halloween trees and magic potions

Just when we thought we couldn't take another day of this heat, we woke up this morning to an overcast 60 degrees and a light sprinkling of rain.  Thank you to the Gods of fall!

In case you're not up to speed, we've had the {Nino} with us for about two and a half months now.  Although we don't know a lot about his past, we know he's never had a proper Halloween. So this year we intend to give him just that. 

Monday officially kicked off two weeks of fall break at our home and the Nino and I decided it was time to decorate.  We started on an easy project that he could help with,  the Halloween tree. 

Do you want to make one with your little ninos? 

Go find an old pot. 

Scout out the neighborhood for some old, dead branches and spray paint them black.

Secure the branches in the pot with some rocks from the neighbor's yard.

Hang spooky ornaments on the tree like skinny skeletons,

Cackling crows,

Spookilicious spiders,

And maybe a little fluff.  All found at the dollar store.

In the true Halloween spirit, the Nino got dressed in his pirate costume and helped hang ornaments, and make the webs.  He's been practicing the delivery on his trick-or-treat slang. "Aargh matey, that better be a snickers bar, or your walkin' the plank!" (in his best pirate accent). 

Next, we got out the glittered skulls, candelabras, the {spooky banner}, the potions, and all the rats and spiders a six year old could handle. 

Then we went into the kitchen to brew up some elixir.  I opened the spell book and  read the ingredients while the Nino dropped them in the "caldron".  One dash of rats blood, four tea spoons toad juice, two pinches vampire poop (he was pleased with that one), and on and on until I almost had him convinced we were real witches.

He stirred and stirred until magic was made and then we poured the potions into special bottles and carefully placed them around the house.

After we were done, the Nino looked up at me and said "Mom, this is the best day ever!"  I wanted to eat the freckles right off his face.

If you want to make your own potions, copy and paste our bottle labels {here}.

In honor of his 16th birthday, I'm in the process of helping my boy plan a Halloween Bash.  The haunted entrance, the costumes, the playlist, the spooky snacks. Oooooh, the possibilities. I've got his friend Rachel from next door in on it so he doesn't catch heat from the guys in the locker room on Monday morning.

I love fluff and I can not lie.