Halloween is fun and sometimes a bit scary. The contributors of Review This enjoy reviewing the fun parts of Halloween. Plus, we review some of the scary parts of Halloween, but even that is meant for fun and entertainment. Our contributors have reviewed Halloween recipes, some are adorably cute for children. Others are more macabre and are intended for adult Halloween parties. You will even find a few Halloween cookbooks reviewed. If they are featured here, it is because we believe they are exceptional cookbooks full of fabulous Halloween treats. We also review Halloween decor for decorating inside and out for Halloween. Our reviews often include extra tips to make parties more fun. Plus, what would Halloween be without movies and books? As you would expect. the contributors of Review This review Halloween movies and books, both for children and/or adults. Costume reviews are also included on Review This! You can find some truly awesome costume ideas here for both adults and kids. Several of our contributors write for Halloween websites. Links to some of those articles are included on the Pinterest board below. We want to make sure all of your Halloween needs are covered here.
Welcome to Our Special Halloween Library of Reviews!
A Preview of the Pinterest Board - Halloween Reviews
For a written list of all Halloween related articles reviewed on Review This, please visit our Site Directory and
select "Holidays" from the "Fast Click" category tabs at the top of the page. As you would expect by the category title, there are many additional holidays articles under that category
along with the Halloween reviews. To see all of our Halloween articles on Review This!, simply click the Halloween tab in the sidebar menu in the right sidebar.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Add Halloween Chair Covers for Parties or Just Because You're the Mommy with Magical Detail Decorating Powers
Small details create a finished décor scheme. Expert party planners think of the most mundane items to include when they decorate.
The walls, the lawn, the windows, the doorways and table settings are the first choice areas most of us tend to decorate. Rarely do you see chair covers.
You Can DIY Your Own Chair Covers Simply By Decorating the Chair Backs
If you love to dip your paws into artsy festive projects, start with chair covers.
The easiest way to DIY chair covers is to focus strictly on the backs of the chairs. The seats of chairs are little more work, so avoid those unless you're into more work.
Simple No-Sew Halloween Chair Backs:
Use Pillowcases to put on the backs of each chair.
First check the size of your chair backs to see if a pillowcase will fit over it. Most likely it will. You may need king size pillowcases if your chair backs are quite high.
Decorate the pillowcases.
If you're not into decorating the pillowcases then purchase plain orange or black pillowcases and simply slip them over the chair backs as is.
Or, get the kids involved with decorating each one.
Decorate them anyway you want. Draw on them, tape or glue cut-out designs on them, use felt, or markers. Let your inner artist lose.
Or buy pre-made Halloween themed pillowcases.
When Halloween is over, pack them away for next year.
Not a DIY Guru? No Biggy, Get them Ready-Made
We're not all the crafty type. Not to worry, you can find some creative pre-done Halloween chair covers online. Most are quite affordable. Here's a super cute cover for a little girl's Halloween Party:
You can find additional ready-made Halloween chair cover styles here.
Have fun, and Happy Halloween :)
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Each year I look for a special treat to give to the trick-or-treaters that I personally know. I'm sure you know what I mean. Out of dozens of children who trick-or-treat in our neighborhood, I only personally know my friend's children or grandchildren who come to my door. I like to have a really special gift to give to them, not just the candy I give to everyone trick-or-treating. It is also true that I like to have a special treat to give my own grown children for Halloween. These Candy Tins filled with Jelly Beans are the perfect special treat for each of them. Plus, the candy tins are refillable and not very expensive. Therefore, they could actually keep and use their "special Halloween treat" year round.
By the way, there is a volume discount when you order 10 or more of these candy tins on Zazzle. Plus, if you subscribe to "Zazzle Black" (standard subscription - currently $9.95/year), you will get free shipping on your orders on Zazzle. I have personally saved over $300 by subscribing to Zazzle Black. Also, anytime you buy on Zazzle, be sure you check their current coupons for savings!
Halloween Candy Tins with Jelly Beans or Mints
There are a few reasons why I enjoy giving these pocket candy tins as special Halloween treats.
First, Jelly Beans are a very popular candy. It seems like everyone loves them.
Second, as I mentioned earlier, they are refillable, which means the gift will last well beyond Halloween.
