays to Encouragement. 

 

This First Encouragement Thursday, is dedicated to my son on his 2nd birthday & to all my fearful hearted friends out there. You know WHO you are, you have been disappointed so many times you no longer have the courage to hope, the dispair felt after being deflated still clings to your soul. 

 

Dear friend, may I encourage you to hang on to that hope, if the Lord placed it there, He WILL be Faithful to FULFILL it!! What we fail to do is release the need to control HOW HE will fulfill that desire...

 

This is the story I tell my son on his birthday, though he is too young to really understand what I am saying, I still tell him his Miracle Birth story each year. As I did with my daughter & her story-the prequel to this "The Magical Baby and the Broken Hearted Woman".  

 

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Boy Blue Eyes, Momma Loves YOU!

The miraculous baby & 

the fearful hearted woman

 

Once upon a time there was a miraculous baby boy who was waiting to be born. This baby had incredible inner strength and courage. He was created with a will so strong he could over come just about any obstacle life had in store for him as long as he humbled himself before God and allowed God's glory to shine through him.

Each day he would enter the throne room of God and ask, "When will I be born? Is it my time yet?"

And each time God would reply with a knowing smile on his face, "Precious one, it is not your time, not yet"

At the same time the woman whose heart was once broken and now was made whole rocked her precious, magical baby and marveled at the joy she had found in this sweet baby girl.

And God would knowingly smile to himself and say, "You will be blessed in more ways than you can ever image...But now is not the time, no- not yet."

The woman had a secret in her heart she thought she had kept hidden she yearned to give birth again, to give her magical baby a sibling. But after years of barrenness, loss, & heartache she was too fearful to ask God, to even try. So she tried to prevent the miracle of life within her and tucked that hope and dream away on a shelf in her heart.

 God looked at her and shook His head saying to himself, "When will my children get it? They cannot hide their hearts away from me, I created that heart, the hidden places are known to me. There is not one place they could possibly hide, even the darkest place is made light to me- there is no crevice deep enough I could not find or high enough I could not climb."

More time when by and the Miracle Baby Boy entered the thrown room with his beaming smile, and asked God again, "Is it my time yet? "

God knew that the smile the Miracle Baby Boy had been given had healing powers and that the big blue eyes God had fashioned after the sea would melt away the ice caps from even the coldest of hearts.

God began in a gentle voice, "My son your time is soon, prepare yourself for your journey it may not be an easy one, but rest assured I have plans for you my son, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Hold on to my promises, for they NEVER FAIL. Your time is soon, but not yet"

The momma was happy as can be as the Magical baby girl grew and flourished, yet when the night came, the momma tucked away hope and started to place it in a darker corner & on a higher shelf.

God stood by quietly, but this night was different, He spoke out to the quiet part of her soul and asked her a simple question, "IF I intended to bless you, do you think that you could stop it?"

Before she could respond her asked her again,  

"IF I intend to bless you, do you think that even you could stop Me? 

The dreams & hopes you have allowed many earthly fears to block you from believing in 

have already been fulfilled - Doubt me no longer 

 For WHEN I intend to Bless you- EVEN you 

CANNOT stop me!"

At that moment hope sprung from it's shelf she tried to hide away on the highest shelf in the darkest recesses and found it's home in her the center part of her heart where it should have been all along. And she felt the familiar stirring in her belly as God Knit a Miracle against Miracles there, in fact a miracle of the life-giving kind was all ready growing there.

A baby that fought against many odds, and against the doubts and fears of his parents,  was growing and healthy waiting to meet his momma, BUT not yet-his time would have wait a little longer.

On June 26, 2010 a beautiful baby boy with a smile that brought healing and eyes bluer than the sea was born. 

He was amazing and the joyful family that once was heartbroken was now complete a family of 4.

There was peace in the kingdom that short time... yet Confusing and Dark times lingered in the background and tried to shroud the joyful arrival of the Miracle baby Boy.

