Simple Gifts: Crispy Cinnamon Toasts

Delicious. Simple. Fun. And something you can do together with a young friend or relative. This project automatically divides itself into two easy steps which makes it good for small children. It allows them to play for a while in between so they get a nice break between focused efforts. To get started, have everyone first put aprons on; if you don’t have aprons, do it the way my grandmother did back in the thirties: fold a clean tea towel or dishtowel into a triangle, wrap it around your middle … [read more...]

Homemade Horchata

My husband and I are hosting a Cinco De Mayo fiesta at our house this year, so we thought it’d be fun to whip up our favorite Mexican beverage for the occasion – Horchata! One thing I love about this drink is that it can be made in so many different ways. For example, you can experiment with different types of rice, or you can add a handful of your favorite nuts to change the flavor profile. I even like to add a little rum or brandy for the adults at the party! Homemade Horchata • ¾ cup … [read more...]

Owl Party Favors

My daughter recently celebrated her first birthday! It's hard to believe its been a year since she arrived. Watching this little girl grow and learn has been an amazing journey. Most will agree that the first birthday party is not only a celebration of life, but also a day to commend those hardworking parents for a job well done. Finding a party theme can be difficult sometimes, but really all you have to do is look around. I found inspiration for Roxy's party in a hat! That's right...a hat. She … [read more...]

April Fools’ – Snakes In A Can!

Ever since I was a kid, I've been a little bit of a trickster. I loved being a little devil. All mostly harmless of course, but there was nothing more fun than watching someone turn rosy out of embarrassment from a well placed whoopee cushion. I used to love going into magic shops and novelty stores to buy all the gags I could. Fake mustaches, color changing gum, soap that makes you smell bad, a dollar bill on fishing line - I loved all the classics. And now that I've grown up, not much has changed! My … [read more...]

Simple Gifts: Birthday Favors

In searching for a fun party activity for Stella’s birthday, I came across lots of cool plastic goodies, and realized this is something I would like to talk about first. Plastic is an important part of my life, that is, my committment to avoid it. At work, we have converted all of our packaging to be plastic-free. That sounds easy, but it wasn’t. It took a few years, lots of searching for alternative solutions, and not a small amount of convincing our staff and customers, but now we use only … [read more...]

DIY Art Coasters

A favor idea for your next party: add your own art coasters! This is a neat idea for a party or get together for children or adults. Order some coasters, supply pens and then watch the creativity flow. At the end of the party you can round them up and perhaps take a few photos to share with all the party goers- or send them home with guests as a reminder of the time they spent with you. Sometimes being asked to be creative on the spot can be daunting. To aid guests who might feel a little shy … [read more...]

Boxicle Inspired Birthday

Sometimes finding a theme for your party can be difficult. I know - I've spent many hours on the internet looking for inspiration. Why not use one of our label designs...  a coworker recently came up with a brilliant idea, and I just had to share it. For her daughter's 18th birthday she had some labels made with the Boxicle design and added her daughter's senior pictures. She used the labels to make invitations, simply attaching them to a piece of card stock. On the back of the card stock she wrote … [read more...]

Birthday Cupcake Toppers

My Dad's birthday was just this last week and he is turning fifty-five. As much as I would like to bake a cake that could hold 55 candles, help light all those candles and help eat all that cake, it really isn't practical. Thinking about ways that I could decorate his cake, celebrate his age and not set the house on fire I stumbled upon a My Own Labels solution. I created a very nifty sticker- with my Dad's picture on it. Sticking one sticker one side of a wooden skewer (a birthday candle or a toothpick … [read more...]

Simple Gifts: Valentine Kids

For a cute and inexpensive way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, order a couple sheets of photo labels for all your kids (and you too) to make treats for the special people in your lives. I love the idea of having your photo on sweet little goodies. All you have to do is put the label on and hand them out! Simple and quite sweet. You will be remembered. How to make your Valentine treats: The Carson Kids are on After Eights, little square mints covered in chocolate and slipped into a dark brown … [read more...]

Circus Peanut Party Favors

No matter how old you are, themed birthday parties are always so much fun. I recently helped a friend plan a circus themed party for her son's 5th birthday. We chose favor and decoration ideas that were simple and easy to put together and the birthday boy and his guests loved them! Here are some fun ideas we chose for Trenton's circus party: • We decorated with red, orange and blue balloons. • We made a garland out of hang tags and colorful paper. • We made clown cupcakes with ice cream … [read more...]