#Bread Critter Halloween

[lilybug-02]

Devil Bread, have you tried to scare Mummy Bread?

Devil Bread enjoyed that WAY more than they thought they would.

[mysteriesmuse]

The Quirky Little Lady Next Door

I’m absolutely OBESSED with the idea of Bakugou having a quirky little neighbor. So here’s an absolutely random and spontaneous mess of headcannons

Bakugou himself always insists on living at the top floor. GREAT VIEW, GETS HIS STEPS IN, AND NO NEIGHBORS STOMPING ON HIS CEILING. 👏 rip to everyone who lives below him tho seriously

you’re the only other person around his age on the floor and you’re the most normal of the bunch. Seriously y’all deserve a reality TV Show up here on the 19th floor.

Y’all’s most notable floor mates being a retired grandmother, a newly wed couple, your staple office worker hippy man, an ex-boxer, a librarian, an eccentric recluse of a professor who teachers online. Along with serveral young families with children who love to run around the halls.

Bakugou gets used to it and truly love/hates it up here. 🖤

although he finds himself running into you much more than he’d like at first. you turn out to run on much the same internal clock as he does. Early bird.

you move into the empty apartment next door to him. and therefore you share the apartment balcony with him.

Bakugou never used to go out there

but now you’re out every morning cradling a cup of steaming tea, every weekend you take to the plants in their pots and you always pad over to his sliding door and knock, and shout, and pout about him picking your herbs or tomatoes . . . Katsuki used to just shrug and feign innocence until he started to enjoy seeing your squished up angry face outside his door. Now he gives you a devishly handsome grin before nodding and letting you in to share the delicious meal he’s made with herbs fresh from your garden.

Now Katsuki leaves his balcony door unlocked so you can feel free to let yourself in. Whether that be to share dinner he’s made, to drop off half a freshly baked loaf or bread or plate of extra sweets, or even when you come in screaming and spluttering in your bath robe about some vermin in your bathroom. (The later happens a lot. Both of you two still can’t figure out how these critters get up to the 19th floor like this)

loves to come home in the evenings from patrol and see you out there with your little blue light glasses doing work or occasionally taking an animated phone call to a friend. PS Katsuki has since dragged a foldable beach hair out there to bask in your presence

Bakugou has also learned how active you are. He quickly caught on to your early morning jogs at the local park near the building. Now Katsuki makes the effort to “walk out” the door the same time as you do. you always greet him with a surprised chirp when he starts walking out the building with you clad in his blank tank and cargo pants getting ready for his early morning shift at work. 🌤️🌷

Katsuki hates forgetting things, but loves when he runs out to get something he forgot at the grocery store only to see you chatting with the giggling kids in the hallway.

he wonders if you’d like kids?? U seem so good with them; the little ones that totter around chasing after the older siblings? Got him clutching his peck the way you squat down and offer a hand to help them back up into the game of chase or whatever the heck the whirlwind-of-shrieking-kids-in-the-hallway-game is?? U even do well with the teens. Even the bristling goth teen seems to make eye contact under their thick bangs and gives u a shaky lopsided grin. (he knows you’re good when you start giving them advice about how to prepare for college)

And damn it when the parents of the floor ask everyone who’s participating in Halloween so they know who’s doors to knock on for trick-or-treating he can’t help it. not when you beam and tell him that he wouldn’t even have to get a costume bc he’s already a real-life hero.

So mans probs shouts yes.

and Katsuki would normally hate being bothered to fix sinks or move furniture but he’s absolutely bitting back a grin whenever you nervously send him a text message asking for help

Bakugou almost always responds as fast as he’s able to and always show up in some tight fitting shirt to show off his muscles . . . as if he needed to impress you 💪🙄

and when he steps foot into your place it’s even more you than he thought from the goofy little paw print floor mat on the outside of your place.

it’s big and bright and bold and oh so color coordinating. there’s colorful throw pillows, and a cozy little bookshelf. And you’ve got dozens of trailing plants hung up on your curtain rods. And a sleek but childish Lego coffee table. And a step-stool in your kitchen, which you always use to fetch the instructions for the sink.

And everything is shining from the light hitting the disco ball in the center of your living room. It casts such an alluring light into your beautiful eyes everytime he steps foot into your place 🪩💖

it’s all so much more than his apartment. maybe you’d like decorating a larger space, an actual home? He’d buy you one in a heartbeat let you choose how to style the whole thing.

heck he even loves your bathroom. It looks so much more luxurious than his with the plush bath mats, even tho they’re identical twins of each other. trust me, Bakugou know bc he always hears you talking to the shampoo bottles in your bath abt your day when he walks in to take he shower after patrol . . .

but Kats is also a gentlemen despite his brash exterior and he’ll always dunk his head under the spray so fast that’s he just catches your mumbling tones

also loves the excited bounce you do when you come home to find a package at the door

or the first Wednesday of the month. Smt abt your show bc you always refuse the dinner offer at his place. . . luckily he’ll just show up with an extra at your balcony door. And it’s one evening when he rasps on your door that you drag him into the house by the hand and violently shush him as you shove him into place next to you on your couch.

or his favorite is when you got the pro being like :o when you absent mindedly snuggle yourself up next to his beefy arm after a news report with particularly big villain and tall glass of wine later it’s not like you missed him or were worried. nah nothing like that for sure . . . 🫶

[angelslilcubby]

Hello, you can call me Angel or Mac.

If we are friends or become friends you may call me by the names I have listed or nonbinary Nicknames. I act as a babysitter/platonic caregiver to some agere friends to help them cope with trauma in a healthy manner.

I'm a nonbinary, queer writer and artist. I go by she/her and they/them pronouns. I'm 25 years old and taken by my boyfriend/partner/caregiver. I'm wiccan but tend to lean towards being spiritual in general and take from many religions and am open to learning about other religions. I will post sfw content, might occasionally post about ways to cope with certain traumas and things I've learned through therapy and what not. This is a safe space and will be treated as such. It's a safe space to talk and express yourself in a healthy manner. If you are here to bully or are a map you can get the heck off my page. This is a safe space for everyone, regardless if you are agere or not. I support lgbtq+ among many other things. We are inclusive and accepting on this blog and all walks of life are welcome. If you are kink please don't interact, I do not want that on this blog as it would be triggering to age regressors and their trauma. Be appropriate and respectful of my safe space. Any posts that have trauma that is triggering I will put a tw on it. If you see a tw keep scrolling if you can't handle the subjects of various traumas.

Mom to @sleepypuppycozy give them a follow, and please be appropriate when interacting with anyone online. We are human and have feelings. If you harass or are inappropriate to me, my daughter, or any of my friends, you will be reported and blocked.

Sign: Taurus ♉️🐂🐮

Bday: 4/20

Big age: 25

Lil age: 2-12

Fav Season: Fall 🍂🍄

Fav holiday: Halloween🎃🕷🦇

Fav foods: Sushi, pizza, ramen, beef stroganoff, Dino nuggies, Mac n cheese. Asian food and Hispanic food. I love Indian fry bread.

Fav desserts/candy: pocky, gummy sharks, dark chocolate, oreos, pie, cookies, circus peanuts

Fave drinks: apple juice, chocolate milk, and strawberry lemonade Arizona.

Fav shows: Supernatural, bluey, my little pony

Fav movies: Underworld, jurassic park, deadpool, Indiana Jones

Fav colors: purple, pink, red, black, blue

My aesthetics: goth, grunge, pastel goth, cottage core, hippie and renaissance era dress style.

Fav animals: Horses, rabbits, rats, frogs, red panda, cows, crows

Fav things to do: hiking, kayaking, biking, swimming, reading, watching anime/movies/k-dramas/TV shows, gaming, baking desserts, gardening

Fav bugs: isopod, moth, butterflies, preying mantis, dragonfly

Fav games: the last of us, animal crossing, Pokémon violet, smash bros, 7 days to die

Fav toys/plushies/fidgets: tangles, chewlery, calico critters, my littlest pet shop, monster high dolls, squishmallows, squishable, bluey, Bratz dolls, anything sanrio

Fav lil things: pacifiers, sippy cups, onesie, crinkle/sensory toys, baby blankets, coloring books, stickers

I'll update this post more as time goes on and if I see things that need to be addressed or talked about.

[downtoearthmarkets]

Nothing is more synonymous with the month of October and Halloween celebrations than pumpkins. These cheerful orange globes ripen up and are ready to harvest starting around mid-September. Their growing season can last through November depending on nighttime temperatures and the arrival of the first frost. A member of the squash family, pumpkins are a plant species native to North America that is believed to have originated here approximately 9,000 years ago. They were an important crop for Native Americans who employed the pulp of the fruit in many dishes, added the blossoms to soups, turned dried pumpkin into flour, and ate the seeds as a nutritious snack. Today, pumpkin is widely consumed and enjoyed by many Americans in the form of pumpkin pie, pancakes, muffins and, of course, those ubiquitous pumpkin spice lattes (yes, Starbucks does actually include real pumpkin puree in their proprietary formula!). So, while pumpkin primetime remains underway this fall, here are some pumpkiny pursuits to peruse: Plastic free décor If you’re anything like me, you worry about the plastic footprint of your holiday decorations and try to avoid or minimize the use of plastic string lights, inflatables and other artificial pieces. The pumpkins from your farmers market are not only native and locally grown, they also offer an attractive, seasonal and plastic-free way to decorate for the fall. Simply plop a pumpkin or two outside your front door or somewhere on your porch, or make a more elaborate display using a few gourds, pots of mums and perhaps a haybale, and, boo(m), you’re ready for those hordes of Trick or Treaters and it can even last you through Thanksgiving.   Jack-o’-Lanterns The tradition of creating Jack-o’-Lanterns for Halloween originated in Ireland, where people carved ghoulish faces into turnips to frighten off a character named Stingy Jack whose soul had been left to wander the earth for eternity holding a piece of burning coal. When Irish immigrants arrived at these shores, they began to cut jack-o’-lanterns out of pumpkins which they found growing wild throughout this region. Carving pumpkins into demonic faces and other spooky designs for Halloween is always guaranteed to be a surefire hit with the kids! When purchasing a pumpkin destined for the carving block, ask the farmer to direct you to their selection of larger “carving pumpkins” versus “pie pumpkins” which are typically a fleshier, sweeter variety. Pumpkin for people and pets Pumpkins are an autumnal superfood! Every single part of a pumpkin is edible: the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, seeds, and stems. Pumpkin is a naturally low-calorie food – it only becomes calorific when combined with the fat and sugar in many recipes like pumpkin pie. While pumpkins are made up of 92 percent water, they are an excellent nutrient-dense source of potassium, vitamin A and beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant. Pumpkins are also fiber powerhouses, with a single cup clocking in at seven grams of fiber which is more than two slices of whole-grain bread. Pumpkin is not only good for you, it’s also good for Fido and Felix! Cooked pumpkin can be fed to both cats and dogs to aid in weight loss, improve digestive health and supplement their diet.   A feast for wildlife Once the season has ended and pumpkins are past their prime, don’t just toss them in the trash! As long as they are not painted or coated, pumpkins can be added to your compost or food scrap recycling. Even better though is to place unadulterated pumpkins somewhere in your yard that is safely accessible to local wildlife, where they will make a tasty treat for a variety of birds and small mammals such as chipmunks and squirrels. The nutritious seeds are especially appealing to these critters who will chew through the flesh to get at the inner jackpot. But once the seeds are gone, they will also feast on and enjoy the pulpy flesh. And, presto, just like that your pumpkin will have vanished without leaving a trace or any signs of waste.

[tipsycad147]

The lore of fairy doors

by Michelle Gruben

Sitting at the base of a tree, on a garden wall, or over a baseboard, fairy doors invite us to imagine a fanciful realm just beyond the threshold. Not just for children, these miniature doors pop up in backyards, homes and businesses wherever fairies are welcomed.  

Fairy doors are a common sight in the wooded outskirts of some UK towns (whose authorities have had to resort to removing them to curb the fairy invasion). They’re a local tradition and tourist draw in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They’ve been spotted by photographers in the unlikely environs of New York City and San Francisco.

Fairy doors may be purchased or homemade, fancy or homely. But they all serve the mystifying purpose of allowing fairies to travel between their worlds and ours. Fairy doors work on two basic assumptions about the fae folk: That fairies are diminutive in size (a conceit made madly popular by the Victorian “flower fairy” artists), and liminal in nature (able to exist in that “in-between” state betwixt the worlds).

That fairies exist liminally is beyond a doubt. After all, they can fit their entire homes in the space between a fairy door and a wall. On the matter of size, well, most experts agree that fairies they can be small if they want to be. And who wouldn’t want to be small, if it meant you could sleep in a bird’s nest and drink from an acorn shell? Great ideas, Victorians!

Practically speaking, there are a couple of important questions to consider before installing a fairy door. The most pertinent of these is, do you actually want fairies to visit you? Sure, fairies are fun-loving, generous, ethereal beings. But they can also be entitled, mischievous, selfish, thieving, sneaky, and downright destructive. Make no mistake, installing a fairy door is a real bit of portal magick. It’s like an engraved invitation—even if you thought it just looked cute on your flowerpot.

On the other hand, a fairy door can be a novel tactic for dealing with a posse of troublesome fairies that’s already moved in. Do your house fairies rely on frightening your pets, hiding your keys, and stealing your trinkets in order to get the attention they crave? Providing them with a nice home of their own is one way to “kill them with kindness” and inspire better behavior.

Also consider the placement of your fairy door. Fairy real estate is governed by the same rules as humans’: Location, location, location. Ever the finicky critters, fairies like attention (but also security and privacy). So place your fairy door somewhere out of the way that is still a position of honor in your home or yard. Fairies enjoy running water, yummy smells, moonlight, the sun at dawn or twilight, and the shade of trees. (Bonus points for placing your door near the “fairy trees” of Oak, Ash, Hawthorn, or Elder.) Mushrooms and mushroom rings have long been regarded as a sure sign of fairy favor. No fairy wants to be bothered by litter, cars, or dogs.

Finally, you’ll want to spare a thought for the upkeep of the fairy door. Fairies love gifts (almost as much as they love invitations). Stones and shells, beads, coins, bits of ribbon, and feathers are irresistible loot. (Fairies are happy to receive those foreign coins you got stuck with on your last trip.) It’s rumored that some fairies even collect children’s teeth, but tooth fairies are a special breed of fae—many fairies find the lingering odor of human blood distasteful. Fairies will swoon for a perfect berry, freshly brewed tea, a thimble of milk or whiskey, or a piece of bread with honey (even better if it’s the first or last morsel from the loaf).

Offerings aren’t strictly necessary—but once you begin leaving them, it’s wise to keep up the practice. Don’t cultivate an expectation you can’t fulfill by leaving goodies every day and then stopping abruptly. Ever capricious, sweet fairies can turn sour at the slightest insult. Infrequent (but regular) offerings are fine. Even forgetful fairy landlords can probably remember to mark the fairy holidays of Beltane (May Day), Midsummer, and Samhain (Halloween) with a small token or treat.

If you don’t choose to leave offerings at the fairy door, at least keep it in good repair. (You wouldn’t want your fairies to receive a letter from their neighborhood association.) Wooden fairy doors benefit from a fresh coat of varnish every couple of seasons. Resin doors are more durable, but may crack in extremely cold temperatures. Before moving the door, leave your fairies a note so they know where to find their winter quarters.

Many people have wondered how to tell if a fairy door is in use. Most, in fact, are. (Did I mention fairies love invitations?) A vacant fairy door is harder to find than a vacant bus seat at rush hour. But, in the rare instance that your fairy home is still fairyless after a few days, you may need to boost the signal to encourage them to move in.

It’s often assumed that fairies are wiser and more observant than humans, but that’s not always the case. [Disparaging comment about pixies deleted. –Ed.] In case your neighborhood fae are the slow type, they may not recognize the dwelling is for them. Try equipping the fairy door with a welcome mat, miniature key, or “FAIRY HOUSE” painted boldly across the threshold. (Illiterate fairies might be enticed by a trail of ginger snap crumbs.)

A fairy door can be a decorative accent, a child’s plaything, a magickal tool—or all of these things at the same time. Choose yours with care, place it thoughtfully, and allow the fairies to do the rest!

Photo: Fairy door by the author.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/178895815-the-lore-of-fairy-doors

[adorkemis]

My farm has some unusual occurrences...

With Halloween coming up I thought I'd post some stories that happened here at my little co-op farm. Its a small farm I bought with my best friend and her husband that we run and take in unwanted animals, that is when we aren't working our day jobs, charity-volunteer, or Search and Rescue cases.

So in the spirit of the season I'll start with the unusual events leading up to our first Halloween. On the night of the Autumn Equinox we built a bonfire and poured ourselves a few drinks- some family recipe Appalachian home brew.

Now, I take bonfires very seriously and had been preparing for weeks, carefully selecting the best branches and tinder, even going so far as to collect and dry out large bundles of late summer flowers and herbs to add to the top of the fire. In my family, we have a long standing tradition of welcoming in each new season with a bonfire and an important component of those seasonal bonfires are the flowers and herbs. So for weeks I had been going out to cut the necessary plants and dry them in the barn.

Now they were blazing brightly with the cut grass, weeds, and branches from our months of hard work setting up and renovating our new home and the surrounding acers.

I don't normally dance, but when I do, it is not pretty I am very, very intoxicated. So I flail happily around my fire, taking turns dancing with my friends under the bright stars and just enjoying myself free from big cities and a nice break from all our hard work.

As the night progressed the fire finally began to die down and after a few drinks I felt myself beginning to tire.

Ty, the husband of my friends asked me question that I wasn't quite able hear over the music. I thought he asked if I wanted more to drink, so I said yes. Being deaf in one ear I often mishear people.

A few moments later, I hear Ty holler out "Move!" as a large pile of debris we had stripped from the house was hurled onto the dieing flames. Krystal (my friend and wife of the pair) and I jumped back just in time to avoid the cloud of ash and embers. As I stagger backwards trying to comprehend what I had just witnessed when he again yells out for us to move just in time for me to watch him throw a bucket onto the smoldering embers. In the next instant the embers have erupted into bright yellow flames roaring skyward. The blast of heat sends all three of us onto our asses and I watch in shock as my bonfire turns into a flaming trash heap.

Black smoke rolls off the inferno, choking my lungs and making my eyes water. I crawl away when I hear Ty laughing drunkenly as the collection of boards, plaster, vinyl and trash blacken and burn. "Whoooo!" He lets out hill billy hollar. "Look at it burn!"

Krystal is now screaming at him for nearly killing us all and I just and watch quietly (and inebriated) as all my weeks of planning go up in smoke.

For you see, when my ancestors started the first Farm centuries ago, at the birth of our bonfire traditions, it was not a way to simply celebrate the changing of the seasons. No, it was a way to show respect to the things that we do not see, the beings that dwell within the woods just outside our view. It was a way of making peace with the Good Nieghbors, or local spirits. The old stories say the tradition started with my earliest ancestors inviting the beings to celebrate with them, to thank them for their protection, and that the plants we used were a sign of respect toward that treaty. Of course as the generations go by that origin has become more of a legend, few of my extended family actually believes this ritual is anything more than a leftover from our pagan, superstitious roots. But me and my grandfather know the truth. We've seen the things that lurk at the edge of the forests, seen what they can do to livestock, livelihoods, or of course people.

So imagine, if you will, you are invited to a party. A party filled with wonderful cakes, treats, and beautiful decorations. Now imagine someone literally dumps a pile of garbage on top of it.

That essentially is what has happened.

So I sit there, unsure how to tell my arguing friends what has just happened, and finally decide to just go to bed.

The next morning I wake up in the predawn hours, hungover from our libations, I look out my window see the fire pit is still smoldering. The black smoke is now grey and I can see old wires birnt black and twisted with pits of melted plastic sticking to the stones I dug up and carried from the creek.

I sigh, put on a pair of pants and go to rhe kitchen to make the moring coffee.

As the smell of the black brew wafts through the house, my cohabints emerge from their room looking as good as I feel.

My throat feels tight and scratchy so I simply raise my mug to them in greeting and am met with simular responses.

"Sorry Ty tried the burn the house down," Krystal offers when she has her coffee prepared.

"Hey, I said move!" Ty tries to protest his actions were justified.

I sign to Krystal, who translates for Ty, that its all good. Even though it may not be.

Back at my family's old Farm we hold to our traditions very seriously, like an old woman to her purse. I don't expect my friends to understand the importance of these traditions just yet, and believe me, I know how it sounds to explain these.

But instead I finish my coffee and try to tell them I'm off to start the morning chores, but my vioce comes out in a raspy gravel, so again I sign to Krystal.

Morning chores are typically the bane of my existence, but as I have the day off from my day job so it's not as bad, and it gives me time to think. I obviously can't just write an apology letter or throw another bonfire, the next time to hold one won't be until Halloween- and thats just for fun, normally. No instead I'll just have to my Buck Moon ritual will be enough to protect us from any malevolent spirits we may have offended.

I will note the Buck Moon ritual is NOT one of family's ancient traditions (well, on the Farm its called the Hay Moon and we did use to do something for that) but one I deviced myself as a way protecting myself when away from the Farm and the protection of the Hay Moon rites.

Nothing exactly happened that day, though none of the chickens had laid any eggs (which wasn't too far out the norm) however as the weeks progressed I noticed a few things that hinted something might be wrong.

The milk turned sour, the bread molded, and the grass began to die while the weeds began to overtake the pasture and garden. The grain barrels (thick plastic and metal that were advertised as critter proof) in the barn were chewed through and no matter what type of traps or bait I used the elusive culprits were still at large.

The chickens continued to not lay eggs and we soon went from an overwhelming plethora of tradable goods to a tiny stock barely able to feed ourselves. Not to mention that my voice had still yet to return making my job at the animal hospital very difficult to perform properly. My manager had to pull me aside and ask when I would be seeing a doctor about. If I could have laughed I would have but instead I was sent home early.

When the third week started of me being continuously mute and down to my last 6 eggs I new something had to be done. But the final motivation was when one of the horses, Cowboy, got sick. Immediately I called one of my vets and began to put my plan into action.

Thankfully the horse that was sick wasn't my horse, Prince. My family use to breed and sell horses for generations and Prince was one of the last horses born there. Prince is also very important to the Buck Moon ritual. As an avid hunter I normally follow all the hunting laws to a T, however for the Buck Moon I can only hunt in the middle of the night on horseback. Prince is the only horse we have trained for hunting so he's my only hope.

The day of the hunt I set everything up. My saddlebags, bow and arrows, along with a few less than normal trinkets. And in the express interest of keeping this long story short, I'm just going to skip ahead to the part where Prince and I return just before dawn with yearling buck being dragged behind us. Maybe I'll get a chance to explain more about it. How finding the deer took all night and the other beasts we saw in those woods, Gas Mask Gary, and how when we finally made it back with an hour to complete the ritual I was covered in blood and exhausted but still I got it done.

Work was not fun that day but luckily my sore throat was better and I had fresh eggs for breakfast. Along with some venison steaks.

I believed that the ritual had worked and soon our fall vegetables would be ready to harvest and everything wouldnbe back to normal.

To my relief, it was. Our vegetables and eggs were taken to market and our horse, Cowboy, was better almost overnight. I could finally talk again and had almost forgotten everything until October 30, the night before Halloween.

Like I said earlier we are renovating the house and one of the last rooms is the Krystal and Ty's bathroom- the master bath. We had ripped out the old vinyl and redoing some of the plumbing which left a small hole in the floor. We had all pretty much gotten ready for bed and Ty and I were outside with our last cigarettes for the day when we heard Krystal scream from the bathroom. We tossed our cigs and both ran toward the bathroom, Ty rapping on the door. "Babe, you alright?" He called thrpugh the door. Inside we could hear quiet the cacophony of noise, like bull in a China shop type deal. When Krystal started yelling again Ty and I burst through the door.

Krystal was armed with broom like a lance 8n one hand and towel like a whip in the other. And emerging out the whole in the floor was a black eyed, foam spitting raccoon. Its little claws dug into the vinyl leaving deep grooves and a horrific coughing, gagging noice emitted from its throat.

"Its rabid!" She yelled and jabbed the broom at it.

I've seen a rabid raccoon before, and so has Krystal, we've both worked those kinds of cases but this raccoon was different. Yes they will try to run up and attack, but it looked different. Like its skin wasn't on right and the sounds it made weren't what I had heard from raccoons- rabid or not.

