Fun with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

J4 had a birthday party to attend today which he has been talking about forever. He decided he wanted to give his friend one of his favorite books. We thought it would be fun to add on a mouse puppet to the gift. We love our puppets and J4 was excited for his friend to have a mouse to go with his book.

We had a very quiet week at home because we were all varying levels of sick. I'm just glad J4 was on the mend a few days ago so he was able to go to this party after all. While R9 was battling a fever and laying on the sofa, she remembered that her magazine featured a game to go with this book. I knew just the one she was talking about and when I finally made it into the real world on Thursday night (to get groceries), I picked up the fabric for some chocolate chip cookie beanbags.

One of our all time favorite books (though I must admit my personal favorite is If You Give a Moose Muffin)

The beginnings of our cookie beanbags. I cut out the circles and because of a machine snaffoo at our start I hand sewed one. However, once I got the machine happier (thanks Lisa!), R9 sewed up the circles. We stuffed them with lentils because the truth is I'm not going to eat them! Ever. (my other project for this week was to inventory all the food in the house and to use up what we needed to before it goes bad. I'm so ON this and to prove it I used lentils for stuffing beanbags.) But I digress...note if you will R9's amazing stitches. That's a 3 inch circle folks and she is right on the money. Wow.

The finished gift. The cookie "jar" is for tossing the beanbags into and check out the cookies. We put the chips on with brown fabric puffy paint. I think this will make a super Christmas gift for a cousin or two not to mention one littlest brother. One set will make a lovely 4-H project for the fair next summer too I'm sure.

Pack o Fun Magazine- R9 gets this magazine and she remembered a game that would go with the book. Each issue comes with many projects, but they have various features too. Two that come to mind are a Literature connection project and Crafts from around the world. The Literature segment includes a craft that goes with a book. The Craft around the World segment features a different country every issue and includes a map and other information about the country/culture in addition to the craft itself. Definitely a fun magazine and perfect for your craft loving kids!

Beanbag Toss Mouse (to glue to the cookie jar for the toss)- the cookies are made from 3.25 inch circles

This is the first sewing that R9 and I have done since the late August Sewing Camp. We have been on the go quite a bit and trying desperately to follow my own advice, we just haven't made the time to work together. We are both excited we finally dove into a project- even if it was a small one. We tag teamed very well on this. And we are fired up to keep going. (Up next...bucket bags)

R9 has decided to have a table at our home MOPS group's Christmas Brunch. She will sell sets of the beanbag toss game, aprons for children like the one she made at camp, and possibly a handbag for girls. She won't be churning out massive numbers of stuff as for a craft show, but we'll be happy if she sets up with 10 items to sell that day. She's very excited especially about getting to make things and not have to keep them all and I'm happy to encourage her.

Her next Sewing Camp day is on Veteran's Day next month and she is very eager to return to her favorite little sewing classroom in town. I wonder what fun things she'll work on next time.