Happy Halloween!!

It was quite rainy for Halloween this year! That apparently didn't stop the children who really wanted to get out there to get candy! Since we were dog sitting, we set up on the porch so that Peluche didn't go crazy every time someone rang the doorbell!

After a while, Maelie and I also headed out in the rain just for a little so that she could enjoy going out for treats too! She loves coming home and sorting her goodies out! She only keeps a couple of items and gives the rest to Bill!

Ah... make-up gone, fresh and clean!!

I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of any decorations!! It was the first year we actually had many outside! I will blame it on the rain.... didn't want to get the camera wet!

Halloween party 2013 edition

Well after a month of prepping goodies, food ideas and games, it is already over!! Maelie invited 7 people this year (a couple that had never been to one of her parties). Come to think of it, there is no evidence that I even MADE an invitation this year! I forgot to take a picture! Just for my memory when I read this later on, it was a box with 2 eyeballs in it and the invitation said "I can't wait to SEE you at my Halloween party!"

I was up at 3 and out of bed just after 4:30. Maelie was up from 3:00 - 4:15 so I couldn't get out of bed until she feel asleep again! Otherwise she would have got up too! As soon as I was up I started making armpit hair! (shredded wheat with a chocolate mixture, found online). It turned out really tasty! Chocolate is a great way to get fiber in... hide the fiber in the chocolate LOL. I kept on going full-prep and eventually was done at about 3:30 pm! I even had time for a bath is Epsom salts and a shower .. and still was done by 4 pm.

I didn't get to get as many pictures as I would have liked of course because sometimes I would lose my camera along the way!

Maelie wanted to dress up as a zombie, but once she had a knife in her bloody shirt, she decided to not put make up on. She said it would just be too complicated to take it off. When one girl arrived, she said "wow Maelie, did you have a little problem working in the kitchen?" LOL So I think this could end up being a chef-gone-wrong costume :) Of course, Maelie had to be very dramatic at it!!

She had also been fixing up her mannequin to look a little spookier! The neck area was covered in a plastic bag, with papier-mâché and then skin colored paint & blood! It actually looks pretty realistic in person!

The table before the main food was there....

Here is the obligatory picture once everyone is there. They have just grown so much since grade 1!!

We did a couple games before supper. It's just different doing games at age 11 compared to when they are 6 and all little!

I sent them on a picture scavenger hunt on the street... It gave me enough time to start everything in the oven and on the stove!

These were so cute! A gummy work in red jello and a gelatin eyeball in green jello.

Usual cheese fingers! and I added a few bugs (raisins with almond wings)

We have fries with blood, Halloween pasta, hot dog worms, mini pita pizzas, cupcakes, rice crispy pumpkins, nachos, chips, veggies, bat wings, armpit hair, devilled eggs, and candy and chocolate! LOL They seemed to be enjoying themselves and ended up pretty full! It was really cute at one point when they ended up going down memory lane talking about kindergarten and how LONG ago that was...!!

After supper they played more games...

Maelie's favorite ended up being this one. Bill custom made it for the party.... A long piece of wood with holes and golf tees. I added plastic eyeballs and the kids had to knock them down with the Nerf guns!! It was difficult but some people were able to get a bunch! You would have thought Naomie was a hunter... she got the most! This is a game that Maelie will be able to play with her friends when they come over too.

 

Naomie had to leave just a bit earlier as she had a birthday party to attend! Poor her ! Part Friday and 2 on Saturday! LOL

 

Our last activity was making Goo. It's a good sit down activity and I am just so used to making goo by now that I don't have to check the measurements anymore. I had small Ziploc containers for them to take their goo home with them.

We enjoy goo... it never gets old!!

Parents started arriving so they all packed up and collected their last treats....! I tidied up and as best I could because there is nothing I hate more than waking up to a horrible mess after a party. Once satisfied, I popped 2 Advil and went to bed! LOL

This was the end of the annual Halloween party as we know it.... once in grade 7 (Secondary 1) it will be different for sure.. they won't need organized games, and perhaps just having a few friends over will be best. I know I won't be able to completely stop because I enjoy making goodies and hosting the kids.

As long as Maelie is happy and wants me around to do fun stuff... I will :) And when she is tired of it... well I will have to borrow other people's kids!!!

