Harry Potter Party: Polyjuice Potion (and Michigan Leaves!)

Calling all Potterheads!

Last year, we added a Harry Potter family movie night to our October traditions, and it quickly became a favorite–one my kids have been asking about since summer ended. I admit, the Honeydukes candy bar is probably the selling point, but whatever the case, we are looking forward to our movie night this weekend as I squeeze melted chocolate into slug molds and dig up our witch hats from last year to get ready. I found cute apothecary jars at Target (Spritz brand, in the party aisles) that I thought would make an adorable addition to our tradition this year, so we are filling them with Polyjuice Potion and attempting to turn Brett into Bradley Cooper this weekend. Not really, but I have Dash believing that it might possibly transform me into a toad if we achieve the right potency. It will all depend on how much bat blood I can extract from now until tomorrow evening.

Want to join in on some Harry Potter fun this weekend? You can print our Polyjuice Potion Labels Here. Adhere them to some jars or bottles (Michael’s has flasks and beakers) and mix up your potion of choice. We mixed equal parts Simply Limeade and club soda and spooned in a tablespoon of lime sherbet (gives it a bubbly foam on the top). For more magical effect, drop in a small chunk of dry ice, and your potion will bubble and fog like a true wizard’s.

As for the rest of the evening, keep it as simple as you’d like. We draw Potter scars on our forehead, make a fire, hang some “suspended candles” (I skip the toilet paper rolls and just roll cardstock paper around the tealights) and have a Honeydukes intermission.

But seriously, how fun are holidays?!

And in other festive October news, our box of leaves arrived yesterday from Michigan.

My cousin has shipped us a box every year for twelve years now, and thanks to her thoughtfulness, my kids have never missed a fall experiencing what I loved as a kid.

Several on Instagram have asked how she ships them. After the first few years attempting the best way to keep them fresh, she tried vacuum packing them, and it works perfectly. She gathers them during peak colors (literally hand picks every single leaf, and there are soooooo many!), fills a large vacuum seal bag and then sucks all the air out of it, seals it and ships it immediately. When we receive them, they’re as fresh and colorful as if we picked them off the trees ourselves. And with the vacuum bag, it’s always so fascinating to see how small it looks when it arrives but expands to the largest pile of leaves when we open them and let them loose.

They smell absolutely delicious. Just like home.

Loving this season and looking forward to the weekend!