Mickey Mouse fun house themed Birthday Party

So for my sisters baby girls 1st Birthday Party we decided on the theme of her favorite show 

Mickey Mouse Fun House

Baby Andrianna is a sparky baby who loves and knows all the characters from the Fun house show by name at the age of 1! So, we all decided to scramble up some ideas and get busy with our creative side to make her 1st birthday as much fun as possible.

Even though she might be to young to actually remember the day, she will have all the photos to look back at and know that her mommy and daddy went all out for her celebration.

My sister browsed on line for weeks to gather all the ideas she wanted and could incorporate for the birthday and the night before the big party we all got together and created the perfect Mickey Mouse Fun House in Andrianna's own kitchen and living room. 

First came a little shopping...

We went to our local toy store JUMBO to get some of the things that would help us out.

1. Play Doh - Mickey Mouse and Disney character themed.

    The smart part about this purchase is that we would not only use the Play Doh as entertainment for our little 

    guests but that we would use the use the lids of the Play Doh (which were shaped as Disney Characters to 

    make themed treats for the party!.

    

    Using fondant in various colors we had little edible Mickeys and Minnie's that were easy and fun to make and 

    also looked great!

    Here are a few pictures so you get the idea...

    

   

  Not only did the kids have fun but we made cute Cup Cake toppers for our themed Party...

  

   A Party would not be a party without Cake... So it was nothing better than the Main Character of the Disney to 

   be the Star of our Cake. 

  2. Mickey Mouse Themed Cake

  

   3. More Fun Treats

      - For More fun treats we used ice-cream cones, marshmallows and smarties to make clown cones.

      - Bananas and peaches to look like Mushroom houses on a cake.

      - Turtle shaped Green Jelly

      - Marshmallow vases

      - Jelly cups

      

   4. Party Decor 

      - Balloons

      - Puff balls

      - Themed table cloths and other party treats

  

5.  Birthday Party Entertainment 

    - Bouncing castle

    - Face Painting

    - Play Tables with Play Doh

    - Jungle gym

   

So there you have it a Mickey Mouse Fun House Themed Birthday Party!

Hope you enjoy this post and get some ideas for your own birthday parties to come.

xoxo N.G.

Cold & Flu during Pregnancy

I must admit, this past week has been a killer. 

Everywhere i went people have been coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses.

So much for trying to keep healthy during flu season!

First my parents caught the flu so they warned me to stay away; i ended up not seeing them for about two weeks as the flu spread from one person in the household to another.

Little did i know that when i got a phone call from my mother-in-law to come pick up some home made Pastitsio i would be walking in to a trap! After hugs and kiss gratings to the mother-in-law, grandmother and father-in-law; i sat at the table where my mother-in-law informed me that see had been to the doctors the previous day and has started taking antibiotics for a saw throat and ears that she has had for a few days.

At that moment i did not know if i was supposed to show concern for her not feeling well or anger that she invited me in her home knowing that she was ill... Nevertheless i tried to keep my calm and politely excuse my self after a quick visit.

The next morning i woke up with a slightly scratchy throat and drank some hot tea with honey to mild it down. I tried some positive thinking hopping that it was not related to the previous days visit. After a full day at the office, by evening i was sneezing and carrying around a box of tissues as if it was an extension of my arm.

That was that! Officially i was consumed by the flu!  

I tried to stay away from all medication not to harm the baby, but i felt my self get worse and worse by the moment. Luckily it was the week end i a did not have to think about getting up early in the morning, so i made sure to get as much rest as possible and not leave the house.

Durring the week end it was a consumption cycle of:

- Loads of Water

- Tea with honey

- Oranges and grapes (Vitamin C fruits)

- Chicken and Vegetable soup

- Honey with Cinnamon (together they have antibiotic properties)

  

  COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm  

  honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic 

  cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

- And only at the site of fever i took Panadol tablets (plain Paracetamol)

The soup and fruit helped keep my energy levels up, and soon the all the warm liquids helped the process of flushing out the illness.

