Let’s face it everyone, in the midst of all this COVID-19 business, we’re juggling. Here’s a list of links to help you keep all those balls in the air.
Khan Academy – Provides daily schedules & age-appropriate guided curriculum
Virtual Field Trips – A great list of resources curated by Freedom Homeschooling
Scholastic Learn at Home – Project based resource incorporating books, videos, and interactive learning
Have Fun Teaching – Relief packs (geared towards teachers, but aren’t we all learning to be teachers this week) by grade level for Preschool through 4th grade
Free Educational Resources – Kid Activities blog has put together a pretty thorough list of resources that are free while we school-in-place
Disney Parks Virtual Rides – Romper compiled a list of links to some of our faves to enjoy while the parks are closed
Playbill – Watch some of your favorite Broadway shows from home
Just Fun
Check out Instagram and Facebook Live feeds for some great live-from-home entertainment. My faves like Harry Connick, Jr. (Hunker Down with Harry) and Jimmy Fallon are regularly posting content.
Looking for a few new spooky Halloween ideas? We’ve scoured Amazon for the best finds of the season.
We are very serious about Halloween in our house. Very serious. We throw parties. We decorate every nook and cranny. And we carefully plan our costumes as early as possible (but we don’t purchase them before September 1 because kids change their minds…). I have amassed quite a collection of decorations and supplies over the years, but I just can’t resist fun, new Halloween stuff. My storage spaces echo this sentiment with packed collections of spider webs, gothic candelabras, and myriad spooky materials.
Yet every year I scour my favorite haunts for trifling trinkets and spirited sundries to add to my collection. Of course, it would be wicked for me not to share the treasures I’ve found. So, my pretties, here are my favorite Halloween treats from Amazon.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission on recommended products at no additional cost to you.
Halloween Pillows
Changing out throw pillows is one of my favorite ways to spice up seasonal decor. I use festive pillows on my patio furniture, living room sofa, and chairs to set a spooky mood around the house.
Misting Party Light
Pop this cool find in a jack-o-lantern on the porch or in a vase as a centerpiece for a chilling party effect. It uses water for mist so safe it’s around kids.
Gross Out Faux Medical Supplies
Use these blood bags, syringes, and Petri dishes to serve potables (potent or otherwise) at your spooky soiree.
I love to suspend these creepy gummy body parts in a thin layer of Jell-O in a Petri dish. My kids ask for them every year!
Spooky Skeletons
We love dressing up the skeletons that sit on the porch every Halloween. Bony and Peaches are always festive as they welcome our guests. The last couple of years we’ve started collecting (plastic) animal skeletons to add to our spine-tingling display.
Bony & Peaches in their fetching scarves.
Mantle Decorations
A spooky mantle or table sets a the mood for all who dare to visit your home. I love to gather miscellaneous decorations and kids’ Halloween crafts with a few new things to spice up the fright!
Outdoor Spookiness
Our outdoor decoration game is always strong, and we’re shameless with our inflatables from September to January. I love these new witch hat lights for over the front door or adorning a tree. They’re battery operated so they can go just about anywhere. Try switching out your porch lights with these flame-effect bulbs to trick the treaters. I also like to change our front flood lights to glow spooky colors on Halloween night.
I hope you try a few of these spooky finds! Whatever your decorating poison, get everyone involved in the effort. Recruit your kids, your roommates, and your neighbors to help. Happy Haunting!
Halloween wraps fear in innocence, as though it were a slightly sour sweet. Let terror, then, be turned into a treat …
Our lights went out a week ago and didn’t come back on for three days. Darkness forced our family to embrace luddite ways, and we did our best to stay positive despite the discomfort. We were lucky that our house didn’t sustain damage, and we suffered only minor inconveniences. Life without refrigeration, of both people and perishables, certainly wasn’t ideal, but, with a few well-stocked supplies and mom hacks, we were ready to embrace our pioneer days.
