Happy Halloween!

I wanted to wish everyone a SAFE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Thanks for reading!! I'm exhausted to the MAX. It was one of those days where you wake up and you can't wait until it is time to go to sleep at the end of the day! Have a great holiday weekend!  It has been a crazy month and even a crazier week! I need to take care of my health and get some serious R&R!!

Glow in the Dark Spiders {Kid's Craft}

That Martha! I saw this craft from her last year,  or a few years ago, on her show....This year I was watching Martha on Demand  -the Halloween episodes- with my kids- and when they saw these spiders they really wanted to make them!

We found everything we needed at the dollar store. Two spiders cost about $4 and you have a lot of leftover glow sticks to use for Halloween! (and you have some leftover Styrofoam balls too)

How to Make a Glow in the Dark Spider
Supplies:
Styrofoam balls (one large and one small for each spider)
glow sticks-the bracelet kind
necklace glow sticks (one for each spider)
Instructions:
1. Make a hole in the large ball, in which you will insert the necklace glow stick. The ones I bought were whistles, and we just cut the whistle part off.
2. Leave some of the stick out, and put the smaller Styrofoam ball on that end to make the head.
3. Next add 8 glow sticks for legs. Break the sticks and get them glowing, and then insert one end in the spider's body.
4. Let your child play with the spider, or hang it up in a dark place for a decoration.

Obviously,this craft is not for little one who still sticks everything in their mouths. :) 

My boys loved these! I am sure we will make these again in the future. (see- one of them added his glow stick bracelet to the spider :))

I heard a TRICK for re-using glow sticks. If you put them in the freezer, supposedly, you can re-use them later. I'm going to try it and I'll let you know if it works!

Happy Halloween!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from a Cake Mix

So everyone...probably knows this recipe already. But if you don't here it is! I actually made it twice this week, and then I was talking to my mom today, and she made it twice this week too!

And if you are familiar with my recipes for sweet treats... I use a cake mix- - a lot☺

This particular recipe/method came from Weight Watchers.(I worked for them for about 5 years....and maybe if I was a good girl I would be at my "goal weight" right now....ha ha- I'll get there someday again :))

THE BEST thing about this recipe is that they are almost fat free-which means less calories per cookie but not less taste-since these are really good and only take a few minutes to make.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from a Cake Mix

1 spice cake mix OR 1 yellow cake mix

If you use a yellow cake mix, I add 2-3 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice. (I make my own pumpkin pie spice following this recipe here)

1 small can pumpkin (15 oz size)

1 cup chocolate chips or more if you like

Mix together

Spray your pan with PAM.

Drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. The cookies will be soft. Leave on cookie sheet for a few minutes. This recipe makes about 2 -3 dozen.

Store in air tight container.

I have a bunch of pumpkin recipes....this is the one I make at 11 p.m. when I want pumpkin and chocolate but don't want to clean up the kitchen afterwards....you know, that baking mess!

ENJOY!

My Favorite Halloween Treats {you can make} from the Archives

Here are a few of my favorite Halloween treats (from the archives) that you can make.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

                                                               Caramel Apple Salad

Pumpkin Pretzels

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

     Homemade Snickers Bars

                                        Muffin Tin Meals- Halloween Dinner

There are lots more in the archives- and even more goodies out in blogland.
What fun recipes do you have for Halloween?

My Halloween Quiet Book

I had 2 Halloween projects I wanted to do this year: a small quiet activity book- just for fun-(not like we need one)- and a small quilt. Well I finally finished this one! And it is NOT perfect people. It is well, done pretty fast, no patterns, no measuring, just kind of well... finished! That is all that matters at this point- since Halloween is like- in a week! oops... I just want to move right to Christmas this year- since I never have enough time for that stuff :)

Here are a few of my favorite pages-(sorry no patterns or templates- but feel free to copy from my photos!)

I used tulle and pom-poms sewn together onto a piece of ribbon, for bats. The googley eyes are hot glued on.  The bats hide in the cave as seen below:

And here are most of the other pages:

1. Ghost BOO page- flap lifts up to reveal ghosts.

2. Jack-O-Lantern face velcros on and off - and maybe sometime I'll make more faces for it :)

3. Halloween Night- I was going to cut this up and make it a puzzle, but after sewing all the pieces on, I decided they can just stare at it instead. (ha ha)

4. Spider Web Page (my favorite) I used ribbon and tulle to make a spider web and just sewed in a circle to attach it- and felt scraps around the edges...and the spider is made with ribbon and moves up and down on the dotted ribbon. All pieces are sewed on except for the eyes- which are hot glued.

5. Trick-or-Treat Bag- needs some lettering on the front still, and has felt candies that go in and out of the bag.

6. The Bat Cave page as seen and explained above

And below is the spider page again.

I just sort of sewed without a plan.......you know how that can be- sometimes it works and sometimes it is another story. This time...it all worked.

To make the pages: I did measure this part: I cut 3 pieces that were 9 by 17 inches  (I used an old sheet) and then cut the same size of warm-n-natural batting. This will make 6 pages. I did not make pages on the back- but backed the pages with a cute Halloween fabric.

When all my pages were finished, I stacked them up and sewed right down the middle. When you fold it on the stitching, it makes a book. I bound the edges before sewing all the pages together, and added some ribbon closure.

I really enjoy these projects but they are a lot of work!

Here are two other cute quiet books:

Halloween Quiet Book Pattern and Kit from Everyday Celebrations

Halloween Peek-a-Boo book from Oopsey Daisy

Both of these are adorable!! Let's just say- I need some kind of cutting machine! Santa, please bring me one :)

Happy Halloween!

