What We Love Right Now December 14, 2011: Easy to Make Holiday Treats

Christmastime is a great time to roll up your sleeves and bake. If you’ve baking up a storm maybe you’re looking for an easy treat to make or, if you’re not really into baking, you might be looking for a cookie recipe that requires just a couple of ingredients and just a little time. Our two holiday cookie ideas are perfect for either category you may fall in!

Christmas Cookie Sammies

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We found this cookie idea on another blog and thought it was a great, simple idea to share! All you need are the Pillsbury slice and bake cookies, some yummy icing (homemade or store bought), and some fun, festive sprinkles! These require little effort and they’ll be yummy and, not to mention, cute on a nice little platter. For the full recipe click here.

Christmas Tree Brownies

Another simple creation, these treats take just a few minutes to bake and decorate and it’s the perfect way to involve you little bakers as well. You’ll need one box of brownie mix, candy cane sticks, green gel icing, and peppermint M & M’s.

1. Bake the brownies according to the box.

2. After brownies have cooled, cut into triangle, tree shape with a steak knife.

3. Insert candy cane stick at bottom of brownies for the tree stem.

4. Apply icing and place M & M’s on brownie.

Hanukkah Popsicle Stick Craft

Hanukkah is just around the corner and this craft is super easy for your little ones to create. You just need popsicle sticks, yellow construction paper, craft glue, and paint.

1. Cut paper into small flames.

2. Paint sticks any color you like and assemble to make a very festive menorah!

What We Love Right Now November 16, 2011: No Bake Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Our no bake streak continues with these super cute, simple pilgrim hat cookies! They’re sure to be the big hit at your weekly play group or as the centerpiece and dessert at the Thanksgiving kid’s table!

{image via}

All you need to make these cute creations are fudge stripe cookies, mini Reese’s cups, and yellow icing. The picture shown uses orange Chiclets at the hat buckle, but we think substituting with orange M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces would be just as adorable!

Give Thanks: A Cute DIY Thanksgiving Board

Can you believe it’s November?! It seemed like as soon as Halloween was over the holiday ads started up. I love this time year and all the holidays that come along with it. Thanksgiving tends to kind of be forgotten holiday, but it’s really one of the most important and a great time to relax and enjoy a day of family, food, and blessings. Making turkeys, pilgrims, and other cute crafts with your children is always fun, but this Thanksgiving board is something a little different and just as fun and easy to create. All you need are left over scraps of scrapbook paper or wrapping paper, index cards, ribbon, and a large piece of poster board or cardboard. Use the scraps of paper, along with glue, to create pockets (one for each day of the month). Then fill each day with something you and your family are thankful for. You’ll all have a great time sharing what you’re thankful for each day!

Spooky Eyeballs: The Yummiest Halloween Treat

With Halloween just a few days away, we’ve got the perfect little treat for your ghosts and goblins. These donuts are SO simple to create and will make a great addition to your Halloween gathering! The directions are pretty easy (this is another no-bake creation!). Just grab a pack of powdered donuts, red icing, and green m&m’s and in a few minutes you’ll have a platter full of the spookiest eyeballs you’ve ever seen!

Do you have a great no-bake Halloween creation? Share it and link up with us in the comments below!

No-Bake Chocolate Acorns

Here at SharpMoms we’re all about making things as simple as possible. Whether you work or stay at home, have one child or four, everything you do should be as easy as it can be. These no-bake chocolate and peanut butter acorns are the perfect little fall treat and are so simple to make. Not to mention all the ingredients are the perfect size for the little helpers your kitchen!

What You’ll Need:

1 bag of semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1-2 bags of Hershey Kisses

1-2 bags of Nutter Butters (you’ll need the bite-sized)

Fix it Fast:

1. Melt 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips in microwave {5 second intervals, stirring very well each time}
2. Dip the flat end of the Hershey Kiss into melted chocolate, or spread chocolate on flat side of Kiss with a butter knife, and top with a bite-size Nutter Butter.
3. Dip the flat end of the mini chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and stick it to the top of the Nutter Butter bite.

