diy mama

lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

halloween

by on 1 Comment

Halloween Movies for Little Kids 6 and Under

Halloween movies for little kids 6 and under are hard to come by. There don’t seem to be a ton that aren’t dripping with death and scary concepts. Our family begins watching Halloween movies in September once the trees start turning so I’ve been on the hunt.

We was trying to find movies to watch with my daughter and realized she’s past the baby phase where things aren’t scary yet but not quite to the phase where she understands some of the Halloween movie concepts.

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o'-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

I almost played Casper for her, remembering watching it as a kid (swooning over Devin Sawa) but stopped to look it up on Common Sense Media quickly before pushing ‘play’. I hadn’t remembered that there is talk about parents dying and one parent being brought back from the dead (which is not appropriate for my 6 year old yet).

Some research had to happen before finding more age appropriate movies for my Halloween loving daughter. Check your library to see if they have these on the shelves and if not, put in a request! You can also get your own copy with my affiliate links below. I’ve marked some with ‘older’ so you can check it out before watching. These are all ok for my sensitive 6 year old but you may want to look them up first.

Top Halloween Movies for Little Kids 6 and Under

  1. Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie
  2. Sesame Street: Hello Halloween
  3. PAW Patrol: Halloween Heroes
  4. Littlest Pet Shop: Halloween Fest
  5. The Dog Who Saved Halloween
  6. Escape To Witch Mountain (older)
  7. Super Monsters Save Halloween
  8. Room on the Broom
  9. Mickey’s House Of Villains
  10. Dear Dracula
  11. Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest
  12. Eloise: Rawther Unusual Hallow
  13. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  14. A Very Brave Witch…and More Great Halloween Stories for Kids
  15. Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman
  16. The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (older)
  17. Scared Shrekless (older)
  18. Toy Story of Terror! (older)
  19. Hotel Transylvania
  20. The Nightmare Before Christmas (older)
  21. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (older)
  22. Frankenweenie (older)
  23. Paranorman (older)
  24. Monsters, Inc.
  25. Spookley the Square Pumpkin
  26. The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat
  27. The Legend of Smurfy Hallow
  28. Witches In Stitches

Let me know some of your favorites I may have missed for little ones!

Related Posts to Halloween Movies for Little Kids 6 and Under:

Yummy Movie Night Treat

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Street Sign

Halloween Street Sign

Pin it for later:

by on 8 Comments

Halloween Party Treats

Halloween Party Treats- For today, we’re talking treats, not tricks. Here are my top 10 favorite Halloween desserts that I am excited to try out. I love doing round ups so we can all have a chance to check out other blogs and share their awesome talents with others! Go check these ladies out and make a few Halloween party treats with your family!

The biggest reason I love these treats is for their level of cuteness and how easy they are to make! I also like how so many of them are kid friendly, so get your kids involved! Another great treat comes after Halloween once you’re overflowing with candy bars…cookie pizza with candy bar toppings! My favorite dessert ever!

Halloween Party Treats
halloween-monster-rollo

Amy’s (The Idea Room) Monster Eye Cookies are what I want to try the most this Halloween! The mixture of peanutbutter chocolate chip cookies with a carmel Rolo on top?! You’ve got my attention! I also love that you can customize these guys by using your favorite cookie recipe.

spiderweb-cookies-halloween-recipe-craft-funDon’t these Spider Web Sugar Cookies that Autumn (It’s Always Autumn) made look like they’re straight from Martha Stewart?! She has a great tutorial on how to make these creepy crawly cookies. Have a favorite sugar cookie recipe from your great grandma? Perfect reason to use it! Does the web marbling remind anyone of nail marbling?
Eye-of-Newt-PretzelsSheryl’s (Lady Behind the Curtain) Eye of Newt Pretzels are hilariously adorable! I love the colors she used and that there’s a little salt added into the dessert mix! These would be great to wrap as favors as well!
monsters-cookies-sugarMy girl, Meaghan (The Decorated Cookie), knows a thing or two about decorating cookies and these Fun Monster Cookies show off her talent! These would be so fun to decorate with the whole family and see all the different expressions everyone could come up with!
Yummy-Gooey-Monster-Cookies-1Ok, anyone seeing a pattern here? I must be crushin’ on Monsters this year! I think it’s the googly eyes!! Kristyn (Lil Luna) made these Gooey Monster Cookies look so fun to make AND they sound absolutely delish! You could make the dye for the cookies match the color theme of your party too!
Candy-Corn-treatsWhat’s Halloween without Candy Corn?! Anyone else eat them one color at a time? What about those candy-corn-like-pumpkins that you have to eat the green stem off first? No? Ok, well these Candy Corn Rice Crispy Treats that Glory (Glorious Treats) made are genius! So easy and super cute!
Halloween-BarkSpeaking of candy corn, this Halloween bark could not be cuter, tastier or easier! I love bark because you can make a lot of it with little effort and it always looks so fun! Corey (Family Fresh Meals) made this Halloween Bark super cute by adding that extra bit of Halloween party sprinkles and using Halloween Oreos!mickey-pumpkin-whoopie-pies-recipe-photoWhat would a Halloween Treats Round-Up be without something PUMPKIN FLAVORED?! I’ve never tried to make woopie pies but I imagine there is nothing cuter in this world than these Mickey Pumpkin Woopies (Disney Family)! My mouth is watering.
monster_eye_cakeCarrie (The Cake Blog) is quite the master of cakes but I’m pretty sure I could do this Monster Eye Cake! It’s adorable! It would be fun to dye the cake batter green or purple as a fun surprise once it’s cut.
Who wants to come over to make these treats with me? It’d be fun to make the cookies or pretzels and take them to the neighbors! Have you had a Halloween Party in the past? Make any cute treats? I may have to make some monster decorations since clearly I’m a bit obsessed.

