Last Minute Craft Ideas for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is only days away. DAYS! But, there's still plenty of time to make some Indians and Pilgrims or re-enact the Mayflower. Today, I have a bunch of great crafts that you can make with your kids just in time for Turkey Day!
/1/ Family of Indians - How much fun would it be to put your head on little Indian bodies? Ooh, you could use these as place cards at your Thanksgiving table! How cute would that be?
/2/ Thankful Pumpkin - Cut strips of orange paper, ask the kids what they are most thankful for and create a pumpkin from the strips. During dinner you can talk about all of these things.
/3/ Thankful Tree - Have the kids color this Thankful Tree before your guests arrive. Leave a small basket filled with paper leaves and a marker on a table next to it and have each of your friends and family write what they are thankful for and pin it to the tree. 
/4/ Football Turkey - One thing I remember about Thanksgiving as a child was the TV being turned on after dinner. It was always football. These football turkeys are perfect if you're also a football loving family!
/5/ Bubble Wrap Turkey - If you can keep your kids from popping all of the bubbles in the bubble wrap then you'll have bubble wrap turkeys, too!
/6/ Turkey Hand Print Card - These Blessings cards would be a very nice way to tell someone that you're thankful for them. Keep snail mail alive!
/7/ Hand Print Native Americans - I just LOVE hand print crafts! They just might be my favorite craft ever! So, when I found these little Indians I had to share them with you!
/8/ Pilgrim Hand Prints - Teach your children a bit of World History as they create this hand print Mayflower craft. A teaching lesson AND a craft. Win-win!
/9/ Napkin Holder Placecards - You could either use construction paper or recycle paper towel tubes to re-create these Indian and Pilgrim napkin holders. 
/10/ Chief Headdress Indian Craft - I've always wanted to make my kids great big Chief Headdresses and build a tee-pee in the backyard for a photoshoot. I'm thinking this tutorial is exactly what I needed to make it happen!
/11/ Printable Coloring Placemat - Do you have a Kids' Table at your Thanksgiving Feast? I bet if these placemats would've been offered when I was a kid I would've been more okay with sitting at a separate table than everyone else.
Will you be making Thanksgiving Crafts with your kids? I'd love to see what you make. Share a link in the comments or tag me on Instagram!
For more Thanksgiving Crafts for kids go to Blissfully Domestic and see what else I've found for you!

5 Reasons You Must Go To Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Disclaimer: I received two complimentary tickets to attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in Walt Disney World. I was not asked to write this post nor was I given the words to say. All opinions are my own.

{Photo credit, Disney}

In my family we have a HUGE love for Disney. Some might call it obsessive, we like to call it...obsessed. Okay, we're completely fine with loving all things Disney. No shame in our game.

Before five kids we went to every theme park multiple times a year. We were Season Pass Holders. We even went to the special events! Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of our most favorite events of year at the Magic Kingdom! I'm going to share 5 reasons why you MUST go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party {MNSSHP} THIS YEAR!

1. The Park is "Dressed to the Nines" - I love going to the Magic Kingdom ANY time of year but, I especially love the park when it's decorated for a holiday. Fall/Halloween is right on the top of my list of my favorite decorated time! The window fronts are made festive, the flags on the buildings are color coordinating, there are pumpkins and scarecrows galore! And did I mention the lights? As soon as I step foot onto Main St, USA I become a kid again. EVERY. TIME.

{Thank you, shellybellyfoster for these photos!}

2. Ride more rides! - While not every ride/attraction is open during the party, there are a BUNCH of rides/attractions open and ready for you to jump on to. Because the park sells a limited number of tickets to the party, the attendance is lower than it is during the day thus, the lines may be much shorter. {sometimes, not always...if you go on October 31 it's going to be busy but, still FUN!}

Ever wondered if your 5-year-old would love Space Mountain? Look at the smile on this girl's face! As soon as we got to the park we walked straight to Tomorrowland and right on Space Mountain. Our wait was less than 15 minutes.

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Twice, y'all. TWICE she got me on those Tea Cups. #MNSSHP #sponsored

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Next stop, Mad Tea Party! Better known as the Tea Cups. AKA, I-never-ride-this-ride-because-just-watching-them-go-round-and-round-makes-me-sick. McKinley LOVED the Tea Cups. That cute little face coaxed me on TWICE!

I made the comment on Instagram that if anyone saw me looking a bit green it was all because of my little girl!

{Tea Cup photos and selfies are the best! Even if the ride isn't your favorite, the pictures will be!}

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin was another favorite. And, again we rode twice. We got off and jumped right back on. {I don't remember a time that I went to the Magic Kingdom and rode so many rides all in one day}

Since the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train first opened in May 2014, I have dreamed of feeling the wind in my hair as I raced through the Mine to work with those seven little men. My dream came true on October 2!! McKinley and I hopped into our mine car and rode into the sunset...er, into the mine...and up and down the track so fast! Her little arms raised the entire ride, I can't even handle the cute! {Best part? We hopped off and RIGHT.BACK.ON!}

We also rode The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. We stood in line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh but, there seemed to have been a Honey Spill so we weren't able to ride at that time. Goodness, I love Disney and their wit.

3. The Treats - In numerous locations around the Magic Kingdom you will find Cast Members waiting eagerly to fill your {provided} trick-or-treat bag full of treats! You are welcome to bring in your own treat bag...and it might be a great idea since you'll be leaving the park with a TON of candy! Second to the rides, looking for candy locations was McKinley's favorite!

The Halloween Party is also a great time to get special treats that are only made during the season. Like, a Spiced Pumpkin Waffle Sundae {at Sleepy Hollow}, Ghost Cupcakes {at Gaston's Tavern}, Candy Corn Soft-serve Ice Cream {at Storybook Treats}, Candy Corn Cotton Candy {at outdoor carts} or Specialty Cupcakes and Cookies {at Main Street Bakery}.

4. See Creative Guest Costumes - If I would've had more time, I would've stopped to capture a photo of each and every guest that was wearing a creative costume. We saw a new mom dressed as Daisy Duck. She was holding a teeny Donald Duck {her newborn son!}. The were quite a few Mouseketeers, FROZEN families galore, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and many, many more! Here's only a sample of the creative guests we encountered.

 

How cute is this family all dressed as the Seven Dwarfs?!

It's the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his Dance-inator {said in my most evil voice}! His son was dressed as Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb.

These two {or were there four....buwahahaha} were maybe my favorite of the night. Dressed as Haunted Mansion Ghosts, and well done!

5. The Parade and Fireworks - The "Boo to You" Halloween Parade is a special parade that only makes it's rounds on MNSSHP event nights. The Headless Horseman kicks things off by riding though the streets, head in hand. When the parade makes it's way to where you're seated you're sure to see characters that you may not see everyday at the Magic Kingdom. We saw Wreck It Ralph, the Hyenas from Lion King, Haunted Mansion Ballroom Dancers, Villians GALORE!, Jack Sparrow....and many, many more! Tip: there are TWO parades. Stop and enjoy the second one. It's less crowded and your feet will be begging for a break around the time of the second showing anyway. Grab a snack, pop a squat and relax! The show is amazing!

Be sure to catch the Hallowishes Fireworks show, too. It's common knowledge that the very best place to view the fireworks is on Main St. However, you get a pretty good view of the show no matter where you are in the park. We happened to be in Frontierland when the fireworks started going off...and had a spectacular view. A 360 degree view, at that! They were popping all around us. It was breathtaking! Don't miss it!

There's so much more that goes on throughout the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Check your guide map for the times and locations for Celebrate the Magic, Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball and Club Villian {McKinley and I popped in to this dance party for a few minutes and saw Villians that you otherwise may not see; the Evil Stepsisters from Cinderella, Doctor Facilier from Princess and the Frog and Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmations.}. Also, look for Villians Mix and Mingle Live on Stage and Special Disney Character Appearances.

Bonus Tip: As long as the Magic Kingdom is NOT at maximum capacity, you may enter MNSSHP as early as 4:00PM!!!

Have you been to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party?? What is your favorite part? Do you have a tip to share? Let us know in the comments!

Blissfully Domestic Happenings {for Fall}

Y'all, I LOVE FALL! The back-to-school season, the weather change, the color changes in our surroundings, PUMPKINS {!!}, Mums and Halloween. Fall is also the time to dust off your baking dishes and make homemade baked goods. Mmmm...

If you've been following jonahbonah for the last year, you know I'm also a writer/curator over at Blissfully Domestic. I'm trying to get better at sharing with you guys what I post over there. I don't want you to miss a thing!

The following four posts are my latest. Each of them are Fall related. Are you ready for Fall? What about Halloween? The ideas in these posts will get you excited!



Paleo-Friendly Pumpkin Cupcakes {my kids LOVED these!}
How to Sew a Simple Bunting
DIY Halloween Costumes for the Entire Family
13 DIY Spooky Halloween Party Ideas

*click the above titles to be taken to the related post.

Go check these out! I've got a few more before Halloween to help you make your home SPooKy!!

fall.

fall in tennessee doesn't disappoint.


every where you look is filled with color.








i love fall.
walking lucy.
riding a bike.
playing outside with the kids.
love.




*************************
what do you do in the fall?

{i can't think of a title}

this picture makes my heart happy.
jonah was having so much fun in the leaves.
he threw some above his head and stood still as they fell back on his face.
such a sweet moment.

happy sunday, y'all.

two wheels.

look who ditched the training wheels for a two-wheeler!

it only took one or two tries and he was off all on his own.

there's no looking back!
this four year old is riding with the big kids now!

trick-or-treat

i am so glad this weekend is over.

why is it that we get so worked up over the perfect costumes, the right amount of candy, what time to we head out to trick-or-treat??
i'm tired just thinking about it all over again!

maybe it's because saturday morning, the day our little town scheduled trick-or-treating, jake woke me up in the middle of the night sick.
throwing up sick.
he had two friends over.
jonah had two friends over.
i had eight kiddos under one roof and jake gets sick in the middle of the night.
no fun.

of course, he feels fine early afternoon-ish...which is conveniently just a couple of hours before CANDY TIME!

oh, i won't hold it against him...he really did puke.
he wouldn't fake that for nothing!

i'm glad he was feeling better.
goodness knows i would have had a hard time telling the other two boys that we couldn't go get a massive amount of candy from complete strangers because big brother was sick.

i usually get a few of these looks before i get a decent pic.
this night though...i took what i could get.
no one was in the mood to smile for me.
everyone was MUCH more interested in running from one house to the next before the others.








just a smidge of the kiddos in our neighborhood!
and sadly the only picture i took of jake all night.
poor guy started feeling bad just as the sun went down...


our group bombarded houses...




look at that single tear.
one of her brothers made her sad...


this scary witch is at our neighbor's house.
jett tells me a lot that mrs hollie likes scary things....she does! ha!


ok, so i have to admit this bunch of pictures was taken over the course of two nights of trick-or-treating.
my little neighbor boy told us that it's cheating since we went twice.
i wouldn't say cheating...i would say getting a whole bunch of candy!
and wearing mommy out in the process!
i have been slap worn out the last two days!

this next picture was taken at a house that had a full graveyard set up out front.
totally spooky!
there were werewolves that jumped out at you.
a skeleton thing that leaped out of his grave.
the crazy girl from exorcist that had her head turned all the way around.
so so much more....but, then this clown lit up at you as you walked passed him.

completely freaked me out!
next time, hubs will be with me!
i can only take so much of the scary stuff!

i feel like i cant end on that yucky note...
here's a sneak peek of our pumpkin carving fun.

jett painted it and gutted it and i carved it.
he made me feel so good when i was finished.
his eyes got real big and he said "good job, mommy!"
sweet boy!