Finally the little beast pulled itself free from the whole and ran, on its hind legs toward. All three of screamed but Krystal armed with her trusty broom hit it with everything she had and smashed its head into the cabinet.

For a moment the raccoon wobbled a few steps before it fell over, the mishape of its body more pronounced but even more damning was the blood running out its eyes and nose. Thick, black, tar like blood oozed from its head and the smell of rot and shit filled the bathroom.

Ty and Krystal nearly gagged as the smell hit us.

"What the fuck is that?" I head Ty ask as he pulled his shirt over his noes.

"It tried to kill me!" Krstal yelled. "I was trying take a shit and it climped up with its little paws!" She made a hand motion mimicking the raccoon reaching threw the whole. "We patching that whole tonight."

"Why does it smell so bad" Ty asked. "I ain't touching it."

I was oy half listening (well, less so than I normally can) and took the broom from Krystal to poke the thing.

As soon as the bristles touched the body the raccoon jumped back up, making even more gagging noises. I slammed the broom immediately on top of it, screaming again.

I grabbed a glass sitting on the counter and threw it onto the writhing beast. As soon as the water splashed onto its patchy fur a hissing could bebheard and steam rose from its now thrashing body.

"Holy fuck!" They screamed while I simply responded "Thats where I put the Holy water!"

The demonic raccoon was screaming and convulsing on the floor infront of us as the water burned it.

Krystal turned to me. "Why was there holy water in my bathroom?!"

I shrugged. "Divine intervention? But now we know its a raccoon corpse possessed by a demon."

Krystal threw her hands up. "Oh that is wonderful! Demon coon in the house!"

I looked back at Ty. "Can you help me grab my things?"

He just nodded, somewhat dumbfounded. I guess this was his first possessed raccoon.

It only took a few minutes to gather the stuff I would use. However there was one last thing I needed.

"So, I can't really banish it without its name and raccoons don't have vocal cords so I need to put it something that can talk." I looked Krystal in the eyes with a pleading look.

She shook her head. "Oh hell no. We are not doing that. Can't we use my in-laws?"

"Hey!" Ty was not amused. "Why can't we use your family?"

"We're not using anyones family!" I was tired and the circle I had made for the demon wasn't going to hold forever. "Krys, please."

In defeat she sighed and left the room for few minutes. While she was gone I prepped Ty on what was about to occur. I handed him a blessed knife I had and told him "If it leaves the circle, no matter the vessel, stab it hard enough to pin it to the floor." He looked at the long blade and just nodded.

Krystal camd back in with her son's Tickle Me Elmo doll. That thing gave us all the creeps but now it would be put to some good use.

I made second circle with very specific symbols, not dissimilar to the first one that held the Satanic flailing beast and drew a kind of infinity like symbol touching each circle. Krystal placed the Elmo doll in the new circle and I began the ritual.

If you have only seen exorcisms in movies or tv you will think there has to a Bible, screaming, and lots of flailing along with green pea soup.

It's possible all of those things could happen if you are dealing with humans, especially eccentric ones. A raccoon corpse on the other hand, not so much. The only difficult part I have is not knowing the demons name and the time crunch I have on the circles. Once the water dries, I probably won't be able to hold it back. And yes, like I told Krystal I can banish it but it could just pop up right back. And then we could be in a loop trying to constantly send him back and forth back and forth. Instead, I can trap him in a body that doesn't have claws or teeth or rabies. Which is what I did.

The words don't matter so long as you believe them, so long as you give them power. Now that doesn't mean I can just say whatever I want. I have a long monologue I use that took me years to perfect. It's written in few languages most ancient Hebrew and Hellenistic Greek with a bit of Gaelic thrown in for that extra punch. These are the languages that are strongest to me.

Except I have to read them slowly, if I mess up a single syllable I have to start all over. And I have a mild speech impediment. And worse sometimes.

Carefully I pronounce each syllable, its still a race against time and if mispronounce anything I will have to start over.

The smell of rot and shit is getting worse and the demon-raccoon starts convulsing madly. The black blood is still flowing from its head but as it slamns it head and claws at its body the black tar leaves smoldering smudges in the bare floor.

I'm nearing the mid point of the ritual and motion to my roommates to leave the room. Krystal tries to get my attention, to tell me no she is staying there but I pour all my focus into the words I'm spewing. If anything goes wrong, and the demon doesn't go into the proper vessel it could easy posses my friends. And while a simple wooden door won't keep a demon from possessing a host, if there is only one visible option they typically take it.

I hear the soft click of the door behind me. I raise my voice and the raccoon is now actively ripping fur and flesh off itself. The most ear peircing scream emits from its maw of broken teeth, I can see black blood gurgling in the back of ots throat. My stomach almost feels sick but I push on.

I hold up my left hand and draw a second knife along my open palm. I didn't want my roommates to see the self mutilation that is part of this exorcism. I hold my bloody hand above the irate demon. I let the blood drip a new circle around the demon.

The smell of apple blossums, cedarwood, and salt water mixes with the demonic stench from the raccoon. Its enough to be overwhelming and for a brief moment I almost stumble over the final phrase but it comes out well articulated.

The sound of bones snapping fill the room as I watvh the raccoon literally brake in half, part of its spinal column protruding from the stomach. Black blood spew from its mouth, filling the circle.

In the neighboring circle I hear the little voice box of the doll come to life. "Elmo loves you!"

Stupid fucking demons.

I scoop up the now animate doll and hand it to Krystal. "I had one rule!" I yell as I stumble to my room. "No goddamn demons!"

The next day, Halloween, was like any other day. I went to work, did my chores, rode my horse. The new addition of locking Helmo wasn't too offsetting. He still gets out of his case and walks around, rather poorly, but so far he can't do much. Aside annoy us with his flailing and constant prerecorded chatter. "Hehehe. That tickles!"

"No shit, Helmo!"

"Fuck off, Helmo!"

Sometimes, when he is too much, we put him in shoebox. Other times we might even take a stab at him. He doesn't like that.

But the arrival of our wayward demon isn't what upset me. No, what upset the most was what happened Halloween night and the next morning.

As we sat around the bonfire Halloween night in our costumes with our drinks and smokes I glanced up. Through the flames, at the edge of the woods I could see a tall, lean figure in a hoody. The flames reflected off the lenses of the gasmask that covered his face and I felt a cold shutter run down my spine. Gas Mask Gary is the biggest enigma in the town, but his presence always means something strange and possibly dangerous is going to happen.

The next morning when I rose up to care the animals before getting ready for work, I saw something unusual in the extinguished firepit. In the predawn light I walked over closer to inspect it.

A door made of hard carved wood with a plain handle lay unmarked as if raising out the soot and ashes.

Fuck. A Door to Nowhere.

[livvyhollis]

I made a little fairy house out of all natural materials! (And a little hot glue, sue me.) My house brownies should be so happy! They are always helping me find lost things, so I figured I would repay them.

Following passage from Michelle Gruben at groveandgrotto.com

"Practically speaking, there are a couple of important questions to consider before installing a fairy door. The most pertinent of these is, do you actually want fairies to visit you? Sure, fairies are fun-loving, generous, ethereal beings. But they can also be entitled, mischievous, selfish, thieving, sneaky, and downright destructive. Make no mistake, installing a fairy door is a real bit of portal magick. It’s like an engraved invitation—even if you thought it just looked cute on your flowerpot.

On the other hand, a fairy door can be a novel tactic for dealing with a posse of troublesome fairies that’s already moved in. Do your house fairies rely on frightening your pets, hiding your keys, and stealing your trinkets in order to get the attention they crave? Providing them with a nice home of their own is one way to “kill them with kindness” and inspire better behavior.

Also consider the placement of your fairy door. Fairy real estate is governed by the same rules as humans’: Location, location, location. Ever the finicky critters, fairies like attention (but also security and privacy). So place your fairy door somewhere out of the way that is still a position of honor in your home or yard. Fairies enjoy running water, yummy smells, moonlight, the sun at dawn or twilight, and the shade of trees. (Bonus points for placing your door near the “fairy trees” of Oak, Ash, Hawthorn, or Elder.) Mushrooms and mushroom rings have long been regarded as a sure sign of fairy favor. No fairy wants to be bothered by litter, cars, or dogs.

Finally, you’ll want to spare a thought for the upkeep of the fairy door. Fairies love gifts (almost as much as they love invitations). Stones and shells, beads, coins, bits of ribbon, and feathers are irresistible loot. (Fairies are happy to receive those foreign coins you got stuck with on your last trip.) It’s rumored that some fairies even collect children’s teeth, but tooth fairies are a special breed of fae—many fairies find the lingering odor of human blood distasteful. Fairies will swoon for a perfect berry, freshly brewed tea, a thimble of milk or whiskey, or a piece of bread with honey (even better if it’s the first or last morsel from the loaf).

Offerings aren’t strictly necessary—but once you begin leaving them, it’s wise to keep up the practice. Don’t cultivate an expectation you can’t fulfill by leaving goodies every day and then stopping abruptly. Ever capricious, sweet fairies can turn sour at the slightest insult. Infrequent (but regular) offerings are fine. Even forgetful fairy landlords can probably remember to mark the fairy holidays of Beltane (May Day), Midsummer, and Samhain (Halloween) with a small token or treat."

Happy Crafting!

[diygabl]

199 Different Things That Can Be Composted

Don't throw it away -- compost it!

If you've ever wondered what kind of things you can compost, you're not alone.

Note: Keep in mind that you will want to chop up food/plant seeds so they won’t grow in your compost pile and shred large items such as cardboard, pizza boxes, and newspapers.

Without going on too long with an introduction, here's the list, organized by area of the house.

FOOD SCRAPS

Kitchen

1. Apple cores

2. Avocado pits

3. Stale coffee beans (ground up for best decomposition)

4. Broccoli stalks

5. Burned toast

6. Cellophane (real cellophane, not plastic!) bags or wrapping

7. Cereal boxes

8. Chopsticks

9. Citrus rinds

10. Coffee filters

11. Coffee grounds

12. Cooked rice

13. Corn cobs (allow extra composting time)

14. Corn husks

15. Crumbs

16. Crushed egg shells

17. Expired jelly

18. Expired yogurt

19. Fish bones (ground up)

20. Fish skin

21. Flour

22. Food-soiled paper

23. Fruit leaves (cherry, strawberry, raspberry, peach)

24. Grape wastes

25. Jell-O

26. Liquid from canned goods

27. Loose tea leaves

28. Melted ice cream

29. Moldy bread

30. Moldy cheese

31. Mussels

32. Cardboard egg cartons

33. Oatmeal

34. Old herbs

35. Old pasta

36. Olive pits

37. Onion skins

38. Paper cupcake/muffin cups

39. Paper egg cartons

40. Paper grocery bags

41. Paper napkins

42. Paper tablecloths

43. Paper towels and towel rolls

44. Pizza boxes

45. Popcorn kernels

46. Potato peels

47. Pumpkin seeds

48. Seaweed

49. Sesame seeds

50. Shrimp/lobster/crab shells

51. Soggy salad

52. Soup

53. Soy/rice/almond milk

54. Stale cereal

55. Stale crackers and chips

56. Stale grains

57. Sunflower seeds

58. Tea bags (and string)

59. Tofu

60. Used paper plates (non wax coating)

61. Vegetable and fruit peels

62. White paper bakery bags

63. Winter rye

64. Wooden toothpicks

Kid’s Bedroom

65. Aquarium plants

66. Bird cage droppings

67. Brown paper lunch bags

68. Chewing gum

69. Cotton clothes

70. Cotton shirt threads

71. Fish food

72. Flat soda

73. Hamster/rabbit bedding (including soiled)

74. Homework assignments

75. Juice boxes (those not coated with plastic or containing foil)

76. Latex balloons

77. Linen bed sheets

78. Paper mache

79. Pet hair

80. Pizza crust

81. Stale candy (without wrapper)

82. Stale cookies

83. Stickers

84. Wool socks

Den

85. Brewery wastes

86. Christmas tree

87. Cigar stubs

88. Contents of vacuum cleaner bag

89. Cooled fireplace ash

90. Dust bunnies

91. Natural silk curtains

92. Nut shells (not walnuts)

93. Organic tobacco waste

94. Rotting Halloween pumpkin

95. Wine and beer

96. Wine corks (allow extra composting time)

97. Wrapping paper roll

Sunroom

98. Crepe paper streamers

99. Dead flies

100. Dead houseplants

101. Dried/fresh flowers

102. Hemp baskets

103. Holiday wreaths

104. Outdated seeds

105. Rawhide dog chews

106. Stale catnip

107. Trimmed plant leaves

108. Yarn scraps

Bathroom

109. 100% cotton sanitary napkins (including used)