The candy tins come with a variety of images on the front. You simply choose the picture you think is appropriate for the recipients. Obviously, the grim reaper on the right would be for adults, but I have also featured some of my own favorites for children below.
Plus, the candy tins are small enough to slip into jeans pockets or the interior pocket of a purse, which makes them very convenient to carry. The tins are approximately 2½" wide.
You choose the flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans in the tin. Select assorted or one specific flavor from the options available. The tin holds 20 jelly beans.
Mints are also available as a choice instead of jelly beans. Or, you can choose to have the tin shipped to you empty and fill it with whatever you wish.
Oh, and lest I forget, they make great Halloween party favors!
A slightly different Halloween decoration for this year would be a skeleton cat. Let me review one for you this year and you can decide if it is something you would want to add to your decorating this year.
Black cats are often associated with Halloween. That is a bad rap for those beautiful creatures, I know. Unfortunately, most tales of the spooky persuasion involve a cat (often black) in them. Witches and magicians often have a familiar in the form of a cat. One can sort of see why because a cat when angered can be pretty darned frightening whether it is Halloween or not. I digress.
A few years back a very popular decoration for the night of trick or treats was the flamingos that were skeletons or devils. I thought those were hysterically funny! Actually, I think that if one looks they can still find those available. Perhaps you aren't into those majestic birds as a part of your yard decor but you do want a skeleton theme or at least a few skeletons in the overall plan. Of course, we can find human skeletons but gosh everyone has at least one of those. How about something different? Hmmm?
I have found a fun and different option for this year's night of fright! A skeleton cat and rat can be placed in my yard or beside the door. Now, before you go getting all bent out of shape thinking that a cat skeleton is kind of cruel, hear me out. First of all, I absolutely love cats. I have one that adopted me years ago and I love her dearly. Still, I think having a skeleton cat at the door greeting my little trick or treaters is a funny idea. It is not something that they would expect to see. I think after the first shock of seeing one they will probably laugh. I know I will when I see them jump! A little wicked of me, I suppose.
Since I know that my own cat will not even consider sitting by the door to hiss and arch her back (she is one big scaredy cat with strangers); this option appeals to me. It might even be funny to dress as a witch and hold the skeleton in my arms, petting it like it is still alive.
It is just about time to start our pumpkin carving for Halloween this year. Did you know that there are kits that will help you carve like a pro? Let's review an option that is available to help us go from a lame looking jack-o-lantern to a creation that will make the jaws of our little trick or treating visitors drop in wonder.
Over the year's I have tried to be creative in my pumpkin carving endeavors. There has not been many times that I could exclaim, "Nailed It!" In fact, most years I am afraid that it was more of an occasion to bow my head in shame with a sincere "Fail".
I know that in year's past the problem has been that I didn't have the proper tools to accomplish my goal. It really takes more than a hope to carve something cool. Honestly, it takes more than a couple of carving knives from the kitchen to do it, also. So, this year I plan to try a pumpkin carving kit.
First, I am going to ask my sweet hubby to sketch a neat design. He is a pretty good artist so I will leave that part to him. The kit includes a tool that I can then use to poke little holes around the design. That should help me use the special carving blades to cut around the design. There are blades that have larger teeth for the heaving cutting and blades that are finer that can be used for the detail work and the smaller areas of his design.
Of course there is that messy part of scooping out all of the insides of the pumpkin. Yuk! The kit also has a large scraper and scooping tool that should make that job much easier.
Once the pumpkin carving is complete and I have cleaned up all of the tools; I will have a nice little bag to store all of the supplies in for the next year. Hopefully, I can have a jack-o-lantern on my front porch to be proud of and I can say that we did it ourselves.
What do you think? Does a kit to carve your pumpkins for Halloween seem like a wise choice or are you one of those gifted people who can do it with the tools you already have?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Kids everywhere are already discussing what they will dress up as for their favorite holiday, Halloween!
Let's review some important safety tips so our children/ grandchildren can continue to enjoy this holiday.
Even though the end of September is quickly coming, adults and kids alike are getting into the Halloween spirit. Everywhere you look there are dozens and dozens of costumes just trying to get your child's attention. At the end of October every neighborhood will have dozens of Superheroes, Doctors and Nurses, Witches and Werewolves prowling about.
