Tag: Halloween

Jack o’ Oranges Saved My Dignity. . . Okay, That’s an Exaggeration

Jack o’ Oranges Saved My Dignity. . . Okay, That’s an Exaggeration

jackOoranges

After an epic fail in the Halloween school snack category, I decided to give a go at these quick jack o’ lantern Mandarin orange snack packs. Okay so let’s face it, I didn’t have time to give anything else a try before the preschool party, so I was delighted that these little fun-faced treats were a breeze to complete.

I bought several four-packs of the Mandarin oranges (peaches work great also) at my grocery store and dug out my black Sharpie to draw on faces. The store brand cost about $2.20 per four individual containers; but unfortunately the “best by” date was also stamped smack dab on top of the seals. Although the dates showed up more in my photos than real life, you might want to shop for a brand that prints the freshness info along the side.

The preschoolers didn’t seem overly impressed with this tasty (and healthy) treat, but they also didn’t seem too impressed with any of the other cute little spooky treats that decorated their party plates. Of course as long as the kudos are being passed around between the parents, it’s all good. Right?

Less is More Between Now and New Year

Less is More Between Now and New Year

1607369829_a6bfadb75aI always think of October as the gateway to the new year, probably because as soon as I start decorating for Halloween it seems like January before I’ve had much time to register even another thought.

I spruce up the homestead for Halloween, take it all down in a day, add a few fallish touches just in time for Thanksgiving, travel, eat, shop, deck the halls (and the living room, bathrooms, front porch and basement) for Christmas, celebrate multiple times, travel some more, eat some more, return items I shopped for during the last month and a half (or week and a half, depending on how far behind I happen to be), welcome in the new year, make resolutions I never intend to keep, and take down all the decking while promising myself to keep it simple the next year. Yikes, it makes me tired just thinking about it!

So where does it all go awry? Since I’m looking for a scapegoat, I’m going to go with this — Pinterest and HGTV. How dare they fill my brain with so many incredibly wonderful projects to make, dishes to bake and 1001 uses for toilet paper rolls. “If I was Super Mom, I could do this. If I was Wife of the Year I could do that. If I was The Hostess with the Mostess, I could do it all. . .” but in the end, I’m usually just left feeling a bit deflated and completely exhausted by all the half-executed “thises” and “thats” that I impossibly tried to cram into an already full, and fulfilling, life.

So here’s a challenge to myself and all you awesome moms, wives and friends who subscribe to the over doing, over making, and over decorating way of life: step back, simplify and enjoy your family between now and the new year. Pare down a bit on the projects, enjoy some beautiful Fall walks, make some simple homemade decorations with the kids, and invite some friends over for quiet conversation and a few good laughs instead of planning an all-out party; all the while knowing that you could have done more, oh so much more, but you chose not to and it’s all good.

photo credit: Autumn is indeed… via photopin (license)

Saturday Sparks — Pumpkin Panache

Saturday Sparks — Pumpkin Panache

TipTreat2014

Yes, it’s Saturday. . . again.  I wonder how many shopping weekends we have before Christmas. No wait, don’t tell me, because I don’t think I want to know. Besides, we’re talking about Halloween all this month and today is about our favorite vegetable of the season — pumpkins.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m not a big fan of actually eating these plump round veggies (hence the lack of pumpkin recipes), but I do love decorating with them. The almost unlimited variety of shapes, colors and sizes means you can probably find a spot for these veggies in almost any room around the house (inside or out).

Real or faux it doesn’t matter with today’s pumpkin post, but we’re talking decorative pumpkin panache, not jack o’ lantern love (that will come as a whole other spark). So here’s to pumpkins and a bit of inspiration. I hope you enjoy the show.

 

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