Pumpkin Painting and Pumpkin Sun Catchers

On our trip to the pumpkin patch this week we got several smaller pumpkins and gourds as well as our pumpkins we will each carve so we decided to do some pumpkin painting!

Add some glitter and voila! Perfect Painted Pumpkins!

While we waited for the paint to dry Sierra still wanted to paint so we made some simple pumpkin suncatchers.

To make a sun catcher all you have to do is cut out the center of a paper plate, paint the plate orange, set aside to dry.

 Next colour a coffee filter with washable markers. You don't need to completely cover the whole filter. Add as much colour as desired. It will blend together in the next step.

 Next use a paint brush to paint with water all over the coffee filter or you can use a spray bottle of water and spray it.

 Allow to dry, then tape the filter to the back of your painted paper plate, add a stem and hang in your window.

 We also started our Halloween treats for the the girls to give to their friends at school and daycare on Monday. We are covering lolipops with coffee filters, and colouring them a little. Traditionally these are done with kleenex but since we had the coffee filters out we thought we'd give this way a try :)

Pumpkin Patch fun

Thursday was Sierra's class trip to the pumpkin patch so we made it into a family event as they were going to the same patch we go to every year near our house. It's called Rondriso Farms.

First everyone got to feed the cows

Then we listened to the farmer talk about the crops they grow, and how they care for their livestock.

Aayla, Sierra and Sierra's best friend Sophia sitting together

 After the farmer spoke to us everyone got to make a pumpkin craft and learn about the different pumpkins and gourds the farm grows.

Sierra would rather be in the pumpkin patch

 Sierra loves the story The Bumpy Little Pumpkin 

by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand so she had a special liking for this bumpy little gourd!

She really liked the bumpy gourds

 Then they has a hunt for pumpkins in the yard while we waited for the tractors to be ready for the hayride to the pumpkin patch.

Look there's pumpkins!!!

 Then it was off to choose a pumpkin...

Aayla carried this for a brief moment and then decided
 she needed a smaller one :)

We had a great afternoon at the pumpkin patch...now off to play with our pumpkins.

What happens when shirt meets hot chandelier?

Luckily Sierra loves her shirt enough to be upset and come running downstairs crying that she needs help.

As I start up the stairs I smell smoke...om my...how could she have stared a fire???

Sure enough the smell of smoke led us into our spare bedroom where she was watching a movie. She had thrown her shirt up in the air and it landed on the hot chandelier and was very burnt by the time I got there. In my panic there is no picture of the chandelier but here is what is left of her smouldering shirt.

She was very upset her shirt is ruined...perhaps she will think twice next time before throwing things around a room???

Featured on One Pretty Thing

I'm excited to say my felt pumpkin post HERE made it onto One Pretty Thing!!! See it HERE.

If you don't know One Pretty Thing...go have a look. Rachel has an amazing selection of great kids activities as well as crafts, decorating ideas and lots more!

Muscaria Mushroom Madness!!!

Today we went for a lovely walk at the Richmond Nature Centre and I was pleasantly surprised!!! I am always searching for mushrooms (incase you didn't notice in previous posts) to take pictures of but today I got to photograph Many Muscaria Mushrooms.

I am not sure why but I love these mushrooms and in all my years of beautiful fall hikes I have never been able to find any.

That changed today...Today we found many! Lots of them had imperfections but I didn't care...I just snapped and snapped and snapped until I was left behind and had to run to catch up with everyone else. I am almost tempted to go back tomorrow while the girls are at school/daycare and take more time getting better shots :)

We'll see...perhaps I have enough photos for now...I was just sooo excited!!!

Yes I did manage to take a few other photos as well...

Aayla Bo Bayla...with a mischievous grin!

Sierra, Grammy and Bluebell enjoying the stroll

As always...more mushrooms

Fall Foilage

Sierra giving us directions on which way to go

Sierra found these witch fingers on the trail and had so much fun with them

A little family of mushrooms

 Aayla enjoying Tic Tac Toad and Grammy Sue and Sierra testing out the feely boxes at the Nature House

Visiting the bees

I am so happy to have Muscaria mushrooms off of my list of things I want to photograph some day...(still working on Polar bears) and will still of course photograph more in the future :)

I've put together a little list of mushroom crafts that would all be great to go along with Elsa Beskow's Children of the Forest book. If you don't know this book...go find it! It's wonderful!

and if you want some wonderful wooden goodies to go a long with the book and crafts...check out these by mamakopp on etsy

 and these too by barefeetnfreespirit on etsy

Here is a list of some of my favourite Mushroom crafts. Enjoy!!!

Paperbag mushrooms at Mayamade

Spun Cotton Mushrooms at Martha Stewart

Footprint Mushrooms at Crafty-Crafted

Cork Mushrooms at Craftideas

Mushroom Math at Family Education

Adorable Mushroom fairy houses at Pink and Green Mama

and these adorable Mushroom Stools at My Mommy Makes It

Check out my own mushroom ornaments on etsy

I have always loved these mushrooms but feel so inspired now and have some cute tutorials of my own in the works so check back soon...Until then...

Mushroom LOVE to you all!

Another wonderful mushroom toy by Mamaroots on etsy