7 Beautifully Decorated Halloween Mantels

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With the first day of October right around the corner, you can officially pull the halloween decorations out of the attic without friends and family looking at you like you're crazy. Truth be told, I would've already decorated my house...halloween is one of my most favorite holidays. But, kids. And school. And responsibilities.

When thinking of what I'd like to do with this year's mantel decorations, of course I turned to Pinterest. I figured if I was looking maybe some of you are, too. Here are seven of my most favorite on the web.

Stripes and polkadots, oh my! This super cute mantel from landeeseelandeedo is perfection.

This mantel from Apartment Therapy is simple, yet spooky cute!

I love the unexpected pops of non-traditional colors to Halloween in this mantel from Make & Do Studio. 

Are you a fan of Hocus Pocus? This glam halloween mantel from Hey Let's Make Stuff is just magical!

WOW! This mantel from thedecoratedhouse would be beautiful naked, but all dressed up for halloween, it's even more stunning.

Looking for something more cute than creepy? Lay Baby Lay came up with the cutest ideas!

Give me all the rainbows! This mantel, on Domino, might be my favorite mantel thus far. SO. Much. Color.

Which of these is your favorite? Have you already started decorating for halloween?? Show me your mantel!

5 Frightfully Cute Ideas To BOO Your Neighbors

In 2009, we were told by the US Army to report to Fort Campbell, KY. We arrived to Gandy Court in July of that year, and quickly made friends with our new neighbors. What we weren't prepared for was the fun, annual traditions that would come from living there for three years. The first of many was getting BOO'ed by our neighbors. Have you ever been BOO'ed?? 

We were sitting at the table enjoying dinner, and we had a knock at the door. When we opened the door, no one was there. But, on our front porch was a basket full of FUN Halloween goodies! Every year that we were there, we were BOO'ed by our neighbors. And, we joined in and began BOO'ing our neighbors, too. 

What keeps one house from being BOO'ed more than once? When you get a spooky, but FUN package on your doorstep, you put a sign on your door. This way the fun can spread throughout the neighborhood, and no one gets BOO'ed twice. Fun, right?!?

I've gathered a few FRIGHTFULLY cute ideas for you. These will give you some helpful tips on what to put in your BOO basket.  But, you can put whatever you'd like in it. Make it fun. Gear it towards the family you're BOO'ing. 

This idea from Eighteen25 is genius! I never thought to add a balloon to your basket, so the unsuspecting recipients see it when they look out the peephole. BOO!

This BOO basket is geared towards the kids in the neighboring family. Grab some stickers, a juice cup, and some silly straws, and you're all set!

The idea of a cone-shaped "basket" is unique. You could hang this on the door for the neighbor to come home to after work. Sometimes people need a nice surprise after a hard days work.

If you don't have a basket, you can use a colored paper bag. Add some scrap paper, buttons for eyes and draw on a few details. The cutest, spookiest BOO gift of all!

Are you crafty? Grab some scrapbooking paper, ruffled ribbon, make a small sign for the front, and you've got yourself the cutest BOO basket on the block!

Have you ever been BOO'ed? Do you BOO your neighbors? Tell me in the comments what you like to put in the baskets you give. What's been the most favorite item(s) you've been given in your BOO basket?

A Day at Disney and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in Photos

Disclaimer: We received complimentary tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. All opinions are my own. 

Last weekend my children and I had the absolute privilege of going to Walt Disney World Resort for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom park. It will never, not ever, get old driving under that arch that reads, "Where Dreams Come True."

This post is where I will show you a bunch of my favorite photos from the day. But, there will be many more to come in future posts. There will not be any captions or explanations, I want to see Walt Disney World just as we saw it that day, MAGICAL! 

Halloween 2014

With every passing Halloween my kids get a little more chill with their costumes. This year Jake didn't dress up at all, Jonah wore his football pads and helmet, Jett wore a Zombie Doctor costume that we found at the children's consignment store yesterday, McKinley was Elsa {of course!} and Mabry wore a hand-me-down leopard costume from her cousin. Each year I have high hopes of dressing as a themed family...and maybe when life slows down my dream will come true. {Although, I mentioned to Hubs yesterday that we have just the right amount of people in our family to dress-up as The Seven Dwarfs and his response was, "McKinley has always wanted to be a dwarf." **insert LOTS of sarcasm** So, maybe I'll never have that dream come true, after all.}

I'm kind of okay with Halloween just coming together the way it does. My kids all have fun trick-or-treating for candy, we have family and neighbors over for chili {it's become a tradition} and we sit and enjoy the evening while the kids play. Last night was no exception. It was fun.

Before the sun set I snapped these few photos. My kids and my niece and nephew. All cuties!




{my sister-in-law and her family}












{with some friends}





How was your Halloween? What did your little goblins dress up as??

5 Reasons You Must Go To Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Disclaimer: I received two complimentary tickets to attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in Walt Disney World. I was not asked to write this post nor was I given the words to say. All opinions are my own.

{Photo credit, Disney}

In my family we have a HUGE love for Disney. Some might call it obsessive, we like to call it...obsessed. Okay, we're completely fine with loving all things Disney. No shame in our game.

Before five kids we went to every theme park multiple times a year. We were Season Pass Holders. We even went to the special events! Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of our most favorite events of year at the Magic Kingdom! I'm going to share 5 reasons why you MUST go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party {MNSSHP} THIS YEAR!

