Circus Themed Party Ideas

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 Have you ever thought of having a circus party? I had planned about posting about a special circus themed event I am part of earlier in the week.  As you know as one of the down falls of working with young children, a lot of illnesses tend to go around.  On Saturday I started to not feel well, and figured it was a cold. On Sunday, I started to feel worse.  I had a fever, body aches and was tired enough I just spent the day sleeping.  On Monday I was about the same, but sore throat that I had since Saturday felt a lot worse.  I think you can see where I am going with this. Monday evening I was in urgent care finding out I have strep throat. Normally, you are given Penicillin, a day or so later you feel better.  Then you have someone like me, who is very allergic to the cillin antibiotics and found out on Tuesday that I am also allergic to an alternative antibiotic.  I am starting to do better now, and finally was able to go back to work. I am not 100% but a lot better than I was a few days ago.  

Now back to my intended reason for this post.  We are not having a circus party, but a circus themed bakery booth at an upcoming market. We are excited about this event, and all items being sold will be circus theme as well.  Things we are making for our booth can easily be used for a circus themed party. 

I bought some items from the Dollar Tree to make our booth look like a big top.   We will be using red and white tablecloths on a 12 x 12 canopy to make it look like a circus tent.  I am creating circus themed food cards and signs and putting them in clear photo frames. They will eventually be put in my Etsy Shop.  

I bought the above items through Oriental Trading that will also help with the circus feel.  We will have circus tattoos and stickers to give out as freebies to the kids who visit the booth.  The rolled item on the left is 100 ft of red and white striped pennant banner that we can use for several events.  The circus goody bags on the right were a fantastic deal.  There are 50 goody bags on sale for $4.  The last item in the picture are the red and mini popcorn boxes.  They will be great for popcorn cupcakes or actual popcorn.  They can also be used for other holidays like the 4th of July or Christmas.  

I will be working on our treats in the upcoming week making our circus treats and will be posting about them here.  

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It's Party Time! Let's Dare to Share!

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

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This week was calmer at the daycare, but it was still a busy week. I think I mentioned in the past that one of my other part time jobs is with a friend at her home bakery.  We have a few very busy weeks coming up.  We have 3 events, and two birthday orders due by mid May.  I am especially excited about a market we are doing earlier in May.  Since I love a good theme party, we are planning a really fun theme at our booth. I will share more about it as it gets closer.   We are making some of the cupcakes in two of my favorite cookbooks of all time, Hello, Cupcake and What's New, Cupcake. If you like to make fun cupcakes you will want to check them out.   If you like to make cake pops, this Cake Pop Book is my favorite.  

Over in my Etsy Shop I have a new Mother's Day hunt, and I am going to be launching two new party treasure hunts in the next week. :)  

Now that you know what I have been up to, let me see what you have been up to.. Link up and HAVE FUN!! 

 

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It's Time to Dare to Share!

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

** this post contains an affiliate link 

Were you able to see the solar eclipse on Monday?  I am blessed enough to live in an area where we had totality.  I was able to see the partial eclipse in 2017, but this one was completely different.  It was also really cool to see, and something I will always remember.   I am kind of bummed that the next one in the United States wont be for 21 years, and the next total eclipse in my part of the country wont be until 2099.  One fun thing that we did was we break into our Solar Eclipse Survival Kit and ate a Moon Pie during the actual eclipse. 

There was not a blog post this week, because it was a crazy week at work. We had two teachers out of sick for a few days (out of 6 total) and pretty much all the kids in attendance. Once I got home after work I was too tired to do much of  anything. Thankfully everyone is on the mend now, and both should be back next week.  

Have you heard rumors about changes at the Dollar Tree? Over on Instagram I shared a reel  this week that explains what is really going on with their new price structure, and what to expect. There have been a lot of false headlines and misinformation, but what is happening might not be as bad as you think.  One of my stores is already adding the new products and signage. 

