Giftbaskets...

I love making them. I love giving them. I love receiving them!

We have a family reunion coming up so my mom and I wanted to give my aunt and uncle a gift since they host this annual event. They put in a lot of effort in preparing everything and do an incredible job! So here's the gift we put together for two people who deserve a big thanks!

The items within the basket are: 3 towels, 3 candles, napkins, a bottle of red wine, a handmade napkin holder (it's wrapped around the wine bottle), Yatzy game (a must-have at every cabin!), nice dish cloths, and yummy sausage (my favorite - especially along with crackers and cheese!). My mom was the creative one when it came to the shopping, and I think she did an awesome job. They are all items that are perfect for a gift we'll be delivering at a cabin. I think they'll love it!

A very simple diaper cake

An old coworker of mine had a baby this spring, but with summer vacation we haven't been able to meet yet. So today I'm going to have coffee with her and finally meet her little girl. I had started a diaper cake for her a while ago, but realized just last night that those diapers would be too small by now so I had to hurry and make a new one this morning. Because the diapers I bought now were bigger, there were also a lot less in the package, which pregnant-and-forgetful-me didn't think of until I was making the cake. Therefore, it ended up being smaller and more simple than planned. Hopefully it'll be the first time she receives a diaper cake and she'll appreciate it anyway! ;)

Off to deliver the gift, drink coffee with an awesome friend, and meet a cute little baby girl now.

Happy Wednesday!

Diaper cake for a princess

As I was planning my next diaper cake, I decided to try out something new. Instead of decorating the cake with gifts, I hid everything inside the 'cake' and gave it a simple look on the outside with just ribbon, candles, and the stuffed animal (rattle) on top.

Testing out my creative corner

I've joined a new mommy/baby group with other women who have due dates in August and many of them are quite the creative bunch. After seeing some of their projects, I was inspired to start up sewing again. One of the girls makes the cutest bags for strollers, among many other things, so she was my motivation for this project. It's been years since I had used my sewing machine, but after dusting it off and buying some fabric, I sat down in my creative corner.

Here's the result (keeping in mind, it IS my first sewing project in 10+ years):

I made it so that it can be unzipped completely and used as a blanket. That way I can use it to lay her on to play on the floor when we're out and about.

Here it is inside our stroller...

Pink diaper cake

I'm still new to the whole diaper cake making so today's baby gift was going to be a new trial... The main difference is simply that the diapers are covered on the outside.

Along with the diapers, I included two bibs/scarfs (I love these and use them lots!), a towel, stuffed animal and a cute outfit hid inside the cake!

Diaper cake for a baby girl

A friend of mine had a baby girl a couple months ago so I decided to make another diaper cake. This time I did a 3-layer cake, which I personally think looks a lot nicer and am sticking to for my future 'cakes.'

Along with the diapers, I've included a rattle (the bear sticking out on top), spoons, wash cloths, pacifiers, teething ring, and a pacifier clip. I can't wait to give it to her!

A simple 'boy' diaper cake

One of my co-workers had a baby boy a couple of weeks ago and I finally get to meet the little guy tomorrow! I can't wait! I bought a gift for her baby a while back, but when it was time to wrap it in, I decided to give a diaper cake another try.

The result became very simple and not as fancy as I pictured, but hey, I'm still learning. There are really cute pyjamas in the top layer, along with a pair of mittens and a matching hat on the outside of the cake, and of course, a bunch of diapers that the little guy can use in a couple of months.

A lot of my friends are having babies these days so I hope to make more diaper cakes in the near future. They are so much fun to make and hopefully my creativeness will improve as I continue to learn :)

Chocolate birthday cake

It was my cousin, Rita's birthday this weekend, so I baked a cake to bring along with her gift. I'm always looking for an excuse to bake - especially when there'll be other people there to help us eat it. I used my mom's recipe for chocolate cake because that's always a winner! Only I decided to try something new with the decoration!

I used the 'seeds' inside a pomegranate ('granateple' for mine norske lesere) to add a little design on the top, whipped cream to make the flowers, and mint leaves on the sides. Although the cream flowers started to fade away (therefore, not as pretty in the picture), I was happy with the result for this time. The pomegranate were really good with the chocolate cake and I will definitely be using them again in the future!

Birthday parties

What happened to good ol' birthday parties? Having friends over to play. Mom making pizza or other good food that kids love. Pop. Cake. Goodies!

Now a days, it's rare to be invited home to a kid's house for his/her birthday. So many kids are having their parties at McDonald's and various Playlands. That's fine and Elliot has a great time, but really, are we expected to spend that much on just 2 hours of playing? It's crazy! I'm all for going to these places once in a while, but those are places we reserve for rainy days.

Elliot is turning 6 years old next month so he asked the big question: "Where should I have my birthday party?" Without thinking twice, "Home" I said. I'm sticking to parties-at-home as long as I can. I love having kids' parties. I love planning a theme, having fun games, making creative food. I asked Elliot if he we could do that - plan a fun theme and everything that goes with it. He was really excited, so lets just hope it stays that way!

My very first diaper cake

A friend of mine had a baby early this summer and it's a girl, which means I got to go shopping in the pink section of the store. Being that I only have boys, it's not often that I get to buy girlie stuff so I get especially excited when my friends have baby girls that I can shop for! :)

Because there were quite a few friends that were going in on the gift, I decided to put some extra time into it and make it a bit more creative than my usual 'wrap-it-in-the-store' gifts. I bought a pack of baby diapers, a rattle, a baby book, pacifiers, bath stuff, a teether (one of those that you can put in the freezer so the baby can bite/suck on it when they're teething), and a stylish pink retro'ish dress with this adorable white sweater. I also bought some supplies to put together this creative package: A diaper cake!

I had a plan of how I wanted it to look but I had never actually made one before. Elliot wanted to help me, and he did a great job!

The final product:


I love attempting to be creative and making fun things like this, especially when it's for someone else. So if anyone wants a diaper cake, either for yourself or to give to someone else, let me know! I can't wait to make more!!! :)