1. The Park is "Dressed to the Nines" - I love going to the Magic Kingdom ANY time of year but, I especially love the park when it's decorated for a holiday. Fall/Halloween is right on the top of my list of my favorite decorated time! The window fronts are made festive, the flags on the buildings are color coordinating, there are pumpkins and scarecrows galore! And did I mention the lights? As soon as I step foot onto Main St, USA I become a kid again. EVERY. TIME.

{Thank you, shellybellyfoster for these photos!}

2. Ride more rides! - While not every ride/attraction is open during the party, there are a BUNCH of rides/attractions open and ready for you to jump on to. Because the park sells a limited number of tickets to the party, the attendance is lower than it is during the day thus, the lines may be much shorter. {sometimes, not always...if you go on October 31 it's going to be busy but, still FUN!}

Ever wondered if your 5-year-old would love Space Mountain? Look at the smile on this girl's face! As soon as we got to the park we walked straight to Tomorrowland and right on Space Mountain. Our wait was less than 15 minutes.

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Twice, y'all. TWICE she got me on those Tea Cups. #MNSSHP #sponsored

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Next stop, Mad Tea Party! Better known as the Tea Cups. AKA, I-never-ride-this-ride-because-just-watching-them-go-round-and-round-makes-me-sick. McKinley LOVED the Tea Cups. That cute little face coaxed me on TWICE!

I made the comment on Instagram that if anyone saw me looking a bit green it was all because of my little girl!

{Tea Cup photos and selfies are the best! Even if the ride isn't your favorite, the pictures will be!}

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin was another favorite. And, again we rode twice. We got off and jumped right back on. {I don't remember a time that I went to the Magic Kingdom and rode so many rides all in one day}

Since the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train first opened in May 2014, I have dreamed of feeling the wind in my hair as I raced through the Mine to work with those seven little men. My dream came true on October 2!! McKinley and I hopped into our mine car and rode into the sunset...er, into the mine...and up and down the track so fast! Her little arms raised the entire ride, I can't even handle the cute! {Best part? We hopped off and RIGHT.BACK.ON!}

We also rode The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Prince Charming Regal Carousel. We stood in line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh but, there seemed to have been a Honey Spill so we weren't able to ride at that time. Goodness, I love Disney and their wit.

3. The Treats - In numerous locations around the Magic Kingdom you will find Cast Members waiting eagerly to fill your {provided} trick-or-treat bag full of treats! You are welcome to bring in your own treat bag...and it might be a great idea since you'll be leaving the park with a TON of candy! Second to the rides, looking for candy locations was McKinley's favorite!

The Halloween Party is also a great time to get special treats that are only made during the season. Like, a Spiced Pumpkin Waffle Sundae {at Sleepy Hollow}, Ghost Cupcakes {at Gaston's Tavern}, Candy Corn Soft-serve Ice Cream {at Storybook Treats}, Candy Corn Cotton Candy {at outdoor carts} or Specialty Cupcakes and Cookies {at Main Street Bakery}.

4. See Creative Guest Costumes - If I would've had more time, I would've stopped to capture a photo of each and every guest that was wearing a creative costume. We saw a new mom dressed as Daisy Duck. She was holding a teeny Donald Duck {her newborn son!}. The were quite a few Mouseketeers, FROZEN families galore, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and many, many more! Here's only a sample of the creative guests we encountered.

 

How cute is this family all dressed as the Seven Dwarfs?!

It's the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his Dance-inator {said in my most evil voice}! His son was dressed as Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb.

These two {or were there four....buwahahaha} were maybe my favorite of the night. Dressed as Haunted Mansion Ghosts, and well done!

5. The Parade and Fireworks - The "Boo to You" Halloween Parade is a special parade that only makes it's rounds on MNSSHP event nights. The Headless Horseman kicks things off by riding though the streets, head in hand. When the parade makes it's way to where you're seated you're sure to see characters that you may not see everyday at the Magic Kingdom. We saw Wreck It Ralph, the Hyenas from Lion King, Haunted Mansion Ballroom Dancers, Villians GALORE!, Jack Sparrow....and many, many more! Tip: there are TWO parades. Stop and enjoy the second one. It's less crowded and your feet will be begging for a break around the time of the second showing anyway. Grab a snack, pop a squat and relax! The show is amazing!

Be sure to catch the Hallowishes Fireworks show, too. It's common knowledge that the very best place to view the fireworks is on Main St. However, you get a pretty good view of the show no matter where you are in the park. We happened to be in Frontierland when the fireworks started going off...and had a spectacular view. A 360 degree view, at that! They were popping all around us. It was breathtaking! Don't miss it!

There's so much more that goes on throughout the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Check your guide map for the times and locations for Celebrate the Magic, Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball and Club Villian {McKinley and I popped in to this dance party for a few minutes and saw Villians that you otherwise may not see; the Evil Stepsisters from Cinderella, Doctor Facilier from Princess and the Frog and Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmations.}. Also, look for Villians Mix and Mingle Live on Stage and Special Disney Character Appearances.

Bonus Tip: As long as the Magic Kingdom is NOT at maximum capacity, you may enter MNSSHP as early as 4:00PM!!!

Have you been to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party?? What is your favorite part? Do you have a tip to share? Let us know in the comments!