Halloween, Time to Have a Really Scary Night ~ A Holiday Product Review

 It's coming soon!  Are you ready to put your thinking cap on?  It doesn't have to be hard to come up with a costume that will thrill and chill or just make everyone laugh!

The time to think about Halloween costumes is now!  After several years of no Halloween fun, I think everyone is more than ready to enjoy this holiday to it's fullest!

 

Are you a crafty person?  If so, you might want to get started now. Get all those things together to make this years Halloween costume, one that won't be forgotten!

The biggest problem is coming up with the idea!  There are so many easy ways to make a costume and then there are those costumes that will take a bit of time and effort to put together.  The choice is entirely yours.

Pick your theme for starters and then run with it.  The whole idea of making your costume stand out is to take the theme and exaggerate it to the fullest!  That is what makes it fun and so extra special.  

But if you are like me, my mind starts to go in all kinds of different directions and I find myself unable to make the decisions that will complete my "look"!  

Thank goodness there is a great place to get a costume for you, your kids and your other half!  Without all the hassles of making a  costume from scratch and trying to find everything you need!  

HalloweenCostumes.com has got you covered.  I just spent a whole day and a half just getting a feel for what they offer and I'm impressed!  

These costumes are really fun and come in all sizes from the Babies right up to the Parents and Grands!  Who could ask for anything more!  

HalloweenCostumes.com has individual costumes as well as costumes for pairs or couples!  Batman and Robin, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, Zombies, and lots of story book characters too!  You really need to go and take a look!  So many choices and they seem to me to be cost effective too!  

By the time you buy the fabric, thread and accessories to make a costume (plus the time to make it) you will spend as much or more than what the finished price for these costumes are!

Halloween should be a time to enjoy and have some real fun!  Stressing out over your costume should not be the highlight.  

Everything Halloween can be found at HalloweenCostumes.com!  Do you need props?  Lights? Party Decorations and more?  Check out all of the scary and fun accessories that will just finish off your Halloween display.  

Mr. Skeleton is just one of the many props available on the Accessories Page!  Pretty scary to me.

I think that this year will be the one where so many people will get out and enjoy what we've been missing for the past few years.  We need to laugh and have something to look forward to!  Seeing everyone out having a really good time, makes my spirits lift, no pun intended!  

I'm hoping that everyone is looking forward to a really good time this year!

  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!

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Wear a Halloween Apron This Year!

WHY NOT WEAR A HALLOWEEN APRON THIS YEAR?

A Halloween apron is not necessarily meant to be a costume though it certainly can be one. It also is a rather practical accessory designed to help you get into the spirit of Halloween. Why not treat yourself to one this year? On this page we review five fun reasons to buy a Halloween apron and five great places to source one.  

Click here to find this Happy Halloween apron on Amazon.

FIVE REASONS TO WEAR A HALLOWEEN APRON

(Just in case you need a good reason!)

🎃 No time to prepare a costume for yourself.

🎃 No money to spend on an expensive costume that you'll wear once.
🎃 No time left after creating costumes for your children.
🎃 Not going to a party so wearing an apron at home seems more reasonable.
🎃 No costume appeals to you.

If you have any of these problems, I say, "Go ahead, buy yourself a fun Halloween apron!"

FIVE PLACES TO SOURCE A HALLOWEEN APRON

If you don't have much choice at home, you might consider sourcing your Halloween themed apron from one of the following online sources:

AMAZON - A simple search of Amazon, by clicking here, turns up more than 1,000 Halloween-themed aprons! They're abundant and affordable.

EBAY - eBay has a much larger selection of Halloween-themed aprons, new and used, available than Amazon does and they have vintage ones, too. However, the number of vintage Halloween aprons is somewhat limited I expect because wearing a themed apron is a newer idea. For new aprons on eBay, click here and for vintage Halloween aprons on eBay, click here.

ETSY - The sellers on Etsy are a pretty creative bunch and Halloween aprons are found a plenty on that website. Check them out on Etsy by visiting this link.

MAKE YOUR OWN - You can make one on your own. If you are a seamstress, you might like to look through the resources shown on the page How To Make An Apron, from where you might find inspiration or assistance in crafting the exact Halloween apron that you have in mind.

Do you already have a Halloween apron or are you searching for the perfect one right now?

Happy Haunting!

Boo-renda

MORE HALLOWEEN AND APRON READING:

How about a Hocus Pocus T-Shirt?

Fans of the cult-favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus will love this tee!

