Oliver and Jo's Birthday Party in Pictures

I wanted to have something with protein at the party, so I searched online for "spooky deviled eggs" to get ideas. I made eyeballs with sliced olives, and I drew in veins using toothpicks with paprika mixed with water.

Mummy juice box idea was from Pinterest. They were super cute but cost about $10 to wrap! I used the hot glue gun to attach the eyes and to reattach the straws. If I ever make these again, I'll use my friend's idea to wrap them in white paper first and then gauze, since gauze will be cheaper.

Jack-o-lantern mandarin orange cups from Pinterest

Here are the Milano ghost cookies on Pinterest. After making those, I decided to use melted chocolate to make tombstones as well.

Here's the double bundt cake idea from Pinterest. It was very challenging to frost, so I covered it it star dollops.

Here are the party photos from Treehouse Discovery in Highlands Ranch:

 

Treehouse Discovery

Yesterday, I took the kids to Treehouse Discovery in Highlands Ranch for a MOMS Club meet-up. The place is a little on the pricey side ($10/kid/day) unless you decide to invest in a membership ($60) to go all the time.

I was very pleased with the place. It's only for children 8 and younger, but the oldest child there was probably 5. There are wooden play sets for kids to climb and slide. There are also little scooters to ride around, tons of various toys and puzzles, and a costume dress-up area. There was very little plastic. Although there was a TV for parents to watch, the sound was off. I loved how bright and simple it was. By that, I mean it wasn't obnoxious at all, like one might expect from a kids' place (think: Chuck E Cheese).

I don't think I'll be making the drive there in the summer months, when I can just as easily go to a nearby park for free. I think it would be a great regular destination for the winter, though!

They also offer some classes. I'm very interested in taking Oliver to Chinese Storytime. It's for kids ages 1-5, and it's designed to get children exposed to the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. The cost is $15/session, but if you pay for the class, you get to play on the equipment afterwards for free.

Here are a few snapshots of our morning there: