Christmas is less than two weeks away and I’m sure lots of you are doing some last minute shopping. I know I am! For many of us, our pets are like any member of the family. We want to spoil them too which is why I created this list of stocking stuffers for pets.
Toys
Let’s start with the fun items first! There are so many options to choose from, but here are some of the toys my pets have enjoyed. The cats have loved these catnip toys and these Jolly Balls for dogs are basically indestructible. Even when there are holes in the Jolly Ball, it stays inflated.
Treats
What pet doesn’t love treats? Here are some different flavors to try.
Food
I’m not going to list actual foods because there are too many, but here are some ideas to keep cats and dogs busy with their food. Sometimes it’s good for them to work for it like they would in a natural environment.
Grooming
These items would be Diamond’s least favorite. I’m not sure about your cat or dog, but she hates grooming. Unfortunately, with her long hair, it’s a must. If your pet is in need of some new grooming supplies, it’s the perfect time to stock up.
Accessories
Does your cat or dog need a new collar or leash? They can make great Christmas presents either for your own pet or someone else’s.
Small Animals
Do you have a critter at home? Why not get them a little something too? Some blocks to chew or yogurt drops might be the perfect stocking stuffer.
Pet Lovers
Do you have a pet person in your life, but don’t know what to get them? Why not a gift card to their favorite pet store, a picture of their best friend or a cool Christmas ornament representing their fur baby. The options are endless.
What are you getting your pets this year? Tell me in the comments. Happy last minute shopping!
First, I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. If you are not in the US or don’t celebrate, that’s okay because any day is a good day to be thankful. It’s always good to show gratitude for the wonderful things in our lives. This has been a hard year for me and too often I focus on the areas of my life that I’m not satisfied with. Today reminds me that I need to stop and share what I am truly grateful for.
1. I want to start off with the amazing people in my life.
Rosebud is at the top of my list. Parenting is the hardest and most rewarding job I’ve ever done. I’ll admit there are things I don’t like about being a parent, but I love Rosebud with all my heart. I love when we laugh together. I love weekend mornings when we can sleep in or snuggle. I love how excited she gets to see me after work. It really brightens my day. I love teaching her things, but she has taught me so much. She tests my patience for sure, but she has shown me how strong I am. She’s my reason for getting out of bed every day.
2. I’m thankful for my family. Especially my mom. We don’t always agree, but she’s been a huge source of support when I’ve really needed it. She’s also my main source of transportation which is not always easy. She takes care of Rosebud when I’m at work and makes sure she gets to and from preschool. I don’t have to pay extraordinary amounts of money for childcare because of her. Not to mention the fact that she loves Rosebud no matter what.
3. I’m thankful for my new niece that I haven’t met yet. She was born premature a couple weeks ago and since she’s been in the hospital, I haven’t been able to meet her. Rosebud and I were sick last week, so we didn’t want to pass our germs on to the baby. Fortunately, she came home a few days ago and we will be meeting her for the first time today. She’ll probably give me baby fever, but that’s a topic for another post.
4. I’m thankful for my friends. I have a couple of good friends in my life. To protect everyone’s privacy, I won’t mention anyone’s names, but just know that I appreciate all of you whether we’ve met in person or not. One friend, I’ve been writing to for over two years now. Although we’ve never met in person, I consider her one of my best friends and maybe one day one of us will take the trip. There’s Little Guy’s mom who texts me often to check in, has been extremely supportive and helpful with my work and of course brings Little Guy for playdates. Then there are all the others who I talk to less often, but I’m grateful to know them. Recently, someone else has come into my life. While our friendship is brand new and I’m not sure how things will turn out, I appreciate him very much.
5. I’m thankful for my home. Of course I’m grateful that I have a roof over my head, but it is more than that. Rarely have I ever truly felt at home as an adult. I love having my own safe space that I can come to at the end of the day. I can invite people if I want. I can decorate it how I choose to. My home has been a great place for Rosebud as well. She loves it and I can tell it feels like home to her. While there are lots of things I don’t like about the area where I live, I’m thankful to have a wonderful home.
6. I’m grateful for my job as much as I hate to say it. While I’m extremely dissatisfied and that is putting it mildly, it allows me to buy the things I need. There are some wonderful children and coworkers I’ve met over the years and that’s what I have to remember.
7. There is a special baby I met this year. Unfortunately, I only got to spend a couple of months working with him. He is a happy and sweet little boy who I’ll always remember.
8. I’m thankful for Diamond. Thank you for snuggling with me every day and for always being there.
9. I’m thankful for Mellow. I lost him this year which has been hard. I miss your loud purr, your crazy meows, your snuggles and watching your friendship with Rosebud. I’m so grateful that you were my cat.
10. I’m thankful for books. While I haven’t read as many books this year. I’m grateful for the things that books can teach us or the escape when I want to be somewhere else.
11. I’m thankful for music. I don’t listen to music as much as I used to, but lately I’ve been enjoying finding new songs on Spotify. Music was so important to me when I was a kid. I spent most of the 90’s listening to music. It was always there no matter what. Music was a source of joy and comfort to me during some difficult times.
12. I’m grateful for nature. The beach is my happy place. I love rainy/cloudy days, but enjoy the warm sun as well. Just sitting outside hearing the birds and feeling the breeze is so peaceful. I am fortunate to live in a place where there is always nature around me.
13. I’m grateful for delicious food. I love to cook, bake and try new recipes. I’m especially for food that others cook for me. It’s a bonus!
14. I’m extremely thankful for technology. When I was going to school in the 90’s, there was some technology, but it wasn’t as advanced as it is today. Back then I would’ve never thought that I’d be able to use the exact same technology as my peers. By the time I started college, I was fortunate to have a laptop with a screen reader and was so grateful that I could blend in. My computer looked the same as everyone else’s. Then when the iPhones started coming out, I couldn’t imagine how I’d ever use a phone with a touch screen. Apple products are amazing and they have accessibility built into them. I didn’t have to spend crazy amounts of money on extra software to get my phone, tablet or pc to work for me. For someone who has had to stand out, it’s wonderful to be on the same playing field with everyone else when it comes to technology.
15. I’m thankful for writing. I love journaling to gain clarity and to preserve memories. I love blogging and the potential to reach so many people. Writing has always been one of my favorite things.
16. I’m grateful for things that smell good. People find my strong sense of smell to be a pain in the ass. I’ll ask if they can smell something and of course, they never can. I love candles, perfumes and lotions. I have a drawer full of wax melts, but that’s my secret.
17. I’m grateful for soft things. As I sit here, I’m covered with a soft cozy blanket. Diamond and Mellow are soft and cuddly. I have a collection of stuffed animals. I’m really picky about textures, so clothes, blankets and sheets have to have a soft texture that is just right.
18. This is really important. I am thankful for my health. Too often I take it for granted, but I’ve been pretty healthy so far in my life. I’m grateful that I can get up in the morning and exercise. I can work. I can play with Rosebud. Not everyone can easily do these things and that is definitely something I need to be mindful of.
19. Lastly, I’m grateful for you, my readers. Thank you for reading my blog. While I haven’t found great success, I get a small amount of views each day. My  persistence and love of writing keep my blog going, but it’s the comments from readers that I find the most meaningful. Thank you so much. What are you thankful for this year? Tell me in the comments.
When I asked Rosebud what she wanted for Christmas this year, she didn’t have an answer. Luckily for her, I have found some cool toys that she will be excited to find under the tree on Christmas morning.
When I’m looking for toys for her, I try to choose things that are open ended to encourage creative play. I also look for toys that will grow with her over time. I like it when toys are educational, but not in a traditional sense. More importantly, I want to get her toys she’ll have lots of fun playing with, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she will do with these new toys. Everything on this list is great for preschoolers ages three to five.
