MORE St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas

Good Monday morning!

The Showcase Pic is only one from Austin and Melia's evening at the annual Band Banquet. Although Austin has graduated and is now in college, thankfully, Melia is a Senior and she invited him as her date to this year's event. (NOTE - Austin LOVES the Band Banquet.) They had a very good time. I will be adding more Band Banquet pics to the Gallery on Wednesday.

The Gallery Pics are of food. My friend, Jennifer, suggested this restaurant AND the blackberry grits. She was right on both counts. Mike and I had a very nice breakfast date at this little establishment in Mountain Brook. It will NOT be the last time we visit.

RANDOMNESS #1 - I usually watch the last hour of the Academy Awards. For me, it is the best part. I can catch up on the clothes and other highlights the next morning. I was so happy Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for Blind Side. Loved the movie... loved her in the movie... loved the way Southern women were portrayed in the movie (strong and funny)... can't wait to own the movie!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Okay. A few weeks ago, I told you I was starting a Bible Study called 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney. I asked you to be my accountability partners. (You all did a LOUSY job!) I should have guessed from the title (FIVE Conversations) there would be five classes. Needless to say, it was over before I got started. I am still going to read the book. I'll let you know when I finish.

However, even though this class is over, the kids and Mikie are still attending their classes for seven more weeks. I needed a place to go. I talked to my friend, Kim, and we decided to "do" a book together. We went to the church bookstore and picked up a copy of Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. It struck a chord with both of us. We completed Chapter One, and both of us are "anxious" to move on to Chapter Two. I think it is going to be a very helpful book. I wanted to share a Prescription for Contentment which was in Chapter One.

1. Never allow yourself to complain about anything... not even the weather. (Uh-oh.)

2. Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

3. Never compare your lot with another's.

4. Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

5. Never dwell on tomorrow... remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

Oh... my... goodness! Easier said than done, but also very, very accurate. I'll probably be sharing a little bit here and there from this book as the weeks pass by.

Weekend in Review

Friday night went well. Everyone had a good time doing different things in different places.

Saturday proved to be a good day, also. Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast date at Another Broken Egg Cafe. Roxie had fun playing laser tag Saturday evening. Josh and Mike didn't catch any fish, but loved being on the water again. As indicated by the Showcase Pic, Austin had fun at the Banquet. All in all, a very good day.

However, I was looking forward to Sunday. After church, we had our Sunday pot roast and all the fixins'. Some of us did homework (not me). Some of us played outside (not me). Some of us took naps (ME). But we all hung around the house until time for church Sunday night. It was a restful kind of day. I liked it!

DISCLAIMER - I feel the need to remind you although things might sound a little "rosy" over at the Faulkner Five's house, in one weekend we squabble, make up, create HUGE messes and piles of laundry, clean up, get on each other's nerves, make up again, etc., etc., etc.

So when I have Weekend in Review, I know I leave out the fussy stuff, but we're a family of five very different individuals, and believe me, the fussy, messy, loud, aggravating stuff is all there, too. You just have to decide which moments you're going to take away from the weekend. Pick and choose.

If you like, one Monday I'll be happy to report about all the yucky things that happened. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... "We ain't perfect." Never have been, never will be!

MORE St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas

1. Dress the table with a white table cloth. Scatter any of the following items to make a festive table: paper shamrocks that the kids have created, green sequins or curling ribbon, gold wrapped chocolate coins or kisses.

2. An Irish Welcome - Upon the guests' arrival, magically transform each guest into a Leprechaun with a hat and a shamrock or rainbow painted on their face. Enlist a friend or teenager for the face painting.

3. End of the Rainbow Treasure Hunt - Before the party, make a rainbow using markers and poster paper. Hide a pile of chocolate or plastic gold coins with the rainbow. Create fun Irish clues that the children will use to find the treasure.

VARIATION #1 - Or even easier, hide the coins around the party area and send the kids on a hunt.

VARIATION #2 - Use a permanent marker to write a number on each coin. The number will correspond to a prize the child can collect after the hunt is complete.

Prizes can be small such as candy bars, a box of Lucky Charms cereal, green bubble bath or nail polish from your local dollar store.

4. Pot Of Gold Coin Toss - Use a black pot. Establish a reasonable distance from the pot and tape a paper shamrock to the floor. The children will take turns trying to toss the coins into the pot. A small prize, such as a sticker or small candy, can be awarded each time.

5. Lucky Leprechaun Game - Divide the children into pairs. Provide each pair with one gold plastic coin. They will use their Leprechaun hats you gave them at the beginning of the party to toss the coin back and forth to each other. Play some Irish music while they are playing to liven things up.

6. Feeding Your Little Leprechauns - Obviously anything green is in order for a St. Patrick's Day Party. Here are a few more ideas:

Potato skins with melted cheese
Green fruit such as grapes, kiwi, green apples and honey dew melon served with green yogurt dip
Raw green vegetables such as celery and cucumbers served with green dip
Cheese sandwiches cut with a shamrock cookie cutter
Green Jell-O Jigglers topped with marshmallows

Okay. You have ALMOST all the information you need for a fun St. Patrick's Day celebration. You can invite other children, another family or just keep the fun for yourselves. The party can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. It's ALL up to you.

Have a magnificent Monday. It is a beautiful day... the only Monday, March 8, 2010 you will ever have. Don't waste it! You may have noticed I used the word "ALMOST" in the paragraph directly above. You don't have ALL the info you need for a perfect St. Patrick's Day Party until after tomorrow's post. I have three or four more easy (GREEN) recipes to add to the menu choices, so don't forget to check A Simple Life on Tuesday.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda