Halloween Spook-tacular!

So for the third year in a row, my husband and I have hosted our neighborhood's Halloween pumpkin carving party extravaganza. Every year it gets bigger and spookier and a little bit more ridiculous. I look forward to planning it all year long and have a list of ideas that is constantly growing. (Thank God for the web for tons of inspiration that I can beg, borrow and steal from.)

The party is a colossal undertaking that has me scouring the Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Store and Target daily. I try to get as much done ahead of time as possible, which leaves my poor husband walking around scratching his head as to why he is ducking cobwebs and giant rubber spiders when it's only September 30th. Although it's a lot of work, I absolutely love doing it. And I love the fact that we are creating years of fantastic memories for my own little goblin knowing that her house was THE house for halloween fun. Below are photos from last year's Halloween Spooktacular.

And finally the big night!

Tarting up the tots.

Right before the trick-or-treating frenzy began.

Cinderella and Mullet-Man on the hunt for candy.

October Days

I love love love October in Southern California. It's the kick off for all the fun of the holiday celebrations to come until the end of the year. Since we've had Abby, we've made it a tradition to take her to two very different pumpkin patches every year (if you do it two years in a row it's considered a tradition, right?) .

The first one is Tanaka Farms in Irvine, where Abby and cousin Kailey get all the small town fun of a working farm and pumpkin patch. The girls get to feed the goats and pet the lambs, ride an open air tram through the farm's luscious crop fields (which culminates in the very satisfying firing of a pumpkin cannon), get lost running through the "amazing maize maze" and finally end the trip by picking their own pumpkins right off the vine.

Kailey and Abby - 2008

Kailey and Abby - 2009

The Goat Whisperer

Abby's pick fresh from the patch.

The second one we visit is Pa's Pumpkin Patch in Long Beach, which is more of a county fair atmosphere; pony rides, bumper cars, merry-go-rounds, games, etc. Oh, and pumpkins, too! Definitely more "commercial" but the kids love it just as much - probably more, if I'm being honest. Both are great and really get us into the holiday spirit, reminding us that Halloween is just around the corner.

Our sweet little hobgoblin.

Pa's no-petting petting zoo.

My favorite two pumpkins.