Fall

16 Adorable Costumes for Baby’s 1st Halloween

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.

2 babies in animal costumes

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.

Baby in strawberry costume

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.



16 Adorable Costumes for Baby’s 1st Halloween pin

Costumes for Boys

Most of these so far have been primarily for girls, but here are some cute costumes for boys as well.

Halloween baby with pumpkin

Traditional

If you’re looking for something more traditional, I’ll leave you with some cute normal Halloween costumes.

16 Adorable costumes. Girl dressed as flower pin

Are your kids dressing up as something unique for Halloween? Tell me in the comments.

3 Comments

Our Fall Crafts

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.

Our fall crafts pin

Leafy Tree

Supplies

  • Leaves,
  • Paper,
  • Glue,
  • Green paint.

Leafy tree

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.

Halloween spider

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.

Haunted house

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.

Our fall crafts pin

Here are some supplies for your convenience.



What crafts are you doing this fall? Tell me in the comments.

1 Comment

21 Unique Non Candy Favors for Halloween

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.21 Non Candy Halloween Favors pin

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.

Girl in princess costume looking in the mirror

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.

Bowl of candy corn with spider

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.

Children dressed up with Halloween toys

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?

Child witch cooking magic potion in caldron

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!

21 unique non candy Halloween favors pin

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.

2 Comments

12 Halloween Books for Preschoolers

There are so many fun Halloween books for kids. It was hard to narrow it down. I was going to stop at ten, but then I found a couple more cute books that I had never heard of and just had to include them as well. Here is our list of the top 12 Halloween books for preschoolers.

12 Halloween books for preschoolers pin

Big Pumpkin
By Erica Silverman

I first recommended this book in my list of fun Halloween books for toddlers. This is one of my favorite Halloween books for kids. It has a great message and it’s a fun story. My preschoolers loved this book. Especially the audio version. Rosebud is also obsessed with it and wants to read it year round.
Description
A little bat uses brains over brawn in this not-so-scary Halloween picture book.

The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine.

It’s so big the ghost can’t move it, either. Neither can the vampire, nor the mummy. It looks as if there’ll be no pumpkin pie for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day.

How can the tiny bat succeed where bigger and strong spooky creatures have failed? You’ll be surprised!

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
By Linda Williams

I was introduced to this book last year by my pre-k class. They asked for this almost every day, so I came home and showed it to Rosebud. It was a big hit with her as well and she even wants to read this when it’s not Halloween.
Description
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.

And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.

A classic and fun Halloween story that neither you nor the kids in your life will be able to resist, whether curled up at home or in a classroom or library setting.

Little Boo
By Stephen Wunderli

I have never read this book, but it looks like a fun story. We will be reading this one too.
Description
The leaves fall, the wind blows, and one little pumpkin seed tries and tries to be scary. But he doesn’t scare anyone . . . not the snowflakes in winter, not the bees in spring, not even the watering can!

The wind tells him to be patient―he’ll be scary soon enough. But waiting is hard. Will the little seed ever be really, truly scary?

This simple story is more than a fun Halloween read―it is a heartwarming tale perfect for any child who can’t wait to grow up.
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
By Joe Troiano

I love this book because of the messages of tolerance and that differences can be positive. Rosebud loves this book as well.
Description
One day in the pumpkin patch the strangest little pumpkin hatched . . . Spookley the Pumpkin was different. All the other pumpkins teased him, until Spookley proved that being different can save the day!

This perennial best-selling children’s book delivers a special message of tolerance and kindness that is just right for fall . . . and any time of year!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!
By Lucille Colandro

This is a popular series of books. Rosebud has loved all of them that I’ve read to her so far and she’s even laughed out loud at some of them. They have these books for every occasion. I’d highly recommend them.
Description
This spooky twist on the wildly popular “There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly” is perfect for fun Halloween reading!What won’t this old lady swallow? This time around, a bat, an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin, some bones, and a wizard are all on the menu! This Halloween-themed twist on the classic “little old lady” books will delight and entertain all brave readers who dare to read it!

