Monkey Cupcakes Swinging in the Trees

One of the coolest things about being a mom is being able to come up with creative ways to celebrate various events throughout the year. It probably drives my girls nuts, but I can't stand buying store bought items for birthdays and Halloween. If they can dream up an idea, I do my darnedest to put it together on my own. I have always felt I am cheating when I cut corners. That's probably why I am nuts half the time.

But I digress... I really thought these monkey cupcakes came out so well I had to post them. I had originally gotten them off of another blog and have unfortunately not been able to find her address for credit. But the ears and mouth are various Nilla Wafers and colored gels dot the eyes and draw the mouth. So easy but clever!

Then we had to come up with goody bags. I can't stand those things. They are always filled with unnecessary junky toys (probably from a country overseas with a reputation for tainted toys). However, being that this is my daughters birthday, we compromised. We made these cute little bags with left over paper we had around our craft room. The monkeys are just circle shapes cut and glued together. We really had fun putting these together. We filled them with little bags of snacking crackers and cookies, gum and her favorite candy. At least they'll be eaten.

To cap it off, tomorrow we are going to the skating rink for a party with her class. I hope my knees hold up. The party's "piece de resistance" will consist of a beautiful monkey cake (pictures to come... It still needs to be frosted tonight).