Happy Sunday friends! I hope this weekend finds you relaxed and refreshed. But in the event that you are feeling a bit like a zombie (and not due to the upcoming holiday), I encourage you to take 15 minutes for yourself and try this Yoga for Zombies practice from Yoga with Adriene. It has the perfect energy for this time of year.
We have done a bit of traveling this weekend to meet the newest member of our family; after 3 adorable nieces I officially have a nephew! It has been a bit since we have visited our Ohio crew, and I love the joyful chaos that comes with reuniting. This weekend was also Christmas in the Woods, an incredible craft show that happens every October in my husband’s hometown of Columbiana, Ohio (ranked as one of the top 25 Hallmark Christmas towns!). Despite my boys protesting that it is too early to start thinking Christmas, I loved every moment visiting vendors and taking in the sights and sounds. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t humming a few Christmas carols at dinner last night.
But back to the season at hand! We are in the home stretch, out holiday lights are on, fake spiderwebs adorn the living room furniture, and costumes are coming together! I would love to hear how you are (or are not!) preparing for Halloween.
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A few things I am fussing over this week:
Crafting Connections
Like I mentioned above, we were able to spend a few days with family this weekend, which means my duffle was stuffed with clothes and crafts. I always love finding something we can make with the kids; watching them unleash their inner artist relaxes everyone and allows their personalities shine. As we were creating our masterpiece (see photographic evidence of said masterpiece below), conversations flowed easily and it reminded me of this article about a mom who used Play-Doh to get her sons to open up during a difficult time. There is something important that happens when we create together.
I feel the need to disclose that I do not have a crafty bone in my body. However, there are brilliant kits out there, like this Haunted House Cookie Kit from Trader Joes, that make crafting accessible for people like me. As silly as it sounds, I find when our hands are occupied and our brains are focused on hot gluing together a cookie house, a barrier comes down, memories are made, and real connection happens. At least until the dogs eat the cookie house . . .
Escape Rooms . . . Without Leaving Your House
My boys are obsessed with escape rooms, and while I must admit I too can get carried away trying to solve puzzles while a clock ticks down, they are not an affordable or practical routine family activity.
So I was excited to find these at-home escapes rooms by Grand Gamers Guild, an indie game publishing company from our hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. They have a number of holiday themed, pocket-sized escape rooms under $10 – I’m looking forward to trying to solve The Pumpkin Problem with my pumpkins tonight!
Here’s Looking at You
I saw this idea on Instagram and decided I had to try to make blueberry eyeball ice cubes (ice spheres?) for myself. I purchased the trays from Amazon, filled them with fresh (not frozen!) blueberries and water, and forgot about them for a week in the freezer. Thankfully I spotted them while rummaging for dinner supplies this week and was amazed at how perfect they turned out. If you want a simple way to spook-ify your Halloween beverages, I definitely recommend giving these a try.
What (Not) to Wear
I have been wrestling with Halloween costume ideas this year. My dream was to do a family theme of Scooby-Doo and the gang, but could not get a majority vote of approval. My boys have landed on some type of cloaked, D&D characters whose names I cannot remember, and my husband has agreed to be “Pommel Horse Guy” (aka everyone’s summer Olympic crush). He already has the glasses and Rubik’s Cube, so with the added faux Olympic medal it was an easy costume!
However, I’m still feeling a little stuck. Right now I’m leaning towards ‘Bloody Mabel’ from Only Murders in the Building (please, tell me you are all watching this show!!), but I am still taking suggestions. Do you dress up for Halloween? Any thoughts on a fun, last minute costume?
And as always, make sure to check back in this Wednesday night for our next (cook)book club! This week we are making an Enchilada Rice Skillet dinner from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, by Caroline Chambers (available at Bookshop.org, or Amazon).