DIY Keepsake Growth Charts

I have been searching for a growth chart for my boys for some time now, but most of them are so cheesy and/or super expensive that I just haven't been able to bring myself to buy one. I wanted something that would last for several years so that I could continue to track their growth, well, as long as they would let me. I needed something very classic, not babyish.

Many of you probably remember having that one wall in your house where your parents would mark your height and either your age or the date. I still look at the wall used in my dad's house and it brings back so many memories. That's what I wanted, but unfortunately we rent so that was automatically out of the question. Then I found the coolest portable growth chart kit on WhipperBerry. It was exactly what I was looking for.

The idea is that when my kids move on, I can roll up their growth charts and put them away till they have children of their own. Then they can either use the same growth chart for their kids or just keep it as a memory. This is why I suggest making one for each child. Don't worry, it is so cheap and simple, you ll have no reason not to make one for each of your children.

I'm not gonna bother with the tutorial because Heather did such an amazing job with hers, there is really no need to try and duplicate. You can check out her DIY Baby Gift ~ Portable Growth Chart Kit here.

How to catch a Leprechaun

Aside from wearing our green this St Patrick's Day we will be attempting to catch ourselves a leprechaun. Now I'm no expert on leprechauns, but from what Ive heard, they are greedy little guys who like to play pranks. They are also nearly impossible to catch, but that wont stop my little guys from trying. They have been hard at work on their leprechaun trap all day.
If you'd like to try to catch a leprechaun tonight with your kiddos here are a few things you may want to consider when building your trap:

Leprechauns love the color green, especially green clovers which represent good luck. They are also attracted to rainbows. It is said that a pot of gold lies at the end of every rainbow and being the greedy little guys that they are, they are constantly on the look out for gold and jewels. We are filling our "pot of gold" with lucky charms to lure a little guy in, but chocolate gold coins would be really cute too.

There is a trap door in front of the "pot of gold".

As Cobblers, or shoemakers, by trade I'm thinking a few pairs of shoes might do the trick. I think we will leave our trap out next to some shoes at the front door. Just need to figure out how to keep the dog out of the lucky charms. Hmm?

My kids are loving this project! Just hope they aren't terrified to go to bed tonight with the thought of a strange little green man coming into the house while we're sleeping. Haha!

If you do decide to make a leprechaun trap with your kids, please feel free to share a picture. You can leave a link in the comments below or find me on twitter @OCFAmom. I cant wait to see what ideas you and your little ones come up with.