It's Halloween!

It's Halloween and my girls are all ready to go trick-or treating tonight!

This year they are coordinating in their Wizard of Oz costumes. I adapted an old dress into A's "Glinda Gown," but E's grandma made her Dorothy dress from scratch with a matching dress for her doll.

 I couldn't let these cuties have all the fun!

They'll be accompanied tonight by the Wicked Witch!

For last minute Halloween activities check out my Halloween Pinterest Board.

The Book That Eats People by John Perry

If you're looking for a "scary" book for early elementary schoolers, this is for you. It's funny, goofy, and slightly disturbing. From the title page, the book warns you that in your hands is a book that EATS PEOPLE. It chronicles the history of the book and all the children and adults it has eaten, the steps taken to try to keep people safe from it's hungry jaws, and the final warning to WATCH OUT - because this book EATS PEOPLE! The illustrations are great and silly enough to keep kids from taking the story too seriously. While I wouldn't read it to my 3 year old, my 6 year old thought it was hilarious. I think boys (and dads) in particular will enjoy the slightly dark humor throughout.

A Bat Garland

We're all decked out for Halloween with a fall mantle and paper bat garland! I love paper garlands. They're fun, easy to make, and cheap.

To create the garland, I folded a piece of black construction paper accordion style and traced a bat silhouette onto it. It took three pieces of paper to create enough bats for my ginormous fireplace. Then I simply stitched the papers together with my sewing machine. Yes! You can sew paper and it works surprisingly well. It's a great project to introduce your kids to sewing.

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Forget the belfry, these bats want to be at the Library! Three bats hang around bored one evening when it's discovered that someone left the library window open. Thrilled, the entire community of bats rushes to frolic and play in their favorite building. The younger bats wreak havoc around the place, until an impromptu storytime introduces them to the magic of a good tale. (These tales are clever, batty takes on traditional stories and fairytales.)

The illustrations are rich with detail and make me want to read the other titles in this series.  Check this one out as an nontraditional Halloween story!

What a Hoot! Sandwich

When Christy @ Superheroes & Princesses mentioned her owl sandwiches to me, I knew it'd be a hit with E. Christy's were open-faced which wasn't going to work in a packed lunch, but I found these instructions for an owl PB&J from Cute Food for Kids.  I simplified it a bit for a quick but fun lunchtime surprise.

To make this owl, simply cut around the crust, then scoop off the top (I used a biscuit cutter). Slice your scoop in half for the wings, push in two chocolate chips for the eyes, and add a triangle crust beak, gluing it in place with peanut butter. That crust "branch" won't get eaten by my picky 6 year old, but it looks cute and helps wedge the sandwich in place.

One Odd Old Owl by Paul Adshead



Has anyone read this book or anything by Paul Adshead? I admit I have not, but the reviews on Amazon intrigued me. They speak of hidden pictures and riddles throughout. If there's one thing my six year old loves, it's a good mystery. Our library doesn't have this particular title, but I've got a hold placed on another Paul Adshead book, so I'll let you know how it is!

Happy Halloween!

We hope your Halloween

was full of sweet treats

 and no tricks!

Little Red Riding Hood and Little Miss Muffet wish you a very Happy Halloween!

Halloween! Little Red Riding Hood

You knew I'd do storybook-themed costumes this year (and every year I can convince my children to do so)! This worked out well as E's school is doing a storybook character costume parade tomorrow. Her outfit came together just in time.

I bought red corduroy and red cotton fabric in the hopes of following this pattern from Martha to sew the cape. Aw, hope springs eternal. Turns out I don't have time to sleep let alone sew while getting the house ready to sell. So, I do what I always do... I called my mother in law! She whipped up this beauty in a couple of hours. (Just FYI, she hated the instructions I printed out for her and adjusted a doll pattern she had on hand to make this gorgeous cape.) The dress was a recent purchase from Crazy 8, and that's my favorite little basket.

Isn't she the cutest? I can't wait to take her trick-or-treating on Sunday, and I'm sure she's going to be a hit at the parade tomorrow.

Little Red Riding Hood by Andrea Wisnewski


This is my absolute favorite version of Little Red Riding Hood. The woodcut illustrations are gorgeous and add a feeling of history to this classic folk tale. The story is a bit more contemporary than traditional Brothers Grimm translations, and I love that it's the father instead of a huntsman who rescues the child. It's an all-around beautiful retelling of the beloved story, so ignore other versions and check out this one first!

Easy and YUMMY little pumpkins

Here's an easy and festive after-school snack even little ones can help make: rice krispy treat pumpkins! I'm honestly not sure how pumpkiny they really look, but they're cute and full of sugary goodness.

To make your own, simply mix up some rice krispy treats according to the directions. Butter any little hands that might be helping and roll the treats into small balls. Add a candy corn for the stem and roll in orange sugar crystals to finish.

No need to wash those buttery mitts, just snatch one up and dig in. Yum!

It's Pumpkin Time! by Zoe Hall

Here's a colorful Halloween book perfect for preschoolers and toddlers. Forget ghosts and witches, this holiday book starts in the springtime as two children plant and tend a pumpkin patch, eagerly awaiting their future jack-o-lantern to grow. Painted paper collages will capture the attention of even very young children while the simple and educational text will introduce kids to the life-cycle of our favorite fall squash!

5 Little Pumpkins

Five Little Pumpkins by Ben Mantle

What would October be without the Five Little Pumpkins? The classic poem is a staple in preschool classrooms and homes this time of year. I have seen numerous versions in print, but this newest release is one of the cutest yet!

Five darling little pumpkins of various shapes and sizes wander into a haunted wood filled with friendly witches, cuddly black cats, and smiling ghosts. By the end of the poem they roll out of the dark and spooky - but entirely non-frightening - forest and off into the sunset.

While I could do without the ghosts, I appreciate how the illustrator took "spooky" characters and rendered them harmless with sweet and friendly faces. My girls and I love the illustrations, and we all got a kick out of the "out went the light" page which shows the pumpkins shining brilliantly as jack-o-lanterns. I can't wait to read it again after we carve a jack-o-lantern of our own!

Pillsbury Pumpkin Cookies
I'm in the middle of getting our house ready to sell, so time for elaborate crafts and messy projects is at a minimum. Yet I also want to make the point that literary-themed activities don't have to be complicated or uber-creative.

Taking five minutes to read a book together and then acting out the story with store-bought cookie dough can be just as enriching as anything the most creative educator could conceive.

It's simply about teaching your children to love literature and time together... and of course a good cookie or two!

Disclaimer: Five Little Pumpkins was provided to me courtesy of Tiger Tails Books free of charge in exchange for a review. This does not in any way influence my review.

Monsters! Easy Monster in a Bag

He's squishy, he's green, and he watches you everywhere you go. Meet Mike Wasowski's creepier cousin!

A snack-sized ziplock bag, some light corn syrup, green food coloring, and googly eyes are all you need to create a oozing creature of your own.

Pictures don't adequately capture how unnerving it is to have all those eyes shift at you while you squish this little guy.

I don't take chances when it comes to corn syrup. He's packing-taped shut and double bagged to protect against escape!

My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck

Remember I Love My Pirate Papa? Leuck has another book, this time with a Monster Mama! The illustrations are just as adorable as the pirate version and contain the same charming rhymes. The monster baby in the story tells us all the wonderful things his monster mama does for him, like comb the cobwebs out of his hair and protect him from the "scary things" (a.k.a. kids!).

Pirate Papa was A's favorite of the pirate books we brought home, and she's already taken to carrying this one around the house... and the yard. You can't ask for a better endorsement!