Transformers Themed Birthday Party

My big little man turned 5 a few days ago and we had a Transformers themed party!  Poor birthday guy got so sick so suddenly we had to cut the party off pretty quick.  But, he managed to blow out one candle and make it barely through the pinata before being rushed to bed...we opened gifts the next day and he ate cake a few days later.  So, I didn't take a ton of photos because I was busy tending to my sick birthday boy.  But, I have a few to share!

The invitations I made on my computer and printed myself.  I found a great Transformers font free online that worked great!  I got the idea for the wording from some web searches for Transformer invitations..."Sammy is Transforming into a 5 year old!"  Since I painted his whole face to look like Optimus Prime for Halloween, it was easy to put his head on an Optimus cartoon for the front cover!

The birthday boy requested a red and blue cake, so I layered two cakes (one red, one blue) with chocolate frosting in the middle.  I colored some cream cheese frosting to cover the cake, and used a tube of pre-made black frosting for all the black areas.  Here are a few cake pics...

 Above are some progress shots of the cake decorating.  (Okay the red cake turned out pink, but don't tell him that. He hasn't seemed to notice.) I just did a Google image search for "Transformers logo" and used that for reference.  It's a little distorted being taller than it should be but I didn't want to waste too much cake making the proportions just right. I cut the outer shape, frosted it in gray, then traced the lines of the design in the gray frosting.  Next I put on some white, then blue and red, which I squeezed on with a small frosting tip and then spread & blended with a knife.  I wrote Sammy's name and a big "5" on the side of the cake. It turned out pretty cool.

I found some shiny silver candles that worked great and added a "5" candle as well.

For a super easy activity I did a Google image search for "Transformers Coloring Sheets" and printed out a dozen or so, sprinkled them on the table with some crayons, and the kids did some coloring.

This year I decided to buy the pinata instead of making one.  I was going to try making one that was the simple Transformer face logo but with Christmas and all that was going on, I just ran out of time. Plus when I saw how cool this one was on Amazon, I thought it was worth it.  He now is sitting on Sammy's shelf in his bedroom and I'm sure he will be enjoyed for a while.  It also looked really cool as a centerpiece sitting in the middle of the table up until it was time to use it.



It only comes with 8 strings and we had 9 kids, so I added  a couple.  However, they weren't necessary as it was opened up on the 2nd or 3rd try!

 We don't really have a good place to hang a pinata so what I do is just attach it to a pole and then have a couple of the guys hold it above the kids' heads.  It works just fine!  (Thanks to my husband and my Dad!)

I didn't get a photo of the goodie bags, but I made labels with the kids names on them and stuck them to paper lunch bags.  The insides had a few Transformer goodies from Amazon...







The stampers were really fun and it came with a little pencil pouch that I wrapped that up as one of Sammy's gifts.  And with 2 dozen of them, I was able to give a couple to each kid with a few left over.  The cupcake rings were a great hit.  The little bug transformers were cute... cheaply made and I'm still debating whether they were worth the $20, but still kinda cool to have an actual little transformer for each kid.  Then I just added a little candy and the kids used their bags to gather up their pinata winnings.

I meant to play some Transformers cartoons during the party but didn't get around to that..but that's another easy way to add to the theme if you're going with a cartoon or character!

While seeing my little boy so sick that he missed out on half of his own birthday party fun made ME cry, I don't think it ended up phasing him too much.  At least I hope not.  Now to get him well enough to get through the several belated Christmas parties we have coming up in January that were postponed from his last sickness!! Ugh, gotta love this time of year!

Perspective

As you are wrapping up the toys you purchased for your kids this Christmas, did you ever stop to think that you might not even get to see them open their gifts? These are the type of things running through my head this week in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary.  Today is the first day back to school, and a particularly tough one for parents across America who are hugging just a little bit longer before waving goodbye to their kids as they get on the bus.

Do you ever sit down with your Bible and flip through it, waiting to see if a verse speaks to you? On Friday night I was only able to dedicate a short time in the Word but the one that leaped off the page for me was Ecclesiastes 9:12.

"Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them." -Ecc 9:12

Not a particularly comforting verse...I was hoping for something about justice and punishment for evil, or another reminder that these little angels are with Jesus.  Instead, what spoke to me was a reminder that none of us, not even the most innocent and defenseless, are guaranteed our next breath. Sobering to say the least.  But I didn't take it as a warning to live in fear of what may come, but rather a reminder to treasure each moment and not take anything for granted.

