my favorite things – playgroup holiday party

This afternoon, I hosted the second (and hopefully forever annual) holiday party for our PEPS playgroup.  Last year, we had barely-crawling babies, and this year we had walking, talking toddlers.

Much to the dismay of our husbands, we decided to forego the cookie swap tradition in place of a “favorite things” party.  Each mom brought 3 (of the same) of their favorite thing (under $10) to exchange, so that at the end, everyone would go home with 3 different gifts.  Each toddler brought one $10 gift to exchange.  Favorite mom gifts included travel mugs with hot cocoa mix, homemade applesauce and roasted cashews, sparkly eyeshadow, hand soaps, christmas music, lip balm, and lots and lots of chocolate.

We served pumpkin spice cake, “snowball” coconut cupcakes, cinnamon-sugar roasted almonds (in festive homemade paper cones), and vanilla italian sodas with cranberry swizzle sticks.

At our first holiday party, I made salt-dough ornaments in the shape of gingerbread men for each child to take home as a party favor.  This year, I stuck with the ornament tradition, but let each child craft their own – a reindeer handprint ornament!  To do this at your party, you’ll need:
white cardstock
brown cardstock
washable (really really really washable) ink
markers
gold pipe cleaners
hole punch
thin ribbon

Ink up your favorite toddler’s palm, stamp it onto white cardstock, cut around the print, and glue onto brown cardstock.  Cut out the handprint shape, leaving a 1/4-1/2” white border.  Flip the ornament so the the fingers are facing down (like four reindeer legs), draw on an eye and a big red nose (it’s Rudolph, obviously).  Run a pipe cleaner through both layers of cardstock and bend to make antlers.  Punch a hole at the top and thread ribbon through to hang on your tree.  Be sure to write the artist’s name (and year of masterpiece creation) on it somewhere!

Lastly, a little note to my mommy friends.  Thanks for supporting me… for trusting me with your holiday cards, 1st birthday celebrations, mother-in-law gifts, and even Thanksmas placecards (featuring a turkey wearing a Santa hat!)  Thanks for giving me crafting ideas, secret recipes, and for being my test-clients.  Thanks for cheering me on last May when I decided to start up Little Sprout Creations, and for continuing to encourage me with your blog/fb shout-outs.  You’ve all gone way above and beyond the call of duty to support me, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you.

With Love,
– Jen