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Baby Bear’s DIY First Birthday

BY SHR

Teddy Bear is officially ONE and I can’t even believe it! This was seriously the fastest year of my LIFE. Is it just me or do second babies age faster? I swear he was born like… yesterday! 😭

Amazon Links: Hand Lettering 101 Book, Fabric eucalyptus leaves, chalk markers , 16″ number balloon, similar chalk board.

Life has been absolutely insane the past few months and while I didn’t want that to get in the way of celebrating our Baby Bear, it meant I had to be realistic about my plans and expectations from the start. The vibe we were going for was simple, cute and homemade. Bear’s birthday was the first real party we’ve thrown since moving into #CasaRice a year and three months ago so we were all super excited to host our friends and family, Chickie included.

Bear’s outfit is from H&M: Pants (Chickie has them, too!) and bear sweater. My sweater is from H&M, too. My pants are J.Crew and currently on super sale.

The Bear theme was a given because well, duh.. πŸ€ͺ and the greenery was my way of keeping it masculine; something I’ve had trouble with ever since the doctor told us we were having a boy! πŸ™ˆ With the bear theme and greenery in mind, I began Pinning- my first step with any party, especially when working with a decorator or event planner (not that we used either for Bear’s party).

Happy Rices! Except Peter.. He’s just STRESSED THE EFF OUT lol..
Including a carrousel with all out outfits below. #HandsomeHubbs SWEARS by Bonobo’s travel jeans, they are soft and stretchy.

Early into the idea-gathering late night Pinning, I came across a picture of a baby in front of a small macrame hanging for a photoshoot. It got me thinking… could we somehow use that as a backdrop for the dessert table? It checked every box: simple, easy, cheap and cute although it didn’t exactly scream Bear… I initially got this $16 macrame hanging from Amazon but ended up returning and getting this $36 longer one instead. The hanging greenery and one balloon are also from Amazon, by additions to “Bearify” the look. I took down our curtains for the day and tied the macrame hanging from the curtain rods. I then draped the faux eucalyptus leaves at the top using the macrame itself and tied the one balloon with burlap twine (no helium) to the top of the macrame wall hanging. Voila! Dessert table backdrop in 20 mins or less.

The cutie Bear balloon is from this DIY kit from Amazon. $14 for a set of 12. We only used 4 because helium is expensive lol. They are BIG, 18″ balloons. Assembly took less than 3 mins per balloon.
Work in progress..

For the cakes, the Bear/woodland-y theme SCREAMED naked cake to me. If you’re local to Boston, I get ALL of my cakes from Sweet Tooth in South Boston. You can’t beat their flavor + decor combo. If you go see them, tell them I sent you! 😍The day before the event, I brought the baker Glenn some of the same faux eucalyptus I used on the chalk board and two wood slices. I was very happy with the end result!

I found these cute (and terrifying) bears on Amazon (family of 3 for $13) and fell IN LOVE with their cute (and terrifying) faces. My plan was to make mini party hats for each bear but in keeping with the very cute VERY SIMPLE vibe, I decided to skip it. I still think it could be super cute though! Etsy sells some tiny party hats, if you’re into the idea but want to skip the work.

I added two distressed wooden cake toppers- an 8 inch one and a 5 inch one, each $18- to the bear topped cakes. When planning an event, I love adding personalized details from Etsy, but they can get expensive REAL quick. I usually try to stick a couple of items that will get me the most decorating bang for my buck. Sugar cookies are a good example. I love ordering these personalized sugar cookies because they are BIG so you can use them for decorations and they come individually wrapped so party goers can take them home- that’s worth the “splurge” in my opinion ($36 for a dozen.) Cake toppers are another biggie. I was very happy with the wooden cake toppers we used- they shipped SUPER fast and are really good quality. The Etsy seller offers them in different colors and sizes, too.

Sugar Cookies from Etsy: I always message the seller Dawn and send her lots of pictures of what I want and she sends me a custom invoice.

The Bear cups were another Pinterest inspired idea. Amazon sells them for $13 a dozen. They come with a yellow top that is big enough for a traditional plastic straw, but too small for paper straws. We opted for filling them with apple cider because Teddy is an autumn baby and nothing screams FALL more than apple cider. We presented them with birch paper straws and no top– hence why they are outside. I was scared of cider all over my living room rug πŸ™ƒ

I’m SUPER into this chalk table runner and will DEF be re-using for our Thanksgiving table!

For food, we kept it really simple and cute- sense a theme here? I REALLY did not want to overwhelm us with to-do’s on day of the party so we focused on stuff we could buy or make ahead of time like Trader Joe’s Maple popcorn, bear shaped sandwiches and pigs in a blanket. For the pigs in a blanket, we cooked the sausages the day before, wrapped them in the (pre-made) dough and just popped them in the oven for 13 minutes at 375 degrees the morning of the party.

$16 “tree trunks” from Amazon worked like a charm!