These acorns are the perfect treat for your next fall party at home, school, or play date. If you have a child with a peanut allergy, you can always substitute your Nutter Butters with bite-sized Ritz Bitz of Vanilla Wafers.

Fall in a Bottle!

image via

We’re all about decorating for the season, especially when it’s something that can be enjoyed and remain out in your home for a lengthy period of time (and surpass the Halloween craze). We absolutely love these cute fall bottles. They are super simple DIY project that can be done in minutes and at a low cost. All you need are four amber bottles from a local craft store (or maybe you have some at home– left over from a girls wine night?), vinyl stick on letters from your local craft store (we happen to heart Hobby Lobby), and some super fallesque wheat stalks or any fall floral you like (also from your local craft store). We think these cute fall bottles would look amazing on your mantle, entryway table, or dining buffet. Happy fall decorating!

What We Love Right Now October 19, 2011: Spooky Spider Pumpkins

Halloween is coming up soon and we’ve got all things scary on the brain. We love the idea of DIY, simple projects that you can do with your kids and these cute, spooky spiders are perfect. We love pumpkins because they make for great fall decor that can last from September to November, but these fun spiders will add a little extra fun to your displays around Halloween time.

What You’ll Need:

6 mini pumpkins (or as many as you like!)

black glitter glue

small paint brush

googly eyes

black pipe cleaner (for spider legs)

craft glue or glue gun

How to Make it:

1. Hold pumpkins by the stem and cover in black glitter glue. Allow pumpkins to dry.

2. Apply googly eyes and (shaped) pipe cleaner legs to pumpkin using craft glue or glue gun.

Chocolate Chip Dip

This yummy dip recipe is just what every kid ( and every kid at heart) is sure to love. Serve it up with graham cracker sticks, apple slices, or mini pretzels if you’re in the mood for a little something salty and sweet.

Chocolate Chip Dip Recipe

What You Need:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Graham cracker sticks
Fix it Fast:

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Recipe and image from Taste of Home

Party Nachos

If you’re planning a get together anytime soon, these nachos are a must! They are so easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Party Nachos

What You’ll Need:

1 carton (18 ounces) refrigerated fully cooked barbecued shredded pork
1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives, optional

Fix it Fast:

1. Heat pork according to package directions. Place tortilla chips on a large microwave-safe serving plate. Layer with pork and cheese.
2. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, salsa, lettuce and onions. Sprinkle with olives, if desired. Makes about 12 servings.

What We Love Right Now June 22, 2011: Decorating with Seashells

If you’ve already been to the beach, plan on going, or have a collection of shells lying around from past vacations you might be wondering what in the world to do with those shells. Seashells make beautiful decorative accents, no matter how big or small. We love these ideas for decorating with seashells.

Fill a vase with your favorite shells. This works best with a lot of small shells. You can fill several vases of different sizes and then place them on a buffet table, mantle, or in your bathroom. This could also make a wonderful table centerpiece. Just remember, shells of different sizes and colors work best. You can also add some sand to the bottom of the vase to give the shells a little base to sit on.

For your bathroom…During the summer months seashells add a wonderful decorative touch to bathrooms. You can use large shells you may have as a soap dish or even a catch-all for jewelry or loose change you might remove while at the sink. If you have a flat framed mirror and a lot of small shells, arrange the shells around the mirror and glue into place with craft glue or a hot glue gun.

Create a little door decor. Wreaths are a wonderful addition to any door in your home. If you want to add a summery feel to your entryway create a seashell wreath, perfect for greeting guests during the summer months. All you need are your shells, a blank wreath from your local craft store, and any other nautical items you may want to add, such as netting, starfish, etc. Arrange the pieces on wreath. Once they are placed how you like, attach with hot glue or use wire, depending on how your pieces need to attach.

