Inspired by September

Please don’t ask me how it is that we are already at the end of September. The year seems to be flying by in a breath, but I assume that’s having children for you! And now, here I am on the eve of the Shine 2011 walk that I have been working towards for nine months. Thanks so much to the generous souls who donated to a very worthy cause: you’ve inspired me to go out there and do my best. I’ll be cursing your names by that half-way point, I’m sure!

We’ve been away for a week in Kefalonia, where the weather was blissfully hot and the Girls had a fabulous time in the pool with their daddy every day. I panicked a bit just before we left as they had few summer clothes that fit, and of course the shops had long since moved on to selling winter clothes. Fortunately this great simple skirt tutorial from Dana Made It saved the day, as did the wonderful pillowcase dresses I made: perfect holiday wear.

Back at home, of course, and the trees are beginning to change colour as we plough on into autumn, so I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts, and am delighted with these little Rainbow crayons at Momtastic: ideal little gifts for school friends. Likewise, I was so in love with the t-shirts I bought The Girls at Lollibop that I have placed a big order with Ahh Kid! for some more as gifts.

If you have crayons, you’re going to need somewhere to put them, and fortunately Preschool Rocks inspired me there too. As did Margo at Joyful Homebaking and her edible playdough and chocolate playdough: good for kids, even better for grown-ups. I made some almond playdough and ended up high on the smell of marzipan for days. And these simple fish suncatchers were ideal for us to make at playgroup this month. I used contact paper to cover the fish and the children stuck tissue paper ‘scales’ to the body: a mess-free sticky craft!

The children loved them, and they looked great covering the windows at church that weekend!