So what can we do in response to a horrific event such as this? What can WE do, no matter how close or far we live from Newtown, CT?  How can every one of us make the memory of these children live on, long after each victim is laid to rest and the news coverage fades?

We can gain some perspective.  And see our lives and roles as moms through a new lens every day. 

Perspective is the one common thing that I make it a point to gain from every personal tragedy in my own life.

When we get dragged down by the hard and mundane parts of motherhood, we can remember...we still HAVE our babies.  We can take the not-so-fun parts of parenthood as reminders of how lucky we are to be experiencing them at all.

Little 6 year old Charlotte's mom will never again be up all night changing sheets while she is sick with the flu.

Seven year old Daniel's mom will never have to scrub stains out another pair of his dress pants.

Little 6 year old Olivia's mom will never receive a report that she talks too much in class.

Josephine Gay, age 7, won't ever get into trouble for giving herself a haircut on school picture day.

The mother of six year old Ana won't have another opportunity to break up a fight between her and her brother.

Six year old Dylan's mom will never get the chance to clean up his spilled milk again.

The mother of 6 year old Madeleine won't have the pleasure of picking up her Barbie accessories scattered across the floor again.

Catherine, 6 years old, will never get in trouble for playing in the sandbox in her brand new dress.

Seven year old Chase's mom won't ever get to scold him for running in the house again.

Six year old Jesse's mom will never hurt her foot stepping on his plastic army guys.

Little James, 6 years old, will never get in trouble for throwing a ball in the house and breaking a family heirloom.

Seven year old Grace will never spill her grape juice on the new, white carpet.

Six year old Emilie's mom won't get the chance to scold her for coloring on the walls.

Six year old Jack's mom won't ever get to remind him not to leave his bike lying in the driveway again.

The mother of 6 year old Noah will never have to tell her little monkey to stop jumping on the bed for the millionth time.

6 year old Caroline will not reach the age of arguing with her mom over what is appropriate for her prom dress.

Six year old Jessica will never again have to be told to share with her little brothers.

Six year old Avielle will never get to back her dad's car into the mailbox as a newly licensed driver.

The mother of 6 year old Benjamin Wheeler will never spend a night waiting up for her teenager who is out past his curfew.

And the mother of 6 year old Allison won't have the opportunity to tell her to eat her vegetables one more time.

Perspective is a big one that can really change your life. We can strive to appreciate the moments we have with our children...EVERY moment.  And while I know that every mom needs to vent now and then to keep her cool (myself most definitely included), we can learn to think twice before complaining.  We can make sure we are surrounded by the right audience when we need to vent, remembering just how painful it may be for a mom who has lost a child to hear us complain about our potty training woes.  We can raise our children with the morals and character that are essential to understanding the value and sanctity of life.  We can raise awareness and do what we know is right for our mentally ill children, no matter how hard it may be.  And we can thank our teachers & principals, so many of whom love our kids enough to lay down their own lives for their protection.

 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." -1 John 3:16 

We can teach our children to remember the heroes and not the villains, and to look for the positive in every situation...as Mr. Rodgers' mother told him to "look for the helpers."  But most importantly, we can pray for the grieving families and friends of these lives cut short, because  "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." -James 5:16

Hug your little ones close this Christmas, Mommas, and pray for those who cannot.  May 2013 be a year of new perspective and life's moments lived to their fullest for you and your families!

Thrift Vicariously through ME! I.D. Mommy Shop is Now OPEN!

As many of you faithful ID Mommy followers already know, I love thrift shopping.  Over the course of this past year, I have come across a lot of fun vintage, retro finds while searching for things to complement my new 1950's style kitchen makeover.  During this process, I have found myself accumulating some things that I didn't end up using myself, or just thought would be perfect for someone else's kitchen with a different era theme.

SO, to prevent my home from appearing on an episode of "Hoarders," I've decided to give Etsy another chance and open up a shop to sell my funky vintage finds to those of you who don't have the time, energy, or obsession with thrifting to find them yourself!

It's taken me a while to finally get stuff up there, but literally within 1 hour of opening my shop today, I sold an item.  So, while this likely was just a fluke, you may want to check it out while there is still a selection! ;-)  Below are some photos of a few of the items I have up for sale right now.  I of course plan to keep adding things, so be sure to check back often! I've also added a link to the shop on the right column of this blog.

Vintage Tupperware measuring cups

Awesome ceramic ash tray - fits with my kitchen but I don't smoke!

