Season of the Witch - My Homemade Ursula the Sea Witch Costume

Being a princess is fun, but being a villain is better.  This year I decided to go out as The Little Mermaid Villain, Ursula the Sea Witch.  You know, this fabulous white haired lady, octopus, bad guy, you get the picture:

Image Courtesy of Enchanted America

Making Tentacles:

Took two pairs of old pantyhose, drew on tentacles using fabric paint ($8.49, and I have plenty left over for other winter crafts), let it dry, stuffed them with cotton stuffing that my mom generously donated, and used some craft wire from Dollarama ($1.49) to curl them up at the end.  I then secured them to a thin belt I already owned with safety pins.

Tentacles in progress

 For my hair I teased it up on top of my head secured it in a bun, and used a bunch of white Halloween hair spray ($5.99 Value Village).  I then topped it off with a crown ($5.99 Value Village), and the legendary necklace Ursula wears when she steals Ariel's voice ($1.99 for the necklace, glue gunned to another old necklace I had, and painted yellow with basic craft paint)

Ready for my evil close up

Here's where I failed, the make-up department.  I purchased cheap ($1.99 white Halloween face make-up, and purple $1.99) to mix together and wear on my face, chest and arms.  Since it was $1.99 product, I got what I paid for and it went on really splotchy, so I had to take it off and start all over again.  See my epic fail below.  Bought the blue eyeshadow from Shoppers Drug Mart for $4.99 and used Mac red lipstick, eyeliner for my brows and trademark mole, and baby powder to lighten my sea witch skin.

I've been told a primed would have helped with this, but it wasn't worth the time for me so I just started again.

Here is the final product, and I'm pretty proud of it $29 without make-up fail, $33 with (plus applicable taxes).  Add in a trident, or some potions, or her sidekick pet eels if you want to get some extra accessories with your costume.

Happy Halloween!

Paperback Writer - Sharing My Writing From Other Sites

It's been a while since I shared some of my writing from other sites and publications...So I hope that something hear interests you, teaches you something, or even inspires you to try something new.  

I continue to be inspired by the fantastic team I get to work with, and the fantastic people I meet in my work as Managing Editor and Writer for Future Female Magazine.  The fall issue is fresh off the presses (does that apply if it's online?) and is about goals...Please check it out and share it with your friends, coworkers, and some other fantastic real Canadian people!

Today for my full-time job I write and ghostwrite articles for online publications, organizations and blogs, in addition to providing public relations services.  While I can't really share my ghostwritten articles on this platform, cause then I wouldn't really be a ghostwriter would I, I can share some of the other stuff I have been working on.  

Click on the links for the topics that interest you most, and if you enjoy what I wrote please share, like, and follow, and keep parenting and reading on!  If you have any ideas for a story, a playground review, or article on any front, feel free to shout it out!  I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration!

Image Courtesy of Kat Leroux, Future Female Magazine

Future Female Magazine  

Click Below To Read The Following Inspiring Articles by me! Or click here to enjoy the entire issue and fantastic articles about and by other fierce Canadian women!

Modern Feminism Medieval Style - Interview with the Queens from Medieval Times Toronto

Interview with Chanile Vines

Photo by Kat Leroux Courtesy of Future Female Magazine

How to Go From Couch Potato to Goal Busting Athlete

Goals & Bucket Lists, Moving Beyond Resolutions

5 Minutes to Fabulous Hair Beyond the Ponytail

Image Courtesy of Future Female Magazine, Photography by Kat Leroux

Frittatas & Friendship Served up With Gals That Brunch

Goals & Bucket Lists, Moving Beyond Resolutions

Pregnancy

Image Courtesy of Babygaga

What Being Pregnant Really Feels Like

20 Things That Can Be Predicted About Baby Before They're Born 

Parenting

2018's Five Best Educational Toys for Kids 10 & Under

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Make your own Anne of Green Gables Halloween Costume

I don't like to buy pre-packaged Halloween costumes from the store.  Somehow it feels like cheating.  Halloween costumes are one of the few 'crafty' things I do as a mom and I love to figure out the best ways to help my kids make their costume visions come to life.

