A Beautiful Mess

Episode #203: Our Autumn Bucket Lists

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:44:50 +0200

Fall is in the air so today we are going over our Autumn bucket lists. We have everything from rooms we want to decorate, food we want to make, and things we want to do with our kids.

46 minutes, 50 seconds

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Show Notes:

Download your Autumn Bucket list here and learn more about using it here.

Elsie’s Autumn Bucket list:

Decorate a little bit every day for Halloween

Have a Halloween party

Host Thanksgiving (Check out Elsie’s Oatmeal Cookie Shots)

Watch Halloween movies (top adult horror movies and top kid spooky movies- The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Spookley The Square Pumpkin for toddlers).

Keep up with her spooky free little library

Have a pie day (Check out Laura’s Apple Tart, Pumpkin Pie with Cheesecake Swirl, and our other pie recipes)

Get a Halloween manicure

Make the giant spider house decoration

Create a pumpkin fence

Emma’s Autumn Bucket list:

Host a clothing exchange (already done)

Have a kids baking party (already done)

Costa Rica trip

Publish Handmade Murder

Paint the library and sunroom (put picture of Emma’s headboard from Harry Potter house)

Halloween costumes

Be a wedding photographer for a day

Do a soup night

Do her own Halloween manicure

Potty train (Follow @biglittlefeelings on Instagram to check out their potty training course)

Put more dinners in her dinner rotation (Check out Emma’s Stuffed Peppers recipe)

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Episode 203 Transcript:

Emma: You’re listening to the Beautiful Mess Podcast, your cozy comfort listen. Fall is in the air, so today we are going over our autumn bucket list. Woo hoo! I always love doing the bucket lists, so I hope listeners do, too, because I love them.

Elsie: I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t like it. I think everyone loves it. I’m pretty sure. I’m pretty sure it is gonna be a winner and I think it’s just like such a fun thing because it makes me sit down and plan, you know, and think about the season and I hope that it makes our listeners do the same thing. Yeah. So we will put in the show notes a link to the printables that we always have. You don’t need it. You can just make a list on any piece of paper, but I know sometimes it’s fun to have a cute printable and you can put it on your fridge.

Emma: Yeah, I keep mine on my bulletin board and it just says the colors of fall and it’s fun. But you can also just make it on a piece of paper, it doesn’t matter.

Elsie: Yes! Okay, so before we jump in, I wanted to share something cute that happened that is bringing me joy recently when we moved here this summer, one of my main goals was to spend more time with family it’s kind of the whole reason why we moved here and my mom had like told me I’ll come over to your house and we’ll paint together and I thought it’s really cute but I wasn’t like sure if she would really do it or like how often, but she seemed pretty serious. So the other day it finally happened. She just randomly texted me and she was like, can I come over tomorrow and paint with you the whole day? And I was like, yeah, we can do it on Friday. And she came over and we painted together almost the whole day. And we talked about our goals, and we talked about, like, she was trying to discover a new painting style, and I’ve been doing the same thing, and it was just, like, such a nice, wonderful day. It was one of those moments, like, full circle, that made moving here make sense, and that and, like, being with our grandma all the freaking time. And we started doing like a little Sunday morning with Oscar like a little cousin hang.

Emma: Essentially, I’m bored, and I’m like, can we come over? And he loves it. He calls it Goldie’s house. I don’t know why, because he loves Nova, and he plays with Nova more. But yeah, this is Goldie’s house. So, can I go to Goldie’s house? And I’m like, if it’s Sunday, yeah, we’re going. Anyway, it’s cute.

Elsie: It makes me feel like the point of why we moved here is, like, all happening, it all feels worth it, and the payoff is, like, over and over and over again, so it’s sort of just, like, a consistent reminder of, like, why we’re here. And, you know, it worked. It’s good. We’re spending more time with our family. And it’s beautiful.

Emma: I love hanging out with Mom, too, because, I mean, she’s just like the most joyful person. But also, she’s a real storyteller. So, it’s like, I get more stories about, like, our Grandma Karina or, like, you know, just random stories from like her childhood growing up on the farm or like stories from our childhood that like I was too young to really remember. Yeah. And maybe we don’t have a photo of it, so I haven’t heard the story yet, but there’s like tons, you know, and then it makes me think about like one day Oscar won’t remember like all of this, but I have like all these random little stories of like we used to do this all the time, you know what I mean? I don’t know, so it’s fun to, like, kind of get those out of Mom when you’re hanging out, and she’s, like, a great storyteller. She loves telling stories. So, anyway, it’s fun. It’s very fun.

Elsie: It’s magical, yeah. Ah, it’s like the best of the best. Okay, so we are going to go back and forth. We each have 10 things that we want to do for our autumn bucket list, and I think I’ll probably really do all 10 of these. Mine are not very aspirate. Oh, it looks like I forgot one.

Emma: I think I have more than 10, but I’m like going to combine some. Anyway, we’re just going to go back and forth and whatever, you know, you get it.

Elsie: The number is not important.

Emma: It really isn’t because you can put whatever you want on the list. Okay, so one thing that I’ve already done, is because I have a few things highlighted already, because my method is, instead of checking the box, I like to highlight it. I just visually, it’s like bigger, and I just prefer that. Anyway, so a couple of things I’ve already done, because I was trying to do some things before our trip, which I mentioned in our last episode. I already hosted a clothing exchange with a bunch of my friends from my book club and then I called it my kid’s baking party. But it was like my nieces and one other little gal. And I talked about both these things a little bit in our episode about hosting, like hosting parties. They were both just really fun and it was a great time. It was really fun to hang out with the kids and, like, do some baking and, like, I think I really impressed the girls with my unicorn ice cream, too, which was just a bonus. And then the clothing exchange, it was the first time I’d hosted it at my house with Oscar there. Like, he’s asleep upstairs. So I ended up setting up a space in our basement, which is the least decorated area of our whole home. But I, like, put all these blankets on the floor and I put a coffee table down there that had the cheese plate and, like, a little dessert board and I put all these pillows on the floor. So it was, like a sit-on-the-floor hangout zone, which I’ve never done before. I had this really, maybe too-strong pumpkin candle burning. But it was good vibes, and

Elsie: I kind of think that all pumpkin candles are too strong once they start going, but I like it.

Emma: I had it upstairs before, and I feel like it was just getting more spread out. And then when I put it in the basement, our basement isn’t necessarily small, but it’s also not, like, huge. So I feel like all of a sudden I was like, oh, it’s yeah, this is very strong. Like, it still smells like pumpkin down there. And now it was like two weeks ago. That’s funny. So maybe it was too much. Whoops. But anyway, that was really fun. And those were things I really wanted to do this season because they just feel like. It’s not that they’re even necessarily fall-related per se, but I can be such an introvert, so I like to put things on my bucket list that are like, remember to host your friends, you like that, you just will forget and stay home and watch movies and be an introvert if you don’t ever make goals. So, anyway.

Elsie: Oh, yeah, I love that. The cookie party was such a big success. My kids loved it so much, and Emma got them each a cookbook. It was just adorable. Okay, so my first one is, so we’re living in a new home this year, which we kind of have been every year.

Emma: Story of her life.

Elsie: But this is the last time that we’re living in a new home.

Emma: Maybe when you die we should put you in a different grave every two to three years, like move you. So, you’re always moving. This is a Halloween time. I’m just like, on the Halloween train. Okay, forget it.

Elsie: Yeah. No, I’m just gonna pretend you didn’t say that. Okay. So, one of, my first goals is, this year since it’s our first year in our new home, the last home it was really hard for me to decorate for Halloween, for some reason. It was so big, and the more I renovated, the easier it got. But it was like, the first year in it, I did not do a good job. I did a good job on the front porch and that was it. So anyway, this home, it’s like really, really, really easy to decorate. And I’m going like, crazy. I’m loving it. I’m having so much fun. And so, my strategy has been that I decorate. I do one thing a day, and I’ve been decorating now for, like, a week, and I’ll probably do, like, another week or two of just each day I’ll spend like 30 minutes or something like that because I don’t really have time other than that and it’s like also kind of fun this way. I think it’s like enjoyable to like do a little area and then you feel good, and for me, it’s like I feel really productive when I do things like that and it gives me a good mood. So yesterday I did the Harry Potter candles. Today, I was telling Emma tonight, I’m planning to do our Halloween Christmas tree.

Emma: Black Christmas tree.

Elsie: A black Christmas tree. I mean, it’s like a black Halloween tree, but. I can’t call it a Christmas tree because it is a Christmas tree. Anyway, I’m just decorating for Halloween way more than usual. That’s my first one.

Emma: I love it. So another one is my Costa Rica trip, which I talked a little bit about in our last episode, and by the time you’re hearing this episode, I will be there. It will be kind of the tail end like I’ll be wrapping up, but we won’t be home yet because obviously, we had to record this before I leave. Yeah, so that’s on the list. That’s been on my list for a while. We kind of thought it would happen in the summer, so it got moved to the autumn bucket list. But it’s happening and it’s exciting and it’s not really autumn, it’ll actually be like the end of their rainy season there, which is the end of their winter quote unquote, it’s not really winter, but it’s rainy season. So it’ll be like just starting their summer season, essentially. So it’s kind of the opposite of this. Anyway, but I’m excited for a change of pace and a little adventure with my family and to show a giant sandbox to my son, aka the beach.

Elsie: Oh, that’s perfect. Okay, my goal for October is to have a Halloween party and I decided that I’m going to have like my Halloween Housewarming party. Yeah, so it’s just like a housewarming party, but also you get to see my Halloween decorations Because we’ve been renovating since the day we moved here. We’ve actually been renovating since like Last February. And it has been a long and tiring road, and now we’re like to our last few steps. And I’m telling my wallpaper people, that it absolutely must be done before my Halloween party, and that’s sort of like my end game. I’m trying so hard. I still have like a month, and I wanted to have a housewarming party cause I never had one before and I always regretted it. I think it’s hard when you first move into a house to feel ready to have a party right away, but I think it’s a good thing. to do what I want to do, so I’m going to try this time.

Emma: I love it because, one your house, like, is really put together. I know you have more goals for it in the future and all that, and that’s great, but it does feel very put together. But I actually like seeing people’s houses earlier in their process, and then you get to see what their house looks like years later, if you stay friends with them, I guess. So, I like to see it earlier on. I think it’s fun. It never makes me feel like, oh, your house isn’t done. You shouldn’t have let anyone come in. Like, I never feel that way.

Elsie: No one ever thinks that about someone else’s house. It’s just something we all think about our own houses especially if you’re a person who likes to renovate. It’s so hard to not be like, when I do this when I do this, when I do this, but I definitely agree with the idea that you shouldn’t put off hosting or having people over or kind of anything fun until your renovation’s over because it might never be over. That’s what I learned from my last home because we moved and it was never over. You know, we were always renovating the whole time we lived there.

Emma: Well, I’m excited to attend.

Elsie: Thank you.

Emma: Very excited to attend. Okay, the next thing on my bucket list is to publish Handmade Murder. Woohoo! My novel. My murder novel.

Elsie: Everyone is cheering. Everyone is so excited.

Emma: So I’ve got it proofread, and I’ve had a lot of editorial notes from first readers, as well as my proofreader. And right now it’s being laid out, and the cover is being finalized. I did do the thing where I let people vote on Instagram, and we went with the one that got the most votes. So that’s going to be the cover.

Elsie: Cool! Which one was it?

Emma: It was the maroon collage one.

Elsie: Ooh, I love that one.

Emma: If you saw it, you probably know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, you will see it.

Elsie: Was that my favorite one? I think it was.

Emma: It was your favorite one.

Elsie: Nice.

Emma: Yeah, it was my favorite one, too. So it really worked out. I don’t know if I swayed people somehow. I don’t think I did. Maybe I did. I don’t know.

Elsie: I think it was clearly the best one.

Emma: I think it was the best one. I mean, it was my favorite. Anyway, it’s very in progress and it feels like it is gonna come out in October, like be available on Amazon. Oh, I don’t know exactly when. So, when I do know, I will let people know as much as I can. I also am planning to, as part of my marketing for this, is I would like to read the first chapter in a podcast episode so that you’ll get a little taste. And I think the first chapter is a great taste of the book. So anyway, when it’s available, I will have an episode where we do that. It might even be after Halloween, though, because we’ve got to get our ghost stories in. But it’s also kind of a spooky book, there’s murder. So it’s got those vibes in it. So maybe it’ll be before Halloween. Who knows? I will say I am planning to do an audio version that will not come out at the same time because I’m self-publishing for the first time and I’m learning a lot of new things. So it will not come out at the same time, but I am hopeful that it may come out before Christmas, so we’ll see.

Elsie: Amazing. Well, I’m going to buy so many copies and I know everyone has seen my whole free little library is going to have them like every day. We’re going to celebrate. It’s going to be great.

Emma: My plan for like, just kind of for fun. I guess it’s a little bit of marketing because I’ll show it on Instagram. But mostly it’s for fun. I want to take the collage pieces from the cover of the book. And kind of like use them to make a collage onto the outside of champagne bottles, like mini ones and a big one. And I’m going to open the champagne on my publication day for myself. And then the little bottles I was going to give to some of my first readers and my proofreader and my designers who laid out the book. And you know, so you’ll get one. So that’s my goal. Hopefully, I’ll have enough time. I think I will. But that’s just like in my mind something random I wanted to do to celebrate. Make a weird craft.

Elsie: I love a weird craft. Yeah. And you know, I won’t say it because it’s in the plot, but you know what I think you should put, and you know what I think you should give people as gifts?

Emma: I know.

Elsie: Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. After you read Emma’s book, there’s one household item that you will never think of the same ever, ever ever.

Emma: You may not want to use it again.

Elsie: Yeah. I won’t. I won’t. I can’t wait till we can talk about this openly when people have had a chance to read it. It’s going to be so fun. Yay! Yeah, we’ll have to do a celebration episode, and I know everyone’s cheering you on. It’s so exciting.

Emma: Yeah, I’m excited. I’m also nervous, but I’m just happy to be moving forward on a goal of mine. And whatever the results are, I can’t control that, but it is on my list to publish it. So I can control that. So I will move forward.

Elsie: Yeah, that’s the move. I like it. My next one is, I’m going to host Thanksgiving this year. And yeah, I am so excited. Actually, we haven’t even told our mom yet.

Emma: I was like, did you tell mom? I guess she’ll hear this.

Elsie: I guess she’ll hear this. But yeah, Emma, for some reason, didn’t want to host Thanksgiving, and she was like, would you want to? And I was like, I really want to, very badly, and it’s like really important, and I was going to ask, I was going to beg. So, I’m so excited. I am going to really decorate for it. I think it’s like making a kid’s table, all the things. It’s gonna be amazing. So yeah, I want to make Thanksgiving a very magical, like, you know, just like put a lot into it. I think it’s fun to like go all out for things like that. When we lived in Tennessee, we did Trader Joe’s Thanksgiving. So pretty much we bought every single, you know, they have sides. They have a ton of sides that are kind of like almost already made. And then they had this like turkey thing that was kind of like pastry thing, and that’s what we did. And it was fun, but you know, it was always a little bit sad. So, this will be really, really good. And I’m excited. Oh yeah, and the last thing I wanted to say is, I will link this in the show notes, but I just wrote a recipe for oatmeal cookie shots, and it is the Thanksgiving shot, to just make everyone just one for like, either your dessert or for like the beginning of the meal as like a cheer. I think it’s so fun, and it’s a really delicious shot. Like, there’s kind of like No one who wouldn’t like it.

Emma: Maybe we could make oatmeal cookies and the kids could have a cookie to cheer with us.

Elsie: Yeah. I should make them little cups of chocolate milk.

Emma: Yeah, I was like, could just be milk with a little bit of cinnamon in it or something. It’s like, here you go.

Elsie: In our household, there’s a thing called kids wine, which is Martinelli’s, and my kids are obsessed with it, and they ask for it all the time. So, and sometimes if I don’t have it, I just mix, like, whatever I have in my fridge, like, a little bit of La Croix and cranberry juices, and that works, too. But yeah, kids wine forever.

Emma: Goldie always asks me for kids’ wine, and I just am like, here’s some juice with La Croix. Here you go. You know, they just like it. It’s fun.

Elsie: Yes. It’s special, with a special glass.

Emma: I’m excited because I love hosting, but I honestly just love cooking. And so I’m happy to just cook a bunch and bring it somewhere. It doesn’t really make a big difference to me where we have it. So it won’t be really fun to have it in your house since it’s your first year here, but I’m still cooking a lot. So. Oh yeah. Okay. Speaking of house stuff, something on my list is I have this little room off of our main bedroom. Used to be, that the previous owner had a little sewing machine in there. I think it was her little sewing nook. Anyway, I’ve turned it into a little tiny library because there is another closet, so we didn’t really need a second closet or anything. So anyway, I turned it into a little library and my goal is to paint that library. And I also, the way the bookshelves are, my husband installed them for me for my birthday last year, but they cover like half the wall. And so I was going to do something where some of the books are flying off the shelf and like they’re kind of open. We did like a headboard look in my Harry Potter house, my Florida house. So I could link that in the show notes, but it’ll be something kind of like that where the books are open and they’re flying off the shelf. I want to just make it like our house is very Modern and eclectic, I guess I would, I don’t really know what to call it, but it’s pretty plain and I like that. Trey and I both kind of like minimal, but my office has this crazy wallpaper in it, and then I want this little tiny library to be a little bit whimsical, which is kind of different from the rest of our house. Just something fun. I just like, you know, weird stuff sometimes. And then I also am going to try to paint our sunroom. We have this like, sun room that we didn’t renovate at all, and it’s not climate controlled, so it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter, so we’re not really using it all that much. Our dogs, like, food and bowls are in there, and like, when you go in the backyard, you walk in through this tiled room. It’s kind of nice because especially since we’ve done a lot of sandboxing this past summer, it’s like an area where the tile floor gets a lot of sand on it, and I can just Sweep that up, and it’s really easy. So it’s been nice, but it doesn’t have a vibe at all. We didn’t do anything to it. So I’m at least going to paint it the same color as our dining room. And I kind of like, in my mind, my goal is I’d like to like, buy a little sauna and put it in there. Just one that you like, plug it in, like you buy them at like, Home Depot or Lowe’s. Not really necessarily anything super fancy, but I’m just not sure we’re ever going to get a hot tub. It’s just, I don’t know if it’s in the cards for this house.

Elsie: You can come to my hot tub.

Emma: Yeah, so I’m like, and I have some other friends that we go to their hot tub sometimes, so I’m kind of like, you know, I think a sauna would be nice, and this room, I don’t know what else to do with this room, because like I said, it’s not climate controlled, so there are big parts of the year, because of our four seasons, where you can’t really do anything with it. So anyway, that’s what I’m kind of planning. So just trying to give it a little bit of a vibe for now. So I have some painting goals. These are just things I’m going to paint in the evening while I listen to podcasts or whatever.

Elsie: Nice. I think that that room is so cute. That’ll be fun to work on.

Emma: Yeah. Then I’ll feel like the inside of the house is pretty much done ish. You know, it’s never really done, but you know.

Elsie: Sometimes, like, the smallest things can make this big, huge difference. So I think just keep going, you know, on little things.

Emma: Yeah, just little things. Yeah. So that’s on my list.

Elsie: Cool. Okay, so every fall we do horror movie season, and this is one of my favorite things to do with my husband. It’s like our special thing, and then we also obviously watch kids’ Halloween movies as well. Yeah, so I will put the lists on the show notes of sort of like my top favorite adult horror movies and kids’ spooky movies. Some of them were like really little kid movies. Yeah, they’re so fun, and we do it every year. We like to try to find new, my favorite era is the ’60s and ’70s horror movies. So every year we find a couple, like, that we never watched before, and it hasn’t failed us yet. So I’m surprised we can still, like, keep finding them. And then I also usually do some re-watching of my favorites each year. And I don’t watch them all every year, but, like, it’s kind of like a cycle, you know what I mean? So there’s always, like, one you haven’t seen in a while. And I always watch my favorite.

Emma: And I am scared of horror movies.

Elsie: Ha ha ha.

Emma: Okay. Another thing on my autumn bucket list is Halloween costumes. We’re still in the era where we’re obviously doing family Halloween costumes and I get to pick because Oscar isn’t really at an age where he has ideas.

Elsie: Enjoy it while it lasts. Oh my gosh.

Emma: Yeah. And when he does that sounds great to me too, but anyway, so what we’re doing this year is we’re gonna do a family Curious George because Oscar loves Curious George. He calls it Monkey. If he wants to watch it, he’s, like, monkey and he has a lot of Curious George books we read. So he’s gonna be a monkey. I already got his outfit and we tried it on because it looked kind of big but then he tried it on and it fit and I was like, oh no. Anyway, so it’s very cute. It looks pretty warm because sometimes Halloween is, like, very cold and sometimes it’s mild. I don’t know what it’ll be this year but he has his little monkey outfit. He really likes it. I can tell he feels comfortable in it and, like, he’s not going to be, like, I don’t want to wear this, he’s good. And Trey’s going to be the man with the yellow hat, and I was debating if I was going to be another man with the yellow hat, because basically I have a yellow jumpsuit, my big, bug breast jumpsuit, and I was like, that would be perfect. But I think I’m going to be a banana, because I just feel like it’s cute and funny, and I think Oscar will think it’s kind of funny if I’m a nana, cause that’s what he calls bananas, Nana. I want a Nana. He loves bananas. He’ll go through phases where he’ll eat tons of them, and then he’ll have a week where he eats none. You know how it is with toddlers. But, so I just feel like that’s the move, so I’m just gonna get like a banana outfit off Amazon or whatever, like spirit Halloween, whatever, and wear that, and I think it’ll be a funny little Halloween outfit for the family. So anyway, that’s what we’re doing for Trick or Treating.

Elsie: Fun. Okay. My next thing is I am working on keeping up my Spooky free little library. So at our pink house just because it’s like a better walking street, we put the free little library and we painted it pink to match. I’ll put a picture in the show notes It’s my favorite I just love it so much.

Emma: It’s well stocked. It always has good stuff in it.

Elsie: Yeah. And other people have been contributing spooky books, too, so it’s not just my books. It is such a, like, yesterday there was a candle in there. Like it is, it’s getting kind of weird, but I love it. So yeah, I’ve been ordering a ton of extra thrift books, just like my favorite books, used copies, and then putting them in there and just like kind of keeping it going all the time. So I will keep doing that. I think it’s just fun to kind of go along with the season. And so yesterday I saw a copy of Magic Lessons in there and I thought that was so cool.

Emma: I didn’t know if you put it in there. I was like, because I went over to see grandma again and I was like, Magic Lessons?

Elsie: Can you believe it?

Emma: I know. So on my list for this autumn is I’m going to be a wedding photographer. I put this on the list because it’s something I’m doing. Yeah, it’s just kind of different. So some friends of mine are getting married and they asked if I would take the photos at their wedding and I was thrilled to do It but I will say I haven’t done wedding photos in a very long time like almost two decades, that’s how old I am. So yeah, I’m pretty nervous about it every now and again, you know, people know that I do photography. I take pictures of food every single week, sometimes every day, depending on what we’re doing. But like, I take photos for work a lot, but it’s mostly food photography and then a little bit of crafts and things, which is very different from taking portraits of people. Yes, you still use a camera and you have to know how to set a camera, but it’s a very different skill. So, I always get nervous when people ask me to do some portraits because I want to do a good job. You know, and a wedding is like, you know, obviously I want to do a really good job, and these are good friends of mine, so I’m very nervous about it. They’re, like, the sweetest, funniest people, so I know they’ll be happy. It’s just I’m putting a lot of pressure on it. But I’ve definitely, like, already, like, on Pinterest, like, looking at wedding photos and thinking about, like, because I haven’t thought through, like, a shot list.

Elsie: She’s gonna do amazing.

Emma: Like, it used to be, like, second nature back when we were wedding photographers. You’re like, you gotta get this moment, this moment, this moment, and all of a sudden I’m like, Oh yeah, what happens at a wedding? I haven’t even been to a wedding in a while. So I’m like, okay, remember, pay attention at these parts because you want to get these special moments if you can, you know, they’re not going to be upset or anything if I miss something. They haven’t like giving me a list or anything. I’m just putting a lot of pressure on it because I’m a psycho and I don’t usually do portrait photos. So I’m nervous, but it’s going to be great and it’s going to be fun. They’re getting married on the beach. So it’s going to be a wonderful time and I’m excited to do it.

Elsie: Cool. Okay. I want to do probably like some time, a day or two before Thanksgiving, pie day. Like pies all day. I usually do cookies and that’s really important to me as well. But this year I thought it would be fun to make like, I don’t know, maybe five different kinds of pies. Just like go for it, you know?

Emma: Can we do cobblers too? Or do you just want to do pies like cute tops?

Elsie: No, we can do cobblers.

Emma: I’m just curious.

Elsie: Yeah. I think I wanted to make the apple tart that Laura just made for the blog, because it’s really beautiful. So yeah, I’ll link a bunch of the pies from our blog in the show notes, but there’s this pumpkin pie with cheesecake swirl that like, I’ve made that a bunch of times. It’s kind of hard to get the swirl looking as good as your pictures, but it is so delicious.

Emma: I have food photography skills.

Elsie: I think I made it like cupcakes once too, you know, like minis or whatever.

Emma: It’s a little bit thinner than a classic pumpkin pie, which I like. And then the cheesecake swirl in it just kind of gives it a different dimension because I love classic pumpkin pie. But this is the one that I tend to gravitate towards, not just because it’s on our blog. I just feel like it’s a good mix. You know what I mean? I don’t know. It’s more balanced, I guess.

Elsie: Yeah, I agree. Yeah, that’ll be fun. I thought maybe it could be a new tradition with the girls, too. I also really like, you know, making the little, like, pop tarts or hand pies, you know, it’s just like, that’s really cute with kids because you can just use cookie cutters and it’s fun.

Emma: Yeah, and you use puff pastry and it’s just easy and fun. Yeah. No, I love that. Well, on the food note, I want to do a soup night. We’ve talked about this before. I like to have friends over and have a soup night. Honestly, I’m probably going to have two because I want to have one with you and Jackie and maybe a few friends. And then I thought I would have one with this other group of friends I have. Maybe we’ll combine it, but I just have a feeling everyone’s schedule probably won’t line up. So I feel like it’s going to end up being two, but who knows? But anyway, I love to have friends over and make a few different soups at least, depending on how big the group is, but at least two. At least two soups and you watch a movie, so you can wear your pajamas, I will.

Elsie: I love it.

Emma: Yeah, so that’s the plan. Gotta have a soup night, it’s soup season.

Elsie: However many soup nights you have, I’ll be there. That sounds fun. Okay, I want to get a Halloween manicure. I can’t believe I haven’t done it yet.

Emma: This is on my list, too. I’m going to do it at home, though.

Elsie: Oh, okay.

Emma: Because I just got this, like, LED.

Elsie: Not me. I’m going to go to the place.

Emma: Yours will be better.

Elsie: Yeah. I’m excited, though. I mean, I do want to get just, like, black French tips for my first one, and then when it’s a little closer to Halloween, I think I’ll do more like something really Halloweeny.

Emma: Yeah, because there’s, like, kind of more subtle Halloween manicures, and then there’s some that are like, whoa, the day after Halloween, you’re gonna be like, oh, I gotta get these off, you know? They’re, like, all the way to Halloween.

Elsie: It’s not something I’ve been able to, like, maintain where I always have cute nails, but I would like to it’s definitely like something that brings me joy.

Emma: I love it So another thing on my list, it’s not necessarily autumn, but it’s like a goal slash I’m putting it on there so that I can mark it off because I will be proud when I do the work of it, is we are gonna potty train! Oscar is just at an age where he’s interested. He’s in the age range where it’s a good fit. They have a good setup at his daycare, so once we kind of get things in place, they can help me follow through while he’s there. So yeah, it feels like the right time. He just seems like he’s kind of ready. I’ve only been putting it off because of our trip because I wanted to be very consistent right at first because I don’t think it’s fair to him to expect him to learn something new and then change it up on him. So I wanted to be very consistent, so we were waiting until after that. And I decided to take this course, it was an Instagram account that I’ve kind of casually followed for a little bit called Big Little Feelings. Have you ever seen them? I don’t know them, but I really like their account. It has a lot of encouraging parenting tips, and they had a potty training course and I’ve been taking it, and I really liked it. I think I checked into a different course, or a different book, it’s very famous, but I didn’t love the vibe of it. It felt a little condescending at parts, and it just wasn’t a good fit for me. So, I was looking for something else, and I’m the type of personality, by the way, you don’t need a course or a book to potty train, but I am personality, I like to research something and have a plan, and then if we need to be flexible from the plan, that is fine. But I don’t like to go into things with no plan. That stresses me out and makes me feel anxious.

Elsie: I like to always go into things with no plan, and then fail at least twice.

Emma: And then go find a book. Well, that’s a method, too. It doesn’t matter. I mean, parenting is like, it’s all a crap shoot, but I just like to feel prepared even if I kind of know in my brain, I’m not, I’m still gonna have to just figure this out with my kiddo. But I like to read books and research a little bit. It’s just my personality. So, anyway, I’ve been doing that, and I feel like I kind of know what we’re gonna do, and it is kind of a lot of work. Learning something new is hard for anyone, and he’s gonna learn something brand new for him, and I just wanna be there to support him in it, and to help him do it, because it’s a really important skill, pooping and peeing in the potty, and that’s where I’m at in life.

Elsie: Yeah, you’ll get there.

Emma: Yeah, it’s gonna be great.

Elsie: Okay, so I decided for our exterior Halloween decorations to do the giant spider house. I might have mentioned it before. I was between that and a witch theme. So we’ll see, maybe in future years I’ll go back and forth because the giant spiders do not take up very much space. They’re very easy to consolidate for how much of an impact they make on your house. You can fit them all into one little tupperware, which is nice. It does kind of rain frequently here so I’m not sure we’ll see how it goes. But I’ve never done it where it was like on two stories before. I’ve usually just done the entryway. But I was working with brick houses in the past. And now I have a clabbered house, so I think it’ll be much easier to get them hung, and I’m excited about that. Yeah. I am super excited to get the Halloween done. So, there’s this beautiful pumpkin fence in, I think, Connecticut every single year. I see KJP, like, videos, and photos of this adorable fence. So, I recently got a picket fence on the front of our house, and the one thing special that I asked for was flat tops on the posts so that I could do a pumpkin fence. And I just knew that and as soon as Emma saw it she like made a joke about my pumpkin budget, and I was like that is such an Emma thing to say.

Emma: I make no apologies.

Elsie: It’s so cute. And it is right kind of out by the street and we do have people walking by so I am keeping track of how many pumpkins get stolen throughout the season. So far it’s at two. And I’ll see by the end of the season, like, if it’s a significant number or whatever. But, I don’t know, I think it’s adorable. It’s just, like, I don’t know, it makes me happy.

Emma: Oh, I love it, yeah. And Oscar saw it from the car when we came to visit last Sunday, and then we went to Grandma’s house, the pink house, like the next day or two days later. And we drove by it because it’s like on the way to the pink house, and he immediately was like Goldie’s house. Like he saw the little pumpkins again, and he knew.

Elsie: He recognized the fence.

Emma: Yeah, I was like, you remembered the fence. Yeah, so he’s, he’s into the pumpkin fence, too.

Elsie: Oh, I’m so proud. Yeah, and please send me a suggestion. I’ve been trying to think if there’s any other time of year I could put anything on the flat fence post because I love it so much. Like, is there anything at Christmas time that could go out there? I’m just curious. But the pumpkins, whatever, they’re the main thing, and what they are is the, not the mini pumpkins, but they’re the pumpkin pie pumpkins. So they’re like kind of small, but they’re the ones that you can cut up and use. They have seeds and the smallest version of a pumpkin that you can cut. Yeah. So yeah, I love it. I’m so happy.

Emma: Okay. Well, here’s my last one. And it’s like autumn related, but kind of just like homey is I want to get a few more like dinners in our rotation. I tend to do this thing where I get into a little bit of a rut where it’s like we make the same things all the time. Cause you’re just like, you know, grocery shopping, you go on autopilot. You’re like another week time to buy this again and this again and this again. To be fair, like, we’re not really sick of our dinners, but I just thought it’d be fun to have a few, like, fall things or just something. It doesn’t even have to be, like, a pumpkin thing. It’s just something different. And since I put this on the list, I’ve already added one. We made stuffed peppers, which I have the recipe on the blog now, too. And it’s honestly a really simple recipe, but it’s a delicious dinner. And we love it, like, in the peppers, it’s like meat and rice and cheese and it’s just really flavorful and good, but I will serve it to Oscar just like the filling without the pepper because he can’t cut up the pepper and like he could chew the peppers. They’re not hard or anything.

Elsie: He doesn’t give a crap about the pepper.

Emma: He doesn’t care about the presentation. He just likes the filling. He just likes the meat the rice and the cheese. So, I kind of like save some of the filling and just give it to him that way. And so it’s actually a great meal for all of us. And some of our dinners are not very toddler friendly like we eat a lot of like chicken wings and that, like steak, these aren’t really like things that he wants to eat and he’s not totally ready for the bones of the chicken wing. You know what I mean? So it’s like we try new things with him, but we’re not really on that level yet. So anyway, it’s fun to have things where it’s like I serve it to him and then we have our own version. So I’m looking for a few more, that’s the only one I’ve done so far. But hopefully, by the end of the season, I’ll have some other things in rotation. just to spice it up.

Elsie: Yes. That’s fun. Okay. Well, that was all I had. I don’t have anymore.

Emma: That’s the autumn bucket list then.

Elsie: Okay. Then it’s time for a joke or a fact or a meditation with Nova. All right, Nova, what do you have for us this week?

Nova: A joke.

Elsie: Okay. I’m ready.

Nova: What is the kind of music that all balloons hate?

Elsie: What kind?

Nova: Pop music.

Elsie: That’s a good joke. Thank you so much for listening. If you have any questions or podcast ideas, please email us at podcast@abeautifulmess.com or you can call our voicemail at 417-893-0011. We will be back next week with our Halloween favorites.

10 Things I Love Sunday

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 15:03:47 +0200

It’s Sunday and it’s officially OCTOBER. So this week I thought it would be fitting to do a Halloween, Thanksgiving (and soon Christmas) themed 10 things. I’m looking forward to parties, family gatherings, hosting and making core memories with my kids.