Halloween party goodies

As always, I like to prep for Maelie's Halloween party a LONG time before it actually starts. For a month I've been working on and off on some goodies. Here are a few of them... most ideas were found online.

The lighting is horrible, I know.. ! But the photo session was on my washing machine in the basement with no energy left! LOL I just had to take the pics for memories sake!!

Here are little spiders in top of plastic Stampin up containers. They usually hold brads or buttons... I collect them when they are empty for goodies! I love these little spiders!

There are little post it pads that I covered and added a clip.

Little creepy bags...

Matchbooks with an M&M bag stapled inside

Rock candy! I found these at homesense and packaged them individually.

A triple pack of bubble gum. I bought these individually colored balls at Party City. I love how they have everything in specific colors! I just repackaged them and added a tag.

Martha Stewart test tubes with Sixlets inside. I also got the colored Sixlets at Party City. They have them in big bags of individual colors. LOVE them!

This was just a bag with goodies, but I loved the little tag I made! I used decorative tape and a little stamped tag.

These simple jars came from the dollar store. Covered in scrapbooking paper and a few embellishments, perfect!!

I love these little purse die bats! If there had been boys at the party, I would have removed the handle, of course!

With that, we had a witches shoe! The pattern was SO easy to make. I got it online as well. The pattern had an insert included, but since I used double sided paper, I didn't have to add it! Time saver!

I saw this model as a card on Pinterest... I decided to simply put it on a paper bag! Added a washi tape at the top and ta-da! Perfect bag for goodies!

I used a tiny fry container from McDonald's and traced it on Halloween paper. I should have used a bigger one, it would have been easier to stand up... but I ran out of time!

These paint buckets are from the dollar store! I just covered then with cute paper, added a few ribbons and stickers, a bit of orange grass inside for decoration and then a few treats! Too adorable!!

 

I also had a few items that were not crafty, such as a pack of Halloween tissues, a pack of stickers, and a magnetic game I got on clearance! Oh and I can't forget the big popcorn style buckets I got at Michael's last year on clearance as well! The kids can stuff that up with all their goodies!! :)

 

 

grand maman's visit and crazy hail!

Grand-maman visited this weekend, just a quick visit as usual. While she was making bread and soup, Sonia, Naomie and Mamie dropped by for a few minutes. While they were there, Mother Nature decided to be really entertaining!! It started hailing like crazy! Of course, Maelie and Naomie decided that it would be more fun to go outside ... with a helmet of course!!

They went crazy running all around the porch, picking up hail and screaming. LOL

Crazy girls!!

They filled in a huge bowl and then decided to come in as it was pretty cold....! There was also thunder and lightning... in October???

Grand-maman ended up making all these wonderful loaves of bread!!

On Sunday morning, I initiated her to card making. She liked the chicken stamp and so she stamped the image and colored them while I simply worked on the background cutting and taping. She already had big plans for her cards!

In the afternoon before she left, we played a game of Monopoly. You will notice that most of my properties are red.... mortgaged! I was out of the game shortly after this picture!! Grand-maman kicked out booties!!

What a nice time we had together. It's always sad when she leaves... ! Until next time!!

Fall days

Maelie wanted us to go visit a really nice area behind a cemetery close to her school. They went there once to do art class and she wanted to share the beauty with me! :) and Peluche of course.

There is nothing more beautiful the fall colors! There is just something about it... maybe it's simply the change that makes us smile. The change to snow doesn't make everyone smile though.... but then when spring comes around, everyone is happy again!

We walked down to the little creek... at some point Peluche walked into some prickly branches because he ended up with a lot stuck on his fur!

Maelie wore her dress because she knew I was going to go a little picture crazy!!

Ok mom, I'm done now!

She is a very quick visitor... we walked to the creek, then she was done! Ready to leave! I asked her to at least sit on the wooden bridge so I can get a pic of that.

We had a wonderful time. I don't take for granted any of these precious moments spent together! I am extremely thankful for the life I have and especially for my husband and daughter! Fine... Peluche too... LOL

Why?

"Why??? Tell me WHY is there only dog food in this house???"

"But strangely enough, I keep coming back for a visit."

The Garfield of our street is Mika. He lives a few doors down but enjoys coming for a visit once in a while!!