Gabriel's Science Party

On September we celebrate the most important celebration of all for us, my son's birthday. This year he turned 11 and as I realize we probably won't be celebrating his future birthday with balloons and goodie bags, I didn't miss the opportunity to put a party together for him this year. He will become a teenager before I know it, and I want to make sure we enjoy together any kiddie-like event possible. He is a huge science fan. I have to say that when it comes to boy stuff, he is not the sports or outdoor action kind or kid, but he loves science. I choose a science lab theme for his birthday celebration this year. He absolutely loved it and we had tons of fun! 

My first step was to put together science kits for favors. This was a lot easier than I thought! Surprisingly, I found most of the items at the dollar stores which make everything much easier and affordable too. 

I put recipes for three science projects and all the ingredients needed for each one.

I used these containers that I found at my local 99 Cents Only store. They were 5 for $1.99, which i thought was an excellent deal. When I put together a party, dollar stores are usually the first stores I try for decorations and favor haunting. I am very lucky to find great things usually for one dollar!

I put the exact amount of ingredients needed for each recipe in small labeled condiment containers. Yes, I also found those at the dollar store.

The three recipes I chose were to make slime, a bouncy ball, and a galaxy jar. So the kit included glue, glitter, and all the fun ingredients needed. The kids loved these favors. They were unique and fun!

These science projects required super easy things to find, which gave me the opportunity to put together creative favors that kids and parents loved, they were an absolute hit! 

I have to say that my Cricut machine is one of my most favorite things in the world! it is my best friend when it comes to putting together decorations for anything!! I don't even care about my tv or any other electronic device in my house anymore, my cricut machine is number #1. I get tons of complements with everything I do. People who have never heard about it compliment me on how creative I am but little do they know about my perfect little party secret! I cut all the letters and shapes to put together an amazing backdrop and perfectly themed set up.

I went with the colors bright green and black. 

It was honestly very simple but it looked great, my family loved it!

I bought these lime green gift sacks at Hobby Lobby, they were only $2.99 for a pack of 12. They I just cut stripes of green scrapbook paper, hole punched them and added a little ribbon to tie them together.

I also found these cute popcorn treat boxes at Party City. They were five for a .99 cents. I glued one of the cutouts and it automatically became part of the theme. Do you see why I love my cricut machine? It makes everything look much more festive!

I used them to put little bags of chips too.

Of course I made cupcake toppers and liners, which added to any simple and easily box made cupcakes can make them look extraordinary!

I have to say I inherited my crafty side from my mom, she makes the most creative and awesome pinatas, this one here was perfect for the theme!

Everything came out awesome. My son loved it and his little cousins did too. We had a great time with our family. I am thankful for parties, they always give us an opportunity to spend time and make memories with our loved ones. I hope you enjoyed reading! 

Agua fresca de jamaica fresa... yum!

Deliciosa! September is Hispanic heritage month and the month when Mexicans celebrate their independence day. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy my Mexican roots and prepare delicious and traditional Mexican treats and drinks. Mexican celebrations are filled with colors and deliciousness. Aguas frescas are delicious drink made out of various different flavors and fruit combinations that form a beautiful scheme of colors, and just looking at them is already a treat. My favorite agua fresca has always been jamaica. It's intense red and tangy but sweet combination will always bring a smile to my face. It is THE PERFECT drink to pair up with some taquitos or any other Mexican dish really. I love its taste. I wanted to give my traditional favorite a simple but very delectable twist, strawberry and tequila. Trust me, it is not only exquisite and fresh, but fun and different without losing its classic flavor.

 

Jamaica. What is Jamaica? It is a flower that is traditionally used to infuse water for delicious drinks and it is regularly known as hibiscus in the U.S. Hibiscus is mostly used for teas, but Mexican culture uses it for delicious cold and vibrant red drinks. It looks a little creepy if you ask me, but the flavor is incredible! 

 

For one jar, I used about one cup of Jamaica and about two cups of strawberries.

Rinse the jamaica very well and pour one cup of water in a pot together. Bring to boil and let it boil for about 10 more minutes so that the jamaica can release all the color and flavor possible.

