Pomander Pack Party Favors

Did you like Monday's post about the Mom's coffee I hosted for friends with children born the same year as my own?  I promised I would tell you more about the party favors and I can't wait to hear what you think!  

I wanted to send my friends away with an activity they could do with their children and maybe even help them start a new tradition so I made Pomander Packs for them to take home.

I make pomanders with my children every year and I love to see how they decorate their citrus.  It is fun and easy and not all that messy (makes mom happy!) If you follow my Instagram Feed then you know that I monogrammed mine this year!

I packed these darling jars with jadeite lids full of all of the supplies they would need to make pomanders at home and tied a tag with the instructions on the back.  Since you didn't get to join us at the party, I laid out the step-by-step here in the hopes that you might make some with your family!

The first step is to pierce the orange in the pattern that you want to make.  I like to use a fork for strait lines and single toothpick for more complicated sections and designs.

Simply push the cloves into the pierced holes.  My two year old take ages to do it but she loves the challenge!  (I make the pierced holes for her and she pushes in the cloves.)

Tie a ribbon around the orange and add some glue from a hot glue gun to hold it in place.

All done!  Hang it from your tree or mantle and let it dry out. The fragrance is wonderful and the colors are beautiful and bright!  They have a rich history that is fun to read about and share with the children too! 

I'd love to know what crafts and traditions you include your children in at Christmastime?  Please leave a comment and let me know! 

                This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

Mom's Coffee

When I had my little surprise baby, Millie, two years ago I felt so excited about round two of motherhood!  I was thrilled to have friends who were having babies at the same time and I wanted to set aside a time during the busy holiday season to celebrate our friendships and the bonds we have over our experiences as mothers.  I invited a small around of mother's who all had babies in 2013 over for a Christmas Coffee.  We are all going through similar things and it is a great time to share, laugh, and learn from one another.

I love setting the table and had a great time bottle brush trees collected over the years. This year I added a few new trees from World Market, always one of my favorite stops before a party! The best part is that they stay nice all season long!  

I added a few flowers to the mix. For the largest arrangement, I used a plain and simple glass vase that I wrapped in velvet ribbon and hot glued ornaments to.  Even though the table didn't need any flowers with the bottle brush trees, I couldn't resist using these dahlias that were still available thanks to our unseasonably warm winter.

I also added a small collection of colorful mercury glass votive holders with vibrant roses in shades of pinks, reds and yellows.

We served simple treats that were perfect for picking up and having a quick nibble including these Preserved Lemons with Whipped Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds.

I love serving a little something sweet in the morning like this Spiced Orange Cake with Sunkist® Glazed Oranges & Greek Yogurt Whip on a cake pedestal.

I loved serving the coffee in these darling snowman mugs.  Could they be any cuter?  I didn't need any more holiday mugs but I couldn't resist these!  I served a bit of ice cream to my children in them the other night too!  They are a great size and I can't wait to try some other treats this in them this holiday season.

Hosting a coffee get-together is a great format for busy moms. The kids are at school and they have time to unwind for a few minutes.  To make it special, I like to add little touches like these peppermint stir sticks.  They are such a delicious Christmas indulgence for your coffee!

These White Chocolate Peppermint Stirs are a great touch for those who want hot-chocolate too!

What kind of annual get together do you like to host?  What do you serve?  I'd love to hear!

Merry Merry Motherhood to all of you wonderful mommies who join me here on the blog!  I hope you enjoy these fabulous recipes from Sunkist! 

I can't wait to share details of the family friendly party favor I gave out in Wednesday's Post. Please check back in!

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!