Sangria Punch and Book Swap Party

 Tonight I had the ladies from our home school group over Mom's Night Out and a book swap. I found the idea for the centerpiece off Pinterest. You use a can to put the flowers in. Cover the can with pencils, holding them in place with a rubberband. Then tie a ribbon around them to cover the rubberband. (I had moved the ribbon to show the ladies and didn't put it back) I used some of the kids' books stacked on the table with the centerpiece.

We drew numbers and picked a book from the pile. Only one other woman brought four books and I had three so we had enough for everyone, but I don't think they were really interested in the books. I think home school moms are just too busy to read for pleasure. Oh well :)

I made a sangria punch that was really good. This photo is from the Kraft site along with the recipe.

4 cups cranberry fruit punch
1 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 cup dry mix Country Time lemonade or pink lemonade (I used pink)
3 cups club soda- I used ginger ale
2 oranges sliced
2 limes sliced

Mix cranberry punch, orange juice, lime juice, and lemonade mix and refrigerate until ready to use. Right before serving add ginger ale and sliced fruit. Serve over ice. This would be really good mixed in iced tea. This recipe makes 8 servings. I doubled it.

My battery was dead so I didn't get photos of the table with food or the people. This is what was left of the punch. Everyone said it was very good. Definitely a keeper.

Graduation shopping

I took my two daughters shopping last night. My oldest will graduate 4 weeks from today- EEK! They have to wear a dark dress with black or navy shoes. I think we cheated a little because we bought the black and white sundress for her to wear. She will have on the cap and gown so it won't even show anyway. We also bought her some black ballet type shoes with a heel. We bought the other sundress above to wear the next night to our rival school's graduation. She has a lot of friends from church that go to that school. I love the print on it.

We aren't doing anything big but my daughter wanted everyone to come over after graduation to hang out. They have about 650 graduating so it will probably be after 9 when we get back home. We will have grandparents here and some of her friends. She mentioned we have to make a fire pit by then, so I guess we need Smores. Give me ideas. I know I will make some snack foods like pigs in a blanket, cheese dip and tortilla chips, cake, Smores for the fire, and other stuff. I also might get out and string some lights in the backyard trees and around the fence.

Didn't anyone notice that I have been gone this week???? My husband went to Colorado last week so I was doin it alone. We had a lot of nights with two kids going to different parts of town at the same time and my driving daughter had plans. We missed church pictures because my husband couldn't leave Colorado as scheduled. They were to return on Friday at 2:30 but the people in Colorado did not do what they were supposed to do on the project so he worked until 2 AM on Friday night then woke up at 5 to catch a plane to come home on Saturday.