Halloween Pencils & Straws Reviewed

Whether you are planning a Halloween party, or simply want to send a special treat in your child's school lunchbox or backpack, Halloween straws and pencils make fun surprises.

When my children were in school, I always sought out fun and unique surprises to include in their lunchboxes.  Halloween straws were an absolute must and a fun way to celebrate Halloween all month long.  I normally sent disposable straws to school so they didn't need to keep up with them, but we also had specialty washable  & reusable straws at home for after school.  I still have Halloween straws in my kitchen drawer and pull them out to use just for fun.  Our favorites were always the pumpkins or bats, but I know my family would love the little ghosts or black cats too.

In addition to straws in their lunchboxes, I loved giving them Halloween pencils to use during the month of October.  Of course, I always made sure to purchase #2 pencils in accordance with classroom requirements.  It has been many years since they were in elementary school, but I still have a few orange pencils in the school supply drawer in our home.  Now they are mementos, but in years past, they were a fun and unique surprise during school days.  

 

Halloween Pencils & Straws

Here are a few examples of fun Halloween #2 pencils for school and disposable straws, or reusable straws, for a child's lunchbox or after school.

 Halloween Themed 16 Pencils with 16 Giant Eraser Toppers in Assorted DesignsCheck Price MEAXUR 24pcs Halloween Party Favor Castle Bat Pumpkin Ghost Cat Witch Spider Pattern Reusable Straight StrawsCheck Price HANSGO Halloween Paper Straws, 180PCS Paper Drinking StrawsCheck Price

Check Out More Halloween Fun Reviews at
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 Halloween Pencils & Straws Reviewed Written by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Pretty Christmas Ornament Suite for the Holidays

This pretty Christmas ornament design is my painting of three Christmas ornaments on a wispy look background using lighter shades of the same colors.

The design on the Christmas ornaments is a resemblance of a paint pour. I'll describe that below, under Tips for making paint pour ornaments.

Here it is printed on a greeting card. The greeting card can be purchased as physical cards and or as a downloadable.

Three Christmas Balls Holiday greeting cards
by CherylsArt

I have purchased cards from Zazzle before and have been pleased with my purchases. The colors come out great and card materials are nice quality. There are different materials to choose from for the card stock when you place your order.

A collection of current products is shown below. The link will take you to my CherylsArt store on Zazzle.

Christmas Balls Design Suite
by CherylsArt

Tips for making paint pour ornaments:

I began this painting, using oval shapes, to design three Christmas ornaments. I was inspired to make a similar design that me and my family had created one Christmas. I had purchased clear plastic, see through Christmas balls from a craft store. I already had a variety of acrylic paint that was labeled for all surfaces, on hand. It is the acrylic paint that is made for crafting. I usually buy the Americana brand, but have been known to purchase whatever is available at the time.

We already had a portable clothes drying rack to hang the ornaments from while they dried.

The technique we used was to pour paint over the ornaments, in various colors, and let the paint flow and drip down onto the floor. I had covered the floor with newspaper ahead of time to catch the drippings.

Then you wait and let them dry. You can use regular hooks for hanging ornaments, or you can tie ribbons through the holes for hanging. I would wait until the paint as dried if you want to use ribbons.

I liked that we used a variety of colors that weren't necessarily traditional Christmas colors; which made this activity all the more fun and creative for me and my family.

Will you be making this fun activity part of your holiday activities? If so, do let me know in a comment below.

If you like this pretty paint pour design that I painted, you can check out the items already available in my collection. More items will be added as I design them, and if you have a request for it to be on a particular product that you want to purchase, do let me know that too. I'll be sure to design it and add it to the collection.

May all of your holidays be creative and have happiness in them too.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Summer 2025 ~ My Favorite Kitchen Gadget Reviewed

Okay, okay,  I have more than one favorite item in the kitchen, but for purposes of this review I'm sticking my neck out and picking my go-to item.

Now, just to be certain, coffee makers are not included here because that is my all time favorite kitchen gadget all year around.  Without my "rocket fuel" also known as coffee, this person would not be able to function.  Maybe that's because of my Brazilian roots, who knows for sure?

So back to the most favorite kitchen gadget for 2025 and beyond!  I'll fill you in on all the reasons why this great item made the top of my list. 

The WINNER in my books has got to be the INSTAPOT!

Did you guess this or is it a surprise?  There could have been many different items here, but this one tops my list.  The reasons are simple.

1. Even when it's hotter than Hades outside, you don't need to spend hours in a hot kitchen preparing something for dinner.
2. This past summer with temperatures up around 80+ and feeling like 100, you can still make dinner without melting right along with the butter.
3. It takes up little counter space when in use.
4. It's easy to clean up, one pot does it all!
5. It's great for chicken, pork. beef and just about anything else you want to make.
6. It's not just for dinner (although with us, that is it's major use)
7. There are recipes galore for you to try out.

The only thing I would not do in the Instapot is a great steak ( T-bone, porterhouse, sirloin, those IMHO should remain a staple for the grill).   

This particular Instapot can easily make dinner for one, two or more people.  Or you can make enough for two days, especially when the weather is super warm. If you have a small family you could get the 3 quart size and if you have a larger family there is even an 8 quart sized Instapot.  We have a 6 quart sized one and find that it is perfect even though there are only two of us in the household. It also seems that this is the favorite size as it is an Amazon Choice product.

