JOY Display

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but after being a consultant for 2 years, this is my first workshop. I'm way too critical of my work to assume something I design would be worth actually charging my friends for. Besides, I hate taking money from my friends (which makes this whole sales thing a bit squeamish anyway.)



Basically, the workshop participants bought a Jingle paper pack ($12.95) and an accordion display ($3.95). I precut all the supplies, using my Cricut and punches, and with the rest of the paper in the pack, I'm teaching the super-funky craft of folding paper gift boxes. They're big enough to put holiday treats in for teachers and neighbors, and there's no adhesive necssary. Quite a bargain for $18, I thought.



My 3 little elves really do bring me joy. And now that I'm done with school, the magic of the season is upon us! Happy holidays, everyone!

~Cori

Preschool Halloween Party

This one is for all you preschool room moms looking for ideas for the classroom Halloween party. Being that the attention span of the average 3-4 year old is akin to a gnat, I'd recommend stations they can come and go from freely. My favorite 3 Halloween stations are...


Station #1: Witches Brew
For this station you will need one of those huge black plastic cauldrons, a box of gallon zip-lock bags, and at least 2 large stirring devices like a soup ladel or plastic shovel. Ahead of time I have the kids sign up to bring a "brew" ingredient, such as

• cheerios
• teddy grahams (all flavors)
• chocolate chips
• raisins
• Coco Puffs
• mini pretzels
• mini marshmallows
• Kixx cereal
• butterscotch chips, etc.

Basically, each child gets a turn (2 at a time if you want) to dump in her ingredient and stir the brew. Sometimes we sing silly Halloween songs as we stir, or you could quote some 'Macbeth' if you're feeling nerdy. Once it's all been stirred in, you've got the class party snack. ladel into little black plastic bowls, and while they're snacking, divvy up the rest into gallon ziplock bags to take home. It seriously makes a ton, don't skimp and go sandwich baggie. It's not hummus and carrots, but it's healthier than cake and cookies.
Station #2-Halloween craft.
This is wiiiiiide open, because there are TONS of Halloween craft ideas. My favorite go-to site is Family Fun Magazine. However, one of our faves is the glue ghostie. Allow the kids to push a small puddle of Elmer's glue around on a sheet of aluminum foil into a ghost shape, then drop on some googly eyes. Let dry.
Station #3- Dress up the teacher (see pic)
Mrs. Jones isn't likely to fit into your daughter's 4T Sleeping Beauty costume**, so I'd recommend limiting the dress-up stash to accessories (our favorite is the gas mask/rainbow clown wig combo). Add some facepaint grease pencils, and you have at least 15 min. of entertainment for the kids. Of course, the teacher has to be a willing soul. And it's especially fun when you can get the principal/center director involved- especially if he's male- and especially if he's bald. What a beautiful art canvas!
**although my 22 year-old brother managed a 2T tutu (don't ask.)
Happy Halloweening, ya'll!!

Princess Savannah

I blogged about this Princess party in another post- "Princess Dragon-slayer." Here is a layout from the party way back in July 2008. This is Savannah's third birthday party, and she has since had her 4th at Chuck E. Cheese. I should be getting to that layout in about 2011. Doesn't it just figure that as soon as I complete the pages, I find super cute "Princess party" themed embellishments on clearance? Oh, well. With 3 girls, it's not as if they will go unused.

Happy Fall, ya'll! : )

Our Gift

Surprise! Madeline really was a gift, because she was unexpected to say the least. A perfect and beautiful addition to our family. I used the paper pack Evensong from CTMH, and some sparkly stickers I had on hand. My goal is to use something old in my stash on every project. Now that Lexi scrapbooks and Savannah is a churn-'em-out card-maker, it's not hard. I'm just proud of myself for getting some Madeline pages done- she's going to have a complex later fer sure...

Glow Babies

Can you guess which is which??

What do you get when you put a glowstick on a string and a camera in a dark room with three kids?...A half hour of uninterrupted entertainment. Savannah proved to have the most party-girl potential. She already has all her rave candy in her dress up bin: fairy wings, sparkly wigs, bubble wrap skirt, she's good. The pictures I got of her "creative" movements lit up the room.

Lexi on the other hand like her big circles which made her look like a Maori hunter, and Madeline mostly just giggled and shrieked "My TURN!!" What made me think one glow stick among three girls would suffice?..

First Day Tissue Box

I have to give credit to my sister- the Creative One- for this idea, but it fits nicely into our mantra that anything with a blank, flat, or ugly surface is deemed decorable. We all have to send in tissues on the first day of school, so what a great way for the teacher to get to know your student and how s/he spent the summer. Have her personalize the box with photos, art, stickers, whatever. 3-D objects might not make it through Sept. and an easy way of ensuring the photos stay on is to wrap the whole thing in packing tape. (Our other motto- "anything worth doing is worth overdoing.)

Forget the Knife

Unless you have a degree in geometry, carving a watermelon can be a fine science, not to mention messy. To cut time and mess, I use an ice cream scoop and gut that baby in 2 minutes flat. The kids can help and there is almost zero mess (except for this kid). Save the knife for fishing Barbie shoes out from under the stove.