Enjoying the Small Things

Enjoying the Small Things

Good as Nell: A Lizzo Party for Nella

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At the end of every year, anticipation for Nella’s birthday is the little surge of excitement that helps my kids overcome the disappointment of the the post holiday slump. So every year after Christmas, we ask Nella what kind of birthday party she wants and then excitedly spin her feedback into party planning that adds some fun to an otherwise quiet month. Some years she’s very clear about what she loves and what she wants (her spaghetti obsession begat her Little Italy Party, and her Barbie Party was a given). Some years, we help her out. But this year, she knew exactly what kind of party she wanted…a Lizzo party. Nella loves Lizzo. I admit, I wasn’t sure at first if we could turn a Lizzo theme into a party appropriate for kids. I don’t mind my kids listening to songs with swear words given that I think it creates great opportunity to learn about expression, uncensored art and what’s appropriate to sing to vs. say out loud at school, but not every parent feels this way. But the more we dug into creative interpretations of a Lizzo party, the more I realized it’s a perfect birthday theme for 10-year-old little girls–confidence, creative expression, body positivity–Girlfriend owns her power. An Instagram follower then suggested “Good as Nell,” and the rest was history.


(We made Lizzo’s flute necklace with this flute ornament.)

Since Lizzo’s songs are rich with empowering lyrics, we used them in all the party details.

A juice bar was a must, of course…

And a tiny purse station:

I found packs of mini tote bags at Hobby Lobby and cut “purse flaps” and “pockets” to fit them out of patterned felt. Kids decorated their purse fronts and then added buttons, ribbon and rhinestones for embellishments.

Lainey and her friend ran the Lizzo makeover station where they recreated some of Lizzo’s fabulous colorful looks.

 

 

…and then they had their picture taken for their record labels at the “Fresh Photos with the Bomb Lighting” studio.

The “Bling Bling…that’s the goddess in me” station offered gems, glitter, sequins, Mod Podge and glue for the girls to decorate hair brushes…

…and their own records. I picked up a bunch of old records at Goodwill and spray painted them gold. The girls decorated them with gems and glitter, and I printed their photos to make labels. They turned out so cute!

My dad led the kids on a scavenger hunt to find Sasha, Lizzo’s missing flute.

…and then back for lunch and cupcakes.

(These microphone cupcakes are from the What’s New Cupcake? book. For the record, I cursed 22 times when I made them because the microphones kept falling over).

We had so much fun putting together the favor bags for this party. Almost everything came from the dollar store (we made the labels for the bath bomb, juice and ring pop.

This girl was so happy.

Over the years, we’ve made different accommodations at her birthday parties to make her comfortable, but this year we made none. In fact, when she was opening her presents and her friends gathered around to help her, Dash yelled at everyone, “She doesn’t need your help. She can do it herself, okay?”

Ten years ago, the thought of imagining what her life would look like at ten years old was too much for me, but here we are, celebrating with friends and glitter and dancing and makeup and an almost 10-year-old’s room that is now trashed from a double sleepover. Baby, how you feelin?

Feelin’ good as Nell.

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Party Resources

Disco Ball Balloons
24-pack Mini Disco Balls
Foil Door Curtains
Lizzo Straws
If I’m Shining Stickers
Lizzo T-shirt (Nella’s dress)
Lizzo Coloring Book
Lizzo Pins
Play Microphones
Clip-in Rainbow Hair Extensions

Dollar Tree: clear favor bags, sequin purses, hair brushes
Michael’s Dollar Section: gemstone compact mirrors
Target Dollar Spot: bath bombs, 4-pack mini nail polish

Harry Potter Party

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It is a wonder what a little candlelight and music can do to an ordinary day because our house turned straight up magic Friday evening as the sun set which was my cue to light a fire, pull out the candles and yell, “Alexa, play Harry Potter soundtrack!”

The goal for our annual Harry Potter Party is, of course, Hogwarts magic. I want my kids to feel what I felt curled up in bed, hour 7 of reading the Harry Potter book that took my imagination into a captivating world that was so unlike anywhere it had ever been.

