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Here are my newest posts on Spoonful this week. Get ready to see some terrific photos!

First, browse through this gallery of creative cupcakes and you're sure to be inspired.

Planning an outer space party? Here are some great ideas.

There's nothing more beautiful for spring than strawberry sweets and desserts!

For more inspiration, check out all my posts on Spoonful.

Hello everyone – it’s Melissa from My Party Passion – continuing with my series on Mini Parties On a Budget! Today I want to share with you the Earth Day Celebration I threw for my kids on a budget of virtually zero! Impossible? Well, I used all elements from our home and bought nothing new. Talk about recycling and reusing!

To start, I wanted to have something round on the table to signify the Earth and the recycling cycle so I used my grape vine wreath for that. I added a little ceramic bird to represent the animals. Using a plastic green table cloth left over from our St. Patrick’s Day party was a no-brainer.

One of my favorite ideas and elements is reusing these Puffs Tissue Boxes to put our little “trees” in (from Pottery Barn).  They were the perfect colors to go with our Earthy blues and greens.

Probably my next favorite recycling idea is our Earth Day Banner. The girls helped me assemble this fun banner. Using an old book of maps (see the DIY on Catch My Party) and my Silhouette machine, we were able to put together this fun Earthy banner.

The children feasted on fresh grapes, apples and carrots (sadly no one touched the broccoli lol). They did not miss the “sweets” at all.

Coming up with a “favor” for them was easy!  I had bought these adorable sunglasses at a craft store months ago (less than a dollar a piece on clearance) and knew that I would use them someday.  Perfect fit with flowers and bugs on the glasses!

The next favor that I came up with (wanted an Earthy type of favor) was also using recycled materials.  I had made these cute nature notebooks for my daughter’s Woodland Party last year and I thought how perfect to recreate them for this party.  I used a brown lunch bag, a stamp and some jute twine. It was so easy and pairing it up with a twig pencil was perfect!

My mini Earth Day party did not cost me a penny as I had everything in our home already.  However, you can easily go to the dollar store and get most of these party supplies and throw your own for less than $ 10!

Here are some great resources for you to help celebrate Earth Day in your home:

Free Earth Day printables on Catch My Party - an earth-friendly party sign, party circles, and an "Earth Day Rocks" banner.

Ideas for How To Throw A Mini Planting Party:

Plant Protectors Club – FREE From the EPA They have downloadable products and fun products you can order on line for FREE!

We LOVE this resource and pull it out often in our home school!

Arbor Foundation – you can order 10 trees FREE when you join for $ 10 (6 month membership). They will arrive to your home in the season in which they can be planted.  This is a GREAT way to teach the children about our Earth and planting!  Invite 10 friends over and these would make excellent take aways at $ 1 a piece!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found some great ideas and resources for celebrating our Earth!  Until next time – Party On Friends!

Thank you, Melissa, what a way to have fun and teach our children to be mindful of the earth! To learn more about Melissa, visit her at My Party Passion.

 

Melissa Newell from My Party Passion, is here with this easy Earth Day DIY. Look for her Earth Day Party on a Budget post tomorrow!

Happy Spring!  The flowers are blooming, the trees are alive, and the snow is still in melting mode (hehe).  Regardless of the weather, April is HERE and there is no going back!  I am excited that Earth Day is fast approaching. We always have a great time learning about our planet and what we can do to help preserve it.

TODAY, I am bringing you a tutorial on how I made our Earth Day banner for this year’s celebration -  using recycled maps.

Our public library holds a “used book sale” twice a year.  Books, to our home, are like GOLD!  A few sales ago, I found this HUGE hardcover Atlas with pretty maps in it for $ 1.00!   SCORE!   I knew that I would use them for our schooling in years to come.

diy-earth-day-banner

When I was thinking on what colors and “theme” to go with for Earth Day this year, I decided blues, greens and whites (typical Earth colors) and what better way to incorporate those colors then to use MAPS!

Using my Circle Cutter (Martha Stewart brand), I picked a few maps that would show off  vibrant colors in hues of blues and greens (even snuck in some browns).

Cutting 7 inch circles out – using them for the base of the banner.

Next I found some scrap cream paper to use for the 2^nd layer of the banner.

Cutting – 6.5 inch circles from this paper.

earth-day-party-banner-diy

For the next layer, I enlisted the help of my Silhouette SD Machine (one of my party planning staples)!   I cut the word EARTH and some leaves for embellishment.

