Okay, everybody ~ here's the spook... er, I mean the scoop! If you don't have plans yet to throw together some of your own Halloween fun... this is it! If you are like me, you're the gal who says every year, "I freakin' want to become a fabulous hostess and throw great parties!" How about starting with this? Lucky for me, I have a wonderful friend who is a hostess PRO (take a bow, Lid!) We had this fabulously fun and creepy party just in time for Halloween ~ and now I am passing it onto you. Guurl, you gonna be da par-tay gal, and you don't even know it yet! What are you waiting for? We'll make it easy as pumpkin pie so you can pull this together this week!
By the way... I loved, LoVeD, LOVED the couple's costume contest last week, everybody! With time to decide dwindling, here's a few more ideas for some couple's costumes ~ courtesy of some of my awesome friends!
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| Peas in a Pod - ADORABLE! It can easily be made out of any green material. |
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| Little Bo Peep and her Sheep ~ This costume awards husbands 1 MILLION brownie points for being a good sport! |
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| Preggo HS couple - YEZ, this tummy IS part of the costume! Naughty! |
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| The Obamas - CLASSIC! |
A Halloween party of course screams, "COSTUMES!" So tell your guests that costumes are mandatory and yes, there will be a contest. No need to get a fancy basket adorned with ribbons and dangling spiders (although if you do, that ROCKS!) Just grab a sweet ol' brown lunch sack, cut some paper strips to vote on, and VIOLA! I told you... easy!
Never underestimate a dollar store or a seasonal party store for a quick and inexpensive prize. Helllooo... Halloween is majorly about CaNdY anyway, right? Add a little cellophane, which turns anything fancy, and you got yourself a 1st place prize! *Clap, clap, clap!*
Doesn't this one look festive? Or
this totally darling mummy candy bar would be a perfect prize too!
DEVILISH DELIGHTS
Perhaps the biggest secret to a great party?? Drum roll... FOOD! {Wow, that was amazing! Did you see all the husbands across the world just start nodding?} You can easily ask your guests to each bring one item to snack on. Suggest they choose anything with Halloween colors like orange, green, red and black. TIP: The more guests you invite = the more food that shows up! Hahaha, your guest list just doubled, didn't it!?
Super Simple Ideas
Yezzz, the first few are all chip variations as we're going for some easy and stress free ideas to choose from ~ Yay!
#1 ~ Chips and Salsa
and/or
#2 ~ Chips and Queso
#3 ~ Mr. Seven Layer Dip Pumpkin
(Just throw on remaining toppings to even it out once it's time to eat.)
Recipe at a glance: layer refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, more cheese, tomatoes, olives, and green onions
#4 ~ French Onion (or your favorite dip) with orange food coloring
#5 ~ Sweet Poppyseed Spinach Salad (5 Stars)
Recipe at a glance: Spinach, mandarin oranges, craisins, mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and your favorite poppyseed dressing
#6 ~ Witch's Root Beer Brew
1 bottle (2 oz.) root beer extract, 6 cups sugar (woah!), 3 1/3 gallons cold water, and 4 pounds dry ice (Please remember to handle ice with gloves!)
Still need more ideas? Well, if you happened to miss
this and
especially this awesome post, check it out for tons more freakishly impressive and "spooktacular" dish ideas from Kari!
By the way, I think the little details like this adorable place setting make a huge difference! What? What was that? Would I like to wipe my mouth with this darling skeleton? Why, thank you! Yes I would!
Once again, try visiting that old friend - Mr. Dollar Store.
Ahhh, that was DeLiCiOuS, and now that you're stuffed... let the games begin!
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The Game of CLUE
Dude, I'm betting we all played CLUE growing up... remember "Mrs. Scarlet killed Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory with the candlestick?" You pick up information along the way that leads you to knowing 4 things: The VICTIM, the MURDERER, the WEAPON, and the SCENE OF THE CRIME. This is a fantastic human variation of CLUE for you! You can modify any step to fit your surrounding area or items you may just have on hand. The following is how we did it...
#1 ~ Prepare the "ANSWERS"
You can either have enough answers for each team to actually take one with them (which indicates to other teams whether their competitors have already reached that clue) or have one answer for everyone to just view and leave for the others. You could have someone snap a pic of each answer to prove they found it if you're the really competitive!
For the VICTIM: We had an actual plum signifying Professor Plum.
For the MURDERER: We had a paper green plate that said "Mr. Green".
(You can use anything green - a titled strip of green paper is super easy!)
For the SCENE OF THE CRIME: We had "Garden" written on a strip of paper.
(The milk jug container is perfect to hold the piece of paper so it doesn't just blow away. But again - anything can go here! You could have a toilet bowl scrubber from the Dollar Store labeled "Bathroom" as your scene of the crime, LOL!)