These are my grandchildren, Miss BoPeep and her Sheep!
The excitement of all the Treats has most youngsters just chomping at the bit to get out on Halloween night.
Let's just take a minute to review some important safety tips to keep our children/grandchildren safe during their escapades.
1. Never ever let your children go out alone and unsupervised.
-team up with some neighborhood parents and share the role as supervisors. There are always some big kids that will take advantage or prey on younger children that are alone. Instead of having fun, they are robbed of their candy and may even suffer some physical injury.
2. Make sure their costumes allow them to walk without tripping, climb stairs without "face planting" on the next step and just see where they are going.
3. If they have chosen to be a witch, zombie, ax murderer or some other very dark creature, make sure that somewhere on their costume there is reflective tape or better yet, a bright flashlight that will illuminate them in the dark.
4. Rather than masks, try using makeup to augment their costume. If you slather them with cream before makeup application, it will be much easier to come off later. Makeup does not hinder their ability to see what's around them. Masks tend to slip, dip and drop and the children are more interested in keeping that mask in place, than looking at where they are going.
5. Keep the children off the roads. One accident is one too many. Check your route, and see that you do one side of the road and then cross to the other side. Cars and kids running amok are not a good combination.
6. Don't allow any treats to be consumed until they have been checked over. With food allergies and treats being tampered with, eating on the run is never a good idea.
7. Have fun and take some pictures along the way! They will make some great memories in the future.
If you are looking for a great flashlight for your children to use on Halloween night, I would suggest this one:
I like this flashlight because it can be used at Halloween, but it can be used at other times of the year too.
It is an Amazon Choice and has three light settings. It's a regular flashlight with a powerful beam, it's a reading light with a softer and wider light surface and (here's the reason I really like it) it has a powerful red flashing emergency light too! That would add just another facet to any Halloween costume out there. We have three of these in our apartment and they really work well when there is a black out! So after Halloween, keep these flashlights in and around your home, so that if the power ever goes out, you are prepared.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Will these ants help Ant-Man? Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
I have a feeling that the Ant-man costume will be one that many children will want for Halloween this year. At least I will be surprised if I don't have a least a few show up at my door to trick or treat!
Our dear Cynthia reviewed the Ant-Man movie for us back in July. My husband and I just watched it this weekend. If you haven't seen it, you really do not know what you are missing. I wasn't so sure that I could get into the whole concept of a Super Hero being an ant. Ants are not even close to being on my favorite list. After reading her review, I decided that it might be a movie that I could enjoy and I knew my husband would like it because it is from Marvel. I have to tell you, this was probably my most favorite of the Super Hero movies from Marvel. It was action packed but it was also very funny! The ants (as much as I don't like 'em) were pretty incredible!
A little factoid: There about 1 million ants for every human in the world. (That is a lot of freakin' ants!)
Anyway, back to the costume. I do think the children who have seen the movie will want to be the Ant-Man for Halloween. He really is a pretty cool and easy to relate to. Above all things he is a very loving Dad.
So, the costume is relatively inexpensive as costumes go and it comes with everything a child would need to be his or her new favorite hero. There is a jumpsuit with attached boot tops, a belt and a mask. I was glad that it is just a mask because if it was an over the head helmet, I think some children would struggle with wearing it. As it is, they can have fun wearing it for Halloween and they can also play with it after they have gone from door to door.
Halloween is on the Way! Time to think Protection, Protection, Protection
O.k. not really, but just in case here's a review of items for the home that are said to protect your humble abode from all things evil.
1. Horseshoe Home Décor Accessories
When it comes to protecting your home, the best place to put a horseshoe is on your front door as a door knocker. However, if you're unable to place it on the door, go ahead and place them inside your home. A horseshoe in the home is said to attract good fortune, and in doing so, evil gets knocked on it's butt. Some people believe it's better luck to hang the horseshoe with the ends pointing up so that all the good energy has a place to pool inside the horseshoe.
