Leprechaun On The Shelf

Leprechaun on the Shelf? Now, why didn't I think of that?!?

A few days ago, my kids and I put up our St. Patrick's Day decorations. One of the boxes contained this prosperous poppet. As I was hanging it up, my five-year-old looked concerned and asked, "How are you touching him?" Confused, I asked what he meant. He wanted to know if the leprechaun would lose his magic. Then my three-year-old chimed in and asked, "Does he move at night?"

They were thinking of the Elf on the Shelf.

Little geniuses! If only I had some forethought on this. Instead I have remorse over my missed opportunity. On December 26, I recall wishing we could use Elf on the Shelf all year long. For the 25 days prior, discipline was so easy. It really came down to five little words: Do you know who's watching?

My boys are usually well behaved. But let's face it, combine a sleep-deprived ROCmomma with energetic kids, keep them in the house all day because it's ten degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, and even the most angelic child can grate on your last nerve every once in a while. Yet somehow that creepy little red-suited guy with the goofy grin can silently enforce good behavior in a nanosecond. He really is magical. Even if he does steal your pretzels.

So let's prolong the magic.

• In January, we could be visited by the Snowman on the Shelf. 
• In February, we could have Cupid on the Shelf, or Presidents on the Shelf (available in Washington, Lincoln, etc.) for non-Valentiners.  
• Leprechaun on the Shelf could check up on us in March. Or the secular Lion on the Shelf ("March comes in like a lion; goes out like a lamb").
• Easter Bunny on the Shelf in April, or the second half of March as the case may be. Alternately, we could have Umbrella on the Shelf ("April showers bring May flowers") - a plush umbrella with a cute face.
• In May, we could have Flower on the Shelf. Remember those dancing flower pots? Those could make a comeback.
• Celebrate Flag Day in June with Flag on the Shelf (with cute facial features, of course).
• Uncle Sam on the Shelf wants YOU to be good in July.
• In August, welcome the Lobster on the Shelf. (Yeah, this one is a stretch. August...vacation...beach...ocean...lobster. That's how I got there.)
• September's watchdog could be Johnny Appleseed on the Shelf (his birthday is September 26th).
• October could bring us Jack-o-Lantern on the Shelf, or the patriotic Columbus on the Shelf.
• We could have a Turkey on the Shelf in November.
• Of course, December brings our trusty ol' Elf on the Shelf. Or maybe extend January's Snowman on the Shelf? Hmmm. Need to work on this one.

The Character on the Shelf is Fun.

Kids love waking up in the morning and finding where their watchful friend has chosen to perch for the day.

The Character on the Shelf is Educational.

These icons could be learning tools used to help teach children about U.S. history, the four seasons, and the calendar in general. 

The Character on the Shelf is Motivational.

Simply pick an incentive for the end of that month - a family outing, a special meal, or a coveted prize. Then let your kids know they can earn that reward at the end of the month if they are on their best behavior. Remind them that the Character on the Shelf will be watching at all times. (Evil laugh optional).

Now, if anyone works in the merchandising industry, let me know. We can partner on this: picture books, plush characters, DVDs, and more. The possibilities are endless; we'll just change "On The Shelf" to avoid copyright infringement. Also, please Post a Comment if you have any better ideas for a month. We'll reward the best ideas with a percentage of the profits.

As always, thanks for reading. And in this case, for laughing along.

St. Patrick's Day Crafts for the Wee Ones

Whenever I run out of ideas for my kids, I check the calendar. Holidays provide days of boredom-busting fun. Making decorations takes up a few afternoons. Then a day to decorate. And after the holiday is over, an afternoon of taking down the decorations. That's a minimum of three no-brainer days. Sweet.

Yesterday we decided to make St. Patrick's Day decorations. I quickly consulted Pinterest and found a rainbow, leprechaun, and pot of gold that all seemed fun and easy. While my older son was at school, I set up our dining room with a plastic tablecloth. Then I gathered materials for our projects:

Gold at the End of the Rainbow

• paper plates, cut in half
• washable paints
• paintbrushes
• wet wipes for messy hands, spills, etc.
• craft glue
• cotton balls, 4-6 per rainbow
• ribbon, cut into varying lengths (around 4-6 inches each), 4 strands per rainbow
• tape
• circles cut from a few sheets of yellow construction paper (TIP: If you have a circle punch for scrapbooking or card-making, it will make this part much easier. I used a 1.5" circle punch.)
• glue stick

1. Paint a rainbow on the paper-plate half.
2. Use glue to secure cotton balls for the clouds; set aside to dry.
3. Use glue stick to sandwich two gold coins together, with the ribbon in between.
4. When the paint is dry, turn the rainbow over and secure the ribbons to the back with tape.

Leprechaun Faces

• paper plate, 1 per leprechaun
• orange, green, black, and yellow construction paper
• google eyes (or black crayon or marker)
• glue stick

1. For younger children, cut the pieces ahead of time; older children may cut their own. Use the paper plate as a guide for the size of the beard (orange paper) and the hat (green paper).
2. Use the scraps left from the orange paper to cut a mustache.
3. Use the hat as a guide to cut a strip from the black paper.
4. Cut a square from the yellow paper. Fold in half to cut out the inside, leaving a hollow square for the buckle.
5. Use glue stick to adhere all the pieces to the paper plate. If not using google eyes, draw the eyes with marker or crayon.

Pot O'Gold

• black construction paper
• circles cut from a few sheets of yellow construction paper (again, a circle punch helps)
• glue stick
• St. Patrick's Day stickers (optional)

1. For younger children, cut the pieces ahead of time; older children may cut their own. Cut a pot from the black paper, using the photo as a guide. Folding the paper in half helps to achieve a symmetrical shape.
2. Use glue stick to adhere gold coins to the top.
3. If desired, use St. Patrick's Day-themed stickers to decorate your pot of gold. I thought that would be fun; my kids were not interested.


Put them all together, and you have a cute scene to make any room more festive for March 17th.

I hope you have fun making these St. Patrick's Day crafts with your kids. As always, thanks for reading.