1. I just got these halloween paper garlands in the mail and they are so pretty. (See our whole Halloween board here)

2. These galvanized metal pumpkins from Pottery Barn are so classic. You can see mine above (I painted it white). I found the perfect dupes at Michael’s for a lower price.

3. I just watched the original Halloweentown from 1998 with my kids and they LOVED it!

4. My Halloween costume. I love an easy mom costume.

5. I got these skull glasses (because Anthro was sold out) and I have to say the quality is perfect!

6. The best Halloween Frame TV art. You can also get it as an art print- Witches Waterskiing.

7. Going to try these shoes from Etsy. So cute. I’m loving the ballerina shoe trend this season.

8. Currently reading this book and very into it. I heard about it from a reader (please always send me your favorite end of the world or witchy books).

9. Has anyone tried this stovetop popcorn maker? I think I’m going to get it. I love making stovetop popcorn, but I burn it about 1 in every 3 or 4 times.

10. Love these floating candles (be sure to get the wand option). These are the ones I used in my kitchen.

P.S. Here are a some recent posts in case you missed them!

Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Lychee Martini and Margarita
Candy Apples and Caramel Apples
Lemon Drop Shot and Green Tea Shot
Halloween Jello Shots and Halloween Cake Pops
Be sure to follow our Amazon storefront.

Please let us know what kind of blog posts you’d like to see for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas! xx

Candy Apples

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 15:01:00 +0200

Candy apples are a classic fall treat with their shiny red color, hard candy coating, and sweet or tart crisp apple underneath. It’s the best thing to make after apple picking, for a Halloween party, or just when you feel nostalgic and want to be a kid again.

Candy apples may look impressive and hard to make, but it’s actually pretty easy (just like our Easy Caramel Apples!)! We’ll show you how …

And just as a side note, since the sugar is extremely hot and you can get burned if not careful, we don’t recommend doing this project with kids. Just let them eat the final result rather than help with this one.

Looking for more fall treats? Check out:

What are candy apples?

Candy apples are a whole apple on a stick dipped in a thin hardened candy shell. While usually red, they can also be dyed other colors and they first appeared in 1908 in New Jersey when candy maker William Kolb created them.

Ingredients for candy apples:

Apples: Using smaller apples will get you more finished apples out of one batch of candy coating. Try and pick ones with a nice round shape for the best looking candy apples.

Light corn syrup: Corn syrup helps you get that smooth candy finish.

Water: The water mostly boils off while the candy rises up to the proper hard crack stage temperature.

Red food coloring: Gel food coloring is preferred if you have it since it’s more concentrated so the color is brighter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What apples are best to use for candy apples?

Lychee Martini

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 15:07:00 +0200

Have you tried a Lychee Martini? It’s sometimes called “lichitini” or “lycheetini.” Today’s cocktail recipe is sweet, strong and complex. You will love the mix of delicate flavors in this refreshing martini.

More martini recipes: Espresso Martini, Chocolate Martini, Lemon Drop Martini, Snickerdoodle Martini, Vodka Martini Recipe, Cosmopolitan.

Ingredients in a Lychee Martini

Vodka – The main spirit in this martini is vodka.
Orange Liqueur – I used Grand Marnier.
Lychee Puree – I found mine here.
Lychee Fruit – I used canned lychees.

The best glass to serve a lychee martini in is a classic martini glass. I also used these gold cocktail picks to hold the fruit as a garnish.

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, orange liqueur and lychee puree with ice. Shake for 15 seconds until icy cold.

Pour into a martini glass and serve with lychee fruit as a garnish.

What is a lychee fruit?

A lychee is a tropical fruit native to south China. Lychees are very juicy with notes of floral. Imagine a grape with a slight rose flavor—that is the best way I can describe the flavor. They are delicious.

Since it can be rare to find fresh lychees at many U.S. grocery stores, we recommend canned lychees for this recipe.

Tips for Making

This drink is balanced, but not sweet. If you prefer a sweeter martini, add half an ounce to one ounce of simple syrup to this recipe before shaking.
If you dislike vodka, I recommend replacing it with gin for a different take on this recipe.
If you want to add more color to your cocktail, you can garnish with an additional wedge of lime.

More recipes you may like:

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a lychee taste like?

Lemon Drop Shot

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:05:00 +0200

The Lemon Drop Shot was the first shot recipe I ever learned to make. It’s a lot of fun and great to serve at a party. There’s something undeniably perfect about the combination of sweet and sour. This recipe is so fresh and delicious.

This shot recipe is a close cousin to the classic Lemon Drop Martini. In this post, I’ll teach you how to make perfect lemon drop shots for your next gathering.

More shot + cocktail recipes: Green Tea Shot, Chocolate Cake Shot, Vodka Jello Shot, Best Mint Mojito, Homemade Margarita Mix, Cosmopolitan, Classic Gimlet Cocktail, Classic Manhattan.

Ingredients in a Lemon Drop Shot

Vodka – The base spirit for this shot is vodka. We recommend a quality, mid-priced vodka like Tito’s, Grey Goose or Smirnoff.
Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed!
Simple Syrup – You can easily make your own bath using our Simple Syrup recipe.
Sugar – You will also need granulated sugar for rimming your glass and sugaring your lemons.
Lemons – Cut into wedges.

Here’s a link to the shot glasses I used. I also love this cocktail shaker.

How to Make a Lemon Drop Shot

Chill Your Ingredients: Begin by chilling your vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. Chilling these ingredients in advance ensures your shot will be refreshingly cold.
Prepare the Glass: Take a chilled shot glass and rim it with sugar. To do this, dip the rim of the glass in water or lemon juice and then into a small plate of sugar. Gently twist the glass to ensure an even sugar coating.
Mix the Cocktail: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Shake Vigorously: Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. This chilling process also helps to dilute the mixture slightly, balancing the flavors.
Strain and Serve: Carefully strain the mixture from the shaker into your prepared sugar-rimmed shot glass.
Serve with a sugared lemon wedge. Part of the experience of this shot is chasing the shot with a bite into the sugared lemon wedge. It’s delicious and the best part of the experience, so don’t skip it!

Tips for Making

Try flavored vodkas. If you want to change up your flavor profile a bit, try swapping in various flavored vodkas or even try a citrus vodka for a more intense experience.
Infuse your sugar with grated lemon zest for a greater sensory experience (our sense of smell is very connected to our sense of taste).
Try half lemon, half lime juice for a fun variation.

History of the Lemon Drop Shot

The Lemon Drop Shot’s history is closely tied to the Lemon Drop Martini, a classic cocktail that emerged during the 1970s. The Lemon Drop Martini, known for its vibrant blend of vodka, lemon juice, and sugar, served as the inspiration for the shot recipe.

More Lemon Recipes:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a lemon drop shot made of?

Stuffed Peppers

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:04:00 +0200

I’ve been in a little bit of a dinner rut lately. While I like all the dinners we have on rotation on our house, I’ve been craving putting some new things in there. And that’s where this stuffed peppers recipe comes in. So tasty! So easy! And while it’s already a pretty balanced and healthy meal, it’s also easy to customize.

Stuffed peppers are: filling, inexpensive, simple ingredients and come together in around 30 minutes. What’s not to love?!

Related: Next, try this vegetarian Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers or Stuffed Pepper Soup. Both are delicious!

Ingredients

Bell peppers
Ground beef
Shallot – or onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Spanish rice
Tomato sauce
Chili powder
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheese – cheddar or pepper jack
Cilantro

You could also add some sour cream on top just before serving if you like.

Directions

Get the Spanish rice started (on the stove top or in a rice cooker) so it will be cooked and ready to combine later.

Prep the bell peppers. Cut in half and remove the inside seeds and veins as well as the stems on top. Toss in a little oil and salt and place in a baking dish, skin facing down. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes.

While the rice and peppers cook, prepare the rest of the filling. Chop up the shallot and mince the garlic. Cook these with the ground beef in a little oil until the meat is cooked through (no longer pink). Season with chili powder and a little salt and pepper and stir in the tomato sauce. Once the Spanish rice is ready, toss that into the pan as well.

Fill the peppers with the rice and meat filling. Then top with cheese. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for an additional 10-12 minutes. The cheese should look melted and almost bubbling. Then sprinkle on the chopped cilantro just before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for an even leaner option.
If you want to make this meat-free, you could swap the ground beef for beans.
Use less rice or swap it for cauliflower rice if you want to reduce the carbs in this recipe.
This recipe calls for four bell peppers, one more than you see pictured here. That’s because I usually save some of the filling of this recipe and top it with a little grated cheese for our toddler son. He’s not quite at the age where we can cut up bell peppers or appreciates the presentation.

Serving Suggestions

While this stuffed pepper recipe makes a great dinner all on it’s own, here are a few side dishes you might want to consider:

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Cauliflower
Rotel Cheese Dip – to drizzle over the peppers but also serve with chips
Air Fryer Zucchini
Roasted Asparagus
Corn Dip – with chips

Stuffed Peppers

cheesy, beef and Spanish rice filled peppers

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword stuffed peppers

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 317kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
1 pound ground beef
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 ½ ounces Spanish rice 2 cups cooked
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

Get the Spanish rice started (on the stove top or in a rice cooker) so it will be cooked and ready to combine later.
Prep the bell peppers. Cut in half and remove the inside seeds and veins as well as the stems on top.
Toss in a little oil and salt and place in a baking dish, skin facing down. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes.
While the rice and peppers cook, prepare the rest of the filling. Chop up the shallot and mince the garlic. Cook these with the ground beef in a little oil until the meat is cooked through (no longer pink).
Season with chili powder and a little salt and pepper and stir in the tomato sauce.
Once the Spanish rice is ready, toss that into the pan as well.
Fill the peppers with the rice and meat filling. Then top with cheese.
Bake at 425°F (218°C) for an additional 10-12 minutes. The cheese should look melted and almost bubbling.
Then sprinkle on the chopped cilantro just before serving.

Notes

You can substitute the shallot for 1/3 a yellow or red onion.

You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for an even leaner option.

If you want to make this meat-free, you could swap the ground beef for beans.

Use less rice or swap it for cauliflower rice if you want to reduce the carbs in this recipe.

Nutrition

Apple Tart

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0200

This homemade French apple desert is a simple way to make an elegant looking version of an apple pie that is sure to wow your guests. The layers of tender sliced apples and buttery crust make the best companions and it’s easy to make but looks impressive.

A classic French apple tart has cooked down apples that create a compote that go under the apples, but we are keeping it simple here with plain ol’ sugar, pads of butter, and apples—yum!

Looking for more apple deserts? Check out:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best apples to use for an apple tart?

Ranch Water Recipe

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 15:08:24 +0200

Ranch Water is a refreshing tequila mixed drink. Made with only three ingredients, this cocktail is easy to make. Imagine a Margarita minus the sugar. That is the basis of this fresh, bubbly drink recipe. Try this drink when the mood for a less-sweet cocktail hits.

Mix together Topo Chico mineral water, fresh lime juice and a little tequila and you’ll have Ranch Water. In this post we’ll share variations and tips to customize this light, refreshing drink.

More tequila drinks: Classic Margarita, Homemade Margarita Mix, Mexican Mule.

Ingredients in Ranch Water

Topo Chico Choose any flavor in a glass bottle.
Tequila Choose a blanco or silver tequila.
Lime Juice Fresh Squeezed
Ice Pebble Ice if you have it.
Lime Slices for garnish.

Directions

This recipe is so simple. Once you learn to do it once, you can eyeball it forever after. Begin by filling a glass with ice.

Add tequila and lime juice to the ice.

Top with Topo Chico.

Garnish with fresh lime slices and serve with a straw.

Variations

Mix a sweeter ranch water by adding half an ounce of simple syrup or Grand Marnier to your drink.
For a spicy version, muddle a few jalepeno slices in the lime juice and tequila before adding mineral water.
Swap in Mezcal for a smokier version of Ranch Water.
Add fruit like grapefruit or oranges to make a more citrusy variation.

Tips for Making

Topo Chico is the classic choice for this recipe. You can choose between unflavored mineral water and their grapefruit or lime flavors. Of course, if you don’t have Topo Chico on hand, you can use another brand of sparkling water.
The best glassware to use for a Ranch Water is a tall collins glass. I would happily drink this cocktail from a mason jar as well.
Add a splash of any liqueur to give this drink a little flavor. I would recommend St. Germain or something citrus flavored like Grand Marnier.

Serving Suggestions/Goes Great With

Other recipes you may like:

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in Ranch Water?

Episode #202: Hocus Pocus – Comfort Rewatch

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 14:20:06 +0200

You’re listening to the A Beautiful Mess podcast, your cozy comfort. This week we’re discussing one of the best Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Milder, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.

46 minutes, 50 seconds

Listen on:

Use one of these top players or see a full list of providers in the post below.

iTunes

Spotify

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

G Play

TuneIn

Pocket Casts

Stitcher

You can find the podcast posts archive here.

A big thank you to our sponsors! Check out the offers from Shopify, Kitsch, BetterHelp, and Athletic Greens.

And, if you’re looking for a specific code you heard on the podcast, you can see a full list on this page!

Show Notes:

Decor inspiration (really break this down) Anything you would use in your own home? Loved, hated, strong reactions etc…

Witches’ cottage – Iconic witches’ cottage

Max’s house – Steeple on top of house, mixture of adult and kid vibe in Max’s room with nautical wallpaper and tie dye, and a beautiful framed picture of the outside of the house

Allison’s house – Historical Colonial house and very classy

Devil house – Elsie’s favorite house in the movie, she loved the cardboard fire and smoke in front yard

Comment below with your favorite house from hocus Pocus

Other cozy inspiration (fashion, food, drink or anything?)-

The mom’s Madonna costume

Everything about the witches – dresses, brooms, hair, makeup, fake teeth, and the way they walk

Hocus Pocus Merch

Love this cute Sanderson t-shirt
Hocus Pocus Spell Book
Witches Broom Door Mat
I Put A Spell On You Banner

Rate the movie from 0-5 black flame candles:

Emma – 6/5

Elsie – 5/5

Miss an Episode? Get Caught Up!

Episode 202 Transcript:

Elsie: You’re listening to The Beautiful Mess Podcast, your cozy comfort listen. This week we’re discussing one of the best Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. This is one of my favorites.

Emma: I know. I was like, is it too basic to do Hocus Pocus? But also should we do it every year? Like that’s like my internal, you know, It’s too basic, but also we have to. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And I watched it just by myself one night, enjoying my life, loving it. So. Okay, before we get started about Hocus Pocus though, we’re going to do a personal opener. So, I told Elsie, this is like my thing for the week. On Friday, today is Wednesday as we’re recording. On Friday, Oscar is going to go on his first airplane ride, and I’m very excited about it. He’s only two. I didn’t fly on an airplane until I was like 17. So, very different childhood. And he won’t remember it, so it’s really kind of more for me and Trey, but I’m very excited. I actually think he’s going to do great. We’re flying to Costa Rica. We have a family trip for two weeks, and I’m very, very excited about it. I think he’s going to love the house we’re at. It has a pool. I think he’s going to love going to the beach. He loves a sandbox, so it’s like, here’s a giant sandbox. I think he’s going to love that. I doubt he’ll get in the ocean. He might, like, let it touch his feet. He’s a very cautious guy, so I’m really not. worried about any of that. I think it’s going to be really fun.

Elsie: So it’s his first time to a beach?

Emma: First time to a beach, first time on a plane. Yeah, so first time out of the country, he has his little baby passport where he’s like little baby in this picture. So I’m very excited about it. And I think he’s going to do great on the flights because it’s kind of early in the morning, which is like his best time of day because he’s just had his night of sleep. He really just likes observing, he’s a very observant kid, and he just stares at everything. Like anytime we do something new, like the first time we went to the dentist, he actually did great because I think he’s just like, this is new and I’m taking it all in. So, that’s kind of what I anticipate with the flights, but of course, I will also have his little backpack full of Band-Aids and toys and little things he’s never seen before that I’m going to buy at Dollar Tree the day before. Also, we will have a lot of Paw Patrol on our phone and if all else fails, he can just watch some Paw Patrol, which you don’t usually let him watch very much of that one because it’s not that educational. So it’ll be a good one for him.

Elsie: You sounded like a super snob just then.

Emma: I’m usually like, Sesame Street or Daniel Tiger, what do you want? He’s like Paw Patrol. I’m like, ugh. Okay. So anyway, he’ll get as much Paw Patrol as he wants if things go awry. But I think it’s gonna be good. And on the way home, it’s like the same flights but in the evening. So I kind of think that either he’ll sleep or we will have a little meltdown. And the last flight, like from Houston to Springfield, I’m going to do it just me and Oscar, because Trey has somewhere else he has to be. So I’m a little nervous about that. But I also think it’s very likely he’ll just sleep on me the whole two-hour plane ride. So I’m kind of hoping for that, but if it’s a meltdown, once again, we will be Paw Patrolling ourselves as far as that will take us. But I’m really excited, though. I have a list of, like, goals for my life that’s on my bulletin board at home. I know you’ve seen it. And one of them, because I think you should put work goals and, like, life goals because I just think that’s healthier. And one of my main ones is I want Oscar to have a healthy childhood full of adventure. And I just feel like we’re doing it. We’re doing it. This is like an adventure. He probably won’t remember it, but he will see the photos growing up and it’s gonna be a really fun adventure for me. And I’m just very excited about it. But as every parent knows, a trip with kids is not really a vacation. It’s a trip, but I’m viewing it that way. So I think I’m in the right mindset to have a successful great trip.

