Gift Lit is one of my favorite gift giving websites!  It allows you to give the wonderful gift of reading to men, women, kids and families by selecting a series of books that are then mailed to the recipient over the course of three, six or twelve months!  And from the experts at Gift Lit, here’s a well chosen list of age appropriate Halloween books for children!  I think that a Halloween gift of a perfectly scary book is a fabulous alternative to MORE candy!

Halloween Book Recommendations Selected and Described by Gift Lit

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Inspire lively activity with this delightful picture book starring a bossy ladybug who will engage youngsters in a frenetic face making frenzy. A terrific and not-so-scary Halloween book, Can You Make a Scary Face, is for ages 2 to 5. See more book recommendations for Ages 2-5 at Gift Lit.

Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee

This gentle, lyrical tale, of a young girl who dreams of flying, is beautifully matched with dreamy woodcut illustrations, creating a Halloween book that is pure magic. Only a Witch Can Fly is for ages 4 to 8. See more book recommendations for Ages 5-8 at Gift Lit.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

This clever and funny ghost-story makes an ideal Halloween tale, complete with a haunted Victorian mansion, a cat named Shadow, and an irritable ghost. A page turner for ages 8 to 12. See more book recommendations for Ages 8-10 at Gift Lit.

The Eyeball Collector by F E Higgins

This spine-tingling story starring the Eyeball Collector – a one-eyed con man who wants a different bejeweled fake eyeball for each day of the week – is deliciously nasty and perfect for readers with a taste for clever twists, engaging riddles, and macabre plots. For ages 10 to 14. See more book recommendations for Ages 10-12 at Gift Lit.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Not for the faint-hearted, this dark, gothic tale with frequent shocks, plagues of monsters, and a spattered miasma of blood and bone, might just be the best horror novel of the year. The Monstrumologist is for ages 13-17. See more book recommendations for Ages 12-14 at Gift Lit.

The Wild Things by Dave Eggers

Dave Eggers new book The Wild Things, based very loosely on the storybook by Maurice Sendak, is funny, dark and personal and shows us a very real Max who is capable of startling acts of wildness. An adult book recommended for teens over 14. See more book recommendations for Teens at Gift Lit.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben Winter

This hilarious and bizarre revision of the classic from Jane Austen is strangely entertaining and preserves the nuanced love story while overlaying rampaging sea monsters, unscrupulous rouges, and plenty of wit. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is an adult book recommended for both parents and teens over 14. For more ideas for 12 to 14 year olds, see Gift Lit’s Chilling Tales collection and general recommendations for 12 – 14 year olds!

For more fun ideas on Halloween parties, decorating and gifts, see Busy Bee’s Halloween Roundup:

I just can’t seem to shake my love for decorations with a vintage flair and Halloween is no exception!  Here are a few of the retro decorations that I found this fall!

Vintage Halloween Table Linens

From Gooseberry Patch, this 100% cotton tablecloth features jack o’lanterns wearing witch hats with a 1950’s vibe!

Retro Halloween Candles

Exclusively from Wisteria, pick up a set of four retro Halloween candles featuring two witches and two black cats!

Vintage Halloween Decoupaged Tin Buckets

From Plum Party, these hand crafted decoupage tin buckets are perfect for dispensing candy or serving snacks!  Two sizes are available (6” x 6” or 8” x 8”) and the designs are just adorable!

Have you spotted any fabulously vintage Halloween decorations?  I’d love to know!

See more ideas for Halloween:

At Busy Bee Lifestyle, you’ll find fun ideas for spooktackular Halloween parties, delicious Halloween treats and spine tingling Halloween gifts!  For lots of frightening fun take a look at:

Host a Wonderfully Haunted Halloween Party for Kids: Mummy Mayhem!