Building
Rosebud loves to build and she loves these Picasso magnet tiles. I bought them for Christmas last year and highly recommend them. She’s played with them almost every day since. We’ve made houses for animals, castles for Barbie, trees, divider boxes for sorting items etc. She comes up with new buildings every time she uses these. I was thinking of getting her a second set, but I wanted something different for to add to her creations. Magna Tiles are a great brand and admittedly, they are on the expensive side, but I caved and got her this Stardust set. These tiles are either glittery or have mirrors. I think she’ll love pairing these with the PicassoTiles.
I also saw these magnetic people that work with this kind of blocks. She loves playing with toy people and these community helpers will be great to add to her buildings.
Science
Kinetic sand
This stuff is amazing! It’s popular with my preschool class, so I just had to get some of this for Rosebud. I love how it sticks together like real sand. It’s not too messy and I even like to sit and play with it. I was torn between the beach set and the bakery set, so I bought both. Rosebud is loving the color purple right now, so I’d like to get her the purple shimmer too. The beach set has the most sand out of all of them and it’s actually a good buy. If you want a quiet sensory activity, I highly recommend this sand.
Toy Sink
I originally wasn’t going to get her this, but I got one for a friend of Rosebud’s for his birthday. Since Rosebud saw it, she has asked why she can’t have one. I think I’ll give this to her on her birthday. You put water in the bottom of the sink and when you turn on the fossit, the water comes out like a regular sink. It comes with dishes to wash, pretend dish soap and a sponge. Why not teach kids to wash dishes along side you?
Dramatic Play
Rosebud loves to play in her pretend kitchen, so I wanted to get her some new play foods to experiment with.
She loves pancakes, so I got her this pancake making set by Melissa & Doug. It has everything you need to make perfect pretend pancakes.
She loves to bake with me, so I got her a spice rack. This way, she can addd spices to her baking or cooking up a nice meal.
She has a lot of fruits and vegetables, breakfast foods and sweets, but I wanted her to have some food to make pretend meals. She loves pasta and I found this cool Melissa & Doug pasta making set. It has a variety of pastas with all the toppings. I know she’ll have fun with this.
To wrap up the dramatic play category, I got her this Baby Alive doll with cupcakes. Her birthday is right around Christmas and I thought this would be a great gift. She has started to really enjoy playing dolls in the past few months and she loves to set up pretend birthday parties.
Games
Rosebud is starting to have a better understanding of games and I found a couple simple games to start off with.
First, there’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She loves the book, so I thought the game would be fun and easy for her to play. Next, there’s Pete The Cat buttons game. She loves all the Pete the Cat books, so she’ll definitely love this game. The Pete the Cat cupcakes game would be fun too and I may still get that one for her as well.
I am also getting her some books, but I will save our winter book list for another post. What will be under your tree this year? Tell me in the comments.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I haven’t been posting regularly in the past couple of weeks. For the past several months, I’ve had posts scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays, but lately I can’t keep up. The ideas haven’t been flowing and I’ve been frustrated with the lack of traffic along with the amount of time I’ve had to devote to my blog. As much as I love writing, I feel like this has been an uphill battle. I still love blogging, but I really need a break. My life is also changing in a lot of ways and I need time to adjust and find a new routine. That being said, I will still post here on the blog. Maybe once a week. Maybe more depending on my mood and how much time I have for creating new content.
I wanted to share how I came to this decision. Maybe there’s something in your life that you need a break from, but you are still unsure. Maybe you need a break altogether or just need to cut back. Here are just a few ways to know when you need a break.
Stress Level
Are you overwhelmed and or stressed? If something is completely stressing you out, then maybe you need a break. If it’s not absolutely necessary, don’t be afraid to stop whatever it is. Maybe you took on too many projects. Maybe you want to declutter your whole home, but have no idea where to start. Maybe you are saying yes to too many people. Whatever it is, step back and ask yourself, is this essential to my everyday life?
If cutting it out altogether isn’t an option or if you start to feel guilt, the nest step is figuring out how to make the task more manageable. If you need to declutter your home, start with one room. If that is too much, do one shelf or drawer. Then keep working at it a little each day. If it’s blogging related, can you outsource some of these tasks? Can you hire a virtual assistant to handle your Pinterest or other social media? How about getting some guest posts if writing content isn’t your strong suit? In my case, I am not able to hire out any of these tasks, so my only option is to change my posting schedule for the time being, but I’m okay with that.
