Spooky Tot's Arts & Crafts

Now that the temperature has dropped and inside play is heading our way, I decided that I better come up with a few activities to keep us both sane. So I got to Pinterest & blog stalking to find some Halloween and toddler friendly things for Adelaide & I to do. I love themes so using the various holidays as inspiration puts a smile on my face. Plus who doesn't love to get in the holiday spirit?!

First we decided to paint with pudding! My friend Elizabeth had written about how much fun her son Henry had with it and how edible it was for little creatures who still put things in their mouthes :) I grabbed some vanilla pudding (pre-made), black and red food coloring, and this cute little pumpkin tray. And we got to playing painting. I laid out the mat that we use under Adelaide's high chair to catch food because it can easily be hosed off. I took her pj's off because I thought what it cuter than a baby Picasso in a diaper! Then I put a few pieces of card stock out and let her do her thing.

I sort of made a whole morning of Halloween fun. We had pumpkin spice donuts & pumpkin chocolate chip bread for breakfast. Then I gave Adelaide her tricks & treats so that she could enjoy them during the next few weeks. Post painting I put her skeleton jammies on so we could cuddle weekend style with a touch of spook!

my little skeleton

no tricks, only treats!

treats from Mimi

Little People Halloween Haunted House

loving the pumpkin chocolate chip bread & her new pumpkin sippy cup

The next weekend I decided to get a little more crafty and do pumpkin faces. By crafty I mean I knew this would be a difficult task for Adelaide because she is only 13 1/2 months so following directions and glue sticks probably aren't the best combo. But nonetheless we got to putting the pre-cut black card stock shapes & faces onto orange plates to make pumpkins. A big thanks to Craftulate for this simple & cute idea.

She may or may not have been more interested in putting the paper in her mouth than the actual craft

I am really looking forward to the next few holidays & crafting with little Ms. Adelaide Jane! I love starting traditions and this is a great mommy/daughter one for us!


**For more toddler Halloween activities, click here.

Oktoberfest: Date Night

Last Thursday night we went out on a rare date night. Most of our dates include Adelaide which is great but I do yearn for adult interaction only or should I say uninterrupted adult interaction! Our Parent-Child Group organization is fabulous about getting moms and couples out of the house and mingling. For their fall event, Oktoberfest was planned with music, beer, & dancing. Yes count us in!

We met up with our fabulous friends: Whitney & Tommy, Heather & Matt, Aggie & Michael, and Rabia & Robert for a fun night of adult fun. The band, Mojo Filter, was jammin. The drinks of wine & beer were flowing. The vintage popcorn machine was poppin. The men were chatting. And the ladies were dancin.

It is amazing what a few hours out can do to rejuvenate the mind & soul. We had a wonderful time just relaxing with friends and letting loose. Cheers to a great date night with friends!

Become a Better You: A Book Review

The second book that Kelley sent me was actually a journal that accompanies a book. She had started it and found it to be extremely helpful. Become a Better You is broken down into seven steps with each step having seven action points. The journal is made to have you reflect for 49 days/7 weeks, taking one small lesson at a time. The purpose being to really stop, think, pray, & plan on each particular point.

Step One: Keep Pressing Forward
This step is all about recognizing your potential, the family you come from, and how to dream BIG and achieve a lasting legacy.

Step Two: Be Positive Toward Yourself
This step is all about realizing that you are a child of God who was perfectly made by our creator, loving you for you, and being your biggest fan.

Step Three: Develop Better Relationships
This step is all about building stronger relationships with those in your life, cutting out the negative people in your life, and giving without receiving.

Step Four: Form Better Habits
This step is all about feeding your positive habits & thoughts, living with joy daily, and remembering that happiness is a choice.

Step Five: Embrace the Place Where You Are
This is step is all about remaining in faith, having trust in the Lord, and knowing that God is in the details.

Step Six: Develop Inner Life
This step is all about your conscious, the small voice inside of you, and starting over with a clean slate through forgiveness.

Step Seven: Stay Passionate About Life
This step is all about singing the song in your heart, planning for your successes, and not accepting no as an answer.


I did a speed version of the journal because I didn't have the patience to only do one per day and I wanted to pass it along to my friend who I thought could benefit from it as well. I am so thankful for having a best friend who saw me in need and sent me two of the best spiritual & life books out there. I have a renewed sense of joy & faith, and I owe it all to Kelley!

September Date: A Starbucks *Fall* Treat & Pumpkin Picking at Barton Orchards

Sunday morning I snuck out of the house and sped to Starbucks to get our seasonal coffee treats before Ryan or Adelaide woke up. Part of the *fall* experience is enjoying a few PSL with extra pumps of pumpkin spice and whipped cream of course! Last year when I had planned our dates for Ryan's anniversary gift, I bought a Starbucks gift card to put in the September envelope. Yay for already having paid for our treats ;)

Now I know it is October but we had a little mix up of dates which caused us to postpone our September date until this month. No worries! It just means we get two dates this month.

After the late risers were up and dressed, we drove an hour north to Barton Orchards. I had researched many pumpkin patches in the surrounding area and this one had the best reviews so I was really looking forward to it. And boy did it live up to my expectations and more.

Anything you can think of they had. From apple pie a la mode to milkshakes to carmel corn to apple cider donuts to a fudge shoppe. From bouncy castles to corn mazes to digging for gold to haunted houses to playgrounds to countless photo cutouts to an elaborate petting zoo. From pulled pork to veggie burgers to apple chips to peanut butter pretzels. From apple picking to pumpkin picking to hayrides to corn stalks for buying to three live bands across the property.

We had an absolute blast of a day. We arrived just before 11am and stayed for 3 hours. We still weren't able to cover everything. Adelaide loved *walking* and *dancing* and *eating*. She loved petting the animals (ponies, goats, pigs, & donkey). She loved hugging pumpkins. She loved watching the other kids. Ryan & I loved watching how big our sweet baby girl has gotten. We loved watching her personality spark. We loved watching her enjoy herself.

If you live in the area, don't miss out on Barton Orchards. It truly is a wonderful place for families and there is something to do for everyone in your bunch. We are looking forward to returning next year!

Snapshots on a Saturday: Play, Play, Play

We jumped head first into the week and the fall weather. As in we came back from Florida's 90 degrees to New York's 60 degrees. Talk about a shock! But the cooler temperatures didn't seem to hold us back.

We got plenty of outside play at Benjamin's house...

And enjoyed indoor fun at the Stepping Stones Children Museum...

We are really loving all of these play dates with our friends!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!