Thursday, February 27, 2014

AM~Erica is Gonna Put the Seussical Into Use-ical

So anyway...

I am getting ready to celebrate one of my favorite weird holidays.
It is getting close to time
for me to use some Seussical rhyme.

That's right, people...this weekend is Dr. Seuss' birthday!

Much like I have done with St. Patrick's Day (HERE) & Talk Like a Pirate Day (HERE), I am trying to get as many of you as possible to prepare to celebrate! And to get the focus on WHY there is the celebration.

The birthday of Theodore Geisel is no different! There has been a rise of celebration for Dr. Seuss' birthday in the last several years, and it has kicked off the Read Across America week in schools.

I want to continue to urge kids of all ages...ALL AGES...to read, but Theodore Geisel was a brilliant mind! He would have to be to create & illustrate the fantastic nonsense that made sense. Amm-i-rite?

His madness was, and still is, fantastic & so worth celebrating! And I mean celebrating to the hilt!

Wearing crazy stripes, stove pipe hats, sporting crazy hair, and out-there fashions just lead to thoughts of being a Who, or other character/creature, from Seussville.

Watching a movie from a Dr. Seuss book is highly encouraged! Even if it's a Christmas one. The only one I didn't like was "The Cat in the Hat", starring Mike Meyers & a very young Dakota Fanning. Which is sad since it was so perfectly cast. But that's my own opinion...however, you don't see it popping up on movie channels, or even on ABC Family. That says a lot!

Now then...the food...

We have done several things in the past few years. Plus there all kind of other ideas, too...but here's a few things I've forced my family to eat...which didn't turn out so bad & is totally & Seussically festive:

Who Hash

I've done this a couple of times within this past year. It started out on Dr. Seuss' Birthday...and we did fix it a few other times! It's a winner of dinner!

Roast Beast Who Hash recipe HERE


Pantry Who Hash (aka - Poor Man's Who Hash) recipe HERE


We have had green [scrambled] eggs & ham before. However, since then we have non-pork eater. However...I have a thought to include & put a twist on the beloved book, "Green Eggs & Ham", that would allow our non-pork eater to join in the fun...
Have you ever been to Red Robin & partaken in the Royal Red Robin? It's the burger that has a fried egg on it! If you've had it, you know it's REALLY good! If you haven't...it probably sounds weird, but you gotta give it a try (if you want to spend $10 on that burger). OK, I know it comes with bacon...but we would leave it off, fry up the egg & color it green...then pop it on top of the patty...because "green egg & ham[burger]"!

Doctored image from Williams-Sonoma
This would be SO awesome if it looked like this...


I'm not gonna lie...I do wish Heinz would bring back the crazy ketchup colors (remember those?) for Dr. Seuss' birthday. How awesome would it be to have that purple ketchup dripping from your green eggs & hamburger? Very Seussy, amm-i-rite??




Any-who...(see what I did there?)...you can do easier things like serving rainbow Goldfish crackers ("One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish")...



...and blue jello in clear small bowls with a Swedish fish in the jello ("Cat in the Hat").




We have also done bread & butter - half was butter-side-up, the other half was butter-side-down ("The Bitter Butter Battle"). I might do this again, and paint the bread with colored milk before toasting it! Seussical bread would be an amazing thought!

So fun! Amm-i-rite?
Painted Toast image via Spearmint Baby

We certainly could not have a meal with without a drink!
So we make Pink Ink to drink!
We drink Pink Ink, just like the Yink!
We drink the Pink Ink Yink drink!



OK...so it's so super easy! We make a gallon of Koolaide. Seriously. It's half pink lemonade & half strawberry. And it's delicious! You could do pink lemonade, too.

Our Dr. Seuss Feast 2011:
Green eggs & green ham, rainbow Goldfish, buttered bread,
"Who Hash" (which was really spoonable cornbread...I 
didn't know better then),
and Pink Ink

We also call it Hope Juice because Teen Girl says, "it tastes like hope feels." (quoting one of her favorite John Green books...which I'm pretty sure it's "The Fault in our Stars") But it's Pink Ink on Dr. Seuss' birthday.

I'm not one that does a lot of crafts. See...I'm what you would call "craft-challenged". I'm creative, but certainly NOT crafty! However, even though I'm not a game player, I will have some fun with some Seussy festivities! Actually, I did it a couple of years ago when I made a surprise trip back to St. Louis!



