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After the success of Project Play Date: Valentine’s Day (you all made bottle cap lockets, right?), Seri and I racked our brains for the next themed play date. What was coming up on the calendar?

“Mardi Gras!” Seri shouted excitedly, like Seri always does.

“You mean the celebration in New Orleans where wasted college girls show their boobs for beads?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah…. that sounds like the PERFECT theme for a play date.”

“We’ll make Mardi Gras masks out of paper plates, a southern themed snack and Creole Bloody Mary’s for the adults!”

“The adults meaning me and you?”

“Yes!”

“Done.”

This is why I have Seri (aka Little Miss Party) in my life. She’s like my own personal creative director. I think so small sometimes.

The crafts and snacks in our new Project Play Date series aren’t meant to be complicated— they are meant to be pulled off by kids 2-5 years-old. They don’t even really need instructions, but I will give them to you anyway.

MARDI GRAS MASKS

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1. Cut a paper plate in half.

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2. Cut out eyes and a nose (I cut out the eyes by folding the plate again and cutting a semi-circle on each side).

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3. Give the kids markers, glitter, pom-poms, feathers, stick-on jewels and whatever other craft supplies you have in your house. Oh! And glue. Obviously.

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4. Then let the kids go to town.

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5. Attach a straw to one side with a piece of tape and VOILA! Homemade Mardi Gras mask.

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6. Tell your child to get back to work because nobody is getting any beads for the half-assed job above.

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I’m just kidding. I made that one. There should be no pressure to perform on play dates!

CHEESY CORNBREAD CUPCAKES & Celery Sticks

You need a snack that’s on-theme, kid-friendly and festive. We chose corn muffins with cheese baked in from a little protein with a side of celery sticks so you can check off your vegetable box for the day.

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1. Use 1 box of corn bread mix and prepare as per the directions on the box (this isn’t brain surgery)

2. Add 1/2 can of corn kernels (drained)

3. Add 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar

4. Pour into a muffin tin with muffin liners and bake as directed on the box.

5. Serve with celery.

6. Become a crazy person and glue a pom-pom to the top of a toothpick to up the Pinterest value of your corn muffin.

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7. Try to look as cute eating them as Harlow!

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CREOLE BLOODY MARY’S

It wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without alcohol. And what’s a play date without a cocktail for the grown-ups? Just don’t drink too many, mmmm’kay?

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Ingredients:

1 48oz can of tomato juice, or about 6 cups
3 tablespoons fresh or jarred horseradish
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2¼ teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons old bay
Tabasco sauce (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon celery salt (for glass rim)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (for glass rim)
2-3 Limes for garnish
Vodka (obviously)
Ice

Instructions

1.  Mix the tomato juice, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, celery salt, old bay, and black pepper in a large pitcher. Season with 10-15 shakes of Tabasco sauce, or to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.  To assemble drinks, mix the celery salt and kosher salt on a small plate. Dip the rim of your glass in a shallow amount of water, then dip into the salt mix and twist. Fill an 8 ounce glass to the top with ice. Add 2 ounces of Vodka then top with bloody mary tomato mixture.

3. Garnish your Bloody Mary with whatever you’ve got in your fridge—pickled green beans, a wedge of lemon, pickles, shrimp, etc. We used hot peppers and drunken tomatoes on a stick with a stick of celery.

4. Take a picture.

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5. Don’t send picture to Child Protective Services and keep out of reach of the kids.

Hope you have a responsible play date!

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