Mummy Mayhem – Halloween is a terrific time to entertain younger guests – and while there are lots of spooky characters to choose from like ghosts, vampires or witches, the allure of a mummy themed party was just too hard to resist!  Mummies can be so much fun without too much “scary” and so here goes! (More)

Add Some Fun with Halloween Stockings

Halloween Stockings – Just when I thought that I was done writing about Halloween, I remembered the fun Halloween stockings that I bought for my children last year at a Craft Fair!  When I found these adorable stockings, I knew they would be a great way to bestow some small Halloween treats in a decorative and reusable way. (More)

This Halloween Try Booing

This Halloween Try Booing – Can Halloween get any more fun for kids? The answer is a resounding YES, especially if your family decides to participate in the new Halloween trend, “Booing!”  Have you heard about “Booing?”  I was introduced to this fun new trend a few years ago, when my family found a treat filled bag on our front steps a week or so before Halloween.  Included with the treat was a short poem explaining the gift’s appearance, along with an “I’ve Been Booed” sign to hang on our front door, so that we weren’t “booed” twice! (More)

Halloween Gifts for Kids

Halloween Gifts for Kids – I know that the buckets of candy our kids gather on Halloween may seem like more than enough of a prize, but Halloween as a holiday keeps growing and growing, and as a result, there are so many fun new Halloween gifts in the marketplace that I just couldn’t pass them by! (More)

Halloween Night Buffet

Halloween Night Buffet – Every October 31^st brings the usual assortment of “trick or treaters” to our home, but in addition to the little ghosts and goblins, my house is also the traditional site of a Halloween buffet dinner for friends and family!  Despite the crazy chaos of Halloween night and trying to get the kids out the door, I prepare a simple, make ahead meal to share with the troops before they head out to collect their treats! (More)

Halloween Treats for School – Thinking Outside the “Candy” Box!

Halloween Treats for School – Last year, my son’s teacher banned school treats that listed “sugar”as the first ingredient. This forced me to come up with some creative party ideas!  Many children today also have allergies to various food ingredients such as peanuts.   Here are some of my favorite ideas for alternative Halloween treats for school. (More)

What to Do with all of that Halloween Candy!

What to Do with all of that Halloween Candy – Kids can’t wait and parents dread it:  that “monster” sized pile of candy lugged home after a busy night of trick or treating!  Collecting treats is clearly the highlight of the holiday and a parent’s effort to limit the consumption can be viewed as downright scary!  Here are some ideas to reduce the amount of candy brought into your home and to share what does come home! (More)

Why We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween

Why We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween – Crafting plump, round pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns is a Halloween staple in our corner of the world!  And a tradition that I’ve always viewed with trepidation – and who wouldn’t feel the same way?  Three small children, one large pumpkin and a giant sharp knife?  This combination would instill fear in the hearts of even the bravest souls – which is why the job has always fallen upon my kind hubby! (More)

Host a Halloween Cocktail Party

Host a Halloween Cocktail Party – Who ever said that Halloween was just for the kids? Not me, and in fact, I think that Halloween is a terrific time to entertain adults with a cocktail party with lots of clever touches! In looking over the fun decorations and invitations available for this type of event, I devised both formal and informal plans for your next Halloween celebration! Will you ask guests to dress in costume? I wouldn’t do it at my house, but I’ll leave that decision up to you! (More)

Halloween Gifts for Grownups!

Halloween Gifts for Grownups – The hype around Halloween is so focused on the kids – with candy, costumes and even gifts like those I’ve recommended on Busy Bee (Halloween Gifts for Kids)! But just so the Halloween “staff” doesn’t feel left out, take a look at the fabulous, hand painted glasses offered at Wrapables!  No matter what you’re favorite “poison,” there’s a glass for you!(More)

Halloween Candy for Grownups!

Halloween Candy for Grownups – Just in case you were convinced that Halloween candy was solely for the enjoyment of the little ones or if you happen to be the parent of those kids who guard their “candy stash” with their lives, here is the perfect solution!  Take a look at this terrific list and just say “no” to the usual Halloween haul! (More)

I hope this Halloween round up will bring you some fabulously frightening  fun!

Happy Halloween!

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Mummy Mayhem-

Host a Wonderfully Haunted Halloween Party for Your Kids!

Halloween is a terrific time to entertain younger guests – and while there are lots of spooky characters to choose from like ghosts, vampires or witches, the allure of a mummy themed party was just too hard to resist!  Mummies can be so much fun without too much “scary” and so here goes!

Invitations

From Fine Stationery:

Mummies reign supreme at this wonderful personalized invitation site!  Look for:

• A super cute mummy that’s wrapped with real gauze as the perfect finishing touch! (Mummy With Gauze, 10 for $54)
• Another mummy choice invites guests to “come get unraveled” with a fun orange, black and white card! (Mummy Invitation, 10 for $28.80)

DIY

Print your party information onto a 5” x 7” card and wrap it with gauze bandages from your local drug store before mailing!

