Birthday sleepover fun & Thanksgiving is next week

There perhaps was some tornadic activity or something of that sort, at our house this weekend.  Here are the culprits:

a girls

If they did not have fun, it’s not because they didn’t try. I feel like it was a success.  In lieu of that, I am posting things to make for a fun slumber party.

They made their own pizzas.a neely pizWe just used canned biscuits, pizza sauce, & toppings.  Lots.Of.Toppings.

a neely pizza

a neely cake I

Of course, you need a birthday cake, specifically, if it’s a birthday party sleepover. (And on a totally unrelated note, my pants don’t want to fit very well anymore.  First the wedding with candy & sweets, then Halloween candy, now this.  If somebody knows how to remove that part of you that wants to cram sweet stuff in your mouth, all.the.time, please let me know.  I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know )

a neely cake

 

a neely laser

Then, if you are crazy brave enough, you can do some fun games like laser tag.  There was also an arcade at this said laser tag establishment.  Which they enjoyed, as well.

a neely fluteOnce we got back home, we had a talent show.  I had made out “pre-made” talents on slips of paper.  I put them in an envelope & handed out numbers.  When I called their number, they picked out an act to showcase.  Coincidently, this sweetie picked

Play the flute

And guess what?  She plays the flute & had it with her!

a neely christinaThis little beauty selected- Tell jokes. 

I quite possibly laughed way too hard.  She was so dadgum funny, though.

a neely lillyThis sweet friend picked- Make hand puppets

She was pretty good at it, too.

a neely paisley talentThis amazing friend did a wonderful theatrical reading of nursery rhymes.  I have to say, she did an impressive job.  And how do I know she is so amazing?  Her shirt said so, of course

There was also some doing the Whip & Nae-nae .

a

Games

One we did was, What’s in your mouth.  This was one of their favorites.  We did peanut butter, candy, pickles, olives, honey, cranberry juice, cherries, & others that I can’t recall, because I am old & my memory never serves me correctly.

  • Divide the preteens into two groups. Blindfold one group and allow the other group to make a trip to the kitchen. The girls in the kitchen choose foods to eat and bring them to the room the blindfolded girls are in. Each girl feeds a blindfolded girl one of the food items. The girls blindfolded must figure out what the food is.

a neely whatsa neely pol

Nail polish game

  • Place the tween girls in a circle around several bottles of nail polish. The first girl spins the first bottle of nail polish. Whoever the bottle is pointing at when it stops spinning must paint one fingernail that color. The game continues around the circle. At the end of the game, all girls will have all 10 fingernails painted several different colors. Girls can also paint their toenails, if they desire.

a neely polishThe girls liked this game.  They got their nails polished in the process!

a neely tableThey did some other things like making a human table.  They thought this was fun.

They also did a marshmallow game

You take marshmallows & put them in a bowl.  With a plastic spoon, in your mouth, see how many you can transfer to another bowl in a minute.

They played a cup tower game that was fun.

Cup tower game

With a certain number of plastic cups each, 2 players build a tower & take it back down within a minute- oh, one handed.

I had some other games to play like- taking a pair of panty hose & putting a penny in the toe & have them get the pennies  out.  Another was to  put tennis balls in the end of panty hose, put them on your head & knock down water bottles (which were in a circle, with the girl standing in the middle).  I was going to mention some of those after they feasted on pancakes, eggs, bacon, & biscuits Saturday morning.  HOWEVER, I looked in the living room & they were laughing, talking, braiding each others hair & the such.  I thought, why spoil that with a panty hose game??

Also, I need to give a SHOUT OUT to my sweet husband, who was quite the trooper & helper through out all of this.  Because did I mention, 8 PRETEEN GIRLS??  Thankfully, he is good with kids.  Which is a delightful thing, because we always have a bunch around.

