Example Scenario:
{strictly hypothetical}
You live in a state where the summers are unbelievably hot and the winters are unbelievably Antarctica.
Basically you live indoors.
In January, your child is invited to a birthday party.
But here, clouds don't snow. They rain treacherous sheets of ice that cover the world in glass.
Slippery glass, which you don't like to drive your car on.
Especially with 4 kids in tow, on a Saturday morning, with the destination being a superstore.
But like a rookie mom, you forgot to pick up a birthday gift during the week.
So.
Insta-birthday-gift
[without a trip to the store!]
I'm sure you totally have these things on hand. I did.
Don't we all keep stacks of random junk in our basement?
1. Wooden spoon
2. Unfinished child-size apron
3. Mason jar
1 - The spoon: Give the birthday party attendee a box of acrylic craft paint and teach her how to make dots with the end of a pen. Give her the wooden spoon. Watch her totally go rogue and turn the spoon into her personal creative art project. Shrug your shoulders and send her upstairs to dry it with a hair dryer. When she comes back, swipe a layer of polycrylic over the painted part. Done and done.
2 - The apron: I had grandiose ideas of sending each of Kate's friends home from her last birthday party with a handmade apron they could wear during our cupcake-decorating activity. Or something. Well, the mysterious stash of unfinished aprons I happened to have lying ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR [kicker: her birthday was in July] should tell you pretty much how well that went. Finish it up and string a ribbon through it. (And by that I mean give it to Kate and make her finish the sewing on her new machine and thread the ribbon through because her fingers are smaller and more nimble than mine.) If you are not like me and don't have extra aprons lying around, but you are like me in collecting miscellaneous fabric, you can probably whip this up in 15 min. It doesn't have to be fancy.
3 - The mason jar: Fill with a cute layered cookie mix, which are plentiful on Pinterest. The one I used is below. Start to design a cute label but remember that your printer bit the dust two weeks ago. Get distracted shopping for new printers online. Snap back to the task at hand (one of my New Year goals! Do this more quickly) and write out the baking instructions yourself.
Spray paint the lid a solid metallic color because the only lids you have came from spaghetti sauce jars and have writing on them. Realize there is no way that spray paint is going to dry in time. Give up and cover with scrap fabric instead.
VOILA! A cute little baking kit just ready for gifting that will make your 9-year-old recipient go, "Wow, that's interesting..."
No really, Brooklyn said her gift was very well received, and when her friend opened it she said, "Oh, I needed a new spoon!" HA! Gotta love the grace that momma has taught her!
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in a Jar:
Layer in a clean 1-qt jar:
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips
[I guessed on the raisin and chocolate chip measurements. I just packed those raisins in there tightly and then put as many chocolate chips on top as I could fit!
Here are your instructions to include:
[If I ever get around to it I'll make a cute label to PRINT!]
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil. In a large mixing bowl, stir together contents of jar with 1/3 cup softened butter, 2 eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until well combined (dough will be soft). Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.
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