MeckMom.com » halloween

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

MeckMom — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 05:33:01 +0000

Sorry I missed posting on Friday. I was busy attending my sisters’ back-to-back wanda-style Halloween parties. They had my teams digging up sealed puzzles, exploring dark lakes, dancing to Thriller and even spending a few minutes locked in a real jail cell. It was a fantastic weekend. Thanks for the fun, Dana & Lisa! I love you tons.

So it’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last week so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page, joining the like group at the bottom of my sidebar or by following this link and then clicking the ‘like’ button. Here are the links from the last week…

Simple Thoughts

Is your fireplace lacking a little pizazz this time of year? Try out this cool pumpkin arrangement idea. (Oh and I’ll take the purse and the boots she featured too…love ‘em)

Craft-O-Maniac

Want to surprise your trick-or-treaters with something special? Try whipping up a bunch of these awesome franken-pops. You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood.

Flamingo Toes

Aren’t the mummy eyeballs from this tutorial awesome? I had no idea it was so easy to print onto fabric! I can’t wait to try it.

Wickedly Dark Chocolate Kisses – a free Halloween printable just for you

MeckMom — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:19:00 +0000

Do you guys remember last May when I posted this little Thank You gift tutorial for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Well, hundreds of you downloaded it during the free week and dozens more have ordered it from my Etsy store over the past few months. Since you all went out and bought 3/4″ & 2″ punches to create your cute jars I thought I’d whip up a Halloween version to help you put those punches to work.

The steps are the same as the Thank You gift jar but I’ll give a quick review for those of you who missed it the first time around…

Step 1: Gather Supplies & Crop

Print the file on heavy, white cardstock and then trim (you can find the file at the bottom of this post). I like to use a 3/4″ circle punch, a 2″ fiskars punch and a simple straight edge cutter.

Step 2: Punch Circles

Turn over your 3/4″ punch and center it over a circle. I designed the circles to be a bit bigger than 3/4″ to give you a little wiggle room in your cropping.

Step 3: Glue Dots to Hershey Kisses

I loved the vibrant purple color of the dark chocolate kiss wrappers but you could use any type (the little circles are the perfect size for Rolos or Reese’s PB cups as well). Also, I prefer to use glue dots but a glue stick works in a pinch.

Step 4: Punch Large Circles

This part is totally optional, of course. You could stop here and just toss the kisses in a cute Halloween bowl and munch away. However, if you’re looking to add a little fanciness to your container you’ll want to keep going. I found my 2″ punch at Michaels (if you want to get one, be sure to visit their website and print off a 40% off coupon first). Again, I made the circles a bit bigger than 2″ to allow for a little wiggle room during cropping.

Step 5: Jazz It Up

Add a hole to the 2″ circle with a standard hole punch and string it on a thin ribbon. Tie it on to your favorite container.

Wouldn’t that be cute a Halloween party favor? Or even as a sweet surprise tucked into your kids’ lunch boxes? I added a tiny notecard to the file as well, just in case you wanted to give them as gifts to friends, teachers or neighbors. I was going to add it to my store but since you guys love Halloween as much as I do I thought I’d post it for free. Enjoy! Here’s the file…

Download: Halloween Kiss Circles

*A little note: Please feel free to blog, tweet, facebook or email all your friends about this idea (in fact, I hope you do). I just ask that you link directly to this post in your message – please don’t post the actual printable file on your sites. Thank you!

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

MeckMom — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:17:02 +0000

It’s Monday again. Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web. All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page in the last two weeks so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out. If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Everyday is a Crafting Day

Need a cheap, hauntingly cool halloween decoration? Grab your kids and get a little messy with this fun, ghostly creation.

Tatertots and Jello

Who doesn’t love a free printable? This site collected 20 fabulously-free Halloween printables for us to enjoy. Gotta love that!

A Lemon Squeezy Home

There’s nothing better than a front porch covered in cool halloween decor. I love the look of these flying bats scattered across the front door.

Mae

How About Orange directed me to this charming reusable fabric wall decal site. I was particularly partial to the girly deer and the makin’ monsters collections.

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

MeckMom — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:58:45 +0000

It’s been a big week on this little site. In addition to finally getting the Friday’s Find linky party functional (hooray!), I updated my logo, added some functionality, and fixed a few bugs around the site.