Elsie: Yeah, there are definitely different definitions of vacation after you become a parent, and it’s not the same. My advice is kind of like when you’re getting a tattoo. For me, personally, one of the lowest parenting points of my life was in an airport. So, that probably won’t happen. But, if it does, I think that the best, healthiest way to get through it is to just, like, visualize yourself tomorrow at home and realize that, like, this situation, it’s only a matter of time before it’s over.

Emma: It’s only, it’s only so many hours of people staring at me angrily. Yeah. No, that won’t happen.

Elsie: People are mean to parents on planes, they are. People are rude, and I think it’s a sad part of humanity, but it is true.

Emma: Yeah, and I will say too, I think you should try to be as kind as you can to people on planes with kids, especially if you notice that there’s a parent by themselves with one or more kids. Like just, they’re doing their best. Just let it go. But I also, think a lot of people get a lot of anxiety when they fly, and so they can not be themselves and not be their best selves. So if anyone’s rude to me, that’s what I’m gonna say in my head. I’m like, you’re probably anxious, so that’s why you’re being a dick, and I don’t care. So, you know. Because I get anxious when I fly, so it’s okay. You’re not your best version. You would probably be more generous if you weren’t on a plane and feeling… Whatever you’re feeling because who knows you never know what everyone else is going through.

Elsie: Well, I’m excited for you, and I hope that it goes perfectly and you’re like I could do this every time.

Emma: And also we’re not necessarily planning to take Oscar on like long, these aren’t really long plane rides and I’m not really planning to do that. I don’t feel the parenting bravery to like to take my kid to Europe right now. Some people go for it and I’m like that is great. I have way too much anxiety. Like flying on a plane by myself, I get kind of anxious. So me doing it with my son, I’m like, hey man, I’m just gonna be kind to myself and be like, I’m nervous about this and I’m just gonna do my best and I’m not gonna push myself farther than I feel like I could do because I just don’t, I want to set myself up for parenting success as much as I can. And I don’t do that well with travel. So I’m like, okay. You’re just gonna ease into this and it’s gonna be fine. And he can just watch Paw Patrol and that is fine. If his day is Paw Patrol and that’s not my best parenting day ever, that’s fine, we’re just gonna make it. So whatever. Yeah. Anyway, I feel like PAW Patrol should pay us for how much I talk about that show now.

Elsie: You did give a lot of name recognition just then. That’s funny. I hate it too, by the way, though, for the record. Okay, so describe the movie we’re back on Hocus Pocus now describe the movie for those who haven’t watched.

Emma: 300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft, returning to life thanks to a combination of a spell spoken before their demise and the accidental actions of Max, the new kid in town, the sisters have but one night to secure their continuing existence. Yeah, for a Disney movie, like, it is very much a Disney movie, obviously, and I’m sure all our listeners have seen this movie because it’s a classic. But it is kind of edgy, like, when they, like, show their feet after they’re executed by hanging, you’re like, whoa, Disney, whoa!

Elsie: Yeah! I Would say, yeah, I wanted to address like what age is this for before we get into it. A lot of people have messaged me that this year and this is my very strong opinion. This is just an opinion. But, okay, for my kids, I have a five-year-old who loves it and an eight-year-old who still thinks it’s too scary. So I think that it is totally case by case and there’s nothing in it. My opinion, again, is there’s nothing in it that you can’t try at any age, I probably tried for the first time when they were toddlers still, just to see if they would watch it or be interested, and they just weren’t interested, you know, it takes a long time before kids are interested in anything that’s not a cartoon. Yeah. I think that it just depends on your kid. Yeah, for adults, it’s definitely, for sure, a kid’s movie. Like, there’s no world where I could, like, get my husband to watch this with me for fun. I watch it all the time in my kitchen.

Emma: Like one you can have a lot in the background. Once you’ve seen it, like Harry Potter.

Elsie: It’s a very good background movie for, like, if you’re making, you know, cookies or if you’re…

Emma: Decorating, and you’re like in and out of whatever room has your TV or whatever. Yeah.

Elsie: I just would keep it on a repeat. But I definitely do think it’s scary for some kids.

Emma: The witches are trying to kill children to help them be young and live longer. So those are, those are pretty dark things.

Elsie: And they look scary. Like, Bette Midler’s character particularly is kind of unhinged.

Emma: Yeah, they give her weird makeup. Her mouth especially, looks crazy because she has like the weird Queen of Hearts lipstick. You know how they would do it like that. She kind of looks like the Queen of Hearts now that I’m thinking about it. Maybe they kind of modeled it like Halloween Queen of Hearts or something. Anyway.

Elsie: She’s gorgeous.

Emma: Yeah. She’s a queen.

Elsie: Okay, so do you have any memories from when you first watched this movie? So I think this movie came out while we were kids in the 1990s. I don’t…

Emma: Yeah, I think it says in the trivia. 93.

Elsie: Perfect. I don’t have a memory of watching it as a child. I think I had an awareness of it, and you know, sometimes, like, you know of a movie and you can’t remember if you watched it or not, but, like, a movie like Hocus Pocus, you, like, kind of get it. You know what it’s gonna be, so it’s hard to know if you watched it as a child or if you just saw a commercial or something. Yeah, I definitely watched it for the first time in my 30s I think that you know, like if you are like a millennial woman on Instagram You are very aware of hocus pocus people just like talk about it so much. It’s a part of yeah, like the starter pack of being a millennial is watching hocus pocus every fall. So, I definitely started watching it in my 30s every year, and then since the invention of Disney Plus, it’s like on all the time, more than a lot. So I love it. I like to just like keep it going.

Emma: Yeah, same. I don’t remember watching it as a kid, and I really don’t think I did. Like, I don’t really have any memories of it at all as a kid either. You know how sometimes you didn’t see a movie, like, a big one would have been like Space Jam, which I did see as a kid. But it was in like a lot of, I’m sure it was in like McDonald’s commercials or like, you know what I mean? Like, it was kind of just like in culture. So even if you didn’t see it, you probably knew what Space Jam was. I don’t feel like this one was quite as big when we were kids. So it wasn’t like in McDonald’s commercials or whatever. So I don’t really remember it. I don’t have any memories of it as a kid. So there is no, like, nostalgia from childhood for it for me. But I feel like whoever I watched it with was in my 30s, probably early 30s. I feel like they had some childhood nostalgia with it. And so that, like, made it kind of fun. Because I feel like some people, have a similar story about Harry Potter, where they didn’t really read it as kids, or they didn’t watch the movies coming out. But now, once they get into it, especially if you talk with someone who has those childhood nostalgia, it kind of, like, adds a level. And then you just get into it, and then all of a sudden it becomes nostalgic for you because you watch it for two or three years in a row. And that’s enough time for nostalgia for me.

Elsie: That’s true, and, as a parent, I always say it’s your second childhood. I have experienced so many more kids’ movies and kids’ memories with my kids that now they’re my memories and they’re, like, my special things, too. As a mom, that’s, like, what it is.

Emma: That’s part of the joy, yeah, getting to redo childhood. I like, too, when you’re a kid, you kind of get, like, on a cycle because, you like repetition, kids like repetition. Their brains are developing, and as a parent, you’re a little more like pushing them to have different favorites. So in that way, you get to experience more than you probably did as a kid because you wanted the repetition because your brain was developing. I don’t know if this is making sense, but I just think like, that if it were up to Oscar, he would watch the same thing. Always, but we try to push him a little, you know what I mean? Or like let him try different foods, you know, just like you’re trying to give your kid repetition in a good way, but also routine, I think would be a better way to say it. But then also like to push them to try things. So anyway, let’s talk about decor.

Elsie: Okay, yeah, I love the decor in this movie. I feel like we’ve done a couple of rewatches recently where it was like the coziness wasn’t really coming from the houses in this movie. It is very visual. There’s a lot of houses in it, which you know, we love the the movie houses, one of our themes that we kind of stick on and yeah I was like rating each of them and I don’t think there’s for me any houses in this movie that are not a 10 out of 10. I love them all so much.

Emma: Yeah, and I feel like some of the movies we watch you can’t tell if it’s a real house or a set that they’ve built or Like a combination, you know, and this one it very much feels like sets for the most part. There are some real locations, exteriors especially and I kind of dig it. I feel like it works for like the kid and Disney vibe that it is and I like the costumes that they do which are not super realistic But they’re very vibey and fun. Like it just feels like the perfect amount of campy to me So it’s like I like that it kind of feels like sets and you get to enjoy them in that way Like a theater performance or, you know, whatever. So probably my favorite though is The Witch’s Cottage, even though usually I lean towards movie houses that I want to live in or like decorate my house like, and I don’t necessarily have anything about The Witch’s Cottage that I want to live in or decorate my house like, but it’s just so perfect. It’s like if you were like, close your eyes and picture a witch’s house. That’s what I’m picturing the Hocus Pocus cottage. So yeah, and the purple smoke that they have coming out of the cabin when they’re casting their spell to get kids. I don’t know. It’s just so Disney and fun. I love it.

Elsie: Yeah. I love it too. Okay. The next one I had down is Max’s house, which is, it’s like a white house with this little, like, I’m sure there’s like an architectural term, but it looks kind of like there’s a little lighthouse piece coming out of the roof. So it’s like a little small room that you can climb up into with a ladder at the very top of the house and look out, and it is a coastal house. So yeah, I’ve seen that. That’s definitely a real house in Salem, I think, because, people take pictures in front of it. Yeah. Oh my god, I would take a picture in front of that house so hard if I was there.

Emma: Yeah, trade with another tourist who’s doing the same thing. Like, yes. Yeah, and the ladder to go up, I believe, is in Max’s room because they kind of show it at one point. And I also just love Max’s room because it has a mix of like, this kind of like classic looking nautical wallpaper with sailboats. It looks like something an adult chose. But then he also has like this tie-dye, like he has a tie-dye shirt on when we first meet him and he also has like a tie-dye tapestry behind his drum set in his room. I just feel like it’s that mix of like when you’re a kid and it’s like some things look like your parents help you put your room together and then some things is like, I bought this a Hot Topic and hung it up and I’m excited about it, you know, and it’s like this mix of things.

Elsie: My kids definitely have that in their bedrooms. Like the stuff that you can tell I bought versus the stuff that you can tell is from Chuck E. Cheese.

Emma: Yeah. Exactly, and it just feels very real in a way and I just really like that. I also like that they make him like, he has the drum set and he seems like a whole person to me. They really made his character like a real teenage boy or preteen boy. I’m not sure how old he’s supposed to be in this movie.

Elsie: I think he’s supposed to be an early high schooler, so a teenager.

Emma: It’s like 13, 14, something like that. He probably says it in the movie, but I can’t remember. When she’s like asking him, Max, take me trick or treating. I feel like he says, I’m too old, but she’s like, you have to take me. Anyway, but yeah, the house is very cute. We don’t see a ton of other areas. I feel like there’s one like candle looking chandelier like a candelabra type chandelier, but they’re just like moving in, I do love this might be in the trivia But there’s a picture of the outside of the house Inside the house and you can tell they’ve just moved in so there’s no way they commissioned it. So in my mind, it’s like And I know it’s fiction, but in my mind, when they bought the house, the last owners left this and it stays with the house. It’s like a piece that stays. I’m like, I love that idea. Should I get a painting of my house, that’s classic looking, and then it stays with the house? I don’t know. I just love it. That detail is really like cool. Whatever set designer came up with that. I’m like, love it.

Elsie: It’s very cool. I would like, love to have a classic painting of my home, in my home. It’s like, it’s very cool. Okay, the next one I have is Allison’s house. So her house is like a very classic, historic home, colonial.

Emma: It looks kind of like Father of the Bride a little bit. Even though that’s Southern California.

Elsie: It looks like The Father of the Bride House, and her parents are having an adult Halloween party, so it’s like very fancy, it’s very decorated, it’s very fancy, it’s definitely the most, like, classy interior that you’ll see in the movie. And I love it, yeah. People always say that they think my house could look a little bit like that, which I love because it’s like, it’s a great compliment. And, yeah, I wish that they would have shown more of it because I feel like you mostly just see the entryway and maybe one room.

Emma: Yeah, I think they go up the stairs for a minute, so you kind of see like the banisters, or maybe she comes down the stairs.

I’m trying to remember. But yeah, you don’t see very much of the house, but what you do see does feel like it’s decorated fancy for like a period piece-type Halloween party, but it also feels like a fancier house, like upper middle class with old wood, like very New England, I don’t know, vibes.

Elsie: Her dress is kind of like, I don’t know, like a fancy dress you’d wear in Little Women to like one of the balls or something, so.

Emma: Yeah, it looks like Pride and Prejudice to me, something like that.

Elsie: Yeah, okay, so I have a couple more. Obviously, I love the graveyard. I think it’s perfect and like movie graveyards are, I think, objectively better than real graveyards. they’re just more detailed and more rich and real graveyards, they look like new.

Emma: They look new and they also are more… They’re not as fun, and I think that’s on purpose, they are a place you go to visit a dead relative. And so, I don’t know if they should be wacky and silly, you know, but in movies, they can kind of take more license because it’s not actually anyone’s relative, I assume. So, yeah. So it tends to be more vibes.

Elsie: So my favorite part of the movie is that they go trick or treating, so you kind of get to see a whole neighborhood of houses, one after another, and the kids in costumes. So cute. And my personal favorite home in the movie is the devil’s house! Let’s talk about the devil’s house for a minute. The inside, not so much. The outside is where it’s at. So, when you watch the movie next time, notice when they get to the devil’s house it is a devil-themed yard and what he has is a ton of what looks like cardboard cutouts of flames, red flames everywhere, and a lot of fake smoke. Pitchforks and it like brings me so much odd joy when I see them. One of the things I love about Halloween is that you can make something that like some people think is seriously scary into like a funny.

Emma: Oh, yeah. It’s very irreverent.

Elsie: Yes, that makes me happy.

Emma: Yes. I think, too, it’s an opportunity for us to explore our fears, you know? So, if you’re afraid of hell, or you’re afraid of death, or you’re, you know, I think we’re all kind of afraid of death because it means life will be over. And yeah, I think that’s part of it, too, is we can kind of face these things that are, that are scary, but we can do it in a bit of humor. So anything else about the Halloween scenes? Oh, one of my favorite parts from them trick or treating is there’s this one moment, I think it’s right as they start trick or treating, where a rainbow-looking skeleton just pops up. Kind of like the way they start the scene, where they transition. You know, and it’s just funny because I’m, I have a bunch of skeletons. I’ve never painted one rainbow. It has like face paint on or skull paint. I guess it wouldn’t be face paint. I don’t know. And it’s just very funny. And I just love all the little kid’s outfits too, like all the costumes I really feel like this might have been for budget reasons or it might have been on purpose. I don’t know. But some of them very much look like Halloween costumes that you just bought at Walmart or bought wherever, you know, Target, whatever, Kmart. I don’t know. And so it just feels more real. It feels like actual kids trick or treating. It doesn’t feel too perfect. It does feel like a movie where it’s like, wow, this neighborhood really goes for it. But I’ve seen neighborhoods like that, so it doesn’t totally seem unrealistic to me. So anyway, it’s great, that’s probably some of my favorite scenes in the movie are when they’re trick or treating because it just is the vibes of the season.

Elsie: I think that if you watched it a hundred times, you could probably find a hundred different little details that you had never noticed before. Which is a great thing for a movie that is on the re-watch list.

Emma: It’s true. I’m trying to think of any other cozy inspiration that we like. The cat? Oh, I love the talking cat.

Elsie: The talking cat is funny. No, I was going to say there’s like the City Hall Halloween party with the adults, and the mom has an amazing Madonna costume. And I love that they show the parents drunk. I think that like, I don’t know, there are certain things from Like older movies that they just, like, don’t do or show anymore. Like, the tone of new kids’ movies and the tone of kids’ movies from the 80s and 90s is very different. If you have, like, watched a lot of them, like, for example, in Home Alone, you know, the famous scene where he, like, borderline curses out the little child. That kind of thing is in like every old movie, and almost never in a newer one. Anyway, I liked that they showed the parents drunk because if they were at an adult party, that’s how it would be! And it was like Halloween, and it, like, kind of, like, I don’t know, it had a vibe to me. I liked it. I liked that they showed them coming out in the morning when it was almost daylight, like, coming out of the party all, sweaty and gross. I thought it was cute.

Emma: Because they’ve been under the spell of dancing till you die. So there’s that, too. Yeah, I think when they, like, get there and he’s like, Hey, Dad and the dad’s clearly, like, having a nice time, maybe a little buzzed. I guess it’s a little hard to tell, but to me, he seemed like he’s playing it, I’m a little buzzed. He’s like, Hey, Max. How are you doing? And then he’s like, Something’s wrong. He’s like, Oh, no. Where’s your sister? Like, it’s like one of those, like, I’m like, I understand that parenting moment. We were like, I’m just hanging out. I’m off duty parenting, and then all of a sudden you hear something and you’re like, wait a second, do I need to be like back on, you know, like that kind of panic moment?

Elsie: If my kids have like a tiny little, I’m like, are you okay? Yeah.

Emma: Should I take some water in there? Yeah. You’re like calm down. Yeah. Off-duty parent switches on to on-duty. I’m like, I know that feeling and that’s really cute. I feel like the actor did a nice, it’s just a nice little moment to me.