Snowmen at Halloween
By Caralyn M. Buehner

I have never heard of this book before, but have heard of Snowmen at Night which my preschool classes enjoy. We will definitely read this before Halloween! Rosebud loves snowmen books.
Description
The snowmen are getting their Halloween costumes ready for the latest picture book in this New York Times bestselling series.

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you’ve wondered . . . what do snowmen do when we’re not watching?

After an early snowfall, a few kids build some snowmen before going trick-or-treating. And when the kids go off to bed, the snowmen have their own Halloween festival! There’s candy and apple-bobbing and costume contests and all sorts of autumn activities. When the kids wake up the next morning, the snowmen are gone… but they’ve left a very special message behind.
The Littlest Pumpkin

The Littlest Pumpkin
By R.A. Herman

Description
When Bartlett’s Farm Stand closes for the season, the Littlest Pumpkin, who longs to make someone happy for Halloween, is devastated to be the only pumpkin left, but when a group of mice come along, they make the Littlest Pumpkin the happiest pumpkin in the world!


The Ugly Pumpkin
By Dave Horowitz

Description
In time for Thanksgiving, a wacky twist on The Ugly Duckling.

The Ugly Pumpkin has waited all through October for someone to take him home, but no one wants him. He doesn’t look like other pumpkins. So the lonely Ugly Pumpkin leaves the patch in search of a place where he’ll fit in. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, he discovers the truth about who he is–but it’s not what he expected!

Little girl witch with pumpkins

Room on the Broom
By Julia Donaldson

Rosebud loves this book and the movie they’ve made as well. It’s a great book about friendship and including others.
Description
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

Too Many Pumpkins
By Linda White

I haven’t read this one yet with Rosebud, but it was always a hit with my preschool classes.
Description
What can you do with too many pumpkins?

Rebecca Estelle has hated pumpkins ever since she was a girl when pumpkins were often the only food her family had. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and smashes in her yard, she shovels dirt over the pieces and forgets about them. But those slimy pumpkin smithereens sprout up in autumn, and Rebecca Estelle finds a sea of pumpkins in her garden.

A heartwarming classic for more than twenty years, this story shows what happens when one thrifty gardener figures out how to make other people happy with the squash she can’t stomach.

Filled with colorful illustrations from a season of gardening, this is a perfect book for young gardeners and pumpkin lovers. Its wonderful lesson about helping others can be appreciated in the classroom or at home.

Ghosts in the House
By Kazuno Kohara

I haven’t read this one yet, but it looks like a cute story.
Description
JUST THE RIGHT MIX OF SWEET AND SCARY for the youngest trick-or treaters

At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them in the washing machine, airs them out to dry, and gives them new lives as sofa covers, table cloths, and, of course, bed sheets to cozy up under. Fresh and charming illustrations in dynamic orange, black and white bring this resourceful heroine and these spooky ghosts to life.

Halloween story book comes to life

The Vanishing Pumpkin
By Tony Johnston

Description
A classic Halloween story about a pumpkin gone missing is certain to delight readers of all ages!

When a 700-year-old woman and an 800-year-old man want to make pumpkin pie on Halloween, they can’t find their pumpkin. “Our pumpkin’s been snitched,” cries the woman. And off they go to find it.


How to Make Friends With a Ghost
By Rebecca Green

Description
What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.

Ten Timid Ghosts
By Jennifer O’Connell

I’m glad I found all these ghost books because Rosebud wants to be a ghost for Halloween. These will be perfect.
Description
This bestselling counting book for beginning readers is filled with ghosts, a witch

and spooky fun!

It’s Halloween, and ten timid ghosts in a haunted house have a problem: a mean witch has moved in and is planning to scare them out, one by one! Young trick-or-treaters learn to count down from ten to one as each ghost flees from the witch’s silly costumes and homemade props. When the homeless ghosts gather in the woods, their fear turns to determination and they plot to get their house back. Will the ghosts frighten the witch away in time for Halloween night?

12 Halloween Books for Preschoolers pin

What are your favorite Halloween books? Tell me in the comments. Happy reading!

