Pumpkin Party 2016

Hey you! Remember when I said I’d share this year’s Pumpkin Party details with you? I thought I should probably do that sometime before Christmas, huh? Obviously, it’s been one hell of a week, but I’m ready to redirect my thoughts to something fun and get back to the blog already.

SO. Pumpkin Party 2016 was probably one of our most organized, relaxed and successful parties yet! And I have to say, it’s probably because I didn’t try to do all the things, and I wasn’t pushing people out of the way to photograph all the things, and I wasn’t running around like a mad woman executing all the things. Or getting frustrated when all the things weren’t going the way I envisioned them going. Which is a bittersweet thing: I had more fun with this year’s PP than I have in a while, BUuuut, I didn’t get many pictures. Wha Wha! Here’s what I managed to capture:

pumpkin party 2016

We opted to do a Candy Apple Bar (like this one), using the mini crock pot to warm (aka create molten nuclear hot) caramel for the kids to dip pre-cut apple slices in and then smother with a variety of candies and accoutrements. HUGE success for kids of all ages! As I mentioned, not many pictures this year, so use your imagination.

Our Costume Contest changed in 2016 from an “applaud your favorite costume” to “give your favorite character your sticker” voting system. It worked well, with Beauty and the Beast’s “Belle” collecting a cleavage full of stickers for the win! So many great costumes this year, though, oh my goodness! Want pictures? Ha! You’re cute.

We made chili for the first time in many years with this recipe. It was popular and I’m happy to report there weren’t many leftovers. My in-laws usually, very graciously, make the chili, but they needed a break, and we were happy to put it together. If you ask for pictures, I swear to God…

One of my favorite things was involving our older nieces and nephews in executing the kid’s games! They did such an awesome job getting all the other little gremlins together to play, and each winner got a dollar (HUGE score, BTW). The weekend after the party, I took these little helpers out for “coffee” to celebrate how grown-up and helpful they are! Here’s a picture already, sheesh!

Our ultimate favorite thing? Using the new kitchen space to entertain and seeing how our guests used the area. We heard so many compliments and good things about our choices, and it made me really appreciate all the time, effort and help we got from our contractor. I knew what my vision was as far as decorating, but he really helped us to eek out as much space as we could in an area that added just 5 more feet to our existing kitchen. It feels SO much bigger than that! Especially since people weren’t tripping over each other as in years past. Stay tuned for the details coming soon!

Here’s a creepy picture of our nieces to fill the photo quota of this here blog post:

That middle one? Couldn’t talk to her ALL NIGHT. *shuuuuudddder*

Let me know if you have any questions on games or food! And if you have any easy game ideas for kids, I could sure use some fresh ones for our Christmas party!