Cool copper colored plastic tumblers

 Got anything in particular you're always looking for?  Let me know and I'll look for you!  Seriously, I'm always looking for reasons to make my thrift store rounds.

Love these yellow salad tongs!

The more you buy, the more excuses I have to go out thrift shopping!  I hope you enjoy thrifting vicariously through me! :-)

Holiday Air Travel with Toddlers: Packing Entertainment Items

I've done several posts in the past about domestic and international travel with babies and toddlers. 

We've traveled with a 1 year old to Paris and London, and take both of our boys on domestic flights 2-3 times a year to visit family.  Since I'm in the middle of packing for our Thanksgiving trip to Texas right now, I thought I'd do another travel tip post.  This one is focusing on how I organize and pack my boys' entertainment items.

Air travel poses all kinds of challenges that you don't have with a road trip, such as limited space and weight restrictions, the fact that you don't have access to all of your stuff along the journey when you check bags, the possibility that you may lose your luggage all together, and the inability to just pull off at the nearest exit if you forgot something.  You can also spend hours not moving at all. 

I've picked up on a lot of tips and tricks for the whole travel experience, and I think that one of the biggest challenge for traveling with toddlers is keeping them entertained.  The journey itself of course can be entertaining, and we are oh so very blessed to live in the age of smart phones and tablets with kids' app's and movies.  However, even a kid can only be plugged in for so long.  I know this is a lengthy post but I have it down to a science now so I don't even have to think about it.  Here is what I pack and how I pack it for my boys...

BAGGIES!
Get out some gallon Ziploc bags.  I like the ones with the sliders as they are super easy to open and close quickly.  Set aside two bags for each kid and label them with the child's name and "Trip Out" and another with "Trip Back."  So I have a trip out bag and a trip back bag for Sammy (age 4), and the same for Toby (age 2).   Then label another bag "While out."  This is how I divide and organize toys, limit their size/number, and make sure that I have enough for each leg of the journey.

SORT & BAG
When it comes time to pack, I'll wait until the kids are napping or in bed and I'll get out my Rubbermaid bin full of "trip toys."  The bin is full of little toys that I've set aside from garage sales, kids' meal toys, birthday party favors, etc.  Some are free/cheap small toys, some are just made for travel.  The key here is to not only find good, small, travel toys, but make sure your kids don't EVER play with them at home.  They are only for travel.  That's what makes them exciting, new, and most importantly ENTERTAINING when on your trip!

I spread out my bags, and lay the toys out that I want for each leg of the trip...

Above are my piles for each kid for each leg of the flight.  Below I'll go into a little more detail on the variety that I like to include in each pile, using Sammy's "trip out" pile as an example...

 

TYPES OF THINGS TO PACK:

 I try to pack a variety...one item from each of these categories:

Drawing Toys:

Don't understimate the power of drawing tools. They can also function as games (think tic-tac-toe):

- Aquadoodle - I found 2 travel Aquadoodles at Goodwill that we use.

- Blank Paper and crayons

- Rubbing Boards/Plates - I found these plastic plates at a garage sale that have raised images on them.  So the kids can lay a piece of paper on it and rub a crayon over it to make pictures. I had a bunch so I spread them out among the bags to keep renewing interest in the toy.

- Other ideas: Travel Magna Doodle, Etch-a-Sketch, Etc...

"Sticky Scenes:"

This is my made-up term for toys with little parts that kids can re-arrange but stay stuck in some way.

- Felt scenes (I found the book pictured above at a garage sale)

- Magnetic toys (I have a Potato Head face toy, other face toys, little scenes with cars, etc)

- Colorforms

Tactile Toy:

Something that is fun for them to touch and squeeze with their fingers:

- Koosh ball - a ball that won't roll down the aisle!

- Squishy balls with stuff inside

- Moveable tangle toys, etc...

Moving Toy:

- Battery operated toy (bring extra batteries!)

- Wind-up toy

Books:

I pack little tiny board books, and I got a couple small story books that came free in our last couple boxes of Cheerios!

Headphones:

I invested in a set of kids' sized headphones for each of the boys years ago.  You'll want these for plugging into your iPod, iPad, Kindle, or whatever if you want to watch a movie or play with a digital game...or even the in-flight entertainment if they have kid-appropriate media.

