Halloween is quickly approaching and we’re taking this interview to the farm! We are at a real pumpkin patch sharing tips on selecting the perfect pumpkin, DIY decor options and costumes that have a life longer than one night.
EERIE-SISTIBLE PUMPKINS
We’re at Tanaka Farms, a real pumpkin patch on a 30-acre farm owned and operated by the Tanka Family in Irvine. If you are ever in Orange County or even plan a trip, put it on your list because it’s amazing and they always have seasonal events throughout the year. When it comes to pumpkins for Halloween, not all pumpkins are created equal. There are actually 150 varieties of pumpkins and many accompanying variations. Some are good for carving, others just for baking and others are great for decorating.
Here are some tips for picking your pumpkin
- Decide on how you are going to use your pumpkin.
- Sugar Pumpkins or Sweet pumpkins are the best for cooking/baking. They are small and round.
- Field pumpkins, which are larger are best for decorating/carving. The flesh inside is stringy so does not make good for cooking.
- Make sure the pumpkin is firm all over – no soft spots
- Leave pumpkins with blemishes behind – if often means that a bug has burrowed their way in.
- Tap your choice before buying it. If you plan to cut through the walls of the pumpkin, tap it. If it sounds hollow, bring it home.
GOURD-GEOUS HALLOWEEN DECOR
Whether your pumpkin is real, or you tackle a craft pumpkin to last a bit longer, we love a good DIY project. So when we found out about Cricut, we were ecstatic!for lasting effect. Adding sticker lettering to pumpkins with sayings from Happy Halloween to Boo, or even images or initials. These fun options can be applied to any decor from candles to candy trays and more!
Cricut makes smart cutting machines that work with an easy-to-use app to help you design and personalize almost anything — custom cards, unique apparel, everyday items, and so much more. So we picked up the new Cricut Joy Xtra and began using permanent vinyl to decorate pumpkins. Pumpkins can be scary or sweet but nonetheless spooky fun! Start with either real pumpkins or craft pumpkins and then personalize it with a design. We love that Cricut has so many vinyl options too that will really take your project up a whole other level! From glow-in-the-dark to color changing iron on, the possibilities are endless. It was so fun selecting this whimsical Haunted House and applying it to the center of our candy serving tray. Definitely will elevate our entertaining this spooky season.
We used their robust Design Space to identify festive options to help create a pumpkin — jack o-lantern faces, images, sayings, and more — this allows for precision cut and allows lasting effects. Design Space is great because it has a library of designs so you don’t have to be a professional designer. There are so many templates too which enable you to personalize or add your creative touch too. We love taking a pumpkin candle, adding a monogram, and gifting it to a teacher or friend.
FAB-BOO-LOUS COSTUMES
From the pumpkin patch to the school harvest festival, and of course trick-or-treating, a costume is a must! But oftentimes you find yourself buying a costume for that one event and because of fabrics, or itchy accessories, that are uncomfortable it leads to the head coming off or the whole costume is ditched in the first hour. We love taking an outfit we already have and turning it into a costume or a costume that can turn into pretend play for a year-round bang for your efforts and dollars. Hanna Andersson has so many great options for Halloween. We love that they have taken their cozy organic pajamas and paired it with costume accessories. You can have three options: pajamas, Halloween costume, or creative play throughout the year. Some of our favorites are the mermaid skirt/headband and pajamas, unicorn tail/headband and jogging set. Another fun option is to find an outfit you already have or getting an outfit that you will wear past Halloween and building a costume around that. We used this adorable red dress and leggings to create a flight attendant ensemble.
Our kiddos also love Star Wars. From Darth Vader and Boba Fett hoodies that can be transformed into costumes or worn everyday to StormTrooper and Darth Vader pajamas. We love that they also have themed Halloween Star Wars pajamas, which are so cozy for those fall nights.