110. Cardboard cotton swabs

111. Cardboard tampon applicators (including used)

112. Cotton balls (100% cotton)

113. Cotton towels

114. Dryer lint

115. Electric razor trimmings

116. Gauze

117. Labels

118. Latex and sheepskin condoms

119. Loofahs (made with organic materials)

120. Old potpourri

121. Price tags

122. Pure soap scraps

123. Tatami mat

124. Toenail clippings

125. Toilet paper roll

126. Urine (not if you are using medication)

127. Used fabric softener sheets

128. Used tissues

Office

129. ATM receipts

130. Catalogs and magazines (not heavily inked)

131. Confetti from a three-hole puncher

132. Envelopes (without plastic window)

133. Leather belt

134. Leather wallet

135. Leather watch band

136. Newspaper

137. Non glossy business cards

138. Non glossy junk mail

139. Paperback books

140. Post-it notes

141. Shredded documents

142. Stale protein/nutrition bars

143. Ticket stubs

144. White glue

Backyard

145. Acorn shells

146. Algae 147. Bamboo 148. Bloodmeal 149. Chicken bedding 150. Chicken manure 151. Clover 152. Dead critters 153. Dog droppings (not for compost used in vegetable garden!) 154. Fallen bird’s nest 155. Feathers 156. Garden snail shells 157. Grass clippings 158. Ground cover 159. Hay bales (use them to build a compost bin with!) 160. Hayweed 161. Hoof and horn meal 162. Horse hair 163. Horse manure 164. Kentucky bluegrass 165. Leather gardening gloves 166. Moss 167. Mushrooms 168. Old compost (gets a new batch going strong!) 169. Peat 170. Pine cones (small amounts) 171. Pine needles (not too much! breaks down very slowly) 172. Pond mud 173. Potash rock 174. Silkworm cocoons 175. Snow (keeps compost nice and moist when it melts, insulates pile when frozen on top) 176. Sod (break into clumps) 177. Straw 178. Tree bark 179. Twigs/small branches 180. Vines (tomato, pea, grape, etc.) 181. Weeds (that haven’t gone to seed) 182. Wood skewers

183. Worms (make sure composter has no bottom so they can escape if compost is too hot)

Garage

184. Burlap sacks

185. Cardboard boxes

186. Dustpan contents

187. Eraser rubbings

188. Latex gloves

189. Matches

190. Natural fiber rags

191. Pencil shavings

192. Power tool manuals

193. Rope and twine (made from natural fibers)

194. Ruined jeans

195. Sawdust (only a little bit at a time)

196. Sea sponges

197. Unpainted sheetrock

198. Used masking tape

199. Wood chips (paintless, not very many)

[applepies-and-turkeythighs]

Fall Recipes!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE RECIPES.

Hello everybody! I have recently gathered a selection of recipes for some fall cravings! I will gradually add to this list as time goes on, and you can find more recipes under my food tags under my blog. 

Items with a bold number are video recipes, enjoy!

Updated 5/17

Desserts

1. Apple Pie Cupcakes

2. Halloween Cupcakes

3. Maple Sugar Ragamuffins

4. Salted Caramel & Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

5. Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars

6. Carrot Cake Cookie Cups

7. Harvest Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

8. Apple Cider Cupcakes

9. Pumpkin Swirl Brownies 

10. Pumpkin Spice Cake

11. 15 Halloween Treats on a Sticks

12. Creepy Critter Cheesecake

13. Caramel Apples

14. Tombstone Cookies

15. Skeleton Cupcakes

16. Rainbow Halloween Party Bundt Cakes

17. Pumpkin Caramel Whoopie Pies 

18. Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

19. Cinnamon Cupcakes w/ Pumpkin Pie Frosting

20. Pumpkin Rolls

21. Chocolate Orange Panna Cotta

22. No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes 

23. Pumpkin Fudge

24. Frightfully East Ghost Cookies

25. Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie 

26. Deep-Dish Pumpkin Meringue Pie

27. Vegan Friendly Pumpkin Pie

28. Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

29. Pumpkin Cookies

30. Pumpkin Pie Spice Ice Cream

Soups and Snacks

1. Hocus Pocus Witches Brew - Cheesy Broomsticks 

2. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

3.Caramel Popcorn Balls

4. Homemade Apple Sauce

5. Strawberry Ghosts 

6. Pumpkin Bread

7. Pumpkin Soup

Breakfast 

1. Silver Dollar Pumpkin Pancakes

2. Blueberry Pancake Granola 

3. Pumpkin French Toast 

4. Pumpkin Pie French Toast 

Beverages 

1. Halloween Drinks and Beverages 

2. Orange Kissed Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa 

3. Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

[pets-beaty]

via How Webs

Easter 2020 Sunday - See Exact Day - Have a Happy Easter

easter 2020: Tell us that What are your favorite Easter ever memories from your childhood? Hunting for Easter eggs? Crumbling squeaky noises on marshmallow? Bite the ears of your Easter bunnies?

easter 2020

Or perhaps the most magical part was the preparation: painting those eggs and anticipating the sweets you would get. The Easter basket, with green grass and chocolate bunnies ... maybe a stuffed chick or even a real duckling!

Easter 2020 CountdownCountdown

(function(d, s, id) { var js, pjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//www.tickcounter.com/static/js/loader.js"; pjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, pjs); }(document, "script", "tickcounter-sdk")); I'm sure you want to recreate some of those precious memories for your family and especially your children. So here are a few tips to help you make that happen.

For many families, Easter is all about their faith, but that doesn't stop anyone from enjoying Easter egg hunt and Easter candy as a secular celebration. Easter is a day of joy, and the colorful eggs and accessories of traditional Easter serve to enhance that sense of joy in the essence of spring and rebirth.

For children, or of course, part of Easter's appeal lies in the fact that the weather is a holiday where they expect to get lots of chocolates, candies and other treats. And for the purposes of this report, we will focus on the fun aspects of Easter, along with the joy of it. You can have a happy Easter, celebrate spring and its beauty and freedom without fully focusing on sugary things.

Easter 2020 is a family Celebration

Families vary in how they want to celebrate Easter. So you can choose how you want to celebrate. But despite the individual differences, there are also many themes in common. Here are some of the standard ingredients:

a) Treats

Easter is (for many people) about treats ... and the most important among the treats are Easter eggs. It is not Easter unless many eggs have been put in the basket, along with a variety of other sweets. And about those eggs ... there are so many different kinds, from chocolate eggs with and without stuffing, candy eggs, marshmallow eggs and yes, even hard-boiled eggs that are brightly decorated to add to the cheers.

Peeps, preferably in various shapes and colors, are also a must, as are jelly beans, which really look like miniature eggs.

easter 2020: Some families even have their own special baking products for Easter, which can range from specialty bread to cookies to luxury cakes with colorful Easter decorations. My mother baked each of us a cake in the shape of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs! A few years later she let us choose which we wanted.

b) Parades

If there is an Easter parade in the city or even in the neighborhood, take the children with you and take enough pictures. If you go, you should definitely get (or make) a number of special Easter hats for everyone, as there are often competitions for the best Easter hats at these events.

Richmond, Virginia, for example, has a special Easter parade, appropriately named "Easter on Parade," which turns Monument Avenue, a beautiful tree-lined avenue with beautiful old houses and monuments, into a temporary playground for the citizens of Richmond, who rise up walk and down, show off their beanie - and their decorated dogs. There are competitions for the best bonnets, both for people and for their dog friends.

In the meantime, music is playing everywhere on the Avenue and there are many beautiful crafts and goodies for sale. There are also games for children. Parades such as these can provide very special memories.

easter 2020: Kids always love Egg Hunts, which many towns, villages or institutions organize during the Easter weekend, so if you have the chance to take the kids to an Egg Hunt near where you live, they will love it. If this is not the case, you can always hide eggs and candies in colorful plastic eggs around the house or outside in the garden, weather permitting.

Preparation for Easter: Painting Easter eggs

One of the most cherished Easter traditions, apart from actually getting and eating sweets, is painting Easter eggs.

You have two options: you can paint hard-boiled eggs and eat them later, or you can remove the contents of the eggs and paint the shells for decoration.

You may want to do both. You can always make a brunch frittata from the contents of the hollowed-out eggs and then use them to make beautiful center pieces after you have painted them.

To make those centerpieces, you can just get Easter baskets and arrange the eggs nicely in the "grass". Or you can get a few branches, with or without leaves, and decorate them with your colorfully painted eggshells. Of course there are many extra possibilities, from making a mobile and hanging it on the ceiling, to decorating a wreath with eggs and displaying it on the front door or in the corridor.

easter 2020: The painted hard-boiled eggs, on the other hand, will be part of the Easter baskets intended for consumption, and they can also be hidden for hunting Easter eggs. Make sure that the children find them all, otherwise you will get a strong foul odor from their hiding places for a few weeks.

So how can you color your eggs? After you have awesomely prepared your "canvas", the process is simple and easy.

First you have to decide whether you want to give your eggs a solid color base. If so, you can color them in a dye bath.

You will then receive a number of special Easter egg decoration tools and paint your way. It is entirely up to you whether you want to make a work of art, geometric shapes or small bunny images. You can also include stickers and special tattoos with Easter eggs. If you color eggs with your children, encourage their creativity and, above all, have fun!

Preparation for Easter: shopping for sweets

It seems that there are more options every year. It's hard to decide what else you want.

A few decades ago the choices were fairly clear. There were chocolate Easter bunnies, chocolate eggs, candy eggs, simple yellow marshmallow squeaks, jelly beans and those Cadbury cream eggs.

Now the selection has grown in all directions.

Where there were only yellow chicken skewers, now there are squeaky colors in different colors, including pink, blue and purple. There are also bunnies in different electrical colors. And yes, you can even buy sugar-free peeps for those of us who need to avoid sugar.

You can then choose from a huge range of other sweets in all shapes and sizes, from egg-shaped sweets with creamy fillings in strawberry, raspberry and coconut flavors, only for starters.

And then you can get Easter bunnies and related critters in all sizes, from pocket-sized to bunnies large enough to shrink your toddler.

Some of the smaller chocolate bunnies also come with fillings, from marshmallow to peanut butter and more.

easter 2020: How do you choose the one that your children will enjoy the most? You can ask them, take them with you, buy one of each and take notes for the coming year, or buy a really large Easter basket so that you can fit into a huge range of options.

Talking about baskets - the choice will also depend on whether you are going to assemble the baskets yourself, or whether you are going to give the baskets filled with fake grass to fill them while they hunt for their goodies at home - or garden.

Be sure to keep a few items behind in case the result of the hunt is too uneven so that you can sneak a few extra eggs into the "losers" basket to prevent tears.

It's not just about food! What else can you do in an Easter basket?

Some parents shudder at the thought of the Halloween-like candy overload that could result from Easter baskets that are limited to edible treats. So what else can you record?

Just about everything you like, really, as long as the kids enjoy it.

From CDs to games to books, to cute little notebooks, pens and erasers, you could really add anything that would be a good stocking stuffer. It is only that it goes into a basket before Easter.

You can even include small clothing items or accessories, from socks to hair decorations, jewelry and more.

And don't forget gifts for parents and friends. Here you don't have to limit yourself to rabbits and sweets, but feel free to include them, along with a choice of jewelry, a new watch or a neat new electronic gadget and even new earphones in Easter egg colors.

easter 2020: And of course no one has determined that all rabbits should be edible. Some children will enjoy bunnies that will be their friends for months and even years. In fact, a few people take the "friends" literally and give live bunnies and even chicks. That is not always a good idea, especially for the children of other people. Contact the parents - they may not appreciate the extra work. If you like baby rabbits, remember that they grow up and become big rabbits, and even more rabbits, if you don't pay attention!

Prepare an Easter party

There are no real rules for what to serve for an Easter party. Unlike Thanksgiving, Easter usually does not ask for Turkey. Instead, many families prepare a large ham or rack of lamb, or perhaps a roasted rib. But it is really up to you what you and your family like - a vegetarian brunch might suit you better.

Instead of including a recipe here, I would encourage you to prepare your family favorites. There is something very reassuring to gather around the traditional celebration every year.