The momma was sick to her core unbeknownst to all. Once discovered this illness threatened the life of this momma and at times the sickness nearly overtook her. She was lost for awhile & wandered in the desert & lonely places.

The father scooped up his radiant, Magical Baby girl in his arms and tenderly held his lively, Miracle Infant Baby Boy and gazed into his sons eyes that were bluer than the sea & found courage & strength he didn't know he even had there. 

The father cried out to God, "Please we need her, our kids need their momma and I need my wife, please Lord it's not time, no Father, please NOT YET."

A quiet calm came over the father as he held his babies he had believed for and prayed for all those years. A remembrance sparking in his soul that God is good and God is GREAT... in his heart the father knew that her sickness was being healed and she was being restored. Soon she would come back.

After a time the sickness that held the momma at bay was weakening, the echos of her Miracle baby cries were in the distant and her fears started to melt as she remembered who she was. Her eyes opened and she held her Miracle baby Boy stared into his blue eyes finding courage and strength as softly said,

"My son I am here, I was lost for a time, but now I am here, If God chooses to bless me NOTHING can stop him!"

P. A. R. T...Y?? Cuz I GOTTA!!!

Western Pony Farm Girl

4th Birthday Party

NOT the party girl, LOL! But her popa Stefan!

A party as BIG as it's name! Party day finally was here...only took me 2 months of dreaming up ideas,  then a few weeks of scouring the web {Google & Pininterest mostly and a 4 weeks of assembly plus 3 days of food prep work....all for 2 hours of fun. 

Happy giggles & shrieks of delight from party goers plus the look of enchantment on the Birthday girl's face....TIMELESS!!!

It all started with a picture I had in my head of Cow Hide Print and Red Bandana fabric & paper projects w/the use of the Old West Cricut Cartridge once Kissi started showing interest in horses. Then I found this pillowcase dress and an ESTY store customized her appliqued shirt for my son using both fabrics.

I really wanted to give her a party with pony rides and I even got an excellent price to give her one but my fear was the average age of the party guests was 3 and was too young to really handle it plus if it rained there would be no main attraction and 7 active girls plus 3 boys trapped in the house is something I wouldn't wish for even my arch enemy should I have one! And based on all of that it made it easier to choose to have the party at my Aunt's club house in her allotment. It is a rustic barn with exposed beams on the ceiling and wagon wheel light fixtures, brick walls... soo perfect for a Western Pony Farm Girl Party!!  Side note it did RAIN, Sleet and even snow some party day... good thing I changed the plans because the kids had more fun running around chasing each other & screaming like wild banshees in the HUGE clubhouse! 

I did a lot of upcycling for decorations, grocery bags, cereal boxes, shipping boxes, aluminum cans... I tried to keep this very frugal, green, and of course SUPER CUTE!! Items I made using Brown Grocery Bags (click here for details):

• Birthday Banner/Bunting
• Lollipop Tags {Forgot to add, but use make~ BUMMER!
• Marshmallow S'More Pops Display/Holder
• Favor Bags Labels
• Party Invite Directions
• Table Name Tags for food

I used a lot of stainless steel, white serving dishes, vintage crates, aluminum upcycled cans for serving dishes and flatware. My mom had some customized black table clothes that were designed for different table sizes but I draped them so they fit this HUMUNGOUS pool table with MDF board cover. I had plenty of space to display the many munchies.

I made everything from scratch so it saved us tons of money and got lots of the food on sale. I had a bountiful table filled lush and fresh offerings. I made my Family Favorite Potato Salad, Bountiful Pasta Salad, Campfire baked Beans, Carmelized Hickory Brown Sugar Barb-B-Q Drummettes, Limeade Cherry Spritzers (tastes just like Sonic's Cherry Limeades... YUMMO!!), Fresh and Delicious Fruit Kabobs, Cracked Pepper Dip, Lush Veggie Plate w/white & Choco covered strawberries, zesty pepperoni slices, dill pickles, roasted sweet peppers, black olives, My Mom's Double Stuffed Deviled Eggs. 

