halloween

Recipe Roundtable – Spooky Dinner

October 30, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

We had our wonderful Spooky Dinner this weekend, so this isn’t really a recipe {because everything is pretty self explanatory…} but it’s a really fun menu for Halloween!

PLATE OF BONES

JACK O’ LANTERN PIZZAS {extra scary, because the mouths fell off while they were baking}

MUMMY PIZZASMUMMY DOGS DIPPED IN BLOOD {note the Mummy Juice!}

EYEBALLS {carrots with cream cheese and olives}

We also had Halloween Cupcakes of course! It’s such a fun tradition for all of us! Do you have any Halloween recipes? Link it up! This weekly feature is co-hosted by BigBinder and Sarah’s Deals. Each blog will host it’s own recipe, but share a common linky. The co-hostesses links will appear at the top of the list and you are welcome to join in. Please link to your ACTUAL POST and not just your home page so people can find it easier. Also please put the recipe title in parentheses to help out the other readers. Old recipe posts are fine. While we appreciate a link back or the addition of the button above, it is NOT required. Thank you for participating!

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Filed Under: Eat, Recipe Roundtable Tagged With: Cooking with kids, halloween, recipes

Woodland Mall is Having a Halloween Hoopla

October 27, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

This may be the kids’ one chance not to wear their parkas over their costumes. Woodland Mall is having a Halloween Hoopla from 3PM – 5PM on Monday, October 31.

The kids can head to each wing of the mall for “Ghoulish goodies and delights”, then go trick-or-treating at participating retailers.

This is a “Fun Family Events” Calendar item. Check it out for more great frugal community activities your family will love!

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Filed Under: Calendar Tagged With: children, families, Grand Rapids, halloween, kids, trick or treat

Children’s Museum Harvest Party October 27

October 25, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

Every Thursday, the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum lowers admission to $1.50 per person. This week is a GREAT time to take advantage of it because they are having a Harvest Party! It’s from 5:30 to 7:30, and kids are welcome to come dressed in their costumes. There will be a few treats, face panting, and fall activities. This is a “Fun Family Events” Calendar item. Check it out for more great frugal community activities your family will love!

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Filed Under: Calendar Tagged With: family, frugal, Grand Rapids, halloween, harvest, kids

City of Kentwood Halloween Hoopla October 31

October 15, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

The Halloween Hoopla will be October 31 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at the Kentwood Activities Center (355 48th St SE). There will be tables with treats and goodies, and also crafts and activities! The costume contest is at 6:30 and the PET costume contest is at 6:45. Those are always hilarious! The whole thing is FREE, but you do need to pre-register with Kentwood Rec at 656-5270 and get registered; mention code 138030A when you call and they’ll get you all set up!

This is a “Fun Family Events” Calendar item. Check it out for more great frugal community activities your family will love!

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Filed Under: Calendar Tagged With: activities, children, events, families, Grand Rapids, halloween, kids

Saturday October 15 Trunk Or Treat

October 9, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

The Byron Township 7th annual Trunk or Treat is a FREE event on October 15, 2011 from 12:00 to 2:oo PM at Whistlestop Park {2120 76th Street} and will include activities such as balloon animals and entertainment. For the main event, families will line up and parade past a line of fully decorated vehicle trunks and gather goodies. If it rains, just head over to the Community Center.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: children, Free, Grand Rapids, halloween, kids, trick or treat

Scary Face Pancakes at IHOP, and a Call From Count Spatula!

September 27, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

Not so spooky...

Every year I try to do a little better with the whole Halloween thing… and this year IHOP is making it easy on me. Kids can get a call from Count Spatula reminding them to come into IHOP for free pancakes on October 28 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. {Sign up for the wake up call at IHOP.com}. We will still have our new tradition of making a Spooky Dinner, and watch Spooky Buddies for Family Movie Night, but this is a welcome addition to our Halloween plans!

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Filed Under: Eat Tagged With: food, Free, halloween, IHOP, kids

Dinner And A Movie

September 15, 2011 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

I love fall… but Halloween? That’s when I buy pre-made costumes, drive to my Grandma’s house, and eat the dinner she made for us. She has giant bowls of candy {the good stuff}, and a perfect neighborhood for trick-or-treating. My kids are 6 and 8, and have never trick-or-treated in their own city.

I am trying. I really am. Last year, I made great strides. We had a spooky dinner that was so fun, we are definitely making it a tradition. This year for Halloween, I have the PERFECT movie for a Family Movie Night which, as I have told you before, allows Mommy’s Little Activists to sharpen their lobbying skills.

My kids love the “Buddies” movies. Air Bud, Soccer Bud – if it involves a talking dog, they are all over it.

Talking dogs in costumes. I ask you, does it get any better than this? I am well on my way to being Awesome Halloween Mom.

I received a copy of Disney Spooky Buddies. All opinions are my own.

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Filed Under: Enjoy Tagged With: Air Bud, halloween, kids, movies, Spooky Buddies

It's The Great Pumpkin

October 15, 2008 By bigbinder 4 Comments

When I was growing up, my parents made these elaborate Halloween costumes. Hand made, like with a pattern and sewing machine, and paper mâché heads that slipped on, made weeks before. Incredible. Even more incredible, I got absolutely none of the genes that made my parents do that.

I am lame at Halloween. My husband finally called me out on it this year. I said it just isn’t important to me. He said, “Well, it is to our kids”. OK. Fortunately, my Silly Sister In Law gave me a costume that is far and away better than what I would have come up with for Maybelle, and we will get A.P. suited up in something snazzy too.

For those of you in and around Grand Rapids, GR Now has a link with a great compilation of Halloween and Fall stuff, like:

Haunted Houses
Hayrides & Corn Mazes
Halloween Parties
Cider Mills & Pumpkin Patches
Family Activities
Entertainment & Festivals
Trick-or-Treating
Costume Shops
Fall Color Tours

I also put up a nice big button in my sidebar, just to show what a big effort I am making. I think all this extra energy I am putting into Halloween this year definitely deserves lots and lots of extra candy, don’t you?

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: GR Now, halloween

Winter Bazaar

October 9, 2007 By bigbinder 4 Comments

Scribbit, a blog about motherhood – in Alaska – is hosting the “Winter Bazaar” on Wednesdays. It started last week, but I am jumping in today. This month’s theme is Halloween.

I particularly appreciate this; as I am just not a Halloween person. I have no idea why. My parents made elaborate costumes for us – including a homemade penguin costume complete with a paper maîche head and entire body ‘suit’ with a zipper up the front. Amazing.

I am getting some ideas from other bloggers about ways I can be more festive this Halloween season. For now, I offer a recipe I got from the Public Museum of Grand Rapids during the “Grossology” exhibit. It’s called ”Worms In The Mud“.

Ingredients:

Instant chocolate pudding mix
Gummy worms
Chocolate graham crackers

Directions:

Follow directions on the box of pudding mix. Make sure there are no lumps.
Put it in the refrigerator to set.
When pudding is set, crumble up some graham crackers and mix them into the pudding.
Next, stir in some gummy worms, making sure they are covered in pudding.
Divide pudding into four dishes, crumble some more graham crackers and lay a couple of worms on the top of each portion.

For more ideas, head over to Scribbit.