I've never been so happy to see a year come to a close. Without doubt, 2012 has been the hardest year of my life. I'm looking forward to starting fresh.
Here's to lucky 2013. See you on the other side.
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celebrate
Goodbye 2012
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Fun Halloween iPad and iPhone app
Last weekend, we were waiting in a cafe for breakfast in an area that's not really... family friendly. We'd gone prepared.
Hunter was playing on our iPad and Charlotte had my iPhone. Several tables away another family tried to cajole their son who was melting down while they waited for their breakfast.
Some local, hungover hispters staring at the poor mother with that look. You know the one that says "It's bad enough you reproduced. Please don't ruin our Sunday morning with your mistakes."
I looked over and smiled and she mouthed back, "I forgot my iPhone!"
It seems like iPad and iPhones are fast becoming the new security blankets.
I'm always on the lookout for new apps for my children and have two prerequisites when making my selections. They either have to be educational or well designed.
One of Hunter & Charlotte's favourites when they were younger was Peekaboo Barn. (Don't you love it?) The creators, Day & Night Studios have a great app, Peekaboo Trick or Treat, which is perfect for the Halloween holiday.
Cute Halloween creature pop onto the screen in a kooky haunted house. Your children hear and see words associated with Halloween and listen to a cute 4 year old narrator. (You can also opt for an adult narrator if you're concerned about pronunciation.) It's great fun!
Peekaboo Trick or Treat is available at the Halloween app store for $1.99
Full Disclosure: Day & Night Studios provided Peekaboo Trick or Treat for review. All opinions contained in this post are my own.
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From the archives: Halloween treat boxes
I'm dropping in quickly today to share a Halloween craft I made several years ago. They're treat boxes made from recycled milk cartons. You can find the full tutorial here.
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Halloween costumes for kids
If you're thinking of trick or treating next Wednesday but don't have the time (or inclination) to make a costume, here's some inspiration for items that are just a click away.
:: Oeuf cat hat :: Halloween cupcake kit :: Stella McCartney Kids giggle all in one pyjamas :: Rykiel Enfant Girls stripe cat motif dress :: Lai Lo Xray graphic print leggings :: Paul Smith Junior red kitty mary janes :: Lucy Locket owl cape and mask :: Keep Calm Halloween free printable poster ::
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Australian Halloween
Australians don't do Halloween. Or at least, we never used to, but it seems times are changing.
Last week on a trip to our grocery store, several Halloween displays had Hunter and Charlotte overhwelmed with excitement. "Look at the cobwebs!", "The spiders!", "The ghosts!" they exclaimed as we waited for the fishmonger to wrap our salmon.
Before the trip to the store we hadn't spoken of Halloween. H and I had made several Halloween crafts in previous years but the sense of what Halloween was had been lost on him. Now, both children were intent on understanding why candy was such an important part of Halloween. So I did a little research in an effort to make sure they understood that 31 October wasn't simply about scoring a sugar hit. Here's what I found:
The origins for Halloween seem to come from more than one source. The Celtic festival of Samhain, which was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar, marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was seen as the time when the door to the 'other world' was opened and souls of the dead and fairies could come into our world.
Halloween is also influenced by the Christian All Saint's Day (also known as All Hallows) on 1 November and All Soul's Day on 2 November. It was a time for honouring the saints and praying that the recently departed reched Heaven.
The custom of wearing costumes has been linked to All Saints and All Souls Day by Prince Sorie Conteh, who wrote:
"It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognised by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities."
Interesting, no? We'll be celebrating Halloween this year (sweets and all) but I'm interested to hear whether you will.
Will you celebrate and if you will do your children know the origins of Halloween? Or are the origins unimportant?
[As an aside, how cool are the chicken wire ghosts pictured above?! They would look wonderfulscattered throughout a misty field. You can find DIY instructions here.]
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