Painted Pumpkins 2017

We visited the pumpkin patch this past Saturday.  And every day, multiple times a day since then my daughter has been asking when we were going to paint our pumpkins.  You see, she just loves to have fun!  And, a week or so ago, I found the best idea on Pinterest for her.  She loves unicorns right now and I saw the cutest little unicorn pumpkin.  When I saw it she had already gone to bed, but I peeked in and saw she was awake and just had to show her.  That unicorn has been on her mind for over a week now and she finally got to make it!

We all had fun.  I went with a simple cartoonish character, my husband found an idea for a kooky vampire on Pinterest and I think my son was inspired by Larry from Veggie Tales because that pumpkin looks awfully familiar!  And lest we forget Teddy, the infamous bear in our house, he too participated in the festivities, painting a honey pot (apropos, right?) on his pumpkin.  LOL!  If you've been around us long enough, you'll know Teddy is a permanent fixture around here.  I'm not sure my son will ever grow tired of him.  I'm not sure I will either!

So now with our pumpkins all decorated we have to figure out costumes for this coming Tuesday.  My daughter's is squared away and I'm guessing you can figure out what she'll be.  Let me know if you can figure it out in the comment section below!  My son's costume is decided but he hasn't started working on it yet.  He wants to be another Minecraft character.  It's going to be Steve this time.  Check out his costume from last year.  If you have kids into Minecraft I know they'll love it.  I think I'll coax him into starting a little sooner this year.





One complication for Halloween around here is that we're trying to avoid or greatly reduce food dyes.  That can be tricky with candy pouring from the sky.  So I'm not going to be too neurotic.  I told the kids they can have whatever they like on Halloween, then I have a plan.  I bought some organic candy without food dye to switch out after the big day.  I bought good stuff too.  It's not healthy by any means, but I think some of us around here don't do so well with food dyes and we're trying again at an experiment we failed at in the past.

I hope you found some inspiration here and Happy Halloween!


You might also like:
Fun Painted Pumpkins
Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas
Homemade Halloween 1980s Style, Baby!

5 Ideas For Leftover Pumpkins

What do you do when Halloween is over and you have a lonely pumpkin rotting on your doorstep?  Here are 5 ideas of what to do with your leftover pumpkins before they turn to mush.


5 Ideas For Leftover Pumpkins

1.  Toss your pumpkins in the compost pile.  Just be aware you might have another pumpkin growing next spring!  I've also read you can bury your pumpkin to fortify the soil.  Has anyone tried this?

2.  If the pumpkin still looks good and hasn't rotted yet, bring it in the house and cook it up.  You can bake it in the oven, cut side down, at 300 degrees for about an hour or until soft.  Some people add a little water on the bottom of the pan to keep things moist, but this is not required.  Once it's cooked, you can scoop out the insides to use in recipes like pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie!  And if I haven't said it enough before, these two recipes are to die for!  So, so good.

3.  Another thing to do if your pumpkin is in decent shape is scoop out the seeds and toast them up.  Click here for a recipe!  Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc and magnesium.

4.  Donate them to a local pig farm.  We have one near me that takes pumpkins for their pigs.  What a treat for them!

5.  I haven't tried this one yet, but I went to a wedding where the pumpkins stood in as vases.  The insides were scooped out and filled with beautiful fall blooms.  My favorites were the multicolred sunflowers.  I may have to try this one!

Do you have any other ideas for what to do with those leftover pumpkins?  Let me know in the comment section below.  And remember I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge!

Monster Slime

Monster Slime.  Perfect for the ghoulish days to come!

My kids have been begging to make slime, particularly my son.  I was hesitant, however, because we still have slime on the ceiling from our last encounter with the ooey gooey mess-maker.  But, after a month-long (plus) ban, I decided to give it another try.  Besides, the homemade stuff isn't quite as goopy as its store-bought counterpart.

So I headed to Walmart for supplies while the kids were at school.  I came across a slime starter kit and it was on clearance.  My favorite!  It even had a recipe on the back.  This one was a little different than the slimes we have made in the past, but I figured it was worth a try.

The slime we made in the past called for glue, borax and water.  This one had glue, contact solution and baking soda.  When I looked at the contact solution ingredients, I saw that it contained boric acid, so I'm guessing that's a key component in slime-ification.

Did you know you can use a straw to blow bubbles in slime?  I hadn't thought of it, but apparently the kids are full of ideas. And it works quite well.  Go ahead, give it a try!

I will say that this one, made with the blue glitter glue (plus some extra blue glitter for good measure) worked the best.  The slimes made with clear glue and added food color and sprinkles seemed to seep water for some reason.

Below is the gold slime we made with clear glue, yellow food coloring and gold sparkles before it started to separate and get watery.

Slime Recipe

(from the back of the box)

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce bottle of glitter glue

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/4 tablespoons contact solution

Add baking soda to glue and mix thoroughly.  Add contact solution and stir until mixture gets firmer and slime begins to form.  

It's really easy, not to expensive and a lot of fun.  This is one of the easier and less messy slime recipes available, especially when you compare it to the cornstarch and water concoction my kids like to make.  That one I recommend for a warm summer day!

