MORE SWEETS....

I've always been fascinated with gingerbread houses around Christmas time, but ever since I was a little monster, I always wanted to make a Haunted Gingerbread House! Maybe this year I'll finally do it!

If you want to get some great inspiration, check out Cake Central! These guys really know what they're doing....and it looks so fun!

If you decide to make a cake or use gingerbread, I think you're haunted house is gonna be sweet!

But if you're up to the challenge.... follow these step by step instructions to make your gingerbread house truly Spook-Tacular!

SWEETS FOR THE SWEET

One of the things mummys and daddys have to deal with at Halloween is what to do with all that candy!

Well, talk about some crafty ideas.... why not gather up all the sweets that you don't want the little monsters munching on, and make something fun like one of these Halloween Candy Wreaths!

All you'll need is a base for the wreath (styrafoam, grapevine or even straw would work) a hot glue gun, maybe some Halloween colored ribbons, plastic spiders and lots of candy!

Just lay the candy pieces out in the design you like, then add a dab of hot glue to the back of each piece, then glue in place. Repeat until the wreath is filled in.

I love the look of the candy corn, but keep in mind, it can get a bit tedious gluing all those little candies, in such a perfect pattern.

The wrapped candy wreath looks fun and festive, and can be done in half the time, so this would be an easier project for the kiddies to help with, just be extra careful with the hot glue and little fingers...

To complete the look, hot glue on a big spider and some other creepy crawlies and you're ready to hang your sweet creation!

KIDS CRAFT PROJECT

I get lots of questions for easy craft projects for the little monsters, and here's a festive project that isn't too difficult. I found it on this really fun site called Kaboose.com! 

This bewitching witch's hat makes a great table decoration for your Halloween party, and is super easy for little goblin fingers to make.

What you'll need:
2 sheets of black construction paper
1 sheet felt (green, orange, purple, or red)
Strip of black felt
White craft glue
Scissors (use safety scissors for the kiddos!)
Tape

How to make it:
1. Roll 1 sheet of black paper into a cone. Secure with tape (see image).
2. Trim the bottom of the cone so that it will stand up on the table.
3. Use a cup or jar as a guide and cut out a circle from black paper large enough for the hat brim.
4. Glue the cone to the circle and set aside to dry (see image).
5. Cut ¼” or ½” strips of felt and glue them around the cone.
6. Cut a strip of black felt to go around the base of the cone.
7. If you like, cut a bat out of black felt and glue to your hat.

Tips:

• Buy construction paper at the dollar store for plenty of fun projects.
• Felt is inexpensive so stock up on 5 or 6 sheets each time you go to the store.
• Traditional Halloween colors include black, orange, purple, red and green. However, you can use whatever colors you like for this project!

Check out Kaboose.com for more great craft ideas!

DEVINE INSPIRATION

You know, when you have Halloween on the brain as much as I do, you can't help but find everyday things that reflect your love of all things spooky.... anytime of the year!

Check this out from fab.com. Wouldn't these funky plastic chairs be the perfect place for your guests to sit and rest their bones at your Halloween bash? Or how fun would these be to have at this year's family bar-b-que?

I'll take 13.....

FREAKY FRIDAY

After almost two months of no rain...we got it good yesterday! Finally! We had severe lightning and thunderstorms and lots of rain.

Love the rain... and the cracks of thunder lasted well into the nite! We even got another down-pour this morning about 6 am! It would be a good, dark and dreary day to stay home and have a "Munsters Marathon"!

Who's with me????? I'll make Bloody Mary's.......

Happy Friday!

OH BABY!

You know Halloween is right around the corner, so if you think you're just gonna whip-up a fabulous costume for the kiddos overnight....guess again!

How many times have you heard me say....start planning NOW!

Well, this is one of those times.... babies and toddler costumes aren't too difficult, but if you have a specific idea in mind, you want it to be as perfect as it can be...so you don't want to put it off!

Check out some of these amazing ideas that I found floating around on the web.....

For more great costume ideas for kids of all ages, check out Kaboose!

'TIS THE SEASON

With only 72 days until the Spookiest Day of the Year, I loooooooove seeing all the magazines in the racks that are filled with ideas for projects and recipes for Halloween!

My wonderful hubby got this for me, when he made a stop at the grocery store yesterday, and I've already read it from cover to cover!

This issue is filled with great recipes and ideas, so make sure you pick one up!

I think I may try out a few of these recipes this weekend, and remember...it's NEVER too early to start planning!