My Little Witch

Look at those eyes!  Brandi was a cute little witch tonight at Ryan's party.  All the kids had a ball.  In fact, I was told by my friends grandson that it was the best party he had ever been to.  He's only 6, but I still took it as a compliment.  All I know is that I am exhausted, so it's time for bed.

Stitches

I want these!!!!

I have been thinking about what I can dress up as for Ryan's upcoming party, and while browsing etsy I found these awesome stitches in Burlesquers shop.  She makes bracelets to match, too.  (she also makes the stitches in pink!)

She also has necklaces and bracelets that look like dripping blood.  How cool is that?

Almost Party Time!

 I am sitting here watching The Biggest Loser, thinking about what kinds of foods I am going to make for Ryan's birthday Halloween party next month.  I have some ideas, and I have my favorite recipes that I use year after year.  I really need to sit down and make a list, though, before I forget what I am thinking. 

I also have to come up with Simple HalloweenCostumes for the kids.  I don't have a lot of money to spend, and they each have specific ideas of what they want to be.  Brandi will probably be the hardest, because she wants to be Selena Gomez. I have an amazon gift card I can use if I can find that costume online.  Kasi says she wants to be a vampire again, but the costume she has used for the past three years is finally a little too small.  I am hoping that I can make her a black gown, that way all I will have to buy will be makeup and hair dye.  And fangs.  Ryan still can't decide what he wants to be.

I am thinking about dressing up myself this year.  Any suggestions about what I should be?

We Got Some Pumpkins!

Yesterday, we were driving down the road and we passed a farm stand that was selling pumpkins.  Of course we had to stop, and I convinced Junior that we all needed pumpkins.  Well, the kids and I each got one.  Junior tends to be a party pooper when it comes to thing like this.

The only question now is whether or not to carve them.  I want them to last until Halloween, and I know that if we carve them, they won't.  I think I may just have the kids use markers to decorate them.  We'll see.

Parties

 I spent today making food and cleaning house for Kasi's birthday parties that are coming up this weekend.  Tomorrow night is her slumber party, and then Sunday I am having my mom and a couple of family friends over.  We were originally going to have it at my mom's house, (she has the pool) but the weather isn't going to cooperate, so I'm just going to do it here.  That means that I will clean the house for one party, and then turn around and re-clean it for the next party. 

My kids better appreciate this.

As I was cleaning today, I started thinking about Ryan's birthday.  For the past three years, we have done a Halloween themed party for him since his birthday is the first week of November.  This year, he is going to be 15, and I am worried that he won't want to have a party.  I hope that is not the case, because I love getting the kids dressed up, and having all the kids who come to the party get dressed up.  My little nephew used to love Elmo, and I found the cutest Sesame Street Costumes online at www.costumekingdom.com that he would flip over.  I don't think he would wear them himself, but he has a new little sister who would look adorable in this costume:

I mean, what kid wouldn't look adorable in that?

It's That Time Of Year

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of TrickOrTreatMe. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's Thanksgiving today. I woke up this morning thankful for so many things, not the least of which are my husband and kids, and the fact that we are all healthy. We got the best news yesterday at the dermatologist...Kasi's rash is nothing serious, just a spider bite. I can not tell you how relieved I was to hear that.

I can not believe that in four weeks we will be celebrating Christmas. It seems like every year, time goes by faster and faster. It seems like just yesterday that I was taking the kids trick or treating. I wish I could say that all the candy collected that day is gone, but I can't. We still have a bowl full of the stuff the kids don't like, and I keep forgetting to throw away. I hope next year more people give out healthier treats. There was this website called Trick or Treat Me
where they talked about healthy alternatives, like giving out shelf stable, single serve chocolate milks. I love this idea, and my kids love chocolate milk, so everyone would be happy. The blog is now a "mom's blog", dedicated to sharing tips and tricks to keep all our kids happy and healthy.

Twick or Tweet Me is also over for the year, but I am sure it was a success. The World Wildlife Fund received a donation for each tweet, which I am sure they are going to put to good use. I loved the idea of helping a good cause while raising awareness of good, healthy alternatives for kids instead of candy. Next year for Halloween, I am going to look into those single serve milks. Heck, I am going to look into them now. I bet they would be perfect for the kids on our day long fishing trips.

Skeleton

Here's another addition to my Halloween decorations. I found this at Micheal's and paid about $.12 for it.

Not a bad price, right?

I think next year, closer to Halloween, I am going to try and find some glow in the dark paint to go on the white bones. I think that will look pretty awesome.

How Creative Is This?

Those of you who read my main blog can skip this, because I posted about this over there lasy night. BUT...it most definitely needs to be seen over here, too, because this is one of the most creative things I have seen in a long time.

See, I entered a picture of Brandi and her bff in their Halloween costumes...the pink fairy and the angel...and it won a Halloween costume contest! How cool is that? I got my prize in the mail yesterday...this awesome pumpkin! The girl who made it cut the front off of one of those foamy pumpkins they sell in craft stores and decorated in this awesome witch scene. I have never seen anything like it before!

I am so excited to display it next year for our annual Halloween party.

The Girls Bags

Remember these bags I made for Kasi and Brandi to trick or treat with?

Well, the girls loved them, and they worked so well! They held a whole lot of candy.

The best part for me was all the compliments the girls got on them. I mean, who doesn't love hearing that something they made is beautiful.

I think next year I have to come up with a manly version for Ryan...that's if he even wants to go with us. I mean, he will be almost 15 by then...

Trick Or Treating Through Town

This was our motley crew doing the trick or treat thing on Friday. My little monster, for those who don't know, is the one with the pink hair. They had so much fun going from store to store, begging for treats. I was just glad it didn't rain.