Party Goods

• Simple Black and White – Simple black and white paper products will match this theme, especially if you add some napkins cut from cheesecloth!   (Check out Plum Party’s nice selection.)
• Midnight Dreary Coordinated Paper Goods – For some paper goods that add a more haunted touch, the Midnight Dreary Line from Costume Express will do the job (plates pictured at right)!  These paper products feature black and white skulls, crossbones and an ornate border! (10″ Dinner Plates, 9 oz. Paper Cups, Beverage Napkins)
• The Bone Collector – If you’d like to invest in some festive party ware that can be used from year to year, consider Target’s new line dubbed “The Bone Collector!”  This set includes a Serving tray, Spreaders, Platter and Small Dishes.

Decorations

• Personalized Yard Sign – Set the stage:  welcome guests with a personalized yard sign from Shindigz! (pictured at top)
• A Glittering Black Candelabra -  this well priced accessory will be the perfect centerpiece when displayed on a simple white table cloth! (Glitter Candelabra, Costume Express, $14.99, pictured at right)
• Shrouded Candle Holders from the pages of Martha Stewart – stretch a square of cheesecloth around clear glass cylinders or votives of different sizes and secure the edges with 3 or 4 black safety pins (from craft stores).  With children as guests, I’d use safety tea lights instead of real candles! (pictured at right)
• Wrapped Pumpkins – Wrap a pumpkin or two with gauze bandages; use glue dots to adhere the gauze, leaving a small space for some creepy eyes cut from a sheet of craft foam
• Hanging Strips of Gauze – Create a mood setting entrance with strips of gauze hung from the front door!

Activities

• Mummy Wrap – divide the children into teams of two and supply each team with a roll of toilet paper.  The first team to fully wrap one of its members in TP wins!
• A Gift from the Mummy – before the party, again using a roll of TP, tape a small toy to the end of the roll and continue taping prizes and adding them to the roll until it’s been completely rewrapped with the gifts inside.  During the party, gather the children in a circle and invite each one to wrap the roll around a body part (i.e. arm, leg, ankle, wrist and so on) until a prize is revealed.  The roll is then passed to the next guest and so on until all prizes have been given away!  (Family Fun)
• Mummy Pinata – from an adult perspective, this piñata borders on comical, but I am sure that the kids will love it! (Mummy Pinata, $12.99)

Menu

Hot Dog Mummies:  Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 can (11 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated bread sticks, 12 large hot dogs, cooking spray, ketchup and/or mustard

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Unroll dough and separate at perforations into 12 bread sticks.
• Cut each bread stick lengthwise and crosswise into 4 pieces for a total of 48 pieces of dough.
• Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog to resemble “bandages” stretching the dough slightly completely covering the hot dog and a small separation so that the hot dog shows through the dough for a face.
• Place wrapped hot dogs on an ungreased cookie sheets and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and hot dogs are hot.  With mustard, draw features on “face.”

Mummy Dessert – Here are a few fun mummy inspired treats!
Marshmallow Mummies:  Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 18 large marshmallows; 6 thin pretzel sticks (approx. 3”); 1 box chewy fruit roll up (any flavor); black cake decorating gel

How to:

• thread 3 marshmallows on each pretzel stick, making 6 bodies.
• Remove fruit snack rolls from the packaging, but don’t unroll.  With kitchen scissors cut each roll in half horizontally to make 12 rolls of long strips. Unroll and remove paper.
• Wrap 2 long strips around each “body” to resemble a mummy, leaving a small open spot for the face.  Add black gel icing dots to make eyes!

This would also make a fun party activity!  (Pillsbury.com)

Mummy Cupcakes Done 2 Ways

Using prebaked and frosted cupcakes, decorate the desserts in one of two clever ways:

• Funny Mummy:  cut two small slices into large marshmallows being careful to not cut all the way through.  In the bottom opening insert one brown M & M (mouth!) and in the upper opening insert two green TicTac’s.  (eyes!)  Garnish chocolate iced cupcakes with mummy heads!
• Gummy Mummy:  frost cupcakes with vanilla icing. Place two matching colored M & M’s on cupcakes as “eyes.” Cut small strips from a roll of green sour apple bubble gum tape and arrange multiple “bandage” strips across the tops of the cupcakes at slight angles leaving the eyes showing. (pictured)

Party Favors

Fill squares of cheesecloth with an assortment of the items below and tie off with a black ribbon!

