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* * Outer Space Party * *

Only a few shorts weeks after the construction party, and I started to plan for the long awaited for Outer Space birthday celebration for my soon-to-be five year old.

This spherical cake idea looked super cool- I wanted to try it! Making it an ice cream cake was a must because, well... SPACE! With some trial and error (leaving the cake out on the top of our chest freezer, oops) and a bit of improvising, I created the Moon Cake!

Instead of buying a mold, I used a large glass bowl lined with plastic wrap (to prevent ice cream from sticking to the sides of bowl). I layered the ice cream sandwiches putting generous layers of cool whip in between. After freezing overnight, I took the moon cake out of the freezer, popped it out of the bowl and frosted it with the remaining cool whip. Chocolate candy melts were used for craters. It came together better than expected (I was worried the cake wouldn't retain it's round shape) and when we cut into it, the layering of ice cream sandwiches looked like a cross section of the moon's core.






The half sphere shape, lunar terrain, astronaut explorers, and the sizzles, sparks and fire shooting from the birthday sparkler gave the moon cake dramatic elements. One of my last minute ideas was to sprinkle some chocolate cookie "moon dust". It added a realistic texture for the astronauts to tread across.




The birthday girl wore her outer space outfit the day of her party. A black tulle skirt with sparkly stars and "EXPLORE" tee complete with planets. 

The girls have a chalk wall in their room.  We change the doodle every few months. For her birthday, I surprised Miss A. with a space theme. She helped draw some of the stars and her favorite planet, Saturn. (see the blue planet on the wall?)

We had an exciting line up of space themed books on hold from the library. 


A few of our favorites were:

The Usborne Big Book of Stars & Planets
Mousetronaut, by Astronaut Mark Kelly
Peek Inside Space, from the Usborne collection
Roaring Rockets, by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker
Chicken in Space, by Adam Lehrhaupt
Big and Small Room For All, by Jo Ellen Bogart


There were many birthday surprises planned for Miss A. She received a constellation night light from her Godfather and a planet floor puzzle and the Space sticker book from Opa and Oma. There was also an "unexpected" visit from a spaceman who came bearing gifts of freeze dried astronaut ice cream!


The kids thought these astronauts were a hoot when they noticed their faces inside the helmets. 

The rooms were decorated with planets (upside down balloons) and stars (left over from the Fourth of July festivities) which added a shiny glam to our walls. 

It was a stellar party, can't wait for next year's theme!


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