Kristen Wiig’s 2020 sketch will live on forever

Don’t forget about mom this holiday season. Saturday Night Live host Kristen Wiig highlighted what Christmas morning really looks like for some moms, in a sketch that went almost instantly viral when it aired in 2020 because it was so on point. In the sketch, Wiig gets woken up early by her kids, played by Kyle Mooney and Chloe Fineman. 

Her kids and husband begin revealing all of their gifts, and mom, well… she doesn’t have much.

Mooney sings about receiving a Nerf gun, Hulk hands, a drum set, and a telescope. Fineman gets a hat, a phone, and a copy of Catcher in the Rye. Wiig’s husband, played by Beck Bennett, gets a signed baseball bat, a laptop, and a tie. And mom gets a… robe.

The song continues with the family listing off more and more presents, including the piano from Big. Wiig thanks her family (rather unconvincingly) for the robe, which she suddenly notices was also on sale. 

While making breakfast, Wiig emerges from the kitchen with a dishrag over her hand letting her family know she burned herself. “It hurt pretty bad, but I didn’t even scream/because I keep the pain inside of me,” she raps.

When it looks like there might just be some extra presents for her after all, the kids and dad announce, “It’s presents for the dog!” The dog opens all of his gifts, which include a bone, treats, and, why yes, even his own robe. 

Once they’ve finished tearing through the stacks, the family squeezes onto the couch for a holiday selfie, in which Wiig looks like a wreck because she’s been up all night making Christmas magical for her family

As the sketch ends, an exhausted Wiig is sitting alone on the couch holding a glass of red wine. “Your mom does everything for your family,” says a voice-over. “This year get her more than one present. Moms like stuff, too.”

These witch books cast a seriously fun spell

There’s nothing that screams Halloween quite like witches. Of course, with all the famous witches we know and love (Samantha, Glenda, Sabrina—we’re assuming their names have to end in an “a”), it only makes sense to pull out our pointy hats and striped stockings this time of year. But we also know that little ones may not be into the ultra-scary. Halloween can bring up nerves your babes didn’t even know they had.

To have fun and overcome fears, there’s nothing better than books. And, when it comes to the best Halloween books for kids, witch books are some of our absolute favorites. There are some classics you’ll probably recognize, along with some new kiddo-approved characters. They all include absolutely loveable witches, especially those for the littlest kids. From silly rhyming books to darker (though still age-appropriate) fantasy, we’ve rounded up witch books for all kinds of little pumpkins. Which witch is your favorite?

For Little Kids


Room on the Broom is a witch book for kids

Room on the Broom

$7 BUY NOW

Sure, you’ve seen a witch and her cat fly together on a broom, but what about a frog, a bird and a dog, too? This popular story of a generous witch will likely result in some serious broom riding up and down your halls. Ages: 2–5


It's raining bats and frogs is a witch book for kids

It's Raining Bats and Frogs

$14 BUY NOW

The time has come for the annual Witch Parade, but the threat of rain will ruin the day. So a little witch named Delia saves the day, sorta. She changes the rain to cats and dogs, then to hats and clogs, and finally to bats and frogs. Find out how Delia finally saves the day and the parade in this sweet story. Ages: 2–5


Dorrie and the Blue Witch is a witch book for kids

Dorrie and the Blue Witch

$18 BUY NOW

“This is Dorrie. She is a witch. A little witch. Her hat is always on crooked and her socks never match.” So begins nearly every Dorrie book in the series of twenty that catalog the adventures of a curious little witch (and her cat Gink) who seems to always find herself saving the day. Author-illustrator Patricia Coombs’ detailed pencil drawings are as enchanting as Dorrie herself. The series started in 1962 and they are timeless as ever. Start with "Dorrie and the Blue Witch" and your little imps will relate to the kid that saves the day.