When it comes to desserts, feel free to get creative and include some new elements or decorations. Unless you have a favorite dessert, that's an absolute must-have.

What to do with all those with hard-boiled eggs after Easter Celebration?

It is actually quite funny that there are basically three types of eggs that form the Easter repertoire: chocolate eggs, candy eggs and hard-boiled eggs.

And of course we don't have to worry about what to do with the first two categories - they would be saved for weeks if needed. But they are not likely to survive that long.

Instead, it's the hard-boiled eggs. Once the novelty of the decorations is worn out, there are probably leftovers in baskets around the house.

So collect them and include them in your meals.

easter 2020: Here are a few ideas for what to do with all those eggs:

a) Deviled eggs

Cut them in half, mix the yolks with your favorite combination of mustard, mayo, sauce and your favorite herbs, and fill them back in the protein halves. Serve cool.

b) Sliced   eggs as a sandwich spread

Simply cut your eggs and use them to cover sandwiches.

c) Egg salad

Finely chop the eggs, mix with mayo, mustard and onions, or anything else you want to add, and serve as a dip or on sandwiches.

d) Other salads

You can also serve them finely chopped on chef salads and potato salads. You can combine egg slices with spinach and make a warm dressing. Just get creative!

There is no wishes limit to what you can do. Take the ideas I have proposed and build on them. Consider your family's preferences and make sure you get everyone's favorites, but also add a few potential new favorites to the mix.

Above all, have fun and have a great Easter! Thanks for reading about easter 2020. Please share it to others for spreading information and knowledge about that.

https://ift.tt/2OXnVD4 August 15, 2019 at 06:48PM https://ift.tt/2IPp48y https://ift.tt/2H7rss8

[crimsonblackrose]

I arrived at Disneyland in not the best “happiest place on earth” mood. Getting there had been a pain, mostly because I hadn’t fully understood the Shinkasen/how transfers would work out. This meant I didn’t get there until the afternoon which wasn’t what I had planned. Plus I was lugging my suitcase with me. So my first stop at Maihama station was to find the storage lockers and stow my suitcase and backpack. There are also lockers at the edge of the park but I figured since I was leaving via the subway this was probably the best.

Because I was later than planned I lowered my expectations by a lot. I only had two goals for the day to right it off as a success; lunch at the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall and to ride The Nightmare Before Christmas version of the Haunted Mansion. I had purchased my ticket ahead of time via Voyagin. All I had to do was print out my ticket and go straight to the gate to scan the bar code. This meant I got to skip the line to purchase tickets but also meant I didn’t have a cute ticket to keep.

My first stop was The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall which was on the other end of the park in Fantasyland.

There was a rather long line when I arrived but it ended up going pretty quickly. Not because it moved fast but because my mood vastly improved by being in line with a small mermaid who with her parents support was practicing her English with me. It was precious. Especially when she tried to swipe all the cakes from the display.

The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall is set up as a cafeteria style buffet. You get a tray and then tell the staff what you want to eat or grab it from what has been set out and then pay before heading off to your seat. This makes it easy for everyone to find something they want to eat.  They start with salads, then move onto desserts followed by main courses and ending with starches (white rice/bread) and drinks.  I got a yogurt desserts and the meat patty with tomato brown sauce.

The dessert came with a souvenir cup. I didn’t have to worry about washing it out since the actual dessert is in a tiny plastic cup inside the souvenir cup. It was decent food, though I hadn’t planned on getting what was like a burger as my meal. There’s English on the menus and replicas of all the food which should make choosing easy. There are also kids sets available. Because I was there during a non-peak busy time (I didn’t know this at the time but there was a parade happening) I was able to pick my own seat, but sometimes during busy times you’ll be lead towards a seat. There also is not a tray return so just leave your stuff at the table when you’re done.

After lunch I went straight for the Haunted Mansion. Because the parade was just ending there wasn’t much of a line so I managed to get through pretty quickly. For the fall and winter they redecorated the Haunted Mansion.

It was a lot of fun, with music from The Nightmare Before Christmas playing and tons of characters added to the ride. This apparently also happens at the Disneyland in California.

It amazed me when I got off the ride how I had managed to knock out both of the things on my two do-list nearly immediately. So I looked at my map again and the event guide. The park is broken up into 7 sections; Fantasyland, Critter Country, Westernland, Adventureland, World Bazaar, Tomorrowland and Toontown.  There were two Halloween events: Halloween Pop’n Live and Night High Halloween. Since it was almost time for the show I found the parade route and sat on the ground near the people who’d been sitting around for nearly an hour to get a good spot. (There’s also special designated spots for visitors with wheelchairs)

It was a fun parade to watch, though if you want a good spot I suggest claiming it early and then having something to protect you from the sun while you sit and wait. Maybe also get some popcorn to snack on while you wait for the show. They’ll teach you different moves to interact with the parade, which seemed to be a lot of making ghostly noises, holding out your hands to scare off monsters, and then spinning your towel (if you had one) around in the air.

milk chocolate popcorn

What I really liked about visiting during the Halloween season was that so many people were dressed up. I couldn’t tell who worked there and who was the character cast while walking around, it was so cool. It was an additional fun thing to check out while walking around trying popcorn and riding way more rides then I had expected.  I was pretty surprised at how quick the lines moved for me. I was able to hit up every ride that I had even a mild interest in. There was no wait for the Pirates of the Caribbean which is connected to the Blue Bayou Restaurant which made for an interesting start to my ride watching people sit down to candlelit dinners and I’m sure for an interesting meal hearing cannon’s blast off and pirate shanties.  I also visited the Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents “Aloha E Komo Mai!” which in order to enjoy the show I was given a little device that translated all the Japanese into English for me. The only thing that had a long line for me was Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek! which according to the signs was about a 50 minute wait. I also managed to see part of the “Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights” while eating pizza outside Captain Hook’s galley. What I learned was that during parades or big performances it was the perfect time to get in line for rides.

There were also Halloween specials of food, though a lot of places where I found it were sold out. But I did manage to get two pumpkin snacks.  The list of these and where they could be found were in the Japanese Halloween guides but not available for English. I just stumbled upon them.

Pumpkin and milk swirl ice cream at Squeezer’s Tropical Juice Bar in Adventureland

pumpkin churro at Parkside Wagon in Adventureland near the World Bazaar

The other thing I was looking forward to was the Night High Halloween which was suppose to be a fireworks musical performance at the castle. When I arrived it was insanely packed, with all seating on the lawn already full and people crowding around. It was…disappointing.

Up until the show began they played all sorts of “Halloween” music, from Descendants to the “Monster Mash” and then when the show started it was basic Halloween projections (ghosts and skulls) onto the castle with the occasional firework going off towards the left. It was four minutes long. In my event guide that was the last show. So, a bit disapointed, I just wandered about hitting up any last ride I wanted and then towards later in the evening while I was riding the Carousel I heard fireworks go off and what sounded like fire machines and music and realized that my event guide had lied and that the “Once Upon a Time” show happening which I’ve heard is much better and completely missed.

Overall I had a great time. There was less Halloween things then I had expected. I also knew that there was special popcorn flavors but not that there were special churro flavors, so I think next time I’ll make sure I have the Halloween guide even though it’s in Japanese and eat more churros. I think Halloween season at Disney is my favorite.

I ended up staying until the park closed around 10pm and then finding my way back to the train station (I had to ask for directions because it was dark out and following the crowd had sent me in the opposite direction).

Tokyo Disneyland I arrived at Disneyland in not the best "happiest place on earth" mood. Getting there had been a pain, mostly because I hadn't fully understood the Shinkasen/how transfers would work out.

[lilybug-02]

I have a yearly tradition where every October I change my Bread mascot. At first it was just a costume change, but now it’s evolved into something much more exciting!

Just like last year, the chosen character will be able to answer more asks than usual and participate in the fabled “Tumblr Trick-or-Treat Ask Game” on Halloween Night 🕷️😈🦇 basically you’ll just send an ask and get digital candy 🖤🤎

Uhh don't mind Devil Bread planning the winner's downfall 👀😅

[disneygeekcom]

Disneyland Resort Serves Spooky Treats and Frightfully Festive Foods During Halloween Time

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 13, 2019) –During Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, Halloween-themed food and beverage is a part of the spooky storytelling and “fang-tastic” fun. From new items such as the vampire alien macaron, to returning favorites like the graveyard cupcake and pumpkin spice beignets, there is something dreadfully delicious for everyone to enjoy during the Halloween season, which runs through Oct. 31.

Guests visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks may also choose to order some of the festive Halloween treats including the new boogie man sundae from Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream or the new blackberry midnight julep from Mint Julep Bar using the mobile ordering feature on the Disneyland app.

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Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern popcorn bucket. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Oogie Boogie-themed popcorn bucket. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

All around the resort, guests will find special sweet and savory Halloween-themed menu items inspired by beloved characters, stories and even famous Disney villains.

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At the churro cart near Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this S’mores Churro rolled in graham cracker crumbs and topped with chocolate chips and a marshmallow drizzle. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At the churro cart near Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this Caramel Apple Churro. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At the churro carts in Town Square and near the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Maleficent-inspired churro covered with chocolate cookie crumbles, blended with colored sugar. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Cozy Cone at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this specialty churro rolled in crumbled chocolate crème cookies, green icing, gummy worms and candies. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Disneyland Park Churros

Maleficent churro (near Town Square and Sleeping Beauty Castle) – churro covered with chocolate cookie crumbles blended with colored sugar with marshmallow dipping sauce add-on

Pumpkin spice churro (near Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters) – churro rolled in pumpkin spice sugar with caramel dipping sauce add-on

Coco churro (near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) – cinnamon-dusted churro with a spicy cocoa dipping sauce

Bride churro (near Haunted Mansion) – elegantly-dressed churro in a bouquet of vanilla and sugar

Groom Churro (near Critter Country) – classic churro dressed in a duo of dark and milk chocolate

Disney California Adventure Park Churros

Pumpkin spice churro (Willie’s Churros near Buena Vista Street) – churro rolled in pumpkin spice sugar with caramel dipping sauce add-on

S’mores churro (near Redwood Creek Challenge Trail) – churro rolled in graham cracker crumbs topped with chocolate chips and a marshmallow drizzle

Caramel apple churro (near Hyperion Theater)

Haul-O-ween churro (Cozy Cone Motel) – churro rolled in chocolate cream-filled cookies with green icing, gummy worms and candies

Horchata churro (near Goofy’s Sky School) – horchata churro with condensed milk

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Throughout Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney, guests will find these Cauldron Cake Pops made with chocolate. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Throughout Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney, guests will find this Maleficent Apple, available Oct. 18-31. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Halloween Candy at Disneyland Resort

Apples – Minnie witch, poison skull, Jack Skellington, Evil Queen, Maleficent (available Oct. 18-31) and Minnie Mouse Day of the Dead (available Oct. 31-Nov. 2)

Cake pops – Jack Skellington (vanilla), bat (red velvet), cauldron (chocolate), pumpkin (pumpkin spice, available Oct. 1-31), and Oogie Boogie (vanilla)

Crispy treats – Minnie Witch, Mickey-shaped spider web, Haunted Mansion, Maleficent (available Oct. 18-31) and Minnie Mouse Day of the Dead (available Oct. 31 – Nov. 2)

Other treats – pumpkin fudge, pumpkin brittle, cookies and cream ghost chocolate cupcake, pumpkin vanilla cupcake, red velvet Minnie witch cupcake (available Oct. 1-31)

Disneyland Park

At Carnation Café at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich featuring Sriracha-glazed fried chicken breast on a brioche bun with spicy sandwich spread, pepper Jack cheese, creamy mustard slaw, and cilantro served with fries. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Carnation Café

Spicy fried chicken sandwich – sriracha-glazed fried chicken breast on a brioche bun with spicy sandwich spread, pepper Jack cheese, creamy mustard slaw and cilantro served with fries

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor*

Trick-or-treat sundae duo – Two sundaes in one: sour gummy ice cream with raspberry sauce, gummy treats, and fruit candies; and chocolate ice cream with hot fudge and pieces of chocolate candy bars

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At Jolly Holiday Bakery Café at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Cruella de Vil-inspired brownie made with dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Jolly Holiday Bakery Café at Disneyland Park, guests will find this chocolate graveyard cupcake made with cherry filling, dark chocolate mousse, Halloween sprinkles, adorned with a tombstone chocolate piece. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Jolly Holiday Bakery Café*

