Good afternoon campers! I am watching a storm move across the lake towards our home away from home, and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the window feels like a balm after a very exhausting week. Rest, it whispers, you have done enough.
Those who know me know that I am not good at sitting still. So while I will be consciously making an effort to slow down today, I am very excited about the spooky season we find ourselves in. Date night this weekend was the musical Beetlejuice, and I want to continue the Halloween vibes here. Are you ready? It’s (almost) showtime!
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A few things I am fussing over this week:
Spooky, Scary Skeletons
Are your kids as obsessed with this song as mine are? This time of year it seems to be on repeat in our home, though it might be because we have incorporated it into the Halloween light show we started a few years back.
When my husband and I were first dating, I told him I had always dreamed about putting Christmas lights on my house. And in a Chevy Chase / Christmas Vacation style response, my husband went all out creating a drive-by light show set to music. With all the effort the light show set up requires, we decided to extend into Halloween as well, and this week will be the premier of Lights on Edgewood 2024. Find us listed on GR Kids (we will be listed here once the lights are on!) or check out last year’s show here.
A Throwback Game
A few years ago, my husband and I revived a Halloween tradition from our childhood – the Halloween Mystery Box! It goes by several names, but the idea is that kids stick their hands in a box to be grossed out . . . er, guess what’s in the box. The boys and their friends scream and giggle as they imagine touching hearts (peeled canned tomatoes), eyeballs (peeled grapes), and ear lobes (dried apricots – trust me, this one is by far the grossest!). If you are interested in creating one yourself, I found a lot of inspiration here.
Halloween Eats
There is enough happening on Halloween that I try to keep our menu simple: Papa Murphys Jack-o-Lantern Pizzas are a lifesaver because I can throw them in the oven as people come and go, and no one is left eating cold pizza (unless they prefer that!). I also don’t make dessert, there is already enough sugar flowing to induce a coma.
I do, however, enjoy making a good charcuterie board, and I’ve been eyeing this to add to my Halloween table. I had a friend create a meat and cheese charcuterie hand a few years ago, and I am thinking it would be fun to try making for myself this year. Or maybe I will put out a spread of veggies with dips in cauldrons to try to offset sugar buzz.
And if you are planning to serve adult beverages, may I suggest this Apple Cider Sangria? I am a huge fan of batching make-ahead drinks for parties, no one wants to be in the kitchen mixing individual beverages while your guests are waiting. Last week I mentioned my love for all things apple cider, and this fall spin on sangria was a total hit at our Halloween celebration last year.
Bedtime Stories
I know I am not alone in this, but I often find myself struggling to turn off my brain at bedtime. My incredible yoga teacher (hi Melissa!) turned me on to the podcast Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai. I was skeptical at first, but it has completely changed my ability to fall asleep.
I won’t go into the science of it, but Kathryn tells stories in which, well, nothing much happens, which allows your brain to focus on something calming instead of perseverating on anxieties and to-do lists. Kathryn does a beautiful job creating a world I want to return to night after night, and right now the stories all have a fun fall twist. While they are marketed as adult bedtime stories, it has also been a game changer for my youngest son as well.
Kathryn has several other fun podcasts as well as a beautiful book (Amazon, Bookshop.org) which I have gifted many times. For anyone interested in meditation, coziness, or is just having trouble sleeping, please do yourself a favor and check out Nothing Much Happens wherever you listen to podcasts.
Make sure to check back in this Wednesday night for (cook)book club! I will be making White Chicken Chili from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers (available at Bookshop.org, or Amazon).