Ten Flying Brooms is a witch book for kids

Ten Flying Brooms

$5 BUY NOW

What’s a witch without her broom? This spooky-good counting book is perfect for kiddos learning to read and reinforces early readers with rhyming and beautiful illustrations. Ages: 3–5


Meg and Mog is a classic witch book for kids

Meg and Mog

$14 BUY NOW

The bold drawings and simple text of this classic book will have even your littlest witch squealing with joy. The 40th Anniversary edition was published in 2012 and it's still going strong! Ages: 3–5


Strega Nona is a classic witch book for kids

Strega Nona

$8 BUY NOW

While this witch isn’t circling the moon on her broom or cackling in the dead of night, Grandma Witch’s magic pasta pot has been bewitching kids since 1975. Ages: 3–7


Zip Zip on a Broom is a witch book for kids

Zip! Zoom! On a Broom

$17 BUY NOW

From the creator of the NY Times Best Picture Book "From Letter to Letter, " Terri Sloat, and acclaimed artist Rosaline Bonnette, this is a fantastic rhyming book to celebrate the witchy season. Join ten feisty witches and one adorable kitten as they travel from spooky castle to graveyard and beyond. Ages: 4–8.


The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches is a classic witch book for kids

The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches

$5 BUY NOW

Poor sweet little Wendy. She just wants to be like her sisters and cast spells and fly her broom. But no one will teach her. Turns out, she’s already got all the magical powers but needs a friend and Halloween magic to prove it. This vintage classic was first pubbed in 1978 and was reissued in 2000 with new illustrations. Ages: 4–8


Sweetest witch around is a witch book for kids

The Sweetest Witch Around

$9 BUY NOW

A charmer of a tale of a little witch whose fear of humans doesn’t outweigh her desire for candy is a super sweet Halloween read perfect for beginning readers. Ages: 4–8


Wee Witches' Halloween

$11 BUY NOW

A super cute group of little witches head out on their annual scaring spree, but things don’t go quite as planned. Find out what happens to this not-so-scary group on Halloween night, as told in rhyme. Ages: 4–8


The Widow's Broom

$31 BUY NOW

What happens if a witch falls into your garden and leaves her broom? The artwork alone will leave you spellbound and the surprise ending will delight the kids. Ages: 5-9

For Big Kids


The Witches is a banned children's book.

The Witches

$9 BUY NOW

We can’t swear your kiddos won’t start suspecting their teacher or the nice lady at the grocery store is a witch, but that’s half the fun of this Roald Dahl classic. Read this short-ish chapter book together as a semi-spooky bedtime story. Ages: 7–10.


The Worst Witch

$7 BUY NOW

This funny, cute series follows little Mildred Hubble and her magical misadventures at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. As you might have guessed, Mildred is not exactly the best at flying on her broomstick without crashing or doing her spells right. And she's also got a Draco Malfoy-like problem: the teacher's pet, Ethel. Your kids will enjoy cheering for Mildred throughout this seven-book series. It's a chapter book, but even younger kids can enjoy it as a read-aloud or read together. Recommended age: 5–10.


The Witches of Benevento Series

$14 BUY NOW

This illustrated chapter-book series is about a group of kids in the little Italian town called Benevento. Inspired by the belief that Benevento, Italy, has long been a gathering place for witches, the marvelously illustrated chapter books follow five cousins—Primo, Emilio, Maria Beppina, and Sergio—on their adventures in and around Benevento as they try to evade local witches. There are currently six books in the series, which can be read as stand-alones or in order. By John Bemelmans Marciano and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Ages: 7–10


The Gingerbread Witch

$11 BUY NOW

Alexandra Overy's clever “fractured fairy tales” type of witchscapade, is a witch book that's out now just in time for Halloween. Told from the point of view of the gingerbread-turned-human-daughter of the witch (Agatha, of course!) in Hansel and Gretel, Maud storms off after a fight with her mother. Upon her return, she discovers that her mother has been pushed into the oven by a couple of nasty witch hunters—Hansel and Gretel. This forces Maud into a quest to find a magical spellbook that will hopefully bring her mother back. Incredibly clever, this would make a delightful autumnal bedtime story to read together. Ages: 8–12.


