Even Halloween is Changing

Does every single thing have to change? I'm not sure I'm on board with all this change that seems to go on with every little thing we've ever done with kids. Have Y'all noticed that the kids don't change? It's the 'rules' for raising them that do. Thank goodness kids survive no matter how many ridiculous rules we imposed on them.

It's ok to trust your maternal instincts.

How in the world did any of us raise kids without the internet? It seems some young moms these days depend on the internet to tell them how to raise their little ones or to tell others how to raise theirs. What's a young mom to do when they receive conflicting information? Whatever happened to trusting your gut instinct? Your maternal instincts? It really is ok to do that. When you are a student of your children, you do get to know them and understand them. It's almost like being a mind reader. And you come to realize that mind readers are just people who truly understand people. So why are we making all these changes and freaking out over every little thing?

Mom-to-mom Facebook groups can be a good thing. 

If there's a serious problem, I've seen moms go to mom Facebook pages before calling a physician. Goodness. I hope it really is the same thing that 500 other moms report (and nearly all 500 things are different) instead of something serious. Of course, there are those moms who will post the suggestion to have the little one checked out by the pediatrician. These groups are not a bad thing at all. They are fantastic for finding fun activities and great restaurants. They're good for recommendations for doctors, dentists, vets, etc. These moms will tell you who they like and why. But I draw the line at diagnosing or telling someone how they should be doing something. Or mom shaming. I hate that.

There's a new Halloween trend in these parts. 

What's this have to do with Halloween? There's a new trend here for celebrating Halloween. Instead of trick-or-treating kids are going to trunk-or-treating sites, trick-or-treating at the mall, stay in the backyard and have a scavenger hunt, just play games, take it to the kitchen and bake goodies, have a Halloween pinata in the yard, play photo booth, go to a carnival or, better yet, have a DIY carnival, host a costume party, watch Halloween movies, and for goodness sakes why carve a pumpkin when we can paint one instead.

The ideas sound like fun but no trick-or-treating?

I'm not saying these are bad ideas. They sound like fun! Big fun! But why are we moving away from trick-or-treating? We took part in many of those ideas along with trick-or-treating. Those activities were part of the build-up to the big event---TRICK-OR-TREATING.  

Yes, I get that some people don't want to participate in Halloween and I completely understand these folks and those who live too far out in the boonies and don't want to drive to the houses of strangers. I'm talking about people who do enjoy participating in Halloween but are turning away from trick-or-treating. I'm not sure I understand the why behind it. Is it a safety issue? Aren't they only going to the houses of people they know?

The neighbors went to great lengths to make Halloween fun.

My girls had such fun trick-or-treating when they were growing up! There were people in the neighborhood who set up scary scenes in their yards and garages and my girls couldn't wait to get to those houses. I always laughed (and appreciated it) when the wives would stop their husbands from

being too scary if the approaching children were too little. There was one house where you knew the man was going to jump out you just never knew when or from where. It was HILARIOUS!

We'll still have trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. Until we don't. I guess, when it comes down to it, kids won't miss what they don't even know. But trick-or-treating is such fun! I hate to see it go.

Do the kids still trick-or-treat in your area? Did you when you were growing up? Did your kiddos?

Happy Haunting, Y'all!

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! 😁💓

Wreaths are coming to CoasterDoodles!

Along with handmade felt flowers!

This one is already in the shop!

Darn Halloween Candy and a Cute Pumpkin

Seriously. Y'all know that I am no spring chicken so you'd think I'd know better than to buy candy for the neighborhoods ghouls, goblins, princesses, and superheroes early. Apparently, I have not learned this lesson.

I purchased 3 large bags of candy at the beginning of October. I have maybe half of one bag left. HALF of ONE bag. HALF. And Halloween is tonight. It's not looking good for trick-or-treaters. Not good at all.

I had one of these:

It's gone.


I had one of these:

It's gone.

I had one of these:

There's half a bag left. Almost half.

Ok, yes, other people did help me but not nearly as much as I'd like to say they did. Because, for the most part, I ate that darn candy ALL BY MYSELF.

Am I ashamed? Yes. No. Maybe. But probably not. What I am is in need of candy to hand out to the kiddos.

And next year? I am NOT buying the candy early.

I'm not.

I mean it.

Anyway, check this little cutie out:

And that's not all. The lovelies are never too old to dress up for Halloween!