We used these cute cookie cutters to make the bear shapes on the sandwiches. It was easy and fun! For the adults, we did a bagel bar with mini bagels, different types of cream cheese and toppings like capers and onions, and salmon lox AKA all stuff we could cut and prep on Saturday and quickly serve on Sunday. I used these cute $16 “tree trunks” from Amazon to label the food.

These wooden fall leaves will DEF be making an appearance at our thanksgiving table, too. They are big enough you can actually see them from afar, unlike annoying confetti alternatives.

Another quick and easy DIY that took exactly 20 minutes to make were the “acorns” on the dessert table. All you need is donut holes/munchkins, your favorite chocolate bar, chocolate sprinkles and pretzel sticks. You can enlist the kiddos for this DIY, too! Just melt the chocolate in the microwave (start with 30 seconds, although you might need more..), dip the top third of the munchkins into the melted chocolate and then dip that same third into the sprinkles. Top with a pretzel and that’s IT!

Last but not least, we did a little trail mix bar for folks to take home some goodies. We ordered these personalized paper bags (about .70 cents a piece) and set up a bar of our favorite trail mix ingredients- pretzels, yogurt covered raisins, granola, gummy bears, peanut butter cups, white chocolate, shaved almonds, etc.. I added more of the greenery to the table and finished it off with a rustic happy birthday sign. I used the most RANDOM containers to house the trail mix makings- from small vases to mason jars, you name it and it’s in there πŸ˜†..

Cute, personalized paper bags and small clips (a camp wedding leftover!!)

I can’t end this post without thanking my #handsomehubbs for ALL his help putting Bear’s birthday party together! πŸ₯°My friends Kristin and Loretta were also instrumental in the making of Bear Day. Kristin is a wonderful photographer (and my best friend) who graciously agreed to arrive to the party a little early and snap some pictures. Thank you, Kree! You can find her photography here. Loretta recently got married and had a rustic camp theme. When Lo found out Teddy’s bday was similarly themed she unloaded ALL her leftovers on us and we could not be more thankful she did! Finally, special thanks to my cousin Bea for making the 5plus hour trip with her two toddlers to celebrate with us! We love you!

I am happy to say we succeeded in our goal of making the day stress free and FUN! Bear day was a good day ❀️

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No fry (or egg!) homemade chicken nuggets in under No fry (or egg!) homemade chicken nuggets in under 30 minutes? That’s riiiight πŸ’₯ This quick (lunchbox friendly πŸ™ŒπŸ½) recipe has become a Casa Rice favorite! πŸ—β€οΈ To make simply: 

πŸ— preheat your oven to 350

πŸ—cut your chicken (we used tenderloin) into 1”-2” pieces

πŸ— add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder (and Parmesan cheese if you’d like - I *often* like πŸ˜…) to the chicken; mix it up and set it aside

πŸ— in a separate bowl, mix Panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper

πŸ— line your baking sheet and/or spray it with non stick cooking spray 

πŸ— grab each small piece of seasoned chicken and coat it WELL with the panko mixture before placing it in your lined baking sheet

πŸ— once all the chicken is coated with panko, spray the baking sheet with a little cooking oil + throw in the oven

 πŸ— bake for approx. 15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165. πŸ”₯

Stay tuned for the air fryer version and don’t forget to tag me me your try it! πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ’« #cookingwithltl
⛸️ Ice skating in the @frogpondboston is one o ⛸️ Ice skating in the @frogpondboston is one of our favorite things to do in Boston during the winter! ❄️ Going on a Sunday means free street parking πŸ”₯πŸ₯Ά A stop by the playground followed by a 7 minute walk to @beaconhillbooksandcafe (with a mandatory pit stop at @tattebakery across the street, of course!) makes this plan the perfect winter family activity πŸ’«  What are some of YOUR favorite things to do around the city in wintertime?
N I N E πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« N I N E πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’«
A proper goodbye for a good, good year πŸ’« even i A proper goodbye for a good, good year πŸ’« even if a week late πŸ˜… 2022, through the seasons πŸ₯°πŸ₯°
2023, the year of the PAUSE πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« el aΓ±o d 2023, the year of the PAUSE πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« el aΓ±o de la PAUSA. 🀍
🎈happy birthday baby ✨ in this lifetime, in 🎈happy birthday baby ✨ in this  lifetime, in all that came before and in all that are next, I am yours. forever ain’t long enough for this loveπŸ’« te amo! ❀️‍πŸ”₯ #handsomehubbs #kissthechef
FULL and grateful hearts πŸ™πŸ½ after another Ch FULL and grateful hearts πŸ™πŸ½ after another Christmas in the tropics πŸŒ΄β€οΈβ€πŸ”₯β˜€οΈπŸŒŠ Los amo familia linda; nadie y nada como ustedes ✨ tiempo juntos es el mejor regalo de todos toditos πŸ™πŸ½β€οΈπŸ’« Gracias a nuestros #nochebuena hosts @maitymendez y @omarodriguezj πŸ’₯ la botaron como siempre πŸ’ƒπŸ½ ❀️🫢🏽
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even Peter Rice πŸΆπŸ˜‚β€οΈ From ours to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVEπŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸ»βœ¨
Doing good feels so good πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ™πŸ½ Spent Doing good feels so good πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ™πŸ½ Spent the morning with my little elves at @casaesperanza giving away bags of food donated by @panamericanadeavaluos ❀️‍πŸ”₯ Click the link in bio to learn more about Casa Esperanza’s’ fight to end child labor in Panama πŸ‡΅πŸ‡¦ they have been doing this work for 30 years and serve over 2,500  children and families each year πŸ™πŸ½βœ¨βœ¨ Donate at the link in bio! ❀️❀️❀️❀️ GRACIAS @casaesperanza por el hermoso trabajo que hacen por nuestros niΓ±os panameΓ±os πŸ™πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°