The Witch's Boy

$7 BUY NOW

Tumble through the enchanted forest of this story, written for kids grades 4-6, featuring Ned, a surviving twin and son of a witch. Action-packed, this story is full of rich characters and serious adventure. You’ll get lost in the brambles along with Ned and the Bandit King’s daughter. Ages: 9–14


The Thirteen Witches Trilogy

$7 BUY NOW

Jodi Lynn Anderson's fantasy trilogy features a young girl as the heroine, Rosie. She is the caregiver to herself and her mother because a curse is stealing her mom’s memory. Rosie vows to break the curse but must face dark magic and dark things to triumph. Ages: 9–13 or even a little older.

All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

We’ve rounded up sweet Halloween crafts for kids guaranteed to give your little goblins thrills, not chills

Are frightening zombies, spooky spirits, and menacing mummies a little much for your little ones?  We’ve got 18 Halloween crafts for kids that are way sweeter than they are scary (just like these Halloween jokes). You’ll find smiling jack-o’-lanterns and googly-eyed bats that’ll leave you and your crafty little pumpkins cackling with glee. Go ahead and make a night of it with easy Halloween treats, kid-friendly ghost stories, and Halloween games (including minute to win it games)!

1. Halloween Castle Craft for Kids

This one is more of a time-consuming project, but what an exciting one! This could be a fun activity for the family or a big Halloween craft for kids, but either way, it’ll be amazing.

2. Painting Pumpkins with Apples

You can’t go wrong with these little pumpkin paintings! Your kiddos will have fun using something different (halved apples!) to paint with.

3. Toilet Paper Roll Mummy

This is a classic mummy craft that your kids will enjoy making! Switch it up by adding whatever type of eyes or string you’d like.

4. Candy Corn Nature Craft

Get out into nature before it’s too chilly and find some leaves to make this fun Halloween craft for kids. They will have a blast searching for their leaves outside and cutting and gluing their candy corn pieces. Use petals for the white section if you have some around.

Related: Cackle Like a Witch at These Printable Halloween Jokes

5. Bunny Pumpkin

This bunny pumpkin couldn’t be scary, but it is super adorable! This project might be good for young kids, but this is also a good craft to accessorize. Add eyelashes, a hat, or anything you’d like to make your bunny unique.

6. Ghost Jar Halloween Craft for Kids

These ghost jars will make an adorable glowing decoration for Halloween! Safety Tip: Use battery-operated votive candles to keep things safe. You can also use multi-colored string lights to make things more fun!

7. Painted Leaves

These painted leaves are super cute ways to let your kid be creative and it doesn’t require many materials! The best part? This Halloween craft for kids won’t consume too much of your time.

8. Ghost Painting Halloween Craft

Your kiddo will love trying out this ghost painting! They can paint any sort of accessories like hats, bows, or anything they’d like to give their ghost some personality.

Related: 27 Not Too Spooky Songs for Your Halloween Playlist

9. Macaron Pumpkins

Macaron Pumpkins are a cute Halloween craft for kids
Craft Box Girls

Nothing spooky here! This sweet pumpkin craft from Craft Box Girls transforms an ordinary craft gourd into a macaron with a little paint, glitter, felt, and glue. And let's be honest, it's a whole lot easier than making real macarons!

10. Batty Silhouette

a batty sillhoutte art project is an easy Halloween craft for kids
Mini Monets & Mommies

Explore the idea of silhouettes with this batty Halloween craft for kids. Your kid can create a vampire bat, using plain black construction paper. Fold the paper book-style, and draw half the bat starting at the center. Keeping the paper folded, cut the bat out. Unfold the paper to reveal the whole creature. Glue the silhouette to a painted paper sunset to complete the craft. Get the tutorial at Mini Monets and Mommies.

11. Crafty Bats

bat crafts are a fun Halloween craft for kids
Buggy & Buddy

These happy nocturnal creatures are the perfect Halloween decor for your bat cave. You might even have everything you need lying around the house, too! Fly over to the tutorial at Buggy and Buddy.

12. Not-So-Spooky Spiders

Paper plate spiders are a fun Halloween craft for kids
Living In Happy Place

Creepy crawlies don't need to be super scary. This paper plate spider has more crafty cuteness than venomous fright. Think of it as treat, and not a trick! Get the Halloween crafts instructions from Living In Happy Place.