Did you miss joining the Gold City Ventures Printables Side Hustle Course  when it was open for enrollment a few weeks ago?  They are opening the course again for the weekend, and they are offering a payment plan.   I do want to disclose I am an affiliate for this course, but I personally took this course a few years ago when I opened my Etsy shop, and I can 100% say that it is one of the best courses I have ever taken.  :)  

Now that you know what  I have been up to this week, I would like to see what you have been up to.  Link up and HAVE FUN!!  

 

 

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Let's Dare to Share

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

This was a crazy week for me with a lot going on.  I am kind glad it is over.  We had a holiday, crazy weather, some online issues, and some traveling.  I am visiting Michigan for the weekend and then we are heading back just in time for the eclipse.  Where I live in Ohio is expecting HUGE crowds since we will be in totality.      

Over in my Etsy Shop I have some solar eclipse listings that have been selling as a bundle and as single sheets. I think my favorite is the scavenger hunt if you are going to a viewing party.  

On the blog I shared my favorite meal to make with Easter leftovers, Easter Leftover Ham Casserole. It is a family favorite, and a great way to use up that ham.  

I know I normally post more for my party post, but it is getting late and it is time to get this party started.  Link up and HAVE FUN!

 

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Easter Leftover Ham Casserole

Are you having ham with your Easter dinner? One meal my family looks forward to every year is Leftover Ham Casserole.  We almost always have plenty of ham leftover after Easter dinner so this is a great way to use it in another form. 

To make this casserole you will need 

2 cups uncooked rice

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1/4 c miracle whip 

2 cups milk 

about 6 ozs of cubed ham 

frozen broccoli or peas 

shredded cheese 

Preheat oven to 425  

Mix together the rice, mushroom soup, milk, and miracle whip 

Add in the ham, and either the  broccoli or peas. I make the casserole both ways. We like, I usually use whichever vegetable I have on hand. 

Once the ingredients are mixed together, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  

After 20 minutes cover the casserole with 2 to 3 handfuls of cheese and put back in the over uncovered.  

When it comes out of the oven it looks like this.  This picture is making me hungry.  

This casserole disappears fast! If you do have some left over, it tastes good warmed up as leftovers the next day.  

 

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It's Party Time! Let's Dare to Share!

It's Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share! 

*this post contains affiliate links 

This week on the blog I posted one of my favorite holiday recipes, Make Ahead French Toast. It's a great recipe for guests, brunches, or just because.  You put everything together the night before, and then pop it in the oven the next morning.  My favorite recipe for that leftover Easter ham will be up tomorrow.  It is another one of our family favorites.  

Over on Etsy this week,  I recently shared a Solar Eclipse Activity Bundle.  Living in Ohio, I am lucky enough to be in the path of totality.  We are preparing for huge crowds heading our way for the big day. Until it actually happens, I am not really sure what to expect, but I am excited to experience this.  The last eclipse I experienced in 2017 was only partial where I lived.  Are you excited about the eclipse? 

If you have ever thought of creating and selling printables yourself, the course I took to get started is currently open to new students. It is by Gold City Ventures . I loved this course, and the support I received from the Facebook group for the last few years.  It is some of the best money I ever spent on a course. I learned a lot, and now I am doing what I love while also making money in my own small business.  If you do want to join the course, open enrollment is only open until Monday at midnight.  

Well it looks like it is time to get the party started.   You have seen what I have been up to this week, I would love to see what you have been up to.   Link up and HAVE FUN! 

 

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Easter Make Ahead French Toast

Here we are just a few days before Easter.  While I love that it is already Spring, I'm not sure how I feel about having Easter in March this year. I feel I have so much more time to get ready, when there is more than two weeks between St. Patrick's Day and Easter.  

This week I am going to share two of my favorite Easter recipes that are both easy to make, and some of my families favorites.  The first recipe is Make Ahead French Toast.  It is such a great holiday recipe, because you put everything together the night before, and then pop it in the oven Easter morning while you are celebrating with family.  

You will need 

a loaf of your favorite bread (we love cinnamon raisin) 

4 to 6 eggs

1/2 cup milk 

vanilla 

cinnamon sugar (if desired) 

cream cheese (your preferred flavor) 

If you are making this for more than 6 people, double the recipe. 