Relationships
The next question to ask is how is this thing impacting others in your life? I know I haven’t had much extra time since I started blogging almost two years ago. I work on the blog each night and constantly throughout the day. I’m always participating in blogging threads on social media, trying to keep up with Pinterest, coming up with blog topics, finding images etc. If I don’t get my posts done on time, I will work on the blog early in the morning as well. Sometimes, it’s way too much. It doesn’t leave much time for myself or my daughter. On the weekends, I write my posts for the week, but I can’t get it all done in the evenings, so that only leaves the day time when I should be playing with Rosebud. It makes me feel guilty because I want to be successful with this blog, but I want to spend time with Rosebud as well. What is more important? Obviously, it’s Rosebud. She’s only little once and I don’t want to regret not spending enough time with her. I may not even have this blog in the future, so while it’s important to me right now, it might not always be. While my blog is tied in with my long-term goals, it’s not essential in this moment. When you are thinking of changing something in your life, ask yourself if it will get you closer to achieving your long-term goals. If not, then you have your answer.
Self Care
There’s that all too common phrase, self-care. It gets thrown around a lot, but it is important. you definitely need a break if whatever it is you are doing stops you from taking care of yourself. Even if you are busy, you need at least a few minutes each day to recharge. When I stopped to think about it, working on the blog has taken up so much of my free time. For the past two years, I’ve barely written in my journal, stopped doing most of my other hobbies and don’t get enough sleep. It has felt good to do other things again. I’ve actually been able to write in my journal, watch some new tv shows and have started a new friendship. It’s been nice to do something different. I’ve also needed to focus energy on my future home business which has been a huge factor in my break from the blog.
How does it feel?
Do you feel energized? Do you love what you are doing? Are you excited about it? Does it bring you joy? If your answer is yes to these questions, keep doing what you are doing. Does it make you feel depleted, overwhelmed, tired, down or just plain bored? If you answered yes to those questions, it’s time to change it up. If you are blogging, maybe you need to find a new topic that you are passionate about. If you are still passionate about your topic, but just need some new inspiration, a break out in the real world can do that. If you are doing something other than blogging, you can ask yourself these same questions to figure out what you need to do.
It’s often overlooked, but really take the time to notice how your body is feeling. I’ve been feeling drained and practicing some self-care has helped. What does self-care look like for you? Does it consist of a warm bubble bath or an early morning run? Self-care is different for everyone, so try a variety of things to see what works best for you.
Now that I have some of my struggles with blogging out in the open, I feel less guilt about not posting. It’s okay to step back. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to drop something altogether. Most things are not  permanent decisions. To summarize, here are some questions to ask yourself before taking that much needed break. Is it causing too much stress in your life? Is it negatively impacting your relationships? Do you have time for self-care? Is it essential for achieving your long-term goals? Finally, how does it make you feel in your body? The answers to those questions can help you take the next steps and make the decision that is right for you. Are you struggling with burnout or knowing when to take a break? Tell me in the comments.
If I’m honest, I’ve been struggling with blogging burnout for the past few weeks. It’s because I’ve been so tired at night and the last thing I feel like doing is working on the blog. For a while, I had a bunch of post scheduled and ready to go, but I’ve published most of those and haven’t had much time to write new content. I have lots of topic ideas and I’d love to take two or three days just to work on writing new posts, but with work and being a mom,  uninterrupted time for the blog is definitely not going to happen any time soon. One question I see often in blogging groups is, where do bloggers find inspiration for their blog posts? I’d like to share some strategies I use to generate topics for blog posts. Whether you are a new or experienced blogger, there may be an idea on this list that will help you create new content for your blog.
