KISS Costumes

Happy Halloween! It's costume day my friends, and I hope you all have great creations you will be wearing this year. I'm sad to say this is the first time in about four years that I am not heading out to a big Halloween party. Aaron isn't playing this weekend, and we have been so sick this week that staying out till 1:00 in the morning doesn't sound appealing. But, I will share with you what I dressed up like last year - it was epoch! My friend and I were Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from KISS, and it was a total hit. Here's how to make your own KISS costumes.

More On Clyde

At the beginning of the month I introduced you to our newest Halloween family member, Meet Clyde. He has been such a fun addition that I am truly going to be sorry to pack him away for a year. My camera and I have been following him around as he has been left in various places for people to find. It's been a blast, and we have had some great laughs - this family of mine sure is creative! Here's what Clyde has been up to since you last saw him.

How To Recognize and Kill Monsters

We all get scared occasionally by something that goes bump in the night. Usually, upon investigation, we realize there is nothing there but the fence gate blowing in the wind or the broom that has tipped over. But, what do you do when there is actually something there? Here are some tips on how to recognize the most common monsters and how to kill them to save yourself and your family.

Halloween Pizza Bling

If you don't already have mini Halloween cookie cutters in your arsenal you should. They are a very inexpensive, easy way to make an ordinary meal fun and festive. This weekend I made our favorite pizza and topped it off with pumpkin peppers and mozzarella ghosts. Whala - Mexi-Pizza becomes Halloween Pizza! 

20 Haunting Memento Mori Photographs

Death has many different superstitions and odd traditions surrounding it, each culture trying to understand and deal with it in their own ways. In the late nineteenth century photography was just in it's beginning stages. Death in the home was a very ordinary part of life and post-mortem photography was a common part of this process; especially with infants and small children. These photographs served as keepsakes to remember the deceased, and in most cases were the only visual remembrance the family had. Most families preferred to have an image of a deceased loved one than no image at all. These images are both reverent and haunting at the same time.

Grilled Jack-O-Cheese Sandwich

It really is the simple things in life that bring so much pleasure and comfort. There's something about a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day that just hits the spot so perfectly. To make it fun during the Halloween season, turn your plain grilled cheese into a grilled Jack-O-Cheese sandwich. Comforting and fun. That's sure to bring a smile to your face!

15 Of The Worst Halloween Costumes

It's no secret that I love Halloween, and I love dressing up. There's something that makes you feel spunky about wearing a wig or the fun you can have being someone else for the night. I also love the creativity that never ceases to amaze me as I look around at what people have come up with. There are so many amazing ideas out there...... and then you have to wonder some times - What the heck were you thinking?! Here are 15 costumes that I wonder just that: WTF. Happy Halloween, and have a laugh on me.

Spooky Sweet Potato Fries

I love french fries. When it comes to comfort foods, they are definitely at the top of my list. With my sweet potato fries you can eat your fries almost guilt free: and using sweet potatoes in place of russet gives you a boost of vitamin A, which is great for the immune system. The best part - Halloween speaking - is sweet potatoes are orange. Throw some black sesame seeds on there: insta Halloween side dish.

Zombie Apocalypse Survival Poster

The zombie apocalypse. When it comes will you be prepared? Do you have the necessary skills and supplies that will be needed to survive? There are a few tried and true things you should know to keep you and your loved ones safe and alive: all gathered together on a handy poster for your reference.

10 Awesome Halloween Party Activities

No party would be complete without games and activities for your guests to participate in. They're a great way to keep the little ones busy and the adults socializing. I have a list of 10 great ideas to keep your party flowing - 5 for the kids and 5 for the teens and adults. Even if you have the guest that "hates games" (and there's always one or two of those) these should be sure to please. Have a great Halloween - and PARTY ON!

Mummy Breakfast Sandwiches

Fun Halloween food isn't just for dinner. I love breakfast and wanted some fun foods in the morning as well, so I came up with this fun mummy breakfast sandwich. Easy, healthy and fun - the trifecta of the perfect holiday meal.

Halloween Party Playlist

Every party needs great background music to help it be successful. A few years ago I assembled a long list of songs that I think make an awesome Halloween Party Playlist. Of course there is the obligatory "Monster Mash", "Purple People Eater" and "Ghost Busters", but this playlist goes well beyond that. With songs from all genres to obscure artists, this list will have it all, no matter who is attending your party. So rock on my friends.

