We had the OFFICIAL Halloween kick off in the Stinson Casa this past weekend!!! The countdown has been ON since September 1st! To top it off, the weather was cold and rainy all weekend! It was perfect for a Halloween atmosphere! We had halloween music or halloween movies playing all weekend.....absolute awesomeness.... yes... I repeat, awesomeness..... Where to even start!
We kicked off Friday night by having a family date night with some friends at a Ranger's game! It was hunter's first baseball game and the poor boy was going NUTSO all afternoon with "Is it time for baseball? Can we go baseball? Time for my shirt and baseball".. (he got a new Rangers shirt for the game)... I wasn't sure if he was going to be able to NOT explode until we got there!
He had soooo much fun and we all had way to much junk food! Hunter put a away a small pizza, potato chips, a pretzel, cotton candy, and some peanuts! He is turning into a bottomless pit I tell ya! My tummy hurt everytime he said "Momma, I'm hungry!"... I would say "BUT YOU JUST ATE! LET'S LET YOUR FOOD REST" to which he would reply "BUT YOU HAAAAAVE TOOO!"....oooh my.
We did have the HARDEST time explaining that we WATCH baseball not help them play it.........yet... :)..
I thought we might have to tackle him from charging the field because he was DETERMINED that he wanted to play with them!
We got home and snuggled in for the night...it was time to get some rest... we had a SPOOKY day ahead of decorating!!
So we all know how much we hate halloween....I use that term very loosely here :) ...... so you know what a BURDEN it was to spend the weekend setting it all up! Nearly had to twist my arm to get me to do it!.... ummm ya right Shae.
I started painting some pumpkins and doing some crafts in the morning and as soon as hunter went down for his nap, the hubby and I busted it all out!
We started with the fireplace.... I painted some pumpkins white and attached the black birds on top! I saw something similar on pinterest to which I am a new addict. So much so that I have not had an original thought in months! just kidding....I see tons I like and adjust to fit what I am wanting.....
The banner says Trick or Treat and is hung with beads. I'm going to have to do something about the photos behind the black birds though... It is a black and white picture so the bird gets lost in it.... I still have a few things to add buuuut its definitely a start!
Then I printed out some halloween labels that I found online and "laminated" them using packing tape! that way they last a bit longer and are more resilient to water. I placed the plaster fingers we made last year inside a glass jar with a fun glittery spider! If you look in the fireplace pic above you can see that poor Duke is quite unsure of it! Remember Duke is still somewhat new and doesn't know how crazy his mommy is yet!
Then came the table. I wanted to have it all set up for when hunter woke up so we could get started making our Halloween inspired dinner!
I put a special little pumpkin on his plate that had a spider ring and eyeball inside. He loved those things last year.... The milk jars are one of my favorites though! I found these online and am UTTERLY OBSESSED with them. I dyed his milk green for a "Brew Ha Ha" drink with dinner and topped it off with a label and fun stripey straw. We may have to keep the milk jars out year round. They are just too much fun!
I started dinner just as Hunter woke up. Daddy went and got him from his room and the first thing he saw was the cute Frankenstein hung on his door....(this was a clue for our dinner treat).....I hear this "HUUUUUUHHHH!!!" and "WOOOW" followed by both hands slapped up on his cheeks and him screaming "THIS IS SO BOOTIFUL!!!" as he walked down the hall into the living room. Then he takes off running "WHERES MOMMA!!" and dives into my arms saying "MOMMA ITS JUST SO BOOTIFUL!!!" ...................let me just say that this has been the BEST reaction I have ever got out of him and it absolutely made my day. It looks like he may have inherited the love of holidays gene that his daddy and I share....I just melted....
So after the melting ..:).. it was time for dinner. We took the family pizza making night and added some halloween style to it! We made a Frankenstein pizza!!! It looked similar to the one hanging on hunters door! (Well besides one being pizza and one being a stuffed animal).. It was SO much fun!
And for dessert we made boo krispies! These things flew off the shelf!... literally :)!!!
With our tummies full and eyes twinkling with Halloween cheer we settled in for the night....We were a little pooped.....ok..... I.... I was a little pooped...
After some much needed rest we woke up and made a family boo breakfast with some GHOSTLY pancakes!! (I thought about a jack-o-lantern but my drawing abilities aren't the best with pancake batter so ghosts with blueberries it is!....daddy took over and made the best ghosts and H's ever!...he even spelled out my name for my breakfast... :))
Hunter DOVE into them...
and last but not least and my new favorites this year are the shadow puppets we made! I cut out some halloween figures and sealed the paper with modge podge..(easy trick... if you don't have modge podge handy its the same as equal parts elmers glue and water :) )...... then I glittered them and used a spray sealer to seal in the glitter from flaking everywhere... this also made them water resistant! I glued sticks on the back and put tea candle lights behind them to cast shadows on the wall!! I LOVE these guys! Hunter was walking around with them up to his face like a mask! It was a hoot.
Well that sums up the Halloween kick off!! More Halloween weekends to come!!!
Sending you all of our love from Texas!
~Us Stinsons