Chop the strawberries in little pieces and put them together in a separate pot with half a cup of water and one cup of sugar or more if you like. Let them boil for 5 minutes and then mash the strawberries until you get a nice puree. 

Let both mixtures cool completely. Once entirely cooled, use a strainer to pour the boiled jamaica water without the residues.

Pour the strawberry puree without the strainer. One of the delicious things about aguas frescas is that they have super tiny chunks or pieces of fruits. So I decided to keep the strawberry seeds for texture. Feel free to strain the sauce if you prefer to do so. Add two cups of plain water.

And now for the special touch..... drum roll....... TEQUILA, si Señor!! Add one cup ( or more, nobody is judging) of your favorite tequila blanco and mix well, slowly. I used tequila Clase Azul Reposado. It is one of my absolute favorites and its bottle is so elegant. 

Of course you can reserve a little without alcohol for the young ones or the pregnant guests. You will be very satisfied with this combination of flavors. I guarantee it!

I made this cute banner with my Cricut Machine. It reminded me of the beautiful talavera tiles that decorate beautiful Mexican homes. I found this scrapbook paper at Michael's and thought it was just perfect! 

I just added yellow flowers to resemble the gorgeous designs on the tiles. My Mexican traditions and my heritage is something that i keep very close to my heart and try to keep in my lifestyle as much as possible. Our food, drinks and traditions are festive and full of color, one of the many reasons why I love being Mexican. Salud y Feliz Dia de la Independencia! 

 

Kate Spade Inspired Ice Bucket

Back to school craziness!!! Oh em gee... this particular year has been extremely crazy and I have to admit from the bottom of my heart that I am ready to get in a routine with my little one. I am ready for him to go back to school and four our day to day activities to be in one same order at least Monday through Friday. That is why a nice chilled bottle of wine is the perfect idea to relax and take a break from the stress that preparing your kiddos for a new school year represents. Us mommies are always running around during these days and a nice glass of wine is more than deserved. I like having my wine perfectly chilled but when I am having a nice conversation, I don't like getting up to the fridge overtime I need to pour myself a little (just a little) more. Ice buckets tend to be expensive sometimes. So I upgraded a cheap tin bucket to a girly and sophisticated ice bucket inspired by the Kate Spade gorgeous and elegant colors and designs. I absolutely love it!!

The process required patience but not that many materials, and none of them were expensive either. I found this tin bucket at my local 99 Cents Only store and it was only $1.99. I thought it was an excellent price. You can do so many projects with them for any sort of occasion. 

I already had a couple of the little acrylic paint colors I needed, and I found the rest at Hobby Lobby.

The colors I chose were Royal Fuchsia and White  from the Anita's Acrylic Craft Paint brand, Venetian Gold from the Dazzling Metallics brand and just a black acrylic paint I already had at home. I think I bought it at WaltMart, but any black paint will work.

 

The first step is to clean your tin with a damp paper towel or cloth to make sure there aren't any particles or residues that will create bubbles or that will make your paint job a nightmare. 

I removed the handle, that will latter be replaced with this, yes this! Yup, those are earrings!! I just loved the way they looked and I thought the complimented my theme perfectly.

You can leave the handle if you think you will need it to hold the bucket full of ice easier, but I thought taking it off gave it a more elegant look at the end. 

I measured a stripe of about 5 inches for each color and I followed a pink-gold-white-gold-black pattern.

This is where you need to be patient. You have to work with layers of paint and you need them to completely dry before you can apply a second coat. The good thing is that this paint dries fairly quick and if you are careful enough, you can work on the next color while one layer dries.

Once all my layers were completely dry, it was time to cover the edges of each stripe of color. I used ribbons that matched the Kate Spade theme. 

And here is the final product! Isn't it just super cute and girly? Yes, and it is perfect for a Girl's night in!

I loved the final result, and two bottles of wine or maybe even three can fit in the size of this bucket. 

 

I love the colors and the elegance of everything that is designed by Kate Spade. I think this is a great project for any girls night, bridal or even baby shower. 

I am obsessed with my new ice bucket and I can already imagine all the other themes and colors I can put together for this same project, especially with holidays coming up! It is an inexpensive and mostly easy process with gorgeous results! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!