Since being a child, I have never celebrated Halloween, even after being old enough to do so. I respect and love all my friends who do; it’s just not my “thing” if you will. In Miami our church had provided each family with a flyer to tape on their door advising tricksters and treaters alike that our house does not celebrate the holiday. Each year, the orange cardstock’s survival surprised me more. You would think after 6 years it would’ve at least had a bent corner! So, on the night of, we would put on our most worn-out and comfy pajamas, turn all the lights off, cuddle with enough candy, Hawaiian pizza and soda to give us entry-level diabetes, and watch the MTV Michael Jackson marathon. My sisters and I used to peek out the apartment shades just to watch the people in costume and pick out the creeps.
Fast forward to 13 years later and here I am starting my own anti-Halloween tradition (omitting the sign on the door). This year we thought we would have a sleepover party with our friends. Pinterest has a ton of inspiration on teaching toddlers about the fall, the weather changes and pumpkin lattes – OK just kidding on the pumpkin lattes. We figured a sleepover would be a great opportunity for us to do some pumpkin gutting! Aside from releasing some built up work, school, LIFE tension it also means pumpkin seed roasting and pumpkin painting! Zombie’s face while the pumpkin slime squishes through her tiny fingers should be pretty epic. If you’re looking for a great and inexpensive pumpkin patch I highly recommend the Sanlando Pumpkin Patch in Longwood. Their space has photo opportunities, haystacks, game sections, a “farm” and crafts. The girls loved picking out baby pumpkins and pointing out the really huge ones. We took our pumpkins home and turned the girls lose to paint their pumpkin faces.
In Florida October means our weather gets frisky, getting as low as 70 degrees- we can wear thigh-high boots! Perfect weather to get outside and enjoy our beautiful scenery. For us that’s a hike down the 13 plus trails at Wekiva Springs, our current favorite since there’s so much uncovered territory. It’s like a scavenger hunt with nature! We went a few weekends ago for the first time and although it was beautiful it was also very Florida humid. Do not forget the bug spray; the mosquitoes will down you like fast food. For those of you who do not like hiking they also offer canoeing, tubing, and kayaking. And the entrance fee is only $6 per vehicle!
We all scream for ice cream and we all fall for fall…. festivals that is!
There are many large church or campground sites that have a yearly fall festival anytime from mid-October to late November. In all honesty I don’t remember the last time I was ever at a fall festival, but according to Pinterest it’s a lot of fun; and fun means sleepy car rides home! (YAY!) So what exactly happens at these festivals? There’s a petting zoo, face painting, hayrides, scarecrow crafts, bobbing for apples, music, and of course food. The haystacks and pumpkins at these festivals are perfect family photo backdrops and props for your Thanksgiving Day cards. If you’re in the Orlando area there’s a great fall festival list here.
I hope you all have a safe holiday!