Also, if you subscribe to MeckMom via email you may notice a small change in your email delivery. I’m kind of annoyed with Feedblitz and Feedburner so I’m shifting over to a better system called MailChimp. It gives me a little more flexibility over content and looks a whole lot prettier. I’m sorry if you received two emails from me on Friday – we were working out the kinks – it shouldn’t happen again. Remember, if you no longer wish to subscribe to the MeckMom newsletter you can opt out at any time. Just click the unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email. I promise not to spam you. If you want to join just click the cute envelope icon at the top of the page.

Nesting Place

Are you hoping to make some home updates now that the kids are back in school? Check out the great budget-friendly diy tips on this fun blog.

Make It and Love It

Don’t you just love a big pop of color in a kid room? I thought this 2D clothesline was totally adorable. I love the ruffle swimming suit and the bright red underoos.

MeckMom

Ok, it know it’s kind of lame to link to myself, but my kids love this countdown chart.

My favorite month of the year kick’s off tomorrow. Help your kids countdown to trick or treating with this free googly-eyed advent calendar printable.

Made with Love & Glue

I love a good halloween DIY craft. Luckily this awesome blog is loaded with great ideas. I loved this easy crow craft (and everything else on her cool, spooky shelves).

The Wanda Witch Party Roundup Post

MeckMom — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:16:36 +0000

I can tell it’s getting close by the emails coming in…that wonderful time of year when dozens of you readers anonymously invite all your friends to a big party and take on my favorite pseudonym…Wanda D. Witch.

I hosted my first Wanda Witch party 10 years ago and I’m still going strong. We’ve done variations of it in 4 different states. It’s been the source for new friendships and awesome memories we retell with friends to this day. But the benefits don’t end there. Some of my favorite family memories happened while my husband and I were out scouting for clue locations with our kids. Here’s a picture of them last year as we were scouring the hills of Branson, MO for a good spot to hide a clue (I was pregnant with #5 at the time).

I’ve hosted loads of parties over the years, but I can definitely say that this one is still my all-time favorite. If you’re looking for a way to kick up your Halloween status or build up your friendship base, this is definitely the party for you.

Several of you have mentioned in your emails that you’d like a quick refresher on the party concept – and that you’d like them all the steps & free printables in one place. So for today’s post, I’ll be offering links to all the Wanda Witch info. Remember, if you’re new to this party you’ll want to read the posts in order.

Wanda Witch: The Ultimate Halloween Party (intro to the party concept)

2008′s Wanda Witch Clever Clue Giveaway (loads of great clue ideas in the comment section)

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around (how to host the party w/out the anonymity)

2009′s New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun (fun new party twists and clue ideas)

Wow, that’s a lot of posting. We hosted another successful party last Halloween and I can’t wait to share the details (and free printables) with you. I’ll be posting all about it next week.

Good luck out there, Wandas! I can’t wait to hear about your successes (I love it when you email me or send me links to your party recap blog posts).

*As a side note, if you have questions about certain aspects of the party please try to post them in the comments area of that particular post. Lots of you have similar issues, so if you ask in the comments area it’s easier for other Wanda’s to learn from my replies. Thanks!

Pumpkins and Power Tools – My Favorite Way to Carve a Jack-o’-Lantern

MeckMom — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:19:26 +0000

Pumpkin carving isn’t a pretty process. It’s sticky, pulpy, and flat out messy. As a mom, you can try to combat this messiness. You can cover your floors (and children) in plastic, use sharpies instead of cutting tools or even buy those foamy “ever-last” pumpkins from the craft store. In my opinion, carving pumpkins with your kids is kind of like washing your car with your kids – the fun is in the mess. So why fight it? Just set you brain up for a big, goopy experience (take it outside if you can) and enjoy the moment. At our house we embrace the mess and take it one step further by involving some power tools.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to drill a hole or hammer a nail and had my kids beg me for a turn. Unfortunately for them, most home-repair projects aren’t great “practice” opportunities. Pumpkin carving, however, is a perfect time to let my kids loose. Last year, after hollowing out our pumpkins on the deck, I gave them each a turn with their favorite tool – the power drill. I inserted a wide, paddle-style drill bit and set them free to make whatever polka-dot pattern they wanted.

You should have seen the excitement in their eyes! Maybe you can get a feel of it from the picture above. They absolutely loved it! There was no struggle with sharp knives or cheap plastic saws, no worries about following a pattern, just pure fun. We even grabbed a hammer and some fat nails and let them pound some smaller holes in their pumpkins while they waited for their turn with the drill.

