Garlands Gone Wild

I know that, for the most part, two days prior to the chag is not the very best time to land upon design ideas for the inside of one's Sukkah - as you're all likely bringing the heat in the kitchen. While I'm not yet blessed with a yard of my own, nor a Sukkah that can hold and entertain guests, I am blessed with a wonderful sister who's home (and outdoor dwelling) I will be frequenting this holiday; therefore I am only just happening upon and curating some last minute Sukkah decoration inspiration as I am not a slave to the stove this holiday season.

Garlands have made a gigantic comeback as a well-welcomed blast-from-the-far-away-past, and seem to still be lingering as an "it" item on the decoration front for the 3rd year in a row! Charming, peaceful, and whimsical, it's no wonder this simple strand of happiness graces everything from children's rooms to party buffet tables - the concept of this string of things is simply wonderful. Here's a little roundup of some of my (easy and not-so-simple) favorites - especially as a way to deck out those wooden walls!

Paint Chip Carnival Garland - easiest no-budget, no-sew DIY ever!

You can make this in any color combo out there, but my favorite is going with a one-color theme in a myriad of shades (you can check out the pinks one I made for Freida's room). Of course, some natural shades of autumn would be just perfect for the Sukkah-vibe...

Dixie Cup Lights Garland - low on time + low on money: you've got yourself an enchanting strand of night lights!

Little Dixie cups, an assortment of pretty paper, and a strand of Christmas lights come together and bring you to the most fabulous form of DIY outdoor/indoor ambiance-enhancing lighting!

Tissue Paper Tassel Garland - Confetti System craving? DIY!

Tassels just might be the hottest thing out there at the moment, and these little tissue paper duds truly deliver! Easy-as-pie tutorial makes this party-on-a-string something for every party-girl to covet for their wooden walls!

Yarn Balls of Light - the most fun and fantastical way to light up!

I've been obsessing over the French lighting company La Case de Cousin Paul, and finally discovered a way to make a similar DIY version of these colorful little yarn balls - just add a strand of brilliant light! While I can't wait to create some of these beautiful rows for Freida's bedroom, I also think these would be fabulous Sukkah lighting options - bring some enchanting wonderment to the natural nighttime eatery.

Happy Jew Year!

Wishing all you dear, beautiful mamas out there the happiest, healthiest, and sweetest of new years!!

Sending much love to your kitchens, and much comfort to your tired tootsies! :)

I've been feeling so grateful for life and for growth (I can never get over just how much transpires in one year!), and I hope to be granted the serenity to pray in sincere concentration - yet with an open heart and an open mind... Wishing you all the same! May it be a peaceful chag and in turn, a peaceful year. Shana Tova! xx

(I will be observing the holiday of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, the rest of this week and will see you back here on Monday.)

P.S. We found this hilariously perfect plastic shofar in the Target $1 aisle - it was labeled "game horn"! A coat of spraypaint, and some sparkly foam stickers later, Freida has the most girly blinged-out shofar in town! :)

Apple Stamping

We had a little lesson on apple exploration, and whilst cutting open apples of different shapes and sizes I decides to whip out the paint and let her do some apple stamping.

Once there, I cut up some white cardstock and figured she could create some Shana Tova cards. All you need for these cute and colorful litte cards is an apple, paint, cardstock, do-a-dot stampers, and a black marker.

The apple we used was cut lengthwise, and Freida stamped it once on the front of each card. After they dried I let her mess around with dot stampers on the front and back. I then simply outlined the initial apple stamp and wrote some new year's wishes on the front. You can then do whatever you'd like inside the card (I stuck a printed photo of her doing the apple stamping), and give to family and friends (I don't know any Bubby who wouldn't appreciate this sort of crafted nachas!). :)

Tip the Scale.

While I didn't have the energy to trek out to Lakeshore for a kid-friendly balance scale, nor the extra $ to fund this little experiment, I was surprised at how easily we were able to put one together out of regular household items.

DIY Scale

- 1 hook

- 1 hanger

- 2 matching bags, baskets, or boxes

- string

What I loved most about this was that I was able to leave it out all week and let her mess around with how how ever she wanted, with all different toys etc. She would go over and play with it whenever she wanted, and because it was so cheap and simple I wasn't worried about her putting in things that were too heavy and breaking it - she had total freedom to experiment however she wanted.

While I did talk a bit about good side/bad side, and how Hashem measures our mitzvos, this did generally seem too advanced for her (even when I put in a marble every time she did a mitzvah etc.) and pretty much went right over her head. Good to know for next year though. We'll take 2 when she's 3. :)

Missoni for Target

One more day, girls!! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSDWlAZ9kA4&feature=related]

I'm especially looking forward to snagging an iconic zigzag knit baby blanket, much like this one.