Family Time: Halloween Craft and Treat Ideas

We had a fun weekend taking the kids to the Hall pumpkin patch in Grapevine and a (tame) haunted hay ride through a corn maze (excellent kettle corn I might add). Isaac was a little scared, we covered his face a lot and instead of using the word "monster" since he is obsessed with them after all, we told him they were "silly people" and pretending to be scary. He didn't like that, but accepted it and has so far, not had any damage (aside from the first night, muttering about "silly people").



Isaac mascara'd up Caleb (again) and I had to take a pic, because really, finding a camera and getting a good shot is the best way to calm down and have a laugh. Time out definately comes later though. Also, I thought I would share a fun toddler idea. Isaac LOVES taking pictures. He poses his toy cars next to the dog, or whatever and just snaps away. He especially loves taking pictures of feet and his baby brother. I just thought that was fun to share, and a good family idea. Maybe, you can get items together, and stage a little photo shoot for your little ones. Try doing this before holiday pictures are taken, so they can see what it is like being on the other side of the camera for once. Maybe it will teach them a fun lesson, maybe not, either way it can be fun, even if most of the photos are blurry.



I have been listing new jewelry in my shop, but I still have tons more to go and just lack the motivation to do it! I have some new pieces in the works, but I sometimes wonder if putting it off to the side would be best until I get more organized. Then, I realize, in this cramped up little home, that's NEVER going to happen!






Well, I DO have a Halloween party treat tip. It is an EXCELLENT one, I mean, truly amazing, but I do not have photos of it, so I spent an embarrasingly long time on this corny paint illustrastion :( We did this for a party one year and it was too cute, so please TRY and visualize with me people!!!



1. Get a pumpkin and clean the dirt off.
2. Paint a scary or silly face on one side of the pumpkin (or carve it, your choice).
3. Make kabobs. I used pineapple chunks, cherries, cheese chunks, grapes, little rolled turky meat, strawberrie... for an appetizer, but you can make a steak/shrimp/bell pepper/mushroom/pineapple grilled kabob instead if you want to make it a meal.
4. Stick kabobs into the top of pumpkin.

When you are done, the pumpkin looks like it has crazy hair! It makes a yummy and easy treat and an excellent display for your food table.

One more easy PUNCH tip:

1. Make a fruit punch in a funky color, red, purple, green... add your sprite and a coupel scoops of sherbert if you want. But the actual tip is not the recipe here.

Take a plastic/latex POWDER free glove, rinse it out well and fill it with water. tie the end like a water ballon. Freeze your glove. Then, when it is nice and frozen, cut off the glove and add your floating, dismembered hand to your punch. There, wasn't that simple!?

You could also make a little topiary with either fall flowers, OR use food! Use toothpics in the styrofoam and arrange grapes, strawberries, large marshmallows, cheese cubes and other fun things to make your desert topiary. The Kim Vallee blog has a little tutorial.



OR... Look at this excellent CANDY topiary, from of course, Martha Stewart, go there for the tutorial! Can you tell I like topiaries? Be prepared to see some amazing Christmas ones soon!



And one last yummy thing. I love Etsy, I love their "blog" the Storque. I LOVE their how-tos, and I especially love this one. How to make bleeding VAMPIRE cupcakes! It is perfect for Halloween OR for Twilight parties, yay!! The link has all the instructions as well as a nifty little video. Now make some and take a bite.