2. Use Cinnamon Scents in Home
Did you know that Cinnamon is associated with prosperity. Besides baking, you can incorporate cinnamon in your home using cinnamon oil or cinnamon sticks. During the holiday season include cinnamon scented pine cones in a center piece, or decorate using cinnamon sticks in wreaths. Place cinnamon Crystal Allies Materials: 1lb Bulk Rough Black TourmalineCrystals from Brazil - Large Raw Natural Stones Reiki Crystal sticks in all your wreaths. If you don't want to see the sticks, simply tuck them in so they're not visible.
3. Feature a Rosemary Wreath
For those who enjoy the history of witches, witches believed that hanging rosemary on your front door would ward off burglars and intruders. It was also used as a way to rid a room of illness during the time of the plague. If nothing else at all, between the rosemary and cinnamon in your wreaths, your home will smell lovely.
4. Display Gemstones Throughout Your Home
The topic of gemstones is a rather in-depth one. Feature in a centerpiece or in a lovely decorative bowl the following gemstones to ward off bad energy: Tourmaline, Agate, Emerald, Labradorite, Black Onyx, Peridot and Emerald. If you need to pick one, choose Tourmaline as it's said to be the most effective for dark energy.
5. Smudge Your Home With Sage
I know a few people who do this in their home. It's derived from the Native American belief that the smoke from sage will cleanse a space and clear negative stagnant energy. Spread the sage clockwise around your home and while doing so, visualize positive intentions as you clear every room. Reiki Practitioners are known to clear the energy in their home or office with Sage after a session with a client. It clears the energy for the next client so their treatment can begin anew from a cleansed room.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Before you know it Halloween will be upon us. Reviewing a Spider Poncho is my self-imposed task for today. It makes for a simple costume to wear this year whether you are going to a costume party or just taking your little "ghouls" out for trick or treating. It is also something that can be worn in future years by yourself or even the children as they grow.
I like the idea of using a poncho as a way to be festive because it can serve two purposes. If it looks like a spider and it's web it of course fits the costume criteria. If the weather happens to be cool (it most likely will be) then it will also help to keep you warm. The added bonus is that you can throw it over the top of whatever you are wearing making the getting ready task short and simple. You will not have to spend hours getting yourself ready besides dressing the kiddos.
Of course you can embellish the look in a lot of different ways. Add a black wig and use some goth looking make-up. It might be fun to add some fake webbing to the wig, too! Wear black boots if you have them or just throw on a pair of black jeans. You can make it as easy as you want or really get creative to look like a walking spider web.
I started looking for something to do with spiders for this year because I have kind of become obsessed with arachnids since I published my first two books. If you happen to have read one or both, you know that spiders play a role in a minor way with both Charlotte and Clay. As I am writing the third in the series, spiders will once again creep into the story line.
So, if you are looking for something fun yet simple to dress-up in this Halloween; I recommend something like a Spider Poncho that will be easy on your wallet and to wear. Have you begun to think of what you will dress like this year?
It's not long until Halloween so I thought it would be a great time to start reviewing what the most popular women's costumes were for 2018. I checked a number of different costume websites to find out what the trending costumes are for this year.
I was surprised by a few of the costumes that kept popping up on the lists, but after collating numerous sites I believe these ten costumes will be the most popular for women this year, let's take a look at them shall we?
We have the likes of Wonder Woman, Eleven, Rey, Winifred Sanderson, Harley Quinn & Daenerys Targaryen to name just a few, I wonder which one will be your favorite.
Wonder Woman tied with Eleven as the top rated women's Halloween costume for 2018.
It's not surprising to me as Wonder Woman is an iconic superhero from my childhood and has also become immortalized on the big screen now which means a new generation of girls can embrace this female superhero.
Now it's hard to know which Wonder Woman costume will be the most popular - the classic costume or the movie Wonder Woman costume. I suggest you just choose the one you prefer.
I keep telling myself that I must watch Stranger Things as I keep hearing how amazing it is. I don't know who the character Eleven is, but she tied with Wonder Woman as the most popular, trending costume for women this year.
As far as I can tell there is only one costume which is a pink dress with green and yellow banded sports socks.
Having had a look at Google Images for Eleven there does seem to be a couple of other options for a costume that fans of the show may want to create for themselves.
