halloween

Halloween Decor at Dealz 🎃

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I adore Halloween, this time of year in general is full of festivities and celebration. My friends laugh at the effort I go to for Halloween but I did even before I had kids… 

I have picked up some great décor pieces over the years and then pick up some more cheaper bits year on year. When Dealz asked me to promote their Halloween range and event on the day it was a no brainer-I am already a big and regular customer-in fact I am surprised I am not on the Christmas party list! 

Dealz have really upped their game in recent years with what they have on offer and at only 1.50 you really can’t go wrong. From spooky décor to more stylish pieces-check out the gorgeous golden pumpkin I picked up last week- there is lots of offer and you can check it out here.

 

Now on the other hand if you are also like me and not very artistically inclined and the fear of painting faces gives you more than just the regular Halloween spooks then Dealz are holding Halloween events in a number of their stores, see details below from 1-3pm on Halloween Day and donations will be given to Make a Wish Foundation which is a lovely cause to get involved with. The first 50 kids will get sweet bags too to add to their trick or treat loot!

 

 Participating stores:

  • Swords
  • Blanchardstown
  • Omni
  • Bray 
  • Waterford
  • Gorey
  • Wexford
  • Galway
  • Athlone 
  • Killarney 

*this is a paid collaboration with Dealz but all views are my own and honest as always! 💚

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Mamas gulit 😔

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The infamous words.. I’m not sure it ever goes away in whatever it’s form but the last few weeks it has been exhasirbated in our house. I’m not sure if it was the mid term that set me off or the pure exhaustion of us all adjusting to the clocks going back but it started to get in on me. It seems to be a common theme amoungst mamas and parents alike, all in its own different deflating ways.. 

You know the usual routine.. Feel like you are not a good enough mother, wife, daughter, worker.. Never feeling like you are doing the best at any one thing. I so badly want to enjoy the good things but sometimes feel so exhausted those moments go by in a haze and then when Josh is being cranky it feels harder to handle and the guilt cycle sets off again!

We had a hectic but fun Halloween, for me it is about making memories for Josh and I think we certainly banked those. He lapped it up and loved trick or treating, could believe his luck getting jellies from every house and was thrilled by the fireworks, opposite to his mama who used to hide behind the couch at the bangs.

  
We start a new month today and a great part of the year with birthdays for all 3 of us and Christmas too, again memory making.. The important stuff! Get rid of the guilt and I’ll be doing just fine… Oh and some more sleep would be good 😉😴

Halloween Prep and Plans 👻🎃

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So with our Christmas giveaway out of the way I’ll have another seasonal one coming up soon. 

Before Santa comes witches, ghosts and ghouls.. One of my favourite festivities-Halloween! I love it, always have. Growing up it was fab, our road celebrated full scale and I have very fond memories despite hiding behind cushions with the firework bangs! 

Anyway back to 2015 and this year Josh knows all about ‘hawaween’ and dressing up and scary faces.. It took a bit of convincing but we eventually got him into his ‘vapire’costume! An upgrade from his baby bat last year..as you will see below! 

This year we have similar plans to last with a few added extras. I know this year he will just love it all, well at least I hope so!

First up is Scalpwood Nursery for Pumpkin Picking this weekend along with decorating the house in festive fare. Here is Josh there last year and booking details below:

  

http://www.scalpwood.com/the-pumpkin-festival-2015.html

Our fav Messy Monkeys is also holding a Halloween themed morning on the bank holiday Saturday so be sure to check that out too. I think the morning session is already booked out! 

  
http://messy-monkeys.ie/
Then Halloween week is jam packed with a reading/crafts in Airfield that my mum will take him to then he will most likely have a Creche party and on the day before Halloween my work is holding a kids morning full of dress up, magicians and spooky fun! 

Airfield info below:

  

Finally on the day itself I am hosting another Trick or Treat for Temple Street party for about 20 toddlers and their parents! I will make some spooky treats {I’ll post recipes closer to the day} and all the little ones will be dressed up for some fun and play. 

  

Then that evening our estate comes to life so I have family joining for a supper of traditional bangers & colecannon and some trick or treating.. 

A fun and frighteningly packed up day with hopefully more treats than tricks 😉

Josh’s 1st Halloween

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I love Halloween and it seems to be just getting bigger and bigger! This was Josh’s first so it was extra special.

I picked up some baby bits earlier in October in Tesco & Dealz before they all sold out and decorated the house accordingly. Our estate is big into Halloween with lots of kids about so all the houses go all out!

Josh loved all the new bits and bobs around the house, pointing our the pumpkins and loving the scary doorbell we have.

We were dying to go to a Halloween event with him-pumpkin train, carving, patch and the like which originated state side but like everything else has become big business here. On the bank holiday weekend, through a friend we found a sweet little pumpkin patch up near Enniskerry called Scalp Nirseries. They had done a lovely job of making the place spooky with a fun graveyard scene, hay maze, a sweet pumpkin patch and great caving shed along with a haunted house and lots of spots for photo ops! It was free in and you just paid for the size of your pumpkin and if you wanted it carved or not-they sold carving sets to if you wanted to go the DIY route. Not for me but fun if you had older kids perhaps.

Next up was the day itself and I had invited some of my enthusiastic mama mates that wanted to dress their babies for their first Halloween but like me were a bit morto officially trick or treating. I held a coffee morning with Halloween bakes in aid of ‘Trick or Treat for Temple St’. It was just like our usual weekly catch up but for a good cause and lots of baby bats, witches and making it extra special!

That night we had a family dinner with sausages and colecannon, filled the trick or treaters bags full of loot and brought Josh around to some of the neighbours-he loved it waving and grabbing some lollies where he could. We then put our feet up with some barn brack and a nice glass of red! Another occasion to bank in the memories… It felt really special, busy but full of fun.

Now it’s time for the big birthday, the biggest occasion to date!

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