Happy Halloween Everybody 🤗💖🎃🎃🎃

Hi Honeys,

How can it be the end of Blogtober already?  Every year this happens, time passes so quickly that before you know it, it's done again.😊 Best thing is that the last day of Blogtober is also one of my favourite days of the year!  

Happy Halloween honeys🤗💖🎃🎃🎃  I thought I'd get my little gnomes to wish you a happy Halloween too.😄  

There's Minerva (of course, what else would I call her?😊) with her crystal ball and cauldron (and a tiny ghost friend.)  Next to Minerva is Harry Meerkat in his Gryffindor uniform and robes and even a tiny owl friend.🦉  Yes, I know, it's not Hedwig but he's been with me for so, so many years and is very precious.🦉💖 They look cool together, don't you think? 

Lastly then, there is Albus (oh no, stop!  You can't be surprised by now?😄) There's a theme here, isn't there honeys?  Yes, yes, I'm a Potter fan.  At work we always dressed up each year and once I even managed to convince a tiny human that I was in fact a student at Hogwarts.😄💖  

I saw the first movie because one of my favourite actors was in it (the much missed, much loved Mr Rickman💔) and was hooked.  Albus was a gift from a very dear friend (thank you Sarah x) and is one of my treasures.💖 He has lovely, twinkly, friendly eyes, just like the real Albus.😊💖

Whatever you have planned for today/tonight honeys, even if you don't celebrate Halloween at all, whatever you're doing, I hope you're having the best day, that it's the start of the best week and sending so, so many hugs....  

 

Till next time dear ones, hugs always xx

How A Tiny Set Of LED Lights Can Help Keep Little Ones Safe When Trick Or Treating🎃

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to recommend any products of stores, just sharing a fun little DIY project that could help keep tiny humans safe, by making sure they are visible to cars etc while they're out trick or treating.🎃

Hi Honeys,

I'm playing catch up with Blogtober again.😊 I'm sorry honeys, the weather is playing havoc with me😒  Enough moans though, there's catching up to do.😊 

I thought since Halloween is only a few days away, I'd share a little DIY project I first posted a few years ago.  It's such an easy, takes-no-time-at-all project and just helps keep tiny humans visible while they're out trick or treating.  Important, now that the dark nights are with us again, but also fun to have a little treat bag that doubles as a lantern too..   

Are you missing the daylight honeys?  The worst part of winter for me is the almost constant (it feels that way to me anyway) darkness.  During winter, here on the west coast of Scotland it can be completely dark until after 9am and then, with the snap of fingers, be midnight dark again before 4pm.  

It's beyond draining.  Is it any wonder that every year I have a countdown to spring?😊🌺 There are one hundred and forty three days to go honeys, just in case you wondered😊🌻

What we need for our project...

On to our project then.  All you'll need is a set of the battery powered led lights you'll find in places like supermarkets or pound (or Dollar) stores like Poundland or Dollar Tree.  They're usually anywhere between £1 - £3 a set.  You'll then need batteries for the lights too, of course.  This will usually be two AA batteries.  Then you'll need a treat bag you can attach the lights to.  I used a plastic cauldron from Asda (Walmart) that cost around £1, but again these are available everywhere, as well as other types of treat bags you can use too.  

Lastly, you'll need a roll of any strong tape, like gaffer or duct tape.  I used very thick, black electrical tape.  This tape is very strong, so it would hold the lights firmly in place, but it also meant that an additional piece of tape can be run around the inside edge (once the project is done) to make the wire "disappear" so that tiny humans can happily collect treats in their bag without treats, or tiny hands, getting tangled.   

The led lights are available in so, so many designs.  For this project in the past I've used a set of Harry Potter Hedwig lights, as well as a set of adorable little ghost lights I found in Poundland.👻🎃 Choose a set you, or the tiny human who will use the bag, like honeys...

First we unpack the lights and fit the batteries, to check that they work.  How irritating would it be to securely attach the lights, only to then find out they're faulty?  Yep, been there, done that.😊 

Next we begin to attach the lights.  I snipped off around a dozen or so pieces of the tape and lightly attached them to edge of our coffee table - thinking back on it, I should have used a craft board or a chopping board from the kitchen.  Oh well, next time maybe.😊   

Attach the first light so that the light sits outside the treat bag but the wires are on the inside...

Fasten securely with a piece of your previously cut tape.  Carry on attaching the rest of the lights, spacing the lights out so that they go all around the treat bag.  With a much larger piece of tape, secure the battery pack/compartment of the lights to the inside of the bag. 

Once again, try switching on the lights.  This is to make sure you can still easily reach the on/off switch of the lights and that the tape isn't covering it...  

 

Not all lights will sit as well as the Potter themed ones did. They have a sort of copper wire that bends to shape and allows the little owls to almost perch on the top of the cauldron.  The ghosts have a more flexible wire, so I just ran a little bit of tape over the edge of the cauldron to hold the wire from moving... 

