Do you love pixie dust?

We certainly do! Tinkerbell movies or Jake and the Neverland Pirates...my girls are all about anything about pixie dust. Random items around the house become pixie dust for my two-year-olds at a moment's notice. I have to draw the line when they throw corn at dinner time and yell, "Pixie dust!"


So I guess it's no surprise that when I suggested Lil Bit be Izzy from Jake and the Neverland pirates with her pouch of pixie dust for Halloween, all three of them wanted to be her. And yes, I'm not above letting all three of them be the same character for Halloween--it makes it easier for this mama! Now, granted, each girl's costume will be a little different....but I'll have 3 little pirate girls in a week.

The key for doing this costume on the cheap is to use what you have on hand, and look for inexpensive ways to upcycle.

Basically, Izzy has a pink shirt, purple pants, boots, a pink bandanna, and a pixie dust pouch. We already had the shirt, pants, and boots on hand.

I made the three bandannas by taking a extra large bandanna and cutting it in half diagonally, then in half again.


Then I took a bleach pen and drew the pattern that is on Izzy's headscarf.



It bled a little, but Lil Bit loves it.


The pixie dust pouch was a little more involved. I took some scrap fabric I had on hand. I cut them into two pieces, each about 5" x 6".


I then sewed up the sides and bottom, leaving about 1" on each side unstitched. I used about a quarter inch seam allowance. I clipped the two bottom corners.


I pressed the seam, and then turned the top down to create a casing and pressed it.


I sewed the top of each side  to create the casing. You want to allow enough space so that you can get your cord through the casing.


Then, all you need to do is thread the cord through and tie it off, long enough to go over a child's head.


And that's it! Pixie Dust away!

8 oz chunk sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz chunk colby jack cheese, shredded
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 375. Cut up your butter.


Slowly add the cheese and worcestershire to the butter and cream it together.


Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl.


Take a breather and do a silly dance because the next step takes a little effort.


In fact, you're probably going to get your hands dirty.


A little at a time, add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture.

Shape into logs.


Take a cookie press and use the press top that looks like a chevron.


It will give you little crackers or "straws", like this.


Bake on parchment paper for 12 minutes. You want them to be slightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

And then it's ready for princesses!


Enjoy!

Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!

If you want to be creative with your kids, may I recommend taking adventures with them?

P.S. Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!

One of the easiest ways to teach a child cooking is to use a crock pot...because that's just one of the easiest ways to cook, period. Basically, you're just dumping stuff into the crock, and given just a little help with cutting, even my 5-year-old can successfully make an entire dish!

We recently had a little "tea" party at our house, but I wanted to serve the little ones something that still felt like tea without the caffeine. We settled on this recipe for Spiced Apple Cider, and Lil Bit did everything except cut up the fruit.


Here's how you make it:

Crockpot Spiced Apple Cider
Ingredients:


1 gallon (or as much as will fit in your crockpot) apple juice
1 orange
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tablespoon whole allspice

Pour the apple juice into the crockpot. Put the allspice into a tea ball or a cheesecloth bag and place into the crockpot.


Place the cinnamon in the crockpot. Slice the orange, making sure to remove any seeds. Place the orange slices in the crockpot.


Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Serve warm.



P.S. Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!

P.S. Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!

P.S. Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!

What are some resources that you use for inspiration to be creative with kids? Yes, I know Pinterest is a great resource, but I like using other moms as a resource.

These are some great bloggers that I use as inspiration:

Glued to My Crafts



Stacey has an adorable son, and she does loads of crafts with him. She shares crafts that are perfect for the preschool age!

Artchoo


Jeanette is obsessed with being creative with kids. No, I don't exaggerate. She says so on Artchoo herself. She has an amazing collection of projects and ideas for kids. I can't even scratch the surface of this topic in 31 days--check this resource out!

We Made That!


This blog has a weekly linky party for projects that are kid friendly items. It's a weekly one-stop shop for all kinds of projects for kids from all kinds of blogs!

I hope you enjoy these resources that I use for being creative with my kids.


P.S. Want to see more of this 31 Days Challenge? Check out all the 31 Days of Creating with Kids!