Elsie: It’s nice. It has aged very well. I can’t think of anything in the movie, we usually say if there’s something in the movie that was like, Really bad, no? And I can’t think of anything.

Emma: No, I mean, you have to know about the death and they’re trying to kill kids. You know, there’s some things like that for little kids. Yeah. You should know that. There’s also a point where they burn them in the pottery room, like, in the kiln. Yeah. That’s awesome. Great idea. But, like, you know, also, like, you know, if you’re showing it to your little kid, you might want to know that that’s part of the movie.

Elsie: I think I’m gonna get at least, like, one hate mail about how, like, this movie is not okay for kids, but it is on Disney Plus, and it is a kid’s movie. So, I just think everyone, like, you know, form your own choices.

Emma: I don’t know why you would send the hate mail to us. What am I going to do? You should send it to Disney. I don’t know. Apparently in 1993.

Elsie: Because I’m endorsing that my five-year-old likes it or whatever, but I’m not, I don’t know, whatever.

Emma: That’s because Goldie’s hardcore.

Elsie: She loves it. I can tell she likes the idea that she’s not scared.

Emma: Yeah, she’s like, I’m tough. Yeah. This is part of my brand. You’re like, okay. That’s great, Goldie. We support you. Yes. Yes. Yeah.

Elsie: I don’t know. I will say I don’t really think hardly any horror movies are scary, like, for me. Like, I don’t know. Some people are really, really sensitive to them, but I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation because this is a kid’s movie, so.

Emma: This is not a horror movie. No. No.

Elsie: It’s not. No. Okay, so should we do some trivia? Is there anything else before we jump into that?

Emma: No, I mean, the only thing I would point out is how iconic the witch’s outfits are because so many people wear them as costumes. Like, they’re iconic.

Elsie: They’re dresses, they’re costumes, they’re brooms. One of them has a vacuum that she switches to.

Emma: Yeah, they lose their brooms, so they have to find new ones.

Elsie: The hair, the makeup, the fake teeth, all of it.

Emma: The walk that they do, that’s like all three together, you know, it’s a really, like, vibe. I really feel like these three actresses, they like, really went for it in a way that I just love. I also think that Sarah Jessica Parker is a really different role for her than most other movies I’ve seen her in. She’s usually playing more of a like, sophisticated, independent woman who’s like, you know, doing something like she’s in a rom-com or she’s in Sex and the City or whatever. And this one, she’s very, you know, witchy and she’s meant to be kind of the dumb blonde of the group or something.

Elsie: She’s like, very spaced out and she’s also very like, flirtatious.

Emma: Yeah, yeah. So it’s just funny. It’s a very weird character and she just makes it really fun and really commits and they all do. And it’s very fun and vibey and campy.

Elsie: I love them. I love the songs. I will also defend Hocus Pocus 2. Is it as good as Hocus Pocus 1? No. It’s never gonna be. No, it was never gonna be. They are also making Hocus Pocus 3, so little shout-out for KJP. Every single time that they start filming in Salem, he like somehow gets drone shots of it and stuff and posts it and it’s all beautiful, you know, his way. Yeah, that’s how I found out about that.

Emma: He’s their marketing department.

Elsie: He kind of is, and he’s doing a great job. So, yeah, I can’t wait. It’ll probably come out next Halloween, but I will rewatch the first one the most. It’s kind of like Home Alone for me. I will always love the first one the most, but I think that the other ones, like, I’ll even just, like, speak ahead for Hocus Pocus 3, even though it’s not out yet. I know it’s gonna be good, and I know I’m gonna stand behind it.

Emma: I really liked the second Hocus Pocus. Yeah. I don’t know if I would say I like it more. Because I don’t really feel the need to pick a favorite. But I really liked it, and I was very happy to have another version, like another piece of this franchise. So, I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone else felt that way. Maybe I’m the only one in the world. But I was like, I thought it was just as good, just different. Like, it’s a different story, and they’re doing a different thing. But, yeah, I loved it. I thought it was great.

Elsie: Well, and I think after that much time passing, it’s pretty rare for all the actors to be willing and able to participate again. So it’s like really cool. It’s very special.

Emma: Maybe I had my expectations in the right place. Maybe, because it isn’t really a piece of childhood nostalgia for me, so there wasn’t anything that they could mess up. But yeah, so I loved Hocus Pocus 2. I think it’s great. I’m looking forward to a third one But I don’t really expect it to be better I don’t really feel I just so you know, I’m interested to have more of the franchise. Why not? I love witches It’s fun.

Elsie: Yeah. So, send us messages about what your favorite movie house is from Hocus Pocus, and every time you see the devil house, think of me. That’s how I want to be remembered.

Emma: You can be the devil in the scene and I’ll be the wife who’s like, the party’s over. Get out of my house. Like, she’s got the curlers in her hair. She’s not even wearing a costume. No, she’s clearly been in bed and she’s like, what’s this racket? Get out. You know, it’s still Halloween. Like, kids are out trick or treating. Yeah. I loved it very much. Yeah, it’s a good, yeah. All right, let’s do some trivia. All right, I’ll read the first one. The actor who played Billy wore a mouth rig, which is a latex pocket attached to dentures that blocked off his throat to make the moths come out. I know it sounds like It’s very cool. Kind of a stunt, really. So there was a small hole in the very back of the pocket so that he could cough some air into it. That doesn’t sound like breathing. It sounds like coughing some air into it. An animal wrangler would place several moths in the pocket with tweezers and then the stitches would be glued shut and they would try to get the shot as fast as possible. The whole, that whole thing sounds like drowning but not in water and I’m like, oh, that actor.

Elsie: This is like, my whole heart is like movies before special effects and how they achieved certain things. I love this, I love it. And I think it’s so cool that they used real moths and that they, you know, created this whole little system inside his mouth and he did that over and over for the movie. I think it’s very cool, and I’m sure now probably they would like CGI those little moths in there.

Emma: I would hope. That would be safer. But, yeah, that’s a commitment for sure.

Elsie: It’s magical. Okay, the film was released in July 1993 to take advantage of children being off from school during the summer. Okay, crazy like, that doesn’t make sense to me at all that you would release this movie in the summer when it is a full-on Halloween movie. Like, I think September 1st is the absolute soonest day.

Emma: It is, yeah. But there also, read the next part.

Elsie: Avoiding competition with The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney’s other Halloween movie, which was released that year, which I will say is way more famous, or was in the 90s, way more famous than this movie, so that sucks to be them. That was like a scheduling error for sure.

Emma: Well, I think, too, it’s one of those moments where, what if you were like, Uh oh, we have two Halloween hits. We feel like these are both hits, but we can’t really put them out at the same time, because if we did, one’s going to get overshadowed. I’m like, what else would you do but release one in the summer? But it is wild to think about this movie coming out in July, because I’m like, I love Halloween, but I’m like, who wants to watch a Halloween movie in July? I’m like, I don’t know. Maybe if I had a down week. But it’s just wild.

Elsie: Okay, because it wouldn’t still be in the theaters at Halloween, so never in one million years would I think that that would create success for it, and it kind of makes sense why it got overshadowed by the other movie.

Emma: Yeah, and I’m sure there’s more to the story than what we have in front of us, but I do wonder if Their strategy was like, we’re not going to make the money in the theaters. We’re going to make the money on TV, like the syndication or the reruns or whatever the right term is. I don’t know. I’m not a movie executive.

Elsie: Well, that’s been true for sure.

Emma: Yeah. So wonder if they were like, here’s our strategy. We’ve got to get it out before Nightmare Before Christmas and then hopefully people like it enough that they’ll just rewatch it on their TVs come Halloween and they’ll go to the movie theater for Nightmare Before Christmas and we can just kind of double dip on the money as best we can. I don’t know.

Elsie: I will say, I love Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s one of my favorite children’s Halloween movies and we probably will never do an episode for it. So, I love it so much.

Emma: It’s high vibes, but it’s a little slow.

Elsie: It’s slow, but the songs are incredible. And that’s kind of like what it’s all about. So, I love them.

Emma: Yeah, and I mean the animation. It’s like actual clay, isn’t it? Anyway, we’re not doing that movie right now, so I’m gonna stop before I’m like, let’s talk about that for 15 minutes. Okay, moving on. Yeah. Okay, next trivia. The story for Hocus Pocus came about after writer David Kirschner invented a bedtime story for his kids. He later wrote the story up and submitted it to The Muppet Magazine where it gained recognition. Love it so much. Love it so much. Couldn’t love it more.

Elsie: That’s adorable. A sequel book released in 2018 revealed Jay and Ernie’s Fates. Mm-hmm. So first of all, like, was there a book in the first place? I’m confused. It was a story, then they did a book.

Emma: Well, it says that he wrote it up. Okay. So maybe, I don’t really know. Yeah, that’s a good question.

Elsie: They were eventually rescued and one boy went on to become the principal of the local high school. Hmm. The other became a park ranger so that he could search and rescue ops with the goal of helping lost entrapped people. I think that’s really sweet.

Emma: Yeah, it’s like they gave them a little arc, too, because they’re the bullies. And you’re like, oh no, they’re not gonna do so great in life because they’re just these mean guys who pick on little kids and steal tennis shoes. But look what they did! They went on to learn a lesson, I suppose, or something.

Elsie: People can change.

Emma: Yeah, you do feel bad that they get stuck in the witch’s house. You assume someone finds them, but yeah, it’s kind of mean that they leave them. It’s like, hey man, I know he stole your shoes, but you shouldn’t just leave someone abandoned in a witch’s house. That’s not cool. Okay, did you know, Elsie, that Hocus Pocus was the first Disney film to use the word virgin? All the things in this movie, to me, that’s like the least edgy.

Elsie: I thought it was a very cute part of the movie. And they do say the word virgin so many times. So, good for them. It’s like if you’re going to use a word that’s never been used before, use it like forty times instead of two.

Emma: And they do use it like the correct way It’s not that they dive into sex all that much in this movie It is a kid’s movie, but yeah And I also feel like Max doesn’t really act super embarrassed that he’s a virgin like he very much was like, yeah And a virgin lit the candle if anything he’s like, I’m sorry. I lit the candle. He’s not like I’m sorry for being a virgin I think that’s also good, sometimes 90s movies just do weird things with sex, and so I feel like they treat it like it’s good, like it’s like this normal thing and you kind of learn the real definition of it and it’s not like a big deal for a kid to be a virgin, it’s normal and good, you know. I’m like, that’s good, that seems normal. Yeah. Seems the right move here. This has to do with your devil’s house.

Elsie: Ooh hoo hoo! Gary and Penny Marshall play a disgruntled husband and wife in the movie. Oh, so they’re the devil house husband and wife. But they’re really brother and sister. I love that.

Emma: I know. It’s hilarious. And I’m like, yeah, that’s really funny and fun. It would probably be really fun to work with your sibling, too, on a set. Even if you’re playing husband and wife. Which is weird, but it’s like they’re, like, having, like, a funny little fight. So it’s just funny. And, yeah, they do seem to have great chemistry. So I’m like, oh, that makes sense that they, like, really know each other.

Elsie: I love it. I love that devil house. Okay, so rating the movie from 0 to 5, black flame candles.

Emma: Oh, 5 or 6.

Elsie: Yeah, I mean, 5 for sure. To infinity and beyond.

Emma: Wrong movie, but yes.

Elsie: It’s amazing. Okay, if you haven’t ever watched Hocus Pocus, it’s on Disney Plus I’m sure everyone in the world has that.

Emma: It’s probably on YouTube, too.

Elsie: It’s probably wherever else. Just watch it. Just open your heart. And if you’re like a super snob like my husband, then, you know.

Emma: You’re probably not listening to this podcast.

Elsie: Then just watch it with a kid. Yeah, watch it with a kid. No, it is fun because it’s magical.

Emma: All right, so now we’re going to have a joke or a fact or maybe a meditation with Nova.

Elsie: All right, we’re back with Nova. Nova, what do you have prepared for us this week?

Nova: I have a meditation.

Elsie: What kind of meditation?

Nova: A spooky meditation since it’s getting close to Halloween.

Elsie: Perfect, okay.

Nova: So close your eyes and pretend you’re trick or treating on Halloween. And then pretend you come to a spooky house. Like a spooky castle. Then you walk in, and you find nobody who’s alive is in there. But you find a friendly, very cute ghost, who will be your tour guide. You go through and see a pumpkin. He says hello, and how are you doing? Then, you go through and see a witch. She makes some food for you. Because you know how witches make potions.

Elsie: Should we eat the food?

Nova: Yes, because she made it good. Okay. You ate it, and it was so delicious. Then, you go and see some bats. They say, how is the food? And you say, it’s good. Then, one of them swoops you up, and then you fly into the air at the moon. And then, come back to your house. And, when you go, you remember. You put another pumpkin just like it. You put a bat up. That represents a bat. You put a moon up. Represents a moon. And you put a decoration of a witch. Now your house just looks like it’s the spooky castle. Right there, so you’ll always remember that. And maybe, if you go trick or treating again in that lane, you can visit them again!

Elsie: Thanks, Nova. She is doing a lot more meditation now.

Emma: I love them. Whenever I’m listening, I wait till I can close my eyes and do her meditations and I love them.

Elsie: Okay. We hope you enjoyed this episode. We love doing comfort rewatches. It’s our favorite type of episode to do. We will be back next week with our Autumn Bucket List episode.

10 Things I Love Sunday

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 15:29:00 +0200

By the time you are reading this, I will be on a family trip to Costa Rica! It’s the first time our son has ever flown and I’m both nervous and excited. I think he’ll love it. And while I’m sure we will have some toddler meltdowns on the trip (as every parent knows), I’m also really excited for a family adventure together. I doubt my son will remember much, if anything, from this trip when he grows up, BUT I WILL. And it all feels really special! OK, enough gushing. Here are 10 things I’ve been loving lately.

1. I love white baking dishes for things like casseroles and cobblers. I just think they look really pretty and it’s just a little more satisfying to wash them. I have a square size and a rectangle (larger) size for different dishes and I use them ALL the time.

2. We bought some reusable water balloons for Oscar to play with on our trip (both at the pool and in the bathtub). A friend of ours had these at the pool this past summer and they are so cool! I had never seen them before, but all the kids loved playing with them and I was shocked how well they worked.

3. Elsie and I recently went to our local Friends of the Library sale and got SO much good stuff! If they have one where you live, look them up and go.

4. Speaking of books, my current read is All Good People Here and I’m almost done and have really enjoyed it!

5. We went with some friends and took our toddlers apple picking last weekend. I got way too many apples, and I made these apple pie bars, a few caramel apples, and apple dumplings!

6. I have been loving this season of Only Murders in the Building—so fun! (it’s on Hulu).

7. Got myself a new (actually used, from Poshmark) pair of hightop Vans and I’ve worn them almost every day last week already.

8. I’ve mentioned this before, but I use our espresso machine almost every single day and have since we got it last Christmas, and I love it. It’s so easy to use and clean. Currently, I make myself a mini pumpkin spice latte most afternoons, which is essentially a Cortado with pumpkin spice syrup added.

9. It finally feels like fall in MO and I’ve been wearing my favorite cardigan on repeat (I have it in white and black).

10. Do yourself a favor and get some of this spicy cinnamon tea—it’s the best! I usually get the herbal (no caffeine) version, but you can get a black tea version (with caffeine) if you prefer. Both are delicious.

P.S. Here are some recent posts in case you missed them!

Halloween Jello shots – Necessary? No. Adorable and fun? Hell, yeah.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken has been made on repeat at our house lately.
Learn to make Fake Snow over on childhoodmagic.com – our son loved this!
Last week’s 10 Things Sunday

Broccoli Casserole

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 15:35:00 +0200

Being born and raised in the Midwest, it probably won’t surprise you that I LOVE a casserole. Nothing says holiday meal or comfort food quite like a casserole. I have been known to request them for my birthday as well. And this broccoli casserole is one of my favorites!

This broccoli casserole recipe has it all—broccoli, cheese, a good amount of butter and a Ritz cracker topping. If you need an easy and delicious side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, make this. It’s a crowd-pleaser.

Related: Love broccoli? Me too! Next up, try broccoli salad, broccoli slaw, Air Fryer broccoli or broccoli cheddar soup.

Ingredients

Broccoli
Shallot – or yellow onion
Garlic
Butter
All-purpose flour
Milk
Chicken stock – or vegetable
Cheddar cheese
Ritz crackers

If you like, you could top this casserole with something crunchy beyond Ritz crackers, like French fried onions. This would make it similar to green bean casserole, which is another favorite of mine.

Directions

Trim the stems from the broccoli florets. You want bite-sized pieces or a little larger. Chop the shallot and mince the garlic.

In a medium to large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, as this will create a paste consistency. Then whisk in the milk and stock, which will create a very thin roux or gravy-like consistency. Then stir in the cheese and continue to cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Season this mixture with a little salt and pepper and then stir in the broccoli so it all gets coated.

Pour this mixture into a square (8×8) baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the cracker topping. In a food processor, grind the crackers into crumbs (you can also do this in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin). Then stir in the melted butter and seasoning.

Once the casserole has baked for the initial 30 minutes, remove it from the oven. Take off the foil and sprinkle the cracker topping all over. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. The cracker topping should deepen in color and the casserole should be bubbling along the sides.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. If you serve the casserole piping hot right from the oven, it will be more liquid-y.

More Great Casserole Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to parboil the broccoli before adding to the casserole?