Toasted salsa roja chicken sandwich combo –salsa roja shredded chicken on rustic bread with Jack and cotija cheeses served with tortilla soup

Sweet potato hand pie – filled with sweet potato pie filling and topped with orange white chocolate glaze and toasted mini marshmallows

Cruella de Vil brownie – brownie with dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse and a Cruella de Vil chocolate piece

Graveyard cupcake – chocolate cupcake with cherry filling, dark chocolate mousse, Halloween sprinkles, and a tombstone chocolate piece

Spiced bundt cake

Layered pumpkin cheesecake

Pumpkin muffin

Mummy macaron

At Refreshment Corner at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Hades-inspired foot-long all-beef hot dog served with harissa aioli, lemon pickled cucumbers, oven dried tomatoes, sautéed peppers and feta cheese. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Refreshment Corner*

Hades dog – foot-long all-beef hot dog with harissa aïoli, lemon-pickled cucumbers, oven-dried tomatoes, sautéed peppers and feta

At Market House at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Bat Cookie. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Market House

Bat Cookie

At Plaza Inn at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Halloween Minnie Mouse cake featuring cinnamon cake filled with praline and crispy cookies finished with orange-colored glaze, sprinkles, and a witch Minnie Mouse chocolate piece. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Plaza Inn

Monster Halloween cake – chocolate cake with multi-colored chocolate mousse, green buttercream, royal icing eyes and Halloween sprinkles

Chocolate-coffee yule log – chocolate sponge cake wrapped around coffee-flavored chocolate buttercream with chocolate crispy pearls, chocolate drizzle, and multicolored crispy pearls

Halloween Minnie Mouse cake – cinnamon cake filled with praline and crispy cookies finished with orange-colored glaze, sprinkles, and a witch Minnie Mouse chocolate piece

Red Rose Taverne*

Black rose dessert – black truffle mousse with raspberry compote and crunchy center topped with edible glitter

Pumpkin spice shake – frozen blend of white chocolate and pumpkin spice with salted caramel and whipped cream

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At Galactic Grill at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Blood Orange Slush with a swirl of raspberry sauce. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Galactic Grill at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Darth by Chocolate Parfait with layers of red velvet cake, ganache, cookies, dark chocolate mousse, and chocolate cake topped with chocolate flakes, a chocolate Darth Vader helmet, and a mini chocolate lightsaber. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Galactic Grill*

Darth by chocolate parfait – layers of red velvet cake, ganache, cookies, dark chocolate mousse, and chocolate cake topped with chocolate flakes, a chocolate Darth Vader helmet and a mini chocolate lightsaber

Blood orange slush – blood orange slush with a swirl of raspberry sauce

Loaded fleet fries – loaded waffle fries topped with slow-cooked BBQ, pulled pork, cheese, chipotle ranch and cream cilantro-lime coleslaw

At Alien Pizza Planet at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Vampire Alien Macaron with lemon filling. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Alien Pizza Planet

Supernova special: delicium 639 pizza – spiced marinara sauce topped with sausage, salami, assorted cheeses, onions, olives and tomatoes drizzled with pesto

Flavus tropicus parfait – layers of pound cake, caramel pot de crème butter streusel, and pineapple mousse finished with a drizzle of raspberry sauce, pineapple topping and gold crispy pearls

Vampire alien macaron -with lemon filling

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At Rancho del Zocalo at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Pan Dulce Ice Cream Sandwich featuring colorful shell-like Mexican sweet bread with dulce de leche ice cream, cajeta, and churro streusel. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Rancho del Zocalo at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Orange Sugar Skull Pot de Crème. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Rancho del Zocalo

Mexican hot chocolate

Pan dulce ice cream sandwich – colorful shell-like Mexican sweet bread with dulce de leche ice cream, cajeta and churro streusel

The long-forgotten dueling tacos – two fry bread tacos featuring grilled fajita beef and braised butter chicken served with Mexican rice and pickled vegetables

Frozen abuelita horchata – layered frozen Mexican hot chocolate and frozen horchata topped with spiced whipped cream

Orange sugar skull pot de crème 

Golden Horseshoe*

Churro sundae – cookie dough ice cream garnished with a churro, cajeta and whipped cream

Stage Door Café*

Apple pie funnel cake – funnel cake with cajeta whipped cream and streusel topping

At Hungry Bear Restaurant at Disneyland Park, guests will find this Dead-Cadent Funnel Cake with decadent brownie, white chocolate raspberry ice cream, and chocolate crispy pearls. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Hungry Bear Restaurant (mobile ordering available)

Dead-cadent funnel cake – house funnel cake with decadent brownie, white chocolate raspberry ice cream and chocolate crispy pearls

Blue Bayou Restaurant

We’ve BEAN dying to MEAT you! Red beans and rice soup – spiced stew of pork sausage, oxtails and kidney beans with Louisiana popcorn rice

Dynamite seafood hush puppies – spicy hush puppies with shrimp, tasso ham, corn, Bloody Mary aïoli and greens

Opera singer cake – almond sponge cake with coffee, chocolate ganache and glaze, coffee buttercream, Chantilly cream and raspberry sauce

Café Orleans

Sarah ‘Sally’ Slater’s swamp fries – crawfish étouffée atop sweet potato fries with chorizo, clams, tomatoes, sweet corn and green onion

Swinging wake cake – layered chocolate and vanilla sponge cake, caramel-banana filling, caramel buttercream frosting and sugar candle

Harbour Galley*

13th-hour brew – iced coffee with vanilla cream

The ghost mariner’s seafood boil – cajun buttered shrimp, red potatoes, corn and andouille sausage

French Market

The wedding cake – cake with buttercream frosting, cherries, cream cheese filling and a splatter of cherry sauce

At Mint Julep Bar at Disneyland Park, guests will find these Pumpkin Spice Beignets featuring Mickey-shaped beignets dusted with pumpkin spice-flavored sugar. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Mint Julep Bar*

Blackberry midnight julep – blackberry, citrus and mint flavors with lychee “moon”

Pumpkin spice beignets – Mickey-shaped beignets dusted with pumpkin spice-flavored sugar

Royal Street Veranda*

Pickwick ghost punch – lively concoction of fruit, citrus juices and sherbet

Professor Phineas Plump’s cure-all fritters – pimento cheese fritters with ghost pepper ranch dressing

Bengal Barbecue*

Lamp kofta – lamb with tzatziki sauce, spinach and pickled onions on grilled pita bread

Disney California Adventure Park

Mortimer’s Market

Vampire Mickey sourdough bread

Smokejumpers Grill*

Green apple spell lemonade – lemonade with sour green apple syrup, cherry pearls and raspberry sauce

Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge

Poison apple-tini – apple whiskey, apple pucker schnapps and cranberry juice

At Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this Vampire Mickey Ice Cream Bar dipped in chocolate with shortbread cookie. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream*

Spider silk macaron sandwich – black macaron with charcoal-tart cherry ice cream topped with popping candy and a drizzle of raspberry sauce

Minnie witch ice cream bar – ice cream bar dipped in chocolate with chocolate accents and sprinkles

Vampire Mickey ice cream bar –ice cream bar dipped in chocolate with shortbread cookie

Spiked hard apple float –hard apple cider and apple sorbet drizzled with caramel sauce

Boogie man sundae –scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream, hot fudge, chocolate cookie crumbles and gummy candies in a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl

At Award Wieners at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find these Oogie Boogie-inspired funnel cake fries dusted in crushed chocolate cream cookies, topped with cream cheese sauce, chocolate cream cookie pieces, gummy candies, chocolate coated candies and whipped cream. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Award Wieners*

Oogie’s worms & dirt funnel fries – dusted in crushed chocolate cream-filled cookies with cream cheese sauce, cookie pieces, gummy candies, chocolate-coated candies and whipped cream

Rest in peace-strami fries – filmstrip fries topped with thinly-sliced pastrami, caramelized onions, pickles and mustard sauce

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At Schmoozies! at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find these mummy-inspired donuts filled with peanut butter and jelly. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Schmoozies! at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this caramel apple smoothie made with real apples, ice cream, caramel sauce and caramel apple lollipop. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Schmoozies! at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this mint chip shake with whipped cream and chocolate cream filled cookie Minnie Mouse ears. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Schmoozies*

Mummy donut – donut filled with peanut butter and jelly

Minnie witch shake – mint chocolate chip shake with whipped cream and chocolate cream-filled cookie ears

Caramel apple smoothie – apples, ice cream, caramel sauce and a caramel apple lollipop

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Oogie Boogie-inspired drink with dice glow cubes can be found at the Hollywood Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Hollywood Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this My Bugs! My Bugs! beverage with limeade slush with grenadine and gummy worms. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Hollywood Lounge*

Honest Abe Apple Pie Cider (draft beer)

Stone Ghost Hammer (draft beer)

Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (draft beer)

Left Coast Voodoo (draft beer)

Howl-O-Ween concoction – vodka and Honest Abe Apple Pie Cider

My bugs! My bugs!  – limeade slush with grenadine and gummy worms

Worms, dice & everything nice – Midori-limeade slush and gummy worms

Ghoulish delight – cotton candy lemonade

Supernatural spirit – cotton candy vodka and cotton candy lemonade

Monster 129 tacos – pork belly tacos with kimchi slaw, Korean BBQ sauce and Sriracha crema

Studio Catering Truck

Monster 129 tacos – pork belly tacos with kimchi slaw, Korean BBQ sauce and Sriracha crema

Eerie elixir – green apple slush

Flo’s V-8 Café*

Pumpkin spice shake

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At Cozy Cone at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this specialty churro rolled in crumbled chocolate crème cookies, green icing, gummy worms and candies. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Cozy Cone Motel at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this Slow-Burnin’ Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cone featuring pasta with spicy red pepper-cheese sauce topped with crushed chili-cheese puffs served in a bread cone. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

At Cozy Cone Motel at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this “Spoke-y” Cone Macaron featuring a cone macaron filled with marshmallow buttercream and candy corn. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Cozy Cone Motel

Slow-burnin’ mac ‘n’ cheese cone – pasta with spicy red pepper-cheese sauce topped with crushed chile-cheese puffs served in a bread cone

“Spoke-y” cone macaron – cone Macaron filled with marshmallow buttercream and candy corn

At Sonoma Terrace at Disney California Adventure Park, guests will find this Snake Eyes Sludge featuring edamame hummus dip with olive tapenade “bugs” and dragon fruit “dice” served with grilled flatbread triangles. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Sonoma Terrace

Snake eyes sludge – edamame hummus dip with olive tapenade “bugs” and dragon fruit “dice” served with grilled flatbread triangles

De Vil-ishly delectable wings – chicken wings tossed in tangy, mildly spicy white sauce, parmesan and black sesame seeds

Cocina Cucamonga*

Mexican hot chocolate

Pacific Wharf Café*

Maple-bacon bread pudding – bread pudding topped with whipped cream, maple glaze and candied bacon

Anaheim Brewery Oktoberfest

Vampire mickey sourdough bread

Bacon cheddar ale soup – bacon, cheddar cheese and ale soup served in a freshly-baked sourdough bread bowl

Gourmet Coffee on Pacific Wharf

Frog’s breath – frozen lime and coconut cocktail with raspberry swirl and candy topping

Pacific Wharf Distribution Co. Beer Truck

Karl Strauss Oktoberfest Beer

Boudin Bakery Bread Cart

Vampire mickey sourdough bread

Corn Dog Castle*

Spicy pepper jack cheese stick – batter-dipped and drizzled with blackberry sauce topped with sweet pineapple salsa, pickled serranos and crushed cheese puffs

Paradise Garden Grill*

Mexican hot chocolate – cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate topped with whipped cream

Agua de jamaica slush – sweet hibiscus tea slush

Pollo verde wet burrito – chicken cooked in grilled salsa verde, golden rice, black beans and crema

Traditional tamale plate – red chile pork tamales with golden rice and black beans

Tacos de estillo callejero – trio of sirloin beef tacos with pickled vegetables, golden rice and black beans

Tortitas de papa – vegan crispy potato cakes with sautéed spinach, ranchero salsa, golden rice and pickled onion salad

Ensalada de frutas – jicama, watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, and mango with chili-lime salt and chamoy

Kid’s cheese quesadilla – whole wheat flour tortilla filled with Jack and cheddar cheese served with apple slices