Rey Halloween Costume
Third Most Popular Women's Costume for Halloween 2018
I have put Rey as the third Halloween costume and yet it got the same number of mentions as the rest of the list. Why I'm elevating it above the others however is because on a couple of sites they mentioned any Star Wars costume (as opposed to picking one particular one such as Rey or Princess Leia).
Let's face it Star Wars is a classic Halloween themed costume, I don't see that ever changing!
There are a few different Rey costumes available, including what I think of as the classic Rey costume that is pictured here.
More Women's Costumes for Halloween 2018
Let's Round Out the Top 10 Costume Ideas
The next seven costumes for women all seemed to be just as popular as each other, trending slightly differently on different sites, but being mentioned the same amount of time.
So in no particular order let's check out the next costume ideas ...
The article also talks about different accessories to add to your beautiful flapper dress to help pull it all together as the perfect 1920s flapper girl look.
It's been two years since the remake of Ghostbusters with a female cast and yet it appears that these costumes are still trending this year!
I do love both the 2016 Ghostbusters as well as the original Ghostbusters overalls and they are also a great costume to wear if you're going out with a couple of friends and want a group costume idea.
In this article on Ghostbusters costumes, it also features a couple of other costume ideas that aren't the Ghostbusters themselves which is perfect if you're looking for a group costume idea.
Winifred Sanderson Costume
A Hocus Pocus Costume Idea
If you're trying to think, who is Winifred Sanderson and why does the same seem familiar, she's one of the witches from the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this popular movie there have been a number of membrabillia released including a range of Hocus Pocus Halloween costumes.
I believe that this is why Winifred's costumes have been trending for women, I'm not sure why the Sarah Sanderson and Mary Sanderson costumes haven't received as much attention, although I guess everyone thinks of Bette Midler's character before the other two.
Finding these official costumes has proved a little tricky however which is why I've included this diy no-sew tutorial for your very own Winifred costume -
I imagine that this costume is trending because of the 2017 movie of Baywatch which I have yet to see.
Looking at the costumes available they don't seem to have changed since the popular television series which I'm sure you all must have seen at least a couple of episodes of.
In my opinion this is definitely best to go with if you're in a warm climate for Halloween! Also don't forget to practice the 'slow mo running' to really bring the costume to life!
Harley Quinn Halloween Costume
There are lots of different Harley Quinn costumes available and I actually wrote about them here. It surprises me that the Suicide Squad Harley Quinn costume is still trending as a must have Halloween costume for 2018, although I guess I shouldn't be surprised as Harley Quinn is quite a character.
Despite the fact that the Game of Thrones did not have a season this year their costumes were still popular including for men Jon Snow and the White Walkers. When it comes to costumes for women though there seems to be a clear winner with the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen.
There are a number of costumes available for Daenerys to choose from and I must admit as a fan of hers I really can't decide which costume I would want to choose!
The Handmaid's Tale is yet another show that I am yet to watch even though the reviews were amazing. With a successful second season airing this year it's hardly surprising to find this simple costume is popular.
The thing I love about this costume is that I can see the costume being easy to adapt into other costumes in future years which is something I love.
Would you like to wear one of these ten top trending Halloween costumes this year, or will you be looking to make you own mark with something different or a classic that you love?
We have a number of costume pages on this site that you might find inspiration from -
Top Three Group Costume Ideas for Halloween
There are some wonderful ideas for group costumes, but sometimes when you're trying to think of just one you go completely blank! This article gives you three of the top group costume ideas for Halloween which you will love.
The Best Animal Costumes for Halloween
Animal costumes are always a fun idea for Halloween. Heather reviews some of the animal costumes that are proving to be popular, even though she's loving her peacock costume she gives a nod to the other costumes available. I've always found dog themed costumes to be popular near where I live, but Heather reveals the most popular animal costume in her part of the world - guess what it is!
Reviewing Hobo Costume Ideas, Head to Toe
I must admit I had never thought about dressing up as a hobo for Halloween until I read Susan's article and I must say it's an ingenious idea. I do love an easy diy costume idea and this is certainly one of those, perfect for a last minute costume idea if you were thinking of missing Halloween this year and changed your mind on the day!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
During this time of year, the one treat I find myself craving constantly is a caramel apple. That is the one thing I always buy at fall festivals and fairs. Because I have never felt like bothering with the mess of melting the caramels, I never have them at home. Fortunately, there are a few delicious ways to take care of my caramel apple cravings without the fuss and muss. In this review I will show you a few of those caramel apple treats.