Overall, it was a great family fun experience. By the end of the night we four happy kids and a bunch of charmingly-spotted Jack-o’-Lanterns for our front steps. What more could I ask for? Just thought I’d pass it on.

New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun

MeckMom — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:51:14 +0000

I’m sorry I didn’t get these up earlier in the week as promised. My memory card reader has been missing all week so my pictures were trapped on my camera. Hopefully it’s not too late for you Wanda’s to get a few ideas…

As I mentioned in my last post, when my husband and I hosted our Halloween party last year we made a few changes just to keep things new and exciting. Here are a few of the ideas we tried…

Team Bonding

One thing I love about this party is the opportunity it gives for you as a hostess to get new groups of people together. There’s something about three hours of working as a team that really helps people get out of their shell and get to know each other on a whole different level. Last year, we wanted to start that process a little earlier by encouraging my teams to get together before the night of the party. When we sent out our Team Roster (a list of all the teams and the assigned captains) to all the party attendees we also issued a challenge: bonus points to any team that performed a harmless prank on another team in the week leading up to the party. The rules were: 1 – it couldn’t cause any real damage, 2 – it had to involve at least 3 of the 6 team members, and 3 – they had to send us pictures of the prank for evidence.

I was amazed at how quickly the teams got to work. Within 24 hours the pranks were on. Houses were covered with balloons, cars were saran-wrapped, photos were photoshopped, outdoor decorations were held for ransom…I could go on and on. The effect was great. By the time the party started, they’d already had a week of bonding and their team unity was much higher.

Buried Clue Packets

In the past we’ve had a problem with clues being disturbed or damaged when they were attached to the ingredients. We decided to save ourselves a little trouble by giving the teams all their sealed clues at the beginning of the party instead. We didn’t want to just hand it to them, so we gave each team a picture clue that lead to the same destination (a big water tower in our town). The clue told them to look at the base of the water tower for their clue packets. At the water tower, my husband had buried the plastic-wrapped clue packets in shallow graves and marked them with glow sticks and fake headstones (pictured above). The teams had to locate their headstone and then use their hands to dig up their packet. It was kind of a fun and eerie way to kick things off. *One word of caution – you should have an extra set of clues on hand, just in case. One of our teams was unable to find their clue packet in the dark and it caused a big delay for them.

Double Destinations

One of the tricky parts about hiding ingredients is that you have to find a place that is both easy to write a clue about yet hidden from outsiders. We combated this problem last year by creating double destinations. The clue from their packet lead the teams to a small film canister (we called these Hint Canisters). Because the canister is small, it could be hidden in relative plain sight. Inside the canister, there was a paper that lead them to a black box holding their actual brew ingredient (we called these Clue Boxes). The boxes were larger so they were hidden within walking distance of the canister but in a much more discreet location.

For example, at one ingredient location the clue lead them to a large rock in a dry riverbed (it was painted with glow paint). The film canister was hidden under the rock. Inside the Hint Canister, the clue (again, written in invisible ink) told them to find their Clue Box at the back of a nearby cave. Similarly, at another spot the Hint Canister was hidden in a knot of a tree near the parking lot while the Clue Box was hidden under a nearby bridge.

Blacklight Fun

Last year we had kind of a glow-in-the-dark theme to our party. At the beginning of the party we gave each team glow bracelets and lanyards in their team color as well as one hand-held blacklight flashlight (purchased online for about $6 each).

They used the blacklights to read clues (written in invisible ink) and to find ingredients throughout the night. For example, one ingredient was hidden on at old, abandoned waterslide park. The clue from their packet and the corresponding Hint Canister lead them to the top of a set of three waterslides. They used their blacklight to find a large X painted at the top of the the correct slide and then followed the slide down to find their clue box. *A little tip – blacklight paint can be really expensive online (the tiny bottle pictured above was about $12). You can find glow-in-the-dark spray paint in the craft area of WalMart and it works just as well. Fluorescent paint also glows well under blacklight but it is visible in the daytime so you have to use it carefully. Also, whitening laundry detergent glows really well under blacklight. I kept one of the blacklights in my purse for the month leading up to the party so I could check how different things would glow in the stores without having to purchase anything first.

Alternative Clues

Because we didn’t have to worry about attaching the clues to ingredients or having everything color-coded, we had more freedom when it came to creating clues. Here are a few things we tried…

A rubbing on parchment of a famous town monument

An origami cat with a clue written inside to lead them to a pet cemetery

A chopped up picture of a riverbed that they had to assemble and read

A word search with all the party guests last names – the remaining uncircled letters spelled out the clue

A Google Earth satellite picture of a park with a highlight over the red train where the hint canister was hidden

A play on words with a street sign – the clue said to find the intersection of these two roads “A Pretty View” Ave. and “A Thiefs Child” St. – the actual intersection is called “Beuna Vista” Ave. and “Robberson” St.

