Halloween

Halloween is finally here. My kids are soooo excited and my day is very busy. But enjoy this virtual pumpkin carving activity - if you have the time. Happy Halloween!

Christmas Book Countdown

Well, with Christmas coming up in less than two months, I have started to think seriously about all that I need to get done. I am making a lot of my gifts this year, so I had better get moving. In my search for great Christmas ideas, I ran across this cool idea for a Christmas countdown using books. Now, if I only had 25 Christmas books. Maybe I will have to start investing in a few more - because I seriously love this idea. So, click here to go to Savoring the Details and read all about it.

Halloween "Whack-O-Lantern"

Well, only one week until halloween and my family will be carving pumpkins soon. I have never had a lot of luck carving pumpkins - so my husband will be the one to help the boys with the traditional carving. I think I will try this cute idea called a "Whack-O-Lantern". I found it on Disneyfamily.com and it looks like something I can definitely handle. You make the cool polka dots by pounding a golf tee into the pumpkin. Click on the link to go to Disney Family and read their tutorial.

No Sew Quiet Books

I just found this amazingly great idea for making no-sew quiet books out of file folder games. Go to Our Cozy Nest to check out her great ideas! I love this one so much I am seriously thinking about making a couple for my boys for Christmas.

Baby Food Jar Pumpkin

I have been collecting baby food jars at my house over the last few months, in hopes of coming up with some brilliant idea to use them. I finally decided to come up with a Halloween art project for my husband's 4th grade class. My boys and I made this little pumpkin by doing the following:

1. Brush the entire outside of the jar with mod podge - avoiding the screw-top portion.


2. Cover the mod-podged portion of the jar with a layer of orange tissue paper that has been cut into approximately 1"x 1" squares.


3. Brush another layer of mod podge over the tissue paper and add another layer of tissue paper in the same fashion.


4. Brush a final layer of mod-podge over the tissue and allow to dry.


5. When dry, draw a jack-o-lantern face on the jar (hopefully you are better at this than I am).


6. Add rafia and put on the lid (that has been spray painted green).

These, of course, could be filled with candy, or some other Halloween surprise.

My husbands class will be doing these next week. Wish him luck :)

Apple Stamps

My boys and I did some apple stamping the other day. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we received a big box of apples from a neighbor. So, we decided to use a couple to stamp some gift bags. It was really easy and the boys loved it. This is what we did:

1. Cut the apples in half.


2. Dry the cut side on a paper towel.


3. Press the cut side on an ink pad. (We used red and green.)


4. Press firmly on your desired surface. (We used inexpensive white lunch bags.)


5. Draw in the seeds, stems, and leaves.

Gumdrop Pumpkins

My boys and I made these gumdrop pumpkins yesterday. They were so easy and the boys had lots of fun helping me make them - then they delivered them to some to our nearby friends and relatives. I have seen this idea a few places, but I like the tutorial and pictures (their orange slices are way better than mine.) on this fun new blog I found called Craft-i-ness. Check out this tutorial and the blog for some fun holiday craft ideas.

Halloween Advent Calendar

I found this totally cute idea for a halloween advent calendar today at "Just a Girl". My boys would love it. Click the link above for her instructions.

Here is the reason I have not been posting

I apologize for my lack of recent posting. I received two big boxes of peaches and apples from a neighbor and between trying to get all of that fruit preserved, trips to my kids doctor, and keeping up with my businesses - things have been crazy. I plan to get back to my regular blogging schedule in the next few days.

I am sorry that the picture is so poor - but I am trying to show that I have been busy making applesauce, apple pie filling, peach-raspberry jam, canned peaches, dried peaches, frozen peaches, and dried apples. It has been a marathon, and my kitchen still hasn't fully recovered. Thank goodness for an awesome steam mop!!