Categories Web
What do you blog about? Start there. Grab a pen and paper or open a blank document and make a list of possible categories. Are you a mom blogger? Your categories may be babies, toddlers, working mothers, home schooling, cleaning hacks etc. Whatever comes to mind. Don’t start thinking of your audience just yet. This is just a web of ideas. If your expertise is finance, your categories may be debt management, saving money, making money etc. If you’r a beauty blogger, you might write down makeup, skin care, beauty routines or product reviews. The possibilities are endless at this stage.
Next, you want to break those categories down even further. Since I’m a mom blogger and early childhood educator, most of my categories tie those two things together. For example, one of my broad categories is toddlers. Here are some of my toddler subcategories.
Activities for toddlers,
Books for toddlers,
Toys fir toddlers,
Toddler safety,
Parenting a toddler.
After I’ve generated a list of subcategories, I break it down into possible topics for blog posts. Let’s break down toddler books into actual topics.
We could go on and on as there are limitless topics for books, but you get the idea. When you are thinking of blog topics, try to think of a problem that needs solving or something that people may be searching for. Parenting may be looking for potty training strategies or must haves for their baby registry. The holiday season is coming. People will be looking for the best gifts and stocking stuffers or ways to save money over the holidays. Try to look at it as if people are coming to you with a problem.
SEO
There are a couple of ways to use SEO to find topics for your blog. If you search for keywords, you can see similar results that show what people are currently searching for. This works well in Pinterest. For example, Halloween is right around the corner, so if you search for Halloween in Pinterest, you will see what is trending. As of now, people are searching for Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for couples, Halloween makeup, Halloween decorations and ideas for Halloween parties. Just that one search gives you a bunch of new results and or categories to help you generate topics. If you take that a step further, you can find more keywords and more topics. If you click on Halloween decorations, you will get outdoor and or indoor decorations, decorations for the yard, party decorations, diy decorations etc. Then as you are writing, you can insert those keywords to help increase the traffic to your post.
Journaling
One place where I find inspiration is through journaling. However, what I take from my journal is obviously much more personal. I use these posts to help readers get to know me or bring awareness to important issues in my life that may be effecting someone else. Sometimes, I share personal stories to make others feel less alone. You can get some great topics from your journal, but you won’t always be solving a problem for someone, so it really depends on your blogging niche and or your audience. Sometimes as a reader, I enjoy blogger’s personal posts the most. It can be nice to connect with readers and or bloggers on a deeper level.
Everyday Life
You can find inspiration for blogging anywhere. I’d suggest using notecards or your phone to jot down ideas on the go. Some places you can find inspiration are from things you read, photographs, interactions with other people, products you use, random thoughts etc. Many ideas of have come to me as I get ready for work. A great blogging idea can strike any time. If something is interesting to you, but you can’t think of a topic at the time, write it down anyway. Maybe something will come from it later. For example, if you read an interesting article, bookmark it. You may have something to say about it that would make a great blog entry! Many experiences I have with Rosebud have been the inspiration for blog posts. These were not planned, but spur of the moment things like this trip to the pet store.
Other Bloggers
Finally, there are other amazing bloggers that you can get inspiration from. Sometimes when I read another bloggers thoughts on a particular topic, I post about the same thing. Not to copy them, but maybe I have a different perspective. Maybe I use different products that I’d like to recommend. One example is gift guides. Many bloggers have them, but they are all a little different. We have a variety of tastes and thoughts about what makes a good gift. Each of us has something unique to offer which is why we blog. I’m glad to be apart of this blogging world where we can share and learn from each other. I’ll end with some fantastic lists of topic ideas written by other bloggers.
I was thinking about what else to post in my stocking stuffer series and remembered all the great toys and games we had in the 90’s. I thought it’d be cool to get a couple of things for Rosebud and to bring you all down memory lane with this list of fun toys, games and accessories from the 90’s. There are stocking stuffers for kids of all ages on this list.
Games
Let’s start off with games. Board games were a big thing in the 90’s. I remember many weekends playing board or card games with my friends. Now kids are attached to their screens, but it might be fun for them to play an actual game with real pieces instead. Do you remember any of these?