It took me a another couple of days to finely feel better and by Wednesday i was to my almost normal self.

During the period of 5 days i experienced the bellow symptoms:

A lot of sweating during the night, a mild red rash all over my body as it tried to fight out fever (this i treated by applying camomile lotion on the rash to reduce itchiness), nasal congestion and somewhat blocked ears, scratchy throat and the last couple of days a  mild version of diarrhea accompanied with a cough due to phlegm in throat.

I have to admit that this was a challenge and the best way to keep healthy is to protect yourself before you catch the flue.

Eat loads of fruit and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C and try to keep away from people with the sniffils.

Foods to Avoid during pregnancy - Keeping Sane and Healthy

I am in my 4th week of pregnancy and i am starting to get nervous...

Unfortunately i have been hearing a lot of cases where woman have lost their babies at this early stage and i can't help it from not affecting me.

I have had nightmares about bleeding and every little pain or cramp gets me very worked up.

I just want my first doctors appointment that is booked for the 16th of March to come fast. It was a mission to book an appointment with the doctor who i would like to be going to throughout the pregnancy. And the 16th was the earliest they could convenience me. Estimated that by then i will be entering my 6th week of pregnancy.

Writing in this blog actually helps me keep sane... As i have not told friends and broad family yet about my pregnancy writing makes me feel like there is someone to talk to.

Throughout the day i try to think of only the positive side of things and eat healthy. I have been avoiding picking up weights and have changed my morning coffee from regular to decaf. 

I have not yet seen any difference in weight and actually my food portions are a little less than what they were a month ago. Not that i am trying to eat less, but i have been feeling that smaller portions more frequently feels more comfortable and leaves me feeling less bloated.

Here are some FOODS that you should AVOID when pregnant:

1. Soft Cheeses (such as brie, Camembert, Goats Cheese, Blue Cheese, Feta and other similar)

    Why are they dangerous? Because these cheeses are made from  listeria bacteria which may cause  

    infection called Listeriosis. Although rare this type of infection can be very harmful to your baby,   

    provoking miscarriage or still birth.

2. Raw or Uncooked Eggs (this includes home made mayonnaise, uncooked cookie dough or 

    any type of dough containing eggs)

    Avoiding uncooked eggs will help prevent the danger of salmonella or food poisoning.

3. Unpasteurised milk.

    For the same reasons as you should not have soft cheeses.

4. Pate or Cold meats.

    All meats should be well cooked before eaten. No sings of pink or blood should be visible. 

5. Foods containing vitamin A (Liver or any liver products such as Pate or sausage).

    Vitamin A cab be extriemly harmful for your baby causing deformation.

6. Fish that contain Mercury and other sea food. (tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, swordfish, 

    shark, king mackerel, some types of tuna and oily fish) 

    Mercury turns in to methylmercury and in high amounts this can be toxic for the embryo.

    Other sea food such as shellfish can cause food poisoning. 

7. Alcohol.

    It is best to keep away from all types of alcohol.

8. Caffeine. (Primarily found in Coffee, energy drinks and most types of tea).

    Caffeine is known to speed up the heart rate of your baby as it can be absorbed through the uterus.

A few more tips to keep as safe as possible:

Avoid any unnecessary medication. If you do need to take medication always consult your doctor before taking or before deciding to stop taking your medication.

Wash all fruit and vegetables before eating and Do not pick up anything heavy.
Get enough rest especially when feeling tired and make sure to keep your stress levels to a minimum.

Maternity cuteness

Stumbled on this cute maternity shot idea and just needed to post it...

Aren't they just so cute?...

Maternity Shoot

So i wanted to take some cute shots of my sister before she gave birth to her second baby. Both my sister as well as her hubby were keen, so we got snapping one afternoon in their own home.

A photo shoot like this is a good idea if you do not want to leave the comfort of your own home and also helps by saving on a professional photographer.

If its not too obvious... they had a sweet Baby Boy born on the 1st of February 2015.

Congrats to Luisianna and Harry!!!

Celebrity Baby Bumps

Here are a few of our favorite Celebrities Baby Bump looks: