Poke the Rainbow Activity for Kids on St. Patrick’s Day

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

St. Patrick’s Day is a favorite among adults to raise a glass with Guinness or Jameson in hand. For kids, it’s all about the leprechaun, a colorful rainbow, wearing green and the gold. We made an easy, fun and non-candy Poke-the-Rainbow activity for kids on St. Patrick’s Day.

The rules of the game are simple. Each child takes a turn to pick one cup to poke through. Once the leprechaun is found, everyone can reach for the gold. The best part…everyone walks away with a treat. Who will be the first to poke the cup with the leprechaun?

Important side note: this game could be really fun and adult-friendly with each cup filled with a mini shot of Irish liquor. Cheers!

Materials:

  • plastic cups {white}
  • napkins in every color of the rainbow
  • pot and gold coins
  • white tissue paper
  • mini leprechaun or photo of leprechaun
  • non-candy gifts such as bead necklaces, buttons, bracelets
  • rubber bands
  • foam core board, white
  • hot glue gun and glue
  • stickers, shamrock cut-outs

Directions:

Randomly place the non-candy items in the cups. Pick one special cups for the leprechaun.

st-pattys-day-beads-cups-treats

Cover each cup with a napkin, and wrap a rubber band around the top.

rainbow-red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple-napkins

Once all the cups have colors, arrange in a rainbow-like pattern on a foam core board, and glue all of them in place. Glue the bottom of the cups so the top of the cup is facing outward.

rainbow-red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple-cups-napkins-clouds-poms

Make white tissue paper clouds, and glue them on the end{s} of the rainbow.

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

Write, stencil, glue or stick letters on the foam board for simple directions.

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids-leprechaun

Set up in the classroom {this will be a hit if you’re in charge of this year’s classroom party} , or at your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and make sure the pot of gold is under the rainbow.

pot-of-gold-st-pattys-day

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

rainbow-st-pattys-day-pot-of-gold-clouds-kids

DIY Witch and Mummy Halloween Nail Polish

mummy-witch-halloween-nail-polish-diy-holiday-gift

We typically opt for a cute and fun Halloween, instead of a scary and creepy one. We’ve never loved haunted houses or frightening people. We like costumes and carving pumpkins, apple cider and trick or treating with our large Italian family.

Since we were babies our mom and aunt made our ‘themed’ Halloween costumes, and every year we celebrate together. Following the annual chaos of hello hugs, oooh’s and ahhhs over costumes and hundreds of flashing camera lights, the men grab a cigar and take the kids trick or treating. The women stay inside where its warm to chat, eat chili and hot dogs and drink our wine. It’s a special tradition, and we are grateful to share it with our own kiddos.

Being into the cute part of Halloween, this DIY is so us!

These DIY witch and mummy Halloween nail polish bottles would make for a great, non-candy Halloween party favor or a unique Halloween gift.

Witch color are you going to pick for this year’s Halloween nails? We’re going with Essie Bahama Mama.

If your rainbow-loving self is admiring the DIY spider web in the background, you can see how we did it here.

halloween-nail-polish-favor-witch-broom-mummy-spider-web-rainbow-hat-white-party-diy

You’ll Need:

  • Nail Polish
  • Paper, Astrobrights
  • White rafia paper ribbon
  • Googly eyes
  • Hot Glue
  • Nail File
  • Rafia
  • Twine

How To:

For the mummy, glue two eyes on the nail polish bottle. Dab a small amount of hot glue on the top of the bottle, then add white rafia ribbon, and start to wrap. You can do one continuous wrap, or cut, add a dab of glue and continue to wrap. When the entire bottle is covered, dab another small amount of hot glue, so the mummy’s wrap stays in place.

mummy-nail-polish-diy-halloween-favor-gift-ribbon-white-googly-eyes

mummy-nail-polish-diy-halloween-favor-gift-ribbon-white-googly-eyes

For the witch, make a small witches hat with a free mini-hat template online {or free-hand} and glue it to a black, doughnut-cut circle. Slide it over the nail polish handle. For the witches broom, place a handful of rafia around one end of the nail file, and tie twine around it to keep it in place. Use a tiny dab of hot glue to keep the twine in place.

witch-nail-polish-diy-halloween-gift-black-hat-orange-nail-file-broom-favor

 

witch-nail-polish-diy-halloween-gift-black-hat-orange-nail-file-broom-favor

 

witch-nail-polish-diy-halloween-gift-black-hat-orange-nail-file-broom-favor

St. Patrick’s Day in a Box

mini cheesecakes-baileys irish cream-gluten free-whipping cream-rainbow

One of our favorites from Alt was Gilit Cooper, lead boss babe at Shoes Off Please and owner of The Bannerie. She recently hosted a Wayfair Homemakers Housewarming Party. Among the many fabulous ideas, our GF mini cheesecakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream made the roundup. Get your lucky on and see all the colorful ideas. If a cookie topped with a rainbow of fruit meets your fancy, you’ll love this.

In other St. Patrick’s Day news, we made a St. Patrick’s Day in a Box. I know, it’s semi-lame with no Guinness, Jameson or car bombs, but our husbands will take care of all that for us. We will enjoy our evening wearing tall rainbow socks, sipping on Bailey’s Irish Cream with a green and white striped straw, of course, and a DIY Slainte {an Irish Gaelic word often said during a toast, which translates as ‘good health’} in the background.

IMG_8117

For the banner, all you need is felt, Elmer’s Craft Glue or Beacon Felt Glue, a clover to trace, pom poms, a wood dowel rod and yarn. Cut, glue and hang.

st patricks day-sign-green-polka for-clover-diy-felt-banner-rainbow-socks-baileys irish cream

{images via j. sorelle}

DIY Dum-Dum Pop Balloons

pops-rainbow-stpattysday-dumdum-red-yellow-green-balloons-diy

Somewhere over the rainbow, Dum-Dum Pops are floating away. Catch the yummy balloons before they get too high, so you can savor all the flavor. And, do it before St. Patrick’s Day…or your next rainbow party!

diy-balloons-rainbow-dumdum-pops-stpattysday

Step 1: Remove wrappers from most of the 300 ct. Spangler Dum-Dum Pops bag.

Step 2: Bundle the colors of the rainbow together, cover with a tiny cellophane bag, and then wrap the ‘balloons’ with a pipe cleaner.

diy-dumdumpops-balloons-toddler-stpattysday

Step 3: Print, cut and glue the free printable via Simple as That to the pipe cleaner.

diy-rainbow-dumdumpops-color-red-blue-green-balloons-stpattysday

rainbow-stpatricksday-diy-balloon-pops-dumdumpops

{images via j. sorelle}

Mini Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecakes Recipe

Tutto Bella is getting a makeover. Kind of like the kind all us ladies need…A new pair of heels, an afternoon at the nail salon, a new wardrobe and a visit to the stylist, just to name a few. So, please excuse us while we add a little pizzazz, more organization and even more fabulousness here at Tutto Bella.

WARNING: Colors, and design of site will change during this time.

Really exciting things to come, but while we do some behind the scenes work, we have some great posts that we just couldn’t help sharing.
With St. Patty’s day approaching, we have some rainbow and Irish love this week…and first up is Mini GF Bailey’s Cheesecakes.
We love Bailey’s Irish Cream. Love it in coffee, chilled over ice at the end of a long day and now in our cheesecakes. For all you gluten-free folk, this is a treat you can enjoy too, because we made it gluten-free. This is easy and so yummy. Make it for your friends and family as you celebrate the Irish in you on St. Patty’s Day, or just make it for yourself.
gf mini cheesecakes_tuttobellablog
gf baileys cheesecake_tuttobellablog
gf mini baileys irish cream cheesecakes_tuttobellablog
Gluten Free Mini Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecakes
serves 12

Crust
1.5 cups Glutino chocolate and vanilla crème oreo-style cookies
3 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
12 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 egg

Topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Mix crust ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Add a full spoonful to each liner and then press down to create a packed bottom layer. Cook for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until fully mixed. Add salt, Bailey’s, and an egg until the batter is smooth.
Add less than a ¼ cup to each cavity for an even layer of cheesecake on top of the cookie crust. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Once cool, place in refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once you are ready to serve, or a couple of hours before you serve, it’s time to make the whipping cream. In a medium bowl, add the topping ingredients for whipped cream, blend until soft peaks form.

Take out of fridge before you serve, be generous with the whipping cream topping and serve! .

Devour!!

If your a chocolate lover like me, you’ll want to add an Udi’s Gluten Free Brownie in the middle. Follow all directions above, except add a tiny brownie {they are made and you can find in your local grocery store} on top of the cooked crust, and add cheesecake mixture around/on top of it. Cook for the same time, closer to just 15 minutes. It was also a delicious treat.
gf bailey's cheesecake with brownie_tuttobellabloggf baileys cheesecakes_tuttobellablog{images via Tutto Bella Blog}