Toys
There were lots of toys to collect in the 90’s. I had my share of beanie babies, troll dolls and the horses from My Little Pony. I don’t remember the show, but I do remember the plastic ponies.
More Toys
Who remembers these water games?
Here’s something for the boys.
Accessories
Here are some accessories and products for girls from the 90’s.
Scrunchies
Jewelry
Bath and Body
Who else remembers these fragrances? Bath and Body Works was one of my favorite stores as a teenager.
Candy
Last but not least, how about some 90’s candy?
Did I miss anything? What awesome items do you remember from your childhood? Tell me in the comments.
Fall is officially here and it will be Thanksgiving before you know it. Although Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful, we should be practicing gratitude every day. Just noting what you are grateful for each day can help boost your happiness and takes less than five minutes. There actually are several scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. Most people start by being grateful for the big things like having a roof over their head or spending time with loved ones. There is the small stuff too like breathing in the fresh air outside or a positive interaction you may have with a stranger. Too often, we all take the wonderful things in our lives for granted which is why I’ve made a list of journal prompts for gratitude to help us all stop and remember everything good in our lives.
Gratitude for Others
1. Who are you grateful to know and why?
2. What is one nice thing someone did for you today?
3. What is one nice thing you did for someone else today?
4. What traits do you admire in others?
5. How are you able to help others?
6. What’s one thing that someone has given you that you are grateful for?
7. What are you thankful for in your community?
8. What are your favorite traditions?
9. Who has had the biggest influence on you?
10. What am I able to offer to others?
Gratitude for Yourself
1. Make a list of things you are grateful For at this moment.
2. Make a list of things you love about yourself.
3. What experiences have made you a stronger or better person?
4. When were the happiest times in your life?
5. What would you like to attract in your life?
6. Make a list of things that make you happy and keep adding to it.
7. What have you accomplished so far in life?
8. What are you looking forward to?
9. What place are you most grateful for?
10. Is there a book, movie or song that has really inspired you?
11. What’s one mistake or failure that you are grateful for?
12. What do you appreciate in nature?
13. What do you like about your job?
14. What quotes inspire you?
15. What’s the funniest thing you saw or heard today?
16. What makes you smile?
17. What do you take for granted?
18. What material things are you grateful for?
19. What life lessons are you thankful for?
20. What was one big life changing moment for you?
Are there any other gratitude prompts you use in your journal practice? Tell me in the comments.
Halloween is getting closer and maybe you already have your costumes decided. I’ve already bought one for Rosebud, but if not, I’ve got you covered. If you have Amazon Prime, you can have a costume in two days. It’s perfect for busy moms like me who don’t have the time or energy to make something homemade or shop around at an actual store. The title says 16, but I found a couple extra costumes at the last minute to add to the list. Check out these adorable and unique Halloween costumes for babies. Many of these costumes have larger sizes for toddlers as well.
Animals
Animals are always a good choice for a child’s Halloween costume. Most of the animal costumes are cute and not too scary. Rosebud was dressed as a unicorn on her first Halloween.
Food
Rosebud dressed in a cupcake costume for her second Halloween. The food item costumes are fun and unique. It’s not something you see all the time.
Costumes for Boys
Most of these so far have been primarily for girls, but here are some cute costumes for boys as well.
Traditional
If you’re looking for something more traditional, I’ll leave you with some cute normal Halloween costumes.
Are your kids dressing up as something unique for Halloween? Tell me in the comments.
Are you looking for some quick fall crafts? Here are some of the crafts Rosebud and I have done so far this fall. These are simple glueing activities that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
Leafy Tree
Supplies
Leaves,
Paper,
Glue,
Green paint.
First, we made this leafy tree. It started out as just a simple leaf collage. Rosebud and I went for a walk and found a bunch of leaves. She wanted to make art with them, so we just started gluing. After she glued all the leaves, we realized there was a vertical space in the middle, so we painted it green to look like a tree.
To make it look more like a tree, you can draw the outline first or use other natural items to decorate it.
Halloween Spider
Supplies
Craft sticks,
Pompoms,
Google eyes,
Glue,
Glitter,
Construction paper.