Old Fashioned Cocktail

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:07:00 +0200

Today I’m going to share my favorite classic cocktail- the Bourbon Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned has been my go-to for years and learning to make a perfect Old Fashioned at home has been such a fun process. You’re going to want to learn this recipe as the Old Fashioned is arguably the most popular bourbon cocktail. It’s sweet, strong and perfectly simple- a true classic!

In this blog post I will teach you the traditional recipe as well as a few time saving tricks and tips to make the perfect Old Fashioned at home.

Old Fashioned Ingredients
History of an Old Fashioned
How to mix an Old Fashioned
Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned
Time Saving Tips
Variations of the Old Fashioned Cocktail
Should I put cherries in my Old Fashioned?
More Classic Cocktail Recipes:

Old Fashioned Ingredients

Bourbon Choose a high quality bourbon or rye whiskey (something you would sip!).
Angostura Bitters A classic cocktail bitter (find them on Amazon).
Sugar You will need granulated sugar to make the classic recipe. You can also save a bit of time by using simple syrup in place of sugar and water if you choose.
Water You will need a splash of water.
Orange Twist Garnish
Cherries Although not a part of the traditional recipe, many people prefer two cherries with their Old Fashioned cocktail. This is optional.

History of an Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned cocktail is one of the first officially recorded cocktails with more 200 years of history and counting. It was invented before bartenders began to add fancy embellishments to their cocktails and got its name from those who preferred to keep their cocktail simple and, well, old fashioned.

A classic never goes out of style and more recently new generations of wannabes (like me!) have learned about this cocktail from television shows like Mad Men ensuring its legacy will live on.

How to mix an Old Fashioned

Begin by pouring your sugar into a cocktail mixing glass. Add three dashes of bitters directly to the sugar. Add your water. Mix by hand with a spoon until the sugar has dissolved.

Add some ice to the mixing glass and pour your bourbon onto the ice. Continue stirring until the drink is well mixed and chilled.

Strain into a rocks glass over an oversized ice cube.

Express the oil of an orange peel over the top of the glass. You do this by squeezing and folding the skin of an orange peel- you will smell a strong citrus scent as the oils release. Then garnish your drink with the orange peel.

Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned

This drink is very spirit forward, so the quality of bourbon you choose will make a big impact on the flavor of your drink. You can spend hours reading opinions on the best bourbon for an Old Fashioned. As a general rule, you should make your Old Fashioned cocktail with a whiskey you would enjoy sipping straight.

I love to collect local bourbons and whiskeys in every variety. You can really have fun creating your own collection. That said, for the purposes of this blog post, I am focusing on brands that are easily available.

Maker’s Mark I chose this because it’s high quality and it’s available at almost every store that sells liquor. The tasting notes are slightly sweet- perfect for this recipe.

Four Roses Single Barrel Another popular option that is easy to find in stores. This is a high proof option with a smooth flavor.

Old Granddad Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Old Grandad is distilled with a high percentage of rye. It’s flavor is slightly spicy with notes of cinnamon and cloves.

Bulleit Bourbon Again I chose this brand because it’s broadly available. The flavor notes are slightly fruity and light.

George Dickle Rye Whiskey I wanted to include a rye whiskey since a Rye Old Fashioned is one of the most popular variations.

Time Saving Tips

The Old Fashioned has a lot of steps for such a simple drink. I recommend learning to make the classic recipe because it’s fun to know how to do things properly and also because it’s a good baseline for making future tweaks. That said, there are lot of ways to speed up the process.

The quickest possible way to make a great tasting Old Fashioned at home is to make our Old Fashioned Mix recipe. Once you have made this mix you can create cocktails with zero prep anytime you want.
You can save a bit of time by using Simple Syrup instead of sugar and water from the original recipe. This is easier to mix. I also recommend this if you want a sweeter cocktail like many restaurants serve. Simple syrup is the easiest way to add a little more sweetness to your drink.
If you are preparing for a dinner party you can batch the entire drink ahead of time and simply pour them into glasses with oversized ice cubes when it’s time to serve. I recommend that if serving a group since the original recipe is a bit more time consuming.

Variations of the Old Fashioned Cocktail

There are many delicious spins on the classic old Fashioned. Here are a few popular variations and what makes the recipes different- often just swapping one ingredient.

Rye Old Fashioned Use Rye for a slightly less sweet
Brandy Old Fashioned (also called Wisconsin Old Fashioned) This recipe calls for Brandy instead of Bourbon and also is topped with lemon-lime soda, so it is a much sweeter drink than the classic.
Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned If you use our Pumpkin Spice Syrup instead of simple syrup, you can make this festive variation.
Irish Old Fashioned Use Jameson Irish Whiskey in place of bourbon
Peanut Butter Old Fashioned Use Screwball peanut butter whiskey in place of bourbon for this fun variation.

Should I put cherries in my Old Fashioned?

The classic recipe does not contain cherries, but as someone who has ordered this drink at dozens of restaurants I would say it is served with cherries at least 75% of the time. Bottom line- if it’s good enough for Don Draper, it’s good enough for me.

Personally I love the cherries and welcome them in my drink! If you want to add two cherries to your drink we suggest Luxardo Maraschino Cherries. These dark candied cherries are rich and decadent. Once you open the jar, but sure to store them in your fridge and you can use them in many classic cocktail recipes like the Manhattan.

More Classic Cocktail Recipes:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a classic Old Fashioned made of?

Margarita Cocktail

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:05:00 +0200

Is there anything better than a classic margarita? This recipe is made with just four ingredients and tastes better than most restaurant margaritas!

Years ago, I shared my homemade margarita mix, which I highly recommend trying if you’ve been using store-bought mix (it’s much more delicious). Today, I’m excited to now share the recipe for a classic margarita from scratch.

More tequila recipes: Homemade Margarita Mix, Watermelon Margarita, Coconut Margarita, Ranch Water, Mexican Candy Shot.

Margarita Ingredients

Tequila Blanco – Also known as silver tequila.
Orange Liqueur – You can use Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.
Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed.
Agave Nectar – For some natural sweetness.
Ice – I enjoy these small size square cubes.
Lime Slices – For garnish.
Course Salt – For rimming the glass.

Helpful Bar Tools

There are a few simple bar tools that will make your homemade margarita experience simpler and quicker. I recommend a handheld citrus squeezer, a measuring shot glass (I use this for nearly every cocktail I make) and a cocktail shaker.

How To Make A Perfect Margarita

Begin by prepping your glassware. I like to salt just half my glass so people have the choice of a sip with or without salt.

Next, fill a cocktail shaker with tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave. Add a handful of ice cubes and shake for around 15 seconds or until the shaker becomes icy. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, try using a mason jar with a lid.

Take a quick taste test and make sure you are pleased with the drink. You can add more sweetener if you feel it needs it.

From the shaker, strain the drink into your glass. Add a few ice cubes and a garnish of fresh limes to serve.

How To Salt Rim A Glass

I use agave to adhere my salt since it’s a little more hearty and holds more salt than lime juice alone. Lime juice works as well. When you do a salt rim, be sure to only do the outside edge so unwanted salt isn’t falling into your drink. I like to keep some margarita salt on hand for just such an occasion.

Tips For Making

The best way to serve a margarita on the rocks is in a rocks glass with a few ice cubes.
Add extra citrus flavor with some citrus zest mixed into the salt rim.
Goodbye, margarita mix. You never need to buy the neon yellow store-bought mix again. You can use our margarita mix recipe or skip it entirely with this from scratch recipe.

Margarita Variations

Mezcal Margarita – My favorite margarita variation is swapping tequila for mezcal in this traditional margarita, creating a more smoky and intense flavor.
Skinny Margarita – For a lighter version, skip the orange liqueur and instead add a bit of fresh orange juice. You can also look for a light agave to use.
Spicy Margarita – Add a few slices of fresh jalepeño or serrano chiles before shaking. If you are concerned about heat, start small and add more to taste.
Tajín Rim – Use Tajin Seasoning (mixed with salt or by itself) to create a customized rim. On this note, you can customize your rim with any herbs, citrus zest or flavored salts you choose.
Garden Margarita – Add fresh edible flowers for a beautiful, garden-inspired margarita.

Recipes That Go Well With Margaritas:

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

When is National Margarita Day?

Vampire Milkshake

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:04:00 +0200

Spooky season is my favorite season of them all! Today, let’s celebrate with a Vampire Milkshake! It’s strawberry, it has fake blood and plastic vampire teeth … are you in? I have a lot of room in my heart for novelty recipes and this vampire-themed milkshake is exactly the kind of silly fun I need right now. Now, who wants to rewatch Twilight with me? *Entire room raises hands.*

More Halloween Recipes: Halloween Cupcakes, Spider Bite Cocktail, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Halloween Jello Shots, Halloween Cake Pops.

Ingredients in a Strawberry Vampire Milkshake

Vanilla Ice Cream – Creamy vanilla ice cream is the perfect milkshake base.
Strawberry Syrup – This will flavor your ice cream as well as turn it pink.
Milk – You can use whatever type of milk you have on hand.
Red Gel Icing – The optimal bright red vampire blood (trust me). Bonus points for sparkle gel.
Whipped Cream – The usual!
Sprinkles – Red or black to stay on theme.
Maraschino Cherry – The bright red kind!
Note: I also used white chocolate syrup to garnish the inside of my glass, but as you can see in the photos it didn’t make a big impact visually, so you can skip that if you want to.

You will also need some plastic vampire teeth if you want to go all in (and obviously you do or you wouldn’t be here). These are the milkshake glasses and paper straws I used.

Directions

In a blender, mix ice cream, strawberry syrup and milk. Add a drop of red food coloring if you want a super intense pink.

Pour your milkshake into two glasses.

Use gel icing to create a blood-inspired rim. This icing has pretty good body and will stay in place pretty well for you!

After the blood rim is complete, add a little whipped cream to the top of your milkshake and some sprinkles and a cherry. Serve immediately with a straw and a spoon. Enjoy!!

Tips for Making

The gel icing is perfect for the rim as it stays in place well. I have tried this with strawberry syrup and it was much too runny.
If you don’t have a set of milkshake glasses, they are great for milkshakes, smoothies and classic soda drinks—like a root beer float.
Another fun garnish idea for this drink would be candy vampire teeth.

More Spooky Ideas:

Vampire Milkshake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword halloween, halloween desserts, milkshake

Prep Time 10

Servings people

Calories 348kcal

Author Elsie Larson

Equipment

1 High speed blender

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tablespoon strawberry syrup
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon red gel icing
½ cup whipped cream
2 marachino cherries

Instructions

In a blender, mix ice cream, strawberry syrup and milk. Add a drop of red food coloring if you want a super intense pink.
Pour your milkshake into two glasses.
Use gel icing to create a blood-inspired rim. This icing has pretty good body and will stay in place pretty well for you!
After the blood rim is complete, add a little whipped cream to the top of your milkshake and some sprinkles and a cherry. Serve immediately with a straw and a spoon. Enjoy!!

Notes

The gel icing is perfect for the rim as it stays in place well. I have tried this with strawberry syrup and it was much too runny.
If you don’t have a set of milkshake glasses, they are great for milkshakes, smoothies and classic soda drinks—like a root beer float.
Another fun garnish idea for this drink would be candy vampire teeth.

Nutrition

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:06:00 +0200

I’ve been making my own pumpkin spice lattes for almost 10 years now. While I love to get one at a coffee shop if I’m out and about, being able to make it at home is a game-changer!

In fact, when I first posted my pumpkin spice syrup recipe years and years ago, a local coffee shop in my town told me they used my recipe to make their pumpkin spice latte. You have NO idea how flattered I was when I heard this!

Related: If you’re a coffee lover, then next up you should learn how to make a proper Macchiato, Cortado, and Cappuccino. You also may love an Espresso Martini.

Ingredients

Espresso
Milk – I like whole or 2% for lattes
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Cinnamon – for the top (optional)

You could also swap out the milk for a milk alternative like oat milk or almond milk if you prefer.

How to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte

If you have an espresso machine, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to extract a rich, concentrated shot of espresso.

The secret to a luscious latte lies in perfectly frothed milk. If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand, place the wand just below the surface of the milk and turn it on.

Tilt the pitcher slightly to create a swirling motion. Continue steaming until the milk has doubled in volume and has a smooth, velvety texture.

If you don’t have a steam wand, you can heat the milk on the stovetop and whisk by hand or use a milk frother vigorously until it becomes frothy.

Pour the espresso into a mug and add the syrup. Hold the milk pitcher at a slight angle and pour the frothed milk into the cup, aiming for the center to create beautiful latte art.

Home Espresso Makers

We’ve tried many espresso makers over the years, and here are our favorites at different price points and skill levels:

Cafe Automatic Espresso Machine – My current machine. It uses any whole beans, so if you use high quality beans you’ll get high quality espresso. It makes espresso shots automatically (no barista skills required) and includes a milk frothing wand to heat and froth milk. We’ve used this machine almost every day since we got it seven months ago and we love it! It comes in three colors.
Stovetop Espresso – This is the cheapest way to make espresso at home. It’s more labor intensive and you will also need a way to grind your beans for best results. But, this is a classic method that works great when done well.
Breville Barista Touch – We bought this for a good friend as a wedding gift once and they said they love it. It’s a higher end machine that you will need some barista skills to operate, but it’s an excellent home espresso maker.
Nespresso Vertuo – For those who want an espresso maker that uses pods, this is my favorite. Depending what pod you use, it can make espresso or coffee.

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

Every autumn I look forward to my first PSL of the season—now the wait is over!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

a spicy seasonal espresso drink

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword espresso, pumpkin

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 203kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Equipment

espresso machine

Ingredients

1 shot espresso
1-2 tablespoons pumpkin spice syrup
1 cup milk
cinnamon for the top

Instructions

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to extract a rich, concentrated shot of espresso from your machine.
The secret to a luscious latte lies in perfectly frothed milk. If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand, place the wand just below the surface of the milk and turn it on.
Tilt the pitcher slightly to create a swirling motion. Continue steaming until the milk has doubled in volume and has a smooth, velvety texture.
Pour the espresso into a mug and add the syrup. Hold the milk pitcher at a slight angle and pour the frothed milk into the cup.
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, optional.

Notes

You could also swap out the milk for a milk alternative like oat milk or almond milk if you prefer.

If you don’t have a steam wand, you can heat the milk on the stovetop and whisk by hand or use a milk frother vigorously until it becomes frothy.

Nutrition

Garlic Butter

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:05:00 +0200

If you love garlic and you love butter, this is the ultimate recipe for you! You’ll be amazed how easy this recipe is to make—just some quality butter, herbs and a little parmesan cheese. You can use this to butter your bread, steaks, vegetables and so much more. Try making this for your next dinner party.

Ingredients

Butter – One stick of butter—I used Kerrygold.
Garlic Cloves – You will need two fresh garlic cloves, grated.
Fresh Herbs – Chives, rosemary, sage or thyme, chopped small.
Sea Salt – I like flaky sea salt.
Parmesan Cheese – Optional ingredient that adds a little something.

Garlic Butter Recipe

Making garlic butter is as simple as mixing the ingredients together. It only takes a few minutes! First, put your softened butter in a bowl. Sprinkle in herbs and salt. Grate two garlic cloves into the mixture. Add parmesan cheese. Mix with a fork or spoon until smooth and fully combined.

Tips for Making

This recipe is very garlicky. Start with one clove of garlic if you want a subtle flavor.
Use softened room temperature butter to make this recipe.
You can make this ahead and keep it in an airtight container for about one week.
You can freeze this recipe for up to three months before using.
If you don’t have unsalted butter, add less salt to your recipe.

How to Use Garlic Butter

Add to steak, salmon or chicken
Serve with baked potato, sweet potato or green beans
Melt into cooked pasta to create delicious garlic butter noodles.
Serve with warm French bread or (my favorite) sourdough.
Spread it on a toasted bagel for a delicious breakfast.
Use it to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

Serving Suggestions

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is garlic butter made of?

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (With Video!)

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:03:00 +0200

Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food—it’s warm, filling, and the delicious combo of tender chicken, peas, celery, and carrots in a creamy filling sits perfectly nestled between two layers of flaky, buttery pie crust. Yes, please! We make our chicken pot pie easier with a rotisserie chicken and pre-made pie crust to really speed up the prep time and you can also swap out frozen vegetables to make it even faster.

Chicken pot pie is also a great make-ahead meal to freeze and throw in the oven at a later date as it freezes well and is easy to heat up. We’ve even got a video so you can watch it all come together!

Looking for more family dinner ideas? Check out:

What is a pot pie?

A pot pie is a savory pie that is usually filled with meat and vegetables in a gravy-type sauce. They usually have a double layer of pastry covering the top and bottom.

Reasons we love Chicken Pot Pie

It’s a filling meal and pairs well with a salad like our Caesar Salad.
You can easily freeze the pie and bake at a later date.
You can sub out your favorite vegetables (add corn or potatoes) and seasonings to really make it your own.
Any leftovers (if you have some!) are delicious heated up the next day.

