3 is 5! Doc McStuffins Party on a Budget

Our third child recently turned five.  With four kiddos, we decided early on to only have big parties when the kids turn 1, 5, 10 and other significant dates to be determined.  Maybe 13 or 16?  We haven't gotten that far yet!

A Doc McStuffins party seemed perfect for the five year old.  She loves the character as do many other little ones her age.  We allowed her to invite 5 children, and along with her own siblings and a few other siblings who tagged along with invited guests.  In all we had 13 kids in our home on a cold winter day!  Here are some photos...

The invitation was made to look like a lab coat.  I cut an 8.5 x 11 sheet of white cardstock in half  down to 8.5 x 5.5.  I scored each end at 2 and 1/8 and folded them in to meet at the center.  I then folded the top corners down just a bit to make a lapel.  I used a small button punch to make the purple buttons from textured cardstock and the Wild Cards cartridge to cut the pink stethescope with a Cricut.  I cut the stethescope in half and glued each end down under the lapel. 

  

Inside I adhered purple and white striped paper to the center panel to resemble Doc McStuffins' shirt. I printed the important party info on pink cardstock and matted it to patterned paper.  I printed "5th Birthday" and cut it and a larger purple piece out with Nestibilities scalloped circle dies using a Big Shot.

We had quite a few treats including cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels made to look like thermometers, cupcakes, and a huge bandaid cookie.

I made the bandaid cookie in a large casserole dish and a smaller 8x8 dish, with icing for the heart in the center.  It doesn't really look like a bandaid but the kids ate it anyway!

The personalized cake pops were purchased from Do Me a Favor by Mijah. Each child and a few lucky adults were given a cake pop to take home.

We had healthy food too!  Apples and oranges, fruit salad, a green salad, a veggie platter and pizza of course.

I planned several activites, with much of the inspiration coming from Pinterest.  Each invited guest was given a doctor coat made from a small man's t-shirt cut up the middle (7 shirts for $12 at Walmart). I purchased clear plastic badge holders and cut cardstock to fit inside. Each guest wrote their name and inserted it into the holder. I attached these to the doctor coats with cute round paperclips from Walmart. 

Each kid decorated a purple "doctor bag" with foam stickers and markers.  The bags come in packages of 3 at DollarTree.  At the end of the party I stuffed the bags with a Big Book of Boo Boos (dollar section at Target), coloring pages, a travel pack of tissues (packs of 8 at DollarTree) and an assortment of bandaids, including Doc McStuffins themed bandaids.

The kids then made a stethescope from a headband (packs of 7 at DollarTree), ribbon and foam circles and hearts punched out with paper punches.  After making these, each invited guest received a clipboard (dollar section of Target) and a Doc McStuffins pencil (packs of 4 from DollarTree) with a healthy check up list.  I also had several coloring pages on hand.  All of the printables were free from the DisneyJr. website.

We also prepared a "the doctor is in/out" craft for the kids to make with popsicle sticks, but that proved to be a bit too ambitous for 5 year olds.  My almost 10 year old made one, but the younger kids glued about 3 popsicle sticks together (out of the 27 they needed) and quickly lost interest.

In the end, a fun time was had by all, especially the birthday girl!

Women in the Word Wednesday

Test Anxiety


I am following the Good Morning Girls study of James and thought I'd share...

Here is my SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer) for James 1:2-4

S

 ²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  ³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

O
I am supposed to view trials and temptations as joyful.  Going through these times will help me to build endurance, steadfastness and patience.  Knowing this I need to allow these qualities to fully develop so that I can reach my full potential.

A

As a new Christian I often admired folks who went through trials with smiles on their faces, a pleasant spirit and no complaints.  I'd think, "Wow, God must really think highly of them to give them such a test.  God must know that person can handle a lot."  Then I'd think, well what must God think of me?  Not very much I guess because I've had it pretty easy.  Now I am married, with kids - homeschooling, trying to raise Godly children and keep a Christ centered marriage.  I am going through many life trials and certainly have been tempted to give up because it's "just too hard" and have forgotten what I used to want years ago.  My chance to prove my faith.  I have forgotten that hardship can actually be a good thing.  I've been focused on how I must not be doing things right and why is it I can't hear God answering my prayers or telling me how to do it better. 

I realize that instead of all the head chatter, I instead need to focus on embracing the hard stuff.  I need to focus on the fact that these trials will help me to fully develop into what God intends me to be.  I can be encouraged knowing it is all part of the plan for me!

P
Thank you God, for providing me with the perfect educational plan.  Thank you for each trial, temptation, test, bump, bruise, discomfort and everything else that is not easy in my life.  Thank you for the opportunity to learn, grow and develop.  Please help me to reduce my test anxiety and face each challenge with joy knowing that the end product will be just as You intended.  Thank you for having faith in me.  Help me to strengthen my faith in You so that I can pass my tests with flying colors!

As if it ain't cold enough!

Earlier this week we did a lesson on ice!

Messy

I put bowls of water outside the night before and brought them inside in the morning.  The were partially frozen.  When we turned them upside down and popped the ice bowls out, they all sprang a leak and a tiny fountain of water flowed from each of them - actually, one had two holes.  The kids got a huge kick out of watching through the ice as the water level inside decreased while the water leaked out.  We talked about the different states of matter.

Messier

Next, the kids used water and food coloring to make different colored ice blocks.  We put the color combinations in ice cube trays and froze them. 

Messiest of all!

Finally, the kids painted a picture on freezer paper and then used "ice cube paint brushes" to draw designs in the painting.  I froze popsicle sticks in blocks of ice the night before and popped them out in the morning for the kids to use.  They loved this.  After they were done, we put them out in the freezing cold to dry.  The finished products are cool - they still look wet but are completely dry!

Christmas Distress

Here are some Christmas tags that I tried to do Tim Holtz style.  I first cut the tags out of manilla file folders.   I used glimmer mist, a mask, TH Tea Dye distress ink (on the edges of the vintage music and the words December). Stamped green swirlies and black Noels. I distressed the edges with my scissors since I don't have the neat TH distressing tool... yet.  Then I inked the edges of the tags with TH Vintage Photo distress ink. I folded the wreaths using this tutorial, attached them and added tiny green bows, along with bows at the top of the tags.  I really like how they turned out!

Scrappy Thanksgiving!

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