Happy Halloween. P.S. I Love You

Happy Halloween, y'all!

Let me tell you Zander has been asking when this day will get here for WEEKS! No exaggeration!
Tonight we'll be going trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. We might even venture down the street to some of the other neighborhoods if Zander's walking feet don't get too tired. We revealed Zander's costume here. Ainsley will be Tinkerbell. (pics all over instagram!) I still haven't come up with a costume, so I guess I'll just be the mom. Boring. I'll try to do better next year.

Last year, Zander and I were pirates and Ainsley was our parrot. We were a big hit!

I made this!

 

Tutu Cute Bowtique

The Costumes This year:

So it is Friday, and I do have Blogger Love to share.

Linking up with Meagan at All the Joys

+ Christine at The So-Called Homemaker went all out for meatless Monday this week with Vegitarian Chili. Holy yum, batman this looks delicious. I'm a big fan of chili, but I'm a bigger fan of veggies. Especially veggies that can be hidden and make taste delicious... like chili. This one is going in the recipe book for sure!

+ Cassie from Sage shared some interesting Gluten Free Alternitives. My grandmother has celiac disease and when she was diagnosed there wasn't a lot of information about "gluten free" foods. In fact, there were many years where cakes and breads tasted horrible at her house because they were gluten free. I love seeing posts like Cassie's as a reminder that there's constantly more and more research being done about this sort of thing and there's so many alternatives to the foods you love!

+ Lindsay at Bourbon, Lipstick, & Stilettos won me over again this week with her Pumpkin Overnight Oats. I'm a huge fan of oats, but I've never tried it with pumpkin. Normally for me it's a little milk, a little cinnamon, some apple and sugar - BAM: oats! This looks just positively amazing! Plus it's filling so win-win, right?

+ Kerri from Hey Kerri posted a great tutorial on How to Create a Blog Button W/ a Grab Box. I'm not even going to lie. I had ZERO clue how to make one of these before Kerri posted this. I have been lucky enough to have Amanda help me with my blog design. This is something I definitely need to save for future reference!

There were a lot more, but of course if I posted them ALL you'd have the longest post in the world. Think something like that could get me into Ripley's? Ha. After you're done reading all of these lovely ladies' posts, be sure to head over to Amanda at Knock on Wood for her big announcement today!

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a great night. Whether you're trick or treating with the kids or staying in watching movies (Cabin in the Woods or The Great Pumpkin?). Have a great night! Stay safe!

Holiday Overload... Already!

OK... so we've all seen the Halloween decor start to show up in the stores already, right? The pumpkin flavor everything, the cinnamon scented brooms, witch hats, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about fall, and I especially LOVE everything about Christmas! (In case y'all forgot... my birthday is ON Christmas, and yes it rocks)
What I don't love is the fact decorations and advertising start so stinking early. Like, Halloween stuff started showing up in stores maybe a week after Zander started school.

Here's why:
// I have kids.

 More specifically: I have young kids. Kids have zero sense of time. Zero. So when Halloween and/or Christmas decorations start going up, the four year old starts begging to go trick or treating. Or, they start begging to see Santa Claus. I'm sorry y'all but I cannot make a paper chain for everything. We did one to count down to the first day of school, but I'm not about to spend a fortune on paper for chains. I already get bombed with advertisements on TV for the latest toy or gadget. And yes, Zander has already started the whole "Mommy! I have/need/want to have *fill in the blank with awesome new toy*" So as parents we usually play off with "well, maybe you need to ask Santa" for something that shows up after his birthday (and then write down the request to actually remember for "Santa"). I'm not sure if all kids have amazing memories like Zander, but this kids remembers everything. Especially if I told him "ask Santa for new ninja turtle slippers for Christmas". When he starts seeing signs of anything related to the holiday, well dangit obviously it's time to see Santa, Mommy! [face/palm]. I just can't handle it. Granted this is Ainsley's first year where she MIGHT actually get excited about something, but it's doubtful.

// One Holiday at a time, please!


Source

If it's Sept 17 and we haven't even gotten to Halloween, I do NOT want to see a single reindeer or stocking. And if you're wondering: yes, I have seen Christmas decor in September, especially at the malls. So to the marketing genius that thought people want to plan ahead and have to see Santa to remind them: you're wrong. I know Christmas is Dec 25. I know Halloween is Oct 31. They're on the same day every year. I don't need a reminder in my face three months ahead of time.

// I want to feel excited.

 Because of the above mentioned reason, I tend to feel less excited when it does get closer to the holiday it's supposed to be. I don't know if it's because I'm an adult or because the decor being out for too long. I feel like it's the decorations though. From October on, the holidays have always made me happy and excited. Now after seeing stuff out for ages it just feels like the excitement isn't there anymore. Maybe it's just me.

So what are we taking away from this today? I still love the holidays, I really do. Especially Christmas. Call me a grump or a scrooge all you want, I just ask that stores chill out with advertising and decorations. Please? Does anyone else feel the same way?