Look What I did with a Leaf! (crafting with kids and storytime)

Here is a fun creative nature activity you can do with your kids. I did this with my preschoolers, and they had a lot of fun, but they were a bit young to be able to do it independently. I used to do this with my second graders, and they could do this without help. So depending on the age of your child, you may have to give them lots of help or just a little.

First we gathered leaves of all shapes and sizes. We looked at the shapes, sizes, colors, and textures of the leaves. 

Next we read and looked at the pictures in the book Look What I did with a Leaf.

We each decided on a leaf creature that we wanted to make. Most of the girls, picked butterflies.... :)

With the preschoolers, I had to help  some them with leaf sizes and placement.

After our leaves were glued down, we placed something heavy on top of them to help flatten the leaves. The kids really enjoyed this and it was fun to explore leaves and turn them into a small piece of art too!

Pumpkin Pudding Bread {or Muffins}

 This pumpkin recipe is delicious. Another recipe from another sister-in-law-- they all have the best recipes!  These can be made into bread or muffins. I made these back in August and September....um...yep...just getting around to sharing them with you.  (sorry but that is the way it goes sometimes...)
I have another recipe for my favorite pumpkin bread I'll share later, but this one comes in second. And is it just where I live, or has everyone been having a hard time finding canned pumpkin in the store?? I have been searching all year, and then learned there was a pumpkin shortage, well now that is is available again, I'm stocking up! I love everything pumpkin :)

Pumpkin Pudding Bread/Muffins

5 eggs

1 1/4 cups canola, vegetable oil (or applesauce for lowfat version) ** I do 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil

1 can (15 oz) canned solid pack pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 packages (small size) cook-n-serve vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix

**this is the mix, not the made pudding. I prefer the butterscotch, but the recipe calls for vanilla. Do not use instant pudding! Make sure it is cook-n-serve.

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (**I add a little more)

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the oil (or applesauce) and pumpkin, beating until smooth. Combine the other ingredients, and beat into pumpkin mixture gradually.

Pour in greased loaf or muffin tins.  Make sure you leave room for it to rise. For bread, bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. For muffins, bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Each oven varies, so check often - to make sure you do not over or under bake.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Allow to cool completely. (although I usually can't wait for that!) ☺

Want to make this into a sweeter treat? Add some cream cheese frosting! YUM-O!

Back from Disneyland

Home. As fun as traveling and Disneyland and the beach can be, coming home is always nice.

Minus the 25 loads of laundry that has to be done.

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip.

Love it.

Now is someone can give me some good help with digital scrapbooking...it has been a while and I am rather rusty. I could really use some good resources with tutes for photoshop too... :) so if you have some- please share and I'll love you forever and ever. I've got lots of fun photos to play with after this Disney shin-dig.

Happy Weekend!

I have a few Halloween projects to complete...hoping I get some time. :)

Thanks for reading!

Happiest Place, Happiest People....

 At the Happiest Place...

With a few of my favorite Happiest People....

oh and 60,000 other happy people.

Thank goodness for RIDEMAX!

Make your own Disney T-Shirts

This month, we are taking our children to DISNEYLAND for the first time ever! I am so excited!

And as you know- if you have been there- things cost a small fortune. (if it really is the "Happiest Place on Earth", things should really be more affordable, don't you think??)

Anyway- so I finally made some t-shirts-

using white t-shirts, following the instructions for using Inkjet iron-on t-shirt transfer.

yes, people...I might craft...but I have never used this stuff. I know- crazy.

And I love it! I am using it for everything! You simply print the image from your computer and iron it on your shirt. Couldn't be easier.

I think these are cute Disney shirts...not crazy- tacky-like the others they have . :)

 t-shirt image I used  found here

Happy Fall!

Mini Caramel Apple Pies

OK this is so YUMMY and so SIMPLE. It is a perfect recipe to have kids help you with! And if you read my blog regularly- and my Sweets on Sunday posts- you know I love using a cake mix :) It sure simplifies things-when you need things to be simple, because your darn sweet tooth can't wait- ha ha.

MINI CARAMEL APPLE PIES:

(ingredients are in bold)

1. Spray muffin tins with Pam butter spray. (want to make it richer- add a little bit of butter to each tin...)

2. Add about 2-4 tablespoons applesauce. Cover the bottom of each tin -about 1/4 inch.

3. Add a few pieces of chopped and peeled apple. I put about 2-3 pieces- about the size of a quarter.

4. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup yellow cake mix. I just put it on and left some space at the top of each one. I didn't measure. Just poured some on top. You can really add as much as you like. NOTE: This is a dry cake mix- as in straight from the box- nothing added.

5. Top with a little pat of butter or margarine and some cinnamon & sugar.

6. To make these into caramel apple pies, not just apple pies, top each with about a tablespoon of Heath Bar Toffee Chips. (can be found by the chocolate chips)

BAKE for 20-25 minutes at 350. SERVE with whipping cream or cool whip.

Watch out....you might not be able to stop at just one. ☻

ENJOY!

Apple Activities for Preschoolers and Young Children

 Use your Mr. Potato Head pieces to make a Mr. Apple Head

 Paint a picture using apple slices

red apple slice-red paint, and same for green and yellow

Pick Apples from an apple tree-

Tree picture, pom poms for apples, tweezers, and plastic cups for the apple baskets. (I had a little basket for each color of apple.)

The Apple Star Story- The Little Red House- is so adorable! I used it in 1st and 2nd grade and my own children enjoy it for a bedtime story also.  I made visuals to go with the story- if you want a copy- leave a comment- and I'll post them for you.

Tomorrow I'll show you how to make little caramel apple pies!

So delish! We are making them again ...right now. :)

Happy Fall! Thanks for reading!