I can not take credit for the awesome photography or ideas of these recipes. Please give all credit to the linked blogs and share from their sites.

Pin it for later:

best halloween treats

Halloween related posts:

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Street Sign

 

by on Leave a Comment

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

The Teal Pumpkin Project- Do you know anyone with a food allergy? This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. according to F.A.R.E. (Food Allergy Research and Education). That’s roughly two kids in every classroom. That means 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. who go Trick-or-Treating might be able to eat a few treats from the night but will likely have to give the rest away. The Teal Pumpkin Project was started to make Trick-or-Treating fun for all children.

teappumpkinporch-1-of-1
Some Teal Pumpkin FAQ:

  • Q: Can I still give out candy? A: Sure – just do it safely! The point of the Teal Pumpkin Project is to make trick-or-treating as inclusive as possible. You can keep the experience safe by keeping your food treats and non-food treats in separate bowls.
  • Q: Are there any non-food treats that I should avoid? A:There are a few considerations when choosing which non-food items to hand out. First, some non-food items still contain food allergens. For example, some brands of moldable clay contain wheat. Additionally, try to choose latex-free items, as there are children who have latex allergies.
  • Q: If I’m handing out candy and non-food treats, how do I determine which treat to give to each trick-or-treater? A: You can either ask trick-or-treaters if they have any food allergies, or give every visitor a choice of which treat they’d like: candy or a non-food item.
  • Q: How do I know which houses in my area are participating? A: FARE is providing a crowd-sourced Fever Map that allows people participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project to add their home address, street or neighborhood. Adding your household to the map shows your support and allows you to connect with other families in your area who are participating.


tealpainting1-1-of-1

painting4-1-of-1

painting5-1-of-1

The Teal Pumpkin Project was inspired by a local awareness activity run by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET) and launched as a national campaign by FARE in 2014. Last year, households from all 50 states and 14 countries participated. This is a worldwide movement to create a safer, happier Halloween for all trick-or-treaters. For the complete FAQ and downloadable activities check out the Teal Pumpkin Project website or email tealpumpkinproject@foodallergy.org.

by on Leave a Comment

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o’-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o’-Lanterns and Decor for Halloween, we’ve rounded up lots of fun pumpkin shaped treats, jack-o’-lantern ideas and Halloween decorations so you can celebrate this spooky holiday in style!

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o'-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

Pumpkin Shaped Treats

One of the best things about Halloween celebrations are all the tasty food. From ghoulish body parts to happy monsters, treats are the highlight of this holiday. Here are a few classic crowd pleasing pumpkin recipes:

  1. Try these Pumpkin Dipped Pretzels by The Spruce Eats to stuff Boo Bags or treats for the class Halloween party!
  2. Kids love dirt making these Pumpkin Patch Dirt Cups by I Can Teach My Child a huge hit with kids of all ages.
  3. Cincy Shopper made these adorable Pumpkin Rice Krispies that I know my daughter would be begging for more.
  4. Be the star of your neighborhood Halloween party with these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies by Eating on a Dime.

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o'-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

Jack-o’-Lantern Ideas

Growing up, carving jack-o-lanterns was one of my very favorite Halloween traditions. Even before kids I always made sure to make that happen before Halloween night. The pumpkin carving standards have gone way up since Pinterest but there are still tons of really cute ideas for all skill levels. Check out this link from Better Homes and Gardens for some really great ideas!

