Fall Back

I love Fall. For me, it is the BEST time of the year. I love it when the summer heat is finally gone, the nights are cool, and the leaves start turning colors.

Every year I torture my family into taking family photos, I make us go out when the lighting is at its best (either early in the am or early evening.....and it's neither is convenient), we have to match, and it usually takes us a few tries to get it right) Each year we pull out previous years photos and compare, it is so funny, I love to hear the kids giggle over their own photos.

With all that, I stumbled across some old Fall photos from years ago:

Tears filled my eyes when I look back at those days. My kids are growing way too fast. It's more the reason that I will continue this tradition of torturous photo taking.....it's just too precious.

I want candy!

What is it about this time of year that turns us all into sugar giving and sugar seeking maniacs? We have enjoyed 3 different Halloween parties, and have left each party with 3 kids each carrying a huge sack of various bite sized (and sometimes full sized) bits of candy. We celebrated a birthday or two with more sugar, and have essentially stuffed ourselves silly with various sweet concoctions.
I’m not only worried about broad health issues. I’m also trying to preserve my sanity. My efforts to limit my kids to only a few pieces of candy per day have put us in a war of their constant pleading and begging and my constant frustration and surrender. When I let them have their way and eat what they want, big surprise, they are cranky, tired, and generally little hellions. Am I the only one who sees food as a direct influence on behavior?
Have you heard about the Switch Witch? The Switch Witch is a great way to deal with all of that Halloween Candy.
The story goes like this: a child gets to eat all the candy they want up through Halloween night. On Halloween night, before the child goes to bed, s/he lays out all their candy for the Switch Witch. The Switch Witch comes when they are asleep and takes the candy and switches it for a toy. Cavity-creating candy is gone and desirable new toy is there instead!
A few of my friends told me about it last year and said that their kids LOVED the idea of the Switch Witch and eagerly put out all the candy. Apparently, none of them even mentioned the candy again as they were so happy to have a new toy. It is a brilliant idea, and I plan to do it next year.
Now I just have to figure out what to do with the hidden bite sized candy sitting in the top of my closet. Right now it is contributing to my personal adult obesity. Anyone want to switch witch me and leave me a new toy in exchange?

We Got Boo'ed

A Halloween tradition is spreading rapidly throughout the culture. Called "Getting Booed," it involves a family making a Halloween gift basket and leaving it anonymously on a neighbor's door step with a sign "You Got Booed." The receiving family's job, then, is to make up another gift basket and play the trick on another family in the neighborhood who doesn't have a 'got booed' sign on their door.

Last night we had a mysterious knock on the door. When the kids opened the front door, they found a bag of sweet treats along with a paper ghost and poem instructing them to do the same to two other neighbors.
My kids love this part of our Halloween tradition.

But there's been a little debate about whether or not this booing business is plain fun or plain inconsiderate. Is it spreading the Halloween spirit or just a glorified chain letter?

The truth is that it's both.

I still dig it, but I don't want other parents with children on the receiving end of a "You've been boo'ed" ghost to feel pressured to participate. It's hard enough to get Halloween costumes together and prepare for school parties. This I know. But since we ‘got booed’, it’s on!

Here is a BOO basket I found, made by Jennifer at The Buck Stamps Here

that I want to make.

Scarecrow Cupcakes

I found this recipe online at culinary.net and thought I would share

Ingredients
2 (13-ounce each) bags Cookies & Snickers Fun Size Bars, unwrapped
1 (13-ounce) bag Twix Caramel Cookie Fun Size Bars, unwrapped
1 (14-ounce) bag M&M'S Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween or M&M'S Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 (13-ounce) bag Snickers Fun Size Bars, unwrapped and chopped
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 (16-ounce) can vanilla frosting
6 shredded wheat biscuits
1 tube brown decorator's icing
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
Prepare yellow cake mix according to package instructions.
Fold chopped Fun Size bars into batter before transferring to cupcake pans. Bake 18-21 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.
Tint vanilla frosting beige by blending with 1 tablespoon brown decorator's icing. Spread beige frosting on cupcake.
To decorate cupcakes, use photograph as guide - Hats: Place 1 Fun Size bar at top of each cupcake, and top with Caramel Cookie bars to resemble rim on hat.
Hair & Neck: Arrange strands of shredded wheat under hat and around neck.
Face: Use Peanut M&M'S for eyes and nose. Create mouth with remaining brown decorator's frosting.
Serves Makes 24 cupcakes
Notes, Tips & Suggestions Tip: Consider using cut licorice laces, snipped fruit chews or shredded coconut instead of shredded wheat biscuits for "hair."