Julia's Tea Party Birthday Party

Who's ready to host Julia's tea party birthday party?  We are!

 Evelyn was the DJ for the first activity:  freeze dance.  This was a good activity to do as the guests arrived because everyone could jump right in and play.

 After dancing up an appetite, it was time to settle down for snacks and pink lemonade.  Julia introduced everyone to the idea of holding their tea cups with their pinky up, and I told the girls that their tea cups had a special name - demitasse.  Fancy, fancy!

 Next up was the big craft of the day:  newspaper party hats.  First, we wrapped the girls' heads with three large pieces of newspaper.  I went around each girl's head several times with masking tape to keep the newspaper in place.  Then Evelyn curled up the newspaper to get it out of their faces.  Finally, the girls had an adult help them attach feather boas and fake flowers with a hot glue gun.

 Look at all those big, bold tea party hats!

 Next, we played "Pin the Ring on Minnie."  Three girls completely missed the poster, which made everyone burst out laughing.  After that game, I read a story to the girls - Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman.  They all loved the funny, unpredictable story as well as the clever illustrations.

Then it was cake time!  Julia had to take a couple of breaths to blow out all the candles, but she got the job done.

 After everyone indulged in some yummy chocolate cake, Julia opened her presents.  She wanted to thank each guest for their gift...and she did so with bear hugs.  Finally, as I put the guests' tea cups and saucers into the proper goodie bags/purses, Julia's friends played BINGO.  Before we knew it, the two-hour party was over and it was time to bid farewell to the guests.  A good time was had by all - especially the birthday girl!

Egg- and Dairy-Free Birthday Party Food

Our family does not have any food allergies.  However, two of the friends who came to Julia's party today are allergic to egg and dairy products.  It was very important to Julia that all of her guests enjoy all of the food at her party, so she and I worked diligently with her friends' parents to plan and prepare egg- and dairy-free party food.

Let's start with the cake.  Using a Wilton butterfly cake pan, I made an egg- and dairy-free chocolate cake.  Then it was time to whip up homemade dairy-free frosting.  I simply substituted Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks for real butter.  Same texture, similar taste.

 I tinted the frosting per Julia's directions - she knew which sections should be which colors.  Wilton icing colors are known to be vegan, which also made them safe for Julia's cake.

I added antennae, a face and dots on the wings (again, per Julia's directions).  And...voila!  A beautiful, delicious butterfly cake...that nobody would guess was egg- and dairy-free.

 But let's not forget about the snacks the girls enjoyed during Julia's tea party.  A couple days ago, Julia and I made chocolate chip cookies - we used a Cherrybrook Kitchen box mix and Earth Balance "butter."  (Just like the cake, taste was not sacrificed - the party guests gobbled up the cookies.)  Julia also offered Oreo cookies.  The savory snack was Goldfish pretzel crackers.  We served grapes and pink lemonade, too.

Yummy party food that was also egg- and dairy-free.  That was Julia's goal, and we pulled it off without a hitch.  The only people that were in on our secret were the two girls with food allergies and their parents.  :)

Tea Party Birthday Party Prep

Julia's tea party birthday party is tomorrow.  After three months of planning and preparing, the big event is only one day away.  Three months of planning yields plenty of time to bargain hunt.  The cost for Julia's party?  $125, including food and invitations (which are not pictured).

 Julia and I found mismatched tea cups and saucers at a local thrift store - each set cost between $2 and $4.  The girls will drink pink lemonade from their tea cups during the snacks and tea part of the party, and the guests will take home their tea cups as a party favor.

 Speaking of party favors, Julia and I went to Target the day after Valentine's Day to round out her goodie bags.  We spent an additional $18 on all the goodies in the picture below.

 The last thing Julia did today was set the table.  She arranged the plates, napkins and tea cups just-so.  She also planned where she wanted the snack dishes.  This girl is ready for tomorrow's party!

One Year Ago . . .

. . . this house came on the market.  Troy had an evening appointment with our Massachusetts realtor to see this house at then end of a cul de sac, with a creek in the backyard.  He loved it, and we put in a full-price offer.  It was the second house (in three days) that we bid on, and we honestly didn't think we would get it.  What a pleasant surprise it was, then, when Troy received a call two days later saying we got the house!  It's hard to believe all that has happened in one year's time . . .

Outlet Shopping

This is the latest I have shopped for spring/summer clothes for the girls.  When we lived in Dallas, I started shopping in February.  When we lived in Maryland, I would get warm-weather clothes in March.  I (optimistically) think warmer weather is just around the corner...at least a few days here and there...so we finally went shopping.  In April.

We live just ten minutes away from an amazing outlet shopping center (Wrentham Village Premium Outlets).  Everything at these outlet stores is offered at a significant discount, and we always find some amazing bargains.  Today was no different.  Evelyn was the one who needed the most warm-weather clothes, and she made out like a bandit at Hanna Andersson, The Children's Place and Justice.  Another reason I like our home's proximity to the outlets is that we can go on a Monday after school, when it's not busy.  Tee hee!

Chick Fil A Surprise

One of the perks of driving 45 minutes to see my orthopedic doctor is I am then only ten minutes away from our closest Chick Fil A.  See, we live in a southern suburb of Boston, and the only two Chick Fil A eateries in Massachusetts are in the northern suburbs.  Not exactly close.  Therefore, whenever I go, I load up big-time!  I get meals for Julia and me, and I also get a couple of 4-packs of chicken strips to toss into the freezer.  (After thawing out, they reheat nicely in a 325-degree oven for about 12 minutes.)

 I didn't tell Julia where I was stopping today, so she was over-the-moon excited to have her favorite fast food chicken (and waffle fries...yum...) for lunch today.  :)

Change of Plans . . .

While eating lunch this afternoon, Julia and I noticed that all of our bird feeders needed to be filled.  Grocery shopping was on the agenda this afternoon (we were in dire need of several staples), but we decided to fill the feeders first.

 Today's weather was so nice - sunny and warm - that we ended up staying outside, watching birds, for an hour and a half (!).  Julia went inside to get my camera, the bird book and her binoculars.  While sitting on the ground, we saw several different song birds come to the feeders we had just filled.

 The male goldfinches are really starting to show their summer colors.

 Cardinals are always easy to spot.

 And this little guy (or girl?) is a song sparrow.  They truly live up to their name - they have a beautiful song.

As far as grocery shopping...well, we had to do that this evening, after dropping off Evelyn at her 6:00 ballet class.  But an evening trip to the grocery store was definitely worth the time we spent outside this afternoon.