Special Surprise:

Something special (and small of course) that they've never EVER seen, even from a previous trip.  This trip I'm packing a miniature Transformer that I got at a garage sale as Sammy is way into transformers now.  Toby is in love with watches now so I found a McDonald's toy Shrek watch to bring this year.

Ear Pressure Relief:

SUPER IMPORTANT! Something that will cause your kiddo to chew and swallow for a while to help pop their ears during takeoff and landing.  You'll want enough for both takeoff and landing. It has to be something that's new/special and tasty enough that they'll want to eat it when the time comes no matter what. Some things we have found work well:
- Special liquids they don't get all the time (juice, pop)
- Chewy things (fruit snacks, raisins, gummy bears)
- Hard candy (suckers!)

Games:

- Paper Games: I have some books of travel games and I just tear out 2-3 pages for each leg of the trip...word finds, mazes, dot-to-dots. They take up NO space! Coloring book pages work great!
- Travel Games - miniature versions of your kids' favorite board games
- Card games

Snack:

Something they can eat OTHER than their "takeoff/landing" ear pressure relief snack.  Because believe me, they'll be hungry at some point. This year I got some of the little pre-bagged goldfish crackers.  I usually like to use a snack trap.

Night Time Toys:

Will you be traveling in the dark at any point? Be sure to pack some toys for the dark! Things that light up are SO much fun on a dark plane.  The "lights/moving toy" shown below is a little helicopter that spins and lights up when you push a button.  These little spinning and light-up toys are surprisingly fun for babies and toddlers alike in the dark!

Things to AVOID:

- Bouncy balls or other really round, hard balls that can easily roll to the back of the plane the second they are dropped.  You just don't wanna deal with that.
- Loud toys. We are trying not to disturb the whole plane if possible.
- Battery powered toys. Unless you also have room to pack more batteries and teeny tiny screwdrivers to change them.
- Toys with multiple teeny, tiny parts. Maybe leave Barbie's shoes at home to avoid tears over lost toys.
- Fights. Notice that both boys got the same red packages of fruit snacks for the trip out, blue packages for the trip back.  All it takes is a red vs blue on one flight to cause a fight.  Got an awesome toy? Get one for each of them.  If you don't think they'll share it, don't bring it.

Below is the "trip back" assortment for the same kid.  So, you can see how the categories of toys stay basically the same, but the toys change out.  Some toys are the same like the rubbing board, but a new scene. 

 

So I'll go through this mental list (now visual for you), and pick a moving toy to set on each bag.  Then a sticky scene for each bag...and so on, until I have one of each type of item for each flight for each kid.

I usually have one or two things that are FLAT but a little too big for the bag, like Sammy's dry-erase book above.  But, I still pack that if it doesn't take up much space. I attach the dry erase marker to the book with a string and tape so it won't get lost or dropped on the plane.  Do that with any two-part toys that involve little pens, markers, or magnetic wands and you'll save yourself a lot of headaches!

Now that you have the toys for your flights figured out, you may want to set aside a few things for while you are out at your destination.  We don't pack too much for this because

1) they will be hopefully busy having fun with family and their new surroundings,

2) they get to also play with their "trip out" toys while we are there,

3) and we aren't trapped in an airplane and if we really NEED anything we can just go get it!

 

For this trip I packed:

-  a couple more little surprise toys (in this case a couple unopened McDonald's toys: little Lego cars), - Projects - little craft projects when we just need to keep them busy (wax sticks, little model airplanes)

- Trip Toys - I have a little set of airport vehicles that Sammy only plays with on trips

- Color Wonders - because they can draw to their little hearts' content but won't be able to color on my in-laws' carpet or furniture!

NOW, PACK!

So, now that you have all your stuff divided up into baggies for each kid, each leg of the journey, you need to actually pack them in the suitcases.  Here are just a couple tips for what I do...

NOT PICTURED: The boys "lovies"...blankies, stuffed animals, etc that they don't go anywhere without!

 Each of my boys' gets a back pack for a carry-on.  That way whatever parent is sitting by whatever kid, has all the stuff they need.  It's just easier than trying to sift through a big bag to find what belongs to whom. In addition to their "trip out" toys above I also add:

Diapers can be replaced with underwear or whatever you need for your current potty training state.  For Toby (2) I'll have diaper stuff.  For Sammy (4) I may bring our folding travel toilet seat.

The Trayblecloth is something I bought for our first flight with Sammy as a baby.  It slips on over the tray table and provides a surface to color on with dry erase markers, eat on, and pockets for their stuff. I find it handy and it takes up little space.

