Helping Families to Connect and Thrive

Leaf Jack-O-Lantern Craft

10.30.19

These jack-o-lanterns are a wonderfully simple seasonal craft we just learned about from a new friend. When Cole and I were on our morning walk last week we met the sweetest woman named Mary. She saw Cole playing in the leaves and came outside to say hello. Mary has lived in her beautiful home for forty years and has always loved the fall leaves in our neighborhood. She told us that every year she collects and cuts leaves to look like little jack-o-lanterns. Then she presses them and hangs them up around her home. How sweet is that?! We are grateful to have met Mary and love that every time we look at these jack-o-lanterns we will be reminded of the lovely people in our neighborhood!

How cute is Isla’s little jack-o-lantern on the bottom left?!

Supplies:

orange leaves (make sure they are still pliable, so that you can fold them easily)
sharp scissors
a flower press or a few heavy books

Directions:

Cut the points off of your leaf so that you have a rounded pumpkin shape. It’s fun to make a mix of oval and circle shaped pumpkins.
Fold the leaf in half lengthwise once and then a second time. This allows you to cut symmetrical eyes. Cut any eye shape you’d like. We had the best luck with triangles.
Open the leaf up. Then fold the leaf in half lengthwise once. Cut a nose.
Keeping the leaf folded in half, cut a mouth
Open your leaf up, place it front side down in your leaf press (or under a heavy book)
Let leaves press for 48-72 hours.

You can display your leaf jack-o-lanterns as they are or use them in a craft! Here are a few ideas:

string several leaves together on a piece of twine to make a garland
incorporate one (or more) into a spooky Halloween drawing
mount one (or more) on a piece of white paper and frame it
mount one on the front of a blank card– the perfect Halloween card!
tape them to your windows
laminate them to make a Halloween bookmark (The laminator we have is, sadly, unavailable. THIS option is really similar and has great reviews. It is super affordable and works so well for craft projects! Also, if you need to grow your family’s Halloween library, check out our favorites HERE.)

We would LOVE to see your leaf jack-o-lantern creations! Please tag us on Instragram (@wayfarerfamily) or share them to our Wayfarer Family Facebook Page. We’d love to have you follow along with us there if you aren’t already!

Fall Scavenger Hunt!

10.28.19

This weekend was what fall dreams are made of: crisp cool air, bright blue skies, colorful trees, and countless leaf piles that were just perfect for jumping! We took THREE long walks through our neighborhood in the past two days, and each time we returned home feeling refreshed, happy, and more connected.

With another brilliant week of fall weather predicted, it is the perfect time to get outside as a family and take a walk! And if you need any further encouragement, we present to you our Fall Scavenger Hunt!!! You can download it for free download at the bottom of this post!

Working together to find all of the items is great fun in itself, but we also have a few simple ideas for expanding upon your fall scavenger hunt:

Take photos of each item found and make a collage. This is a great way to keep all your memories in one place, and perfect for the family year book!

Take a collection photo of your scavenger hunt items. Did you know we do this with all of Isla’s collections? These photos allow us to remember all of the treasures she finds without having to bring them home! So good, right?! (You parents with collector kids know what I’m talking about!) You can see our favorite collection photos on our Instagram account and under the hashtag #islacollectsthings. We also have favorite collection photos available as gorgeous cards in our Etsy shop!

Use your scavenger hunt items to make a craft! Fall wreaths, collages, and crowns are just a few ideas! You can find our instructions for easy fall leaf wreaths in Isla’s Collection Birthday Party post.

We were excited to find everything on our scavenger hunt list, though a few took some dedicating searching to find an acorn– our neighborhood squirrels have been busy storing them away! We also think Isla may have had as much fun being the official “box checker” as she did looking for the scavenger hunt items!

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF OUR FALL SCAVENGER HUNT>>>Download

We hope you enjoy our fall scavenger hunt and that it encourages your family to get outside and spend some quality time together this season!

Yellow Time– Connecting to Books

10.28.19

“It only comes once a year. And when it is over, piles of yellow pool in gutters, decorate sidewalks, blanket fences, steps, roofs, even an empty birdbath.”
“Squirrels, still busy, bundle final touches of yellow to their high leafy nest, while children below gather bouquets of yellow…to press in thick books to remember…what a lovely yellow time it was.”
Lauren Stringer, from one of our very favorite fall books, Yellow Time

Every time we see an abundance of yellow leaves we think of one of our very favorite fall books, Yellow Time. It is a vibrant and lyrical celebration of the leaves changing and the earth preparing for winter.

On Saturday we spent all morning in the leaves, soaking up the beauty of Yellow Time. The experience was a gift for our eyes and our hearts! Isla spent quite a bit of time searching for the perfect yellow leaves to collect. After selecting a handful, she came up to me, eyes sparkling as they always do when she has an idea. “Can we press these in a book? Just like they do in the story?” I told her what a great self-text connection she had made, and suggested we press them in the back of Yellow Time. She agreed and ran excitedly for her book as soon as we got home.

First she recited the story to Charlie. Then she carefully laid out her very favorite yellow leaves in the back of the book. We decided that after they pressed for a few days she could choose one to label and tape into the back of the book. We plan to continue this tradition every year so that we can look at the leaves whenever we read the story and remember how wonderful our yellow times have been.

See more of our favorite fall books for children HERE!

We love finding simple ways to connect to the books we read. Mimicking activities in the story, such as pressing leaves, is such a wonderful way to grow young readers’ understanding and interest in literature.

What are your favorite ways to connect with the stories your family reads? Please share in the comments!

*This post contains some affiliate links, meaning we may receive commissions for purchases made through the links on this post. All opinions are our own, and we only endorse products that we truly love and use ourselves. So, if you see something you genuinely would like to buy, we would greatly appreciate if you use the links we provide. Thanks so much for your support, friends!*

Favorite Fall Finds

10.22.19

Each season we love finding simple things that reflect the time of year and add a little joy to our lives. Here are our recent favorite fall finds:

1. This Bridge Nine Cranberry Orange Tumbler has been burning all month in our house and instantly gets us feeling cozy! I generally avoid candles because I am so sensitive to the chemicals they contain, but these clean burning soy candles are the only options I’ve found that don’t bother my eyes or throat. Plus, they are all hand made by the sweetest small business owner here in Oregon! She makes candles with such wonderful fall and holiday scents, so be sure to check them out!

2. Everyone in our family enjoys celebrating the seasons– even the cats! Charlie looks so cute and festive in his new candy corn collar we can hardly stand it! This collar comes in a variety of sizes, so it’s perfect for cats and dogs.

3. We are loving our fall family walks and how excited Isla gets when she discovers the perfect colorful leaf. We have turned a number of Isla’s collection photos into beautiful fine art cards that are available in her Etsy store! They are blank inside, so super versatile, and they happen to make great stocking stuffers 😉

4. We have had more friends come out of our bathroom raving about the smell of this apple cider hand soap than you would believe! It is seriously amazing how much this soap smells like fresh cider! We love it so much we bought the multi-surface cleaner too.

5. This Noosa Yogurt is the pumpkin spice snack of your dreams! In fact, I’m eating some as I work on this post. The tart yogurt and pumpkin pie puree combination is fall perfection!

6. Okay, so this perfect Thanksgiving pullover actually won’t be released until November 1, but I will be first in line to get a couple for the kiddos. Be sure to check out The Wishing Elephant for this design along with many other darling shirts!

7. These glitter bat bows are the perfect mix of spooky and adorable! I bought one for Isla a couple of years ago and she still loves wearing it each fall. So, clearly it can withstand years of toddler wear– and the glitter does not shed!

8. So we’re not exactly sure how this darling animated Room on the Broom short film eluded us for years, but our family finally discovered it last week and we’re all crazy about it! Not only does the movie stay totally true to the book, the animation and storytelling are absolutely magical! Speaking of great holiday stories, you can click on the links to see more of our favorite Fall Books and Halloween Books for kids!

There you have it, friends! A selection of the fall items that bring joy to our hearts and help us celebrate the season. What are some of your favorite fall finds?! Please share them in the comments below.

5 Tips for Stress-Free Family Photos You Love!

10.22.19

As the summer came to a close we decided it was time for some new family photos. We invited our photographer friend Lauren to join us at our beach cottage, and we are just thrilled with the memories she preserved for us! Thank you, Lauren!!!

We know taking family photos can be stressful for some, so we thought we’d share some of the tips we share with our clients to help create a joyful experience AND photos you will love!

5 Tips for Stress–Free Family Photos You Love:

Take your photos in a MEANINGFUL LOCATION. Choose a location you love spending time together, a place where you all feel relaxed, or a spot that holds happy memories for you. A familiar setting will help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera and adds a sentimental touch to your images. You may want to consider taking photos in your child’s favorite place. This is a great way to help them feel relaxed and ensure plenty of genuine smiles.
Highlight YOUR unique family. Family photos are not about creating perfect images. Please, please, please remember this! Family photos are meant to capture your family and the connections you share. They are meant to preserve a particular time in your lives. So, don’t miss the opportunity to highlight what life looks like for your family. Is your child obsessed with a particular outfit? Let them wear it! (At least for some of the photos). Do they have a treasured toy? Let them bring it! These little details help tell your genuine story and are the nostalgic touch you will adore when you look back at your photos in years to come.
Include a FAVORITE ACTIVITY. Most families aren’t super comfortable in front of the camera, and so having something to do can help your family relax and act naturally. Plus, it is wonderful to have your favorite pastime preserved for you to look back at years later. Our family LOVES to look for treasures on our beach walks, so naturally we included some collecting in our family photos.
Prepare your kids AHEAD OF TIME. It is very safe to assume your children do NOT understand how meaningful family photos are to you. So, talk to your children before your session! Explain that having nice photos makes your heart happy, describe what the experience will be like, and set clear expectations for their behavior. And say it more than once. Set everyone up for success.
Come WELL-FED and BRING SNACKS. Nothing turns a photo session into a sour experience faster than a couple of hangry family members! Make sure your family eats well before your session and bring along some non-messy snacks (cheese sticks, almonds, veggie sticks, crackers, etc.). Don’t forget to bring water. Some wipes are helpful too!

Friends, we hope these tips help you enjoy your next photo experience AND ensure the photos are truly reflective of your unique family! Do you have any other helpful suggestions? Feel free to leave them in the comments!