The thing I love about this party is that there are so many ways to achieve the feeling of Hogwarts, and the foundation of that feeling is candles everywhere. We added inexpensive spider webs and a few dollar section Halloween items (all which get tucked in a bin marked “Halloween” and reused year after year!). We found the little clip-on owls in the Christmas aisles (yes, already up) at Michael’s for 40% off, and they are the perfect Hogwarts touch!

Dash makes a killer Potter.

And Nella can say Wingardium Leviosa perfectly.

But the real treat this year was Brett who slipped a black wig on for a Snape appearance.

The kids’ favorite part of the evening is always the intermission for Honeydukes, a full Potteresque candy bar…

I stash away candy in my closet a month leading up to this party and gather jars I’ve saved for parties to display them. Some of the more unique candy comes from World Market (like those Pixie Puffs–the texture of cheese puffs but cotton candy flavored). The character portraits behind the candy bar are just photos I printed from the Internet–and they’re taped on top of the glass because who has time to reframe things for one little party?

Each kid is given a pouch of change, and all the candy is priced. The decision making and bartering process is so fun to watch!

Other Harry Potter night favorites include our butterbeer bar. I changed the recipe I use this year because the previous ones we made were too sweet–and too many ingredients.

The butterbeer itself is simply cream soda with about a teaspoon of butter extract added to each glass, but what makes it so delicious is the butterbeer foam you top the glass with. I whipped heavy whipping cream, a little sugar (to taste–I don’t like it too sweet!), 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 tsp. of butter extract until it was thick and foamy. Together, it was so delicious! A little rum in the adult version isn’t so bad either.

Everything else is kept simple. We had a pot of chili on the stove and ordered pizza for the kids.

The kids were convinced their tiny jars of polyjuice potion (Sprite with a drop of green food coloring) would turn them into rats, but it didn’t work.

My favorite part of the night is this…when the candy buzz settles and the kids are all cuddled up on the couch, stretched out an sleeping bags, fire crackling, candles flickering, dog asleep in my dad’s lap, and the magic of Hogwarts entrancing them all.

Speaking of dog, of course Friday came in character…

I love October, and all that is to come.

Happy Monday!
(previous Harry Potter family nights here and here).

My Sister’s Clam Pasta

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Last week, I made my sister’s famous clam pasta on Instagram Stories, and so many people messaged, asking for the recipe. I’ve never cooked with canned clams before (I’ve never even bought them), but when my sister visited last year, she made this; and we all went nuts. It’s so easy and quick to make and doesn’t require a whole lot of ingredients, but it makes a grand impression (perfect meal for company!). Last night, I made it for dinner in Florida, my sister made it for dinner in Michigan; and we chatted over wine on the phone while we cooked. With no further ado…

Carin’s Clam Pasta

1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 C flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chopped or minced clams
1/2 C dry vermouth (or white wine)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 C half and half
3/4 C milk
1/2 lb linguine or pasta of choice
Salt & pepper to taste. Boil water and prepare pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt butter and olive oil in frying pan (I used a 12 inch, non-stick). Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and stir until garlic is cooked.

Add clams. I do not drain or rinse as I like the added flavor of the clam juice. If you’re worried about sand (some brands are better than others at removing it), you can drain and rinse — and, if you wish, add the equivalent amount of clam juice (purchased separately). Add parsley, dry vermouth, and lemon juice.

Reduce heat to low and stir a few minutes until cooked down a bit. Add half & half and milk and continue to stir a bit (careful not to burn). Serve over pasta or mix in and stir.

I usually don’t measure when I make this — so tweak ingredients as you see fit. If you want it lower in fat, omit the cream/half & half and add flour to thicken. If you want it a little tangier, add more lemon. Other ideas for add-ins might include prosciutto, bacon, pine nuts. This serves about four modest portions — so you might want to double!

We made ours last night with bowtie pasta, and I put a lot of sun dried tomatoes in ours. My kids loved it! We couldn’t believe Nella liked it because she is so picky about her pasta only having marinara on it. But she asked for a second helping last night!