Karlie and Brina raked up a bunch of leaves to “stuff” the pumpkin!

What a difference a year makes…..so much has happened over the past few months it is hard to believe it is Halloween again!  I like to think that I have learned all the lessons I need to know by now but I find myself still trying to balance this thing called life.  At times I am torn between having fun with my family and getting things done on my never-ending and always-growing “to do” list (does anyone else struggle with this or is it just me?!).

Sometimes the best way to get things done is to have fun doing it with your family.  For example, you can make raking leaves a game by seeing who can stuff their “leaf pumpkin” the fullest or fastest!  You get to have fun with the family plus you get a few extra leaves off the yard all at the same time.

Last year it was much warmer for Halloween so the kids spent almost all their free time outside playing.  Only a few days ago we were wearing shorts and it was 80 degrees outside, but with the storm up north the wind has picked up, leaves are raining down on the yard, and there is an extra chill in the air.

Two little pumpkins for my sweet “pumpkins”!

They got these cute little pumpkins from a fall activity we did with a group of friends at a local farm.  Since these pumpkins were too small to carve we made delicious Pumpkin Dip and a small batch of Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds!

The girls made these easy “Banana Ghosts” to take in their school lunches!

It was cute hearing them giggle as they put together their little ghosts.  We took 1 banana, cut it in half, the girls put a dab of peanut butter (or soy butter) on it, adding raisins for the eyes, stuck a straw in the bottom and put them into bags for their school lunch.  The straw was a fun addition because the ghost would “move” (in slow circles) when they held it up which added to the excitement.  Sometimes it’s the simple things that you already have in your kitchen that bring the widest smiles!