5 IDEAS FOR A DINOSAUR THEMED PARTY!

I've got 5 cute ideas for your little one's party.  It includes 2 treats, 2 activities, and 1 treat/favor bag.  I was given a free set of these plastic dinos (72 per pack) as a product review item and I decided to come up with this blog to brainstorm uses for them.

Without further ado......

TREATS!

Cupcakes

Probably the most simple and "duh" item of the list, place a dino on each cupcake and they make adorable toppers.

Fossil Cookies

I recommend making homemade dough and omitting the leavening (baking powder or soda) so that it doesn't puff up much.  I made a batch and only put in half of the leavener but it still puffed up and took out a lot of the fun detail.  This is a stegosaurus impression before baking.  I recommend giving the toys a little spritz of oil to help them not stick to the dough.  This treat can double as an activity for the kiddos as well-have the dough pre-made and have a station where they can make cookies, marking their initials with a toothpick!

Activities!

Crack the Dinosaur Egg (sidewalk chalk with a surprise)

You'll need: a regular balloon, plaster of paris, paint & cotton swab (optional), cup and spoon you can throw away, dino to hide inside.

Carefully get the dino inside the balloon and then fill it with a mix of plaster of paris, water, and paint if you want.  Let it sit overnight and then cut it free, make sure to not chop off any little tails like mine here that might stick out, while refining the shape.  I added polka dots for decoration and let it cure for at least 3 days.  This mix is a wonderful sidewalk chalk and with adult supervision, they can take a hammer to it and help crack the dinosaur egg!  For more instructions on this and all of the dino themed ideas, check out my YouTube video here:

 

Pass the Dinos

This is a twist from the game "Pass the Pigs" but we're substituting dinos for the pigs.  Roll 2 of the same kind of dino (those pictured work well) and depending on how they land-you earn points.  They can land on their back, feet, or side.  Combos get more points and if they are touching after you roll them, you lose points!  Total your points and find out who is the king of the dinosaur party!

Treat Bag!

I grabbed a few of the dinosaurs and some crispy M&Ms and put them in a party favor bag.  They are dinosaurs and their tasty, tasty eggs!  Send them home with the party-goers and call it a done day!

If you want a set of these cute plastic dinos for your littles, check them out HERE!

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Dislcaimer: I received a set of the dinosaurs free for my honest and unbiased review, I was not compensated in any way.  The order link, if you choose to get a set for yourself, is an affiliate link, which means I get a teeny tiny bit of money if you choose to order through that link, at no extra expense to yourself.  I only post affiliate links that I feel are worthwhile.

HANDMADE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!!!

I can't believe I keep forgetting to mention my giveaway here!  For all of the prizes and rules, check out my YouTube video here:

1 lucky winner will get a pack full of earrings, bracelets, pendants, and a set of fridge magnets, all made by yours truly!  For each 50 entries, I'll be adding another piece of jewelry!

Go enter, share, and see if you're the lucky winner!  (So far there aren't that many entries, so your chances are great!)

(This giveaway is celebrating the re-opening of my etsy shop:  JollyJennifer

HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM MOLD (and then chalk, crayons, jewelry, etc!)

I was provided a sample of this #PollyPlastics Mold Putty to try and I was positively giddy to get it and make these molds!

This was my first time using mold putty, and it's super easy to use. Mix equal parts A & B mixture (I weighed it by grams on a scale).  mix it well enough to make sure there are no streaks then press it around the item you want to mold, making sure you get it into all the details.

Wait 30 minutes and then de-mold.  These can withstand 450 degrees Fahrenheit so it's not a problem to bake polymer clay right in the mold.

You can use these for crayons, chalk, soaps, candles, resin, and a whole bunch of other things. This particular mixture is NOT food-safe though-so don't go using them as candy molds.

To see how I made a few fun things, watch my YouTube video:

One tip for better molds is to make sure they're not too thick.  My first set that I tried weren't as easy to work with because I used too much putty.  These little jars will actually last quite a while and making sure the molds aren't too thick will make it stretch even further!

Here are the finished products of my dabbling the other day.  The "originals" are at the top of each row just underneath the mold I made for them.

If you want to try out this mold putty, it can be found HERE.  

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Disclaimer: I received a set of this putty for free for my honest and unbiased review.  I was not compensated in any way.  The link to purchase the item is an affiliate link-that means if you choose to purchase using that link, I get a teeny tiny amount of money, at no extra expense to you.  I only post affiliate links that I feel are useful.

Product Reviews ~ Beard Comb, Cobalt Roller Bottles, Kitchen Timers~ Check them out!

I wanted to share some of the goodies that I've been happy to receive free for review lately. All they asked was I share my honest review of them.


First up: Beard Comb

This is a GREAT gift for my husband! Not kidding, he's been combing his beard obsessively since we got this a few of days ago! It definitely has a sandalwood smell, looks like it's nice craftmanship, and come nicely packaged. My husband said that he'd like some beard oil as well because the comb teeth can still get a little stuck in his super curly beard sometimes. This comb has 2 sides-each with different size teeth. I feel like sometimes men can be hard to shop for, especially if they're not into sports or beer (like my husband) lol. But if they love their facial hair, this is a go-to for sure.

Check out the Rugged Monkey Beard Comb HERE!

