Happy Halloween! - Our Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

I think this is a mommy blogger must...

everyone's been posting their pumpkin patch trips..

how can you not?!? they are too cute.

This year we went with some friends and it was fun making memories!

We had to switch farms last minute but this one was fun..

muddy..but fun. :)

Today, before trick or treating, we are carving pumpkins and
making owl cupcakes for us and to take to friends!
One baby is napping...I think I'll put a pot roast together after this while I have the chance.
sounds good for a fall day! I love fall. :)

Hope all of you have a fun and safe Halloween! 

Can't wait to see the costume posts!!

I'll give you a few hints for sophia's costume:

spakly spandex....pink cape.

oooo it's ridiculously awesome. haha. and she picked it out..

which makes it even more awesome.

Halloween Treats!- Gifting Goodies

I will use any excuse to throw a party and celebrate with friends...

The same goes with gifting goodies!

Sophia and I had some fun baking and crafting and

I put together some goodie boxes to ship off to some far away family.
(stop reading this post if you are family!!..at least till saturday night!!! ;)

You could also use this same idea for your neighbors!

Ring the doorbell..leave the treat..and RUN! 

BOO your neighbors with some sweet treats.


Halloween Treat Gifting Supplies
Rubbermaid TakeAlongs (PERFECT SIZE!) - Target
Orange Napkins from Target - $1.50
Peek A BOO! Pop Up Card Printable - Pretty Paperie Printables
Halloween Treat Bag Tags - Pretty Paperie Printables
Shipping Boxes - Target
Already Had.....Ziploc Snack Bags & Lollipop Sticks.


Click here for the DIY Peek a BOO! Pop Up Card Tutorial!
A follower of mine, who blogs over at Our Daily Obsessions, 
made up some of her own using it...super cute.

We filled our containers with yummy treats!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies..Will share the recipe soon. 

(A friend made these one night for bible study..they are amazing.)

Used our Tried and True Sugar Cookie Recipe..sprinkled with candy corn confetti.

Bought this pumpkin cookie cutter at Giant Eagle for like 60 cents or something like that.

Not sure if they reallyyyyy look like pumpkins. but hey..they are yummy!

And this was a quick project..no icing or fancy-ness.

The itsy bitsy spider treats were so fun to make!

Tutorial posted yesterday here.

The milano ghosts are just milanos...dipped in melted white chocolate..with sprinkles for eyes. or you could use chocolate chips. I ran out. I tested one of these..DELISH.

I am selling these fun treat bag tags in my etsy shop..

(or you could make up some of your own!)

Order by Saturday evening and I'll be doing rush orders that night so you can have them by sunday morning to put together..GIFT MONDAY! ta da.

All you do is print, fold, staple to snack size ziploc bag full of goodies!

I love the classic peeps..Plus they were on sale. :)

The containers fit perfectlyyyy into the boxes. Put a fun card on top.. 

Then covered with an orange napkin and a little drawing from sophia!

She LOVED coloring all these pages for her goodie boxes!

Hope you are feeling inspired and

put together something fun for your neighbors/classmates!

Have a fun weekend with your kiddos making up something special to gift.

I love making these memories with my girls..

even though sienna just ate the pretzel sticks the whole time... :)

Itsy Bitsy Spiders! - Halloween Treat Tutorial

Sophia and I had some Halloween Fun
making up some itsy bitsy spiders!
This was a fun toddler friendly treat to make 
and sophie was thrilled with the little things!
I even got some "you're the best mommy ever making spiders!"...haha.
Using these in some goodie boxes we are sending out today! 
(posting those tomorrow..ideas for last minute treating!
perfect to leave at your neighbor's doorstep! ding and dash!)
I found this great treat idea via Sprinkled with Flour.
She adapted her version from candyquik.com

Itsy Bitsy Spiders Ingredients:
Makes 15 Spiders (I made a couple extra)
45 Pretzel Sticks... (watch out helpers will sneak some. have extra on hand ;)
30 Ritz Crackers
1 Cup Chocolate chips... (I used a mix of hershey kisses & a bit of chocolate chips..use what you have!!)
1 tsp Shortening
1 cup Peanut Butter... (I have no clue how much I used..I didn't measure.)
30 Mini Reece's Pieces...(I had the large ones for another recipe but they were too big..
so I used medium size sprinkles instead..again, just use what you have!)

--Put chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
My bowl wasn't hot..I let the chocolate cool off a bit so that I could have my little helper there.
--Break the Pretzel Sticks in half..and dip the unbroken side into the chocolate
and place on wax paper to try.

I suppose if you wanted them perfect you would want the chocolate hotter..
.and NOT have a 3 yr old help..

but that wasn't the point here...we are making spiders............

--Dip one side of 15 of the Crackers into the chocolate...
and place on wax paper to dry.
For some of them I used the spoon to spread across the top.
If you are on a time crunch you can place the chocolate covered pieces into the freezer. 
But I left them on the dining room table..took care of babies running around lovingly terrorizing
each other and the house..and then came back to the project a bit later.

--IF you are using mini reese's for the eyes...at this point you would place a drop of chocolate on them for an eye mark..using a toothpick and let them dry.

**I took this step out of it and just used the Betty Crocker Candy Corn Sprinkles I had.

Put them in place before the chocolate hardens too much.

mmm salty sweet!

--Spread Peanut Butter on the remaining undipped crackers. 
Resist the urge to pop one in your mouth. jk. don't resist. go for it.
but just know if your toddler see's you doing this..they will want one too. nothing gets by them.

--Place 3 of the dipped pretzel sticks on each side of the cracker, to make the legs!

veryyyyy....slowly.....haha.
This was like amazing to her..
she was so impressed with herself at this point, seeing what she was creating!

Mommy took over to speed things up. :)



--Take the dipped crackers and put a little peanut butter on the undipped side.
Press on top of the pretzel legs to make the spider!

Sophia was happy to be a taste tester and try one before we send the rest off!

How stinking cute is she?

My Sophia keeps waking up scared! - Real-Life Super Mama Wisdom:

I left the following comment on

The Busy Budgeting Mama Facebook Page

and I realized that many of you are in the same boat as me....
Trying to figure out the best way to deal
with a toddler being scared at night!

Sophia used to be a pretty good sleeper. 
But I think since the move...and operation
"get sienna to sleep through the night"...
she got all out of whack. 
Lately she's been having the hardest time going to bed..and STAYING IN BED. :)
I wouldn't mind if she just crawled into our bed like she occassionaly does..but she usually cries out for us(sad)..and wakes up sienna...(they share a room)
and that starts the never ending cycle of getting them both back to bed! 
Some nights are better then others.. Last night....was NOT one of those nights.
We've been trying a lot of different things: praying, night lights, story time, the noisemaker/projected picture on the wall gadget we have.....


Sophie goes to bed with the picture
of her with her guardian angel...
(our pastor gave it to her last christmas because it looked like her! so sweet.)
Ben told her one night that her guardian angel will be there with her to keep her safe so she doesn't need to be scared.... Well that worked one night...
She woke up and the first thing she told me in the morning was that her guardian angel
didn't come! she didnt' see her! haha..it was so cute..
we told her she just went back to heaven as soon as she woke up. :)
We are gonna keep trying...and use some of your GENIUS ideas!

All of these girls commented on The BBM Facebook page..

and wanted to contribute their thoughts..

Join the conversation

and Leave a comment below!

Thanks for sharing ladies..

I really think it's so important for us to band together, 

share our mama wisdom, encourage and support each other!

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and join in the mama chit chat!