The Swenson Scoop

Friday, March 18, 2011

Birthday Creations

This is the LAST birthday post for at least 3 months! I just had to do a little feature on the birthday decor I put together/made. I decided that because I LOVE decorations on birthdays (it makes it feel so festive) that it was wise to have some I could reuse every year (like Christmas!) and save myself some mula. So, I did the following:

Sewed a Birthday Tablecloth! I was planning on making a banner, but found this one at Hobby Lobby for $9.99! So, I got it! I also made a smaller cloth to further decorate the table.

Completing the look, is a Birthday Picture Frame that holds the Birthday Boy/Girl's picture and the Birthday Love Bucket, where we all deposit notes throughout the day to the Birthday Person. AND the Birthday Hat - another awesome find from the Hobby Lobby.

Here's a close-up of the bucket:

And last, but not least, my favorite...the Birthday Wreath.
We put it outside on the birthday person's day. The wreath has a little interchangeable tag with their name on it. So cute!

I got the idea from the CREATIVE HOMEMAKER Blog. It took about 6 hours to make and 400+ balloons (I got them from the dollar store) but it was worth it. It's way cute. Overall, it cost about $20 to make...I highly recommend doing it.

And now, I say "farewell" to birthdays! See you in 9 months!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Yes. Another birthday. March 2nd marked the 33rd year of Matt. The kids and I woke up early and made him a birthday breakfast and sent him to work with his special birthday sack lunch. We had our traditional decor up and made his favorite cake - angel food cake with fluffy white frosting.

After he had left, our good friends brought over the basketball hoop that I had stashed and hidden at their place for 3 months (they're REALLY good friends:) and I decorated it with balloons. Once I knew Matt was on his way home, I took his wrapped basketballs (one standard size, one small for the kids to play with him) on the corner of the street with a big sign that told him to stop and open those first. He loved it (as you can see from the picture). No - he really did.

We then opened presents from us to him. He got a big container of jelly belly beans, some shoe polish shine stuff, a snazzy new shirt and pants and a pair of shoes that I had already bought him. (oops - must be prego-brain) and a back scratcher! Maddi also made him an eagle, all by herself, out of pipe cleaners.

My sister watched the kids while I took Matt to dinner at Tucano's with his family. It was super yummy and VERY filling. The best part was getting to watch Matt stand on the bench wearing his birthday crown, playing the tambourine. Priceless.

We then went home and had cake and ice cream with the kiddos. I am so grateful to have Matt as my man. He's a keeper! Happy Birthday, hon!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Valentine's Day...Malcolm style

I love Valentine's Day. It's one of my favorite holidays. I think it's mostly because I love the decorations. (pink!) And chocolate. However, I have been SO BAD at eating sugar. I already have been born with the vice of a sweet-tooth. This has gone into high-gear since being pregnant, and with the holidays and birthdays, let's just say I've been hog-wild. And so, I assessed my "problem" and vowed to be better, starting the day AFTER valentine's day (why set yourself up for failure, right?) Matt surprised me with some LOVELY roses and TWO (yes TWO) boxes of chocolates. Mmmm. I said "Honey, you did too much" and proceeded to taste half a dozen chocolates.

Having my fill, and saving the rest for "later", I was content. Enter Matt into our room with a PF Chang's bag. He then proceeds to give me, not one, but TWO slices of their chocolate cake!

Now, anyone who has eaten PF Chang's chocolate cake knows of it's oh so delicious delectibleness. They also know that one slice feeds five easy. I thought the other one was for Matt to eat with me (a little romantic chocolate cake tete a tete). Alas, NO, he doesn't like chocolate and knows how much I love it, and got them BOTH for me. I looked at him like he was insane...thanked him nonetheless, and made mental notes of how I would eat the one and to whom I would give the other. Ha ha...such high aspirations...but then I ate them both. YES BOTH! It took me a couple of days, but, I did it. As I was thus stuffing myself, I thought of a random episode of "Malcolm in the Middle" I happened to watch one day. The mom was pregnant, and the dad, finding her bulbous pregnant self intoxicating and alluring, made it his mission to keep the pounds coming, changing her milk to whole milk, adding all sorts of fattening things to what she was eating. It cracked me up, but the resurfacing of this memory has made me suspicious. I'll have to keep my eye on Matt. I mean, TWO cakes....REALLY?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Out with the old.....

(Goodbye little blue minivan...you have served us well. *sniff*)

And IN with the NEW!!!

Love, love, LOVE our new car. (as does Matt - he feels that he has regained some lost masculinity. What is it with guys and minivans?). It's roomy, it's leather, it drives like a dream, and it's NOT BLUE! AND it's paid for!!!! Woot! Woot!

It's SUPER SWENSONS!

In order to make things "simpler" for our families, we have one big party for all of our kids (since they all occur within 2 months). This year's theme was "Superhero" and the kids had a BLAST. They all dressed up in capes and went through "Superhero Training". Matt was the Super-hit of the party - as STRONG MAN. I love that he isn't ashamed to make himself ridiculous. :) The kids loved it as he taught them how to walk like a superhero, talk like a superhero, fly like a superhero, leap tall buildings and shoot villians. At the end of "training", each superhero was presented with a medal and we then had not-so-great hot dogs, delicious cupcakes and cake. The kids were spoiled by aunts, uncles, and grandparents and loved it! Thank you all who came and made the day special!

Matt as "STRONG MAN"