Welcome to Jello Island

Henry's class is having a luau today.

And other than fruit kabobs or a roasted pig, I had no idea what kind of snack to take.

So I made Jello Island:) I mixed up three big boxes of Blue Berry Jello in a clear bowl. About halfway through the refrigeration time, pull the bowl out and load it up with gummy fish and sharks.
When the Jello is completely set, pull it out to decorate. I crumbled up vanilla Oreos in a food processor and sprinkled them onto part of the Jello to make the island. Then I rolled out a few Starburst to make beach towels and added a few sunbathing Teddy Grahams.
To make the palm trees, I used a few Pirouette cookies and some green fruit slices. I sliced the fruit slicing thinly, and then attached them to the top of the Pirouette with the help of a few toothpicks.

This was really easy to do, and I may try it again this summer and actually let the boys helps me when we have more time!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I think I need a fruity drink with an umbrella in it to celebrate the weekend almost being here:)

The Preschool Graduate 2

Grant graduated from preschool on Tuesday night! It really seems like we just did preschool graduation for Henry....this year has flown by!

A self portrait: Grant in his cap and gown
For their program, all the kids do a "What I want to be when I grow up".
Grant was a firefighter.

He said:
I want to be a firefighter
and drive an engine red.
I'll blow the siren good and loud
and get you out of bed.
{no nap makes for an unhappy and non-smiling firefighter}

At the end of the program, all the kiddos walked on stage to receive their diplomas. Our last name starts with a W and as usual, Grant was the very last graduate:)
He did such a great job and we are SUPER proud of him!

Next year he will be all grown up, and he will go to big school with Henry.

Congrats to Jen aka Momma D for winning the CSN giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday: Bouncing Boys

Our new bounce house got here on Friday, and the boys have been having a blast in it! Thanks again to Dee and Play House Bouncers!

Berry Sweet

This purple stained thumb......is from picking lots of these: Blackberries are in season here, which means lots of fresh grown yumminess without having to actually grow things:) My thumbs are much better at being purple than they are at being green!

So we grabbed a big bowl...
... and headed down our little road...
...to search for berries!
Some of us got a little distracted by rocks and bugs.
But we still came home with a big bowl of yumminess...

...that was quickly turned into a pie!

I used this recipe:

Brigid's Blackberry Pie

1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with one of the crusts.
2.Place the blackberries in a large bowl. Stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. Sprinkle over the berries, and toss to coat. Pour into the pie crust. Dot with butter. Place the other pie crust over the top, and secure to the bottom crust by pressing with a fork, or fluting with your fingers. Cut a design in the top crust with a sharp knife to vent steam.
3.Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top crust is browned. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving to allow the filling to set.

...and it turned out SUPER yummy!

****

P.S. Brownie points for Cindy and {my IRL friend} Ashley for guessing that the purple stained thumb was from berry picking:)

Top 10!

Last week I entered my Antique Sewing Machine Drawer Makeover into The DIY Club's contest. And I was chosen as one of the top 10!

Now, I just need lots of people who really liked my crafty idea to go and vote for me:)

Anyone can vote, but you only get to vote one time!

Go HERE or HERE or HERE to vote!