We Will Always Have Paris

Baby A's Back To School Night

Baby A. started school two weeks after Baby G., but we made an equally big deal out of it:

Her sister made her a little sign at her seat at the table.  I didn't have the heart to correct the spelling...

 
And another sign for the back of her chair. 

 
Baby A. had her own Kindercone as well.  I used some beautiful aqua gift wrap I picked up at Target and pink ribbons to girly it up.  Sorry for the blurry letters... the whole privacy thing... it was super-cute in person!

Hubby let the girls make their own pizzas (always a hit with our kiddos).

 
And the opening of the Kindercone!  Baby A's Kindercone was filled with Play Dough, books and her new counting bears and sorting cups.

 
These are the moments I hope my children remember.

Tutorial: Kinder Cone

 
I wish I had taken more pictures of Baby G.'s First Grade Kinder Cone as I was making it.  Hopefully you'll be able to get the general idea here and be able to make your own.

Step One:  Gather up your supplies.

  Materials Used On My Cone:
  Papier mache cone (from my Etsy store)
  Gift wrap (from Target) (Note:  make sure your gift wrap does not have a grid on the back side -- it will show through!)
  Roll of crepe paper (from Party City)
  Ribbon (from Offray)
  Chipboard monogram (I made it using a Sizzix die)
  Flash card (from Bazzill)
  Mod Podge (or similar liquid adhesive)
  Tissue paper
  Foam brush
  Terrifically Tacky Tape
  Hot glue gun

 
Step Two:  Apply Mod Podge (or other liquid adhesive) liberally all over your cone.  Don't make it too wet, or you run the risk of it bleeding through your thin gift wrap.  Carefully roll the gift wrap around the cone, starting at the tip.  Use your hands to smooth it down.  You may get a wrinkle here & there.  Make sure you seal the edges with Mod Podge.

Step Three:  Trim the top of your paper so that it reaches about two inches beyond the cone and you have a smooth finish.

Step Four:  Fold the edge of your gift wrap over into the cone, adhering it with Mod Podge.

Step Five:  Add a folded crepe paper fringe to the top.  This was pretty simple.  Just lay a line of Terrifically Tacky Tape around the top of your cone.  Unroll your crepe paper and fanfold it back and forth as you go around the cone.  The tape is so strong that it will grab it right away.  Do be careful not to catch your crepe paper in unwanted areas.

Step Six:  Glue a ribbon around the center of your fringe.  I used a nice thin striped ribbon.

Step Seven:  Make a big-ass bow for the front.  Here's a great tutorial from the genius behind PaperTrey Ink.  Attach it to the front using hot glue.

 

Step Eight:  Add your monogram/flash card. 

 
Step Nine:  Line the inside of your cone with tissue paper.  Add a line of Terrifically Tacky Tape to the inside lip of the top of your cone.  Gently adhere tissue paper so that it sticks out of your cone.  Make sure that there is plenty of tissue paper, as this is what holds the presents inside.

Step Ten:  Fill with presents.

Step Eleven:  Close up and tie with a ribbon.

Step Twelve:  Make a memory.

 
Hope this helps!

To Unicorns!

We celebrated Baby G's first day of first grade with her favorite dinner (meatloaf & mashed potatoes), sparkling grape juice and a kinder cone.  We pulled out the fancy linens and our best china and set the table for a true celebration.  Hubby gave a toast, wishing Baby G. the best in her coming school year. 

 
After raising our glasses, Baby G. announced that she wanted to give a toast as well.  She stammered a bit and I prompted her to talk about what she wants this school year.

She announced that all she really wants is a unicorn.

Hubby didn't skip a beat, raising his glass "To Unicorns!"

After dinner, we let her open her Kinder Cone:

 
I had filled it with shiny pencils, Phineas & Ferb band-aids, backpack essentials (kleenex, hand sanitizer, etc.), craft supplies, a super-cool electric pencil sharpener and a DVD (Beauty and the Beast).  I'll be back in a couple days with the "how to" on the kinder cone.

"To Unicorns!"