I can't say the same about tonight, though.

Happy Halloween ~ Twilight Style!

I have been reading an "unofficial" Twilight related book. The version I am reading picks up five years after Edward left Bella in the woods (you know...the beginning of New Moon) just minus warewolves. IT is geared towards adults and not teens, and let me just say...I am not into those types of books, but OMG! I can't stop reading! If you are interested, I will send you the link, after asking my friend if I can.

Let's just say I haven't really slept the past two nights...and it's so worth it!

Ryan's Birthday Cake

I didn't make this cake; my mom did. Isn't it adorable?

You can't see it good in the picture, but it has fondant leaves on top, and a snickers as the stem. The eyes, nose, and mouth are chocolate chips.

Let me tell you...not only did it look good, but it was DELICIOUS!

Thanks mom!

Kasi's Trick Or Treat Bag

I finally finished Kasi's bag for Halloween.

I LOVE that I decided to put the almost furry ring around the top.

I think it looks awesome!

She wanted her name on it, like Boo's, but I just couldn't do it. Brandi's nickname fit with Halloween, Kasi's doesn't.

She saw it this morning and said she loves it.

That's what it's all about, folks. Making the kids happy.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

I made these today. Last night I put peanut butter on the pretzels, and stuck them in the fridge to harden. This morning I put them in the molds and covered them with the chocolate. The only thing that stinks is that I didn't read the package, and this black chocolate is actually vanilla flavored, not chocolate. I tasted one, though, and they are still pretty good. They don't look pretty, but it's more important how they taste, right???

Trick Or Treat, Twitter Style

Halloween is just a few weeks away, and preparations are in full swing at our house. As I have mentioned before, we celebrate Ryan's birthday with a big Halloween party. Add that to all the candy the kids get when they actually trick or treat, and we are swimming in not so healthy junk food. I am seriously thinking of filling the party pinata with fruit snacks and crackers instead of chocolate and gummie candies. I was also reading about these pretty cool little shelf stable milks that can be given out to trick or treaters, and it's all part of Trick Or Treat Me, a program geared towards keeping kids healthy. That link also leads you to a bunch of cute lunch ideas for kids from Robin Miller.

On a somewhat related note, you can also help Tetra Pak make a $30,000 donation to the World Wildlife Fund by playing Trick Or Treat Me on Twitter. All you have to do is send a "trick" or a "treat" to a friend on Twitter, and for each Tweet you send, Tetra Pak will donate $.10, until they reach their $30,000 goal. I am not a big Tweeter. I haven't really taken the time to learn about it, so I am still pretty confused about the whole thing. But, sending these trick or treats is relatively easy, so I am pretty sure even someone like me can do it.

So tell me...do you deserve a trick or a treat?

Not Done Yet

I started crocheting Brandi's Halloween Trick or Treat beg. I put "BOO" on it, which can mean two things...Boo, like her nickname, or BOO, like what a ghost says. I am making it black and white, with a ribbon handle, so even after Halloween, she can use it. Here's the "BOO":

I will post more pictures when it is completely done. I am also trying to finish a baby blanket for my sister's shower next weekend...we'll see how close I get! lol!

I Have An Idea...Now To Figure Out How To Do It

I was walking around Walmart with the girls yesterday, and Brandi noticed the trick or treat bags. They have the well known pumpkins, and then some plastic bags that looked like they wouldn't even hold a 1/4 pound of candy without ripping. Every year we end up dumping the kids bags a couple of times during trick or treating, because they never hold all the candy.

I think I can solve these problems by crocheting a bag for each kid. I have the idea of exactly what I want in my head, I just need to get it down on paper.

Wish me luck, and keep an eye out for pictures!

Let's Dress Up

When you think of costumes, do you automatically think of Halloween? I know I do. Most of you know we make a big deal out of Halloween at my house. Not because we worship the devil or anything like that, but because Ryan's birthday is right around that time, and he likes to have a costume party. It's getting easier to come up with Kids Halloween Costumes, because we have been doing this for a couple of years now. I like to get a head start with the planning, although talking about this in January is a little crazy.

This time of year, you might want to look at Sexy Halloween Costumes. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, you might want to dress a little sexy for your man. Heck, you might be one of those couples who likes to role play. I know my husband would flip if I walked into the bedroom all dressed up. He doesn't need to get his hopes up, though, because I am not that brave. Maybe when I finally lose some of this weight...

For now, I will keep looking for costumes for the kids. I think Ryan said something about wanting to be scary and bloody this year. Thankfully I have Brandi, who still wants to dress as a princess.

Let's Dress Up

When I think of dressing up in a costume, I immediately think of Halloween Costumes. However, there are many other reasons to purchase a costume. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to try and find some Cupid costumes. I was able to find one, and it is pretty funny looking. I could just see my husband putting it on and prancing around the house. Okay, maybe not, but that would be funny to see.

Costumehub.com has a large variety of kids costumes as well as adult costumes. I know when we had the kids birthday party in October, we tried hard to find them the costumes they wanted. We looked locally in the stores, but every store carried the same costumes. There was nothing different for them to wear so they could stand out from their friends. This site has just about everything you could be looking for. I would love to be able to shop early for next Halloween. I know we'll throw another party, and maybe this year I'll dress up. For the past two years I have thrown on a pair of ears and called myself a mouse or a cat. I need something different and fun this year. I know it's only January, but if I could find the perfect costume now, that would be one less thing I have to worry about in October. Besides, right now I have the extra money to spend. Who knows if I'll have anything extra come Halloween.

Ryan's Birthday Cake