Related: 23 Last-Minute Costumes You Can Totally Pull Off

13. Sugar Skull Skeleton Craft

Skeleton craft for Halloween
Gabby Cullen

This sweet skeleton is perfect for kids to display all the way through Dios de los Muertos! We love that there's a free printable template you can use and that kids can decorate however they see fit. Get the tutorial here

14. Handprint Spiders

Fun at Home with Kids

Let the kids lend a hand (or two) to create these adorable arachnids from Fun at Home with Kids. Make a new one every year to document growth!

15. Halloween Rock Magnets

Magnet rocks are a fun halloween craft for kids
This Heart of Mine

This rockin' craft from This Heart of Mine is perfect for hanging your little monsters' artwork on the fridge. 

16. Footprint Bunting

Mamma.Pappa.Bubba

Put your left (and right) foot in to create this adorable party decor from Mama.Papa.Bubba. From ghosts to cats, candy corn, and more, let the kids decorate each footprint as their favorite Halloween characters. 

Related: 12 Halloween Minute-to-Win-It Games For Kids

17. Glittery Jack-o-Lantern Mason Jars

Mason jar halloween craft for kids
Life is a Lullaby

We love how Life is a Lullaby transformed tiny mason jars into whimsical, shimmering jack-o-lanterns that double as candy holders and decor. The kids will love crafting their own toothy grins.  

18. Popsicle Stick Witch

a witch popsicle stick magnet is a fun Halloween craft for kids
This Girl's Life Blog

This googly-eyed witch from This Girl's Life Blog is wickedly cute. Part of a collection of magnets that includes a festive scarecrow and pumpkin, it's the perfect Halloween craft for the spooky season.

 

 

 

You can stash a lot of candy back there

You’ve landed on your pumpkin carving design, bookmarked the easy Halloween treats you’ll whip up, and stocked the kids’ shelves with the appropriate Halloween books. All that’s left is deciding if you’re doing a Trunk or Treat instead of going door to door this year. If you do opt to go the Trunk or Treat route, you’re going to want to stand out with one of the best themes around. Whether you’ve got time to be crafty or you’re scrambling to decorate your car at the last minute, we’ve got the best trunk-or-treat ideas from super simple to frightfully fantastic. Feeling extra inspired? Entertain your pint-sized visitors with some cackle-inducing Halloween jokes and kid-friendly ghost stories.

Click here and save this list for years to come on Pinterest.

Willy Wonka’s Factory

Nobody knows candy like Willy Wonka, and with the new prequel about the candymaker’s life coming out this year, this Golden Ticket-themed trunk-or-treat is perfect for a sweet set up.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Trunk-or-Treat

Peanuts for peanuts! This trunk-or-treat idea uses dollar store props and well-crafted cutouts to create a low-budget Halloween scene—Linus sitting in wait for the Great Pumpkin. This clever Charlie Brown comic strip scene used plastic pumpkins, burlap to line the trunk, some fall fabric placemats and faux leaves plus a poster board Linus and a welcome sign. Head to Lynlee’s for all the details.

Disney-Themed Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Everyone loves Disney-themed trunk-or-treat ideas! This fun Peter Pan version has us looking for our pixie dust.

Happy Camper

If you like to camp, then this trunk-or-treat idea will be a breeze to set up. The bonfire is especially cute!

Dead of the Dead

Day of the Dead trunk-or-treat ideas
Deonna Wade

How colorful is this Day of the Dead trunk-or-treat theme? With a few paper garlands, blankets, pumpkins, and a sugar skull or two, you can easily pull this off. Get all the details over at Deonna Wade

Party City Trunk-or-Treat Kits

Nightmare Before Christmas trunk or treat idea from party city
Party City

If you want to go big but want to find all the supplies in one spot, check out Party City's Themed Trunk or Treat Kits. You'll find The Nightmare Before Christmas, Super Mario Bros., and classic Halloween kits, and they all include balloons, serving bowls, streamers, and more!