Ingredients to make Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken – You can also use 1 pound of cubed cooked chicken breast in this recipe, but we love the ease and tender shreds of a rotisserie chicken.
Vegetables – Carrots, onion, celery, and peas is a classic combination for pot pie vegetables and you can also add some cubed potatoes into your pie (boil until just soft first like you would for mashed potatoes before adding).
Butter and flour – The combination of butter and flour creates a roux to thicken the filling and make it creamy.
Heavy cream or milk – The addition of heavy cream (half and half) or milk is what will make your sauce extra creamy. Go for the cream option if you really want to be decadent.
Chicken broth – This will be the base of your pie sauce.
Seasoning – We are going with salt, pepper, and thyme, but you can also add poultry seasoning, rosemary, or even a little turmeric for a more golden color to your filling.
Pie crust – You can either use your own favorite pie crust recipe (make it a double for the top and bottom) or you can use refrigerated options to speed up your prep time.

Check out our 60+ Easy Dinner Recipes!

Tips for Making Chicken Pot Pie

Put a cookie sheet in your oven while it preheats and place your pie pan on that to give the bottom crust a little more cooking heat.
Use a pie shield to keep the edges of your pie from getting too brown (or you can use a piece of foil with a hole cut out of the middle like I did).
Instead of simple slits cut into the top for vents, try a small cookie cutter to cut out a few shapes for a pretty or fun design!
I like my chicken pot pie filling on the thicker side, but if you like a more liquid sauce in yours, try using less flour and that will make it more soupy.

How to make Chicken Pot Pie:

Sautee your veggies: Melt your butter over medium-low heat and add your onions once melted. Allow the onions to cook until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add your celery and carrots and cook until carrots have softened, about 7-9 minutes.

Add flour and liquids: Sprinkle the flour over your veggies and stir to coat. Cook another minute. While whisking to avoid lumps, pour in your broth and milk or cream and simmer for one more minute.

Add chicken: Add your rotisserie chicken (or cooked chicken breast cubes) along with your frozen peas and chopped thyme. Cook one minute and add salt and pepper to taste.

Prep pie pan: Roll out your store-bought (or homemade) pie crust into the bottom of your pie pan. I used a 9″ deep dish pie pan.

Fill the pan: Transfer your pot pie mixture into the pie pan.

Add top crust: Add your second crust on top of your filling and crimp edges with the bottom pie crust. You can either cut slits into the top crust for vents or use a small cookie cutter to cut a few shapes. You can also brush an egg wash on top with an egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water for a shinier more golden crust.

Bake pot pie: Bake your pot pie at 425° for 30-35 minutes until heated through and golden brown. Check the pie 15-20 minutes in and if your crust is getting too dark, use a pie shield or piece of foil to keep your edges from getting too dark.

Let pie cool: Allow your pie to cool for 15 minutes to firm up a little before cutting into it to serve. Enjoy!

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I blind bake the bottom crust on my chicken pot pie?

Episode #201: Hosting a Party (Deep Dive)

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0200

This week, we are deep diving into parties. Everything from planning to what actually makes a great party.

46 minutes, 50 seconds

Listen on:

Use one of these top players or see a full list of providers in the post below.

iTunes

Spotify

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

G Play

TuneIn

Pocket Casts

Stitcher

You can find the podcast posts archive here.

A big thank you to our sponsors! Check out the offers from LMNT, Kitsch, Honeylove, and Ritual.

And, if you’re looking for a specific code you heard on the podcast, you can see a full list on this page!

Show Notes:

Tips for planning a party:

Start with a theme

Plan all the food and drinks

Decorate one area

Set up different stations so people aren’t hanging out in one place all night

Check out How to Make a Fancy Balloon Arch

Best places to get party supplies:

Thrift stores

Source from friends

Etsy

DIY

What are the essential elements of a good party?

Amazing food

A cute playlist that goes with your theme

A chill activity

Nice lighting

Light a candle in the bathrooms

Make sure there are trashcans in all the bathrooms

Things people could do at a party:

Puzzle table

Board game table

Jewelry making

Cookie decorating station

S’mores Station

Make your own drink station

Miss an Episode? Get Caught Up!

Episode 201 Transcript:

Emma: You’re listening to the beautiful mess podcast, your cozy comfort listen, and this week we are deep diving into all things, parties, everything from planning to what actually makes a great party. And we’re going to share some embarrassing stories from parties that we’ve been through because that’s fun.

Elsie: I have a good one. Okay, so before we jump in, you wanted to share a little bit about Emma’s night out, Emma’s free day.

Emma: Yes, this was my, we were like, okay, what are we gonna do for the personal opener in this episode? And I was like, well, here’s what I did recently and it’s more just like making fun of myself slightly But also I do think I’m cool for this. So Basically, Trey was out of town, his friends were having a bachelor party, a friend of ours getting married, so he was at a bachelor party, and Oscar was staying the night at my mom’s. That’s just like, what was happening, and he loves his grandma’s house, both of them so much. So, anyway, I think since he was born, I don’t think there’s really been a night where I was home alone in Springfield Without my son or without my husband like I’ve gone on a vacation without my son, but I don’t actually have that many nights like that. So anyway all week Trey was like, what are you gonna do? You’re gonna go out with someone, you know, he just wants me to have a good time. He’s like have a good time, make sure you enjoy yourself. Take care of yourself, he’s just trying to encourage me to like do my thing And I’m like, what should I do? I have my time. What do I want to do? What does Emma feel like doing? And here’s what I did. I went to two different thrift stores, back-to-back thrifting. So this is like two and a half hours of thrifting. And I got all sorts of Halloween things for Oscar. This is like a candy corn dish that I was really excited about. A couple of tops for me, mostly clothes, I guess. And yeah, it was just really fun. I love thrifting and I do thrift now and again, but I never take Oscar. He’s better about putting things in his mouth, but it’s just not, I don’t feel it’s a good atmosphere for him at his age. So I’ve just never taken him thrifting and I feel like it would make it less fun for me because it’s like a for fun me thing. So I went to two different thrifts. Yeah. But I mostly bought it for him, so I don’t know. And then I went to Home Goods and bought myself a Halloween candle. I think I also got dish brushes, I just needed some. Anyway, I also got some Halloween pasta, like shaped like pumpkins.

Elsie: I always get the most random stuff there.

Emma: Yeah, it’s always random. I’m usually like, Oh, I’ll get a candle and then I end up with something random. I wanted to buy Halloween decor, but I just didn’t see anything that I was like super like, Oh, this is the one. So I was like, I’ll save it. And then after Home Goods, I went to TJ Maxx. So different Home Goods essentially. And yes, I did all that and then I got some Andy’s frozen custard. And then when I got home, I had a fourth of my edible and I had a great night and that’s all I did. Yeah. And the next day, Cherry was like, what’d you do? Who’d you go out with? And I was like, oh, I went shopping. I went here and here and here, and then I had an edible and I don’t even remember what I watched. Something probably Bob’s Burgers. And I was like, it was a great night and it’s just like a funny little, it really shows what an introvert I am, which I do love hanging out with people too. I do have a lot of social interaction in my life, but it was just like a funny little introvert night for me. And it was fun and I loved it.

Elsie: That’s so cute.

Emma: I immediately came home and tried on all my thrift stuff and then washed it. Anyway.

Elsie: Sounds perfect.

Emma: Yep. So all you introverts out there, I’m with you. Still hanging in there. Still thrifting alone without a baby. Living life.

Elsie: I love that. That’s so cute. So Catherine emailed us and suggested this topic. The topic for this episode is Hosting a Party Deep Dive. I’m just gonna talk about like all the parties we’ve ever hosted. I think this is so fun because we love to throw a party. It’s definitely, like, one of my happiest things. I’m preparing a Halloween party right now, and I can just spend so much time on it. It’s so much fun. Tips for planning a party. So I think number one, the most important thing, is you have to start with a theme. If you don’t have a theme, you don’t have anything.

Emma: So when you say theme, it’s like how we’re decorating, or it’s like what we’re going to be doing at the party, like elaborate a little bit. Tell me a theme you have in mind, I guess. An example.

Elsie: So here’s an example. The other day I was getting my hair done, and the hairdresser said they were having a party that night. It was just someone’s birthday party, and the theme was Dad, Dad theme and it was like they were gonna wear dad clothes and make Dad snacks and Dad drinks and it was like funny. It’s like a night that could have been just a regular birthday party with no theme was suddenly a dad-themed night with a dad-themed party. So I kind of think it always just makes any party better. And if you’re having a Halloween or a Christmas party, then we can talk about the sub-theme because obviously, the main theme is like Halloween, but a sub-theme, we gotta get more micro about the theme, right?

Emma: What are we doing? Vampires? Murder mystery? What’s happening? Yeah.

Elsie: Exactly. Yeah, and I don’t think it has to be, like, super expensive. I think you just have to… lower your standards lower than Pinterest and I personally don’t really care about photographing my parties. So I hardly ever do that.

Emma: Every once in a while if I make like a really epic dessert board or cheese board, I might snap a photo of that. But I honestly don’t even share it. It’s just like a moment of like. I made something and I want to take a picture of it, you know, whatever.

Elsie: I just love sitting down and thinking of all of the food you can make. Like, you know, a bunch of things you can make ahead, the drinks you can make, make a punch. You know, all kinds of things like that. It’s so much fun.

Emma: Yes. And I was just going to throw out, as far as like tips for planning a party, some like different kinds of party ideas. So these are all parties that I’ve done before or one of them, it’s like we’re planning with friends. So a couple of things like next Saturday, this Saturday as a recording, I’m having a kid’s baking party is what I’m calling it. But essentially three girls, two of my nieces and another little girl, and we’re making like a kind of plain cookie dough, like think chocolate chip cookies, but without the chocolate chips. And then they’re going to get to pick all different kinds of toppings and chips and dehydrated fruit and sprinkles and like customize the cookies into their creation. So we’re going to do that. And then also, kind of spoiling it for you. I’m sorry, Elsie. I also bought each of the girl’s cookbooks. So like Goldie got a princess tea party cookbook. Nova has a science cookbook, a science cookbook for kids. And the other little girl got her one that’s like kind of more classic because she’s like pretty good at baking. And she also likes cheese boards that are fancy. She’s kind of skilled. So I was a little nervous to buy her something. So anyways, I got that and like little kids knives and we’ll use those to cut up the like dried fruit and stuff. So anyway, this is a party that’s more of a mom thing, a fun time with kids. It’s not necessarily a party for me to chill and relax, but it’s a different type of party. And I think it’s fun to like make childhood magic. And that’s basically what I’m trying to do have a little childhood magic moment with my nieces and this other little gal. Cause I just think that’s special and fun. So anyway, there’s that. Something I do with my friends a lot is we call it the clothing exchange. And essentially what we do is we clean out our closets and then we bring anything that’s decent. And we exchange it, and a lot of stuff ends up going to a thrift store afterward, but I’ve gotten a lot of good stuff from the Clothing Exchange, too, so it’s really fun, and it costs nothing, and it encourages you to clean out your closet, which is nice, so I usually do this, like, twice a year, and we just have, like, snacks, like a cheese board and wine, and we chat, and it’s really fun, and it’s just a time that I and my friends hang out, and it’s fun. I’ve also done it around the holidays, I love to do cookie decorating parties. So you make the sugar cookies ahead of time. You might think this is for kids. It is not. It is for adults. Me and my adult friends doing this. We make the sugar cookies ahead of time and the royal icing’s already in the colors and then people can decorate. And then you hang out and chat while the icing sets and then you’re able to take them home afterwards. Bonus points if it’s Halloween and you do pumpkin carving as well. Another thing I love to do with my friends from time to time is we call it soup night. And we make like, you know, two to five soups and everybody has like a coffee mug of each of the different soups or whichever ones you want, You don’t have to have them all, but I usually have at least three soups. And then we watch a movie, usually a Nancy Meyers or something fun like that. And if you do one of these bonus points, if people wear their pajamas. And then one other party that we have wanted to do, but we didn’t get around to it this year, but next year, for sure. We always have a lot of fun doing a New Year’s Eve party this past year we hosted it at my house, but usually, it’s at my friend’s house and we’ll be back. She had a newborn this year, so we’ll be back at her house. But essentially what I like about it is I love dancing, but there’s not really anywhere in my town to go dancing where I feel like I’m the right age and I’m not going to get grabbed in a weird way, like, but I do love dancing. So whenever we have house parties with adult friends, that’s like such a fun thing to me because some people love karaoke. Personally, it’s my nightmare to sing in front of people. But I will dance like an idiot in front of anyone because I love dancing and it’s really fun. So the New Year’s Eve party always turns into a dance party and we were talking about doing some kind of, We made it halfway through the year party which essentially is New Year’s Eve but halfway through the year so we have another excuse to have a dance party. And for those parties, I do just heavy snacks, and then people bring their own. It’s like, bring your own booze, bring your own wine, whatever you want. And then I’ll always, towards the end of the night, if I’m hosting, I’ll make like pizza rolls or something that’s kind of like drunk people food for later in the evening. So everybody can have another snack after midnight, after, you know, New Year’s Eve. There are so many more ideas. I just wanted to throw out some random ideas in case you’re like, oh, I don’t know. Sometimes I think parties can become kind of stiff and boring. So like having a theme like a dad’s night, everything’s like dad themed, it’s funny. Or being like, oh, we’re gonna do a clothing exchange. So like we’re doing something, but also really we’re just hanging out too and chatting and having a glass of wine or whatever. Takes the pressure off in a way for parties. So as a socially awkward person, I can feel anxious about them. So it’s kind of nice to like have something to do. You know what I mean?

Elsie: I think that’s a really good point. Okay. I have a couple of tips. So as far as like what I do when I’m throwing a party is plan all the food, my favorite part. Plan all the drinks, and then I usually do decor for one room or one area, so you don’t need to decorate. I think like the whole entire house is just like dream big, but like, you know, for me especially if it’s like a kid’s party, I think one area, maybe like the dining room table or maybe the front porch, you know, can be like really decked out so you can get like a cute picture and they can feel like it was special, but you actually can get it done. I do like my own balloon arches. I’ll link to that in this show’s notes. We have some tutorials about balloon arches that are really helpful. They’re actually really easy to make. We just recently did it for a baby shower, and our mom helped. We made three in one day and one morning and it’s not hard. So anyone can do it. And then my other suggestion is to plan multiple spots to hang out. So like, for example, if you have like an outdoor fire pit or if you want to put a puzzle out in the living room or just like give more than one station, usually people congregate towards the dining room and the kitchen. And try to give, like, a couple more places just so that basically people have, like, places to go, you know, like, so you’re not just, like, in one room the whole night talking, you can, like, try this, try that, go here. It’s a big adventure.

Emma: Yeah, it’s such a big adventure, Look at this, huge house. Yeah, and with the, like, puzzle or other little things like that, I think it’s nice to, like, kind of have basically, suggestions of things people can do. So it’s not like you’re trying to force the charade thing to happen, which if you play charades, is awesome. I think that’s fun. But it’s like sometimes if, you know, I get to a party and everyone’s like, we’re doing this game and I’m like, Oh, I don’t know the rules. And I kind of just wanted to chill for a minute, kind of stresses me out a little. Also, like I’ve said, I’m kind of an awkward person, so I just, I’m ending that. So I kind of like more of a like, there’s suggestions of things you can do. We have a cornhole set up in the backyard. We have this puzzle table over here. So if you’re just like meeting people and maybe warming up a little socially because you haven’t talked to anyone all week because you work alone and hang out with a toddler mostly then you can kind of get into these activities and probably chat with people who are doing them too and it just kind of makes it like a little bit of an icebreaker in a way. Or if you need a little break, like you just had a long conversation with a good friend and you’re like, Oh, I’m going to mingle some more and it’s like, okay, I’ll walk over to the puzzle table or over to these yard games or whatever’s out and you know.

Elsie: That’s perfect. I love it. So, what are your favorite places to get party supplies, or do you like to keep a stash? Tell us all your secrets about that.

Emma: Yeah. So, if it’s like a holiday thing, I feel like I already have a stash because I just love decorating my house for Halloween and Christmas. So, I feel like a lot of Christmas stuff kind of blends into New Year’s. Some of it doesn’t, but a lot of it kind of does because it’s just sparkly and wintry, so I feel like that kind of works. Other than that though, I do love to get random supplies at thrifts, and then I’m also a big balloon person because I feel like balloons can kind take up a lot of space, but also they’re fairly easy to clean up, and at least in my world, my son loves to play with them for weeks afterward. So they kind of like double as a toy for that month while they’re still around. Like we had New Year’s Eve balloons up for like, I swear like two months this year after New Year’s Eve and Oscar loved them. They were fun to play with. So it’s great. So that’s a lot of what I do. And then one other thing that I will recommend is don’t be afraid to source from friends. So if you need more tablecloths or even like more wine glasses and you’re like stressed, you’re like, I need to buy 20 wine glasses. It’s like, well if you don’t have anywhere to store that afterward, and you’re going to use them like once a year, maybe tell people to bring them. I know that might sound kind of weird, but it’s really not a big deal. If someone tells me to bring something, like, can you bring an extra blanket? We’re doing a picnic thing in the backyard. Like, yeah, that’s no big deal. I can totally bring something. So don’t be afraid to source things that you need like that from friends.

Elsie: Yeah, that’s a good point. Okay, so my favorite places to get supplies are definitely Etsy. Number one, they have a ton of downloads. If you, like when we did our daughter’s Dolly Parton birthday party, we got like cupcake picks that had Dolly Parton from Etsy, like things like that I think are really special and it’s good to like, you know, print out a few things like it’s easy, it’s simple, it’s fun. And other than that, I honestly just love DIYing parties. I personally think that parties should be fun if it’s not fun for you to throw, don’t do it then. I could go 50/50 on weddings because I get it that weddings are like, it’s worth it to you, but at the moment it’s like pure hell. But like, I don’t think a party should ever be a big source of stress. So I think that making it like really doable for yourself, whatever you have to do to do that. So for me, I kind of just like making decoration slowly, and then usually I’ll spend like one day making it really cute in like my main area. And then I kind of just like, don’t worry about it after that. So I think a lot of people don’t throw parties because they put too high of a bar for how perfect it has to be or how expensive or whatever. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be.

