Halloween Celebrations

We had a blast celebrating Halloween Saturday night!  Though I love all holidays and special occasions, and usually celebrate with gusto, Halloween is one of my favorites. Seeing the kids dressed up, creative party foods, and of course, Halloween crafts all make the day exciting. Here's a look at our Halloween celebration with our friends, The Bradfords and Matiks.

I set the dinning room table for the adults. I created place cards using my PSA Essentials Peel & Stick stamps - from PSA Haunted Shack and UBU Happy Halloween. I also made wine tags and food flags with my stamps.

I had fun setting the kids table, too. I rounded up all sorts of favors and treats to place on the table to keep the kids entertained. From finger tattoos to creepy sound machines... there was plenty to do besides eat.

Mike and Matt always dress up. Mark, who is new to our celebrations, didn't.... wonder if he will next year.  I sprayed my hair purple and wore a pin.... that was the extend of my costume.

(I was extra proud of my Pinterest copied ghosts and bananas!) How cute are the kids this year? Connor was a policeman, Parker was a skelleton, Molly was an angel, and Ethan was a ninja.

When we got back, the kids counted their candy and the adults checked it, then it was time for a fire in our new firepit and of course, because the Bradford's were there, we had to have fireworks!

And for the grand finale, we went to the front.. The kids are ready.... Mike lights and runs...

And we conclude the evening watching the Mets on TV.  What a great Halloween! 

Stamped Pumpkins

With school back in session full time and a very busy after-school schedule, The O'Regan's have been on the go all September! We are taking some time to slow down and enjoy the season, which for me and the kids means spending time working on seasonal projects and crafts.  Yesterday afternoon we painted, stamped (and Connor washed...) mini-pie pumpkins to kick start Fall.

I set up the kitchen table with a few colors of paint, acrylic blocks and PSA Essentials UBU Happy Halloween stamps and Inks, and let them get creative. Molly chose to paint a stripped pattern of black and white, add various UBU Happy Halloween stamps and draw a "scary face" on her pumpkin. Connor chose to mix all the colors up, paint it solid, and then wash off the paint with a sponge. Cleaning is one of his favorite things to do...  Here's a peek at our afternoon of stamping and painting pumpkins!  Looking for an after-school toddler/little kid project? This was a lot of fun!

Quite honestly, the "after" shot of the pumpkins aren't necessary. I bet you can tell how they turned out.... the important thing is the activity, not the end result - and they had a great time. So we have some really ugly painted/washed pumpkins lying around but who cares?

Happy Fall! I look forward to sharing more stamping adventures this season!

Halloween Dinner Party

We spend every Halloween with our good friends, The Bradfords, having a dinner party and then heading out in our neighborhood to trick-or-treat. The Dads seem to get into the costumes just as much as the kids! I am a sucker for Halloween decorations and packaging, right down to the wine, soda and tablecloth.... This year, I used my PSA Essentials Peel & Stick stamps to create place card settings which also doubled as little favor bags. I also used my PSA Essentials stamps to create cupcake toppers and appetizer "flags" to make things even more festive. Here's a quick look how to create the favor/place card bags and some cute Halloween photos!

Favor/Place Card Bags Supplies Needed:

• PSA Essentials stamper 
• PSA Essentials Peel & Stick stamps; I used PSA Haunted Shack 
• Treat bags, I love Recollections 
• 2" circle punch 
• 1" circle punch 
• Halloween cardstock 
• Marker, I like Faber Castle 
• Black and white twine from The Twinery 

Instructions:

1) Start by stamping using your favorite stamp from PSA Haunted Shack onto white cardstock. Then punch out using your 1" circle punch.

2) Using your 2" circle punch, punch out some festive paper.

3) Have your little helper glue the white stamped cardstock onto the pattern paper. 

4) Now create the tags. Stamp onto tags found at Michael's. Write the names of your dinner party guests. Thread with twine from The Twinery and into holes that you punch out in the bags.

5) As the last step, put the stamped circles onto the front of the bag. 

Halloween Fun! See what I mean, I am a sucker for packaging! "Disco Dad" and the Cave Man were really enjoying themselves. Of course, so were my children, Elsa and Fire Chief Connor.

Onto Thanksgiving crafts and fun! Cannot wait.

Pumpkin Overload

If it weren't for my kids being super cute and the endless photo opportunities, I would be on pumpkin overload. This October, we've been to Halloween festivals, several pumpkin patches, Cahill's Farm & Market, Holiday Farms and taken just about every photo there is with a pumpkin.  Here's a quick look at how we've been celebrating the season! Share what you have been up to with us, too!

 

Tomorrow I will share all the details of the crafts we've been working on, too! Stayed tuned for some PSA Essentials crafts with kids & our Halloween party prep!