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Disclosure: I was sent product from Hallmark Canada as part of their Hallmark Blogger Panel  to help facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

"BOO" Door Décor - $19.95

For more door décor ideas, check out the "Trick-or-Treat" Pumpkin Greeter (seen above) that greets little goblins with one of six motion-activated phrases (MSRP: $24.95). Or how about these creepy cool silhouettes?

Halloween Door Frame Décor - $9.95 each

Marvel Thor: The Dark World Mask - $12.99; Battle Hammer - $14.99 at Toys R Us

Of course, little cans of Halloween Play-Doh are just as fun, too. Looking forward to getting crafty with the kids this weekend. Or maybe I'll just throw on the original Thor movie...

Hallmark Alive and Talking Pumpkin - $19.95

Hallmark Witchiest of Witches Shadowcaster - $14.95

One of my favourites is the new witch-themed shadowcaster. By placing this next to a wall, you will see shadows flickering and glowing in the dark. I'm thinking I'm going to have to head in-store to pick up one of the Haunted House shadowcasters. They just scream "Halloween!"

Hallmark Fortune-Telling Magic Mirror - $19.95

Hallmark Pics 'n' Props Halloween Party Activity Kit - $19.95

'Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The decorations were hung with a malevolent sneer
In hopes that trick-or-treating soon would be here.

The children have tried on their masks and their threads,
While visions of candy danced in their heads.
And papa in pj's, and I in old sweats,
Had just settled our brains and cooled off our jets.

When all of a sudden I shuddered with fear.
Did I buy any chocolates or candy? Oh, dear!
Away to the kitchen I flew like the wind,
Tore open the cupboards and happily grinned.

Three years ago, my son was still a little babe. He was barely six months and cute as a button. For his first Halloween, I found a used costume through Kijiji. It was a super cute fireman's costume. The mother who was selling it also had a warm monkey suit and a Winnie the Pooh costume, too. It was quite a deal. I absolutely loved the fireman's costume and I knew exactly what picture to use for My KINDER Moments frame.

My cute little fireman, age 6 months.

My KINDER Moments is a tool to help you frame special moments of joy. Using themed frames, you can celebrate birthdays, holidays and everything in between! Check it out on the KINDER® Canada Facebook page and register to create your own My KINDER® Moments album. Just look for the My KINDER Moments tab underneath the profile picture.

My darling little monkey, age 3.

Each time you frame a special moment, you'll be automatically entered to win a prize in their monthly promotion. This month, everyone who takes part will be entered to win a $500 Cash Card to spend on a new Fall wardrobe. If you haven't already entered, you'll want to do it soon since tomorrow is the last day of October. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

Step 1: Select a frame.

Step 2: Upload a picture or choose one from you Facebook albums.

Step 3: Drag and adjust the zoom, then name your frame.

Disclosure: I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

This weekend, many families will be getting into the Halloween spirit. Pun intended. If you're in or around the Toronto area, why not take them on a tour of some of Toronto’s most terrifying homes. These hair-raising haunted houses are home to a variety of frightening creatures that go bump in the night. Not only will theses houses provide a night of fright, but each house will also be collecting donations for SickKids Foundation.

Here's a listing of frightfully haunted houses in the GTA:

1. Thornhill Woods Haunted House
Address: 1 Krisbury Avenue (near the intersection of Rutherford and Thornhill Woods Drive), Thornhill, ON
Open: October 24 to October 31, 2011
For more info, check out thornhillwoodshauntedhouse.com.

2. Legacy of Horror
Address: 6 Red Ash Drive, Markham, ON
Open: October 28 to October 31, 2011
Take a look at some of Richard’s creations at legacyofhorror.org.

3. Haunt on the Hill
Address: 164 Old Forest Hill Rd, Toronto, ON
Open: October 28 to October 31, 2011
Visit hauntonthehill.com for more details.

4. 67 Scary Springs Drive
Address: 67 Cedar Springs Drive, Richmond Hill, ON
Open: October 21 to October 31, 2011
To learn more, check out Joe’s blog.

5. Scare for a Cure
Address: 1 Plover Heights, Woodbridge, ON
Open: October 31, 2011
Check out the group’s Facebook group for more details!

Just in time for Halloween, Hasbro has put together a goodie bag of bite-size Play-Doh. This is a great alternative to handing out sugary treats and will give kids a fun activity to occupy them long after Halloween has passed.

Each bag contains 20 mini one-ounce cans and they come in a variety of spooky colours. The pack I received for review had 4 black, 4 orange, 3 purple, 3 yellow, 3 green and 3 white.


My kids and I have been playing around with the Play-Doh this morning making all sorts of Halloween designs. Here is my Jack-O-Lantern.



Play-Doh Halloween Bags are available at an approximate retail price of $4.99 each. Play-Doh is suitable for children ages 3+, is non-toxic and contains wheat.

Disclosure: I was sent one Play-Doh Halloween Bag to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

This Halloween, Hallmark has come out with some really ghoulish greeting cards to help spread some Halloween fear. Er, cheer. They sent a sample of these greeting cards for my family to enjoy. It's all part of the fun of being a Press Pause Panel member. There are some really neat cards that I wanted to feature along with some information in regards to postage. Here are my favourites.

This tri-fold Haunted House has a really intricate cut with black velvet-like texture. When you open it up, you can use it as a decoration. It even has a hole at the top so you can tie a string and hang it up.



Here's a cute little Mad Scientist card. I mailed this one and paid $0.59 for postage. Did you know the rates are going up in 2012? It will cost $0.61 and will increase to $0.64 in 2014. Hmm, might need to stock up on permanent stamps.

The next three cards are really neat because they come with buttons, a hair clip and a necklace for Halloween. I mailed out the one with the buttons and the one with the necklace, and as I had expected, the cost for both of these was $1.25 since the thickness of the envelope qualifies for non-standard lettermail rates.




The following card is pretty neat. Each window is covered with a special black film. When you rub it quickly with your finger, it reveals a hidden ghost, vampire or witch. The instructions say that you can blow on it, too, but that wasn't nearly as effective for me. Also, I'm being picky but the film doesn't line up with windows as neatly as I would like.


I think my absolute favourite Halloween card from Hallmark would be the first one since it doubles as decoration and looks really neat. Which one is your favourite?

Product featured in photo background: Hokey-Pokey Skeleton and Family Tree Frame Holder

Disclosure: I was sent product from Hallmark Canada as part of their Press Pause Panel and to help facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.