Hedgehog Costumes

A few months ago out of the blue my three year old requested to be a hedgehog for Halloween. I was really surprised. I didn't know he even knew what a hedgehog was. I thought he might change his mind so I didn't really think too much about it. He is a consistent little guy and never wavered on his determination to be a hedgehog for Halloween. At first I tried to think of how I would go about making his costume by myself. I just couldn't picture it. Then I searched pinterest and typed in a lot of different things into google and found Dahlhart Lane. Malinda already made an adorable hedgehog costume for one of her little guys. It was exactly what I was looking for. I found her Etsy shop and started communicating with her. Long story short, she is really awesome and sent me a pattern she made. She is working on converting all her costumes into patterns right now. I will be giving her some feedback for her pattern. It was wonderful working with her and I'm also a big fan of her site now.

Austin and Bennett couldn't be happier. They want to wear their costumes all the time now. Pretty much they just take them off to eat and sleep because I make them. We have been fortunate with the weather recently. It has been nice and cool 75 degrees or so instead of 90.

So now the big reveal..........

Sewing on those spikes took FOREVER...but they really do love their costumes and it makes me happy to see them enjoying being hedgehogs. Sorry for so many pictures. I'm still having fun getting to know my new camera lens. I also couldn't narrow it down. They are just so stinking cute!

Halloween Treats

Chocolate covered pretzels are one of my favorite treats. That is why I was really excited when I saw this mold at Joanns a few years ago on clearance.

Now it has become a tradition to make these sweet salty treats every year near Halloween. Last year I made them and had my husband bring them into work. At first I think he was a little embarrassed but he got over it once he saw how much everyone loved them. He had a few coworkers ask him if I was going to be making them again this year. Of course!!!

This is a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy. My husband and oldest son actually made more of them than I did this year. Happy Halloween!

Photo Display Ideas Blog

I was featured on a blog! I feel so honored. I sent the blog author a few pictures of my photo displays and she featured them on her blog. Check it out. I really do love the blog though. I have tons of pictures either in boxes or CDs and even some just sitting on my computer. Why not use them as art? Photo displays are a cheap, fun and easy way to decorate empty wall space. You may recognize some of the beautiful people pictured in the header. Yes that is my family picture :) The author is my Mother in law. Is that cheating? Does it still count as being featured :) In any case, it is worth your time heading over there to browse.

Photo Display Ideas

Preschool Craft

I love how the simplest things can bring a smile to a child's face.  My four-year-old, Austin, asks to do crafts every day. It is hard to come up with fun and cheap things to do that won't cause a big mess. I also like to do something that we won't just throw away right after he is finished with it. Craft time at our house is a great teaching opportunity, if you do it right. For example, with this project we did, I drew the shapes that needed to be cut out and had my little guy cut the pieces out himself. This helped him to practice his scissor skills. Instead of using a boring glue stick, I put Elmers glue on a plate and gave him Q-tips to use to spread the glue onto the pieces.

You may remember making something similar when you were little. I can't take credit for the paper bag puppet idea. I think they were invented fifty years ago or something like that.

I think the best part of this project is the freedom. Just put a pile of supplies in front of your artist and let their imagination run wild.

This was the second puppet we made. You can see the marker was running low. The nose is made from a pom pom. The rest of the parts are cut with circle punches from construction paper. This preschool craft was free to make and it was really fun.

Even my 17 month old had lots of fun with the puppets once they were done. He thinks all animals make growling sounds so he was walking around with a fierce paper frog.

What are your favorite things to do with your kids for craft time? I'm always looking for ideas so leave me a comment.

Halloween 2x4 Craft

These were so much fun to make and they were really easy. Just take a 2x4 and cut a 6, 5 and 4 inch block. Then prime them and paint them black. Next you will need to Mod Podge paper onto the front of the blocks. Print and cut out the letters from the computer and Mod Podge them on as well. Add some jumbo rick rack and ribbon and you have a cheap, fun and easy Halloween decoration.

Just Saying Hi

My friend Millie gave me this stamp. It comes in a set with other sentiments.

I really like this one because it can go with a lot of different designs and card styles.

I love "just saying hi" cards because I know that the person receiving the card will love it. Since there isn't an occasion behind the card, receiving it is a total surprise, and bound to really make their day.

What is your favorite kind of card to give?  What is your favorite kind of card to receive?