Water Bottle...without the water! Remember that in our post-911 world we can't bring water or juice through security.  So put an empty bottle in the bag and fill it after security but before boarding.

Now, the "while out" toys and the "trip back" toys will go in your checked bags because you won't need them until you get to your destination and on your trip back. I strategically divide those up...

Chances are you'll be bringing at least two checked bags if you are traveling with a spouse and kids.  I use these two suitcases that are large enough to hold each of their beds (a Phil & Ted's travel bed for Toby and a sleeping bag "Ready Bed" with air mattress for Sammy), and then have room left over for everything else.

To avoid a TOTAL catastrophe should one of your bags get lost in transit, divide stuff up.  Put one of each kids' trip toys in each bag.  If a bag is lost they'll have to share one bag of toys, but it's better than losing ALL of your entertainment! Same thing with their clothes, diapers, etc.  Some clothes and diapers are WAY better than NO clothes or diapers. And always, always put a piece of paper right inside every bag with your contact information in case you get separated.

Other Tips:
- Resist the urge to dip into your "trip back" toys while at your destination at all costs!!!  You'll regret it later!!

- I put a post-it note in my "trip back" bags listing the things that I need to add to those bags before the flight.  In my case, the crayons and headphones are used for both trips so I remind myself with a note.

- Make the toys stretch.  Don't get out the next new item until you really need it.  Your first goal is to see what the kids can learn or enjoy about the trip itself in the current moment before resorting to the toys...look out the windows and watch the planes at the airport.  Play I Spy on the shuttle bus.  Put down the toys to enjoy the little bag of peanuts or watch the runway shrink behind you. When they're bored, bring out a toy. 

- And my #1 rule for any and all travel adventures with toddlers: LOWER your expectations!  It will really cut down on your anxiety, I promise.

Yes, this is only one part of packing for a flight with toddlers.  Maybe if my husband ever read my blog he would get a glimpse at why I start packing several days in advance, as he tends to wait until 5 minutes before leaving for the airport! Travel with kids involves a lot of organization and predicting the future....standard super powers that come with motherhood.  But if you can get a system going that works for you, it can mean the difference between a smooth trip and a living nightmare! Good luck this holiday travel season!  If you have any other tips to share or travel horror stories, we'd love to hear them!  :-)

DIY Mickey Mouse and Optimus Prime Transformer Halloween Costume

I thought I'd finally post some photos of this year's Halloween costumes.  My 2-yr-old Toby was Mickey Mouse, and 4-yr-old Sammy was Optimus Prime. 

Here's what I did in case you're looking to do the same thing down the road....

Mickey Mouse

My cute Mickey!

The Pants: I actually had to totally re-do Toby's Mickey pants because he refused to wear them.  For the first set I bought some tight velvet-y black pants and some loose red shorts.  I actually sewed the shorts to the pants and stuffed them so they looked poofy and more cartoon-y like Mickey:

This shot was before I sewed on the big white buttons and added a tail. They looked super cute, but I was never able to get him to wear them for more than the 1 second it took him to yank them down.

Soooo...the day before Halloween we ran back to Goodwill and I got a pair of red fleece sweat pants.  I cut them off to make them shorts, glued on two white felt "buttons," and it still looked pretty cute.  I had to trick him into his costume by dressing him for the day in his tight black shirt in the morning, then put on some of his black dress pants after nap, and convinced him that putting on these red shorts with the tail on the back would help him stay cozy and warm while trick-or-treating.

The feet I made by chopping up a yellow fleece sweatshirt from the thrift store, pillow stuffing, and a glue gun.  They kindof slipped on over the top of his shoes and turned out pretty cute!

The ears and hands I purchased in a set from Amazon.  (click the photo for a link)



The ears were actually really well made and didn't flop over like I thought they would.  I hot glued the headband to a black winter cap, which worked fabulously!  The gloves were really enormous on him, despite being advertised as "child's" gloves.  But, they still looked great! He had to hang his candy bucket around his arm and it was impossible for him to pick a piece of candy out of a bowl though but luckily big brother helped with that.

Of course, being a professional face painter I had to paint his face.  The mouth lasted a whole 5 seconds.

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime!

The Boots: I went to town on some cardboard boxes that were lying around my studio to make his boots.  Sammy was happy to model for me so I could get a good fit! Here are a few photos of the boots in progress...

