halloween – Belle Antiquarian

10 Ways to Have Fun in October with Young Adults and Teens

One minute we had trick-or-treaters on Halloween, and the next we don’t. This year Jackson is away at college and Samantha will most likely be out of town on a sports trip. Jackson obviously hasn’t gone around the neighborhood for candy in quite a few years, but Samantha did last year with some friends. So, all of a sudden, we don’t have costumes to buy and doorbells to ring. I am actually looking forward to handing out candy this year. (Ken usually stayed home and passed out candy.) But it definitely feels very different than the past 18 years have been.

Just because kids are grown (or mostly grown), the fun doesn’t have to stop. Family time is still very important, and some of our best memories have yet to be made. Our time together as a family of 4 is limited, but Jackson will be home for Fall Break, and I hope to maximize our FFF. (Forced Family Fun)

If you’re looking for a few ideas on how to have fun with your BIG kids (or kids at heart), here are a few things to try:

Pumpkin Carving Contest – Since everyone is old enough to wield their own knife, why not turn the pumpkin carving into a contest? (Bonus: add prizes)
Corn Maze – These are more fun as young adults than when they’re younger kids. They don’t have to stay with you, and they can really “get lost.” (Bonus: Find one that is open at night.)
Host a Trunk Together – Our church hosts an annual “Trunk or Treat”. That’s when families sign up for a parking space, decorate their car/trunk in a theme, and pass out candy to the church kids as they walk through. This is a great way to still get away with dressing up even if they’re too old to trick (or trunk) or treat.
Family Fantasy Football – Okay, so this one is longer than just the month of October, but how about having a family fantasy football league? Sunday football games just went to a whole new level.
Chili Cook-off – Each member of the family makes a batch of chili. Invite the neighbors or extended family to taste and “vote”.
Decorate the outside of the house together. Brainstorm as a family for some fun ways to make the yard and house SPOOKY. What would have scared them a few years ago?…Make it happen!
S’Mores Bar – You’ve had the basic s’more before. But have you tried a flavored marshmallow on a Reese’s peanut butter cup with chocolate graham crackers? Try different flavor combinations. (Bonus: Try this as a surprise on a random weeknight.)
Haunted Houses – Does your area have a seriously scary haunted house? In metro Atlanta we have Netherworld, which is not really for young kids. If your young adults are into get freaked out, something like this may be for them. (I’m a scaredy cat. I went in my 20s, and I’ll pass on it now.)
Scary Movies – Now that they’re bigger, maybe they want to watch some real thrillers. I’m going to stick with Hocus Pocus, myself.
Bonfire and Bonding – Corny, I know. But a simple bonfire and just talking together is probably one of the most relaxing ways to spend a memorable October Night.

I’m always looking for new ways to have fun. If you have more ideas that I haven’t thought of, I’d love to hear from you! Please let me know in the comments below.

October 7, 2019October 11, 2019

AbbyLeave a comment

Shopping Your Own Home for Halloween

A really easy way to decorate your home at any time is called “shopping your home.” What that means is that you look around your own home for items that you can rearrange, move, or group together to make “new” decor. I “shop my home” most often around holidays.

When you shop your home, you’re saving money and repurposing items that you already own. If you get stumped while you’re doing this, an easy way to get started shopping your home for a holiday is to think of what colors that holiday is known for. Easter – pastels. Christmas – green, red, white, gold. Thanksgiving – brown, gold, orange, red, yellow. 4th of July – red, white, blue, silver. Halloween – black, orange, white (sometimes purple and green).

Any time you group items together by holiday colors, even if those items are not holiday related, they look like holiday decor. As you are walking around your home, focus on the colors that you need.

I’ve put together a list of items to look for if you “shop your home” for Halloween. Remember, it will be a snap if you focus on what colors you need. Of course, you’ll have to put the items together in a way that makes sense and looks nice. This is just a list to get your creativity flowing.

Books – black, orange, or white.
Black Picture Frames
Candles – black, white, or orange (possibly purple or green!)
Blankets
Pillows
Black Boots
Scarves or Hats
Napkins or Tablecloths
Dishes
Beads or Buttons to use as vase fillers
Black Lamps
Flowers
Dried black beans (vase filler?)
Planters or Flower Pots

Once you have gathered your holiday colored items, think outside of the box for ways to use them. What can become a container? A scarf can be draped from a mantel or across a table. A tin can turns into a vase. Pictures can temporarily be taken out of frames and replaced with printed computer graphics or silhouettes. A black typewriter can display a spooky message. All of this for free because you used items that you already owned. Have a spooktacular time decorating for Halloween!

October 2, 2019September 28, 2019

AbbyLeave a comment

Buffalo Check Table Settings

I am excited to share today’s blog post! Hobby Lobby has some really cute black and white buffalo check decor for fall. However, I want to show you that it’s not just for fall! The table runner and napkins that I picked up can actually be used for a lot of different themes and seasons. Here is a picture of how I used the black and white buffalo check decor for Halloween, but it can also be used with September Sunflowers, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Now here’s the really exciting part: I am giving away a table runner, set of 4 napkins, a garland of black and white wooden beads, and a garland of orange and white wooden beads. Find out how to enter at the bottom of this post!

Here are my black and white buffalo check table runner and napkins on our table for Halloween. The black and white are easy to mix with Halloween decorations. If Halloween is a busy night for you with trick-or-treaters, just pick up some basic orange paper plates to go with these, and clean up will be a snap.

Several other people have done a fantastic job of setting their tables with black and white buffalo check decor. I want to share a few of theirs with you so that you can see how versatile this pattern is.

First up is this sunflower table setting with buffalo checks from Driven by Decor. To me, this table setting is perfect for that time at the end of summer/beginning of fall when it’s still hot, but summer is over. Kris over on Driven by Decor did a beautiful job showing that fall decor can be more than just pumpkins!

Here’s an example from My Creative Happy on how you can use black and white buffalo check for Thanksgiving. She paired it with touches of brass, which brings up a great point. You can pair it with golden or silver tones, wood or metal. This pattern is very versatile to your tastes.

And for the fourth look today, here is a Christmas table setting using black and white buffalo check. This one is from Make a Joyful Home, and Tammy uses red accents with hers. But you could totally add green, or just silver, and it would still look Christmas-y.

Now for the exciting part! Here is a picture of what you can win: a table runner, a set of 4 napkins, a garland of black and white wooden beads, and a garland of orange and white wooden beads. To enter, simply hop on over to my Instagram, follow me on Instagram, like the contest post with the same picture as below, and tag a friend in the comments. Contest ends on Friday, September 13, 2019. You must live in the continental US to win.