Chocolate Cupcake Topper Tutorial

Aren't these cute? These were fast and easy to make, and I  was quite pleased with the way that these came out. The picture is a little dark, it's the number 23 inside of the heart.

You will need:

Wax Paper

Good Quality Baking Chocolate

Ziploc Bag

Scissor

1. You will need to draw your design with a sharpie onto a piece of paper. 

2. Tape your design to your work surface, and then tape a piece of wax paper on top.

I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the steps.

3. Prepare your ziploc bag, you will need to snip off one corner, don't cut off too much or it will be too hard to work with.

4. Melt your baking chocolate

5. Spoon your chocolate into the ziploc bag.

6. Using the ziploc pipe your design onto the wax paper

(Note: If you look at my picture, you will notice I decided on a different design, my main objective here was to keep the number inside the heart. The chocolate spread on mine and attached itself, I decided I liked it and attached the other side in the same way.)

7. Freeze for approximately 5 minutes.

8. Peel off wax paper and place on cupcake immediately.

*Do not over handle, as the temperature from your hand can cause it to melt.

Funny Balloon People and Stickers

I used to enjoy making these as a kid. We got it as a kit, but there's no reason you can't put together your own.

1. Blow up 1 ballon.

2. Cut out a heart shape from a heavy paper, card stock or cardboard. (I'm not that good at drawing hearts.)

3. Use funny face stickers to make your own crazy looking ballon person.

4. Make a small hole in the heart shaped feet and insert the knot of the balloon pulling it through the paper.

Check out my amazon store on the bottom (scroll all the way down) for funny face stickers.

or you can make lick and stick stickers.

Lick and Stick Stickers

Take one packet of gelatin and and dissolve in a half a cup of water. Take a paintbrush and paint the backs of what you want to use as stickers. I used these, because I didn't have any stickers on hand. Wait for them to dry-approximately 1/2 an hour. When dry you can lick and stick them on to different surfaces.

Reusable sticker Tote
Funny Faces Activity Tote
http://www.amazon.com/Funny-Faces-Stickers-Little-Activity/dp/0486403130/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1300336530&sr=8-37
Silly Faces Stickers Little Activity
travel sticker book

A Book and a Candy Craft

Warning:  Reader Spoiler Alert

The book has nothing to do with the craft, or maybe it could have something to do with it. Anyways, I read this book called "The Seventeen Second Miracle" by Jason F. Wright. It's a pretty new book it just came out in October 2010. While the book doesn't make it to my list of recommended reads*, it was still pretty good, an easy read and was written well.

I had a teacher who used to make us write a lesson we learned from the book on our book reports. I thought that was a bit strange then, but I ended up realizing how much you can actually learn from books. High School also taught me to be analytical. I used to hate analyzing the books. I just read the book for the story and an escape from reality, but it seems like I still analyze the stories I read now.

Back to the book, this books message seems pretty clear cut to me. It's message is what compelled me to tell you about it. The message is simple, but I guess we all need a wake up call now and then. It's message is about how just spending a few seconds helping another, or even giving a compliment can change someone's life. It's about accepting people who may look or be different in some way, are still people. It's about how in reality people are not so accepting of others who are different. The message that I feel people should take away is just because people may look or act different than you doesn't mean they can't be a good friend. Take a few seconds to help an old lady with her bags, hold open the door for someone else, give someone a compliment. Reach out and get to know someone you don't know so well, whatever you can think of, it doesn't even have to be something big. You never know how you can impact someone else's life.

*It's really hard to get on my recommended books list, that doesn't mean a book is not good. It's just not really a MUST READ. It can still be an enjoyable book.

Now for the candy craft.


Roses

Just in time for Shabbos. This craft can also be used for Shavuos.

I used fruit roll up and skewers. There are 2 methods of doing this the second method will require a sharp knife and an optional circle cookie cutter.

First Method-produces 1 rose
1. Cut the fruit roll up into thirds

2. Wrap one third around while folding/fanning edges out and making sure it sticks to the skewer.
There you should have your first rose

Second Method-produces 2 roses
This is basically the Duff Rose method.
1. Cut out with cookie cutter 3 circles (can use a knife and trace around cup)

2. Overlap the 3 circles

3. Roll up ( make sure the circles stick to each other while rolling)
4. Cut in half
5. Fan out petals on the roses.
6. Attach to skewers, cupcakes etc.

This can also be done with taffies (although they may need a few seconds in the microwave-not too much or they may explode). I've used apple heads in a plastic shot glass to hold the taffy flowers in place. I had these interesting green laffy taffies which I just shaped into leaves and attached it.  I also added plastic flowers. I'll try to add the pic as soon as I can access it.

Here they are:

Pictures of Various Mishloach Manos

As promised the back of the iPod costume.

Check out this one. Isn't the iPod adorable. I saw this on various sites for valentines. I found the template and edited it for Purim. I did have to shrink it down a bit though. I wrapped up truffles for the earbuds. We put a cry baby in too. Do you see how the popcorn can look like a mike, and you can eat popcorn at the concert.

Go here to make your own ipod templates. I used Word to customize mine further. 

Remember these, were you wondering what's inside of these Mishloach Manos?

