Goblins, bats, black cats, and cheeky puns, something spooky is in the air and it’s Halloween! Every Halloween gathering needs a spooky Halloween dinner and I’ve scoured the Internet to find you the best Halloween dinner ideas for your fantastic Halloween party.
What a cute and easy spin on pinwheels! Definitely kid friendly and when paired with a cute jack-o-lantern or monster you’ve got the most adorable Halloween dinner.
Add a little crescent dough, a hot dog, some mustard eyes and you’ve got a really cute Halloween dinner on a stick! Make these while you go out around the block collecting your treats or spice things up and use different seasoned hot dog varieties.
Ever the perfect party planner, my girl Britni, at Play Party Plan dishes up a fun and creative make your own jack-o-lantern pizza party idea with her mini pizza pumpkins.
My daughter loves fish sticks and she’d be down for these adorable Fish Stick Mummies. Perfect way to get the kids to have a little protein with their Halloween dinner.
How cute are these little ghost sandwiches? I love them and I think my kids would get a kick getting these for Halloween lunch.
Okay I’m all ready to go with these Halloween meal ideas now. I’m definitely going to plan a perfect Halloween shin-dig. Maybe I’ll invite the kids or maybe I’ll do a moms only party! Now that would be fun.
As the creator of the lifestyle blog and book, Me Before Mom, Bert supports millennial moms facing the challenges and changes of motherhood. Me Before Mom is an online community that offers support through real life stories, encouraging advice, and answers to questions about how a woman maintains herself during this self-sacrificial time of parenthood. Stories from Bert Anderson have helped women across the globe through the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, and on the Harry show. Whether weathering the first year of motherhood or walking through the later stages of motherhood, Bert has helped many continue to find herself while still in the throes of motherhood. Purchase your copy of Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First today!
Pumpkin carving has come a long way since I was a kid. Seriously, I had your standard upside down triangle eyes and jagged Jack-o-Lantern Grin; nothing fancy and certainly nothing that would be considered photo or Pinterest-worthy. With the introduction of stencils and cool DIY carving kits. carving that orange gourd into a masterpiece can be at the very tip of your fingers. Since we love Disney, almost to a fault, I felt like we had to do a little round-up of the best Disney pumpkin carving ideas on the web! Need some Halloween costume inspiration for you, Mom? Halloween Costumes for Moms
Disney Pumpkin Carving Ideas with Stencils
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What kind of tools should you use to carve the best pumpkin?
You’re going to need some special tools for a lot of these Disney pumpkin carving stencils. I’ve made a list of the tools you need to carve your pumpkins so it’s easy peasy!
EXEEO Pumpkin Carving Kit – This was the highest consumer rate kit on Amazon. I looked at how many reviews there were and this one is it.
Sandpaper – Some of the pumpkin carving stencils require sandpaper.
With the 25th anniversary edition of Disney’s HOCUS POCUS released I could not pass up these fun nods to my favorite Halloween movie of all time! I just got the brand new Blu-ray and let me tell you it is full of fun bonus features – like original theatrical film and the We ♥︎ Hocus Pocus: Trivia and Treats Edition, featuring pop up video extras including fun facts, trivia, deleted scenes, cast and crew commentary, and behind-the-scenes secrets. I can’t wait to show my kids! According to Red Box, HOCUS POCUS is number one as the favorite family friendly Halloween movie when they polled 1,200 members of their customer panel.
Since HOCUS POCUS is Disney and it’s a big anniversary year, I just had to find the best pumpkin carving stencil out there to celebrate! This one is a cute Winnifred emoji from Disney Family. If you do a search on Google you can find more Hocus Pocus theme stencils, however, you have to pay for those. Click here to download the stencil and here to buy your copy of HOCUS POCUS.
Nightmare Before Christmas
There’s something so charming about THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It will always make me think of my little sister, she loved the film more than I did. I’ve grown to appreciate it and going to Disneyland during Halloween made me love it even more! With the 25th anniversary edition of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS out, I wanted to pay homage to the characters of the film with these stencils.