3 Comments

10 Haunting Books for Halloween

Now that September is here, it’s getting closer to Halloween. I thought it might be fun to share a list of haunting books for Halloween. Most of these are nonfiction stories of paranormal experiences. These kinds of stories fascinate me, but these books are definitely not for everyone. I just wanted to mention that they are books for adults. I’ll do a halloween books for preschoolers post very soon and click here if you are looking for Halloween books for toddlers. I have read a few of the books on the list. Some of them are entertaining while others are scary and possibly disturbing in parts, but isn’t that the whole point? If you are interested in the paranormal, these books are for you.

10 Haunted books pin

Haunted: The Incredible True Story of a Canadian Family’s Experience Living in a Haunted House
by Dorah L. Williams

The thing I liked most about this book was that even though it was about paranormal experiences, I did not find it that scary or negative. There was nothing evil about it. The home owners found a way to coexist with the ghosts and figure out why they they were there. This doesn’t happen in a lot of the paranormal stories I’ve read.

Description
It was an irrational decision. Despite having just moved into a beautiful new house, the Williams family gave in to an odd, overwhelming desire to purchase and move into a Victorian home they had come upon by chance. They were curious, of course, as to why the house had, in the past, such a high vacancy rate – no one ever seemed to live in it for a long period of time. But that curiosity didn’t last long, because shortly after moving in, strange things began to happen. It became abundantly clear that the home’s past owners all had a reason for leaving: fear. The Williams’ new home was haunted. At first, the family tried telling themselves there were logical explanations for the strange things they all were witnessing. But before long they came to accept the fact that they were sharing their home with ghosts. Haunted is the Williams family’s story from the point of view of the mother, Dorah. Through her chilling reminiscences, we witness the all-too-real goings-on in the house. And we join the family as they seek a way to bring an end to the paranormal events that were occurring with ever more frequency and intensity, and learn why the events began in the first place.

Book with ghost coming out of its pages.

Paranormal Intruder: The True Story of A Family Living in Fear
by Caroline Michell

Description
An innocent family finds itself completely helpless against the sudden onset of paranormal activity in their quiet rural home. A knife embedded in a kitchen cupboard, crockery smashed by invisible hands, and blood-chilling growls emit from thin air. Caroline and her husband Neil search for answers as they try to protect their family from the unseen entity that seems determined to rip them apart. The biggest question looms over them like a dark cloud … who is going to help us?

There are emergency services for many things, but not of this nature. It might be easier to believe temporary insanity, if not for the vast amount of witnesses. Police, fire services, mediums, priests and investigators all become embroiled in the mystery. The family struggles to cope, and Caroline grows concerned for her husband’s failing health as he withdraws from the world. However, the entity has only just begun. Paranormal Intruder is the true story of one family’s brave fight against an invisible entity. Described as one of the best-documented cases of paranormal activity, this book will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.


Woman reading near tree

The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House
by Steven A. LaChance

If you’ve ever seen the show, A Haunting, this story was featured in one of the episodes. The events in the book were a little different than shown on tv. I’m not sure about the stuff about actual demons, but it was an interesting read.

Description
What kind of evil lives at the Union Screaming House?

In this true and terrifying firsthand account, Steven LaChance reveals how he and his three children were driven from their Union, Missouri, home by demonic attackers.

LaChance chronicles how the house’s relentless supernatural predators infest those around them. He consults paranormal investigators, psychics, and priests, but the demonic attacks—screams, growls, putrid odors, invisible shoves, bites, and other physical violations—only grow worse. The entities clearly demonstrate their wrath and power: killing family pets, sexually assaulting individuals, even causing two people to be institutionalized.

The demons’ next target is the current homeowner, Helen. When the entities take possession and urge Helen toward murder and madness, LaChance must engage in a hair-raising battle for her soul.

Graves End: A True Story
by Elaine Mercado

Description
You leave us alone; we’ll leave you alone.

When Elaine Mercado and her first husband bought their home in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1982, they had no idea that they and their two young daughters were embarking on a thirteen-year nightmare.

Within a few days of moving in, Elaine and her older daughter began to experience the sensation of being watched. Then came scratching noises and weird smells, followed by voices whispering, maniacal laughter, shadowy figures scurrying along baseboards, and small balls of light bouncing along the ceilings. From the beginning of the haunting, “suffocating dreams” were experienced by everyone except the younger daughter. These eventually accelerated to physical aggression directed at Elaine and both the girls.

