Mini Jacks

I am not a huge pumpkin carving fan. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE jack-o-lanterns and have a great respect for "jack art", I just don't have a love for doing it myself. It's messy, my ideas always look better in my head than on the pumpkin and someone always seems to get hurt in some fashion in the process. A couple of years ago my "mini Jacks" idea came into fruition, and I have been doing it this way ever since!

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Mazes!

You don't have to have kiddos around yet/any more to enjoy all that a pumpkin patch has to offer. Sunshine, a holiday atmosphere and thousands of pumpkins to pick from was all I needed to head out. Why would you go to the boring ol' grocery store to dig through a box when you can have the entire field to pick from?!

The Man Cave: Han Solo Costume

Last week I talked about making a laser gun for less than $10, while Kathy created the rest of the Han Solo costume. I finished my part, and now Kathy has finished hers. That can only mean one thing.

That's right...it's time for the big reveal.

Halloween Book Mini-Marathon

 Guest Writer Amy Hamblin

Here is how we made reading fun at our house last night using our little Halloween library and completing homework at the same time.

Halloween Care Package

Jess has been feeling a little homesick as of late. It's been 6 weeks since she started school, so it's definitely been the longest she has been away from home. We decided to all climb into the car on Saturday to pay her a visit (the advantages of only going to school two hours away). I couldn't go without taking her a little something, and one thing she said she was missing was all of my holiday festivities, so I made her a Halloween care package.

It was perfect and she loved it.

Spider Pizza

We are pizza fanatics in our house. Ever since the kids were small we have had pizza night on Fridays and it is almost always homemade pizza. This has slowed down in it's regularity since the kids aren't really here any more, but Aaron and I still will make a pizza now and again. We decided to have pizza this last weekend and I thought: "Why not make up some extra dough and  make a spider web?" Why didn't I think of this idea like 15 years ago?! It turned out awesome!!

FREE Halloween Bottle Labels!

Creating a fun mood is as simple as a glass jar and the right label to stick onto it. I made a few labels last year and served our drinks in them. This year our jars are sporting candy and I like that better because it's prettier to look at and I can have them on display all season instead of just at the Halloween party (if we could just keep our hands out of the candy jar....I'm gonna gain 5 pounds!).

My gift to you this year is access to my wonderful labels - yes, I am quite proud of them! Print and enjoy!

The Man Cave: Halloween Weaponry

This year I've decided to be Han Solo for Halloween. While Kathy has been wasting time with the vest, the pants, the shirt, the boots, and the belt, I've been busy creating the most important (and manliest) part of the costume:

the GUN.

The Ghost of Halloween

Guest Writer: Amy Hamblin

I found a great idea for a Halloween project that will be fun to have for years to come.  The kids thought that it was great too and that, to me, is the most important thing.

Pepper Pumpkins

Not crafty enough to fill your house with amazingly handmade Halloween atmosphere? Don't have a lot of time to mold gory masterpieces out of your food? No big deal and not a problem. Creating a fun mood is as easy as a pepper and cookie cutter. Next time you are making a casserole, nachos or other such dish, just cut out some pepper pumpkins to arrange on top. Insta fun!

2011 Costume Contest Winners!

The entrances have been tallied and weighed and we have our winners for the 2011 Halloween Costume Contest.

First Place is Scott and Tyler of Logan, Utah. Little and big Mario - how cool is that. These costumes were hand made as well, which in my book deserves a huge applaud! I am making Aaron's costume this year, and that's a lot of work!

Visit A Pioneer Cemetery

We have this little pioneer cemetery down the road from us that I have been wanting to visit for some time now. What better time than Halloween to pack up the troupes and visit an old time cemetery. Not only is is a cool place to be during the holiday season, it is also a great learning tool for the history of your area. And, you'll never guess what we found...... a baby monster!

The Man Cave: How to Know When Your Kid is Too Old to Trick or Treat

You've seen it, I've seen it. As Halloween nights winds up, the clientele at the door slowly morphs from sweet little kids in cute costumes to unenthusiastic adolescents looking for free handouts. There is no magic age, no line in the sand that determines when a kid is too old to trick or treat...but there are some tell-tale signs.

Mason Jar Lanterns

Guest Writer: Amy Hamblin

Making crafts is always a fun and festive part of the holiday season.  Although there are many “fancy” crafts out there for me to do that make my house stylish I prefer the kid’s crafts.  I am just at a phase in my life where having a kid craft on the wall next to all the dirty finger prints looks better than to try and put up something fancy that just doesn’t go with my motif.

Two Easy DIY Costumes

Guest Writer MJ Smout

(and yes, Aaron is the kid on the right ;o)

Kids don’t need you to spend a lot of time or money on Halloween costumes.  Just use your imagination and make a costume out of things you have around the house.

Sounds of Halloween

Having the right atmosphere in your home at Halloween is important, especially during your all important and amazing party. In the past, I usually do a collection of Youtube videos that I run all night long - my own little MTV show that goes on with all of my favorite Halloweenesque songs. If you don't have time to put together a spooky video montage, the next best thing is to just pop in some good Halloween music. Here are some great suggestions for you.

Mummy Dogs

These have been my kids' favorite Halloween food forever. As a matter of fact, when we had them the other day Jessi (from college) was sad we had them without her. They are so simple to make and a huge crowd pleaser. I'm sure I'll make them again for our Halloween party, since Jess will be home for that.

The Man Cave: Top 10 Most Frightening Kid's Movies

When I was 8 my grandpa gave me a rubber zombie mask for Halloween. I put it on and my baby sister immediately began to cry. I tried to help her understand that it was just mask, but she only became more and more terrified. To my surprise I didn't get in trouble for making her cry. In fact, the adults in the room thought is was cute and funny. It was then that I realized the terrible, awesome power of Halloween.

Pumpkin Balls

Guest Writer: Amy Hamblin

It is that time of year again.  My kids and I love the month of October because that means that it is the beginning of craft and treat season! 

I wanted to try something that I had never done with my kids before.  Here is what I came up with. 

Skull Candle

I was shopping this weekend and saw a black skull candelabra that was totally wicked cool. It also had a $20.00 price tag on it and I just didn't feel it was worth that much. I got looking at it and thought I could make one for way less money, so that's what I did. Aaron and I had a great time last night putting this little baby together. It looks amazing, and the best part is the price tag on it ended up being only $4.00!

I'll show you how to make it for yourself. It will be impressive with any Halloween decor.

It's A Contest!!

I'm kicking off our countdown to Halloween with a contest. I spent all weekend at the thrift stores and consignment shops costume shopping and found  three amazing little treasures to offer as prizes. 1. Happy Halloween Curious George 2. Frankenstein and 3. Scary Sounds of Halloween.

Here's what you need to do.