Ms. Prindable's Caramel Apples
There is no fuss or muss if you buy your caramel apples already made. Food stands at local apple harvest festivals or state fairs have the most amazing caramel apples. But what if you want a caramel apple and don't feel like leaving the house? I believe it was two years ago when someone gave me a wonderful gift of a Ms. Prindable's caramel apple. That gourmet apple was divine. I don't recall which flavor I had, since Ms. Prindable's carries a variety of caramel-covered apples, but I do recall it was covered in roasted nuts. It was rich, delicious, and it was one of the large apples. That gourmet apple was a very welcomed and thoughtful gift.
The least fussy-mussy caramel apple flavored treats are the Werther's sugar free hard candies. Even though they are hard candies and even though they are sugar-free, these are some of my favorite autumn candies. These Werther's candies truly taste like caramel and green-apples. They are small treats that are individually wrapped - small enough to carry several of them in your pocket or your purse. Because they are hard candies there is no mess other than having to throw away the wrapper. In addition to the sugar-free hard candies, Werther's offers caramel apple flavored hard candies and caramel apple flavored soft candies.
Caramel Apple Pops are green apple-flavored hard candies on a stick with a coating of caramel. They are wonderful but not quite as easy to carry in your pocket or purse. You can definitely keep them handy at home or in your desk drawer. And they are a popular Halloween treat.
Well folks, I've now spent so much time thinking about caramel apples that I looked for a tutorial on making them at home. AllRecipes has this "recipe" and video showing the steps of melting the caramel in the microwave and coating the apples. You can be sure that I'll be snacking on the caramel apple treats above, but I also may end up making some caramel apples at home this year with the help of allrecipes.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
Halloween is the perfect time to great really creative in the kitchen.
One of my favorite Halloween cookbooks is Ghoulish Goodies because it is chock full of fabulously frightful Halloween recipes and decorating ideas. From spooky yet cute, to ghoulishly grotesque, there is something for every Halloween party or gathering featured in the cookbook.
The front cover of the cookbook gives a very accurate description of what you can expect to find within the book. However, there is so much more than just what you see there. The back cover gives you a bit more insight, but honestly, until you look inside the book, you will not appreciate how truly fantastic this cookbook really is for Halloween.
Let me show you some of my favorite recipes in the book. Keep in mind, there are a lot more in the book though. The features in the collage below just happen to be my personal choices.
This Collage was Created with Scanned Images from the Actual Cookbook
Ghoulish Goodies Cookbook
Ghoulish Goodies Cookbook Paperback or Kindle Version Available!Check PriceThis really is a fantastic Halloween cookbook and one that every Halloween hostess should own. Each recipe gives the exact ingredients required, along with easy to follow instructions for creating these Halloween fun food masterpieces.
It also includes lots of decorating tips alongside the individual recipes. For instance, it tells you exactly how to make the "super grass" used on the Ghost Graveyard cake (upper right corner of the collage above).
There are extra recipes included for dipping sauces, plus tips for decorative tray presentation. The presentation suggestions could easily be incorporated with other Halloween food. Believe it or not, the author didn't stop there. She has also included a section for Halloween supper. Some of dinner recipes feature Candy Corn Pizza, Orange Rice, or Ghost Mashed Potatoes. This would be a really fun supper to serve. Although I must admit, the meatloaf with an unblinking eyeball might me just a little too grotesque for even this Halloween Hostess.
Do I sound excited to review this book? You bet I am! But, I am more excited about getting into the kitchen and making my own Ghoulish Goodies from this cookbook.
Summer's Heat has given way to Autumn cooler temperatures, let's review ways to get your garden ready for the oncoming cold that is sure to happen.
Autumn is that wonderful time of year when the weather gets a little cooler and the days start to have a little bite in them. Leaves are turning those beautiful shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red. Everywhere the eye goes, it's a myriad of beautiful colors to keep us all in Awe! What a wonderful mystical, beautiful time of year. The Maker's paintbrush is never still and our picture changes daily.