In the new NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 25th anniversary edition audiences get to experience “The Nightmare Before Christmas” two different ways: the original, full-length film, in which the holidays collide with chaotic and comical consequences, and all-new sing-along mode, which includes pop-up lyrics to 11 unforgettable songs like “What’s This” and “This Is Halloween.” The Multi-Screen Edition of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” includes a Blu-ray and Digital Code giving viewers the flexibility to watch the film on different devices.
What’s your favorite way to carve your family’s pumpkin? Do you like to use stencils or are you the kind of person who can just freehand something spectacular? Or should I say something spooktacular?!
As the creator of the lifestyle blog and book, Me Before Mom, Bert supports millennial moms facing the challenges and changes of motherhood. Me Before Mom is an online community that offers support through real life stories, encouraging advice, and answers to questions about how a woman maintains herself during this self-sacrificial time of parenthood. Stories from Bert Anderson have helped women across the globe through the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, and on the Harry show. Whether weathering the first year of motherhood or walking through the later stages of motherhood, Bert has helped many continue to find herself while still in the throes of motherhood. Purchase your copy of Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First today!
I love the fall and I especially love fall snacks, specifically apple snacks! I’ve looked throughout the internet and found some of the absolute best fall snack ideas around. Plus I’m sharing with you one of my favorite fall snacks – Caramel Apple Pudding.
Fall Snacks You’ll Love Plus Super Easy Homemade Caramel Apple Pudding
I love caramel apples but honestly, the sticky mess drives me crazy. When I happened upon this recipe for an easy snack idea, Caramel Apple Pudding, I knew I had to try it. It’s an easy crowd pleaser that kids and adults will love this fall. You can use Caramel Apple Pudding at your next tailgate for a little something sweet, use it as a dip for some cinnamon sugar graham crackers, or a sweet after school snack.
Ingredients:
1 package of Butterscotch Pudding Mix
1 can of Crushed Pineapples
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip
4 large Apples
Step by Step:
Start by skinning and dicing up 4 large apple. You can use red or green.
In a large mixing bowl add your cool whip and pudding mix together.
Mix on high with a hand mixer until well blended and smooth.
These are so easy to make and the absolute perfect after school snack during those crisp fall days, don’t you think? Check out Cinnamon Apple Bites right here.
Doesn’t this look so tasty? I can see my kids loving this pumpkin cheesecake dip for an after school fall snack! You can get the recipe here at The Farm Girl Gabs.
I just about died when I saw these adorable pumpkin patch inspired pudding cups from Arts & Crackers. She says she’s the original creator of this recipe so you know if you want authenticity, gotta go with the OG. You can get the recipe here.
It’s never even dawned on me to make my own fruit bars but after reading the recipe over at The Simple Balance Blog I’m kind of excited to try. You can get the recipe for these fall snacks here!
My friend, Sarah, from Savoring the Good, always has great recipes that not only taste good but are also easy to make. She calls this recipe her scholarship winning Refrigerator Apple Raisin Bran Muffins and you can get the recipe for this award winning snack here.
This is such a simple recipe for fall snacks but the outcome is just downright adorable. Apples, caramel popcorn, chocolate chips and frosting? You’ve got yourself a fabulous snack for that fall day! Click here to try it out.
She had me at kettle corn! I love kettle corn, the sweet and salty combination hits the spot! You have one of the best snacks in the world – kettle corn – and then you add the quintessential fall snack candy corn, mix it with a little some cinnamon and chocolate covered peanuts, you’ve got yourself some pretty wicked witches brew! For the recipe click here.
My kids love smoothies so this is one of the most perfect fall snacks for them! It’s really easy to make and is pretty healthy. Find the recipe here at Savor the Thyme.
These are so cute and would be perfect for that fall festival party, don’t you think? The easy things are often the most successful which is what you’ll find with this Snack Pack Candy Corn Pudding Parfait from Play Party Plan.
Be sure to save this roundup so you can make all the fun fall snacks that I found. Which one are you the most excited to try?