Haunted Village

I have been building a little fall village for a few years now, just picking up pieces here and there. While I was at the thrift store the other day I found the piece of all pieces to add to my collection. When I saw this mansion I couldn't believe it and bought it right away. Now, instead of just a regular fall village, I have turned it into a haunted village. 

Spider Cubes

It's the simple things in life that make it great. Soup on a cold day, a candle burning to cozy up a room, and spiders in your ice cubes to freak out my daughter - who is scared of spiders - these are a few of my favorite things. This is such a simple, cheap, and fun thing to do during the Halloween holiday, everyone should have spider ice cubes in their freezer!

Black Bean Pasta

I found the best thing for Halloween food since candy corn! It's black bean pasta, and its amazing. It looks creepy, it tastes great, and - ready for it - it's actually healthy!  Win, win in my book. Organically made with nothing but black beans and water, there are no funny ingredients, you will get a protein punch from the beans, and it looks so cool on your dinner plate. You'll definitely want to give this a try.

Interview With A Ghost Hunter

For those of you who missed my interview with a ghost hunter, and have come back here to read it, I am sad to say I had to remove it. It is too long of a story, and honestly not worth repeating, but there were some in the "paranormal community" that had problems with it due to personal conflicts with the gal interviewed. Haters are gonna hate, and some people are just irrational. Those people are not worth my time, and this is not the place for such antics, as this blog is meant to be a lighthearted, fun place to visit. Sorry if you missed it, it was a great post, but given the circumstance I have decided removal of the post was best. Please stay happy and kind.

Top 10 Most Haunted Places In America

Ghosts. Some of us believe whole-heartily in them, many of us want desperately to believe, while the rest of us just aren’t sure and have no proof of their existence. Whether you believe in these spiritual apparitions or not, a good ghost story is always fun to listen to. We loves to have our spines tingle and be spooked by a great tale of ghosts. Here are the top 10 most haunted places in America. These are supposedly homes to legendary tales and infamous spirits. The stories that follow are both historically fascinating and eerily spooky at the same time. My bucket list of places to visit has just gotten longer!

 

Halloween Cupcakes!

I love cupcakes. There's something magical about a little cake in a paper cup that is so perfect. They are super fun to decorate, easy to serve and just the perfect amount of indulgence. You can grab one know you aren't going to eat too big of a piece because it comes in a pre-packaged serving size. I made a batch of cupcakes and had some fun with frosting and accessories. I was so excited about how well they turned out I had to share. Here's how to make your own batch of Halloween fun.

 

Monster Finger Sandwiches

There are a few things that are musts in our house every Halloween season: the skeletons come out of their hiding places, spiderwebs hit the fire place bricks and monster sandwiches are on the menu. These are one of our favorite holiday menu items and I end up making them at least once, if not a couple of times. They are super yummy, look amazingly cool and they warm up well for lunch the next day.

FREE: Witches Brew Bottle Labels

Whether we know where it comes from or not, we have all heard the line: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble". This conjures up visions of witches hunched over a huge black cauldron, stirring their witches brew - and with good reason. It's the famous scene from Shakespeare's "Macbeth". If you've never read this scene, it's worth the couple minutes it takes to watch the conniving witches at work. I have typed out the scene for you along with some free bottle labels to make your own witches brew display.

Meet Clyde

Clyde is our newest addition this year. A life size (well, life size to me any way) skeleton that is fully pose-able. A friend of mine picked him up at Costco for me and we have been enjoying dinner with him for the last couple of weeks. When I first got him my daughter Jess got up to go to work and he startled her - funny! Good job Clyde!! You have done what you were created to do - to put fear in the hearts of others. The series of events that followed that morning are even better. Wait till you see what Clyde has been up to! I promise it will make you laugh and want to get your own life-size pose-able skeleton.

Ghostly Baked Spahetti

It's pretty easy to throw a Halloween twist onto any casserole that your making. Last night I made baked spaghetti, which is always a crowd favorite, and topped it with my ghostly apparitions. The best part about these ghosts is their made of cheese - and who doesn't like cheese? They look awesome and taste awesomer. (Awesomer? I just made up a word. I like it.)

Graveyard Mantle

My fireplace mantle is usually the focal point of any holiday decorating. It's central in my upstairs living space, can be decorated without having to uproot my entire house, and since I have old school bricks usually looks pretty cool. Whenever I am in the kitchen cooking, dining room dining or living room.... well living, I can see my fireplace and enjoy the festive holiday decorations. This year I decided to turn my mantle into a graveyard. I have a lot of really cool skeletons that I love having out and they all went together nicely.  Here's what I came up with.