How to Make This Year’s Halloween Party Your Best Ever

October 24, 2014 by cwsapts

So you’ve decided to throw a Halloween party at your home, but where do you start? Luckily, a spooky Halloween theme offers an almost endless list of decoration and refreshment ideas to make your party a ghoulish good time. Here’s just a bit of inspiration.

Severed Finger Invitation [marthastewart.com]
Give your guests a fright before the party even starts by sending them a severed "finger" in a box as a party invitation!

Spiked Witch’s Brew [celebrations.com]
For refreshments, serve a black cauldron filled with a spiked punch that looks like witch’s brew. You can even make it “smoke” by adding dry ice to the cauldron.

Monster Face Paint [marthastewart.com]
Entertain the little ones at a Halloween party by setting up a face painting station. Even if the party isn’t a costume party, they’ll love to wear their new monster face around all night.

Mad Scientist Party [rachaelraymag.com]
If you prefer to go all-out with a unique theme, a mad scientist party is one that your guests probably haven’t seen before. Decorate with beakers and test tubes, don a white lab coat and a wild wig, and turn your kitchen into a laboratory filled with experimental refreshments.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Andrew Malone

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: DIY, Entertaining, Halloween, Seasonal

Check Out These Spooky-Fun Facts About Halloween

October 17, 2014 by cwsapts

Although many people think that Halloween is simply a children’s holiday filled with spooky fun, others believe that October 31 stems from something more sinister. So what is the real truth about Halloween? Here are a few facts that you may not know about the year’s scariest (and sweetest!) holiday.

Halloween’s origins can be traced back as far as 2,000 years. The holiday stems from a Gaelic festival called Samhain, which translates into “summer’s end,” an apt name for this favorite fall celebration. Samhain was a time for the community to gather resources for the coming winter months.
Halloween was far from sinister. Although Halloween and its predecessor Samhain held a few supernatural and pagan aspects, it was overall a very peaceful and community-oriented holiday.
Halloween costumes derived from All Saint’s Day. While we wear costumes for Halloween these days, the costume aspect actually derived from All Saint’s Day, not Samhain. Druid leaders wore traditional costumes made of animal skins to celebrate All Saint’s Day, and because the two holidays fall so close together, they merged with one another over the years.
The tricks led to the treats. In the 1920s and 1930s, American youth turned Halloween into rowdy block parties filled with acts of vandalism. In an effort to make the holiday more wholesome, community leaders attempted to ply children with sweets given out by neighbors, which eventually led to what we know as trick-or-treating.

Twenty Interesting Things About… Halloween [The Pioneer Woman]
13 Facts You Never Knew About Halloween [Business Insider]
History of Halloween [Live Science]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Artiom P

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Fall, Halloween, History, Seasonal

Put These Three Family Activities on Your Autumn Agenda

October 3, 2014 by cwsapts

With the colorful leaves on the ground and the refreshing chill in the air, people of all ages can’t help but want to play outside once fall finally comes back around. These fun activities will show you how to get outside and have fun with the whole family this autumn season.

Make Leaf Rubbings [singleparents.about.com]
If your kids are still very young, they’ll love this simple art project that uses beautiful fall leaves. Start by taking your children outside to collect as many leaves as they can. Next, press the leaves underneath a piece of paper and rub with a crayon to create an artistic imprint of each unique shape.

Paint Fall Garden Pots [parents.com]
Once it comes time to switch out your summer flowers with something heartier for the fall, encourage your kids to help by letting them decorate the pots. Lay out some newspaper, provide them with colorful paints, and encourage them to get creative with simple terra cotta pots.

Visit a Maze [coca-colacompany.com]
Most areas have an old-fashioned corn maze somewhere nearby, and your kids will love getting lost in its twists and turns. Simply do a quick Internet search to find the closest one to you (bonus points if the maze is located at a colorful apple orchard!).

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Dave Sherrill

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Halloween, Kids, Parenting, Seasonal