We Have the Knack for Hacks!
I truly adore October – I love fall sweater-weather, the gratitude of Thanksgiving, and of course, Halloween, a chance to dress up and let loose. The other things we adore here at The Mom & Caregiver are hacks – we love helping parents get things done efficiently! So here are some of my October holiday faves:
Thanksgiving
- Print out Thanksgiving recipes and tape them at eye level all along your kitchen cabinets.
- Keep mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker.
- Boil cinnamon sticks, apple peels, orange rinds and whole cloves for a festive smelling home.
- Cover the kids’ table with craft paper and set out crayons to keep them entertained. Heck, cover the adults’ table in craft paper too so guests can leave messages of thankfulness.
- Cook stuffing in muffin tins for easy serving and yummy crispy edges.
- Make pumpkin pie bites from a store bought pie (can you say Costco?) using a round biscuit cutter and top with spray can whipped cream.
- Triple line the trash in advance so when you haul out a full garbage, a new bag awaits.
Halloween
- Make a spooky wreath by hot gluing ping pong balls onto a wreath form, then gluing a googly eye to each one.
- Add gummy worms before freezing ice cubes to make a spooky drink – if they stick out of the cube, that’s even creepier!
- Add bug confetti (find it at the dollar store) to hand soap to gross out your family.
- Use a drill to make a fun and easy jack o’ lantern. Want even easier? Stuff it with Christmas lights instead of a lit candle.
- Spray paint an old Christmas village black. Cover in cobwebs and tiny paper bats to make a spooky scene.
- Dye pantyhose with KoolAid to get green, blue or pink legs for a costume.
- Use spare sheets draped over furniture to give your house a deserted, eerie look for a Halloween party.
Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving and a fun-filled Halloween!
Sabina Manji, a lifelong Londoner, is an irrepressible entrepreneur, mother of a wonderful son, and also a committed volunteer.