Outdoor lighting. If you want to jazz up your screened porch or back deck, you can create a string of seashell lights from a string of small white lights. To do this, you’ll need flat, thin, clam-like shells. Just lay the string of white lights on a table and apply epoxy to the straight edge of a shell. Then, attach the shells to the base of each light on the string. The light from each tiny bulb will shine through the shell setting off a nice glow, perfect for creating a nice summer mood at your next BBQ!

Our Best Mocktail Recipes

We love mocktails! They are fun looking – just like cocktails. And, one major plus, they don’t give you a sick feeling in the morning – unlike cocktails! Mocktails aren’t just for adults either, they can be a lot of fun for children too. Especially for tweens and teens. What a great teen party addition! Here are a couple of our favorite mocktail recipes!

Virgin Pina Colada

What You’ll Need:

1 cup ice
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons white sugar

Fix it Fast:

1. In an electric blender, blend ice, pineapple juice, milk, cream, and sugar and blend until smooth.

Tornado Twist

What You’ll Need:

12 fluid ounces cranberry-raspberry juice
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Fix it Fast:
1. In a pitcher, mix cranberry-raspberry juice with lemon-lime soda. Pour over ice and serve.

Tickle Me Pink

What You’ll Need:

1/4 cup sparkling cider
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
whipped cream

Fix it Fast:

1. Mix sparkling cider with pineapple and cranberry juice. Top with whipped cream.

Passion Punch

What You’ll Need:

3/4 cup club soda or ginger ale
1 Tablespoon cranberry juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup passion fruit syrup

Fix it Fast:

1. Add fruit juices and passion fruit syrup to glass and stir until mixed. Top with club soda. Stir briskly.

2. Add a cherry on top for fun!

What We Love Right Now June 15, 2011: Summer Party Ideas for Kids

Throwing a summer birthday party? Or maybe you’re having a party just for fun? We’ve got several ideas for great party themes to help you have fun in the sun this summer with your kids and their friends!

1. A Tie-Dye T-Shirt Party, Best For Tweens and Teens

The summertime is perfect t-shirt and flip flop wearing season. What better party theme for this time of year than tie-dye decorating? The shirts themselves are bright and cheery, just like the summer sun, and sure to be loads of fun for the party goers to make. We love these tie-dye invitations from Tiny Prints. They aren’t too bold, but still have some great pops of color.

For partyware Birthday in a Box has some great Tie Dye party supplies. We like these plates because you can get the dinner plates or cake plates and then mix and match with solid colored cups, napkins, and cutlery. And don’t forget balloons!

The tie dye shirts will make great party favors. Not sure how to tie dye? It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Here are some great instructions we found at About.com.

2. Bubble Party, Best For Toddler and School Age Children

What small child doesn’t love bubbles? This party theme is perfect for a backyard bash. You can do a couple of stations: One table with small bottles of individual bottles of bubbles and another with large pans and wands with homemade bubble mix (not sure how to make a mix? It’s easy! Just use 1/2 cup dishwashing soap, like Dawn, 2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar).  You can also set up another table with bubble wrap cut up in small squares and paint and paper so the kids can paint with the bubble wrap.

If you have a covered porch or set up a tent or canopy we think decorating with paper lanterns and streamers would be such a cute idea. Paper lanterns would almost look like bubbles of all different colors and you could even use different sizes as well. Try your local party stores or, if you want to buy online, search PartyLights.com or JustArtifacts.com.

For food, serve up round items like Nilla Wafers, round fruits and veggie slices, and cookies. You can even serve Jell-O jigglers cut into circles-they are yummy, easy to make and colorful!

Party favors can be simple and cheap. We’ve seen these cute bubble wands at local stores everywhere and they are usually marked at $2.00/ea. or less. Such a cheap favor and each child would be sure to love it!

3. Pirate Party, Best for Toddler-School Age Children

Arrrrrrr, Matey! Sail the Seven Seas with your child and their friends with this super fun summer party theme! We found everything we needed for this theme at Birthday in a Box! Their pirate party selection couldn’t be beat.