Related: DIY Halloween Decorations to Deck Your Haunted Halls

Practically Perfect in Every Way

trunk-or-treat ideas
An Alli Event

We love this detailed Mary Poppins trunk-or-treat idea, spotted over at An Alli Event. The faux fireplace adds the perfect chimney sweep touch, and with costumes like these and a few props, you too will be ready for any event. A spoonful of sugar optional!

Harry Potter Trunk or Treat Theme

Harry Potter is always a favorite trunk-or-treat theme, and this incredible set up will inspire you for your own this Halloween. If your kids are fans, borrow all their dress-up accessories and then collect other tidbits to make a magical setting.

Gumball Machine

An Alli Event

This DIY gumball machine trunk or treat idea is one we can chew on. We love that it coordinates with an easy apron costume and that it doesn't take much more than fabric, paper, and puff balls. Take a closer look here.

Spooky Graveyard

a graveyard is an easy trunk or treat idea
Gabby Cullen

If you love Halloween decorations, just use what you already own to create a spooky graveyard! Tombstones, giant spiders, candles, skulls, and cobwebs. Go bigger with a full skeleton or a fog machine. 

Related: 53 Halloween Jokes for Kids That Are More Silly Than Scary

Minions

trunk-or-treat ideas
An Alli Event

Here's one of those easy trunk-or-treat ideas that will pop! Fill the car with yellow helium balloons accessorized as minions, and you'll be all set with a despicable display. You could also use blue balloons for an aquatic bubbly underwater scene or multicolored ones as gumballs.

Bat Cave

trunk-or-treat ideas
Tikiddo

A cave is the perfect Halloween backdrop whether you're a monster, ghoul, or bat. The stalagmites and stalactites for this bat cavern are made from styrofoam attached to the open trunk with paper bats hung on a string or attached with toothpicks into the foam. Head to Tikkido for the details.

Cookie Monster

For the Love of Felt

A great Cookie Monster trunk-or-treat theme just requires the right color blue. This version from Love of Felt uses a wooden frame, a black fabric mouth, brown felt cookies, and poster board eyes. You can also have the open trunk as the mouth, blue fabric stretched in place, styrofoam balls for eyes, and cookies made out of cardboard.

Make sure to capture all the spooky fun—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.

All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our editors.

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

Dear Day Camp, Hi. I want to say right off the bat that we are cool. I like and need you. Because you take my complicated, sensitive kid every day, and then she comes home later, and she did things, and she was safe and happy. You must be doing something right.

But I have a request. Please, please be a true partner to working parents and stop with the crazy hat days. Or, more realistically, go crazy with crazy hat days and any other silly accessories—I’ll even donate that questionable furry purple stole thing that keeps falling on me when I try to get stuff out of the top of my closet—but please don’t make it another to-do for me.

Because no matter how many e-mail reminders you send during the days leading up to these cute spirit activities, it is a mathematical certainty that some of us just won’t be able to get it done and our children will be left out, wondering why their parents overlooked them. For all the articles about the invisible mental load, this one is not invisible at all, and it needs to be addressed.

Crazy hat day is “hey, let’s see if moms can handle another thing” day. Well, today I couldn’t. And I don’t need to see the sad photos to know that many other moms (and dads) couldn’t, either.

Today wasn’t a surprise. I knew crazy hat day was today. At least three days ago, I saw the e-mail pop up as I was responding to the latest midday text from a caregiver in between meetings at work, asking about someone’s eczema cream or where the velcro shoes were. I knew somewhere in my brain that my 5-year-old would go to camp today, and if she didn’t have a crazy hat packed in her bag, she would arrive and feel slighted and left out when all the other kids produced their lovingly packed crazy hats. And I still couldn’t get it done.

Not because I didn’t want to. But because my brain, and my partner’s brain, simply ran out of RAM to keep it on the to-do list. Or maybe we simply ran out of time. As two practicing attorneys with two children, every single day is an exercise in triage, all day, at work and at home. It is difficult to even find the time to register for camp—which we rely on as a critical piece of our childcare in the summer months.