As the creator of the lifestyle blog and book, Me Before Mom, Bert supports millennial moms facing the challenges and changes of motherhood. Me Before Mom is an online community that offers support through real life stories, encouraging advice, and answers to questions about how a woman maintains herself during this self-sacrificial time of parenthood. Stories from Bert Anderson have helped women across the globe through the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, and on the Harry show. Whether weathering the first year of motherhood or walking through the later stages of motherhood, Bert has helped many continue to find herself while still in the throes of motherhood. Purchase your copy of Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First today!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I like Halloween almost as much as the next gal but can I level with you? I hate the scary images that are plastered all over. There’s a giant billboard on the highway by my house that we drive by every time we have to head in to the Twin Cities. What is it? It’s this horrid, scary clown, that my three-year-old asks about every time we drive by:
See?! SCARY! Halloween is fun; I love getting dressed up as much as the next girl but there is a scary side to Halloween that you may find yourself needing to navigate this year with your children. How do you do that though? How do you convey to your child that there isn’t a boogie man, that scary clown is an actor with face paint wearing a costume?
How to teach children to overcome fears during Halloween?
I was such a fearful child. I was scared of everything and pretty much anything that I saw. I had an overactive imagination (no surprise there, right? I’m a writer after all.) and everything I saw felt incredibly real. Here are some of the ways I’ve tried to help my kids with the scary things they’re seeing this time of the year.
1. Explain how movies whether they’re live action or animated work.
There is great power in knowledge isn’t there? When I take the time to sit down with my children and say, “Hey, here’s how they made it look like Dory was swimming in the water” not only does it show them that not everything that is seen is real but it also gives them the power to see an image, like a scary clown, and remember that it is only a man or woman in a costume. My three-year-old doesn’t continually remember this when she sees the billboard, however, with some prompting she remembers that it is a man dressed up just like when she puts on her sister’s play make-up.
Some great books and shows to help aid you in explaining real vs pretend are:
Lucy is afraid of dogs, Josh doesn’t like to go in the pool, Dan doesn’t want the nurse to touch his bruised knee, and Ben is afraid to go on stage in front of people. Follow along as these friends learn that when something scares them, they can take a deep breath and feel brave enough to get through their ordeals.
The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?
Can you tell the truth from a tall tale? Spot a phony photo a mile away? Figure out a fib in five seconds flat? Put your amateur detective skills to work in this fun and wacky book. See if the truth triumphs as you encounter suspicious stories, fishy facts, lying lists, and more. You’ll also learn about history’s greatest hoaxes, secrets behind a good fake, internet urban legends, plus bonus information that will leave you second-guessing everything you’ve ever read. Complete with awesome photos and hilarious collage art, this is one book that you have to read to believe…or not!
2. Bring your faith into it.
This is by far the biggest help for me when I’m trying to empower my children to tackle their fears. I talk about our Christian faith. It’s simple and I feel like sometimes as parents, especially if faith if part of your life, we forget how powerful our relationship with God can be in helping explain the world to our children. When talking about the scary clown she sees on the highway my three-year-old has also been talking about ghosts, a lot. She was watching some Mickey Mouse Halloween show and they told ghost stories that had a ghost or two in it. Ever since then she’s fearful of ghosts.
I’ve been telling her that she doesn’t need to be afraid because God will protect her. I’ve caught her a few times telling her toys the same things I say, “Jesus protects you. Don’t be afraid.” My favorite Christian media for kids is Veggie Tales. It’s funny and really easy to follow. If you’re familiar with the show you probably can guess that I’m going to bring up the episode “Where’s God When I’m Scared?” Yep, I pull this one out annually for my littles and you should too!
3. Be more aware of the sounds and images your child is taking in during this time of year.
Some people like the feeling of fear and the adrenaline rush that comes with it. There are going to be more commercials out there for scary events like haunted houses, haunted hayrides, etc. Be mindful of what your children are watching on TV. There are more ads for horror movies this time of year too. Be smart. If you’re a streaming family like we are this isn’t too difficult to monitor. If you have the ability to DVR your child’s favorite shows maybe this time of the year you do that so that you can ensure they aren’t going to see something that will make them scared. If they do see something scary, talk about it. When my youngest was starting her ghost fear I sat down and asked her what she was seeing that was a ghost. After a few minutes I figured out that she was seeing shadows. Then we had a quick lesson on shadows. I made a bunny for her and a butterfly, we talked about how we make shadows. Remember, there’s power in knowledge.
