Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

Wow! I don’t think I even need to say it, but 2020 has been a doozy, no? And I’d be surprised if she whips herself back into shape in time for us to enjoy a traditional Halloween. I’m guessing the CDC will not be encouraging us to knock on random doors and share treats with strangers, but that doesn’t mean we have to ditch the festivities altogether.

Here are five ways to get into the Halloween spirit without breaking quarantine.  

1. Make planning part of the fun

Get the whole family involved. Create a group Pinterest board for ideas. Come up with a decorating scheme and let everyone pitch in. Carve pumpkins while sharing your favorite Halloween memories. 

2. Get everyone dressed up

It’s a given that most of us will either make or buy costumes for the kids, but it’s especially fun for kids when Mom and Dad get into the spirit and dress up too. Will the dog tolerate a costume? Put him in one!  

RELATED: Target Announces Halloween Costumes For Kids and Adults With Disabilities 

3. Make a themed meal

Plan a spooky dinner with things like Witch’s Hair pasta, or Dead Man’s Finger hot dogs, before moving on to Vampire doughnuts or the main event: CANDY!! 

4. Go on a candy hunt

Hide individual pieces of candy around the house or yard Easter egg style, or have a pre-filled basket ready for each kid and send them on a scavenger hunt to find it. Bonus points if Mom or Dad can hide and jump-scare older kids along the route! 

5. Watch spooky movies

Depending on your kids’ ages it could be as tame as It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, as terrifying as Annabelle, or anything in between. Hocus Pocus, anyone? Complete the experience with lights out and plenty of popcorn.

RELATED: ’90s Movies To Watch With Your Tweens and Teens

Halloween definitely won’t look the way we’re used to this year, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it be just another fall day. We can still enjoy the season by upholding the traditions we can and finding new ways to approach the things we have to put aside for now. 

Happy Halloween!

The recipes in this book take Halloween dinner to a whole new level. Get the whole family in on the cooking fun for extra giggles and shrieks. 

Shop Online

This Jack-O-Lantern tee is a cute way to get in the Halloween spirit. We won’t judge if you keep it on all October long!

Shop Online

Dress your house up inside or out with this three-strand Halloween light set. 

Shop Online

This little guy is more cute than he is spooky. He can hang out with us this Halloween! 

Shop Online

This spooky-themed soy candle smells like pumpkin and spices—AKA, the best parts of fall.

Shop Online
So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Magi

Magi likes to throw around the word "farm" when she talks about home. A more accurate description would be a rural half acre, where she and her husband try to grow good kids, good food, and good fun. Her work has been featured at Her View From Home, Project Hot Mess, and The Survival Mom. You can keep up with her adventures at www.halfacreheaven.com and on Facebook.

Dear Child, You Are Not Responsible for How Anyone Else Feels about You

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen, Tween
Teen girl looking in the mirror putting on earrings

Dear kiddo, I have so many dreams for you. A million hopes and desires run through my mind every day on a never-ending loop, along with worries and fears, and so, so much prayer. Sometimes, it feels like my happiness is tied with ropes of steel to yours. And yet, the truth is, there are times you disappoint me. You will continue to disappoint me as you grow and make your own choices and take different paths than the ones I have imagined for you. But I’m going to tell you a secret (although I suspect you already know): My...

Keep Reading

Being a Hands-on Dad Matters

In: Kids, Living
Dad playing with little girl on floor

I am a hands-on dad. I take pride in spending time with my kids. Last week I took my toddler to the park. He’s two and has recently outgrown peek-a-boo, but nothing gets him laughing like him seeing me pop into the slide to scare him as he goes down. He grew to like this so much that he actually would not go down the slide unless he saw me in his range of vision going down. When it’s time to walk in the parking lot he knows to hold my hand, and he grabs my hand instinctively when he needs help...