So here are some of the features according to the Product Description.

1. It has 7 different functions, you can pressure cook, slow cook, saute, steam, ,make rice, yogurt or simple keep your meals warm. (all in the same pot, but not all at once)
2. Customizable programs, you can make everything from soup to desserts.
3. Safe and easy steam release 
4. Cooks up to 70% faster compared to slow cooking methods.
5. Pro-Grade cooking pot: stainless steel with a tri-ply bottom
6. Family sized capacity: the 6 quart is perfect for 6 servings and batch cooking
7. Quick Clean UP.  The lid and inner pot are dishwasher safe.

Now the added bonus that you don't hear about too often, is that it uses so much less energy than stove top cooking. 

Cleaning the Instapot is easy too, the face of the pot just needs a wipe down after use with warm soapy water.  Rinse and it's done!

So there you have it folks.  All my reasons why this has become my favorite Kitchen Gadget for 2025 and beyond!  

Of course my Coffee Maker will remain in top spot for beverages, but the Instapot is #1 for everything else!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Top Ornament Trends for 2025

Can you believe it's time to start thinking about your Christmas decor already? Our local shops already have Christmas decorations out even though we haven't had Halloween yet!

If you are wondering what is happening in the world of Christmas tree ornaments I thought I would share a few of this year's trends with you.

Christmas Color Trends for 2025

First let's look at the colors we'll be seeing more of this year:

Bold Monochrome is set to be big for people looking to make a dramatic themed tree - black and white is the main palette, but you could also do a red and white tree. This look also looks good if you combine another trend for 2025 - oversized ornaments - using a few on your tree will help create even more drama.

Mixed Metallics are also big - metallics have been on trend for a few years now, but in 2025 it's all about mixing them - gold, silver, copper and bronze (even adding in champagne - not a metallic, but a great color to add to them). Add a mix of shiny, matte and glitter finishes to add dimension to your tree. This is a very luxe tree theme.

Pastels & Playful Candy Colors are also back in 2025 for a whimsical Christmas tree. Think blush pink, lavender, mint and pale blue. Balance these ornaments out with white Christmas ornaments. You can add candy ornaments for a playful tree.

To see the full range of colors for 2025 check out The Christmas Ornament Color Trends Guide.

Ornament Trends for 2025

Layered Textures - in 2025 it's all about textures so think velvet ornaments, feathers, beaded ornaments and sequins. Layering lots of textures on the tree will add depth and richness which can result in a very glamorous looking tree.

Make sure you alternate textures so no two similar ornaments sit next to each other, adding sprays and feathers as well as your ornaments will really help to bring this tree together beautifully. This works very well with colors like emerald green and burgundy.

Transparent Glass Ornaments - glass ornaments filed with glitter, snow or tiny trinkets are very trendy in 2025 and are perfect for an elegant or minimalist Christmas tree. Buy your own fillable ornaments and add small trinkets that are personal to you or small models of something pertaining to a hobby or a place you've traveled to. This also makes the tree more personal to you and leans into another trend for 2025.

These ornaments are great as they reflect light around the tree so you can combine them with fairy lights and silver ornaments to help add an ethereal glow.

Handmade Touches are huge in Christmas ornaments this year as sustainability continues to influence Christmas decoration. If you're no good at making ornaments yourself you can find rustic wooden stars and felt animals to purchase and still stay on trend when you hang them on the tree!

These handmade or natural ornaments are perfect for a rustic or farmhouse themed tree. You can even get the kids involved and make paper chains or paper snowflakes to adorn your tree.

Check out the full list of 2025's Top Ornament Trends for Christmas.

Shop a Couple of the Trends

Here's a couple of sets that can help you shop the trends:

Pastel Christmas Ornament Set from Amazon

The set above hits one of the color trends of 2025 - pastels as well as also hitting the layered textures trend as well. A perfect set to add to your tree in order to update your look. 

Black & White Ornament Set from Amazon

The set above is all you need for the bold monotone themed tree - it even includes a tree topper.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at the top Christmas ornament trends for 2025, let me know if you'll be following any of these trends or not.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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EWORK Cordless Leaf Blower Reviewed

Long, very long overdue was an upgrade to the leaf blower. I was looking for a cordless, lightweight leaf blower that would easily handle small yard projects like blowing leaves, sticks, tree "stuff" off the deck. I believe the EWORK Leaf Blower exceeded my expectations and could actually handle Fall leaf blowing fairly easily!

Specifications

Model 21V 200 MPH Mini Leaf Blower by EWORK

Batteries Blower comes with one, but I chose the option with 2 batteries. The cost was approximately $20 more than the one battery option.

Weight I found the unit lightweight with the battery attached. Very easy to manuever.  2.6 pounds

Colors The leaf blower options are green, black and yellow.

Accessories: The blower comes with a few accessories: 3 different size blow tubes and one extender tube which attaches very easily. The blower is actually powerful enough as is to blow the deck without adding the extender nozzle.

Easy To Use Click in the battery to the unit and ready to go. The one feature I do not love, but is for safety is the button has to be constantly depressed to engage the blower. 

Reviews I had not heard of this brand before and took a chance. The reviews were positive with just over 1,000. 

Recommendation

I am happy I took a chance on a new brand as this mini leaf blower promises as delivers and more! I do like having a second battery ready to go. I also envision using the blower for light snowfalls for the porch and walkways. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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