And then to get the health records in. And label the clothes. And find a way to ensure that no one goes into camp without sunblock on. None of these tasks, individually, seems too daunting. But for parents who work literally around the clock, they are collectively oppressive. We get them done (just barely and only because my husband is aces) because if you want camp, you get the vaccine records in—that is non-negotiable for safety. No issue there.

But what about all the extra stuff. Why is that on me/us? (I am lucky, I think, that my partner even feels responsible for these extra assignments—I suspect most mothers are on their own. There’s definitely data on that.)

The point is, we pay good money to have our children loved and safely cared for during the day. And then we do all the things to make sure they can attend. And then we set up the system for the various supplies and accouterments to go with them in the camp routine and for someone to be home when they get off the bus and all that jazz.

Is it too much to ask not to be handed nearly daily extra assignments that are ultimately just more opportunities for us to drop the ball? Because we will. I will.

Sure, I could have spent some of the two whole hours I had free on Sunday locating or shopping for a “crazy” hat. But those are the only two hours I had to actually spend time with my babies whom I love and try hard not to disappoint when I can avoid it. I chose to use that time to bathe them, make them terrible grilled cheese (you use butter on the inside and outside, right?), and do bedtime with them—which is only even an option for me two days per week.

However, in choosing to spend the time that way, I was also, subconsciously, making a choice to screw my kid at camp today. And that just sucks.

Unfortunately, disappointing my children is part and parcel of my existence as a working mother. I often have to do other things when they want (and need) my attention and love. Work things. Things that are necessary for our livelihood.

But it doesn’t make sense that I am paying others to manufacture more opportunities for disappointments. I have gotten very good at letting my children down all on my own—and for free. I want—no, I need—the others in the village I have constructed to help me rear my children to minimize those opportunities for sadness and let-downs, not add to them.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not down on camp. I loved it as a child, and I get why they do all these fun spirit things. My kids are enjoying their experiences at camp, and I am sincerely grateful for the peace of mind it affords me to know that my kids are safe and happy when I cannot be with them because we have a mortgage.

But few things are as crushing to a mother, who is killing herself to pay the bills and also find some time to actually sit with her children and love them in person, as seeing a photo of her daughter watching quietly from the side while the other kids revel in front of the camera with their crazy hats.

When I saw it posted on social media, I wanted to run out of my office and drive to camp and hug her and explain to her that she isn’t an oversight. That I don’t not care about sending her to camp with the right stuff. I care so much.

Please, camp. Help me not fail at this one. I’m not asking you to cancel crazy hat day or whatever other crazy days are coming up that require supplies. It looks like great fun for the kids whose mothers (and fathers) managed to get it together.

But I am asking you to understand that I got home after 1 a.m. last night, and I didn’t see my children this morning, either. And under the current setup, I simply don’t stand a chance.

My household cannot take on any more things, and we need you to be a real partner in our children’s happiness, not working against us (knowingly or not).

And if that means we pay a little more for camp and you take that cash and send out a counselor to buy whatever colored shirts or armbands you need to stick in a closet somewhere so that I never have to see that look on my daughter’s face in a camp photo again, I will gladly do so.

I’ll make the same plea to my kids’ teachers in September, too. I’m happy to contribute extra up front—I hereby authorize you to spend all of it on trips and party snacks to avoid breaking my child’s soul and my heart at 2 p.m. on a random Tuesday.

Also, while I’m focused on this. Please put me down now for all of the 8:15 p.m. parent-teacher conference slots and know that Grandma is coming to all the parties at 11:15 a.m. Sounds funny but she’s really coming to all of those. I may not even meet you this year. And not because I don’t want to.

💔

The full version of this post was originally published on @mamasaidf.

Sara is an attorney and mother of two (plus one shorthair) in New York.

There’s nothing left-handers can’t master

Spiral notebooks, scissors, keyboards. Just a few of the “tools” you’ve mastered twice as well as any right-hander. Being a lefty is something to be proud of: did you know that according to MENSA 20% of all geniuses are left-handed? So, for International Left-Handed Day, celebrate the southpaws in your life, and enjoy these hilarious left-handed memes. If you’re looking for more laughs, check out our mom memes, our Halloween parenting memes, and potty training memes.