Keep Reading

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

In: Faith, Kids
Little girl reading from Bible

Gathering my kids for morning Bible study has become our family’s cornerstone, a time not just for spiritual growth but for real, hearty conversations about life, courage, and making a difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. My oldest, who’s 11, is at that age where he’s just beginning to understand the weight of his actions and decisions. He’s eager, yet unsure, about his ability to influence his world. It’s a big deal for him, and frankly, for me too. I want him to know, deeply know, that his choices matter, that he can be a force for good, just...

Keep Reading

A Mother’s Love is the Best Medicine

In: Kids, Motherhood
Child lying on couch under blankets, color photo

When my kids are sick, I watch them sleep and see every age they have ever been at once. The sleepless nights with a fussy toddler, the too-hot cheeks of a baby against my own skin, the clean-up duty with my husband at 3 a.m., every restless moment floods my thoughts. I can almost feel the rocking—so much rocking—and hear myself singing the same lullaby until my voice became nothing but a whisper. I can still smell the pink antibiotics in a tiny syringe. Although my babies are now six and nine years old, the minute that fever spikes, they...

Keep Reading

Right Now I’m a Mom Who’s Not Ready to Let Go

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and daughter hugging, color photo

We’re doing it. We’re applying, touring, and submitting pre-school applications. It feels a lot like my college application days, and there’s this image in my mind of how fast that day will come with my sweet girl once she enters the school doors. It’s a bizarre place to be because if I’m honest, I know it’s time to let her go, but my heart is screaming, “I’m not ready yet!” She’s four now though. Four years have flown by, and I don’t know how it happened. She can put her own clothes on and take herself to the bathroom. She...

Keep Reading

Each Child You Raise is Unique

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three little boys under a blanket, black-and-white photo

The hardest part about raising children? Well, there’s a lot, but to me, one major thing is that they are all completely different than one another. Nothing is the same. Like anything. Ever. Your first comes and you basically grow up with them, you learn through your mistakes as well as your triumphs. They go to all the parties with you, restaurants, sporting events, traveling—they just fit into your life. You learn the dos and don’ts, but your life doesn’t change as much as you thought. You start to think Wow! This was easy, let’s have another. RELATED: Isn’t Parenting...

Keep Reading

Our Kids Need Us as Much as We Need Them

In: Kids, Motherhood
Little boy sitting on bench with dog nearby, color photo

During a moment of sadness last week, my lively and joyful toddler voluntarily sat with me on the couch, holding hands and snuggling for a good hour. This brought comfort and happiness to the situation. At that moment, I realized sometimes our kids need us, sometimes we need them, and sometimes we need each other at the same time. Kids need us. From the moment they enter the world, infants express their needs through tiny (or loud) cries. Toddlers need lots of cuddling as their brains try to comprehend black, white, and all the colors of the expanding world around...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

This Time In the Passenger Seat is Precious

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen
Teen driver with parent in passenger seat

When you’re parenting preteens and teens, it sometimes feels like you are an unpaid Uber driver. It can be a thankless job. During busy seasons, I spend 80 percent of my evenings driving, parking, dropping off, picking up, sitting in traffic, running errands, waiting in drive-thru lines. I say things like buckle your seat belt, turn that music down a little bit, take your trash inside, stop yelling—we are in the car, keep your hands to yourself, don’t make me turn this car around, get your feet off the back of the seat, this car is not a trash can,...

Keep Reading

So God Made My Daughter a Wrestler

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young female wrestler wearing mouth guard and wrestling singlet

God made my girl a wrestler. Gosh, those are words I would never have thought I would say or be so insanely proud to share with you. But I am. I know with 100 percent certainty and overwhelming pride that God made my girl a wrestler. But it’s been a journey. Probably one that started in the spring of 2010 when I was pregnant with my first baby and having the 20-week anatomy ultrasound. I remember hearing the word “girl” and squealing. I was over the moon excited—all I could think about were hair bows and cute outfits. And so...

Keep Reading