S'mores are a Summer Staple around here. Ever since our kids were old enough to hold a skewer they have been roasting marshmallows with friends and family around our firepits. I cannot imagine a summer or fall without them. We purposely built our firepit on the edge of our patio so that you could either sit or stand around to easily roast marshmallows. I love that there really isn't a wrong time of year to eat them. 

S'mores always feel like the perfect compliment to celebrating Independence day. Maybe it's because I've watched The Sandlot one too many times, or maybe its because some of the greatest friendships of my life were formed around a firepit. 

When my oldest was about 8 he even came up with a plan to create his own S'mores food truck! We helped him draft different recipes and started using them at our own parties. This weekend I put together a tray of goodies to help make some of our favorite combinations. I got everything I need at our local Hy-Vee grocery store! I especially love that their marshmallows are dye-free (yes, most marshmallows have blue food dye in them! who knew!?)

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A post shared by Erica | Life at the Clubhouse (@lifeattheclubhouse)

Of course everyone loves the OG S'more with Honey Maid graham crackers and Hershey's chocolate, but have you ever had a "Monkey Mallow" S'more?! Those are my absolute favorite. I use cinnamon graham crackers, banana slices, dark chocolate and a well toasted marshmallow. It is the right amount of sweetness without feeling like you're eating pure sugar. 

Of course, I ended up not using any bananas this weekend because my people ate them all before I could use them for S'mores! Go figure. I had to settle for one with just dark chocolate instead. My husband loves using Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for his. Now the real debate is toasted marshmallow vs burnt mallow. I will always go for a golden mallow over a burnt one! 

If you want your own printable version you can download it here: S'mores Printable

Our tray version of a S'mores bar worked so well Saturday night that I even took some along to use at my sisters house on Sunday.

We had so much fun helping the kids make their own S'mores, even my Dad got involved! It was a great night of fireworks, family, and friends. 

I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July! 

Hady in ONE-derland

Once upon a time, the sweetest girl named Hady, turned 1 years old! ....and she lived happily ever after! Ha!

This weekend we had a celebration for my youngest nieces 1st birthday. My sister and I have been calling it our swan song. It was the last first birthday for our kids. Its crazy to think that its been nearly 15 years since I threw my first 1st birthday party for my own son! His wasn't nearly this elaborate, but then again I was 23 and Jeremy was deployed to Iraq. The sentiment was the same though...enjoy this baby who has brought so much joy to our lives during a difficult season.

Near the start of the year, my sister came to me with the idea of having a ONE-derland (Wonderland) themed party for Hady. My mind immediately went to photos that a friends wedding venue had shared of a garden themed, tea party style, event. Everything was dripping with greens and muted colors. There were tiny sweets and fun drinks. I knew this would be the basis for her party. Then we found the cutest tiny plates at Michaels with little pink and blue flowers. There it was. The perfect color scheme for her celebration. 

Over the last few months, I collected pieces together as I shopped to use for her party. I also started setting aside or making notes to bring pieces of my own. This included some tiny spoons that I inherited from my Great-Grandmother and flowers I use in my own decor. My sister even managed to find a vintage highchair at a garage sale for $10! 

The plan was to have it outside, under one of my sisters Magnolia trees. Well, mother nature had other plans. It stormed and rained all weekend. On Friday, we knew that we would have to move the party inside. Even if it was dry during her party, the yard was going to be a muddy mess after 3 days of rain. Mud + young kids + pretty decor = a monstrous mess. So, we crafted a plan of how we could switch around her furniture to accommodate the extra leaves in her beautiful table, and still leave room for people to easily sit or mingle. Swapping the table with a loveseat & ottoman was the only way we could make it happen inside. It worked so well that my brother-in-law was trying to figure out how in the world to keep it without sacrificing having a TV on the main level! 

This was definitely a labor of love, but it was so worth it. 

Isn't it dreamy?

Some of my favorite items that we found were the foil edge plates from Michaels, the banner from Party City and of course the cutest favors ever by Becca by the Book. How cute are these bookmarks!? They perfectly matched the images on the banner and really sealed the vintage vibe for the whole look. Her bookmarks inspired me to create the tags on the bottles & mini cake stands.

Mother Nature may have tried to throw us for a loop by forcing us inside, but it turned into a great day. I am so happy with the way this turned out and I hope you find inspiration here to create your own little Wonderland.

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Wonderland Banner  -  Teapot Cake Stands  -  Mini Cake Stands

5oz Bottles  -  Bookmarks  -  Mini Foil Plate  -  Pink Foil Plates  -  Blue Foil Plate