1. Stupid scissors.

left handed meme

2. Because being left-handed is totally right. 
left handed meme

3. Funny, but true.

left handed meme 3

 

4. No one believes you.
lefties meme left handed meme

 

5. Your parents kept putting your pencil/spoon/baseball bat in your other hand. 
left handed meme kid

 

6. Because you rejoiced when you discovered stores like this really do exist. 
leftorium

 

7. If you had a nickel…
Screen Shot 2015-07-27 at 6.01.37 PM

 

8. I can wave with my left hand, too! 

left handed meme scale

9. ‘Nuf said. 

 

bear
10. Sigh. 

leftie meme two

 

11. Because you still have to “special order” what you need at the office. 

 

Screen Shot 2015-07-27 at 6.01.59 PM

 

12. Awww, yeah! 
keep-left-slide

 

 

 

A spooky house has never looked so delicious

The seasonal Trader Joe’s Halloween Haunted House Cookie Kit has arrived! The ultra-popular treat has returned just in time for the spooky season and is the perfect tradition. The fan fave has been around for several years and is as tasty as it is cute. Why wait until Christmas when you can build your own cookie house for Halloween?

Related: Fall & Halloween Products Have Arrived at Trader Joe’s

Tinybeans

The $7.99 kit comes with everything you need to make a spooky and chocolatey haunted house. The box contains seven chocolate cookies to form the house, pre-made black and orange icing, and tons of candy goodies in fun shapes like bones and bats. Good luck constructing your house before eating it!

The box contains some brief instructions on assembling the house, but after that, it’s up to you to make your house as creepy crawly as you want it! You can probably find the kit on an end cap with Joe-Joes or some other Halloween-themed treats from Trader Joe’s.

Want to kick it up a notch? We love the creative take from @paperstreetparlour, who uses royal icing to completely transform this kit into an uber-spooky (and fancy) house!

Related: Pumpkin Products Have Arrived at Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Halloween haunted house cookie kit is perfect for people who don’t love gingerbread—and also for any of us who just can’t wait to get in the festive Halloween spirit!

While you’re at your local market, be sure to check out all the fall products, including tons of pumpkin goodies. Before heading in, be sure to check out all the amazing spooky plants hanging out in the garden department, like skeleton yogis and air plant ghouls!

While you’re still expecting, you often get caught up in the daydream of “What will they be like.” You imagine your child’s favorite ice cream flavor, you consider a potential career, what they will like to read and watch, and spend some happy moments transporting yourself into an imagined future. 

With our kids, we had an ongoing debate as to which sport they might like and whether we should sign them up for several at a time, just to see which they are best at—never did it occur to us that our kids might not be the sporty types and that we would have to make some effort when it came to getting them hooked. Here’s how we did it.

1. Don’t Be a Couch Potato 
Leading by example is that one parenting principle we all wish didn’t exist sometimes. However, it does really work, and it also helps us parents become better humans. 

When it came to sports, we had the advantage of being athletic ourselves. Both of us used to play a lot of sports as kids, and we managed to hold on to some of these interests. I still run, and my husband still enjoys both flag football and the occasional game of basketball. 

When the kids were old enough, we started playing soccer, catch, tag, and every other sporting game we could think of. This has helped make sport a fun part of their daily lives, rather than just another chore. 

2. Let Them Show Interest 
Once you’ve exposed your kids to all kinds of different sports (and hopefully, their school has also played an important role in this process), let them make their own choice. Don’t sign them up for a sport they don’t like, even if they might have the physical aptitude for it. If they have to do something they don’t enjoy, they are not likely to stick with it. 

You can, however, encourage them. Maybe take them to a game or a practice to see how they feel about it. If their answer is no, move on and keep looking. 

3. Equip Them Well 
It also helps if kids have access to the equipment they need. I’m not advocating that you get them every bat, ball, glove, and shoe imaginable—just that you do invest in items for the sport they’ve shown interest in. 