So...I obviously think you should look the part, too!

Here I am with Tim Ezell after the Seuss Olympics in 2012



Yep! Stripes, spots & blue scarf. I made the shirt to look like it was straight out of a Dr. Seuss book & I had the scarf in the perfect blue. I have that spotted scarf & I added a feather headband last year, along with some touches of blue hair.

You can also use "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?" to make the craziest sounds. You might surprise yourself!

Using "The Foot Book" is perfect to discuss all of our differences & how it makes each of us unique & special!

Start planning ahead for Earth Day while you delve into "The Lorax".

With the Oscars being on Dr. Seuss' birthday this year, I have been imagining what it would look like if the whole thing was Seussical-themed! I have a crazy Pinterest board imagining what the fashion could look like! I'm entertained by the thought of these, for sure! (check it out HERE)

You can check out my other Dr. Seuss celebrations HERE, too.

There are so many other books of his you can use to celebrate with!

You can even start on a smaller scale. Wear a striped shirt &/or socks. Color some pasta or mashed potatoes green, blue, or purple. Read a few of the books & get inspired! It's really hard NOT to get inspired from these books!

Oh what, oh what
do you want to do
to celebrate
from hat to shoe?

Keep using your mind
and Dr. Seuss
to put your mind
and creativity to use!

Put Dr. Seuss
to good use!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Monday, February 24, 2014

AM~Erica Imagines if the Oscars Were Seussical

So anyway...

I'm not sure if you can believe it or not...but believe it! February is almost done & we are nearing the end of the 1st quarter of 2014! WOW! This year is working it's way right along!

March is right upon us...and I make sure we celebrate several things during this coming month. (check out my celebrations HERE)

Once in a while, there's a holiday &/or event that collides with another. The first Sunday in March is no different this year...

The Oscars are coming! I know not everyone gets into those, but many do. Who will win best movie, actress, actor, supporting actor & actress, director, screenplay, animated movie, adaptation, makeup, costumes, foreign film, short film, cinematography, best original song, best score, sound editing, etc.? I find it fun to see who presents what, what the teleprompter tells them to say...or even some of the improvisational & off-the-cuff moments needed to fill some time or to make a better transition...or because there's now a running joke. I'm also excited abut Ellen DeGeneres hosting again! The People's Choice Awards were hosted by the stars of "Two Broke Girls", the Golden Globes were hosted by the dream team of Tina Fey & Amy Poehler...and now the Oscars by Ellen! Women are kinda ruling this hosting business!
(Yes...I know LL Cool J hosted the Grammys...but it's been mostly women this time around...)

Anyhoo...I also love the fashion. Who is wearing what on the red carpet. Seeing who breaks the mold & wears something totally crazy...who plays it safe & wears a sequin sheath dress...I like that part.

It's the hosting of Ellen & where the fashions could go that led me to this line of thinking:

What if the Oscars went Seussical??

Yes...I totally mean a Dr. Seuss-themed/inspired Academy Awards Ceremony!

The Oscars fall on March 2nd this year...which happens to be the birthday of Theodore Geisel!

So...imagine with me...



The wavy red carpet would contain styles you would find from the 1980's, mid-late 1960's, and things that have stripes or polka-dots, featuring puffy things & feathery things, full of bright colors, and maybe channeling your inner Lady Gaga or Helena Bonham Carter!



Can you see it? And Jay Manuel should loan out his tuxedos for that night, too!




See? Like Tim Burton took over the red carpet!

OH! Could you imagine if he directed the Oscars? Danny Elfman would be the musical director for it!

Ellen could totally be in a Cat in the Hat inspired tux!

Suessical Oscars


Right?? RIGHT???

And then imagine if all of the teleprompter scripts & speeches were all in Seussical form!

Oh, wouldn't that be glorious? You know...just to shake things up a bit. And Ellen at the helm could TOTALLY do it!! Amm-i-rite??

The set would look a little like Whoville & the Wonka Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton's version)...

The whole thing would be like "Fancy Grammys"!

I'm so disappointed in myself for not thinking this thru WAY sooner! This would have made an awesome crossover party!! But I wouldn't have had time this year, anyway...maybe in another 11 years.... I'm starting the planning NOW!! It will be EPIC!!!

Stay tuned...

*SCREECH* WAIT!!! Since we did the Wayne's World travel-back dissolved for this Oscars post, it's only fitting this is thrown in:



You're welcome.
(Hey! Mike Meyers was Cat in the Hat after all...)