Emma: Yeah. And I think too, I’ve kind of noticed that some people feel, I think a little anxious about letting people see their houses, especially if it’s like not quote-unquote done or if there’s areas of the horn. It’s never done, areas of the home where they’re like I’m about to paint but I haven’t gotten to yet or whatever, and me personally if I have a friend over and they haven’t seen my house in a while or if they haven’t been over at all I love to give a tour and be like look at this basement that’s not done at all Check it out. It’s fun. People like to see anything of yours like your friends will love seeing whatever you want to show them. So don’t feel anxious that your house has to be perfect I actually love seeing people’s houses when it’s like, you know, in progress and they’re telling me their plans and they’re excited about it. It’s actually really fun to see someone be excited about it. I also don’t mind when people are like, oh, don’t worry about that room, that’s our playroom, and you see all the like magnet tiles or whatever’s in there and it’s like, I have a room just like that in my house too. So it’s like, not going to bother me. So don’t let anything like that, you know, take you away from hosting a party if you really want to host. Nobody cares about your mess, nobody cares about whatever isn’t done or if you think your house is too small or too big or whatever, If these people are actually your friends, they’re going to love to come over and hang out with you, so don’t worry about that.

Elsie: I agree for sure. What are the essential elements of a good party? So I think food, amazing food, a playlist, a cute playlist that goes with your theme. And then a chill activity of some kind. I agree with Emma, I think this is my strong opinion, you don’t have to agree. I think that drinking and mandatory board games do not mix. And I just think they shouldn’t be mixed. I think mandatory board games are for family chill time. And like Christmas Eve with your parents and like things like that. But I think that like when I’ve been in a party with drinking and there’s like a mandatory game I’m like always mad because I always just want to like to stand around and talk.

Emma: Or dance I like dancing. Yeah, I think mainly if you get the vibe that you’re coercing people into playing cards with you, maybe don’t, you know, maybe just, you know, let’s set that down. Like if people don’t enthusiastically want to do it. I promise they’re just being nice and they don’t want to do it. So it’s maybe just like, don’t worry about it. But there are times I think a game can be nice. Like if I’m at a party where I really don’t know very many people all that well, it can be a really nice way to kind of interact when it’s like, I’m trying to meet everyone, but I also have already forgotten everyone’s name because I just met all of you, you know what I mean? Like I actually think there can be times where it is a really good fit I also if I know ahead of time like this is a murder mystery party and you’re gonna get a character as soon as you get here that’s also like, you know what you’re in for before you even get there. So that’s like a good fit, too.

Elsie: That’s an adorable party.

Emma: If you’re like we’re doing backyard yard game tournament, and that’s what this party is I’d be like, oh, yeah, that sounds fun. Great. I’ll bring my beer. Great, whatever. So those are good.

Elsie: I just think like we should make a murder mystery party, that’s so cool.

Emma: Yeah, it sounds like a lot of work, but I just want to decorate and make the food, to be honest.

Elsie: Okay, someday we’ll do it. Yeah. Okay, so some examples of chill activities, I think like, something like S’mores, decorating cookies, even like a bar where you have to make your own drinks. At Laura’s party, she always puts out the recipes and then left out the ingredients, which is so smart because it saves the host time it is fun for people to do and it’s easy. It’s like, you know, it’s fun. So yeah, I think little activities like that are really nice to have.

Emma: I agree. And then a couple of other small things, I wouldn’t say are like a have to, but they’re nice is I think if you can have fun lighting, especially if it’s a party in the evening, I think that’s really fun. Like colorful lights or it doesn’t have to be anything that’s going to bother someone. I don’t like being at concerts when it’s very strobie, it makes my heart beat like fast. But I do like, if I walk into someone’s house in the evening and it’s like a little bit red or they have a room that’s like kind of blue, I always love that. I’m like, Oh, I’m in this cool, they have a vibe going on in here. So I think that’s really fun. So I like things like that, disco balls, glittery, anything like that, I think is really fun. And another very small thing, but just a FYI, it’s nice to light a scented candle in bathrooms and also make sure you have a little trash can in every bathroom for your guests. Oh my gosh. These are just essentials that could be easy to forget. You know, if there’s a bathroom you never use because it’s your house and like, it might be the bathroom that just never gets used. Just check in on that before you have people over, you know?

Elsie: Yeah, that’s a good idea. Okay, so Catherine wanted to hear more about your puzzle table that you leave out for people and other things that you do at a party to help people have a good time.

Emma: Yeah, so we’ve kind of talked about that, like if you’re obligating people to play a board game, maybe not the best thing, but if you’re leaving one out and people seem to congregate, excellent. Now you’ve done a great service to your guests. So I think a puzzle table is a great thing for that. Puzzles are really good because, unlike games, you can kind of dip in and out. You could just play for 10 minutes and then if your friend’s like, Hey, let’s go mix another drink or whatever. Let’s go dance, you can go do that. In a game, you kind of sometimes feel like you need to finish your hand or finish that round. So a puzzle is a really nice, you know, thing, I think. Another thing that I like about mixed companies, but especially parties that are mostly women, is jewelry making. I know that sounds so middle school, but I feel like Taylor Swift has brought it back to everyone. But I just personally love making jewelry. So like having some kind of little craft that’s kind of set out, that’s like you’re inviting people to use your stash of whatever. And, you know, if all your friends love scrapbooking, you could have stuff out for scrapbooking. Like, whatever. I just think it’s like a nice, like, you don’t have to come and make anything, but if you want to make something, here’s my stash of stuff and feel free to sit down and make something. And again, I feel like it just allows people, if they’re having a little moment where they need to like get into their social mode, like they’ve just arrived at the party, they might want that. Or if you’re like, I need a little break. I’ve been here a couple of hours and I just need a little break. Then it’s like, I like to just do something with my hands. It just helps me feel a little more grounded in life. So I think just having some things around like that for people is really nice.

Elsie: Nice. Yeah, I love that. Okay. I had a couple of down-key decorating stations. We talked about I think that could be for any Holiday or any party theme it just kind of all the time any time you do like cupcake decorating something a little different too, but I think that. Oh, a gingerbread, gingerbread decorating. That would be fun. I think having a fire pit with everything for s’mores is such a good idea, especially for a longer party that goes into the night. It’s just like another thing to do, that it’s fun and different. I think having an easy craft, if you like Emma said with the bracelet, something like that where it’s like something that you can do if you want to and you don’t have to if you don’t. It’s just kind of there because there’s always one person who gets really into it. Yeah. I’ve noticed that. I usually do these at kids’ parties and there’s always one kid who’s like making like 50 bracelets and then other kids who are like, oh, I didn’t really feel like doing it, you know, or whatever. And you’re like, yeah, okay, that’s cool. Yeah, and then the drink station I think is so fun to like plan a few things that people can make on their own. And it does take so much effort and time off of you as the host if you don’t mix any cocktails for any guests. Because that is a lot of work, if you have a bigger party and you try to make a cocktail for everyone, it’s borderline impossible. And I’m like a big give-the-house tour person. So I physically can’t do all of that.

Emma: Yeah, you’re like, no one’s gonna get a drink for 20 minutes because I gotta go show you my Halloween closet, you know. Yeah, and that’s another area where you can ask people to bring stuff, like if you know you’re going to do these three different cocktails or whatever, then you could have different people bring a bottle of Amaretto or whatever it is, like the ingredients. So then you as the host don’t necessarily have to buy everything, but also you know, whenever I’m going to a party and they’re like, bring your own beer, BYOB, I usually just bring a bottle of wine because I don’t want to bring like three bottles and like mix something because then I need to take them home later. I’m not going to use it all, you know? So I feel like that’s a good time to be like, hey, you’re in charge of bringing this ingredient. Triple sec, you’re the triple sec girl. Don’t forget. You know? And it’s a nice way to kind of break up the expense and also kind of get people involved.

Elsie: Yeah, I love that. Fun, fun, fun. Okay. Do you have any embarrassing stories from a party that you were at or where you hosted?

Emma: I have three very short, just like embarrassing things I’ve done before at parties. So one time I went to a cookie decorating party. And I did not read the invite because I am a dweeb and I brought these fully decorated, fancy, like they had centers of jelly, like type cookies and everyone else had plain cookies and was getting ready to decorate. And I showed up with this giant, and I was just like, oh, I didn’t read the instruction. Nobody cared, but it was just a moment of like, Oh, can somebody give me some plain cookies? I totally brought up the wrong thing. So I did that, and then there was another time I was kind of an early person. I like to show up on time, and sometimes that means a couple of minutes early because I know people feel nervous that no one’s going to show up to their party. So I like to be on time. So anyway, one time though, I showed up a little too early and they were still eating dinner as a family, like with their kids. I think I just have the time right. And it was very awkward because they, of course, were like, Oh, just come on in. I was like, no, but then it was like, do I go sit in my car? I was just kind of, I was just embarrassed. So that was an oopsie doodle on being early. And then one other time I showed up to a party. It was a friend of mine who knew that I was not really on Facebook. I just have never really used Facebook all that much. I use Instagram. I use Goodreads, and I have a blog. That’s all I can do. I’m trying to keep up with my emails like everybody else. I don’t know. So I’m not really on Facebook. So anyway, she had texted me about the party because she mostly posted on Facebook and I showed up and I think I had like snacks with me, like cheese stuff or I don’t know, and I knocked on her door and there’s no one else there and I just had this feeling and she opens the door and she was like, Oh my gosh, I had to cancel it. One of my kids is sick. I posted on Facebook, but I completely forgot to text you, which is not her fault. I should be able to use social media. So then I was just like, Oh, okay. And I just like, you know, walked away with my cheese or whatever, just very, very cool move.

Elsie: Oh my gosh, that’s so sad.

Emma: It’s also like, I know I’ve made someone else feel awkward. Like when I showed up early with the family and this time it’s like, I made someone else feel like, oh, should we invite her in? Cause she seems like a lost puppy here. I’m like, I’m sorry, I’m just an awkward person. Anyway, do you have any embarrassing stories from parties?

Elsie: Yes, I have a good one. So, a few years back, I hosted a party and There’s no other way to say this besides I was like really having cramps and that time of the month and it was like, you know, but I was still like I have a good attitude. I’m gonna be a good host I’m gonna take this might all I’m gonna be fine. Take lots of medicine and I decided like I’m not gonna drink tonight because it’s just sometimes you don’t mix those two things together, and it was actually a really fun party because I was the host, and people for whatever reason, you know, sometimes it happens, got very drunk and it was like, you know, kind of when you get to like experience what everyone else is like, but you’re not like that, it’s like kind of an illuminating experience.

Emma: That is all of pregnancy. Yes.

Elsie: So I had that kind of night, and then towards the end of the night we were like hanging out in the kitchen, and I was like, okay, just a sec, and then I ran upstairs, and then I came back downstairs. And we’re going to say this was an unnamed person, because I don’t think this person wants to be called out for this particular thing, and you’ll find out why. So, an unnamed man, who’s not my husband, but he is someone in this world, you know. So he looked at my pants and said, “Why did you change your pants?” and I was like, oh my god, and then I was like, I think he kind of knows, but whatever.

Emma: It’s one of those things you say it out loud and then you’re like, oh.

Elsie: Yeah. Sometimes when people are making it weird, I like to just like say nothing and like see how bad it can get, you know, like you don’t have to fix it for them. So anyway, then he said, are you on your weiriod? And he said weird because I think he, it was actually like a drunk misspeak.

Emma: He was trying to say weird period.

Elsie: He was trying to say period or like are you weird because you’re on your period? I don’t know. Are you on your period? But he said that actually what came out was are you on your weiriod? So now, I and my husband always say, are you on your weriod? Are you on your weriod? And it became an iconic phrase for us.

Emma: That’s always good when an awkward moment becomes an inside joke. That’s the dream of every awkward moment, to become an inside joke.

Elsie: I know. When someone asks you if you’re on your period, then you just feel like, yes. Then it’s like, cool.

Emma: Yes, and it’s weird to be on my weriod.

Elsie: Cool. Good job.

Emma: Yeah, there’s nowhere to go after that, really.

Elsie: There’s nowhere else to go.

Emma: Yes, should I talk about it for 10 minutes? Alright, great.

Elsie: Okay, now we’re gonna go to everyone’s favorite segment, a joke from Nova. Alright, we’re back with Nova. Nova, what do you have prepared for us this week?

Nova: I have a meditation. What kind of meditation? A spooky meditation, since it’s getting close to Halloween.

Elsie: Perfect. All right, what do we do?

Nova: So close your eyes and pretend you’re trick or treating on Halloween and then pretend you come to a spooky house. Like a spooky castle. Then you walk in and you find nobody, but you find a friendly, very cute ghost, who will be your tour guide. You go through and see a pumpkin. He says, Hello, and how are you doing? Then, you go through and see a witch. She makes some food for you because you know how witches make potions.

Elsie: Should we eat the food?

Nova: Yes, because she made it good. You ate it, and it was so delicious. Then, you go and see some bats. They say, how is the food? And you say, it’s good. Then, one of them swoops you up, and then you fly into the air in the moonlight.

Elsie: Amazing!

Nova: And then, come back to your house. And when you go, you remember, you put another pumpkin just like it, you put a bat up that represents the bat, you put a moon up that represents the moon, you put it where it looks like a castle, and you put a decoration of a witch by a pot. Looks like it’s like a spooky castle right there so you’ll always remember that and maybe if you go trick or treating again in that lane. You can visit them again.

Elsie: Thanks, Nova. Thank you so much for listening. We’ll be back next week with our comfort rewatch episode. We’re getting into our Halloween movies era now. So the next couple will be Halloween movies. This next week, we are rewatching one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time, Hocus Pocus.

10 Things I Love Sunday

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 14:14:34 +0200

Ahhhh! It really feels like fall where I live. Starting to have a lot of cool mornings, pumpkin spice lattes and even a long sleeve shirt or two. Ahhhhh! My favorite season!

1. We are putting finishing touches on our home this month and planning to take a long break from remodeling after this phase. I am so happy with our new wallpaper and spooky sconces. This is the mirror– I’m so happy with how it’s coming along.

2. Emma made a recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. I love this drink SO much!!

3. Ghost pillows forever.

4. My halloween costume.

5. I just got these appetizer plates in the mail and they are perfect. Cozy cozy.

6. I just ordered a jolly roger flag for my kiddos playhouse. Spooky season!

7. I’m using quite a few of these baskets around my home for storage. I really like the dark color.

8. I am decorating my first Halloween tree this year (along with my kids, of course!)

9. I ordered this seasonal blanket for my baby niece. So cute and you can get it personalized.

10. For all my fellow pug lovers.

P.S. Here are a some recent posts in case you missed them!

Halloween Jello Shots
Halloween Cake Pops
Chocolate Cake Shot
Easy Caramel Apples
Don’t forget to shop our Amazon storefront I even made a Halloween section.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 15:15:00 +0200

That’s right, this is the best Starbucks copycat recipe for pumpkin cream cold brew. So, if that’s your current drink order, I’ll show you how to make it at home with just a few ingredients. Learn to make all sorts of delicious coffee drinks and other beverages in our full Drinks archive.

This drink is all about the foam; pumpkin cold foam, that is. It’s essentially made of two components: cold brew coffee and pumpkin cold foam on top.

Related: Next up, learn to make Coffee Soda, an Iced Mocha, or a Starbucks copycat version of the Pink Drink.

Pumpkin Cold Foam

Half and half (which is equal parts whole milk and cream)
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Cinnamon for the top, optional

You will also need some cold brew coffee, which you can make or buy.

Another great use for pumpkin cold foam is to add to an Irish Coffee in place of the whipped cream. If you do, I’d recommend using heavy whipping cream in place of the half and half in this recipe.

Directions

Make the cold brew coffee. If needed, you could also brew coffee using another method and then allow it to fully cool. If you do this, I’d recommend brewing the coffee stronger than your normally do, as the ice will water it down some as you sip your drink.

To make the foam, combine the half and half and syrup in a container and use a frothing wand to combine. The mixture will become very foamy, like a very soft whipped cream.

Add ice to your glass. Then fill with the cold brew coffee until the glass is about 3/4 full. Then top the drink with the pumpkin cold foam. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top if desired.

Tips for Making

If you don’t have a frothing wand, you could incorporate air into the cream by whisking by hand, to create the foam.
Another option to try is place the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake rigorously. While these options will work, I think the best results and the easiest is to use a frothing wand.
Making a pumpkin cream cold brew at home means you can customize it to your liking! Add more or less syrup depending on your taste. You can also use more cold foam than I recommend here if you like.

A Beautiful Mess

Episode #203: Our Autumn Bucket Lists

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Episode 203 Transcript:

10 Things I Love Sunday

Candy Apples

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Episode #202: Hocus Pocus – Comfort Rewatch

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Miss an Episode? Get Caught Up!

Episode 202 Transcript:

10 Things I Love Sunday

Broccoli Casserole

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Old Fashioned Cocktail

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Margarita Cocktail

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