Layering these elements, gluing them all together and using some curling ribbon to tie it all together…

Here is the final product!

I bought nothing at the store and used all scrap and materials we already had. My daughter helped and we love the final results!

Be watching for our Earth Day Mini Party on a budget coming tomorrow!   Until next time  - Party On and Protect the Earth!

To learn more about Melissa, visit her at My Party Passion.

Talk about creative! Nicole from Tikkido and Tradewind Tiaras is back with this ingenious DIY as a way to help you bring a little romance back into your relationship! 

Picnic season is nearly upon us. One of my favorite easy "date nights" with my husband is to walk with the family to a nearby park, set up a picnic blanket, and enjoy dinner and conversation and a glass of wine as the girls play on the playground.  It's nice to get a little bit of romance and quiet adult time, even when we don't have a babysitter.

Materials:

• Heavy Duty Pliers (I use lineman's pliers)
• Thick bamboo skewer
• Floral grapevine wire
• hot glue gun
• silk flowers (optional)

 

Directions: 

First, cut a 30" length of the grapevine wire (available in the craft department of major craft stores).  Bend 8 to 9 inches back over itself, and twist to create a double-strong length of wire at one end.  Leave about an inch of the wire sticking out like a tail.  Wrap the single-thickness portion of the wire tightly around the bamboo skewer, starting at the non-pointy end (you want to leave the pointy end free to push into the grass).

Coil the double-thickness portion of wire into an open C shape that gets wider as it spirals upwards so the wine glass can sit nicely in it.

The wire should be pretty secure already, but I give it a little extra permanence with my hot glue gun.  Embellish with a few silk flowers, if desired.

These wine glass holders take only a few minutes to make, and are such a wonderful tool to use on a picnic.  What's your favorite way to bring a little romance to an average evening?

My way, Nicole, is for my husband and I to ask each other what made our day special and really listen.

 

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Molly from CakeFYI has created the perfect cupcake. Hope this inspires you to give your party a little edge...

Looking for a festive treat for your Cinco de Mayo celebration? Or maybe you’re just looking for a festive cupcake for your spring barbecue. Either way, these Coconut Lime Cupcakes are sure to please. These flavorful cupcakes start with a simple coconut cupcake batter. Bake them, and add a generous swirl of tart lime icing for the perfect pairing of flavors. Top them with sparkly gold sprinkles and a little bit of lime zest, and you’re all set!

Coconut Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
• 1 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Teaspoons Coconut Extract
• 1 1/4 Cups Flour
• 1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 3/4 Cup Coconut, Shredded

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then add the coconut extract and mix well.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

Add half of the milk and mix well.

Add another third of the flour, mix, and then add the remaining milk.

Add the remaining flour and continue beating until well mixed.

Beat in coconut.

Using a measuring cup, pour batter into a lined or greased cupcake pan.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool before icing.

 

LIME ICING RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
• 3-3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon Milk
• 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Zest

Beat the butter and a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.

Add the vanilla, lime juice, and milk and continue beating.

Continue to add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Beat in lime zest.

Once cooled, top cupcakes with Lime Icing. Top with gold sprinkles and additional lime zest, if desired.

 

I love bold flavored cupcakes like this, thanks Molly! To learn more about Molly, check her out at CakeFYI.

I promise you will be blown away by each of these four parties added to our site this week! The originality... wow! There's a superhero birthday for a girl, a Radiator Springs birthday, a cute teddy bear picnic, and a gender reveal in the coolest of colors.

Clockwise from top left:

• Top The Cake's Teddy Bears' Picnic
• Magnolia Creative Co's Calling all Super Heros!
• Laura's Little Party's Ties or Tutus?
• Nikka M's Vintage Cars Radiator Springs Birthday Party

See you next week with some more favorites!

 

 

Circus parties are so popular these days. Check out some of the best new trends here.

Need construction party ideas? We've got them here!

How cool would a paper plate backdrop look at your next party? Learn how to make one.

Check out all the recent posts I've done on Spoonful!

Summer is right around the corner. In fact it's been so warm here, it already feels like summer.