Teacher daughter, DoodleBug, had Mimi make her a dress to wear to school. DoodleBug teaches 1st grade and her kiddos LOVED the dress:

Then there was Breezy and her good friend who dressed as silent film stars:

Here's a color shot so y'all can see the make-up;

Breezy and Remster won first place at the costume contest. DoodleBug won first place with her students. And Baby M won first place with all of us!

And then there's Birdie (Baby M's mommy) who is wearing a tshirt Mimi made a few years ago:

And in Nashville, Deanie and DrummerBoy or should I say, Rocky and Aridan?

Are y'all dressing up and how's the Halloween candy holding out?

What do Babies and Grandmas Have To Do With Halloween Costumes?

Halloween is this month and I've already been thinking about a costume for Baby M. No matter that her parents probably already have something in mind. She'll be at my house that day and I can dress her in whatever I...wait. What's that? I said I wasn't going to be THAT grandma? I lied.

I took straight to the internet because that's the land of all creative ideas, right? I mean, do we really have original ideas anymore? Ha! Anyway, I found a couple of interesting, maybe cute-ish ideas in the way of store-bought costumes (just click on the pictures if you want the links):

The first one is a onesie but a cute onesie. A little ghost onesie!

I doubt I would have thought to put the baby in a costume that incorporated the carrier! See? I'm not creative at all but the internet provides. 

The funniest thing about the next costume is that they think a baby is going to sit there in that headpiece without ripping it off immediately. Still, a cute costume and practical if you're lucky enough to live where it gets cold on Halloween. 

The next two are also store-bought but they're here because I know Baby M's dad would buy them and take her out trick-or-treating twice so everyone could see both costumes. He's kind of a space nerd.

But her mother would prefer something of this sort because she's sort of a book nerd:

Or this:

I don't know if I like this next one for the costume or because that kid was having such a blast! How stinkin' cute?

Ok, drum roll please:   I've saved my very favorites for the last:

TOO cute for words. I know, I know. They aren't going to sit there and keep those wigs and glasses on, but they're just the CUTEST: 

I don't know why but this just struck me as hilarious and tres adorbs!

I love this one except for the swaddling thing. I hate the idea of swaddling. But I think that's due to having a bit of claustrophobia. I also like that the costume does not have Subway on it like one I saw. That's just not appropriate anymore. 

My mom, Mimi to the lovelies, always made costumes for my girls. Every year until well, I'm going with college because they were still getting her to make some during high school. They make their own now unless they can't figure it out. Then they call Mimi and she rises to the occasion.

I found a couple of examples:

There were many more but putting my hands on anything right now is not happening. I really wanted y'all to see the pumpkin one that Birdie (now a mom herself) wore three years in a row. She's already asked Mimi to make one of the same for Baby M. In three different sizes so she can wear it three years in a row instead of squeezing into the same one for three years. Birdie wouldn't let Mimi make another one. She just wanted the one she made originally. Yes, I'm pretty sure it's in the attic. :)

Y'all can probably tell the costumes were handmade. Mimi loved making these for the lovelies and they loved wearing them! She also made seasonal/holiday sweatshirts and tees depending on the weather. Not to mention their prom dresses, Christmas and Easter dresses, and Breezy's wedding gown. She still makes shirts for DoodleBug because when you teach first grade you love that stuff. Mimi's quite the talent, for sure.

What were some of your kids or grandloves favorite Halloween costumes?



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Peace, Peeps!

Halloween Preferences

This idea came from Mama's Losin' It! I've put my spin on this as not to frighten everyone with a vlog, so don't run off screaming! 

Halloween Preferences:

1. Chocolate candy or fruity? I don't eat candy anymore. I know, sad. When I was eating that delicious goodness, the variety depended on my mood though I do believe that chocolate won out most of the time. 
2. Witches or Vampires? It depends. While the idea of a witch intrigues me, I would choose vampires if they were of the very hot kind you see in the movies. 
3. Trick or Treat? Treat. Almost always. 
4. Halloween party or scary movie? Halloween party. I do not watch scary movies. Because, they're scary. And, also, my imagination needs no help. 
5. Skeletons or Zombies? Skeletons. Zombies are freaky and terrifying (Thaaat's right, I saw NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) and, more likely than skeletons, to be real. 
6. Trick-or-treat or hand out candy? Hand out candy. At my age, it would be creepy to go trick-or-treating. 
7. Hay ride or corn maze? Probably a hay ride. If I got lost in a corn maze I might panic because I'd probably start thinking of some Stephen King novel. 
8. Scary costume or funny costume? How about, clever? I tend to prefer the creative, clever type costumes, regardless of their theme.  
9. Pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie? Pie. Though I do enjoy the seeds. 
10. Bottle feed a baby zombie or walk alone through a dark forest? Ha! Because I've seen scary movies (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) AND, because of my active imagination, I'm going with NEITHER. 
11. Bats or black cats? Bats are so stinkin' cute, until they are flying around your head or you hear them in the trees so, I'll go with cats. Unless they get close to me cause then I'm all allergic. 
12. Pumpkin spice or hot chocolate? I'll go with pumpkin spice on this one since I reserve hot chocolate for winter. 
13. Celebrate in your neighborhood or at the mall? In the hood! What does one do at the mall on Halloween anyway? 