I asked Rosebud what she wanted to make one afternoon and she really wanted to make a spider. When I asked her how she wanted to make it, she said she wasn’t sure, so I looked through my craft basket. We started off by gluing craft sticks for legs, adding a pompom for the body and then adding the eyes. Then she wanted to add a mouth and nose. To top it off, she wanted to add glitter and there is our Halloween spider. Not scary, but definitely a Rosebud creation.
Haunted House
Supplies
Craft sticks,
Construction paper,
Halloween foam stickers,
Jewels,
Glitter,
Glue.
I found a bunch of Halloween stickers at the dollar store and thought they’d be great for a collage. I got the idea to do a haunted house, so we did a 2d version with craft sticks. This project is great for fine motor skills because not only are they gluing and arranging items, but pealing stickers as well. Plus halloween is right around the corner. We started this project by painting a big piece of white paper all black for the night sky. At Rosebud’s haunted house, there is a pumpkin patch, a graveyard, the bat cave and the night sky with half moons and stars. Not to mention all the black cats and ghosts in and around the actual house. We had fun with this one.
Here are some supplies for your convenience.
What crafts are you doing this fall? Tell me in the comments.
I’m a traditionalist and will be handing out candy on Halloween this year. While Rosebud doesn’t get too much candy, Halloween is the one day that we can go wild with the candy. Plus I can sneak off to the pantry closet when I have a chocolate craving. Times are changing though. With the increase in allergies, the obesity epidemic, the expense of candy and the craziness of the world, many people are skipping candy and offering non edible favors for trick-or-treaters instead. Some people skip trick-or-treating altogether and just attend Halloween parties or parades. These favors are also great for trunk-or-treat or for filling goody bags for Halloween parties. When I was a kid, if we got anything non candy, it was a pencil. Obviously, I was disappointed with this, but these days, there are so many more fun options to choose from. If you are handing something out this year, but want to skip the candy, you should definitely read on for my list of unique non candy favors for Halloween.
Practical and Fun
It gets dark early on Halloween night. Glow sticks can be fun and practical.
Rosebud loves these little flash lights for special occasions. She got a couple for Valentines Day and still plays with them. If you only have a few kids to buy for, these are a great option.
Something special to wear on Halloween night.
A throw back to the 90’s.
Rings are a popular goody bag filler, but these glow in the dark.
School and Art Supplies
If you want to get Halloween themed school supplies, these are great for class parties.
You could get these fun Halloween erasers.
To make the pencils more interesting, how about this Halloween scented version?
These mini notepads would be great for drawing while out and about.
Kids love stickers any time of year. These would also be great for your Halloween party crafts.
Kids will have fun with these stamps and they are also great for Halloween themed crafts.
Novelty
If Halloween stresses you out, how about handing out these candy corn stress balls? Stress balls make great fidget toys for kids who have trouble staying still.
Small Halloween puzzles for toddlers. I’d never thought of handing out puzzles.
Temporary tattoos are fun for special occasions. Some of them even glow in the dark.
I used to collect keychains as a kid. These novelty Halloween keychains would’ve been a hit.
Toys
Bouncy balls are always popular goody bag items. Kids will especially love these that glow in the dark.
These rubber duckies are a fun addition. Good for bath time or play time.
I happened to find these when I was researching items for this post. I can’t wait to get these for Rosebud! You can either buy the mini dolls or a building blocks set.
Who doesn’t love windup toys?
Spooky Sensory Fun
Even the youngest kids will enjoy these bubbles.
How about these glow in the dark silly putty eggs?
It wouldn’t be a spooky party without a sticky hand.
Better yet, a stretchy skeleton!
If you are putting together goody bags, here are a couple to choose from.
I had fun putting this list together. There are a lot of things I never considered handing out that would be fun for kids to get instead of candy. What are you handing out this year if anything? Tell me in the comments.
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13. I’m grateful for delicious food. I love to cook, bake and try new recipes. I’m especially for food that others cook for me. It’s a bonus!
Dramatic Play