Hopefully this helps curb some of those fears your child may come up with this time of the year. The best thing you can do is empower your child to understand that world around them.
What tips do you have for helping your child overcome fears?
As the creator of the lifestyle blog and book, Me Before Mom, Bert supports millennial moms facing the challenges and changes of motherhood. Me Before Mom is an online community that offers support through real life stories, encouraging advice, and answers to questions about how a woman maintains herself during this self-sacrificial time of parenthood. Stories from Bert Anderson have helped women across the globe through the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, and on the Harry show. Whether weathering the first year of motherhood or walking through the later stages of motherhood, Bert has helped many continue to find herself while still in the throes of motherhood. Purchase your copy of Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First today!
I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween. I hate all of the scary TV ads, movie previews, and creepy decorations. I love the colors (orange! It’s my favorite color!), the candy (hello Fun Size!), and the costumes. The tricks; every year when I lived in Germany the fountains of the villages our bus route drove through were full of soap suds from tricks done the night before. The treats; nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!! There’s one question I have though…
Because I profess to believe in Christ this holiday has always felt like one I should like in hiding. It’s not because of anything that I’ve heard in a church, rather, it’s the voices of the disapproving that seem to speak louder in my head. Is it because I feel guilty? Not necessarily. To be honest I’m quite the people-pleaser and being a military kid I’ve figured out how to fit into different social settings quickly. After all, I had to in order to survive moving schools every two to three years.
Christianity vs. Halloween: Yes, there’s a dark side to Halloween. I choose to ignore it. There’s a dark side to anything when you look close enough at it. We live in a broken world, a sinful world, and as much as I would like to hide my face from it there is evil in this world. I have two options:
I can remove my children from ever having to see the dark side of the world; hoping, instead, that they’ll naturally shy away from it when they’re grown. Maybe they will because they’ve stayed away from it their entire life? Maybe they’ll rebel at the chance of freedom? Who knows?
I can guide them through life, allowing them to see the dark sides, but teaching them the Way and the Truth. When they’re grown the outcome will be the same as it would if I had sheltered them. They will either stay true to the course, only, I hope it would be because of knowledge and belief rather than fear of the unknown. Or they’ll rebel at the chance of freedom, deciding instead to take a different path.
For our family, we choose the latter and this is why we do participate in Halloween. Rather than live in fear, anxiously hoping that protecting our children from the evil that’s present in this world will be enough, my husband and I choose to prepare them. It’s our duty as parents to help them become capable adults, fully informed and ready to live in the world. We do live in this world and while our faith calls us to not be of it we do have to still exist in it. If there’s one thing that I have learned in 31 years of life it’s that you have no control over anything. Try as I may to control and dictate outcomes, it never happens. I am not in control nor will I ever be in control. God is sovereign; the control is His. Trusting in Him to protect my children while I prepare them to live in a corrupt world is all that I can do. It’s all I must do.
Plus, Halloween is a fun holiday. Some of my best childhood memories are from planning my Halloween costume starting in August to seeing it to fulfillment on October 31st. Will I dress my children up in witch costumes or ghosts? No, I won’t and that’s because of my own personal belief. I will also discourage them from choosing costumes that are murderous, malicious looking, too sexy or showcase that evil that is present in this world. I will, however, encourage them to think of a fun costume, something that reflects that childhood innocence that is often lost at such an early age. That is how we’ll celebrate…oh and candy, lots and lots of candy!!
Whether you love Halloween for the simple fun or you love a good scare I sincerely hope this Halloween has brought fun memories to you and your kiddos! Happy Halloween!!
Do you celebrate? Why or why not?
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As the creator of the lifestyle blog and book, Me Before Mom, Bert supports millennial moms facing the challenges and changes of motherhood. Me Before Mom is an online community that offers support through real life stories, encouraging advice, and answers to questions about how a woman maintains herself during this self-sacrificial time of parenthood. Stories from Bert Anderson have helped women across the globe through the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, and on the Harry show. Whether weathering the first year of motherhood or walking through the later stages of motherhood, Bert has helped many continue to find herself while still in the throes of motherhood. Purchase your copy of Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First today!