Check this out

These were bought already filled with nosh and candy. Plus they had a bonus-gragger (aka noise-maker), and they are a science inquiry tool kit, which can be bought here (click on picture)  

We spray painted all of these, and I then found a template, where I again had to adjust the size cut out the eyes and mouth to form a stencil and then used a Sharpie or black paint marker to color the eyes and mouth.

Another member's of my family's costume. This is not a picture of them though. This is just a picture of the costume.

Next post, I hope to show you what I do with some of that nosh and candy

This is what we put in for the Mishloach Manos, to go with this costume, gushers, fruit by the foot, abc cookies, candy pacifier, wafer and cry babies, we made little bows out of baby themed ribbon (can you make out the teddy bear) and hot glued it on. See the little ABC block on the ABC cookies. Bonus points for anyone who figures out the/a connection to baby from the gushers and fruit by the foot.

Click on this link to buy this costume:
Baby on Mommy Back Funny Adult Halloween Costume

Our Costumes

Here are some of our costumes, lego men without the trapezoidal shirt and with. Kid liked the shirt, but preferred not to wear it. Red lego man 's gloves are supposed to be tucked inside the sleeves. I did that after I took the pic, oh well. We had the iPod playing music. The kids are holding the Mishloach Manos that they gave out. (Hope to post pics of those soon, as well as the back of the iPod). 

iPod Costume

1. Take a large cardboard box and cut out holes for arms and the screen.
2. Spray paint costume with chosen color.
3. Paste symbols in appropriate spots on costume. We used oak tag (poster board) for the menu wheel as well as the apple in the back.
4. Put speaker cloth in hole for screen, use velcro backs to hold it in place.
***We used this shirt.

iPod Symbols in white
iPod Symbols in black

Hope you had a great Purim.

Costumes

So, I'm still in the Purim swing over here. I would like to share some costume ideas, and hopefully by the time the holiday is over I will post the costumes, I made for my siblings.

Some Costume Ideas


Princess-a party dress with a tiara from the dollar store and lots of jewelry. You can even buy some plastic beads and have your child make it herself, if you want or just need an activity to keep her busy.


Miner/Construction Worker-Plaid shirt, jeans, yellow construction/hardhat and for Miner-we had these headlight lamps that we taped on top of the hat.


Cowboy or cowgirl-jeans or jean skirt, plaid shirt, cowboy hat and bandanna


Police Man-suit and make a badge out of silver foil and cardboard, this badge can also be used in conjunction with the cowboy costume to turn your little guy into a Sheriff. The only thing you would need to buy here is the police man's hat.


Pilot-use blue pieces of felt with yellow felt stripes on top, put these pieces on a white shirt to make the pilot's shirt, you can use the felt to also make the wings on the shirt, black or blue pants, blue tie, pilot hat.


Jelly Beans-take one of those large clear bags and fill it with different color balloons (blown up), take an oak tag and decorate half of it to look like the brand that you are dressing up as, fold this oak tag over in 1/2 and staple it to the bag, stapling the bag shut. Add a string so, the costume hangs on you like a necklace.

Purim Holiday

It's Adar in the lunar calendar a month of joy. On the first of the month, some teachers allow the students to play pranks on them, sing songs and spread the good cheer. The Purim holiday is upon us as people are frantically purchasing costumes and nosh before Sunday. While it is quite hectic, I personally enjoy this holiday. It's also a kid-friendly holiday. The excitement has been mounting these past few weeks as the stores put out their Purim displays and Pre-Purim carnivals are held. I love seeing the creative costumes as well as the creative packages that arrive. It's a time when family and friends get to see each other and know that you're thinking about them. It's a time of partying as the young children pop smoke bombs and spray their cans of silly string. It's a time of eating great food and the men get to get drunk. Yep, it's that one time of year when the men are supposed to get drunk. When the men in my family get drunk, they start telling everyone how wonderful they are, and it is a time of great fun. As fun as this holiday is we are also aware of the more significant part of the holiday and exactly what we are celebrating. We are celebrating that time many years ago, when we were saved from that evil Haman and the destruction of our nation. Another particularly exciting event is the horse with the characters Mordechai and Haman. Mordechai is sitting upon the horse and Haman is leading, portraying a scene from the Book of Esther.  The children wear costumes to signify that the Purim miracle was disguised by natural events. I hope to post some pictures soon. Stay tuned for fun stuff coming up.

Some links about purim
Your Purim Guide-if you are Jewish, check out this guide for celebrating Purim, you owe it to yourself and your kids.
Purim Trivia
Stuff for Purim
Costumes
My Amazon Store
http://astore.amazon.com/funwitunihea-20

Fast of Esther

She feared for her life. Either her husband the King would grant her mercy and not kill her or she would be put to death. For she was not allowed to appear unless he called her.  Would her husband, the king extend his scepter, which would mean she would live. Would she be able to save her nation? She had fasted and prayed for 3 days before she appeared before her husband the King. G-d sent angels to force her husband's hand to extend the scepter. She risked her life in order to save her nation. The Fast of Esther commemorates this. We commemorate this every year on the day preceding Purim. When Purim falls on a Sunday, we fast on Thursday.

Purim Prep-More about the Fast of Esther