This summer Molly and I began watching the CBC re-imagination of the classic Lucy Maude Montgomery Series Anne of Green Gables.  It's darker, grittier, and probably a little more mature than the version I grew up with, but Molly instantly fell in love with it, watching together and talking about big themes like bullying, loneliness, sexism, and racism thanks to the show.

When Molly told me she wanted to be Anne of Green Gables for Halloween I knew that she was a kindred spirit to my childhood self, so we got working on it in the summer.


The Anne Hat - Straw hat purchased at Dollarama for $2.  Fabric Sunflowers also from Dollarama for $1.25 and secured on with a glue gun.

Anne Hat

The apron was made by purchasing an old white flower girl dress from Value Village and cutting out the back to make it into an apron for $5.99.  The prairie dress was the toughest item to get, since they aren't exactly in fashion for little girls right now and you could either order them online for $40-$50 or try and figure something else out.  Finally we went to the women's section of Value Village and found this traditional Anne style baby doll blouse that is so sensible that even Marilla Cuthbert would approve - purchased for $7.99!  Although it's a little big on Molly the apron works to keep everything together (along with some stitches to keep the straps of her 'apron' in place.

Sideview Anne

To make things authentically Anne, we're using eyeliner to give Molly darker freckles, that I placed over her own freckles.  We also purchased a bottle of red hair spray from Value Village for $4.99 to spray her red braids on Halloween.

To keep Molly warm on Halloween she'll be wearing black leotards with black shoes and her light pink ballet body suit underneath the costume.  For added authenticity Molly will be carrying a brown woven basket to collect her candy (like the one Anne uses to carry her lunch to school).

Total costume cost: Just over $25 tax included!

Authentically Anne!

To see my Wreck it Ralph & Princess Vanelope Costume from last Halloween click here and here.

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Walk on the Wild Side - How to Make Dog Walking Interesting for Kids

We've had our newest family member, Ted, for about five weeks now.  He's been good, well as good as puppies get.  Accidents in the house are fewer and fewer and we're getting used to new routines.  One of the first and best lessons we've learned is that 'a tired puppy is a good puppy' which means that little Ted gets a lot of walks.

One of the main drivers for the addition of Ted was that freelance life can be a little lonely, and it's both nice and healthy to legitimately have an excuse and reason to get away from the laptop several times a day and go for a nice walk.

As the person who logs the most hours with Ted, I also log the most kilometres with our puppy friend, just the same evening and weekend walks include some or all of the entire family.  As healthy as it is to get out there, it can be hard to convince a seven year old (and sometimes a 43 year old - ahem Chris) to go for a long, long walk - particularly when it's gross or cold outside.

Molly loves going on walks with me and Ted and enjoying the time to talk, catch up and get some one on one time, but just the same it can get tedious.  So here are some ideas we've come up with so far to help make our walks more fun, and even sometimes productive.

 How to Make Dog Walking Interesting for Kids

Molly takes charge on a walk with Ted

1. The Clean up Walk

This one was Molly's idea.  She's a proud earth ranger and we've both noticed a lot of garbage around the area, particularly when you have a little dog who wants to eat ALL OF THE GARBAGE.  Bring out a bag and have the kids collect garbage while you work to earn Earth Ranger/ good karma points.

2. The Playground Walk

This one is simple.  Walk with the playground as your farthest destination (or three quarters of the way back) and give the kids at least 10 to 15 minutes to play while you walk around with the dog before heading home.

3. Cool Hikes

Our family loves hiking.  Add in some caves, waterfalls, etc. and everyone is happy.

4. Festivities Walk

This time of year is perfect to check out some local neighbourhoods known for amazing Halloween decorations, fall colours and more with both the dog and kids along for the ride.  In another month or two you can do the same walk with Christmas lights.

Pausing on a hike for a snack and the view

5. Scavenger Walk

You can print some online or make your own, and offer prizes for the kid who finds everything on the list (10 dogs, orange leaves, yellow flowers, etc.)

6. Bring a Ball

Play catch or soccer or Frisbee and make the walk about playing a game with the kids and the pup.

7. The Errand Walk

This one benefits everyone.  It requires more than one adult, or kids that are old enough to run into the store to pick up your take-out order or grab that bag of milk, return those library books, but it's productive and with purpose.

8. Go Fly a Kite

Literally...Do it.

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Things My Kids Say As Shared On Twitter

We spend a lot of time with the minions and I'm fortunate enough to record the things that they say and do so I can look back on it and laugh.  Some of it makes the blog and other smaller moments don't.  One of the brilliant things about Twitter is how it's the ultimate parenting "elevator speech", because you have to keep it short. Below are recent Tweets, conversations, parental musings and things that the minions have done or said over the past month, for your reading pleasure that haven't made it to the blog.

Image Courtesy of Giphy

1. M: What's a mime? J: Someone who doesn't talk, pretends to be in a box, and touches you - whether you like it or not. (7 year old definition of a #mime) #parenting #ThingsKidsSay

2. When you puke before taking the kids #BacktoSchool because you discover a surprise old (unidentifiable) camp snack in a backpack #parenting (no tears, just vomit) 3. Me: why are you fighting? J: she keeps touching me with her cucumber M (interrupting): by accident! #summerbreak #parenting

Image Courtesy of Tenor

4. Me: It's raining and I don't have a raincoat (grumble grumble). My daughter: It's raining which means I'm more likely to see a #rainbow today, YES!!! #parenting #perspective



5. J: Mom look, someone threw out a bunch of cotton candy! Me: Those are bags and bags of dirty diapers. J: Ew, that's disappointing. Me: Did you think I'd let you eat random garbage cotton candy? J: It was worth a shot. #parenting

Image Courtesy of Giphy

6. J: Is there a version of Romeo and Juliet, but with #robots who shoot birds? #parenting #ThingsKidsSay

7. M: What are you listening to? Me: #LeonardCohen M: He sounds like he's a ghost who is haunting me through his music. Can you turn it off? Me: No.  And I think he'd of enjoyed the idea of being a ghost haunting you through his music #parenting #musiceducation


8. M: So #pirates are half human and half what? Me: They're 100 percent human. M: You mean they don't have any super powers? Me: Nope. M: Well that's the most disappointing thing I've heard today. #parenting #ThingsKidsSay

To read more blogs featuring the wacky things my kids say as featured on twitter, follow me @Sarabethbug & click here, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, & here.

Family Fall Bucket List

We did really crummy on our summer bucket list, even though we had an amazing summer.  We're hoping this serves as additional motivation to really focus on getting to our list and enjoying the best the season has to offer, rain and all.  Our weekend proved that our little puppy loves to hike, so I imagine we'll be enjoying more autumn colours this year than we have in the past.

Here is our autumn bucket list.  Feel free to take any of our ideas to share with your family too.


Fall Family Bucket List

1. Get the dog trained
2. Fall tea party
3. Go to the giant pumpkin at Plant World
4. Go for five hikes
5. See hotel Transylvania 3
6. See Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom with a dinosaur themed dinner
7. Take an archery class (adults)
8. Have dinner at the new Robo Sushi restaurant
9. Mini golf with grandpa
10. Make Halloween themed baked goods

11. Make awesome Halloween costumes for the entire family
12. Participate in the post-Halloween pumpkin float
13. Have three autumn fire pits
14. Learn a new slow cooker recipe
15. Teach the kids to play Sushi Go (card game)
16. Have a food fight
17. Make a fall wreath for the front door
18. Watch our favourite Halloween specials

19. Go apple picking
20. Visit Downey's Farm
21. See the autumn leaves at Mount Pleasant Cemetery
22. Take the kids to Lego Land
23. Decorate the house for Halloween
24. Make an autumn soup
25. Visit the best Halloween decorations
26. Check out our areas semi-pro wrestling with the kids

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