A page of Not-Too-Scary Movies for Tweens

Have a youngster clamoring for scary movies? Here are a few safe choices.

Hey Monkeybrains! Real Men Don't Wear Aprons, Do They? 

Check out a fun debate and maybe even throw in your two cents worth.

Five Grandfather-Themed Aprons
Grandpa spends time in the kitchen? There's an apron for him!

Discover a fun Halloween Treats Jigsaw Puzzle

If you love working puzzles and Halloween, you will enjoy these treats. They're calorie free!

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A Review of Handmade Halloween Home Decor

Halloween is a favorite time to decorate your house and yard, most especially if you are like my daughter-in-law who goes 'all out'. Their outside yard décor is so elaborate and fantastic that they have even won local 'Halloween Decoration' contests in the past.

But it is 'inside the home' that can lend itself to creating a Halloween atmosphere limited only by your imagination. You can go scary with ghosts and goblins, skeletons and spiders, or sweetly seasonal with pumpkins, or cute with black cats and bats.

The following are a few ideas to get you started. They are the creative results of fellow handmade artists on Etsy.

Pumpkins

A Pumpkin Table Runner

Halloween Pumpkins Table Runner

Decorate your table with a seasonal table runner for the Halloween season. 

This table runner is made with 2 different prewashed cotton fabrics so that it is reversible. One side has decorated orange, white and black pumpkins that are outlined in gold on a black background. It also has gold stars and the words "Boo" and "Trick or treat". The reverse side is orange with Halloween words and phrases, spiders and crows in black, gray and white. The words and phrases are "Trick or treat", "Spooky", "Happy Halloween" and "Boo".  

This table runner is 14" wide and 39 1/2" long and can be found in Kathie's Etsy Shop she calls CutePurseNalities.

Pumpkin Coasters

Pumpkin Beverage Coasters

Pumpkin design beverage coasters are perfect for home décor in the season of Harvest-time, Autumn, or Fall. They can also be fun all year round for anyone who likes pumpkin designs.

This is a set of 4 drink coasters with a pumpkin design measure 4 x 4 inches each. They are created using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in two shades of orange, plus brown and green. The pumpkin design sits on an ecru/off-white background. Perfect colors for your Harvest time decor. 

They are available in the Etsy Store of Coastal Crochet Crafts.

Black Cats & Bats

Black Cat

Wooden 
Black Cat

This rustic wooden black cat figurine is handmade from whitewood or reclaimed pallet wood

Approximate measurement: about 6 inches tall x 4.3 inches wide.  

Handmade by Christina and found in her Etsy Shop Tinkerbinks.

Scary Bats

Halloween Bats Decor

Scary 3D bats all over the wall / window. Arrange them as you wish. You definitely want them in your Halloween Party. Comes with easy to apply style.

-Easy to apply to walls, doors, glass and other hard surfaces. For use on smooth walls -- can also go on glass

-Material: waterproof pvc. Color: black. Leave no residue or damage when peel off from wall / window. 

Find these bats at AJProducts on Etsy.

Halloween Kitchen Décor

Handy for Halloween are these decorative and useful dishcloths, potholders and refrigerator magnets for your kitchen.

Pumpkin Set

Pumpkin Kitchen Set

Pumpkin Kitchen Combo. Pumpkin shaped cotton dishcloth/washcloth with matching pumpkin potholder and pumpkin magnet

Washing dishes is a chore made easier with dishcloths made of 100% cotton yarn. This dishcloth in the shape of a pumpkin makes kitchen chores more fun.

This pumpkin-shaped handmade-in-crochet dishcloth can also be used as a washcloth in the bathroom - especially fun for kids in the bathtub. 

The matching pumpkin potholder is crocheted in washable orange acrylic yarn with a green top. It measures 9.5 x 11 inches and is made double-thick.

This pumpkin set makes a cute Halloween home décor item or can be used as a gift. (Makes a unique hostess gift when invited out to dinner, especially during the Harvest-Time season).

The kitchen set comes with a matching pumpkin refrigerator magnet.  Available at Wednesday Elf's eBay site. 

Ghost Set

Ghost Washcloth & Magnet

This cute ghost kitchen set includes a fun novelty washcloth in the shape of a ghost. A cute way to entertain children at bathtime or to make choretime in the kitchen washing dishes more fun. Or just display it in your kitchen for a Halloween decoration. It comes with a cute ghost magnet for your refrigerator. Find it at my eBay site.