As a reminder, I'm taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge!  

You might also like:

Ultimate Blog Challenge Facebook Page

Fun Painted Halloween Pumpkins

Results From The Fair

Minecraft Enderman Costume

My son always has a hard time picking out a Halloween costume.   Sometimes I just have to help him decide, but as he's gotten older he's been better able to figure it out.  My daughter, who was a pirate last year, is happy with a doctored up store-bought costume.  My son, however, really would rather make one for himself, which is fun if he decides with enough time to construct it.  From what I hear, my husband had a similar bent!

So last year, the day grew closer and no costume ideas were in sight.  I drove my daughter to the store to look for ideas and came back with a pirate outfit.  I think my son got nervous, but maybe it inspired him. Shortly after he landed on the idea of being an Enderman.  He showed me what an Enderman was, foreboding as that sounds, and I thought we could make it happen.

So I found a box and stapled a helmet from a previous Halloween costume into to the top of the inside of the box.  I cut out a strip of cardboard for his eyes and told him to paint it black.  At the dollar store we got glow sticks and put them on just in time for trick-or-treating.  For the rest of his outfit he simply wore all black.

For his treats, he covered and old trick-or-treat bucket with construction paper in the design of TNT.  You Minecraft fans will know what I'm talking about.

So there you have it.  A simple, mostly kid-made Minecraft costume that won't break the bank.  When it comes to costumes, store-bought isn't the only option!

You might also like:

Minecraft Birthday Party

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Ideas

14 Awesome Autumn Pins

This year I've tried to challenge myself and do some new things.  I did a 30 day challenge, I entered the fair and I moved!  I'm also currently participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  There's more, but suffice it to say it's been an eventful year.

Now that fall is here there are even more new things I want to try for this, my favorite season.  For me, Pinterest has been the perfect holding area for ideas, but my boards are chuck full of pins and I often wonder if I'll ever get around to even a quarter of them.  So, in the spirit of trying something new, I thought I'd make a list of 14 Autumn Pinterest Ideas right here to get myself moving.  Any more than that and I know I won't get to any of them!


To follow me on Pinterest, click here!


14 Awesome Autumn Pins

1.  Acorn wreath - This one doesn't come with instructions, but it sure looks cool.  I even have oak trees in my back yard.

2.  Pinecone wreath - Scroll down and you'll see this one.  No pine trees here, but I'm sure I could scavenge up some pine cones.

3.  Felt Owls - These are adorable!

4.  Harvest Gold Sunflower Hat - I love sunflowers.  I really should make this one.

5.  Halloween Garland - This one looks easy and cute.

6.  Halloween Hats - So cute.  Candy corn, spider webs and pumpkins, oh my!

7.  Pumpkin Coffee Mug Sleeve - With all the crocheting I've done, surprisingly I haven't made a mug sleeve.  I may have to remedy that!

8.  Pumpkin Doughnuts - I might try these this week.  I just found my donut pans so I'm ready to go.

9.  Owl Mug Cozy - another perfect little cozy

10.  Hat and Scarf Set in lovely fall colors.  So pretty.

11.  Thanksgiving Pretzel Turkeys - This is only a picture, but easy to follow I'm sure.

12.  Crochet Indian Corn - How have I not made this?

13.  No Bake Pumpkin Spice Pudding Pie - I don't have enough pumpkin recipes.  I have to try this.

14.  Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix - I love making my own mixes.  Actually this taco seasoning I use ALL the time.



You might also like:
What I love About Fall
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Pumpkin Roundup

Homemade Halloween 1980s Style, Baby!

I was born in the late 70s, so naturally that makes me a child of the 80s.  I read an article that someone posted on Facebook not too long ago describing my generation as caught somewhere between analog and digital.  Boy, was it spot on.  Any other readers caught somewhere between millennials and X-ers?

Regardless of exactly how I define myself, I have some good memories of Halloweens past.  My mom was very into the homemade costume, something I think my son must have inherited from her!  Every year as other children donned sweaty plastic masks, my mom suited us up in her latest creation.  I can't say I share the same affinity for making costumes, but the memories are fun!

In the picture above you can see my sisters as Alice's white rabbit and Winnie the Pooh.  I'm a flower.

This year we were certainly warm in our bunny costumes.  My sister and I matched.  I think we may have even won a prize at the local costume parade.  That happened more than once for sure!  

 I am just a little one in this picture.  My uncle is holding my cousin and me.  I'm the clown. Looks like there might have been a makeup mishap!  As you'll see below, the clown made a reappearance on my sister a year or two later.  No makeup on her.  That was the right move, mom.  

I'm hiding in the Donald Duck suit.  Can you believe my mom made all these costumes?  Not only cute, but that must have been a lot of work!  No wonder we won prizes.  These costumes were good!

Minnie Mouse, a pumpkin and an angel this year.  So cute.  Fun times!  What did you used to dress up in for Halloween?  Did your parents make costumes or buy them?  As parents, my husband and I do a bit of a combo.  Sometimes we buy and sometimes we make and sometimes the costume is a hybrid of sorts. 

Leave a comment below and share some memories!