This book is the true story of how one family tried to cope with living in a haunted house. It also describes how, with the help of parapsychologist Dr. Hans Holzer and medium Marisa Anderson, the family discovered the tragic and heartbreaking secrets buried in the house at Grave’s End.


A single chair faces a haunted house

The Sallie House Haunting: A True Story
by Debra Lyn Pickman

This was another story featured on A Haunting. I haven’t read this book yet, so don’t know how it compares to the episode.
Description
This is the firsthand account of what Tony and Debra Pickman and their newborn son Taylor experienced in the now notorious Sallie House, from the day they moved in to the turn-of-the-century haunted house until they finally fled in terror. The story of the Sallie House and the fire-starting ghost girl who haunted it has sparked endless rumors and theories of murder, cover-ups, racism, and abuse. But the Pickmans know the real story because they lived it—and barely made it out alive.

Now, for the first time, Tony and Debra reveal untold stories from their ordeal. They describe Sallie’s seemingly protective fascination with their baby, and tell what it was like to live with menacing entities that scratched, bit, and terrorized their family. Along with historical research, the Pickmans share personal photographs and journal entries from their time spent living in the nightmare house that still haunts them today.

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren
by Gerald Brittle

I was on the fence about reading this book because like I said, I’m not sure about demons. It sounds so out of this world to me and that’s what a lot of this book was about, but I gave it a chance. While I thought the book was good as it showed the hoghlights of the carreers of Ed and Lorraine Warren, there were parts that were disturbing. Some of it was just crazy stuff that you don’t know how it could even happen. These are their most extraordinary cases. With books like these, you just have to read and then decide for yourself what you believe.

Description
Ed and Lorraine Warren are considered America’s foremost experts on demonology and exorcism. With thousands of investigations to their credit, they reveal what actually breaks the peace in haunted houses and how it can happen to you. Don’t miss the Warrens in the blockbuster films, “The Conjuring,” “The Nun,” and “Annabelle Comes Home” in theaters now. In The Demonologist, the Warrens discuss many of their most famous cases including the ones that are the basis for the films “Annabelle” and “The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist.” If you think ghosts are only responsible for hauntings, think again. Used as a text in seminaries and classrooms, this is one book you can’t put down. Now includes exclusive photographic documentation of phenomena in progress. Other titles by Ed & Lorraine Warren include Graveyard, Ghost Hunters, The Haunted, In a Dark Place, Werewolf, and Satan’s Harvest.


Woman writing in notebook

Haunted Healthcare: Medical Professionals and Patients Share their Encounters with the Paranormal
by Richard Estep

This book looks interesting and is free on Kindle Unlimited, so I want to check it out. This is a collection of short stories based on the paranormal experiences of medical professionals.
Description
Many of those who have chosen the medical profession are no stranger to the paranormal. Ghosts walk the hallways of hospitals both old and new, haunting the wards and operating rooms.

Join Richard Estep, paramedic, paranormal investigator, and cast members of TV’s “Haunted Case Files” and “Haunted Hospitals,” as he talks to EMTs, nurses, medical professionals, and patients alike, documenting their most intense and chilling encounters with ghosts and spirits.

Dare YOU walk the hallways of some of the world’s most haunted medical facilities? Welcome to the world of Haunted Healthcare…

Supposedly Haunted: A True Life Experiences of a Paranormal Investigator
by E. E. Bensen

This is another book I found on Kindle Unlimited. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m including it because it’s from the perspective of an investigator.

Description
A paranormal investigator details his search for proof of an afterlife through the exploration of supposedly haunted locations. He discusses what brought him into the paranormal research field, describes real life supernatural events witnessed firsthand during his numerous investigations, and also provides an opinion of what all of it might be. Experiencing paranormal phenomena has a way of changing one’s perspective. Locations include Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Preston Castle, The Washoe Club, The Stanley Hotel, Old Tooele Hospital (Asylum 49), Farrar Elementary School, and more!