Kid’s street-style taco – one steak taco in corn tortilla served with golden rice and black beans

Kid’s uncrustable sandwich – With GoGo SqueeZ applesauce and carrots

Coco cake – layers of vanilla cake filled with cinnamon “churro” flavored mousse with a sweet cream cheese frosting

Pan dulce concha

Paradise Gardens Special Event Cart

Vanilla orange Coca-Cola

Savory empanada

Sweet empanada

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta

Pumpkin cheesecake

Anti-campire chicken pizza – roasted garlic sauce, marinated chicken, smoked gouda, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and a drizzle of tomato-harissa sauce

Bayside Brews*

ACE Pumpkin Hard Cider

Karl Strauss Oktoberfest

Lamplight Lounge

Ghost-ly pepper nachos – house-made tortilla chips topped with ghost pepper-marinated chicken, ghost pepper cheese sauce, black beans and avocado-tomatillo salsa

Hyperion Cart

ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider

Samuel Adams Oktoberfest

At Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, guests will find weekly rotational cookies featuring various Disney villains, like Cruella De Vil. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)

Disneyland Hotel

Coffee House

Pumpkin spiced latte

Pumpkin muffin

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Lobby Holiday Cart

Weekly rotational cookies – featuring various Disney villains

Cookie box

Poison apple cookie

Chocolate chip cookie shot glass – With choice of orange liqueur, irish cream liqueur, cinnamon liqueur, chocolate milk, 2% milk, or cotton candy milk

Oogie Boogie crispy treat

Halloween whoopie pie

Caramel apple pound cake

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel

PCH Grill

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Sea Witch – rum, blue curaçao, grenadine and Sprite

Surfside Lounge

Pumpkin spiced latte

Sea witch – rum, blue curaçao, grenadine and Sprite

Specialty burger – grass-fed beef patty, with melted spicy Jack cheese and chipotle sauce

Puttanesca pasta – squid ink pasta topped with seafood

Chocolate and pumpkin mousse trifle with cookies and cream crumble

Mickey crispy treat

The Sand Bar

Sea witch – rum, blue curaçao, grenadine and Sprite

*Items from these locations are available via mobile ordering on the Disneyland App.

Disneyland Resort Halloween Time Food Listing & Photos Disneyland Resort Serves Spooky Treats and Frightfully Festive Foods During Halloween Time ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 13, 2019) –During…

[kansascityhappenings]

30 day plan to remove clutter from house this fall

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Right after Halloween and before the holiday rush is a perfect time to do some fall cleaning. Sure, everyone likes to get in a frenzy about spring cleaning, but now is a good time to concentrate on your home and avoid hunkering down too soon for the hibernation season.

Cleaning up your household and keeping some movement in your body can also help prevent weight gain from all the food gatherings about to happen in the near future. Here is a 30 day plan to keep your house clean and to ultimately help you declutter.

Before you get started, strategize. Make a note of your personal clutter “hot spots.” The table by the back door? Your bathroom counter? Underneath the bed? Make a note of these spaces and then set your notes aside. You can swap in these “hot spot” days with challenges below that are not as relevant to you.

Before getting to the clean sweep, you need four boxes for keeping, donating, recycling, and trash. You can have a “maybe” box if you’re really confused by an item or two when you get into the cleaning process. If things stay in the maybe box for 6 months, it probably can be thrown away or donated.

Day 1. Make room now for new sweaters. Go through your closet and see what you don’t wear anymore. There are several clothing shelters and churches that would be happy to take your used clothes. Your kids may have outgrown their clothes as well. Try to donate clothes that are still in good condition. A piece of clothing covered in holes might be better suited for dusting. Give yourself a goal before you start diving into the closet: are you going to fill up 3 trash bags with clothes for donations or one giant box? If an item doesn’t fit, let it go. Right now your focus should be to make room for clothes that do fit. A pro tip for clearing out clothes you don’t use: at the beginning of the year, flip all your hangers to the wrong side. As you wear something, flip the hanger for that item to the opposite, more easy to reach direction. When the year is over all the clothes that still face the wrong direction are the ones you haven’t worn.

Day 2. Clean up the closets. Now it’s time to rearrange closets in the house. You can go to TJ Maxx, Target, or Ikea for closet storage ideas. Shelves for shoes are lifesavers. You can arrange your clothes by season or by color to make it easier for you to get dressed for work. Be on the lookout for stinky shoes that may need to be thrown out altogether or need some TLC. When cleaning out the closet, make sure you get rid of any extra trash, paper, or plastic – you can easily recycle this stuff. Make sure if there are any important documents to put them together with other important pieces — it’s best to have a folder ready for these items, you can label the folder “to be filed.” Repeat this for other closets in the house. See what you don’t need, donate, and let go. Check to see if there are any coats hanging out in the coat closest that you may have kept for a few too many decades.

Day 3. Clean the refrigerator. You may have collected a few new sauces, salad dressings, and other items over the year that you’re not using and are just filing up space. Several of these bottles are recyclable. Do a good clean scrubbing of the fridge, use a combo of 1 cup vinegar and 2 cups water to get rid of stains. Make sure you don’t have any old leftovers hiding in the back. Anything with mold needs to be thrown away. Even though you might not see the mold throughout bread, cheese, or other items – any sign of mold means it has spread, and not all mold is visible to the eye. If you’re a pack rat and love to put things on the fridge, some of those items now need to move to a scrapbook or memento box. Cut the fridge decorations in half.

Day 4. Clean the pantry. Look through the pantry to see if you can find any expired foods, those need to be tossed out first. If there are any foods still in good shape but you doubt you’ll actually eat, now is a good time to donate them to a food pantry. It’s good to look through the pantry and make sure there are no cobwebs. Dust down the shelves, combine packages like multiple spaghetti boxes, and consider adding a spice rack to the Christmas list if you don’t have one already.

Day 5. Clean out the cutlery. Maybe you have had a lot of dishes passed down to you, multiple wedding gifts, or grandparents who died and willed their dishes to you, plus the cheesy ones you may have bought in college. If your kitchen is feeling crowded – or there are plenty of items never getting used – consider minimizing this. Plenty of donation places or food pantries will accept these items. You’ll want to call ahead to see if they’ll take them. Religious sites often will take these supplies. Sharpen the knives if they’re starting to get dull, spend time arranging the items if everything is in chaos, and restock the cleaning supplies under the sink if they’re looking lackluster. Also, if those cleaning supplies are getting old, it may be time to declutter there as well. If you have appliances you never use nor plan to use, let it go.

Day 6. Clean out the basement. If you have cords that you haven’t used in 10 years, it may be time to say goodbye to those. There usually are a few boxes in the basement that never get touched. It may be time to say goodbye to those boxes, or maybe they need to be rearranged. If you have lots of pictures, those could be put into scrapbooks or binders and put on shelves to help with space. It’s also a better form of preservation rather than being lumped together in boxes.

One basement cleaning method is to dump out all the boxes and force yourself to interact with the objects and see how you can put them into a practical space, or flat out get rid of the stuff. This plan might also be stressful, so think before dumping items everywhere. You’ll want to put things in four different zones: KEEP – DONATE – RECYCLE – TRASH. Label things if you haven’t. Lookout for unnecessary duplicates.

Empty everything one section at a time. Divide stuff into sections.

Group like things together. Assess your inventory. Purchase storage containers as necessary, remove duplicates as necessary.

Sort, stack, and label.

Day 7. Clean out bathrooms. Some of us have a bad habit of hoarding bathroom supplies. We’re not hoarding dragons; we’re humans with good taste, so stop keeping things you don’t need. It’s best to clean all the bathrooms at once to see if there are duplicate items. Don’t be afraid to open all the drawers and cabinets and throw away junk. Now might be a good time to recycle bottles and cut down on the products to the ones actually in use. Old lotion bottles sitting around collecting dust are doing no one any favors. Read labels carefully to see if anything has expired. Make sure to clean down all the surfaces, give the toilets a scrub, and use cleaner on the showers and bathtubs. Look for any extra soap gunk or other unwanted critters.

Day 8. Fill 2 bags with trash or recycling. Instead of focusing on a specific room, go around the house filling two bags with things that can immediately be discarded, whether for trash or recycling. Continue the process around the house until you have filled those two bags. Make sure not to throw away anything important. Some culprits for trash: old mail, candy wrappers, opened up packages, bizarre crafts, and excessive knick-knacks. Forcing yourself to get rid of trash around the house will help you to declutter and examine areas of the house that need extra sprucing up. If you have discovered a new clutter “hot spot” add that to the list you made before getting into the fall clean sweep.

Day 9. Clean out your car. Spend a couple of bucks and go get a car wash. Remove the trash in the car and use a vacuum to suck up trash, leaves, and other chunks of things that collect in the car. Look through your glove box and see if there are old files in it. Do you need paper insurance or do you have an insurance app on your phone with your IDs? Either way, one paper insurance copy will suffice in the glove box. Keep your title and other important documents, maybe the last bill from when you went to the mechanic. Most papers that are more than a year old are probably not important anymore and can be thrown away. You can put things that do seem special in your “to be filed” folder. Make sure to open up your trunk and see if there are extra items in there that you don’t need. The things you should have are: jumper cables, a spare tire, a tool kit, and a first aid kit.

Day 10. Cutting down on objects. Today you’ll be practicing the KonMari method. Marie Kondo is a famous organizing consultant from Japan. Her method of organizing is known as the KonMari method, and consists of gathering together all of your belongings one category at a time, and then keeping only those things that “spark joy” (tokimeku,the word in Japanese, means “flutter, throb, palpitate”), and choosing a place for everything for the items you keep. We’re going to simplify this somewhat. Take about 50-60 questionable items into the living room with you and hold each item for about 30 seconds and ask yourself – does this item bring me joy or did it used to bring me joy? If it used to bring you joy and serves no purpose anymore, great – it belongs in the donation or trash pile. This method can obviously take a long time if you go through the whole house, for some maybe a couple of hours – for others a process that could be done over months. The idea is to not hold onto so many items that really just flood the household.

Day 11. Clearing out paperwork. It is now time to go through all the bills, receipts, papers, everything building up and toss it out or shred and recycle it. Spend at most 2 hours collecting the items and deciding what to do with it. Any other papers floating around can be solved another day. You don’t need all those papers sitting there distracting you and building in the house. If you do need a certain paper, it needs to be in a folder in a designated place. You may have some papers that are also digital copies. You can use those instead of have multiple medical files, tax files, etc. Do keep papers that you need to make an action with and one folder for items that need to be filed.

Day 12. Clean out linen closet. If you have a linen closet overflowing, it may be time to get rid of some of the older linens you never use. Often homeless shelters or animal shelters will use linens that are still in good condition. Toss any items that are really dingy and in bad condition into recycling. It’s a good idea to pull everything out and wash down the shelves, look for cobwebs, and actually go through each linen to see what you really have in stock and if you have too much surplus. Maybe all your children have grown up and could use some of those linens or maybe you just had a breakup and getting rid of some shared items that remind you of your ex would be a happy reprieve.

Day 13. Throw out old makeup. Toss anything that has been expired, anything cracked, or anything that you’re not even sure what it is. Try to condense down to your essentials with makeups. Also, go ahead and give all the brushes you use a wash. Maybe some of the brushes need to be tossed. To clean the brushes:

Wet the bristles with lukewarm water.

Massage gentle soap such as Dawn or baking soda into the bristles.

Rinse the bristles and clear out the soap.

Squeeze out the excess moisture with a clean towel.

Reshape brush heads.

Let dry on a towel.

Day 14. Sort jewelry. Look through your jewelry and see if you have broken, tarnished, or missing pieces. Some of these could be donated, some of them may be in bad enough condition that you should throw them into recycling. Consider buying a jewelry box if you haven’t got one already — or add it to the Christmas list. If you have an expensive piece of jewelry – like a diamond – don’t just recycle it. If it has problems, schedule time for a repair or for professional maintenance. If you have way too much jewelry, consider giving some to family members who might like it. This could also make for an easy Christmas gift.

Day 15. Setup healthcare appointments. This is a day for you to declutter your life by cutting down on the appointments you haven’t setup. The nice part about fall cleaning is that you may realize you haven’t seen certain doctors this year. Now is a good time to setup those dentist, eye doctor, and other appointments. Maybe you haven’t taken the dog or cat to see the veterinarian; now is the time to get those weird things they do checked out. Decluttering is about making healthier living space for you, and working on your individual health is one way to free up your time and space.

