Tag Archives: Halloween

Mommy 101

Great Pumpkin Fest at Great America

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I don’t even know where to start, but I will say that if you’re a Bay Area parent and you want to celebrate the “Halloween” season with your kids… GREAT AMERICA should be at the top of your list! We had an amazing weekend and it all kicked off with the Great Pumpkin Fest at Great America, where every weekend from now til the end of October, the park, (from noon -4pm) will be extra fun-filled with its Great Pumpkin Fest event…and it’s all included with admission. The park is open from 10am-5:30pm for daytime excitement.

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The Great Pumpkin Fest is a non-scary daytime event for everyone in the family to enjoy, including even your youngest boo-thangs! And- yes, they still have their night time “grown up” very scary “Halloween Haunt” event too! All activites take place in Planet Snoopy alongside all the mainstay rides and attractions that you’re used to seeing at Great America. Children 12 and under are also encouraged to wear a costume (masks are not allowed).

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Okay, so that’s the nuts and bolts, let me share some of our experience with you…

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Snoopy, Lucy, Charlie Brown, Sally, etc.. the whole gang is dressed (in costume) for the occasion, and for parent’s that means LOTS of photo opps!

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And — with said “photo opps” there are trick or treat stations set up, where kids will get a bag and candy…

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They have a foam “dance” pit…and as you can see, my “ninja turtle” definitely got his feet wet! LOL

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Now while my older son jumped head first into the bubbling foam dance pit, my younger son opted to take advantage of the coloring station. Other activities include a hay maze and a TV screening area where guests can take a break and relax while watching, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”…book readings of the PEANUTS tale also go on in Planet Snoopy.

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One activity you definitely want to take advantage of is the mini-pumpkin decorating. Kids can select their own complimentary mini-pumpkin from the patch and they receive a decorating kit to make it their own and take home!

The PEANUTS gang also puts on a musical performance tailored to the Halloween theme… a PEANUTS “Spooktacular.” **Heads up..they’re on the lookout for the best kid costumes in the crowd.

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But maybe what I loved most about our awesome day at Great America’s Great Pumpkin Fest was that while we were able to celebrate the season, we also got to enjoy all the staple rides at the park, like the double-decker carousel and Loggers Run. The lines were short and the weather was perfect. This event gave us the opportunity to “kill many birds” with one visit! From costume contests, to trick or treating, character visits, a dance party, hay maze, pumpkin patch and amusement park rides…it was certainly a GREAT day to remember!

Mommy 101

White is the New Orange…for PUMPKINS

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I brought my boys to a local pumpkin patch, in the spirit of the season, only to discover that WHITE is the new ORANGE when it comes to pumpkins. I don’t know why I’m surprised that there’s a new variety infiltrating pumpkin patches – everything is so innovative these days, thus giving families more choices when selecting the perfect squash to carve, cook or paint. These days there’s just so much more going on…it’s definitely NOT like “when I was a kid.” They’ve probably been around for years too, just so much more prevalent now that I actually noticed.

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Anyway, my 3-year old clearly preferred the ‘white’ pumpkins aka ghost pumpkins, while my 2-year old leaned toward the traditional orange, but really liked them all! So, naturally I inquired with the attendant at the patch about these pumpkins – are they like albino or what!?!? And then when I got home, I looked it up…hence the inspiration for this post!

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Here’s some of what I found out, according to about.com:

  • They have a natural white skin there are specific varieties, such as Lumina, Cotton Candy or miniature Baby Boo. ** Not all white pumpkins are the same!
  • Great for carving (softer skin) and even better for painting!
  • White pumpkin can also be substituted for orange pumpkin in many recipes, whether you’re baking pumpkin pie or concocting a pumpkin soup.

And, there you have it…white is the new orange when it comes to pumpkins, they’re the latest and greatest, plus I bet they give off a different illumination when you carve them into jack-o-lanterns too!

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Food

Halloween Yummy

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Every year when October comes and the signs of fall are around, it’s hard not to think of all the yummy goodness that comes along with it. I mean all the sweet treats and fun foods that always seem to kick off at Halloween and take us to Thanksgiving and eventually to Christmas and the New Year! So, as we close in on some spooky good times for the last day of this month, I couldn’t help but notice a couple really cute handmade Halloween-themed treats.

First up, my friend Jenni posted this fabulous picture of some fun Jalapeno poppers she made for a party. How cute are these mummified finger foods?!?!? The eyes are TOO MUCH..really bringing them to life! If you want to try them, I found a great recipe HERE.

 If you want to do something a littler sweeter, check out these super cute Chocolate Marshmallow Pumpkins, crafted by my fellow Mommy and Media Blogger Lauren. Who knew they sold pumpkin marshmallows?!?! And — she added a very sweet touch with the chocolate and sprinkles…super impressive, right?!! I’m sure I could easily eat a handful of these… 🙂

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Product & Gear

FALLing into Autumn Fashion for Kids

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Since today is the official first day of fall, I figured I’d do a post about my favorite fall fashion pieces for kids. Of course my perspective comes from one of a boy Mom, but I think my picks are essential must haves for any tot when things start to cool down!

1. RAIN BOOTS

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There is just something about kids and rain boots that go hand in hand. As grown ups we may wear them more out of necessity than for fashion, but with children it just seems like it should be a closet staple. There are so many fun colors and prints – my guys have fun “Spiderman” super hero rain boots, and they just love them. They are super easy to put on and will protect their feet from those wet days when the puddles are daring them to just jump in. Seriously, my kids want to wear them even when it’s hot out…so I take it they are comfy too.

2. PUFFY VEST and HAT

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I love the puffy vests. I enjoy wearing them and I like how my kids look in them too… They keep their “shell” warm but still allow their arms to be free and a little more functional than an overall puff jacket. You can easily pair a puffy vest with a long-sleeved thermal shirt or even over a sweater. PLus, you want to keep them warm up top, so keeping a knit hat handy is a good idea, especially when it starts to cool down and get windy. I love the one my son has in the photo above that covers his ears too!

3. HALLOWEEN themed PJs

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Halloween PJs are another way to get in the fall fashion swing of things. I picked up these glow in the dark skeleton jammies for my boys a couple years back and have continued the tradition every year. This year we found Halloween Elmo and Paw Patrol pajamas for the kids and they want to wear them every night! It definitely helps transition out of a summer mindset when you shift the gears to “orange and black” with lots of stuff pumpkin-related…. And, when they are really little these things are great because they can double as a costume too. I think they are fun and certainly help play up your little ones personality.

Food

Halloween Goodies

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Halloween is such a fun time of year. It’s a quick one day “holiday,” that usually gets lots of play in the week(s) before the actual day when kids (young and old) don their costumes and head out for some treats! Anyway, I wanted to share some Halloween goodies in the form of the above photo, which I got from my Media Blogger friend Monica. I just love the simple creativity to make it spooky and fun for the occasion. You may need to do some fancy chopping on the olives to get the spider just right..but what a fun alternative to the traditional candy and sweets.

I also did an interview with the saavy Sandra Lee of the Food Network and she offered some great tips and advice for costumes, decorations and treats (sweet and not so sweet) to help you get into the spirit of Halloween…so if you need some last minute inspiration, press play on the video above! Hope your Halloween is SPOOKtacular!