Living in Texas means crazy summer thunderstorms and frequent high winds and tornado warnings. No wonder it’s fourth on the list of states with the most power outages.  Living in Dallas means dicey electrical infrastructure and big trees that often blow over.  So while we weren’t completely unprepared for the likelihood of a bonkerballs summer storm, the intensity and aftermath shocked us a bit.  Regardless of climate, weather changes can happen fast. As Mark Twain aptly quipped, “I have counted 136 different types of weather inside of 24 hours.”
Now that we have air conditioning and a restocked fridge, I thought it would be useful to shed light on a handful of ideas to get through the dark days and darker nights.  While sitting ALONE in a warm(ish) dark house wouldn’t have been so bad, managing two kids and a busy husband certainly added a layer of chaos. Â
Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best
It is really easy to talk about the importance of preparation after your lights are out and the cool air stops blowing. It’s harder to be proactive about disaster readiness. While this post isn’t intended to give serious life-saving advice for surviving life without power, it is important to consider safety and relative comfort in the eye of the storm.
My best advice on preparation: Don’t ignore the to-do list.  The minute we let our gas tank get too low and forget to buy batteries (for the third time) a freak storm descends to smite us for our procrastination. As soon as we start getting thunderstorm warnings in Dallas, I double-check my emergency cabinet and storm supplies (batteries, candles, bottled water – really just the basics).  Your storm survival stockpile will obviously vary depending on your location, family size, and tolerance for deprivation.
Halfway through the first night, our daughter’s smoke alarm started beeping. It was completely unrelated to the power outage, but I was extra thankful for the surplus of nine-volt batteries I had on hand (we had to stop laughing long enough to climb the ladder in the dark).    My husband’s camping coffee percolator over the gas stove saved me from a serious case of The Grumpies on day two.  I even tapped into my theme park supplies to retrieve my battery operated hand-held fans and glow sticks.
Camping Coffee Pot: Caffeine in a Powerless Pinch
It’s a good idea to build some routine into the things we often forget.  Try to buy items like batteries, bottled water, and even flashlights in bulk to have a few extra set aside for a rainy (windy, stormy…. you get the idea) day.  When in doubt, calendar a reminder to check emergency supplies twice a year.  I set mine for April and October.  And please, for the sake of all of us in the wake of your karma, don’t ignore the reminder!  Â
Go Old School
How long has it been since you played a rousing game of chess or tested your steady hand at Operation?  Dig out some of the games your kids haven’t played in a while (or ever), light that lantern, and throwback to the unplugged 80s.  Rock some Hangman, Tic-Tac-Toe, Slap Jack, anything to distract from the absence of wifi.   Â
Get creative
You know the best thing about flashlights – Shadow Puppets! Dark nights create a perfect backdrop to work on that hand-shadow-horse you’ve been trying to perfect. Take it one step further and have your kids trace the puppets to make fun and interesting shadow art. Build a blanket fort, bust out the craft box, or head outside (if it’s safe) for some freeze tag. You got this, mama!
Everything melting in the freezer? Time for a Popsicle Party!
Be Productive
Are your kids’ drawers due for a thinning and reorganization?  Is your Tupperware cabinet in disarray? Always wanted to color-code your craft supplies? Why not shed light on the darkness by checking off a few of those items deep on your to-do list?  Get the kids to help out.  Tidying, cleaning, and organizing can be done by candlelight.  And, if you’re like me, making progress on forgotten tasks around the house almost makes up for the power outage.  Almost. Â
Stay Positive
Parenting has taught me that poor attitudes are contagious.  Yes; it stinks to live in the dark.  Yes; it’s hard to sleep when you’re uncomfortable.  No; I can’t turn on my Hotspot (for the 100thtime!).  I always remind my kids that we often can’t control the things that happen to us, but we can control the way we respond to them.  Storms and power outages certainly test this family adage. Staying positive during trying times helps maintain perspective, especially in light of the uncertainty of Mother Nature. Wine also helps.
Storm season continues, and we’re crossing our fingers that the lights stay on.  But if they don’t, I have some drawers that need organizing and a cabinet full of vintage board games calling our name.    Â
I’d love to hear from you because we’re all in this together! What tips do you have for surviving a power outage?
Oh and just for fun, here are the Top 5 Power Outage States:
Michigan
Ohio
New York
Texas
California
Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.