Day 16. Clean out sock and underwear drawer. If you haven’t already, it’s time to throw out all the old socks and underwear you don’t use anymore. If it has a hole in it, don’t bother with it anymore. These are easily replaceable items, so don’t hold onto things that are old and ratty. Some clothing items are good after only so many uses.

Day 17. Clean out laundry room. If you have old products, it’s time to dispose of them. Look around for cobwebs and other dust that needs to be removed. See if you have accidentally been hiding clothes that need to go to a closet instead. Consider adding a shelf if things are too messy or scattered. Make sure the laundry room is about the laundry room and not something else. It should be easy to cut back on the clutter in this room.

Day 18. Give things a home. Go around the house and find 5-15 things that don’t have a place, and find them a place. Put it on a shelf, put it with like items, but don’t just stuff it back into your closet. That’s cheating, and it doesn’t work.

Day 19.  Scrub those floors down. When is the last time your floors have had a good scrubbing? It’s time to mop, sweep, vacuum, and maybe hire professionals to clean up the carpets. There are some nasty critters that can multiply in carpets, and dirty tracks around the house can make you sick. Doing a good floor cleaning can be good exercise. Mop the floors down and really give it extra elbow grease. Your goal is to make the floor as spotless as possible, which can be challenging with kids and animals. Move furniture so you can clean areas that haven’t been cleaned in ages. Take really good note of your floors for the first time. Is there something in the way of them being clean? Also, scrub down all the baseboards – get rid of that dirt and dust.

Day 20. Clean out your office. Start with all the papers that have piled up. Put them in stacks: “to file,” “to do,” and “to toss.” File your records in a way that makes sense to you. Records older than seven years can likely be tossed out (that’s the length of time lawyers are legally required to keep their own records.) Clean off the desk; look for knick-knacks you don’t need. Limit how many knick-knacks you have on your desk: maybe 5. Throw away things you haven’t used in a year. Empty out all the drawers and go through the items one by one. Get rid of old planners, expired coupons, etc. Take stock of your supplies, and purchase drawer organizers that will accommodate your belongings.

Day 21. Clean out toys. Your kids or pets might not like this, but if there are a lot of toys, especially old and tattered – it might be time to get rid of some, donate them, and upgrade to other toys. Sometimes the kids will help you if they know the toys are going to a good cause. Helping them to let go of toys will help them better handle decluttering when they are older. Too many toys can be a way for bacteria to spread. If your pets are not using certain toys, or if they have several that are chewed up – just toss them out. Your pets won’t mind not seeing them or getting new toys to challenge their minds. It’s good to cycle pet toys so they don’t get tired of them, so you can put some away for a couple of months in storage and cycle through them every so often.

Day 22. Scrub down the kitchen. Sprinkle salt into the kitchen sink and scrub with a cut lemon. If you have old, gross brushes, those can be tossed. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2 cups water and wash down all the counters and places where your family eats. Baking soda can be used to clean just about anything. You should scrub these counters daily, but try giving them more of your elbows this time. Also, scrub down handles, look for any mysterious marks, and scrub down appliances that haven’t been cleaned in a while – the coffee pot is a likely culprit.

Day 23. Clean your digital devices. Backup important files on a hard drive or flash drives. Go through your computer and see if you can get more space. Your computer will run better this way. Try to reduce the number of marks on your desktop. Remove apps you don’t use and are taking up space. Delete items you no longer need. Maybe you have some old computer game boxes from the early 2000s that no longer serve you. Clean up and sort the files on your computer. You can also spend the day cleaning up your social media presence. Check to see if your privacy settings are set at their best level, see if there are pictures you would want in a physical copy, and see what you can minimize on your profile. Maybe it’s time to update your LinkedIn or your relationship status. If you’ve broken up with someone in the recent past, maybe it’s time to delete some pictures off Instagram. Also, check to see if you’re behind on any emails, texts, private messages and the like. If you have several social media accounts, delete one of them.

Day 24. Declutter the backyard. Maybe you have a shed, maybe you have a crazy dog who finds things, or maybe your children like to take all their toys out for a sunny stroll. One way or another, the backyard shouldn’t be cluttered. When mowing the yard for the last time before winter, make sure to take stock of what’s making your yard messy and how you can manage that now.

Day 25. Craft supplies. For those of you who are artists, this may be a nightmare. Look through your crafts collection and see if you have any old paints, excessive amounts of certain supplies, or other things that honestly could be donated to a church or school. Try to get your items down to what is relevant and remove what you won’t miss or what causes unnecessary pain. Clean your paintbrushes; throw out ones that are not going to get better. Invest in new shelving devices if necessary.

Day 26. Second trash bag day. Go around the house again and throw away items that can be tossed out into at least 2 bags. These can be items sent to recycling. Keep going around the house until you fill up those 2 bags or boxes. If you fail at doing this, go through your closets again to find items you can donate or toss out entirely.

Day 27. The “hot spot” cleanup. Dealers choice here, but if you started this declutter assignment by writing down your household “hot spots” for clutter, now is the time to target two or more of those areas (if any still exist). Clean and break these spots down like a champ, and come up with a method for it to never be infiltrated again. It’s your job to liberate the space.

Day 28. Donation day. If you haven’t already, it’s time to take your donation items to places that will accept them, whether Goodwill, religious drives, or schools. You may have to make a few phone calls to plan this out. Label objects that you know will be going to a specific person.

Day 29. Clean out wallet, backpack, and purse. This should be an easy day. Go through your belongings where you carry your money and other daily essentials and cut it down to just that. You don’t need to be carrying around gum wrappers, receipts, and the like. If your wallet or purse are in bad shape – it’s time to go replace it. This can also be a nice item for the holiday shopping list.

Day 30. The final sprint, 5,000 steps of cleaning. To make really sure that your house is clean, go around the house sprucing things up till you’ve hit 5,000 steps on the odometer. Most smartphones have an odometer under the health section. 5,000 steps is about 50 minutes of regular non-stop walking. With cleaning interrupting your walking, this can add a lot of time. This final day might take you awhile. If you’re really ambitious and really want to be a clean guru – up the steps and shoot for a full day of cleaning with 10,000 steps of chores. Reward yourself with some ice cream when you reach your goal.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/11/03/30-day-plan-to-remove-clutter-from-house-this-fall/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/11/03/30-day-plan-to-remove-clutter-from-house-this-fall/

[tipsycad147]

The lore of fairy doors

Posted by Michelle Gruben on Jun 01, 2016

Sitting at the base of a tree, on a garden wall, or over a baseboard, fairy doors invite us to imagine a fanciful realm just beyond the threshold. Not just for children, these miniature doors pop up in backyards, homes and businesses wherever fairies are welcomed.  

Fairy doors are a common sight in the wooded outskirts of some UK towns (whose authorities have had to resort to removing them to curb the fairy invasion). They’re a local tradition and tourist draw in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They’ve been spotted by photographers in the unlikely environs of New York City and San Francisco.

Fairy doors may be purchased or homemade, fancy or homely. But they all serve the mystifying purpose of allowing fairies to travel between their worlds and ours. Fairy doors work on two basic assumptions about the fae folk: That fairies are diminutive in size (a conceit made madly popular by the Victorian “flower fairy” artists), and liminal in nature (able to exist in that “in-between” state betwixt the worlds).

That fairies exist liminally is beyond a doubt. After all, they can fit their entire homes in the space between a fairy door and a wall. On the matter of size, well, most experts agree that fairies they can be small if they want to be. And who wouldn’t want to be small, if it meant you could sleep in a bird’s nest and drink from an acorn shell? Great ideas, Victorians!

Practically speaking, there are a couple of important questions to consider before installing a fairy door. The most pertinent of these is, do you actually want fairies to visit you? Sure, fairies are fun-loving, generous, ethereal beings. But they can also be entitled, mischievous, selfish, thieving, sneaky, and downright destructive. Make no mistake, installing a fairy door is a real bit of portal magick. It’s like an engraved invitation—even if you thought it just looked cute on your flowerpot.

On the other hand, a fairy door can be a novel tactic for dealing with a posse of troublesome fairies that’s already moved in. Do your house fairies rely on frightening your pets, hiding your keys, and stealing your trinkets in order to get the attention they crave? Providing them with a nice home of their own is one way to “kill them with kindness” and inspire better behavior.

Also consider the placement of your fairy door. Fairy real estate is governed by the same rules as humans’: Location, location, location. Ever the finicky critters, fairies like attention (but also security and privacy). So place your fairy door somewhere out of the way that is still a position of honour in your home or yard. Fairies enjoy running water, yummy smells, moonlight, the sun at dawn or twilight, and the shade of trees. (Bonus points for placing your door near the “fairy trees” of Oak, Ash, Hawthorn, or Elder.) Mushrooms and mushroom rings have long been regarded as a sure sign of fairy favour. No fairy wants to be bothered by litter, cars, or dogs.

Finally, you’ll want to spare a thought for the upkeep of the fairy door. Fairies love gifts (almost as much as they love invitations). Stones and shells, beads, coins, bits of ribbon, and feathers are irresistible loot. (Fairies are happy to receive those foreign coins you got stuck with on your last trip.) It’s rumoured that some fairies even collect children’s teeth, but tooth fairies are a special breed of fae—many fairies find the lingering odour of human blood distasteful. Fairies will swoon for a perfect berry, freshly brewed tea, a thimble of milk or whiskey, or a piece of bread with honey (even better if it’s the first or last morsel from the loaf).

Offerings aren’t strictly necessary—but once you begin leaving them, it’s wise to keep up the practice. Don’t cultivate an expectation you can’t fulfil by leaving goodies every day and then stopping abruptly. Ever capricious, sweet fairies can turn sour at the slightest insult. Infrequent (but regular) offerings are fine. Even forgetful fairy landlords can probably remember to mark the fairy holidays of Beltane (May Day), Midsummer, and Samhain (Halloween) with a small token or treat.

If you don’t choose to leave offerings at the fairy door, at least keep it in good repair. (You wouldn’t want your fairies to receive a letter from their neighbourhood association.) Wooden fairy doors benefit from a fresh coat of varnish every couple of seasons. Resin doors are more durable, but may crack in extremely cold temperatures. Before moving the door, leave your fairies a note so they know where to find their winter quarters.

Many people have wondered how to tell if a fairy door is in use. Most, in fact, are. (Did I mention fairies love invitations?) A vacant fairy door is harder to find than a vacant bus seat at rush hour. But, in the rare instance that your fairy home is still fairyless after a few days, you may need to boost the signal to encourage them to move in.

It’s often assumed that fairies are wiser and more observant than humans, but that’s not always the case. [Disparaging comment about pixies deleted. –Ed.] In case your neighbourhood fae are the slow type, they may not recognise the dwelling is for them. Try equipping the fairy door with a welcome mat, miniature key, or “FAIRY HOUSE” painted boldly across the threshold. (Illiterate fairies might be enticed by a trail of ginger snap crumbs.)

A fairy door can be a decorative accent, a child’s plaything, a magickal tool—or all of these things at the same time. Choose yours with care, place it thoughtfully, and allow the fairies to do the rest!

Photo: Fairy door by the author.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/178895815-the-lore-of-fairy-doors

[callmemochelle]

It’s Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort.  Stephen and I wanted to try some of the seasonal goodies that was being offered.  On the Disneyland website, they had the breakdown of the goodies, and the locations.  We started off at Disney California Adventure (DCA) for the special Oktoberfest hotdog at Award Wieners.

I was able to mobile order the food, avoiding the long line. We decided to split it, and the sausage had a bit of a kick. It wasn’t overly spicy, definitely full of flavor, but just not something I prefer. Stephen loved it, especially paired with the Oktoberfest Lager.

We wandered around the park, stopping at various photo opportunities, before heading to the Pacific Wharf for the pumpkin bread pudding.  Like Award Wieners, I was able to mobile order this item.

We decided to head over to the Disneyland side to ride the “Holiday” Haunted Mansion (yay for the Max Pass) but stopped at the Mint Julep bar first for the pumpkin spice beignets.

After Haunted Mansion, I didn’t know that Stephen had never been to Critter Country… so we walked down to Splash and rode the Many Adventures of Pooh, where Eeyore posed with Stephen before going home for the night.

It’s Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort #HalloweenTime It's Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort.  Stephen and I wanted to try some of the seasonal goodies that was being offered.