4th of July Petite Pops

My husband and I moved to Maple Valley, WA in November of 2010.  We are still considered "new" to the area, and this point was proven when we finally met our friendly neighbors.  Now that the sun has come out to play, so has everyone else. People are coming out of hibernation and are mingling in the cul-de-sacs.  I knew it would be the perfect time to make some festive Petite Pops and give them to our neighbors as an ice breaker.  I assembled little 4th of July buckets and tried two new flavors, and of course threw in a classic:

Strawberry Shortcake Pops, Turtle Brownie Pops, and Mint Oreo Truffle Pops.

I have never experienced the 4th of July the way I did this past weekend.  Fireworks are legal here in Washington, unlike California, and people certainly take advantage of it!  We started the day off with a 4th of July parade lead by the neighborhood kids as well as pets!  Our neighborhood HOA hosted a BBQ and had inflatable slides and fun activities for the kids.  We all soaked up some much needed sun throughout the entire day, then as the sun set, we hunkered down and waited for the firework show"s" to start.  In the comfort of our own neighborhood we were able to watch 3... yes I said 3... different firework shows!  It was somewhat of a friendly competition between the different areas in our neighborhood.  Of course our "cowboy" finale took the "cake" - thanks Callahan. 

The neighbors loved the Petite Pop Buckets I made them - the kids appreciated them too!  Needless to say, it was the best 4th of July we have ever experienced!