Last thing to do is to run a length of the tape around the inner edge of the treat bag to completely cover the wires.  This not only makes the wires (sort of) disappear from sight but, as I said, prevents tiny humans fingers/hands getting tangled or caught by any wires. 

It's taken much longer to explain this tiny project than it takes to complete it honeys, it's so easy you'll be able to make a few in no time at all (depending on how many tiny humans would like one of them.)  I'm sure lots of little ones would love to have their own little lantern/treat bag to light their way and might even want to use it as a night light for Halloween too. 

How are your Halloween preparations going?  We still have some baking to do and the treat bags to make up.🎃   Thank you for keeping me company, are you taking part in Blogtober this year?  If so, please leave a link to your blog/Vlog and I'll pop over and say hello.💖🤗

Till next time dear ones, hugs always x

Why Halloween is my favourite holiday🎃

Hi Honeys, 

I'm getting the winter mehs already, I think. As the saying goes, my get up and go has got up and gone.  

It's October, I'm working happily, trying to complete Blogtober.  October is also, of course, the month of my favourite "holiday" (is Halloween a holiday?) so I should be happier than happy right now.  

I so look forward to Halloween every year.  At work we used to all dress up.  One of my favourite memories is the year I managed to convince a tiny human that I was actually a student at Hogwarts.😊 

What's not to love about Halloween? 🎃🎃 

A couple of years ago we started to decorate our tiny entryway by the front door and that's fun. We make up bags of treats for our little visitors, that's always fun.  Every year we spend weeks buying different sweets as well as tiny things like bottles of bubbles, balloons and plastic spiders.🕷  

Once the trick or treaters have collected their treat bags, hubby and I will usually watch a couple of favourite spooky movies (original Ghostbusters anybody?) or maybe we'll binge watch some favourite ghostly tv series with snacks. 

Halloween preparation begins... 🎃🎃  

Well, we took out the big box of decorations to decorate our tiny entryway at the front door and even that didn't cheer me up honeys. Still, this weekend we're going to make a start on making up the little treat bags and that always makes me smile, so, maybe that will help to chase away the mehs?  

Of course there's also some baking to do too, that always cheers me up.😊  There are gingerbread cookies to make, they're one of hubby's favourites.  If you'd like to make them too, you can find the recipe (and a free spooky printable to download) here honeys.  Enjoy.💖 Now that I have lots of lovely stevia products, I think there will be extra baking this year.  Something hubby and I will do together as always.  We have such fun together cooking.  I was truly blessed honeys, to marry my best friend.💖

Do you have any holiday traditions?  What's your favourite holiday? Have you started on your holiday prep?  

Till next time dear ones, stay warm and hugs always x

Happy October Honeys😊 Time For New Pumpkins🎃🎃🎃😊💖

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to promote any products or shops, just wanted to share our new pumpkins🎃💖😊

Hi Honeys,

Back for day eleven of Blogtober and today's post has been making me smile while editing photos for it.😊  Of course, I've also been working away while our furbaby Jade has been napping on the sofa next to me, all snuggled up next to me under her wee blanket.💖🐶💖

So, while Jade naps💖 I thought I'd share the latest additions to our (really small, but still treasured) collection of pumpkin things...

I'm sitting here smiling honeys, just because of these photos.😄  I can't help it.😍

First new pumpkin I spotted on a shopping haul video on YouTube and it's a double bonus because it's also a cookie jar!  I like cookie jars honeys.  A lot.😍  We have quite a collection of them.  So, having decided I'd like to add a few pumpkins to our autumn decor, adding a pumpkin cookie jar is perfect!💖

It's bigger than I thought it would be, which is great because it'll hold lots of Halloween themed cookies (my favourite holiday!)  It was also much less expensive than I thought it would have been too (another bonus) it was only £5.99 from Home Bargains.  

Home bargains is also where Hubby found this silicone muffin baking mould...  

I've spent the last few years building our collection of silicone kitchen items simply because they're such a joy to bake with.  I can't wait to make some lovely muffins that Hubby can take to work with him.💗  Maybe some of our favourite banana muffins (you can see them here honeys x) or some apple and cinnamon muffins.😋 Hubby loves anything with cinnamon, so happy hubby too.💖 

Next are these two bowls... yep.  I'm smiling again...😊

So cute!  The bowl on the left, with the face, I might use to hold treats on the coffee table in our living room.😍 The other bowl I loved on sight because I knew it would be the perfect companion to the pumpkin mug Hubby got me last year... 

My new favourite crockery honeys.😍  Hubby's only just gotten me these bowls (thank you sweetheart x) so I haven't used them yet but I'm already imagining my cereal in this beautiful bowl and my lemon water in the mug.💗 

So, those are the latest pumpkin additions to our kitchen.  Do you have pumpkins appearing in your home, honeys?  Maybe you already have a huge collection as a part of your autumn decor?  