I am so proud these girls have each other.  It made me think of this verse:

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

Some of these girls have been friends for years.  Some of them just met, for the first time this weekend.  Miss Neenee invited some of her friends from church & some from school.  All in all, they got along beautifully. Which is nice.  Because did I mention 8 PRETEEN GIRLS??  It made me thankful they will have each other, as they transition into becoming teenagers & adults.  That’s just a hard time in life.  I hope they will lean on each other & spend time with each other & other Godly girls.  SO.IMPORTANT.

As I was going to bed, I told them these things:

A. That I loved them all & I hoped they slept well.

B.  That they could eat & do whatever they wanted to.

C. That I would appreciate them not tearing the house down.

D. That unless someone is bleeding or has a serious medical emergency, please do not let me see their faces until the next morning

Luckily, they did happen to obey all these rules.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today.  I am feeling so blessed.  Oh yeah & I am getting things together for my company next week.  Seeing it’s the holiday season, folks start coming from near & far to be guests in my house.  I am so excited.  What do you have planned for your Thanksgiving holiday?  Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Go on over to see Kristi at I should be mopping the floor.  She always has the cutest ideas.  Click on the picture below.

free thanksgiving printable

Christmas fun & how your taste in Christmas presents changes

calvin santa flambeWhile reading over my favorite blogs, I thought, perhaps you all would enjoy some of the Christmas fun I have been reading about.

First is one of my faves: Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate.  Not only does Christy share with us about delicious food, she gives ideas on how to have some Christmas fun.  Click on the cookies to find out how you can do 25 free & inexpensive things for the best Christmas ever.

 

COOKIES

Next, there is so much going on over at I should be mopping the floor.  Kristi has some adorable printables & ways to make your holidays less stressful.  Just don’t be mad at me if you spend A LOT of time there.

ohbygolly_11x14_preview

Then, my other fav, who is always keepin’ it real over at Only a Breath.  Melanie has announced she wants us to share reading the Bible in 2015.  I know she would love having you all join in to study God’s word together.  Just click on her messy kitchen to go to the blog post.  (And by the way, this was after a night of at the last minute reindeer cookie making.  I feel her pain.)

Messy_Kitchen-350x500

Now that I have shared some of my favorite blog stuff with you, I want to talk about how my taste in Christmas presents have changed.  When I was younger of course it was toys, toys, & more toys!  Then, as I became a teenager, it was a special piece of jewelry, clothes, or whatever it was everybody else was getting that year.  As I got older & had kids & now grandkids -it’s hard to buy my Christmas present.  Not that I am that hard to buy for.  You see, what I want for Christmas has become something you can’t buy in a store.  My kids will ask what I want, every year.

For the past several years, it’s been the same- nothing. 

 I just want them to take care of their own babies now.  To make sure they get what they want.  My Christmas present is my house full of people who I love & who love me.  Being able to open up my house to the ones who are dearest to me is a wonderful feeling.  In the past few years, people have become so much more important to me.  I think it’s just something that tends to happen when you lose those who are very dear to you.  Many of our loved ones have gone on & you start to really pay attention to the relationships you have.  My mama loved a get together.  I think I am getting more like her.  I love eating together, laughing together, & watching them all be excited for the season.  Seeing the little ones squeal & rip & romp through my house.   Having enough food for everybody & then some.  Being able to cook with my sweetie.  That is what I want for Christmas.  The feeling of contentment that right then, for a split second, my loved ones are fed, safe, & sound.  There, for the moment, there is peace on my earth, that I live in.  I wouldn’t take anything for all of that.  Now show me how to bottle & sell that & we will be gazillionaires!

What are you doing for Christmas?  Whatever it is, I hope you feel as blessed as I do.  Not with what’s under the tree, but being grateful for your family, friends, & spiritual blessings.  That’s what it’s all about anyway.  Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

A little Christmas perspective from Calvin & Hobbes

CALVIN AND HOBBES CHRISTMAS REQUEST LIST TO DAD