Wanna play? Just copy the questions, put up your answers and have fun! OH! And don't forget to link to Mama's Losin' It.

Ghosts in the House!

Do any of y'all believe in ghosts? I do. Because there are some living in my house. And they've been here all of the 27 years that we've lived here.

The lovelies have had a sense of our spooky visitors from a young age. Of course, I've always told them that there are no spirits roaming about our humble abode. But that's not exactly true.
I catch them floating around out of the corner of my eye quite often. And, on more than one occasion, I've awakened in the night to see an ethereal being hovering overhead or standing beside the bed. This is creepy, but it's easy enough to simply close my eyes and refuse to open them again until morning. Yes, I see the apparitions during the daylight hours, but they are nearly as creepy as they are after the sun goes down. I will even talk to them during the day.

http://theredan.bar/ghosts-the-other-guests/

The scariest spook that I have actually SEEN was the man standing beside my bed watching me sleep. I didn't like that and I sent him packing. Immediately. That was over 20 years ago and I haven't seen him since. 

The worse part is when I feel them sitting on the bed. You know, when you feel movement, but no one and nothing is there, that you can see? Yeah, that's the creepiest.

I've been known to make it perfectly clear that I will NOT tolerate any spiritual being in my home that is of the evil variety. I have no tolerance for evil in any manner in which it tries to present itself. I'm pretty sure that the spirits hanging out here are friendly. And a bit mischievous.

There was one night, not too long ago, maybe 5 years, that I felt something moving on the bed. I thought it was Tucker but, there was nothing there. Not even Tuck. I brushed it off as that active imagination of mine and began drifting back to sleep. Suddenly, I felt the movement again. This time, it felt as though someone had lifted the covers and began sliding their hand towards me. Oh! Crap! The next thing I knew, something that wasn't there was PULLING MY LEG! Much like I am pulling yours right now.

Or am I?

Dang, I think I just scared myself.

Spooky and Kooky!

Happy Halloween, y'all!

Sugary Goodness

I read an article about nostalgic Halloween candy yesterday and wondered if the writer and her Facebook sample were all way younger than I or if we just had WAY different taste in candy as children.

Here's the list with my take:

1. Candy cigarettes. Yeah, I remember those. I also remember not caring too much for them. I actually put those right in the category with those nasty bunnies at Easter. The marshmallow ones? Oh, Peeps. Yuck.

2. The wax soda pop bottles and the wax lips. I'll give you the wax soda pop bottles, though I remember only eating those because they were in the bag. I sucked up the sugar water and chewed on the wax and then spit it out. Not exciting at all.

3. Homemade popcorn balls. I've never had one. Never. In my life. Never. Honestly. But we never got those in our trick-or-treat bags either, so...  We did, however, get candied apples and caramel covered apples. Now THOSE I LOVED! I would eat them today if I didn't think they'd yank my teeth right out roots and all.

 

4. Candy buttons. I remember those from the lovelies' youth but not my own. Did we have those way back then? Now Sweet Tarts? Oh Yeah baby! We loved us some Sweet Tarts! Those BIG ones that took a layer of your tongue off? Those were great!

5. Circus peanuts. DIS-GUST-ING. And they were never in my bag on Halloween night. Those things are right up there with Peeps. But Sugar Daddies??? YES! Anything with caramel was always a favorite with this trick-or-treater!

6. Mint Juleps. Never heard of those until I read the article so, nope. But sign me up for some candy corn!

 

There are others on my list of worth-going-back candies. But they only listed six so I'll stop there as well.

But I will tell y'all that my all time favorite as a kid were these:

I'd love to hear your lists!


Pictures are from OldTimeCandy.com except for the popcorn balls and caramel apple which you can click to visit those sites.