Tiny Trophies

One last change we made was to give the winning couples a small ceramic witch hat trophy (sorry I don’t have a pic of these). We created them by spray painting a inexpensive halloween candle holders gold. We also had the winning team members sign our traditional GWC golden broomstick. Since we plan to host this party every year, the broomstick should be pretty crowded with names soon.

That’s about it. Overall, it was a great night! I can’t wait to do it again. Speaking of which, if hosted a party of your own last year and tried new ideas last year that you’d like to share, please feel free to add them to the comments below. I’m in the midst of planning the Haunted Halloween Challenge 2009 as we speak, so I’m sure I’ll have more ideas to post for next year. Until then….just thought I’d pass it on.

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around

MeckMom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:52:28 +0000

When I posted the Wanda Witch anonymous Halloween Party two years ago, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to pull it off again. Unfortunately since my name is posted on my site it’s pretty easy for party guests to figure out my identity. Of course I love Halloween way too much to just let the holiday pass me by so last year I decided to host my first non-anonymous Halloween party. I kept the same basic premise – an amazing race style bash with a spooky twist – but this time I skipped all the secrecy and just focused on putting together a great party for my friends. I called it our Haunted Halloween Challenge.

Since I didn’t have to stress over keeping my identity hidden, I had a little more time to experiment with new clue ideas and new challenge options. Some things worked beautifully, others… not so much. Over the next week or so I’ll be posting some of the most successful stuff from last year’s party. Many of you have emailed me over the last few weeks for clue ideas and party advice – hopefully the next few posts will help spark the creativity of those of you who are in the middle of your Wanda planning right now.

To kick things off I thought I’d share my invitation idea from last year. I planned to invite a lot of guests so I needed an invitation that was easy and inexpensive to create. I designed the invitation in my graphics program, printed it silvery vellum and then mounted it on a simple square of black cardstock with glue dots. Specialty vellum can be kind of expensive so I designed the invitations to fit two to a page so I could use as little as possible. I purchased the vellum (and the 6″ square envelopes) at Michaels and the black cardstock WalMart. Overall, each invitation only cost me around fifteen cents and took less than five minutes to create. I must say, I think it’s my favorite invitation so far.

Unfortunately, I created the file in my Adobe design software, so posting it on the site wouldn’t be very helpful. However, you are more than welcome to click on the pictures above and duplicate the idea. Of course, if you’d like to save yourself a lot of time, you could also just order the printable file in my Etsy store. All you have to do is place the order and send me an email with your party information. I’ll edit the invite details for you and then send the finished file to you via email within 24 hours. Just think, in less than two days you could have a set of fabulous, inexpensive invitations right in your hands. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Don’t forget, if you haven’t had a chance to comment on the MyNurseOnCall post, you’ve still got time. There are still three $25 Target gift cards up for grabs so hop on over to that post and join in! More Haunted Halloween Challenge details to come soon. Good luck to all you Wanda’s out there! Just thought I’d pass it on.

Clever Treats for a Halloween Class Party

MeckMom — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:18:05 +0000

Thanks for you patience last week while I prepped for my latest Wanda-style Halloween party. It was a big success. I tried lots of new twists and challenge ideas this year and I can’t wait to tell you all about it next fall.

Speaking of Halloween, if you’re in the market for a sweet treat to send in for your kid’s Halloween party next week, you might want to check out this cool site. I first came across Bakerella a few months ago when I was following links from a ‘photography tips’ site.

I was quickly won over by her adorable collection of cupcake pops. Not only are they clever and fun, but they’re made from a cake mix – which is right up my ‘quick and easy’ alley. I tagged the site but sort of forgot about it until yesterday when I was searching for fun food ideas for elementary school parties. When I caught a glimpse of her awesomely bad Halloween pops, I knew I’d found what I was looking for.

They’re the perfect sweet treat for elementary-age kids…easy to handle, colorful, and a huge step up from the boring orange cupcakes you can pick up at the grocery store. I was able to buy all the supplies I needed to make a big batch at WalMart for under $8. I haven’t put them together yet, but thanks to Bakerella’s detailed instructions, I’m hopeful that I can pull them off.