Everyday, I look out over my balcony and the trees are changing colors from one day to the next. Yesterday the leaves were all green and today it seems that they are turning shades of gold, red, browns and oranges. One day makes such a difference.
If you are not sure what to do with all those leaves, give that link(Autumn garden chores) a quick review, your garden will love you for it. It doesn't hurt to organize our chores for the best outcomes in our gardens.
Cooler Days and changing colors are a shock to the system after all of summer's warm days. Time moves on and these changes are a gardener's Alarm Clock, because the next thing is garden cleanup before the winds of winter come.
Because Autumn is also the time for Halloween, we can do two things at once! By using our leaves in funky Halloween decorator bags, we now have our glorious pumpkin display all done. Or if you prefer you can also make crazy spiders and pumpkins to give all the kids a good chuckle. Packing those bags will be child's play after raking them all together and then using our monster hands to stuff the bags.
Now after all the festivities are over, don't throw all those beautiful leaves away. Use a chipper/grinder to make the world's easiest and best mulch for your garden beds. The extras can go into the composter along with the worms and everyone will be happy! You won't believe the work that those worms will do in the composter. Even in the winter months, those worms are working away. The beauty of a compost heap is that it will remain warm all winter long. The worms will be happy and so will you when you see what they accomplish while you are inside staying toasty warm.
Autumn is also a great time to buy yourself a new pair of gloves, because I'm sure the ones you started out with in the spring have seen better days, and they just might be on sale at this time of year. You know you will always use them.
Once the gardens are all cleaned-up, it will be easy to see where to plant all the tulips and daffodils, crocus and snowbells, grape hyacinths and some irises too! The time to do that is now! Fall Bulbs are available in just about every garden store around. If you want that gorgeous Spring Garden you do have to plant those bulbs in the fall. Spring will be just bursting forth sooner than you think and those bulbs will be so happy to grow in your well mulched beds. It's a little bit of heaven in just a few short months and something to pin your hopes on while the cold winds blow.
The Leaves you have mulched added under the bulbs will give those bulbs an extra boost of good compost right under their roots, so they will grow big and strong! You won't be disappointed. Good gardeners and great gardens all give so much credit to the mulch that is brought right down into the soil. Best of all, it's free fertilizer and no chemicals! All natural, Mother Nature will thank you and so will all your family when they are enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Such a pretty sight, a well tended garden can bring a smile to you and everyone else too!
I hope you take the time to enjoy the changing of the seasons and preparing your gardens for the Spring of 2018! In planting for the spring, you give everyone a reason to hope for the future and the brightness of your fabulous garden to come.
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All pictures are courtesy of Pixabay.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.
A local news story recently reported on an upcoming event in my area called 'Eat, Drink and Be Scary'. It appears to be a regular event around the country, but the story reminded me of the many Halloween reviews I've read in the past by Review This! Contributors on food and drinks and 'scary' costumes.
Today, I'd like to share some of them with you to give you some ideas for your own Halloween party or community event you may be attending this October 31st.
*Eat, Drink & Be Scary Sign is a downloadable printable created by Happy Life Printables on Etsy.
The appetizers could be 'scary', like these Blood Shot Deviled Eggs (recipe by Mandee Sears). They may LOOK icky, but are really tasty deviled eggs with black olives and red gel cake icing for the decorations.
Concoct some wicked brews and beverages for your Halloween get-togethers using some suggestions from Review This writer Cynthia Sylvestermouse.
From Halloween cocktails for the adults who imbibe, to Eyeball Punch and Shrunken Heads in Cider, which the kids will love, you're sure to find a Halloween 'brew' everyone will enjoy.
The scary part of your Halloween party or event will most likely be your costume. There are many, many to choose from. I have selected a few ideas to get you started on your search for the perfect one to suit your personality.
For a themed party, you could dress up in a group with these suggestions from RT writer Louanne Cox. Star Wars and Avengers are among this season's top favorites.
For kids who might want to be just a little 'scary' for a school Halloween party or an at home event, a simple T-shirt with a sort-of-scary design would be perfect.
So, this Halloween, enjoy your favorite event with