God Bless, AM~Erica

Saturday, February 22, 2014

AM~Erica Pays Tribute to the First President

So anyway...

As I research & find things to celebrate...or find new & different ways to celebrate holidays (find out some of those ways HERE), today is no exception!

While I was looking into President's/Presidents'/Presidents Day...I found some major & interesting discrepancies!
*GASP OF SHOCK*

Did you know that not every U.S. state looks at the 3rd Monday in February the same way? If we weren't divided enough...this comes along, too!!

* If you celebrate Presidents Day, you are celebrating a day of presidents as a federal holiday to get a long weekend.

image of Mount Rushmore via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mountrushmore.jpg

* If you celebrate Presidents' Day, you are celebrating a day focussing on the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12th) & George Washington (February 22nd) as a federal holiday to get a long weekend.

image via www.sfsu.edu


* If you celebrate President's Day, you are celebrating a day for George Washington's birthday, the day it was actually meant to celebrate...but as a federal holiday to get a long weekend.

George Washington is on a horse...
...on a boat...

Take that Old Spice AND Andy Samberg!
(George Caleb Bingham painting found via www.chrysler.org)


Grammar matters, people...grammar matters.

So I decided to just take the 3rd Monday of February as a scheduled long weekend day & actually celebrate Abe's & George's birthdays on their respective days. Amm-i-rite?

Well...today is the 282nd birthday of our first president. And, as I do, I wanted to see what else to have besides cherry pie or something.

As I got researching...like I do...I was reading about hoecakes.

They are basically cornbread pancakes that were made by slaves with their cornmeal rations, and then used the flat part of their gardening hoes as a griddle by placing them on the fire to cook the cakes. Because of the hoes being so close to the fire, the cakes could be ashy...and they also got the name ash cakes, too.

You're welcome.

I went searching for some "authentic" hoecake recipes. I found some, but really a lot of modified ones. I used one that was modified, but not overly. (that recipe HERE) As it was recorded by George Washington's daughter, he enjoyed hoecakes "swimming in honey and butter."






I made very rustic hoecakes and made my honey butter to top them with. Pretty perfect! Amm-i-rite? Except I did make them in a skillet on the stove...not on the flat part of a garden hoe over a fire. I served bacon with 'em since I knew that would be eaten...and we had some on hand.

Then I was gonna make some variety of cherry cookies or something...but the day & week had been SO busy, I just didn't have it in me to attempt a pie or cookies...or anything! So, we decided to pick up some cherry drinks instead. Yep, we headed to Sonic Drive-In: the boys got cherry Coke floats, and I got a cherry slushy.

I did learn that pies of the colonial times were probably more like turnovers...so I may attempt something like that next year...

Also, I read something very interesting about a question from a boy asked at a tour of Mt. Vernon. He asked if George Washington ate Hershey bars. The question brought up something interesting: he could not have eaten a chocolate bar as they were not yet invented. However, cocoa beans had been introduced to America at that point; they were made into hot drinks...so he would have enjoyed HOT CHOCOLATE! They would have had it flavored with things like cayenne pepper, orange peel or anise. So why not have some with a cherry cordial flavor? Mmmmm...

So, next year...why not enjoy some hoecakes with honey butter, a cherry turnover & some hot chocolate?

Maybe go to the dollar store or find where you can find something for $1.25...

image via https://medium.com/generation-field-notes/cdae06278047

Or you can start an indoor herb garden or start a Chia pet on a day like today - George revolutionized the way crops are grown...

Yes...a Chia Kitten...because...internet
Chia Herb Garden



...or even start a revolution...that seems to be big again these days...

Wow...I hope the show, "Sleepy Hollow", is back in full swing next year (Anyone love watching that show & dying for it to come back in the fall?) & has a great way that Ichabod Crane celebrated General Washington's birthday! Wouldn't that be amazing?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Saturday, February 15, 2014

AM~Erica Doesn't Need All That Stuff

So anyway...

Yesterday seemed to be a big deal to a lot of folk out there. Whether you are one who is in a relationship & was hoping to get or forced to give hearts, cards, flowers, expensive dinner, jewelry...whatever the case...or whether you are the person NOT in a relationship & is dealing with everyone else is getting or being forced to give hearts, cards, flowers, expensive dinner, jewelry...whatever the case...you are dealing with February 14th.