10 Haunted books pin

Spookiest Objects: Discover the World’s Most Haunted Objects
by Terrence Zepke

So far, all the books have been about haunted houses or other locations, but according to some, objects can be haunted too. This looks like an interesting read.
Description
Did you know that objects can be haunted the same way a place can be haunted?
If you don’t believe that’s possible, these stories will likely change your mind.

*The Royal Chairs of Belcourt violently eject those who try to sit in them.

*Annabelle is one scary doll! The true (and terrifying) story about what happened to the owner and the resulting investigation led by a team of renowned paranormal experts was documented in a movie released by a Hollywood studio.

*Anna’s Wedding Dress often swings wildly inside a sealed display case. Investigations have been conducted but no rational explanation has ever been discovered.

*The world’s biggest diamond was donated to a museum. Find out why the owner felt he had no choice but to give this stone to a museum rather than sell it for a huge sum of money.
*The characters in the painting, The Hands Resist Him have been captured on film crawling out of the painting late at night!

…and much more!

Learn why all the objects discussed in this book have been destroyed, hidden, or locked up so that no one can ever come into contact with them ever again.


Ghost girl in haunted house

Ghost Crimes: Based on Actual Paranormal Cases
by Allen Gare

Here is another paranormal read that looks interesting that you can find for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Description
As heard on “Coast to Coast with George Noory”.
Paranormal activity isn’t limited to missing household items, strange knocking on the walls and glimpses of transparent images out of the corner of our eyes. Sometimes, the activity is aggressive, harmful and even fatal. Thanks to paranormal investigators, psychics and mediums and people willing to openly share their experiences, our awareness of other-worldly beings has expanded. Over the years, law enforcement personnel have experienced their share of paranormal encounters but weren’t always willing to face potential ridicule at their admission. Today, the occurrence of the unnatural is so prevalent that official police cases have a designated code to define a crime’s paranormal element.
Ghost Crimes chronicles of the crime investigations of Detective Burke. Residing in central Florida, Burke is driven by his sworn duty to protect the innocent, especially children. A possession case in June of 1996 finds him face-to-face with the paranormal world. He struggles to make sense of the unbelievable event and many more to come.

Woman looking out of blinds

A Haunted Love Story: The Ghosts of the Allen House
by Mark Spencer

I’ll wrap this list up with another story that was featured on A Haunting. It’s amazing what you can find in an old house.
Description
When Mark Spencer and his family moved into the beautiful old Allen House in Monticello, Arkansas, they were aware of its notorious reputation for being haunted. According to local lore, the troubled spirit of society belle Ladell Allen, who had mysteriously committed suicide in the master bedroom in 1948, still roamed the grand historic mansion. Yet, Mark remained skeptical—until he and his family began encountering faceless phantoms, a doppelganger spirit, and other paranormal phenomena. Ensuing ghost investigations offered convincing evidence that six spirits, including Ladell, inhabited their home. But the most shocking event occurred the day Mark followed a strange urge to explore the attic and found, crammed under a floorboard, secret love letters that touchingly depict Ladell Allen’s forbidden, heart-searing romance—and shed light on her tragic end.

Do you have any favorite scary stories? Either fiction or nonfiction. Let me know in the comments. Happy reading!

4 Comments

Pumpkin Spice Play-dough

I love anything pumpkin spice, so I couldn’t let fall fly by without making this play-dough. For some reason, it took me forever to get all the ingredients on hand to make this play-dough, but I’m glad I finally was able to make it. It smells fantastic and goes great with any Halloween or fall themed activities.

As soon as I opened the container, Rosebud said it smelled good enough to eat. And yes, she took several bites even though I kept telling her not too. I’m sure it smells way better than it tastes. I set out some play-dough tools. We have rolling pins, mini spatulas, play-dough scissors and cookie cutters. I found any Halloween related trinkets I found in my kitchen as well. I have a tiny ghost cake pan and some ghost and pumpkin rings that came on a cake.

Small play-dough pumpkin

We tried making pumpkins. Well, I would and then Rosebud would squish them.

Play-dough ghost

We made ghosts, squished them up and then filled the pan again.