Next: Set of 2 Kitchen Timers

This is a lovely set of kitchen times. They’re simple to use and well built.
Pros:
-2 love the bonus!
-magnetic-because my counters feel too cluttered
-have pop out stands-so you can have it out on the counter when you want
-easy to set with minute/second/start&stop buttons
-easy to read digital display
-you can turn the large timer off when not needed
-they count up and down, depending on your need
Cons:
-you can’t really reset the timer back to zero unless you cycle through the 99 minute/59 second maximums.
-you can’t shut off the small timer (that really bugs me, no need to run through the battery by being on all the time…)
-larger timer didn’t come with the AAA battery
Overall, despite the “cons”, I would recommend this set. It’s not only great in the kitchen, but also for games, educational activities, and keeping track of other timed activities i.e. teaching kids how long they should brush their teeth, letting you know how long your workout should be, limiting screen time for kids.

Click HERE to take a gander at the set of kitchen timers!

Last but not least: Cobalt Colored Roller Bottles  #RollerBottles

I got these so I'd have a "less-mess" way to apply some essential oil/coconut oil mixtures. So far I've used 1 bottle for a peppermint mixture and I'm holding off on the other until I get another scent for massage. I used 4 drops of peppermint oil and filled the rest of the 10ml up with the fractionated coconut oil. It doesn't glide too much on with each swipe, just a little bit as the ball rolls.

I love the color and the size of these bottles. The roller ball attaches easily and comes off easily for refill but not too easy where it would fall out. The lid screws on, toss it in your purse or in your medicine cabinet, and you're good to go.

To get your own set of gorgeous roller bottles, go HERE.

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Disclaimer: As stated, I received the above items free of cost for my honest and unbiased review.  I was compensated in no way by these companies.  The links are affiliate links which means I earn a teeny tiny bonus if you happen to order through my link, at no extra cost to you.  I only provide links to products I genuinely enjoy.

How to Make REAL Homemade Gummy Bears!

I was given the opportunity to get a free silicone gummy bear mold (includes a dropper) to try out for an honest review and I thought I'd share with y'all a little how-to now that I have it :)

99% of the homemade gummy bear recipes that you'll find online are basically just jello jigglers....thick jello.  Not exactly gummy. 

If you're looking for an easy-peasy recipe, you can go with a standard flavored jello+unflavored gelatin+water approach.  I wanted to try and do a healthier recipe so I have made mine with juice, unflavored gelatin, and honey. 

The gummy mold makes 50 gummy bears which seems like a lot, but is not a lot of volume really.  I'd recommend getting more than one if you can.  The recipe I'm giving you makes about 80-90 gummy bears.

1/3 juice (not pineapple)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

Mix the juice and honey.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the mix and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb (this is called "blooming")  You don't want to mix gelatin in a hot liquid.  After it's had a chance to bloom, heat up the mix until it boils.  I let it boil for a couple of minutes. 

That's my 1st tip-most of these recipes just treat them like regular jigglers-heat up to dissolve and then pour in the mold.  But the fact is, you're making a candy just like taffy and that means you need to boil the mix to make it turn out.

After letting it boil a bit, I put the pot in a slightly larger pot of warm water to keep the mix warm so it doesn't cool down and solidify while filling the mold or between batches.

Make sure to put the mold on something solid that you can move into the fridge like a cutting board or pan, otherwise you'll have a mess on your hand!  Use the handy dropper and fill up the bear mold.  It only takes a few minutes in the fridge or freezer and they're ready to pop out.  I haven't had to use any spray or oils, they pop out easily!

My 2nd tip to making them more like store-bought gummies is to let them dry out a bit.  In factories, they put gummy bears in a drying room for a couple of days.  I've noticed that an extra day or 2 in the fridge gives them more bite-though I also noticed the flavor is also lessened that way for some reason.  I think next time I'll try and add strong oils to bump up the flavor. 

We love this mold, we've done a few batches without any problems.  It would also be great to make chocolate bears or even mini crayon bears (make sure the kiddos know those aren't edible!)

If you try this out, let me know how they turned out!!!  To check out the mold go HERE.

As stated, I received this mold set for free in exchange for my honest review, I was not compensated in any way.

Product Review: Reusable Food Pouches

I was chosen to do a product review on some reusable food pouches.  A little strange since I don’t have kiddos of my own yet.  I really wanted them though because they are nice 1)for when the nieces/nephews come around 2)for baby shower gifts 3)to stock up on for when we become foster parents and 4)to stock up on for when we become biological parents.  (someday…..*sigh*) 5)they’re actually handy to send in my husband’s lunches with salad dressing for his salads 6)yogurt can be more fun out of a pouch than a spoon and cup lol!

I tried these little guys with a 6oz yogurt cup and it just barely fit, so I’d say that’s the capacity.  Make sure not to overfill and triple check the zip seal before you go squeezing!  All-in-all, they’re made well and are cute with different designs (nice so each kiddo has their own design?!).  There’s even a place to write the contents and date filled.  

It will be so nice someday to be able to make my own food, be able to freeze some, refrigerate others and keep those handy, and be able to monitor the ingredients for allergens and quality ingredients.  Not to mention the savings in the pocket book to not buy the pre-filled ones and you can buy in bulk (i.e. yogurt) to fill these up!

All-in-all, I’d give these a 5/5 rating and I’d recommend them!

Sports Pouch

Butterfly Pouch 

 

I received these items free for my honest and unbiased review.  I am not being compensated to write this review.

#sportspouch