Tag Archives: pumpkins

Where You Can Chuck A Pumpkin Without Getting Arrested

Tis the season to chuck pumpkins. Unfamiliar with the sport? I was too until I saw an episode of Food Network’s All-American Festivals that spotlighted the wonders of pumpkins. For all you pumpkin-loving people who thought the orange fruit was only good for pies, breads, and to decorate your porch during the month of October—-think again. Each year thousands travel to various parts of the country to watch grown men (and in some cases women and small children) hurl the popular autumn fruit into the sky at speeds that exceed 300 mph using a 30,000-pound cannon. It’s called pumpkin chucking … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Carving Options

When I was little, carved pumpkins were called jack o’lanterns. I don’t hear that term too much anymore. Back then our jack o’lanterns had two triangle eyes, and upside down triangle for a nose, and a scraggly tooth grin. It must have been so hard to carve a pumpkin with a butcher knife. I’m sure that is why the teeth usually were repaired with toothpicks. Inside the jack o’lantern we put a stub of an old candle. Today pumpkin carvers have so many options. You can buy special pumpkin carving drills and tools. You can buy stencils, foam pumpkins, light … Continue reading →

Halloween or Harvest Décor Tips

Pumpkins are a big hit this time of year and people have come up with some really creative ways to use them. Probably the biggest concern, especially if the weather is still warm in your area, is how to make pumpkins last longer. The truth is you might have to replace them between now and Halloween although keeping them whole will make them last longer. By not carving your pumpkins just yet, you won’t have to worry about them decaying so soon. It’s also a good idea to place them where they get at least some shade during the day. … Continue reading →

Frugal Gardening: Can You Use Store Bought Produce for Seeds?

There is nothing more frugal than using what you have instead of buying new. That holds true for gardening, too. One of the great ways to save on gardening is to save seeds you already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Using store bought produce seeds can be done, especially if you are armed with some tips. Not all store bought produce will yield variable seeds. Some produce produced and bought in stores today is sterile due to commercial growing techniques. How does a seedless watermelon reproduce anyway? Your best success is probably with produce bought at local farm stands. … Continue reading →

This Week in Kid’s Crafts: Week ending Nov. 4th

I’m going to change the way I list the articles for each week. I’m going to start with Sunday and end on Saturday from here on out. Since I already covered Sunday in last week’s weekly rundown, I’ll start with Monday this time. Monday was October 30, and I was covering last minute ideas and costumes for Halloween, including the article More Easy Costumes with Sweats. This post covered simple and quick costumes to make from sweatpants, sweatshirts, and hoodies, along with a few other materials. Included were ideas for a pumpkin, tomato, apple, banana, and tree costume. On Tuesday, … Continue reading →

Textured Fall Decorations: Pumpkins and More

Have you seen all the different varieties of handmade paper? Many are quite beautiful. Handmade paper is great for making beautiful seasonal and holiday decorations. *Cardstock, or poster board covered in tissue paper or even fabric will also work well. You will need a good assortment of fall colored materials, glue, scissors, hole punch, ribbon, and corrugated yarn in coordinating colors. A stapler is optional, if preferred instead of glue. Start by lightly sketching the shapes of the vegetables you would like to make onto the paper. Draw a pumpkin, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, or anything else you … Continue reading →

Post Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

In a previous blog I provided tips on what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy. Well, how about those leftover Halloween pumpkins (not the ready carved jack-o’-lanterns—those will disintegrate on their own if you leave them out long enough). I’m talking about all those un-carved pumpkins that you just couldn’t resist purchasing in the days leading up to Halloween. (Two days before Halloween our local Wal-Mart was selling pumpkins for a dollar—today they are down to 50 cents.) Here are some tips that will allow you to take advantage of those cheap pumpkins, while adding a touch of … Continue reading →

Things That Make You Go Hmmm…

Advances in technology have given new hope to the seriously ill, the heartbroken, and now, the would-be mother. You may never look at your cellphone the same way again after reading what an ingenious Japanese tech-buff has created. Japan’s NTT DoCoMo used one woman’s idea to invent a new mobile phone that issues specific rings to let would-be mothers know when they’ve reach the most fertile part of their monthly reproductive cycles. What do you think about that? Here’s how it works. According the creators of the phone, all would-be mothers need to do is enter data on their menstruation … Continue reading →

Carving Pumpkins – Whose Idea WAS This?

I found myself wondering last night, as I was elbow-deep in pumpkin guts, who the heck invented the practice of pumpkin carving? My husband swears it had to be a pumpkin farmer. After all, who else would think of something that’s so, well…hard?! Let’s face it, it’s not an easy task. First you have to cut off the top. If you’re anything like me, you may have cut that top too small more than once, making the next step nearly impossible. Next, you have to reach your hand inside the pumpkin and attempt to pull out the seeds and “meat.” … Continue reading →

Halloween—On The Big Screen, The Small Screen and Somewhere In Between

Attention horror flick fans… get ready to indulge your taste for some serious gore this Halloween when the ultimate slasher film—the original “Halloween” movie– returns to theaters for the first time in 27 years. A digitally remastered, high-definition version of the 1978 film, which made Jamie Lee a household name, will play on October 30 and 31 in 150 movie houses. In addition, a new 20-minute bonus feature about “Halloween,” including interviews with original cast members and a look at the movie’s impact on pop culture, will precede the screening. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the cult … Continue reading →