If you’re on the list to send in treats next week, you might want to give these little charmers a try. Just thought I’d pass it on.

Wanda Witch Giveaway Announcement

MeckMom — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:29:33 +0000

Hey everyone. Sorry I’ve been neglecting the blog this week. My big Halloween party happens later tonight and I’ve spent the whole week prepping for it. I promise I’ll make it up to you next week with several fun Halloween posts.

First off, I want to congratulate our Wanda Witch Clever Clue Giveaway winner – Sneaky Witch from Wyoming. I was so impressed that she managed to host this party twice in the same town without revealing her identity. Since she can’t publicly take credit for her many, many hours of effort, I thought she could use a little kudos. Congrats, Sneaky! I’m totally impressed with your Wanda style. I’ll be contacting you soon to get your shipping info. I hope you enjoy your awesome letters. Thanks again to Alison from Ally’s Attic for the fantastic giveaway.

Since I’m short on time today, I thought I’d repost one of last year’s favorite Halloween posts. Loads of you downloaded this simple little advent calender last year. If you haven’t had a chance to print yours out this year, you’ll want to get it started today. Here are the details from the old post…

Perhaps it’s my own fault. Maybe decorating for Halloween five weeks early naturally creates holiday over-anticipation/impatience in my kids. Whatever the reason, my kids are constantly dragging their costumes out of their closets to ask me if it’s time to trick or treat. Yesterday, after answering that question for the 493rd time, I decided I needed a way for the kids to keep track of the countdown themselves. So, I created this simple little countdown poster to do just that.

Much like the Christmas Advent Poster I posted last year, this simple little chart hangs out on our fridge for easy access to my three kids. Rather than use stickers to mark the days, I opted to go for something a little more Halloweenish…googly eyes. Each morning at breakfast during the last two weeks of October, my kids get to add one googly eye to the poster. They start at the fourteen and work their way down to the one so they can know at a glance how many days are left until the big day.

To make your own handy chart, simply print out the file below on heavy white cardstock. If you’d like to give it a little more strength (like the one pictured), trim the edges and glue it to a sheet of black cardstock. I designed the file to use 12mm wiggle eyes, but you could use whatever size you have on hand. Ideally, you’ll want to look for the wiggle eyes that have adhesive backs. If you can’t find those, just use glue dots or keep a bottle of Elmer’s in your kitchen drawer.

If your kids have other Halloween activities to look forward to (class parties, family traditions, etc.) you can track those on your chart as well. Simply use a marker to add a little color to the party date. For example, our church Trunk or Treat Party happens on the 26th so I used an orange marker to highlight the number 5 circle (I did this after I took the pictures for the blog). If my kids want to figure out how many days are left until the party they just count the open circles between today and the orange circle.

Cheap, easy and totally kid-friendly. I think this chart will be a party of our Halloween festivities for years to come. Just thought I’d pass it on.

Download: www.meckmom.com/mmdl/Halloween Countdown.pdf');" href="http://www.meckmom.com/http//www.meckmom.com/mmdl/Halloween Countdown.pdf">Halloween Countdown.pdf

MeckMom.com » halloween

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

Wickedly Dark Chocolate Kisses – a free Halloween printable just for you

Step 1: Gather Supplies & Crop

Step 2: Punch Circles

Step 3: Glue Dots to Hershey Kisses

Step 4: Punch Large Circles

Step 5: Jazz It Up

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

Lovin’ These Links – Monday’s Facebook Recap

The Wanda Witch Party Roundup Post

Wanda Witch: The Ultimate Halloween Party (intro to the party concept)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 1 (getting started)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 2 (making a plan)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 3 (finding clue locations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 4 (create invitations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 5 (gather supplies)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 6 (set up teams & plot locations)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 7 (create clues)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 8 (make trophies & send out captain instructions)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 9 (plan clue hunt agenda)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: Part 10 (day of the party to-dos)

Wanda Witch Party Plan: RSVP Troubles? (what to do if no one is RSVPing)

2008′s Wanda Witch Clever Clue Giveaway (loads of great clue ideas in the comment section)

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around (how to host the party w/out the anonymity)

2009′s New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun (fun new party twists and clue ideas)

Pumpkins and Power Tools – My Favorite Way to Carve a Jack-o’-Lantern

New Wanda Witch Clue Ideas and Party Fun

Hosting the Wanda Witch Party the Second Time Around

Clever Treats for a Halloween Class Party

Wanda Witch Giveaway Announcement