You will need two slices of your chosen bread per person.  I have made this recipe is so many different ways over the years.  I will be sharing pictures from some of the different variations. 

On this particular day we did not have cinnamon raisin bread on hand, so I used Aunt Millie's Country Buttermilk bread.  My cream cheese of choice that day was strawberry, and added it to each of the bottom pieces of bread. 

On the top pieces of bread I added some cinnamon sugar.  

This picture was from a different day, but at the same step.  I wanted to fit more bread into my pan, so instead of using full pieces of bread, I squeezed in 12 half pieces.  Mix the eggs and the milk together in a bowl, and then pour it over the bread.  Cover the casserole dish with foil, and put it in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning, let the pan sit out for a few minutes so the casserole dish is not too cold when you put it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once in the oven, bake for 30 minutes. I removed the foil the last 5 to 10 minutes.  I would put this in the oven before my kids looked for their Easter eggs, and when they were done  breakfast would be ready. 

I made this variation just a few years ago. I added cinnamon sugar and used regular cream cheese.

I think this year might have been my favorite version. I used cinnamon raisin toast, regular cream cheese, and then covered the toast with strawberries and syrup. 

I believe we had guests this particular year, which is why it looks a bit fancier.  I used thick bread, strawberry cream cheese, sliced strawberries, and Redi-whip.  

No matter how you decide to put together your make ahead french toast, it is always a great dish to serve for Easter morning.  

 

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It's Time to Dare to Share!

It's Saturday morning, and you know what that means..

It's time to Dare to Share! 

Well you may have noticed that I missed posting the Friday night party link last night.  I have a pretty good excuse though.  I am currently in Missouri for my niece's wedding. She had a beautiful wedding last night in the Branson area.   It was a 90 minute drive from my mom's house, so we got home pretty late.  She had a DJ that played some great music, so we were dancing most of the night.  

Have you ever attended a wedding in a greenhouse?  I can now say I have. The venue is designed for weddings with a building for the service, and one for the reception. If you are looking for a venue and in the Branson area check out Two Rivers Greenhouse. 

Early this week, I shared part two of my Gatlinburg trip with my our trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  While we did not come face to face with an elk on this day, it was still a pretty exciting day.  

Over in my Etsy Shop, it's almost time for Easter.  If you are thinking about an Easter treasure hunt, I may have something you are looking for.  :) 

If you are Dollar Tree fan, over on Instagram one of my latest reels is has all of the latest new Dollar Tree finds this week. I will be stopping by some local Dollar Trees here in Missouri so I hope I find some item I have not seen yet in Ohio.  

Now that you know what I have been up to this week, I would love to see what you have been up to.  Link up and HAVE FUN!  

 
 

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Our Trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Two weeks ago we spent a few days in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  If you missed the first part of our trip  can see it here.  On the second day of our trip we knew we wanted to go back to do one more thing in downtown Gatlinburg before heading to Pigeon Forge, and that was to visit the Sky Park Bridge.  On the way to the bridge we saw a lot of fun signs like this one in front of on of their restaurants. 

Right next to the Sky Park is this spooky building, the Mysterious Mansion.  It is supposedly one of the oldest "haunted houses" in the area that you are able to walk around on your own self tour.  I personally do not like haunted houses, so I was not to upset that it was closed on this day.  I did think the outside looked pretty cool though. 

To get to the Sky Park Bridge you have to ride a ski lift. While on the lift, it was not that far off the ground.  

I found another giant chair! 

Pretty much every where you look around Gatlinburg you will see black bear statues in various shapes and sizes.  I think this one with a mama bear and her two cubs was my favorite.  This was an area on one side of bridge that had pretty views of the main street below.  A lot of this attraction was destroyed in the 2016 Gatlinburg fires. They had to replace the ski lift, and the upper terminal.  They had plans to rebuild/upgrade the bridge, and it was supposed to be completed in October 2016, one month before the fires.  They were not able to start it when planned though, so the timing worked out in their favor. They rebuilt everything after the fires.