Related Links:

• For more Halloween home décor ideas, check out Fun Halloween Home Decor by Sylvestermouse.
• For Halloween recipes, costumes and more decorating ideas, check out this group of Halloween articles reviewed for you here on ReviewThisReviews. 

Happy Halloween

Halloween Yard Décor (c) Elf

*Handmade Halloween Home Décor written on 10/24/2020 by (c) Wednesday Elf

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Halloween Videos for Kids

Not all Halloween videos are scary.  I have previously reviewed several Halloween videos for kids.  These movies are fun and entertaining without being horrifying.  After all, we don't want our children frightened or having nightmares.

When my own children were young, we enjoyed watching Halloween movies together.  Actually, I still enjoy watching movies with them and sometimes we even watch the animated cartoon videos they loved during their childhood years. 

When our daughter got married, we even had a special video night with her new husband just so she could introduce him to her most beloved childhood videos.  That was a fun night for all of us!  

 

Beloved Halloween Videos for Kids

Of course, everyone loves Charlie Brown in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  That would be the first video I would recommend for a Halloween family video night.  No matter how old we get, or how old the video gets, it is still entertaining.  

Because I love Winnie the Pooh, one of my favorite Halloween videos is Pooh's Heffalump Halloween.  Until this video, I had never paid much attention to Heffalump.  Now, I love that purple elephant! This is a very fun and entertaining Halloween video that the whole family can enjoy.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss has been popular for my entire life.  Children of all ages love that cat in the red and white top hat.   However, they may not realize he knows a lot about Halloween and a lot of other things.  Not only is this video fun and entertaining, it is also educational.  The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about Halloween is only one of the many episodes in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That delightful series.  This episode is available separately for Halloween viewing.

Lumpkin the Pumpkin is a lesser known Halloween video.  It's a cute video about a young witch who has no desire to be scary or cruel.  She teams up with Lumpkin, a pumpkin, to help teach safety tips on Halloween.  It is a cute and entertaining way to make children more aware of the possible dangers when trick or treating. 

 

You Can Read The Full Reviews Here:

 It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Movie Review Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie Review for Children The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween Movie Review Lumpkin the Pumpkin Video Movie Review

  

This year for Halloween, why not gather your whole family around to watch a fun and entertaining Halloween video, or perhaps several! 

Here are a few more Halloween videos for kids that have not been previously reviewed, but would no doubt be quite entertaining & fun.

 

 Curious George: Halloween Double FeatureCheck Price If You Give a Mouse a PumpkinCheck Price Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!Check Price Arthur and the Haunted Tree HouseCheck Price

 

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

Halloween Videos for Kids Written by:

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Halloween Skeletons Make Great Decor

 How do you like to decorate for Halloween?  I think skeletons are a great choice.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil - image from Pixabay.com

There are a number of different ways to incorporate skeletons in your Halloween decor from basically a few bones in a graveyard style theme to using actual poseable skeletons.

You can even use animal skeletons like a dog or a cat for a little bit of intrigue.   I actually have a friend who's a yoga teacher so when I saw skeletons doing yoga I thought that would be fun for her Halloween display.

Photo by Lou16, purchase online here

The best image I saw to incorporate a skeleton inside was in a private Halloween group, unfortunately, I can't share that image with you, but it was basically a skeleton in a wedding dress sat in a chair.

I love the idea of getting a posable skeleton and putting an old wedding dress on it and sitting it in a rocking chair in the corner of the room.   It was a very good looking display (although they didn't use a rocking chair) and let's face it many of us keep our wedding dresses without ever using them again so a perfect way to give them a little airing as well.

Of course if you wanted an outside skeleton bride you could always pop her
on a garden bench with or without a groom - photo from Pixabay

How would you incorporate a skeleton into your Halloween decor?

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Take a Break and Solve Some Riddles

Fun Combined with Distraction - 2020's Prescription

With so many challenges in 2020, finding distracting things to do has been priority number one for my family and me.

Simply enjoying each other's company and being grateful for what we do have has been a priority in our life these past several months. But truth be told, it's still a conscious effort to keep the mind clear and hope alive. Life has a way of sneaking up and challenging our sanity. Sometimes getting back to the basics is the best solution.

So that brings me to riddles. Lol. Truth.

I decided to write riddle books as a form of entertainment and distraction.  Strangely enough, I started writing them in late 2019. Premonition maybe? To date, I've self-published five riddle books. My latest book is Halloween Riddles, featured below.

Available on Amazon

Turn the World Off With a Smile

When I created the books, and the related website, "StumpedRiddles.com," my tag line for both became, 'turn the world off with a smile.'

