Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 95.

Goodbye 5th grade rite of passage: Night of Public Speaking; the kids looked so spiffy and their speeches were so Pro!
Goodbye Kiddo formally presenting his NED winnings to the school at their all-grade assembly (if you don't know this not-to-be-missed story, click here to begin).
Goodbye best show finale I've seen in a loooong time; I already miss The Office.
Goodbye school Field Day and laughing about what a difference a year makes (I got sunburned this year, last year, it was 40 degrees and shiver-inducing).
Goodbye prayers and blessings to Texas as they work through their tornado and storm destruction.

Hello fun birthday party and snapping as many pics as I can so I can share with you!
Hello holding my breath until Sunday while hoping all goes well with this party on Saturday.
Hello taking rest and relaxation to the max come Sunday.
Hello shopping for supplies for Kiddo's class camping trip.
Hello, dear Super Hubby, as we celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary the day of the birthday party - love you!

My lesson learned this week is a big one! Kiddo sprung on me an impromptu Spanish class party and Band party on the way home from baseball practice Wednesday night. I still had a lot of party prep to do on Thursday so squeezing in home baked items to bring to 2 parties on Friday seemed to be out of the question. I rummaged through the pantry and found some leftover marshmallows and exactly the right amount of rice krispy cereal to make rice krispy treats. Score!

The marshmallows were a tiny bit hardened, let's just say. I melted my butter and threw in the marshmallows to melt. Folks, take it from me: stale marshmallows DO NOT melt! It was a hot mess, I tell you. My pan is still soaking 2 days later from the gooey, stuck-on mess it left.

I hopped in the car to go to the grocery store to pick-up some fresh marshmallows and more cereal (as I still thought it might work with burnt marshmallow, I poured my perfect amount of rice cereal into the gooey mess). In my rush through produce I stopped dead in my tracks in the bakery department as a mini-cupcake package caught my eye. $1.99 for a dozen of the cutest little cupcakes you've ever seen. I start doing the math and determine there is no way I could make rice krispy treats for that cheap so, I did it, friends. I bought bakery cupcakes, "re-packaged" them on my own plate, and sent them with Kiddo to the Band party at school. (I had to make this recipe for Spanish so, no store-bought option on that one). So, yes, I did it. I bought, I did not make, the treats for the party. AAAAHHHHHHH! I know, I'm as shocked as you are, but guess what? The kids loved them, it was cheap, and I could spend my time birthday party planning, not making rice krispy treats, take two! Wow, the world is still spinning! I may make a habit out of this:-)