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No fry (or egg!) homemade chicken nuggets in under No fry (or egg!) homemade chicken nuggets in under 30 minutes? That’s riiiight πŸ’₯ This quick (lunchbox friendly πŸ™ŒπŸ½) recipe has become a Casa Rice favorite! πŸ—β€οΈ To make simply: 

πŸ— preheat your oven to 350

πŸ—cut your chicken (we used tenderloin) into 1”-2” pieces

πŸ— add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder (and Parmesan cheese if you’d like - I *often* like πŸ˜…) to the chicken; mix it up and set it aside

πŸ— in a separate bowl, mix Panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper

πŸ— line your baking sheet and/or spray it with non stick cooking spray 

πŸ— grab each small piece of seasoned chicken and coat it WELL with the panko mixture before placing it in your lined baking sheet

πŸ— once all the chicken is coated with panko, spray the baking sheet with a little cooking oil + throw in the oven

 πŸ— bake for approx. 15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165. πŸ”₯

Stay tuned for the air fryer version and don’t forget to tag me me your try it! πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ’« #cookingwithltl
⛸️ Ice skating in the @frogpondboston is one o ⛸️ Ice skating in the @frogpondboston is one of our favorite things to do in Boston during the winter! ❄️ Going on a Sunday means free street parking πŸ”₯πŸ₯Ά A stop by the playground followed by a 7 minute walk to @beaconhillbooksandcafe (with a mandatory pit stop at @tattebakery across the street, of course!) makes this plan the perfect winter family activity πŸ’«  What are some of YOUR favorite things to do around the city in wintertime?
N I N E πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« N I N E πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’«
A proper goodbye for a good, good year πŸ’« even i A proper goodbye for a good, good year πŸ’« even if a week late πŸ˜… 2022, through the seasons πŸ₯°πŸ₯°
2023, the year of the PAUSE πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« el aΓ±o d 2023, the year of the PAUSE πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« el aΓ±o de la PAUSA. 🀍
🎈happy birthday baby ✨ in this lifetime, in 🎈happy birthday baby ✨ in this  lifetime, in all that came before and in all that are next, I am yours. forever ain’t long enough for this loveπŸ’« te amo! ❀️‍πŸ”₯ #handsomehubbs #kissthechef
FULL and grateful hearts πŸ™πŸ½ after another Ch FULL and grateful hearts πŸ™πŸ½ after another Christmas in the tropics πŸŒ΄β€οΈβ€πŸ”₯β˜€οΈπŸŒŠ Los amo familia linda; nadie y nada como ustedes ✨ tiempo juntos es el mejor regalo de todos toditos πŸ™πŸ½β€οΈπŸ’« Gracias a nuestros #nochebuena hosts @maitymendez y @omarodriguezj πŸ’₯ la botaron como siempre πŸ’ƒπŸ½ ❀️🫢🏽
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even Peter Rice πŸΆπŸ˜‚β€οΈ From ours to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVEπŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸ»βœ¨
Doing good feels so good πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ™πŸ½ Spent Doing good feels so good πŸ₯°β€οΈπŸ™πŸ½ Spent the morning with my little elves at @casaesperanza giving away bags of food donated by @panamericanadeavaluos ❀️‍πŸ”₯ Click the link in bio to learn more about Casa Esperanza’s’ fight to end child labor in Panama πŸ‡΅πŸ‡¦ they have been doing this work for 30 years and serve over 2,500  children and families each year πŸ™πŸ½βœ¨βœ¨ Donate at the link in bio! ❀️❀️❀️❀️ GRACIAS @casaesperanza por el hermoso trabajo que hacen por nuestros niΓ±os panameΓ±os πŸ™πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯°
πŸ’πŸ½β€β™€οΈ less blonde, more caramel/gold✨ how’d we do? πŸ₯° Always a good hair day in @graziellalembohair β€˜s chair at  @saloncapri πŸ‘πŸ½β€οΈ πŸ’«
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