My latest project, Halloween Riddles, was a time-consuming venture. It involved approximately three months from writing to publishing. It was published on Amazon in August 2020.

This book features eighty riddles divided into eight chapters. The chapters are Unseen Halloween, Dead Halloween, Costumes, Halloween Food, Halloween Decorating, A Famous Cartoon, Halloween Emotions, and Halloween Noises.

The book was written for the avid Halloween fans and for parties.

You Can Also Solve Riddles Online

I built StumpedRiddles.com to coincide with the published riddle books.

The site features a growing list of originally written riddles to solve. When you need a mindless activity, head over at your leisure to tackle a few.

Some of the riddles are unique to the website, while others are from the already published riddle books.

A Growing List of Original, Personally Written Online Riddles to Keep You Busy Here

Here's one of the riddles you'll find on the website:

On StumpedRiddles.com

Did you guess the answer?

Oh, what the heck, I'll give you one more to ponder:

On StumpedRiddles.com

Riddles might seem mundane, but these days, that's a feature, not a bug!

I created the books for multiple purposes: Parties, Games, Loot Bags, Stocking Stuffers, Mental Challenges, Family Gatherings, and of course, Distraction.

Have fun, and lose yourself in brain teasers :)

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Halloween Advent Calendar Reviewed

Countdown to Halloween

House Ready for Halloween
image courtesy of pixabay.com

Until recently, I didn't realize there was such a thing as a Halloween Advent Calendar. Did you? I mean, I know about Advent Calendars for Christmas but counting down for All Hallow's Eve is a new one for me.

The one that I stumbled upon is different than the ones we use for Christmas in that there are no little gifts to be found during the countdown. This one just displays how many days until the ghouls, ghosts, goblins and zombies run around asking for treats. You turn the wheel each day to display the number. Now, the nice thing about that is you are not limited to starting the countdown on October 1st. It is possible to begin the counting as early as 99 days before Halloween. That is, if you want to.

Movable wheels

As the wheel to change the numbers is turned scenes on the haunted house change, too. Windows open to show different monsters lurking inside. The moon can be changed to show a variety of flying scenes. There are three movable wheels to play with and a pull strip in the center to move around. It is made on sturdy cardstock so it should last for many years. 

Where to display the Halloween Advent Calendar

It comes with two tombstone feet to allow displaying on a desk, table or shelf. You can get as creative as you want, though. Use some magnets and put it on the refrigerator. Hang it on a wall in any room. If you have a small easel, place it on that and display anywhere you like. It is quite versatile. Measuring only 8 inches by 10 inches, it isn't going to take up a whole lot of space no matter where you decide to display it. 

How about it? Does a decoration that also helps you count down the days to Halloween sound like fun to you?

Advent Calendar for Halloween

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Halloween Reviews on Review This Reviews!

Treasures from the Archives of Review This Reviews!

Halloween is fun and sometimes a bit scary.  The contributors of Review This Reviews 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 Reviews review Halloween movies and books, both for children and/or adults.  

Costume reviews are also included on Review This Reviews!  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 

This small board features the most recent 50 Halloween Reviews
Click through to Pinterest to see all of the articles that our Contributors have published on Review This Reviews!
as well as other sites 

Halloween Reviewed on Review This Reviews!

For a written list of all Halloween related articles reviewed on Review This Reviews, 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 Reviews!, simply click the Halloween tab in the sidebar menu in the right sidebar.  

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Easy No-Sew Halloween Chair Covers

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:

1. Use Pillowcases to put on the backs of each chair. 
2. 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.
3. Decorate the pillowcases.
4. 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.
5. Or, get the kids involved with decorating each one.
6. 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.
7. 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 :)

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Halloween Pocket Size Candy Tins Filled with Jelly Beans

Halloween Candy Tins Available on Zazzle

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!

 Candy Tin CANDY TIN Candy Tin

 

 

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Halloween Pocket Size Candy Tins Filled with Jelly Beans  written by:

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Skeleton Cat Halloween Decor Reviewed

Fun Cat Decor For Halloween

Black Cat image from Pixabay.com

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. 

Skeleton Cat and Rat for Halloween

What do you think? Is it over the top or just the right amount of whimsy for decorating this year?

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Pumpkin Carving Kit Reviewed

Carve A Pumpkin Like A Pro

Carved Pumpkins image courtesy of Pixabay.com

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. 

Pumpkin Carving Kit

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?

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Halloween Costumes: Important Tips for Everyone's Safety

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. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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