And that is just the food buffet! I did make a Dessert bar with Bakerella worthy cake pops made with the traditional red velved cake and white chocolate covering, 2" mini Cherry Pie Pops, S'mores Marshmallows on a stick, white cup cakes, Rich Deviled Foods Sour Cream Cake w/ Carmel-Chocolate Chips Trifle,  Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Covered Waffle Pretzels. I hand cut mini bunting for the Trifle and Twig basket containing Cherry Pie Pops. I wasn't crazy about the art work behind the table so I draped a remnant of Muslin over the pic that was drilled to the wall and taped a poster I had made of both of my children in their party clothes. I did have many ideas for backdrops but the wood paneling didn't allow for me to hang up any back drops and the Brick walls I didn't want to cover up.

I made customized paper dolls in the Birthday Girl's image some I used cricut cartridge some I good old fashioned ingenuity. I also made hats, boots, and horses with the Old West Cricut Cartridge as well as Bucking Broncos for Pin the Tail game, and sheriff badges for party guests, Rope fonts, Western Lettering, Lollipop tags. I just used raffia to fill the clear buckets I doubled use for party balloons placed bandanas under buckets along with mini horses.

As kids arrived I had them all decked out in western gear complete with cow boy hat, red bandana and they were deputized. I gave kids a choice to sit on the bale of hay and authentic western saddle (Which was a gorgeous saddle with amazing leather work my bestie allowed me to borrow) or to stand against the brick wall so I could take a photo for the Wanted Sign thank you cards I am going to send. Nearly all the guests (10 of them total) chose the saddle and it was really fun to so them all dressed up!


 We played Pin the tail on the Bucking Bronco with an icon I made using the Old West Cartridge, it was fun and amazingly we had a 3 way tie!! Then we played Red Light/ Green Light, but with a western twist...In place of red light I told them "Whoa" and in place of Green Light I said "Getty-Up!" For added fun I taught the kids different gaits of horses, "Gallop", "Cantor", & "Prancing" that had to do as they participated...

3 yr old Ben learning "to"...what a sweetie!!

We finished up the party w/the children learning American Sign Language Signs to "Happy Birthday" including the Birthday Girl's nickname "Kissi", which they learned in a only a few short seconds. Then we taught the adults, which was pretty hysterical watching them struggle with 5 signs the kids breezed through.

Was a fun exhausting day that took a crew of people to help me pull off the finishing touches and clean up. I had more ideas that just didn't happen due to time constraints & forgetfulness. I had the lollipop doilies all ready to place on the marshmallow pops (got for pennies on sale), cake pop tags (I made with old west cartridge), and jute ribbon for pie pops- just in the last minute rush to assemble I forgot to add.

Plus I was going to have 2 stations rolling as kids arrived one was for the dress up and pictures and one was for the coloring page where they made up their horse name. Which was going to be a 3rd game to keep the kids engaged. Kids had fun running, chasing each other and screaming. But in the future I will need more help in the beginning so I can be more time efficient.

I will post the links and detailed post as well as one with just images for people who don't want to read all my details just want to be inspired by images...

I hope you get inspired to make your decorations, upcycle items you might just throw in the trash, look at every day items in different ways.

Linked to 30 Days handmade pity party link party  , Women Living Well ,
The Thrifty Home , Passionately Artistic , Gingersnap Crafts ,

Kissi-cat's "Cowgirl" 4th-Birthday Party Preperations

Getting excited for Kissi-Cat's 4th birthday party! 

I need to reserve the church and get details on the pony rides at this stable that offers pony rides 2 blocks from the church. They offer pony parties as well but not sure I want to have the party there, I will have to check and see the details...

I  want to decorate in Red bandana & BLACK & White cow hide prints and wanted to find a matching out fit for Kissi-cat to wear. I then found some adorable ideas for bandana fabric dresses, was all set to make them, but then stumbled on to this charming pillowcase dress with both prints I wanted for a reasonable price on E-bay: boutique_littlesweetie.