Here's my question for you: why does it matter? Seriously! WHY?

I think I have become bothered, over the years, that February 14th is the one main day out of the year to be showered with love & major affection. Just the mere expectations become a competition! The receiver of such "affections" want to show it off to others...and sometimes gets let down when someone else may have gotten something bigger, better, shinier, more expensive...

UGH!!!

There is an unbelievable frenzy that breaks out on Valentine's Day! It's stressful!

OK, OK...I confess...I do celebrate with my hubby. Well..............kinda....

It was 18 years ago, on February 14th, that my hubby & I fell into a holiday trap: we got engaged on Valentine's Day. But I'm not talking that down! We were young & in love. We were caught up in the whirlwind of the idea behind what Valentine's Day has come to be known as in this day & age.

But, with all the stress & over-the-top tokens to proclaim love for one another...well...it just wasn't enough! We show love to each other ALL OF THE TIME! With tokens & actions, we find our continued love in our everyday lives. That's right...the beauty in the mundane.

So, we don't need no stinkin' Valentine's Day! We do, however, celebrate the anniversary of our Engagement Day. (previous post on it HERE)

We make a big deal about certain milestones in our lives: we celebrate the anniversary of the day we met, we celebrate the anniversary of our first date, we celebrate the day we got engaged, we celebrate our anniversary. These are important connections thru our relationship journey!

Just because we got engaged on February 14th, it doesn't mean I need a $100 bouquet of roses that will wither & die, a $20-30 mylar balloon that will deflate, I don't need a heart-shaped box of chocolates...but I will certainly take the chocolate. I really don't need a card with chintzy hearts all over it. No stuffed animals, no expensive dinner, no blingy jewelry (the only one that mattered was when I said yes to my Prince Charming)...
Just spending time with him & reminiscing while continuing to dream of our future is the most romantic thing!

I'm about to tick off some businesses (i.e., florists, Hallmark, restaurants, jewelers, super stores & drug stores) when I urge you to think about the stress of Valentine's Day! Is it about the gifts & money spent? Or is it about the romance of the attention? And...why do we have to have the pressure of just that one day?


My hubby & I have "a place". We go there for our milestone things. If we weren't engaged on Valentine's Day...I'm not sure we would work going there on that day. Maybe it's life that has set in to open our eyes to the fact that Valentine's Day is so over-blown! We work going out for lunch (like this year) because we have kiddos who have schedules & lives that don't care that it's Valentine's Day, either! So we spread it out. We did it last year, too. Just going out for coffee was fine by us. It's about the time spent together...not the gifts! 

 As a Disney Princess (a reminder HERE), I love that my Prince Charming & I can see past the big show to know that our love is deeper than the biggest bouquet & biggest heart-box of chocolates on the same day that so many others are getting the SAME kind of thing! 

We prefer to share our quiet moments together, in our palace, while the kingdom goes about in madness of raised expectations. In our eyes, it's not about the size of the show, but of the show of affection...FROM THE HEART! It's different for everyone!  Just like each person's individual personality, style, wants & needs...that's how our relationships should be treated. If you are a simple person & then want to be lavished with a lot of expensive gifts just because it's Valentine's Day...and that's not how it is any other time...you might want to stop & reexamine that thought. 

Plus...I question as to why there should be an insane & near-impossible scavenger obstacle course to get these "sentimental tokens of affection." The retailers KNOW what is up! And they will price gauge your pockets out by inflating the prices of things to huge numbers! A $20 bouquet of roses does become a $100 expenditure around Valentine's Day. Heck, even restaurants have "specials" that are actually more expensive than usual on Valentine's Day. Our favorite restaurant even said, as they gave their specials, that they had at least a $1 markup of things because of the holiday! *face palm* 

Schools still give Valentine parties...and it amounts to some cards being handed out & eating some heart-shaped candy, chocolate, red or pink-colored candy, drinking pink punch or red Kool-aide...and that's about it. As much as I loved, Loved, LOVED making Valentine boxes back in the day...what has it really become except for niceties? These are kids, people! CHILDREN!

*ahem*

OK...here's what I'm saying: If you are looking for affections to be lavish & expensive just because it's Valentine's Day...you might need to reassess your relationship. I'm not talking about those who get engaged or married on that day. Good for you! But is it JUST because it's Valentine's Day? And how do you celebrate it afterward? As an anniversary or Valentine's Day? If you have to have the outward show to prove your significant other's love for you...uh...you're doing it wrong.

