Stache or Sash Gender Reveal Party

Last weekend we hosted a 'Stache or Sash' gender reveal party at our house. We had a great time with friends and family, which means I was too busy to take many pictures. I had these grande ideas of great pictures so I am sad that didn't happen. Oh well! So I am going to share a little of what we did and how we did the reveal.

These were the invitations I made up...and you can get them in my Etsy shop!



When the guests first arrived, they would grab a sticker for what their guess was. Most people thought I was having a girl! It was fun to see what people's guesses were.




Here is a shot of the food table...



I made these mustache and sash pops using candy molds I purchased on Amazon. They were a HUGE hit with the kids. I was worried no one would eat them, but the kids gobbled them up within about 2 minutes of the party starting.





So, for the actual reveal, I didn't want to do the same ol' thing I had seen on Pinterest over and over again. So that crossed off cutting into a cake, people getting tinted cupcakes, or using balloons. Instead, I made scratch off lotto tickets! How cute is that?! :) People would scratch off to see if they had three of a kind (three mustaches or three sashes). I made a couple different versions and there was only one winner. My mom got the winning ticket and was SHOCKED that I was having another boy. (if you are keeping count, this is our THIRD son!)

Here is Brad explaining the tickets to everyone...


My mom reading her ticket (SUPER blurry)...


My mom with the ticket...


Tomorrow I will share how I made the tickets, which was really easy, and will share the different card versions in case you want to make some on your own!

Please be a fan of lil Mop Top on facebook!! I link up to these parties!

Surfer Dude Party!

My sweet Matthew turned two a couple weeks ago and we have the MOST FUN surfer dude birthday party! We had just moved into our new house so I decided to make it a 'family only' party to minimize stress. This turned out to be one of the most fun parties I have thrown. Here's a little glimpse...

I used these invitations that I designed. I think they were cute and gave a surfer dude vibe to the party.



I had 'Matthew's Surf Shop' set up for the party favors. The kids dug into the leis and glasses immediately!







'Matthew's Snack Shack' was all set up in the kitchen. I tried to make food that you might get at a snack shack so we had sliders, french fries, mini corn dogs, chips & dip, and salad. It was VERY yummy!





The 'Beach Bar' had all the drinks, including Longboard and Land Shark beer that I found at Walmart.





I made a banner using photo shop and hung it over the gift table.



Since it is extremely hot in Texas and the party was at the end of July, we ate first and then headed outside for the water games when the sun was not blazing. I bought water guns and squirters for an all-guest water fight which was fun. I also had frisbees in the pool with sponge bombs so the kids could try to throw the sponges onto the floating frisbees. That game did not go over well and was pretty much ignored!







The best part of the party was playing with the slip and slide. The oldest kids at the party were 3 years old and they didn't quite get the hang of it. So, Uncle Tyler and Brad pushed the kiddos down the slide and they LOVED it!





Then we pulled out the inflatable surfboard that I got at Oriental Trading and the kids (and adults!) took rides on that. I was sad to miss out on the fun but I don't think a pregnant lady should be dragged across the ground on her stomach!





Lastly, we used the surfboard for an impromptu photo op for the cousins and then for each couple. They turned out really cute!







We skipped the traditional cake dessert and had an ice cream sundae bar set up (no pictures of that!) and it was a nice change of pace.

Like I said, we had a blast at the party!


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EASY Road Project

As I have been setting up the playroom, I noticed that John lined up a bunch of his cars on the top of the bookshelves. So, I pulled out some vinyl and cut some quick roads and stripes. He said he wanted a curvy road, so his wish was my command!



Are they perfect and professional looking? Not really. But it does the trick and is removable, so it works for me! John and Matthew use it often for their cars...and for building towers apparently.





Sidenote: How in the world have we acquired sooooo many cars/trucks/planes??? Is it just me, or do they multiply when I am not looking? This bucket is filled to the brim and we have tons more in the shelves!




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Playroom Freebies

We have been working on the boys' playroom over the past week or so. This room is quite large (walls are 155 inches long!) so the boys love playing in there. The room isn't totally finished yet, so I am going to wait to share the whole thing. But, in the meantime I wanted to share a freebie that I made for the room.





You have probably seen these types of sign around Pinterest or Etsy. I just whipped these up using Photoshop, printed them on regular paper, and framed them with extra frames we had from the old house. Very easy and cheap! So, I wanted to share them with you- feel free to save and use (but please don't sell them!).

Here is what they look like in the playroom:





I can't wait for the room to be finished and share the rest of it with you!

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