In our case, this was baseball, so we had to find the right baseball bat in the middle of the pandemic. As a complete baseball noob, I had no idea how technical it could get. All I’ll say is, make sure to get your child the right size bat. I made the grave mistake of getting a bat that was too large, and it messed with my son’s swing to no end. 

Having a specific sporting uniform will also help them feel more important and like they are doing something super cool. And it doesn’t even have to be a full-fledged jersey (at least we never went for that). A set of shorts and a t-shirt they only wear to play the sport will do just fine. 

4. Don’t Get Too Competitive 
Naturally, we want our kids to excel at everything they do. However, when it comes to sports, we will need to learn how to deal with losses and poor performance too. 

Never get too competitive, and never discourage your child when they don’t score or have a particularly bad game. Remember that the whole point of sports is getting some physical activity (so desperately needed by our kids) and learning a bit about winning and losing. It’s meant to be a fun and healthy way to spend time. Don’t become one of those soccer parents who care more about winning than children’s wellbeing. 

5. Be Flexible 
Finally, allow your child to change their mind, join several teams at the same time, or take a break from organized sporting activities altogether. They will have varied attention spans at different times, and as they get older, they will also develop different interests.

As long as they get plenty of exercise on a daily basis, they don’t need to join a team at all. You can let them loose in the park or on a sporting field and let them play with their friends. 

Don’t be discouraged if your child is not interested in sports at all, either. Not all of us will be, and it’s perfectly okay to prefer different activities. All you do have to do is encourage physical activity—it doesn’t have to involve a set of rules. 

Getting the kids hooked on sports can be a bit of a challenge, especially when video games are so much fun these days. But with just a little bit of effort, you can nurture a passion and an interest that they will enjoy for years to come.

Holly Schaeffer is a long-time writer focusing on health, lifest‌yle, and home improvement. Originally from New Jersey, she moved to California to pursue a degree in creative writing. She now spends her days split between writing and raising her two young sons.

Halloween is the time of year when we can bust out all of our creativity and that goes for school lunches as well. Up your bento box game with these easy-to-pull-off pumpkin oranges, mummy cheese balls, watermelon bats and hot dog fingers. We’ve got all the ideas here, and scroll to the bottom to find all the gear you can order from Amazon to make these Halloween lunches over the top! Don’t forget to drop in a Halloween lunchbox joke while you’re at it.

Halloween Creepy Critters

Hot Dog Fingers

Mummy Sandwich

The Soccer Mom Blog

We love this idea from The Soccer Mom Blog that takes your standard circle-cut sandwich and turns it into a mummy! 

Vampire Teeth

Spiderweb Quesadilla

 

Allergy-Friendly with Ghost Chips

Baby Foodie

Baby Foodie brings us this fun (and easy) bento box that has allergy-friendly items like ghost chips from Trader Joe's. 

 

Watermelon Bats

Skeleton Cookies

Ghost Pizza

Frankenstein's Monster

All the Eyeballs

Everything You Need to Up Your Bento Box Game

Turn an everyday sandwich into something more with some cookie cutters and sandwich cutters. We especially like: 

Kids love to play with their food and we love these options to encourage that (within reason, right?): 

Or better yet, make it easy for yourself and grab this kit that has everything you'll need

 

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Printable Lunchbox Jokes to Brighten Your Student’s Day

 

How do you improve the traditional gingerbread house? Make it haunted, for one, then swap the gingerbread for OREOs! If you’re sold on this idea, you can buy a kit now at Michaels just in time for Halloween festivities.

This festive OREO Spooky Graveyard Chocolate Cookie Kit comes with prebaked chocolate cookies and premade icing, so creating your scene is a snap. Of course, it also includes plenty of OREOs in regular and mini form, plus orange and purple candy jewels and bats for decorating.

You can write your own haunted messages on the included tombstones and add plenty of flair to the attached haunted house. There’s even a skeleton and jack o lantern included on the packaging to cut out for added décor! The kit is currently on sale for only $10 at Michaels, so add it to your cart today.

––Sarah Shebek

Feature photo courtesy of Michaels

 

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Target’s Hyde & Eek Cookie Kits Are the Perfect Spooky Sweets