The bridge is 680 feet long, and the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North America.  While you could feel it moving a little bit, it was secured with giant cables and felt very safe.   

This was the view near where the bear statues were located.  Since we were there in early March, it was still early in the season for all the green grass and leaves to come back. 

After a quick lunch, and a stop at a nearby Buc-ees, we drove around Pigeon Forge to check out the sites.  Dollywood was a few days from opening, so most places were not very busy.  While we were not ready to eat yet, we stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe to see the memorabilia.  They had some fun items at this location, including a dress worn by a certain blond superstar who had the biggest tour in the world this year. :) 

We drove by the Titanic Museum.  I know there is also one in Branson, Mo which is not that far from where some of my family lives.  It was already pretty late in the day, so we did not stop there on this trip.  

Another cool place to visit is the Hollywood Wax Museum.  We did not stop at this location this time, because we recently saw the one in Branson which you can read about here.

 

We did see a familiar face on the side of a building and decided to check it out.   At Downtown Flavortown, you can play games in the arcade, bowl in a small bowling alley, and eat at Guy Fieri's Tiki Bar. 

This giant Guy Fieri rubber duck is over 5 ft tall.  

You can also see his red convertible from Diners, Drive Ins and Dives up close. 

Downtown Flavortown is located in a cute little shopping area. We found a great gift shop there with affordable souvenirs.  I bought a few T-shirts and sweatshirts for only $9.99 each. There was an area with a fire pit where you can sit and rest.  While we were sitting there, a man was giving kids' rides on a colorful train around the shopping area.  It looked like fun, but it was not big enough to grownups to ride.  LOL  

At this point it had started to rain, so we headed back to Gatlinburg a few miles away.   We were starting to get hungry so we decided to eat a late dinner.  It was already almost 8 pm, so we stopped by Jason Aldeen's Kitchen and Roof Top Bar. 

We decided to eat salads, and have one of their signature drinks.  Since it was raining we did not eat on the rooftop, but on the middle floor.  It had open windows and a nice view of the street below.   The food was yummy, and the service was great.  It was then time to walk back to our hotel while we finished up another great day in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. 

 

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Let's Dare to Share!

It's Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!  

I had planned on writing my post about Pigeon Forge, Tennessee yesterday, but the weather had other plans.  If you watched the news today about all of the tornadoes in Ohio, you will understand why I was not able to be on the computer yesterday.  The bad weather started soon after I got home from work.  Tornadoes did land in the town where I grew up and in the neighboring towns, and there was some damage. We still have family and friends in the area, that we were trying to reach to see if they were okay.   While there was some destruction, power outages, and injuries, those tornadoes were smaller than the ones that were to come about an hour later.  The Lakeview/Indian Lake tornado was about an hour north  of where we are.  Today we heard that tornado was a F3.  All people have been accounted for now, and three people did not make it through the storm. There were a lot of injuries, and a lot of the town was affected  About 10 pm, another tornado hit about 30 minutes away from where we live.  While where I live we did not go end up in a full tornado warning, we were under a severe thunderstorm warning and in the basement for a time.  Finally about 11:30 all the storms had finally left the area, and it was time to get some sleep.   

I will be posting my Pigeon Forge post this weekend.  You can see a small preview in my photo. Does that large rubber ducky look familiar?  It should, it is a famous chef who likes to drive a red convertible. :)

If you missed my post about the first day of our vacation to Gatlinburg you can read about it here.

Are you doing anything fun this weekend for St. Patrick's Day?  I have a Find the Pot of Gold hunt in my Etsy Shop that kids can play.  I love making and participating in Treasure Hunts.  

Over on Instagram this week I have a reel where I give a review of the popular Dollar Tree Flower blocks. While I love how they look, I had an interesting time putting them together.  

Now that you know what I have been up to this week, I would love to see what you have been up to. So let's get this party started.  Link up and HAVE FUN!!  

 

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