Here Comes Halloween!!
Is everyone ready?!? I've managed to not bring a single bag of Halloween candy into my house yet this year. Actually, I've even managed to avoid those oh-so-yummy pumpkin shaped Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! Those things are my kryptonite! First they come in pumpkin shapes, then tree shapes, then heart shapes, then egg shapes.... I believe they are plotting against me because so many of these shapes are so hard to resist! So far I'm winning this war!
We actually dumped out the candy bucket (a very large bucket for the sandbox that came with tools and accessories) and threw away everything but the Smarties and Tootsie Rolls. These are the top favorites in our house for the kids and I use them for bribing, I mean rewarding kids during my photo sessions. We had a solid year's worth of candy saved up in that bucket! Now we are throwing away a plastic grocery bag full of old candy. It actually felt strangely satisfying! The kids were having miniature anxiety attacks, but we assured them that they would get more in less than a week and the bucket would be full again. See, the rule in our house is that any candy received from parties, events, or holidays go into the bucket to be shared with everyone. Then you may get a special treat out of there once in a while if a parent says so, or you may get to have a "treat from the bucket" after dinner as dessert. Again, this usually ends up being a Tootsie Roll and a gummy something-or-other. Much less sugar than a couple of cookies or a piece of cake!
So, we are set and I am still holding strong! I'm sure I will sneak a couple of pieces on Saturday, but then they will all go into the bucket and I will stay away. This is the first year that I feel confident that I will actually stay away from the candy. It doesn't have the same draw that it did a year ago. Last year after Halloween, I think The Hubby and I polished off most of the kids' "good chocolate" within the first week or so of Halloween. I firmly believe this year will be a different story!
Meanwhile, I'm making Halloween costumes. This is a tradition passed down, as my mom used to make our costumes too. I love it! We start planning at the end of summer and I still procrastinate until the week we need them. I'm a glutton for punishment, that's all I can say. This year's costumes have been coming along pretty easily. We will have The Queen of Hearts and Maleficent on Halloween night to go trick-or-treating. The following weekend we will add Wreck It Ralph, Fix It Felix, Vanelope Von Schweets (all from the movie Wreck It Ralph if you're not familiar with the names) and I'm going to be a referee for the games - complete with stripes!
Last night I managed to make major headway on Maleficent's costume. I got the idea for how to make this headpiece here. I found the cape at Savers and she already had the black dress for underneath. I'll work on her stick tonight. Here's a progress picture...
It's really coming along! Tonight and tomorrow night I'll finish up the costume for my Queen of Hearts also. She's super excited. For those who missed it. Last year we had a dinosaur, Mrs. Clause, a clown and Rainbow Dash My Little Pony.
Needless to say, we do Halloween well and we have plenty of fun. It is seriously my favorite holiday of the year! I will be so sad when my kids get to the point where they don't need me to make them costumes anymore, but then I will just wait for the days that they come to me for help with my grandkids' costumes... Like I do with my mom!
We actually dumped out the candy bucket (a very large bucket for the sandbox that came with tools and accessories) and threw away everything but the Smarties and Tootsie Rolls. These are the top favorites in our house for the kids and I use them for bribing, I mean rewarding kids during my photo sessions. We had a solid year's worth of candy saved up in that bucket! Now we are throwing away a plastic grocery bag full of old candy. It actually felt strangely satisfying! The kids were having miniature anxiety attacks, but we assured them that they would get more in less than a week and the bucket would be full again. See, the rule in our house is that any candy received from parties, events, or holidays go into the bucket to be shared with everyone. Then you may get a special treat out of there once in a while if a parent says so, or you may get to have a "treat from the bucket" after dinner as dessert. Again, this usually ends up being a Tootsie Roll and a gummy something-or-other. Much less sugar than a couple of cookies or a piece of cake!
So, we are set and I am still holding strong! I'm sure I will sneak a couple of pieces on Saturday, but then they will all go into the bucket and I will stay away. This is the first year that I feel confident that I will actually stay away from the candy. It doesn't have the same draw that it did a year ago. Last year after Halloween, I think The Hubby and I polished off most of the kids' "good chocolate" within the first week or so of Halloween. I firmly believe this year will be a different story!
Meanwhile, I'm making Halloween costumes. This is a tradition passed down, as my mom used to make our costumes too. I love it! We start planning at the end of summer and I still procrastinate until the week we need them. I'm a glutton for punishment, that's all I can say. This year's costumes have been coming along pretty easily. We will have The Queen of Hearts and Maleficent on Halloween night to go trick-or-treating. The following weekend we will add Wreck It Ralph, Fix It Felix, Vanelope Von Schweets (all from the movie Wreck It Ralph if you're not familiar with the names) and I'm going to be a referee for the games - complete with stripes!
Last night I managed to make major headway on Maleficent's costume. I got the idea for how to make this headpiece here. I found the cape at Savers and she already had the black dress for underneath. I'll work on her stick tonight. Here's a progress picture...
It's really coming along! Tonight and tomorrow night I'll finish up the costume for my Queen of Hearts also. She's super excited. For those who missed it. Last year we had a dinosaur, Mrs. Clause, a clown and Rainbow Dash My Little Pony.
In 2013 we had a bat, a puppy, Mickey Mouse and Smurfette.
In 2012 there was Batgirl and my cute little owl. I loved that costume!!
In 2011 I had a scarecrow and a ghost. This was Abbycakes's first year trick-or-treating!
Another one of my favorite costumes! She won a contest with this one and was so excited!
In 2010 I had a kitty and a makeshift bear. It was too cold for Abbycakes to ToT that year and Emmy Lou was insistent on being a cat!
And when there was just one... she was a duck in 2009 (her bill fell off before this pic)
A bumblebee in 2008
And for her first Halloween she, her cousins, Nana and I were all penguins for my sister's annual Halloween party. (Sorry it's small... had to copy from a different blog that I had a long time ago).
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