There are many ways to show love! They aren't always big proclamations! It's fixing coffee for your love to make sure it's done before they walk out in the morning; it's sharing the couch while the kids are in the room with you...just holding hands; it's sharing your thoughts with each other that, hopefully, includes your dreams for your future together; it's reminiscing about your past & seeing how far you've come...


I have seen this illustration several times...but in great timing...
...as I wrote this blog, one of my favorite FB pages & blogs, Snarky in the Suburbs, had this posted!

Can you be extravagant with each other from time-to-time? Sure! There's anniversaries & birthdays to cover some that...or no reason at all. The pressures of being forced to show love in a spectacle is a bit over-rated.

Grow what's deeper, first. The harvest will be greater. It will show thru if it's constantly taken care of...even if it may not appear as a lot on the outside...it's what's being grown on a deeper level.

My hubby & I don't get to spend a lot of time together out in public...however, people always tell us they can see how in love we are. It's starts at home. It starts by planting the seed & allowing it to grow. You aren't going to plant one seed & expect an entire garden harvest next week.

Just some deep thoughts from a princess still in love...thru the mundane...

A simple glance across the kitchen table at breakfast or dinner, just walking up behind your mate to give them a comforting hug; just a kiss before you leave each other's presence & an "I Love You", no matter if you mad at each other or not; just hold hands while you sit on the couch watching the news; a simple compliment on you really like that shirt on them...

Because there are singles out there who don't get this...whether it's by a failed relationship, someone they want to be with, or by forever losing their one-true-love: death, affairs, they fell out of love with you...and it's heartbreaking to have this rubbed into them, too.

How are you treating the look of love? As something very real...or a total charade to make it look like things are great...even if they aren't?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Thursday, February 6, 2014

AM~Erica Copes with Being Cooped Up

So anyway...

*WARNING: written under duress of cabin fever*

I am sitting here, enjoying my coffee in the quiet moments of my children still sleeping & hubby gone to work...

We are on day #3 of consecutive snow days due to the weather of a crazy snow storm & frigid temps.

I'm glad the kids were kept home for their safety...and, yet...it can be a bit much after a while.

I have seen, just this season, that those in the mid-Missouri regions, for sure, have had so many snow days, it's crazy! The winter has been brutal this time around! BRUTAL!

While I sit here...I reflect on my children...

I love them. I really do. I want to make that point very clear. Because you may doubt me as I keep going...but it's said out of love...and probably some insanity...

With 3 kiddos at home...and being cooped in together...it can be overwhelming.

Don't forget: 2 out of 3 kids, in our household, are teenagers.
Some of you know what that can be like, especially with cabin fever setting in.

However, this can be tricky when you can have parent-hating teenagers actually interact with you when they DON'T need something! Amm-i-rite?

Thankfully, my hubby has been home with us, the last couple of days, so I haven't been quite as overwhelmed...and I'm super excited that all the kiddos still want to talk to me (sometimes)...but it's hard when the kids get very talkative at the same time. They tag team each other to take over my 1 set of ears...and sometimes they will double-team...even triple-team...my ears & brain! It's like Conversation WWF! (yes...I went back to older school wrastlin' terms here)



It is so awesome how weird & random my kids are! And they are all differently weird & random! I love it. And they do enjoy sharing their brand of smarticles & wisdom. But when it all bursts forth at once...well...in my pride as a parent, my brain begins to melt. My brain cannot keep up with all the information being thrown at me! Then they get very upset if I didn't remember that one little detail of an overlapping conversation...like, say...they needed to be at a practice or something. Whatever...I digress...

I have seen awesome pop culture references from other parents about their cabin fever experiences. I've seen where a parent was concerned their home situation had turned into something out of "Lord of the Flies." I have seen parents want to [lovingly] volunteer their own children as tribute. Even ideas along the lines of kid-swapping has been implied...

This amazing compilation, and others, can be found at The D Continuum on Etsy (HERE)


My insanity is setting in at greater levels, I'm afraid...
I offered up, at one point, that Hollywood should take hold of these ideas, place a movie in a winter setting, and then as parents are working out a kid swap for their own sanity actually volunteer their children as tribute...and it becomes a Hunger Games-turns-Lord of the Flies. That, my friends, would be an intense movie, lending to extreme parenting examples to show your children, and then you could remind them that it could end up that way if they don't simmer down!!!

BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....HA-HA....HA-Ha....Ha-ha...ha-ha.....ha...*ahem*



I need to get more coffee...the boys have gotten up...and my ears need to stretch before today's rounds of conversation...time to suit up...

And, I promise: I love my kids...I love my kids...I love my kids...I love my kids...
(Anyone repeating it with me?)

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Monday, February 3, 2014

AM~Erica is Getting a Hang of this Super Bowl Thing

So anyway...

It all built up to last night. All of it. And many (OK...not all...I know) tuned in to watch how the whole thing would finish...

I even learned a couple things about the big event:

A. I learned it is now considered a[n unofficial] national holiday

2. It is the 2nd largest food consumption day only to Thanksgiving

You know what I'm talking about...amm-i-rite?

Yep...it would be the Super Bowl I'd be talkin' 'bout, y'all.

Last year, we were finally having a bit of a get together for it, after several years of either going elsewhere or just doing something small at home with hubby & kiddos. However, even though we had just a few extra people, I couldn't do a whole lot. (read about it HERE)

This year, we understood it would be different. We were heading to the house of some family, but after some crazy things that happened in between, we ended up back home with just hubby & me with the kiddos. It's how it goes. But we wanted to finally kick it up a bit!

Don't forget, we have teenagers. Have you seen the semi-hightened reality-based commercial for KFC where the parents hardly see the kids?


Any of you with teenagers now know this feeling? It's OK to raise your hands...you're in good company here.

It's because of this that my hubby still wanted to do something more for our Super Bowl...even if it was just us with the kids. That...and I've rubbed off on him. (read HERE how I love celebrating everything)

We made plans! But to do what we thought about, we would have to DVR the game & festivities, then just be about 30 minutes to an hour behind. See...Teen Girl had a commitment with the Coterie Theater (reminder on what that's about HERE), and they actually scheduled a playwrights' meeting overlapping the start of the Super Bowl! *sigh* But that wasn't as big of a deal since we were just having our own family living under the same roof...so we didn't have to worry about timing with others.

We planned the food out: barbecue wings, barbecue meatballs, chips, cinnamon soft pretzels, meat & cheese tray, grapes, cookies, candy fruit slices, and M&M's to fill our bellies while the game was going. Yum-my! Amm-i-rite? (trust me...I'm right)

OK...pretzels aren't pictured...but this is the spread on a card table we brought into the living room


Then, hubby & I searched for games & found some to keep the kiddos engaged in the whole experience!

Hubby found a commercial bingo online to be able to print out to play. That was so fun to keep up with as we tried to enjoy the commercials. (our feelings on leaked commercials HERE)

We did the end-of-quarter score grid. That was so fun watching the kids trying to root for the score change in their favor (because we weren't really rooting for a team...there was just one team wanted to win way more than the other).

We also did an ongoing "raffle": the chances were for the drawing depended on what happened throughout the game, commercials & halftime. At the end of the game, one of the "tickets" (slips of paper with the scavenger game item) was drawn & the one who had that item happen got the big prize! I saw it called the Super Bowl Fish Bowl game...but we don't have a fish bowl, so we used a bag. A large bowl would work just as well...


"Fish Bowl (in a bag)" game, End of Quarter Score Grid game & Commercial Bingo


End of Quarter Score Grid game...the final results

We did prizes for these things, too!

Movie candy - EOQ grid prizes; cup & water bottle - bingo prizes; sherpa throw - end of the game raffle draw
No matter what was happening on the screen...the whole family was into it! Yelling at the screen & eating like crazy!

We figured out that...
...we don't need no stinking party!

We just needed to get the stuff together to get everyone in the room involved! Not just involved...but totally interacting...with each other!! Even the teenagers!

It happened, people. And it was awesome!

Even when Lil Guy got up, he was talking about how much fun we had last night! SCORE!

Here was a total blow out of a game...and we had so much to look for, that we had the greatest time!

Next year...whether we have additional peeps over or not, we know how to have to party! And...we need to stock up on more prizes...we needed more last night!

If I can figure out how to get the templates we used for the score grid & fish bowl ticket items, then I'll put it up & update you.

See? I'm FINALLY getting this Super Bowl celebrating thing down! I should dump Gatorade on my hubby for most of these ideas...

Until then, keep celebrating you all!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica