Wizard of Oz Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween (a few weeks late)!

In 2011, we decided that Jack & Emma should do a matching Halloween costume - Mickey and Minnie was the obvious (and easy!) choice. The following year, with a new little brother in the mix, the trio was a bride, groom and best man.

This year - with four little ones between our two families, it was the Wizard of Oz. All the costumes were home made, from pretty basic materials. In fact, Hope's entire costume was the cost of a skein of yarn! The kids had a blast and it was so fun to watch people's reactions when they saw them as a group.

We're already brainstorming ideas for next year - it's become quite the tradition for our families.

Ikea Spice Rack Bookshelves

Ever since I saw images of Ikea Spice Racks being used as bookshelves, I have been itching to get my hands on some. We have an Ikea in Orlando, but every time I've been there in the past year, the spice racks have always been sold out. No surprise, as the bookshelf hack is EVERYWHERE on Pinterest). A few weeks ago, I made a spontaneous lunchtime stop and was delighted to see that the spice racks were stocked up!

I've seen them painted and wanted to possibly paint them a bright pink or blue, but Emma's bed is also from IKEA in the unfinished wood, so I decided to keep them as-is – at least for now.

To spice them up a little (haha), I used some leftover scraps from the BEAUTIFUL quilt that Monica made for Emmalyn and Hope. One of my favorite bloggers, Ashley from Under the Sycamore, wrapped an entire bed frame in fabric. Using that as inspiration, I wrapped the front slat with the half-inch wide strip of fabric and tied a knot to secure it. The end result was something that fit perfectly in the girls' room. Now Emmalyn has some of her favorite books in arm's reach, perfect for our bedtime story routine!

DIY Body Scrub

After I had Emma, I started getting red bumps all over the back of my arms. I chalked it up to post-postpartum hormones. When she had weaned herself from nursing at around 13 months, they pretty much went away. Fast forward two years and I have a nursing 2-month old...and the bumps are back. They don't itch, but it looks like I have a constant rash and living in Florida, I want my arms to look good in a tank top.

After catching an episode of The Doctors, I self-diagnosed myself with Keratosis Pilaris. The doctors recommended a DIY body scrub made from sugar and olive oil to help get rid of the bumps. Since all of the lotions, creams and soaps I had tried in the past didn't do a thing, I decided to give the homemade concoction a try.

I added a few ingredients to make it even better (lemon and honey are really good for your skin!). The good news is, most people have these things in their pantry/fridge- so no running out to the store to buy things you won't use again. I've been using it for the past few weeks and have noticed a huge decrease in the amount of bumps and redness on my arms. Even if you don't have any problems with bumpy skin, this is an amazing body exfoliator.

Olive Oil Body Scrub

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons honey

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• Olive oil (amount depends on preference of texture)

Mix sugar, honey and lemon juice. Drizzle olive oil while mixing, until desired consistency is reached. Keep in an airtight jar, or make less for a one-time use. I use it every 2-3 days or as needed.

DIY Baby Leg Warmers

I love baby legs. Seriously. Those chubby little rolls and super soft skin - I can't get enough. After running across DIY baby leg warmer tutorials all over the interwebs, I decided to make Hope a few of her own. Super cute, super easy - and from a pair of $2.50 socks!

You can find plenty of instructions online, but here's a few with great photos of each step.

Jen Loves Kev | DIY Baby Legwarmers

Sugar Crumbs | Baby Leg Warmers

Lady by the Bay | DIY Bay Holiday Leg Warmers

Now get crafting!