Pillowcase dress-SUPER CUTE!!

How cool is that?? I think I will purchase a black, long sleeved turtle neck for her to wear under this dress as April will still be cool.

The seller, Laurie gave me an idea for an appliqued tie shirt for my son, but we were unable to come up with an idea she was comfortable with making.  I found Laurie super sweet, easy to work with, and I would order from her again. I will post the outfit once I get the dress which she sent me a tracking number and it's all ready on its way within 3 days of purchase..super fast, REC'D IT WITHIN 4DAYS~WOW!! It is soo darling, and looks just like I thought it would.

Here is the boot for Kissi from Amazon I got for $16

Kissi-cat has these "skinny jeans" in a black wash finish pared with these stylish and very comfortable boots the outfit will be sooo perfectly cowgirl! She was so thrilled with her boots, she has been dancing around the house in her boots and she can't wait for her party!

Imagine this w/long sleeved black shirt w/Red bandana print vest with cow hide tie

I then googled cow print shirts for boys and found an Esty seller: BittyBundlesofJoy who was willing to customized her cow hide print vest and black tie applique concept to fit my ideas. I wanted a long sleeved black shirt with vest and tie, she recommended using the red bandana vest and cow print tie combo.

I think I could have handled making this on my own but the price was right, Kate was super nice and easy to work with plus she  worked out the bugs of making this and I supported a small, woman owned business~ so I am ALL  for that!! I order the the shirt on Tuesday paid for it on Wed and I just got a notification it was sent Thursday, how is that for super fast?? Will post the shirt on my cutie when I get it!!

This was the inspiration

Love the Banner with brown bag burnt edges with cowhide print banner the cupcake tags, and the overall design!

$9.00 for 25 free shipping

The colors of Kissi-cat's party are BLACK cow hide print and red bandana, u guessed that right? LOL! I found these balloons super cute, I think I would add some plain red balloons. Might try buying plain white balloons and use a sharpie to color cow hide print on it? Would be  a penny pinching idea, since I can get a bag of 25 for under $2. I am thinking of using red gingham table clothes with burlap-like table runners and clear buckets with steel accents filled with natural raffia strands, and cow hide and red print balloons. Or if too expensive white or red table clothes, with the same stainless steel buckets and runner,  using images from Old West Cricut Cartridge- (Cool story, Kim, an amazingly sweet woman  from Cricut message boards, saw my post and went WAY out of her way to find me this cartridge in Oklahoma today!!) poking out of the clear paint can....

Love the balloons and stainless steel

Want to make a 2 layered cake, might purchase one from bakery and add a horse to top with mini-banner like this party planner did:

 Horse, natural raffia, and bunting

I also like the natural raffia on the table, to mimic hay. I would want the cake to be white, unsure how I would ice the "trim" bc red and black can be so bitter, will have to think on that some more...

Might use this idea w/my party colors

Then enters this idea for a double banner and the icing with the swirls, I could make the cake and save money and practice the swirly technique... might do that just use cow hide print and bandana print  remnants and use fusible web on twine with kabob skewers? I would then make cup cakes with plain white paper cups and use Old West Cricut Cartridge for Icon images, like cow boy hat,  boot, & bucking horse images.  Not sure how I will display cupcakes, think I will simply place on white square plates and make 24 plain white w/white frosting or do mini cakes and idea with egg carton pictured below.

Using Old West images as toppers/or "4" for her birthday

Love the Name plate labels and snack mix paper cones

Also I am thinking of doing cake balls again, only this time make them to stand on plate and insert the pony icon/4 circle icons on to long sticks, s'mores marshmallows on sticks with the inserts, fruit cream cheese spread w/teddy grahams, fruit Kabobs-adult ones on larger skewers placed in a stainless steel wash tub speared into lettuce head as I did in the Princess party, but add a small rectangle plate with mini- fruit and veggie kabobs for smaller kids on longer tooth pics or use my 4 slot large rectangle serving dish.  Also make a veggie tray w/thick ranch dip, crackers, and cheese, chips, pretzel sticks, and (might add Bar-B-Q chicken drum'etts in slow cooker, Ranch Baked Beans, and Potato Salad.)