The main parts of the boots

I did end up cutting a little mouse hole in the front of that piece that wraps around his leg, so it would fit around his foot.  But here is how the bottom of the boot connected to the top.

Okay, now to make this cardboard look cool!

I added a little angled transition piece across the ankles, then spray painted them silver and then brushed on acrylic paint for the blue areas.

Once the blue dried I added some black and white.  I had 4 rubber tires lying around from some broken toy truck that I just KNEW I'd find a use for.  And here it is.  I tried to glue them but they wouldn't stick, so I ended up actually sewing them onto the cardboard with some black cord.

 The Body:
Another cardboard box, of course!  Dang, that stuff is versatile.

 I cut out holes for his head, belly, and arms, making sure they were deep enough that the open edge of the box went just beyond his back.

 I made the exhaust pipes out of cardboard tubes painted with silver spray paint, and the black "holes" are painted on.  I cut slits into them so they'd slide over the back edges of the box, and then glued them to keep them in place. 

 I glued some fuzzy, soft fabric around all those holes so they wouldn't cut into his skin...especially around the neck.  Since the front was heavier than the back, it wanted to tip forward already. So, all we had to to do keep it attached to him was hook it around his neck, and it would hang against his belly.  I basically just continued that fuzzy fabric piece so it would be long enough to go around the back of his neck, and then put some velcro on that strap that attaches to velcro inside the top of the box.

I painted the box of course, and I found a metal grate (that you'd put on your heating duct on your wall) at a thrift store (still brand new for $4), and painted that silver.  I used actual nuts and bolts to attach it to the box.

Optimus Prime!

The Head:
I was excited to find an awesome light-up Optimus Prime mask with sound effects at Target over the summer, on clearance from $25 to $6!  I bought it to be a birthday gift, since we are planning a Transformers birthday party.  But, of course, as soon as I heard he wanted to be Optimus Prime for Halloween, I just HAD to get it out.  He LOVED it, although I knew that it wouldn't stay on him long while trick-or-treating.  So, I painted his face like Optimus Prime too.  Here is a tutorial in case you'd like to try!

The Hands: I also ordered some Optimus Prime gloves from Amazon.  I was a bit disappointed in the fact that they were so super thin, and the fingers were way too long.  But, they did still look cool and they worked for the one night we needed them.

 

So, we ended with two tired boys admiring their loot over a little Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown before crashing in bed!  All in all it was a great Halloween, and the boys LOVED their costumes!!

A little Tip for Gaining Freezer Space

As I'm starting to think about baking Christmas cookies, I realized my freezer is already PACKED. Time to buckle down and eat up freezer food and defrost the freezers! I thought I'd share this one little idea I recently came up with to gain back space.

(Bake 20-24 minutes at 425 degrees)

Do you have boxed frozen good items like fish sticks, egg rolls, chicken nuggets, etc? Do you often use a few and put the rest back in the freezer, creating dead, wasted space with a half empty box? Try putting the left overs in a bag instead, labeled with the cooking time & temperature. Or better yet, if the food is bagged inside the box, I simply toss the box and recycle a bread tab to close it (above), writing the baking time and temp on the tab. You'd be amazed how much space you can get back!

Not sure you'll be able to identify the food in the bag? Simply cut out the description/name/photo from the cardboard box and slip it inside the bag with the food.  If there are more baking instructions than can fit on a bread tab, you can always cut out the panel that has the instructions too.

Voila!  Extra space to fill with actual food!

Making Wax Paper Fall Leaves

This week we had some fun with a little fall project: leaves made from crayon shavings on wax paper.  I found the idea via Pinterest on this blog.  However, I thought I'd do my own post on our experience and show you more of the process with more photos.

First I had the boys flip through this leaf book and look at our own trees and choose colors from our box of crayons that match the colors of the fall leaves.

Remove the wrappers on the crayons.

Lay out a piece of wax paper and scrape some crayon shavings in red, yellow, and orange.  Sammy wanted a little blue and green as well!

Cover your ironing board with a towel and lay the wax paper on top. Use a knife to reign in the shavings.

Lay another piece of wax paper on top of the shavings.

Put a paper towel on top of the wax paper to protect your iron.

Using a low temperature, iron your paper.  Press and keep moving. Add more paper towels if it begins to bleed through.

Check it periodically to see how much it is melting.

Use a butter knife if you need to blend and spread the wax more.

Finished wax paper sheet

Find some leaves outside and trace them on the wax paper.

Cut out your leaves

Done!