For the WEAPON: We did a knife and did NOT physically have one present, but rather we followed the clue to the cutlery section at the store - you'll see.
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#2 ~ Easily print these CLUES and set up your CLUE DESTINATIONS (I just slapped the clues onto some colored scrapbook paper... Yeah, apparently I'm old-fashioned!)
Don't worry! These are pretty dang generic so you can pretty much choose any locations convenient for your group! Go
here to get your download on!
The VICTIM CLUE: There is a spot for you to fill in an address along with a landmark at that address to find your "answer." You ready for this? We did the address of the local cemetery (bwaah haa ha!) and then found the Pioneer Monument huge stone thingy {I'm such a girl} inside the cemetery. Slightly hidden, but still visible nearby was a floating helium balloon tied to the plum.
If you wanted to use a friend's house address, you could have the landmark be their car or garbage can... anything works!
A little somethin' like this
Summary ~ you will (at the least) need:
1. One helium balloon
2. A "Professor" Plum
(It doesn't HAVE to be Professor Plum - you can also choose from Miss Scarlet, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard or Mr. Green as long as the murderer is someone different!)
The MURDERER CLUE: This location just has one spot for an address. Choose any friend's house who has a person there willing to assist in the game for a few minutes. {LOL} The clue indicates that everyone must knock on the door, which also tells the person in the house that it's you guys at the door. There are several options: you can have them open the door with a freakishly scary mask and give the answer or let the door slowly swing open to a dark empty entryway, then the person jumps out and scares the group! Or even better, have the porch light off and your helper quickly sneak out the back door and around to scare the group from behind them at the front door then give the clue!
(We did this clue differently at a gas station, but I don't necessarily recommend soliciting the help of strangers anywhere but in Utah County, LOL)
Summary ~ you will need:
1. A friend at the location to assist by giving the answer.
2. The answer itself of the Murderer's name.
The SCENE OF THE CRIME CLUE: This clue led us to the local elementary school playground. The clue requires you write the closest cross streets to your destination [the school], the direction [the school] is from there, then the purpose description of [the school playground] like "Recess Heaven" or any clever description to fit your spot.
Summary ~ you will need:
1. An eerie glow to have by the clue - glow sticks or those kids' glow necklaces (Dollar Store!)
2. The answer itself (with optional container so it doesn't blow away)
The WEAPON CLUE: This destination is going to be any store that already carries your choice of weapon. Walmart, Target or perhaps even Walgreens are almost sure bets.
FYI: The weapons used in the original CLUE game are a rope, knife, candlestick, revolver, and lead pipe (Seriously? Ouch!) Or why not choose your own weapon... like a pillow! LOL.
For our clue of a knife, I would stand in front of the knives/cutlery selection in housewares, count how many steps it takes me to get to the next main aisle, note which direction I turn, then continue to count how many steps and turns it takes me along my choice route to the entrance I want the group to come in. Remember that when you fill in the blanks on the clue, write the direction they will turn coming from the entrance, NOT the directions you turned coming backwards from the answer while preparing. You may not necessarily need to fill in all the blanks on this one.
"Like, what weapon? I don't see any.... OH!!"
Other DEETS
- Depending on your guests, you might have several groups or have each couple compete against every other couple or just divide like we did into two simple groups - Guys vs. Gals! Make sure to have enough sets of clues printed for as many groups.
- Ask each couple to bring a flashlight!! This is "uber importante" as it WILL BE DARK!
- We played that each team could use a "lifeline" and call the hostess once if they were seriously stuck. We had no required clue order to follow, but with more groups, I would assign an order so they all don't end up at the same places at the same time.
- It doesn't hurt to have a prize for the winning team!
- The hostess (that's you and yo bad self) can go along, but you already know all the answers - so no cheating! Otherwise, you can stay home and get ready for the second activity.
Have fun!
Tag Team Donut Race
After you get back and the guys finish rubbing it in your face that they won... waaaiit a sec... that was just at our party... grab your honey and get ready to chow down a donut! Yep, you heard me. Rules? No hands, devour your donut as fast as possible, tag your man into your chair so he can eat his donut the same way, and obviously the first couple done WINS! Seriously, how often do you get to watch your sweetie (let alone your friends) go to freakin' TOWN on a donut?
Hmm... maybe don't answer that.
(Don't underestimate the power of this little cheerleader! She is awesome ~ they totally won!)
If you've got a sweeeet group of friends to invite, just face it... you ARE freakin' gonna have fun! Heehehe. Seriously, look at this pic - could we be CHEESIN' any more than this?!
There's nothing like making your man laugh... I LOVE it!
Alrighty! *bum slap!* You ready? Get to it!
Happy Halloween, fellow DIVAS!