• Halloween Growing Monsters – this fun toy is a coffin that kids submerge in water. A mummy grows and emerges from its resting place! (Halloween Growing Monsters, $19.95 per dozen)
• Gummy Mummies – this cute gummy candy mummy arrives packaged in its own plastic coffin! (Gummy Mummies, 16 for $24)
• Chocolate Mummy Lollipop – this is adorable and delicious! (Chocolate Mummy Lollipop, $1.50 each)
• Mummy Rummy – if you’d prefer to offer just one party favor instead of an assortment, consider giving each guest a game of Mummy Rummy!  Wrap each game in black wrapping paper and use a length of gauze as the ribbon! (Mummy Rummy, $7.99 each)
• Curse of the Mummy Blogspot – for lots of other mummy related toys, games, movies and costumes, head to a one stop shop:  Curse of the Mummy’s Blog!

Wrap it Up!  (No Pun Intended!)

After you’ve sent the young guests home with their “mummies,” pour yourself and your spouse a beverage in these Hand Painted Mummy Pilsner Glasses from Lolita!  Each glass features a unique drink recipe on the bottom!

Happy Halloween!

You may also enjoy:

• Halloween Stockings for Kids
• This Halloween Try “Booing!”
• A Halloween “Booing” Poem
• Let’s Talk About Halloween – Clever Halloween Costumes for Kid
• Hot Halloween Treats for School
• Alternative Halloween Treats for School
• Host a Halloween Cocktail Party
• Halloween Night Buffet
• Halloween Gifts for Grownups
• Halloween Candy for Grownups
• Why We Carve Pumpkins on Halloween

With Halloween looming just ahead, can we really come up with some new ideas for school treats?  The answer is definitely YES!  While it is easy to fill cellophane bags with the usual candies, there are a number of unique treats that will be well received by the little goblins, as well as their parents, whether you serve these in a classroom or at your own home!

Apple Slices with Caramel Dip

• At the grocery store, T. Marzetti brand caramel dip for apples is sold in small, individual sized containers.  Slice some apples and you’ll be all set!

Cookie Pizza

• Bake these delicious “pizzas” and decorate with the candy of the season, candy corn!  (See cookie pizza recipe.

Pumpkin Cake

• Bake a three dimensional pumpkin shaped cake using a pumpkin shaped Bundt mold! (Pumpkin Bundt Pan)

Clever Cupcakes

If you must bake, there are a number of cute ways to embellish the traditional cupcake!

• Skeletons created using white licorice candy for the body and a mini-marshmallow for the head are really cute!
• Create a spider web on top of your cupcake by frosting first with vanilla icing and then start in the center of the cupcake by piping a spiral shape with chocolate icing.  Use a toothpick to pull lines from the center of the spiral out to the edge to create the web!
• Turn ordinary cupcakes into spiders!  Frost cupcakes with chocolate icing, sprinkle with chocolate jimmies, add 8 small lengths of black shoestring licorice for legs and two mini-orange M & M’s for eyes!

Pudding

• Create individual “graveyards” by layering chocolate pudding and crushed oreos, in clear plastic cups, ending with a layer of crushed cookies.  Decorate the cup with a big dollop of Cool Whip to resemble a ghost and use mini chocolate chips for ghostly eyes.  Add small candy corn or candy pumpkins for extra appeal, if you’d like!

I hope that these ideas inspire you to try something new this Halloween!  And before you get cooking, check with your child’s teacher regarding food allergies in the class. (Just to be safe, I usually send the ingredient list into school with the treats.)   Also check if your child’s teacher bans snacks that list “sugar” as the first ingredient.  My son’s last teacher enforced this policy and forced me to come up with some creative party ideas!

Best witches for a spooktackular Halloween!

You may also enjoy:

• Halloween Stockings for Kids
• This Halloween Try “Booing!”
• A Halloween “Booing” Poem
• Let’s Talk About Halloween – Clever Halloween Costumes for Kid
• Hot Halloween Treats for School
• Alternative Halloween Treats for School
• Host a Halloween Cocktail Party
• Halloween Night Buffet
• Halloween Gifts for Grownups
• Halloween Candy for Grownups
• Why We Carve Pumpkins on Halloween

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