Round, triangular and square pumpkin

Finally, I made different shaped pumpkins like in the book, The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. It’s a book about a square pumpkin who saves the day for a farmer because of his differences. It’s a great book for Halloween, but the underlying theme is diversity. Even though we may look different, you can find something wonderful and worthwhile in those differences.

Pumpkin spice play-dough

Here’s the recipe I used.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour,
  • 1 cup salt,
  • 2 table spoons cream of tarter,
  • 1 table spoon Pumpkin Spice,
  • 2 table spoons vegetable oil,
  • 1&1/2 cups boiling water,
  • A couple drops of glycerin to add shine,
  • Red and yellow food coloring.

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients.

2. Stir in oil.

3. Add water and stir until the lumps are gone and it comes together.

4. Kneed. Add food coloring, scent, glitter and or glycerin at this stage.

Store in an air tight container. All of my batches of play-dough have stayed good for a couple months at least.

Enjoy and happy playing. What are your favorite fall activities with play-dough? Let me know in the comments.

9 Comments

Glitter Leaf Collage

Glitter Leaf Collage pin

We took a nature walk the other day to collect leaves for our glitter leaf sun catcher and we had some left over. One idea was to just simply glue the leaves on paper, but I wanted to be more creative. So, I decided to break the leaves into small pieces. That way it would make an interesting collage. Then to make it pretty and sparkly, I added some glitter.

Crushed leaves and glitter in a bowl.

What you need:

  • Natural items, (Leaves, acorns, pine needles, baby pinecones, twigs, flowers etc.)
  • Blank paper or coloring page,
  • Glue, (We used glitter glue.)
  • Glitter, (For that extra sparkle.)

What you do:

Acorn coloring page with glitter glue.1. Put glue on your paper. I’d suggest using a paintbrush to spread it out. I used glitter glue from the dollar store which doesn’t appear to be a good choice because it barely glues things down, but it’s the only glue I had. Rosebud didn’t want me to take a good picture of this. Each time, she’d move the paper or put her hand in the way.

Collage over acorn.

2. Glue the objects on to the paper. We used an acorn printable for our first project, but you can’t even tell it’s an acorn after Rosebud dumped all the leaves on top. Our second collage was on a blank piece of paper and that looked much better.

3. Make sure the items stick to the paper. Rosebud would place the items where she’d want them and I’d hold things in place so they would stick to the paper. I had her count to five or ten with me. Holding the items down were helping them stick.

4. If you used standard glue, you can sprinkle glitter on top as the final step. I mixed some glitter in with the leaves, but I wouldn’t do that again because when Rosebud dumped the leaves, the glitter went along with it.

Collage over blank paper.

Overall, this was a simple and fun project to do and Rosebud liked it. Since we’ve used all our leaves, it’s time for us to go on another nature walk. What are your favorite crafts using natural items? Tell me in the comments.

6 Comments

Glitter Leaf Sun Catcher

Glitter Leaf Sun Catcher pin

Lately, we’ve been doing activities with leaves. I was inspired by this post from, On Your Own, But Never Alone. I thought why not use the glitter leaves as sun catchers?

What you need:

Leaves on a cookie sheet

  • Leaves that are dry, but not crunchy,
  • Glitter glue,
  • Paint brushes,
  • Mod podge,
  • Contact paper or clear sheet protectors,
  • String.

Close up of glitter leaf

What you do:

1. Lay leaves on a flat surface and paint them with the glitter glue. You can paint just parts of the leaf or the entire thing. We used three different colors of glitter glue.

Glitter leavesGlitter leaf2. Set aside to dry.

3. Paint leaves with mod podge.

Leaves with Mod Podge4. When dry, arrange leaves in contact paper or sheet protector. I didn’t have any contact paper so I just glued the leaves inside the sheet protector.

Leaves inside sheet protector.5. Punch hole in contact paper and tie a string. If you use a sheet protector, the holes are already there.

Sun catcher in window on cloudy day.

6. Find a nice place to hang your creation. Some leaves will catch the sun and others will not depending on the color. Either way, you have a nice glittery fall decoration.

Sun catcher in window on sunnny day.

What are you making with leaves this fall? Let me know in the comments.

1 Comment