Till next time dear ones, thank you for keeping me company.  It means more than I can say.💖 Hugs always x

Happy Halloween and a fun printable

Hi Honeys
I hope you're having a wonderful day and having fun preparing for the fun of Halloween tonight.  I had such fun yesterday making up little treat bags for tonight 😊

This hasn't been a great year so far dear ones, it started in January with a bad chest infection and I've been really struggling with my health all year since.  With the last few weeks taken up with trips to hospital and to see our Dr I really needed a smile and yesterday I got to spend a couple of hours smiling as I made up treat bags for tiny humans who'll be knocking on our door tonight.

I adore Halloween honeys.  We have a dress up weekend at work which is always fun.  Last year I managed to convince the sweetest wee boy that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry was a real school and this year I had a mini wand duel with another wee boy who proudly told me he was a Griffyndor and seemed amused that I was dressed in my Slytherin House uniform, "why aren't you a Griffyndor tho?" he asked me 😊

Halloween is absolutely the highlight of my Autumn each year and I so look forward to making up lots of treat bags for our visiting trick or treaters.  Each item included in the little treat bags is picked for smiles and fun. 

A Halloween Smile :)

Hi Honeys
I hope you're well and enjoying Halloween.  We've had lots of tiny humans trick or treating tonight, mostly tiny witches and vampires but also an adorable fairy as well as a little angel. Too adorable!

We spent Thursday afternoon making up lots of little treat bags for visiting trick or treaters, with sweets, lolly pops and Halloween balloons inside and if we still have a few left over tomorrow,  no doubt Hubby will take them into work in the morning and leave them in the break room for co-workers as he always does 😊

We had such fun over the weekend at work. We were all asked to dress up and on Friday I wore a dress with way too many petticoats, a "pillbox" hat with a veil, added my pearls and some bright red lipstick and I went all retro ❤

On Saturday I wore a head to toe Hogwarts school uniform including my gorgeous scarf,  a gift from my dear Hubby, bought when he attended Comic Con earlier this year (thank you sweetheart, I love it and you of course x)

 
In addition to my scarf, I wore black trousers, a white shirt, black v neck jumper, a House tie,  a Hogwarts student gown and a fabulous velvet witches hat, another gift from Hubby (thank you sweetheart x)  I also had a wand and, of course, a small cauldron 😊

As any Potter fan knows it's possible to be sorted into school houses (and, of course, to have virtual wands chose us) at Pottermore. I was sorted into Gryffindor House but you might have noticed that Hubby bought me a Slytherin scarf.

My Hogwarts uniform simply had to be Slytherin honeys, to honour our beloved Alan Rickman so sadly taken from us this year.  I owe my love of all things Potter to Mr Rickman since having lost my heart to him many, many (really many) years ago, I only went to see the first movie because he was in the cast.

Dear Mr Rickman brought the Head of Slytherin House, Professor Severus Snape, beautifully, heart breakingly to life.  So, you can see why dear ones, there was no option but for me to be a Slytherin House student for the day and oh my what fun it was!

I lost count of how many customers asked me "where's your owl?" or "where's your broomstick then?" to which I'd smile and occasionally wave my wand in their direction, to be met with grins all round 😊

Later in the afternoon an adorable wee boy, maybe around six or seven years old, was staring at me. After staring quietly for a minute or so he asked me why I was wearing a witches hat.  I told him I wasn't really wearing a witches hat because I'm not a witch yet, but that I attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry so I'm only learning to be a witch.  

He replied "no you don't!"

"Yes, I do" I said "why else would I be wearing a uniform?"

Silence for a minute or so and I continued chatting to the wee boy's Mum.

"If you really go to Hogwarts what are you doing here then?" asked the wee boy

"Well, have you ever seen older boys and girls helping to pack bags sometimes?" I said.  He nodded. "Well, if you're old enough they sometimes let you work a checkout too."

Silence again.  Again I chatted to his Mum and again this very smart wee boy mulled over what I'd said.

"If you really go to Hogwarts where's your animal?" He said.  "Everybody knows if you go to Hogwarts you get to have a pet.."

I reached into the little cauldron sitting by me at the checkout and lifted out my little frog and introduced him to my young interrogator.  "This is my friend, Theodore Arbuthnott the frog" I said.

"Why isn't he moving" he said.

"Oh, he only moves for me" I said "and everyone knows we're not allowed to do magic outside school.  It wouldn't do if a muggle were to see anything magical, would it?"

This darling wee boy looked at his Mum and said "Mum, I wanna go to Hogwarts!"

😊 I hope you've had a fabulous Halloween dear ones, till next time, smile lots and hug even more,
huggles always * xx

* If, like me, you're a Potter fan you'll know we take "always..." really seriously 😊😘

Halloween: Gruesome Gingerbread Cookies Recipe :)

Hi honeys
I hope you're well and staying warm. I'm writing this with the rain lashing against the windows of our living room and I'm happy to be inside where it's cosy.  I thought today, since it's almost Halloween, I'd share my gingerbread cookies recipe :)

I posted this recipe a while ago (you can see it here) but I've created a cute Halloween version of the recipe as a printable download for you. I hope you like it, I had such fun making it :)