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The dilemma strikes –  what to get a BFF who seems to have everything?! You probably know the feeling, and can most likely relate. In this case, I’m talking about Heather {also part of the MoPa team} who is celebrating a birthday this week. Yay – Heather!

Outside of the typical bottle of wine, let’s see how creative we can get. To tackle the task, I quickly run through some of her favorite things. This is a great exercise actually – it’s fun to see how well you know the people most important to you. One thing that came to mind: jewelry! Heather has a fierce collection, and she even crafts pieces now and again. We’re a crafty circle. This past year, we’ve attended our share of Stella & Dot parties, and this lovely little twig pendant always speaks to me. Let’s give it whirl.

Lovely Little Twig.

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Birthday Love.

Here at MoPa, we love birthdays and we love parties. So, there’s nothing sweeter than a birthday party.

Today Aubrey is two and this past weekend we celebrated with a playful ice cream party. We had so much fun making sundaes, ice cream floats, and prettying up some ice cream sandwiches. But, the best part was that it was all done on a budget.

 I start planning for birthday parties about 6 months prior to party day. Having a theme in place so far in advance allows me to keep an eye out for killer deals and post season sales. For this party in particular, I hit up Target’s Valentine’s Day section the day after V-Day and got the banners, ice cream cups, paper straws, topping bowls, and all of the goodie bag treats at 50% off. Finding all of these stylish party components were a total score for me and getting them 50% off kept the hubby happy.

So, if you want to throw a fun {and pretty} party without breaking the bank, simply start planning ahead and you’ll start saving.

Happy party planning!

-Jessica

Cute Crostini.

It’s been said that crostini or bruschetta is an overrated appetizer. Here at home, these little bread bites are on high rotation. What I love about the open faced mini sandwich? Endless flavor combinations which makes serving picky eaters a bit easier. Another bonus: the kids can get in on the culinary fun because they are perfect for little hands. Oh, and when it comes to entertaining – skip the freezer section and offer up these instead! Feeling warm and fuzzy about crostini all of sudden? Excellent; my work is done.

On our Small Plate:

Honey Nut: Soft cheese (cream cheese variety), almonds, drizzle of honey

Berry & Lime: Berry, goat cheese, fresh lime zest

Apple Butter: Almond or peanut butter, sliced apples

How to Crostini: Purchase yourself a lovely baguette, the one you see here is whole wheat. Cut (on a bias if you want to get fancy), then toast in the oven until they are golden brown. Watch them close – you don’t want it too crispy. Next up – gather an assortment of fresh toppings – sweet AND savory! Offer spreading utensils, plates, and napkins and get creative.

Toppings we love: mozzarella, tomato, olive oil & herbs (think mini pizza), goat cheese, carmalized onions, hazelnut spread, nuts, orange segments, berries, ham, cream cheese, pineapple, jam, beef, horseradish spread, hummus, olives… and this deliciousness goes on and on.

-Denell