For invitations…

Send a message in a bottle! How cute, unique, and, well, pirateish! Buy these HERE.

Games…

Don’t reinvent the wheel! Here’s another SharpMom favorite from Birthday in a Box. Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate!

Looking for more game ideas? Try walking the plank with a small piece of wood, like a 2×4, or put on a “treasure hunt” AKA scavenger hunt for older kids.You can also play a game of “pass the skull” (aka hot potato). Just make your skill out of oval Styrofoam or wrap an old Mr. Potato Head .

Partyware…

All favorites from Birthday in a Box!

Favors…

Try gold coins, eye patches, and treasure maps! All can be found online or at your local party stores.

Crafts…

1. Decorate Your Own Pirate Flag: All you need are crayons, paper, and great imagination!

2. Decorate a “Booty Bag” for all their pirate loot!

4. Flip Flop Fun, Best for School Age, Tween Girls

Birthday in a Box has another super girly party patter that’s perfect for a summer pool party! Theme your whole party around flip flops. Ask your guests to where their best swimsuit and favorite flops. Better yet, you could even ask them to decorate a pair of flops before hand and give a prize a the party to the best pair! For partyware, we found these great napkins that will go well with bright pink and orange plates and cups. We also love these super fun straws, sold in packs of 4. They girls will love sipping lemonade and tea from their fun flip flop straws!

If you don’t have your own personal pool, try booking a local pool or perhaps even the pool at your local YMCA. For food serve up finger foods like veggie and fruit trays and chips with dips. We like keeping decorations simple for this theme. Just doing bunches of colorful balloons will add a nice touch to coordinate with the flip flop napkin. We also found a couple of invitations we really liked.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

5. Backyard Beach Party, Best for Ages Toddler to School Age Children

There is a lot you can do with this theme! For fun run some water sprinklers, open the sandbox and bring out the buckets and shovels, or for little ones use water tables for play too. Older children will enjoy games like crabwalk relay races, beach ball and water balloon tosses. Little ones will like baby pools filled with mini beach balls made into a ball pits or baby pools filled with water!

If you host this party in the  late afternoon/evening, invite parents and turn it into a BBQ. You could serve hotdogs, hamburgers, and chips. Don’t forget the cake! Maybe in the shape of a beach ball or fish? If you’re not feeling creative you can always preorder a cake with a beach scene from your favorite bakery!

We found these great invitations on Esty.com. Why do we love these? You can print them at home!

For party favors try a sand bucket and shovel filled with a few treats like sunglasses, leis, a small beach ball and candy.You can even personalize the buckets with by writing guest’s names on them with paint pens!

Do you have a great summer party theme? Leave us a comment and link up with us!

Creating a Marvelous Memorial Day Menu

1. In ungreased 3-quart microwavable bowl, mix frozen potatoes and water; spread evenly in bowl. Cover tightly with microwavable plastic wrap. Microwave on High 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are hot and tender, stirring once halfway through cooking.
2. Add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to hot potatoes; mix well. Spread evenly in bowl. Cover, refrigerate at least 5 hours or until completely cold.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, place eggs in single layer. Add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place eggs in bowl of ice water; let stand 10 minutes. Drain. Peel eggs. Reserve 1 egg for garnish; chop remaining 4 eggs.
4. Stir mayonnaise into cold potato mixture. Add celery, onion and chopped eggs; toss gently to mix. Spoon mixture into large serving bowl. Slice reserved hard-cooked egg; arrange on top of salad. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 16

Raspberry Sweet Tea

For your nonalcoholic drinkers this is a yummy, refreshing tea to serve up with your Memorial Day menu.

What You’ll Need:

4 quarts water

Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 cup sugar

10 individual tea bags

1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and undrained

3 tablespoons lime juice

Fix it Fast:

1.In a large saucepan, bring 2 qts. of water to a boil. Stir in sugar substitute until dissolved. Remove from the heat.

2. Add tea bags; steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard tea bags.

3. In another saucepan, bring raspberries and remaining water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Strain and discard pulp. Add raspberry juice and lime juice to the tea.

4. Transfer tea to pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. Serves 15

Super Duper Strawberry Shortcake

Top off your meal with this delicious shortcake!

What You’ll Need:

1 quart fresh strawberries (or more if you like)
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1 (14 ounce) angel food cake, cut into cubes (make it easy and buy the cake already made!)

Fix it Fast:

1. Wash, stem, and cut strawberries in half.
2. Add sugar; toss and mix well.
3. Chill.
4. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar well.
5. Fold in whipped topping and cake cubes.
6. Spread cake into an ungreased 13×9 dish.
7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
8. Cut cake into squares and top with strawberries (add blueberries and whip cream too!).

Serves 12

Do you have a great recipe you’re cooking up for the long weekend? We’d love to hear about it. Leave us a comment!

Beach Craft Activities

If you’re lucky enough to hit the sand this summer, collecting shells and other beach treasures will more than likely be one of your child’s favorite activities. All those shells will probably make it home with you and then you may be left wondering what to do with those them. Here are some super cute and easy seashell craft ideas.

1. Seashell Mobile

This would make a great addition to your child’s bedroom or playroom for the summer!

What You’ll Need:

Shells

Two dowel rods equal in length

String

Craft Glue

Make it Fast:

1. Use the string to make the dowels into an X shape.

2. Glue the shells onto different lengths of string.

3. Allow to dry several hours to ensure the shells will hold on string.

2. Beach Memory Jar

Fill a large jar with all your treasures and keep them (safely!) forever! Best of all your child can rearrange and move things around whenever they like, creating almost a whole new look.

image via Martha Stewart

3. Shell Frame

If you are going to the beach chances are you’ll snap more than one Kodak moment! Your child can put their favorite picture in a great seashell frame.

What You’ll Need:

5×7 Frame or larger, with wood trim

Small shells

Hot glue gun

Make it Fast:

Arrange shells on frame and glue. Let stand several hours so glue can set.

*for added use foam pieces or letter stickers to personalize with your child’s name

Summertime Paper Plate Crafts

We love anything you can make with things you have around the house. Some of the best crafts are made from paper plates. If you don’t have these at home-stock up! Here are a couple of super cute paper plate beach crafts.

Sea Turtle

So simple! Simple paint your paper plate or cover in torn pieces of construction paper. Then make some legs, head and tail. Add a wiggly eye and draw a mouth!

Fish

Again, all you need is your plate, some paints and paper!

Sun

Make this cheery sun with handprint rays. Sure to brighten up your child’s day!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

If you’re hosting Easter brunch this year you might be feeling the stress already. Wouldn’t it be so nice to wake up Easter Sunday to a clean house, a dining table set, and a meal ready for your guests? Your Easter Morning may not happen quite like that, but we’ve got a breakfast casserole that is so simple you’ll have a wonderful Easter feast ready in no time!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

Thinking of hosting a brunch this year? We love the idea of Sunday brunch and think it is a great way to spend Easter with your family and friends. This breakfast casserole is SO simple (and yummy!).

What you’ll need:

8 slices of bread cubed

1/2 cup of butter, melted

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

5 eggs

1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups diced ham OR cooked sausage

4 oz. mushrooms

Fix it fast:

1. Grease a 9×13 pan.

2. Mix bread and butter together. Add cheese, ham/sausage, and mushrooms to mix.

3.  Place mixture in baking dish.

4. Beat eggs. Add milk and seasoning to eggs. Pour egg mixture over the bread mix in your baking dish.

5. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

6. Bake for one hour at 325.

7. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Egg-cellent Egg Decorating with Chalkboard Paint

Home Made Simple has some great egg decorating ideas that are unique and different. We loved one in particular. All you need are some hard boiled eggs, chalkboard paint, and your favorite colored chalk. Paint the eggs and let your kids do the rest! They’ll have fun decorating and then redecorating their eggs over and over again! The eggs will make the perfect little centerpiece  for your Easter brunch table created by your very own Picaso’s!

photo courtesy of Home Made Simple

What We Love Right Now March 2, 2011: St. Patrick’s Day Simple

Keep it Irish easy this St. Patrick’s Day with these simple green crafting and cooking ideas.

Super Simple Shepards Pie

Prep Time: 10 min

Ready in: 30 min.

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
8 med. green onions (about 1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 can mexi-corn mix, drained
1 can (4 oz.) green chillies, undrained
1 package of instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup corn chips

Fix it fast:
1. Cook ground beef and onions in a 10 in. skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Drain well.
2. Stir in barbeque sauce, 3/4 cup of corn and chilies. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to stay warm.
3. Cook potatoes according to package (you’ll need milk, butter, and water) and stir in remaining onion and corn. Let stand at least 5 min.
4. Spoon potatoes onto center of beef mixture, leaving 2 1/2- to 3-inch rim around edge of skillet; sprinkle cheese over potatoes and beef mixture. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle corn chips around edge of skillet.

Easy No Bake Cookies

Get your kids in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with these super fast no-bake treats. Just pick up a package of soft-baked sugar cookies and press out shamrocks with a  cookie cutter. Add a bit of color by pressing green sprinkles onto the cookies, and you’re done! Or grab some premade sugar cookie mix, roll out the dough, bake and ice together!

Cereal Rainbow

For this super easy craft all you need is a box of Fruit Loops, glue and construction. Then, let your child get to work on the colors of the rainbow by making a rainbow with the colored loops!

Throw a Party

Feelin’ lucky? Then throw a super fun party for this holiday. For decorations make some four leaf clovers. All you need a green construction paper, glue, and glitter (or another add ons you’d like). Cut the construction paper into into four small hearts and a stem and arrange into a clover. Then add on your in, glitter, etc.

For decor use different shades of green balloons and maybe some gold or yellow too. Hang some rainbow streamer and use fun green or gold paper products to serve up your treats. As a party craft for the kids, make rainbow mobiles. All you’ll need are wire hangers, multi-colored construction paper, markers or crayons, glue and yarn. Make the rainbow as your “anchor” then hang different charms from your rainbow with the yarn (think Lucky Charms marshmellow shapes).

Serve up the greens: For food think greens and yellows-celery, cucumbers, and green pepper served with dip. For a sweet treat whip up some cupcakes (according to package) and just add a few drops of green food coloring for a fun baked treat. Add green food coloring to white icing to top the cupcakes or use white icing with green or rainbow sprinkles.

What We Love Right Now February 9, 2011: Ladies Night=Game Night

Every Mom, working or not, needs a little break from the daily routine. SharpMoms thinks spending some time with girlfriends is a great way to unwind. Rather than meeting for the traditional dinner or drinks date with friends, try planning a monthly game night with your gal pals. This idea is fun, cheap, and a great way to spend time gossiping and catching up with your best girls. Not sure where to start? Here are some tips…

Game night should be stress-free and, more importantly, kid-free! Plan a simple menu of appetizers and drinks. If you are playing hostess you can ask each friend to bring an appetizer or a drink of choice- this makes the party planning even easier for you! Plan on getting a sitter for your kids and your friend’s kids as well. Maybe there is an older teenager in the group that can watch the younger children, or, better yet, coral the husbands into watching the kids!

Need some game ideas? Here are a few options:

1. Bunco is always a great game choice. It’s mindless, easy to play, and fun.
2. Relive your childhood with a night of Twister. Everyone will get a good laugh!
3. Find your inner “man” and play a few rounds of poker.
4. Who’s the best liar in the group? A good game of Bull Shit should help you figure it out! The object of the game is to discard all the cards from your hand.
5. Stay traditional and play a round of Monopoly or LIFE.
6. Apples to Apples is a great, fun game. It works best if you know at least a little about all the players. The object of the game is to guess which one player will choose from a list of options.

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