As a reminder I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

You might also like:
Halloween Trick-or-Treat Ideas
The Pumpkin Patch

Fun Painted Halloween Pumpkins

Thanks to everyone who has been visiting lately!  I am so excited to see new readers thanks to the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  If you are a fellow blogger, check it out.  There's still time to join or you can think about getting on board in January. It's a great personal challenge and way to connect with other bloggers. 

-----------

Here's a peek at what we did last year.  Every year we head out to the pumpkin patch, one of our favorite fall activities!  After we each pick out a pumpkin, feed the goats and eat some ice cream, we bring our treasures home.  Sometimes we carve and sometimes we paint.  As you can see from the pictures, last year we painted.

The pumpkin above is my husband's artistic creation.  Funny enough, he did an eyeball two years in a row.  And even funnier, it didn't dawn on him that this was a repeat until the pumpkin was nearly complete.  He's got a theme going!

The pumpkin below is my daughter's creation.  She chose a batman theme.  Cute, right?  At the time I didn't even know she was into batman.  Go figure.  My daughter is all about trying new things whenever she gets the chance.  She's always open to a new experience and when she gets bored she likes to try the next new thing.  Right now it's soccer and unicorns.  She really is a fun person.

My son went with a classic Halloween monster, complete with bloody tooth.   I think it's a zombie.  He's really quite the good artist.  He's the kid who likes to make everything on his own including Halloween costumes.  We were in the store just the other day and came across some pretty cool costumes.  He even tried some on.  When asked if he wanted one, his response was, "I think I just want to make my own".  If you remember the lobwhale, you'll see that this unique creativity is classically my son.

I chose to paint two gourds this time.  I'm pretty sure my pumpkin rotted by the time I got to it!  So, gourds it was.  I must have been feeling feminine that day and went with a flowery, sparkly theme.  I think the gourds turned out pretty, but they are a bit out of place with the rest of the bunch!  

We are each our own unique people in my family.  I was talking to my husband the other day about this because my daughter and son are almost opposites in their personalities.  This lead to discussion of my siblings and me.  While we all share some quality or other, the five of us are distinct.  It's funny how people can have such diverse personalities even when their backgrounds are much the same.  I guess we all have something different to offer the world.  And that's a good thing.

So there you have it, some inspiration for your pumpkins this year.  Stay tuned to see this year's creations!  I wonder if there'll be another eyeball.

You might also like:

The Pumpkin Patch

Brookfield Orchards

Ultimate Blog Challenge Facebook Page

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Ideas

Image found here.

Budget Ideas:

Contrary to what you might think, Dollar Tree might not be the best option when it comes to candy for trick-or-treaters.  You just have to check unit prices.  The packages they sell are small and unit price is usually not better than other retail stores and sometimes it can be worse.  But always check just to be sure.

• Lollipops - Even a bag of name brand Tootsies or Blow Pops will pack a better deal than chocolate bars.  And the kids who visit your house will still be pleased!  
• Tootsie Rolls - These have all the yummy chocolatey taste without the big price tag.
• Smarties - Not my favorite, but most kids like them.
• Now and Laters - I've seen these at Walmart
• Candy Coupons - Watch the paper for some good candy coupons.  I have had good luck saving money at CVS when I wanted the more expensive candies like M&Ms or Snickers bars.  

Image found here.

Healthier Options:

While none of these ideas is going to win you the health nut award, they might be a better option if you are looking to either keep the sugar low or the artificial colors to a minimum.

• Pretzels - Each year you can either find small bags of Utz or Snyder's pretzels in the seasonal section at Walmart or BJ's Wholesale.  Dollar Tree also sells small packs of pretzels that could be distributed.
• Organic lollipops - I often see these at places like Marshall's.  They can also be ordered online at Vitacost.  
• Organic or all natural fruit snacks -  You can check out the seasonal section for some good deals, or just buy fruit snacks in the regular section 
• Granola bars - you can buy the generic ones for a good price at Walmart or your local grocery store.

Non-candy Ideas:

If you are looking to keep the sugar and artificial stuff out of the house altogether, here are some options for you.  The glow sticks probably have the highest fun factor when it comes to non-candy options, but there are other things you can opt for as well.

• Glow sticks - You can find them for around $10 for 100 on Amazon from various sellers.
• Stickers - Dollar Tree usually carries multi packs of stickers in boxes, so the treat appears a little more substantial
• Spider rings- You can get 50 for a dollar at Dollar Tree
• Tattoos - These can often be found at Dollar Tree and Oriental Trading for a good price.
• Pencils -  12 for $1 usually at Dollar Tree and Walmart
• Erasers - Find these at Dollar Tree, Walmart or Oriental Trading
• Mini bubbles - Dollar Tree sells packs of 8 for $1 in the wedding section.  Depending on the year you may even run into some Halloween themed bubbles.  Also, through oriental trading this year, you can get  48  jack-o-lantern bubbles for $6.50.
• Toothbrushes - Absolutely joking on this one!  You better watch out for eggs if you opt for this!

Hope you have a fun Halloween and here's to some great Trick-or-Treating!



You might also like:

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
The Pumpkin Patch