Castles in the Sand

It's very hot. That is an understatement. What does everyone do when it's hot (besides run to the nearest pool/beach/fire hydrant)? They head to the freezer for some variety of an icy treat! Here is a little something I made for my July 4th BBQ that will cool you off in a cute way. It's an ice cream sundae in a sand pail. Last summer we had a play date and the little girl's mom brought a sand pail that looked very similar to this one. It was adorable and delicious and everyone wanted to know where she got it. She told us the place (I don't remember the name of it) and  how much it cost. Fifty dollars. Well, it was cute, but fifty dollars cute?  I knew instantly that I could make this myself for much much cheaper. And trust me I'm not one to be cheap, in fact ordinarily my laziness takes over and I run out and buy stuff as opposed to making it myself. I guess the Kindergarten teacher in me wanted to try something cute and crafty. So I did! I got the sand pails for a dollar, 2 gallons of ice cream, and some seashell chocolate molds and umbrellas at Michael's Craft store. I made the "sand" out of graham crackers and Nilla wafers. It was a big hit with kids and adults at my party!
Here's how to do it:
Blend Nilla Wafers and graham crackers in blender to make the "sand"
Add a layer of ice cream to the bottom of sand pail
Add "sand" and chocolate syrup (this is all I layered with but feel free to add on other "goodies")
Add another layer of ice cream, sand, syrup, etc.
Continue until you get to the top of the pail
Add a final layer of sand to the top of the pail, decorate with chocolate mold seashells and little umbrellas
Enjoy!
I am supposed to attempt a cupcake version of this for my nephew's birthday party this weekend but the sweltering temperatures are making me dread even turning my oven on. So we'll see!