  1. Jack Skellington (large circles for eyes and skinny wide sewn mouth)
  2. Black Cat (make sure you have paint, pipe cleaners and cardboard for the ears)
  3. Fairy House Jack-o-Lantern (carve rounded door and windows)
  4. Witch (use a carrot or the stem for the nose)
  5. Harry Potter
  6. Teal Pumpkin for children with food allergies

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o'-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

Pumpkin Crafts and Decorations

My decorations now all fit in two tubs (plus the huge Halloween street sign and tomb stones) which is quite condensed from a few years ago. I love decorating for Halloween but now love adding in more crafty decorations. My daughter loves doing holiday inspired crafts and admiring them throughout the season.

  1. Pumpkin Flower Arrangement (scoop out a pumpkin or (better yet) use a Styrofoam pumpkin and add silk flowers to add fall colors for the whole season.
  2. These Pumpkin Yarn Pom Poms by Not Quiet Suzy Homemaker are super easy and only require yarn! Make them super quick with this pom pom maker.
  3. I love the look of pumpkins but am not a fan of orange in my decor so this Chalky White Pumpkin Wreath by Paint Yourself a Smile is perfect!
  4. For a modern twist on your pumpkin decor try scooping out mini pumpkins in white and light green and planting succulents.


Photos from Unsplash

Other Halloween Related Posts:

Halloween Party Treats

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Pin it for later:

Pumpkin Inspired Treats, Jack-o'-lanterns and Decor for Halloween

 

by on 14 Comments

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

I  love Halloween. It’s definitely close behind Christmas on my list of favorites. Growing up my family celebrated the entire month of October with decorations, Halloween music, indoor haunted house, camping with ghost stories, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, hay rides and lots of leaf jumping. Halloween night was the icing on the cake. We would come home from school, finish our homework, have dinner and start the costume process. Rain or snow, we would layer up under our clown or bunny costumes and head out to collect our treats. My favorite part of the entire night was pouring out my bag of loot and organizing my candy by favorites.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

This year I’m able to re-live my trick-or-treating days through the eyes of our four year old Sophia! The past three years have been really fun on Halloween but I continuously get more excited as the years go by. This year she’ll really understand what/when Halloween is and why people are giving her candy if she says ‘Trick or Treat!’

The first step in minimizing challenges is to prepare. The Girl Scout in me always sees the worst outcome of every situation and prepares accordingly. First up was preparing for the trick-or-treaters that come to our home. We live in a big neighborhood so I always buy 6 of the biggest bags of candy. We also participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project where we offer glow necklaces for children with allergies. Kids have the choice of chocolates or a necklace. If you’re super cute, funny or make up a Halloween cheer you can have both!

The second step is the busy night of waiting for Daddy to get home, eat dinner, put on costumes and head out for trick-or-treating while giving time for a little candy sorting before bedtime. We solve this issue by having a pizza waiting for when Daddy gets home so we’re able to spend more time on Halloween fun.

The third challenge in the midwest is preparing for weather. Since Sophie is such a big fan of dinosaurs, her Grandma found a dinosaur costume at a consignment shop that is perfect for her! We were sure to get it a little big so she will be able to wear warm clothes underneath. It also has a hood as the dinosaur head to keep her ears warm. There aren’t any restricting parts to the costume or extra accessories that she could lose on our walk. We also have a backup lighter costume of cat ears and a pink tutu if she refuses to wear the dinosaur costume.

The final challenge is figuring out what to do with all of the candy left over from trick-or-treating. When I was little, my mom and I always made cookie pizza for my Birthday and Halloween. This is my favorite dessert to make for parties because I can customize it using people’s favorite candy bars.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:

  • NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  • 1/4 c peanut butter
  • 3/4 c NESTLÉ® Milk Chocolate Morsels
  • Candy bars of your choice
  • Candy Eyes and Halloween Sprinkles (optional)

Let the cookie dough sit out of the fridge for a half hour. Spread out cookie dough on a pizza pan being sure to use cookie spray on the pan. Bake according to directions on packaging. I used the shortest amount of time to start and kept an eye until it was the perfect golden brown.
Halloween Candy Cookie PizzaWhile the cookie is warm out of the oven, dollop the peanut butter and sprinkle the chocolate morsels evenly.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza
Smear the two together to make the ‘pizza sauce’. If you’re a fan of peanut butter, switch the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter. 
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza
Chop the candy bars into decent sized pieces and sprinkle evenly throughout pizza. Add the candy eyes and Halloween Sprinkles.
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza
Cut and serve. Best eaten warm and with milk. 
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie PizzaHave you been a fan of Butterfinger since Bart was the spokesman? It’s my favorite topping on Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza. What do you do with your leftover Halloween candy?

Other Halloween posts:

Halloween Party Treats

Halloween Home Tour

Pin this for later:

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza Recipe

Google+