As I've written in my blog before, we have a ginormous lemon tree in our backyard, so lemons are one of my favorite ingredients. I've already shared my lemon cake recipe and my lemon sugar cookie recipe, so of course I had to share my sparkling strawberry ginger lemonade recipe. This lemonade is refreshing and sweet. It's got a little spice from the ginger and earthiness from the lemongrass, perfect for a hot day!

STRAWBERRY GINGER LEMONADE

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 12-15 lemons)
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large strawberries
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger (a little bigger than a walnut)
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups of sparkling water or club soda
• 4 cups of ice

Directions:

Peel and quarter the ginger. Trim the bottom 4 inches of the lemongrass stalks, and cut in half. Put the ginger, lemongrass, salt, and sugar into a saucepan with two cups of water. Put it on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is just about to boil. Then take the pan off the heat, and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a pitcher along with the lemon juice. Mince and add the strawberries. Now you can add the sparkling water (preferable chilled). Serve in glasses filled with ice.

I was also asked by Target to make a wish-list (scroll down to see it) of some of my favorite summer beach and pool items, including my favorite beach towels. By the way, I always buy my beach towels at Target. They're colorful, thick, and not too expensive. I'm especially loving the bright new patterns this year. I can already tell that my daughter will be all over that popsicle towel!

I also picked out some of my other favorite items like the hammock. I'd be so excited to have a hammock in my backyard. What could be better than lounging on one while reading a book. That is truly my dream.

I'm a big fan of the outdoor poufs. How fun would it be to ask your guests to pull up a couple of poufs to join the conversation. :)

One of my all-time favorite summer items at Target is their melamine plate sets.  I have a bunch of their white melamine plates and our family actually uses them all the time (not just in summer). I like this bold leaf pattern. I think some of the trays might work well with what I already have.

And finally, I love the big red outdoor cooler on wheels. Not only would it be functional for entertaining, but I'm grooving on its industrial look.

I always get excited for summer... long days, warm nights, and lots of casual get-togethers with friends and family.

It’s Time for Springtime.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

 

Little Man Mustache Bash parties are so popular on our site! The theme works great for baby showers, 1st birthdays, and even older boy birthdays.  The whole idea of a boy pretending to be a man is so inherently cute, and then put a tie and a mustache on him and you've just upped the cuteness factor by a power of ten!

I'm super excited to be giving away these little man mustache bash party printables designed by my friend Michelle at Printabelle. Add some of our free mustache photo booth props and you've got yourself a complete birthday party or shower!

This collection includes: invitations, welcome sign, cupcake toppers, water bottle labels, treat toppers, mini candy bar wrappers, "Little Man" banner (big and small), gift tags, thank you and menu/place cards.

DOWNLOAD THE HIGH RESOLUTION FILES FOR PRINTING HERE:

• Free little man mustache bash printables
• "Little Man" Banner

Here are the individual files...

Thank you, Michelle, what a fun collection.

And remember, if you’d like any of these printables personalized, Michelle will do it for $3 per file! To learn more about Michelle and see all the printable collections, head to Printabelle and the Printabelle Facebook page.

For more inspiration, check out the Little Man Mustache Bash parties on our site!

Wait until you see this delicious recipe Molly Allen, our new baking contributor, and the woman behind CakeFYI created for us. After this, you'll never think of carrot cake the same way again!

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing is always a classic favorite around my house. However, sometimes, classics can be made better when you switch things up a bit. For these cookies, I’ve taken the flavor of moist, fluffy carrot cake and combined it with sweet brown sugar icing to create the perfect sandwich cookie.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Brown Sugar Icing

Makes 12 Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup Butter, softened
• ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ Cup White Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups Flour
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• ¾ Cup Grated Carrots

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.

Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract and mix well.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat until a soft dough forms.

Beat in grated carrots.

Drop by tablespoons full onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to cool on wire racks.

While the cookies are cooling, make the Brown Sugar Icing.

 

Brown Sugar Icing

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup Butter, softened
• 2 ½-3 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• ½ Cup Brown Sugar

Directions:

In the bowl of stand mixer, beat the butter and a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.

Add the vanilla extract and milk and continue beating.

Continue to add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Beat in brown sugar until well combined.

Assembly:

Once cookies have cooled, spread brown sugar icing on the bottom of one cookie. Top with another cookie. Press together lightly, making sure the icing spreads all the way to the edge. Let icing dry for one hour.

  Enjoy!!

Thanks, Molly, for the yumminess. To learn more about Molly, check her out at CakeFYI.