The Witchin' Halloween Guide 2010: Giveaways + Gatherings
Saturday, October 17, 2009
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Maria Pilar Clark
The Disney Store
Partylite
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Decorating can be the biggest treat for parents during a mainly kid-focused time of the year.
Cosmotot's Witchin' Halloween Guide didn't forget the countless hours parents spend prepping, spiderwebbing the bushes, carving pumpkins, manning classroom Halloween parties, crafting costumes from scratch or searching eBay for one, and picked out two grown-up treats to share.
Candles are a typical fancy room fixture, but with kids running around, most people never get a chance to light them. Go for something more approachable (but still keep it well out of curious kids' reach) with the Haunted Tealight Tree from Partylite. The hand-painted porcelain tree features dangling metal ghosts, bats and spiders, and has two recessed area for tealights or short votives. And, though Partylite is a home-based party business, you can shop directly online without having to go through a consultant if you choose.
Enter to win your own Haunted Tealight Tree + 1 box of votives to make your home that much more scarily stylish. Simply leave a comment at the end of this article telling me how your family does Halloween. Do you decorate together? Have dad help the kids make funny yardstick gravestones? Get together with grandparents to make handprint ghosts? Paint mom's pregnant tummy like a pumpkin? Dish!
One random winner will be announced right where you leave your comments on Wednesday, October 21. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST the night before.
The Disney Store has a trick up its sleeve with a new Halloween Pumpkin Collection - no carving necessary. I'm not a big fan of slicing and dicing, so these pumpkin-shaped lamps (made to look like real Jack-o'lanterns with pre-cut stencils of your favorite Disney friends) are a lightweight, easy-to-use alternative. Just plug them in and you're done. Better yet, since they're indoor use only, the squirrels can't nibble them and you can put them out again nexty year.
You'll have decorating done in a snap, which means more quality time with the kidlets. Head over to The Disney Store Halloween "Dress Rehearsal" Party on Wednesday, October 21 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at a location near you.
Maria Pilar Clark is a mom times two and Windy City-based writer.
See more of Pilar's stories here.
Contact Pilar at mariapilarclark@yahoo.com
HalloweenBy Melissa on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Not so much a comment, as a novel of sorts: Before I got married, my entire family would really get into Halloween (as it was their favorite holiday)...I'm talking everyone dressed up, big costume party, window painting, spooky music...every year, my artist sister made creepy decorations guaranteed to give the neighborhood kiddies a fun fright..definitely "the works." Nowadays, I'm married and my mini family goes a little more low key. I put up Fall decor--lights woven into leafy garland wrapped around the banister and fall scented candles (pumpkin pie) all around the house. We each carve a big pumpkin the night before Halloween (highlights last year: Boo-rack Oboooma and the Notre Dame Leprechaun) and maybe put on some classic cartoons (think "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and classic Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes). Having hot apple cider or hot cocoa is an absolute must. We just enjoy the night as a family and look forward to the day we can walk our little ghoul or goblin (or fairy princess) around the neighborhood for a night of fun. |
how we do halloweenBy Elizabeth Reisner on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 We always start halloween with a trip to the orchard for apples and pumpkins. Our favorite orchard is County Line were we not only pick apples and a pumpkin, but enjoy a treat of their homemade apple and/or pumpkin donuts, play in their awsome childrens zoo, ride on the moo choo, and pick out various flavors of fudge for home. The kids and I love to bake so when we've gotten our apples we make a mad dash to the computer and pull up apple recipes; New as well as old favorites and have a great time baking with the kids. I usually do the decorating for my homes, but with David getting older we're starting to incorporate Halloween crafts to decorate our home with. I usually like the pumpkins, spider webs, and other simple decorations. On the interior I decorate using my Department 56 Halloween Village pieces and partylite. The pumpkins are carved by us all. I'm in charge of the guts of the pumpkin, and my husband enjoys helping the kids design and carve them. He's done Hello Kitty, Mike Wazowski, ect. We enjoy Boo at the Zoo (brookfield) as a part of our Halloween traditions. Why dress up just once a year, right? They have a parade, and all sorts of halloween activities for the kids. The kids love wearing their costumes, seeing the other kids costumes, watching the pumpkin carving demo's and just being at our favorite place to visit. This year we'll also be heading back to the Orchard were we discovered they have a Halloween fest on the 30th with free admission. Finally, we've made it to All Hallow's Eve! The kids are not the only one who dresses up for this event because that would just leave me looking silly! I dress up with the kids which has been especially fun these past couple years because my costume has been my home made Renaissance gowns! Wanna see a Catherine Parr step out of the history book this year? Come see me! We love Halloween. It's a great time for the kids (and me, lol) to play pretend. It also kicks off a slew of holidays all with different elements that make it so hard to choose a favorite. |
Cosmomama
By Maria Pilar Clark on Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Two great posts, difficult decision. I left the winning vote to random.org and our winner is ... Melissa! Thanks for participating, ladies - more goodies to come :)