You know what I miss? Making my own cards using my Cricut. So when I was asked to make invitations for my nephew's first birthday, I couldn't resist. My sister-in-law chose the dalmatian cut from the Create a Critter cartridge, which was perfect because the hat has a number 1 on it. Aren't they just adorable? Head on over to my craft blog dianasdesigns.ca to find out how I made them: Cricut Create a Critter Dalmatian Invitations.

"Mom, can I have a birthday party this year?"

Cue mom guilt.

My son turned six last month and, never having thrown him an official birthday party with his school friends, I couldn't possibly say no. I blame his melt-your-heart puppy dog eyes. Granted, we have always celebrated his birthday each year with family and close friends but I knew he desperately wanted to invite some of his friends from school and daycare. So off I went to Walmart in search of brightly coloured decorations and party supplies.

I found amazing deals on hanging decorations, tablecloths, napkins, paper plates and cups. We even ordered some helium-filled balloons from the party store. But with a house full of kids ranging from five to nine years of age, I felt a little apprehensive about how on I earth I could possibly keep them all entertained.

Luck seemed to be on my side when I happened across an email regarding Creative Club Inc. – "a unique concept in ‘edu-tainment’ that combines the fun and creativity of LEGO® building with education to help kids develop skills in important areas like problem-solving, team work, communication and presentation skills and overall confidence-building." Based in the GTA, Creative Club has been delivering programs to over 100 schools in the area for the past five years. In addition to their in-school programs, they also offer school break and summer camps as well as LEGO® birthday parties. When I browsed their selection of birthday party themes, I knew instantly that my son would love to host a Make-and-Take party where each guest gets to build and keep their very own racecar. After booking a date and time, I went ahead and custom designed the following Creative Club Inc. invitation. Isn't it cute?

Once the big day arrived, my son was bursting with excitement. With every knock at the door, he would run to greet his friends. They played, they laughed, they played some more. We ordered pizza and set out some fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It wasn't long until LEGO Man Rob arrived. Given that we had a dozen kids at the party, Rob brought along another team member to help with the build. They brought loads of LEGO and a special LEGO book to give the kids a brief history on the well-known bricks. For example, did you know that LEGO means "play well?"

Soon, the kids were each given a little basket full of different coloured bricks and tasked with building their first initial.

The kids took great pride in their final product. They even got to keep them and place them in the gift bag supplied by Creative Club Inc.