Love the labels of this party the use of burlap ribbon, I would use a cork that has a slit cut into it and use images from Old West, also LOVE the other use of egg carton for deviled eggs called "hatchlings", LOL! Plus the burlap paper cones holding the snack mix.

Mini-Cupcakes, gr8 idea for easy transportin

Love this mini-cup cake holder idea, I have been saving egg cartons (that I cleaned & sanitized!) just for this idea, I would have to have longer tooth pics, might display the cupcakes this way on either side of my cake w/swirls and red bandana bunting. Will make chocolate cake with white frosting to look like cow hide print and use red bandana backgrounds with cowgirl icons on the pic.

PONY RIDES!

This might be the "pony ride" we end up with, hopefully I can borrow a saddle from my one friend to make it complete!

Kids can color if they want or take home!

Found this idea for the place settings and it is a free printable, I have the PDF saved to my Pony Party File but I can't find the link, I have found the images of this party all over pin-interst but none take right to this party, I am thinking it is a "Kara's Party Blogg" item, if you want to check you might find the "Free PDF". I remember the instructions were to use a flat 9"X12" brown shopping bag and cut down 1/4" of the bag, fold over, and insert the poster. Tie with twine and add a Sheriff's badge. The poster says " WANTED ... definitely alive, space to color pic, then lower portion says for crimes of not cleaning room/stable. Or something like that, funny bc Kissi-cat is very good at cleaning her room and helping clean up in general so far that is anyways...

Printing DIRECTLY on lunch sacks!

For favors:  I am going to print on a brown lunch sack "THANK YOU" in Western print and punch holes in the top and tie jute/twine rope and attach a tag w/child's name. I think I will find a tub of horses and give horses as favors and cow tails candy along with horse stickers.

For Games: If we don't go the pony ride route am thinking of some games.

Use the stamps for game and Kissi's present

Pony Name: When guests first arrive give each guest a plaque to decorate with their pony name. If they were a pony, what would they be called?  Then using this Kit from Melissa and Doug have the kids stamp their favorite horse and color.  Use that name from then on & write on a star and stick on kid's clothes- if they don't freak out about it. Hang up pic & Plaque on jute rope line as a bunting behind the pony on a haystack with clothes pin.

Sugar Cube Race: Call the kids by their pony names and tell them that sugar cubes are one of a pony's favorite treat Split the guests into two teams and have them take turns racing a sugar cube on a spoon. If the sugar cube falls off, they pick it up and go back to start.

Pony Relay Races: Run short races pony style: prance, gallop, run, and trot. Who’s the pony at your pony party?- If I can find a CHEAP HOBY HORSE/STICK PONY, I will buy or perhaps make it? Then the kids can name it and use the games above with the ponies.

So those  are SOME OF my ideas...

I have started some ideas using Cricut Craft room  an online design tool that lets you experiment, explore, and design in ways never before possible. And it’s free. Plus, just for starting your account, you’ll automatically receive Cricut Craft Room™ Basics, a collection of digital fonts and shapes. 

I thought I wasn't going to find the cartridge until my new Oklahoma friend KIM, offered get me one from her local Hobby Lobby-she ended up calling 8 STORES and found me one, yay!!! That has to be the COOLEST story ever! 

I have designed the center pieces & the banner is started in the Craft Room. This is a really cool program, gr8 for those who don't have a gypsy yet, there is a learning curve, but once I figured out the mat layer it was smooth sailing, haven't cut any out yet, bc I had to either purchase or link up my cartridge so hopefully all that time won't be for not. I can see using this to design during the day and being all set up to cut& assemble at night while kids are sleeping...so excited to use this!! :-)