Easy Halloween Craft: Ghost Lollipops

My neighborhood is throwing a Halloween party for the kids on Sunday. One of the activities that we planned is a ghost lollipop hunt. It's kind of like an Easter egg hunt, but Halloween themed. Everyone makes around 15 lollipops, and then my neighbor and I hide them around the playground. Kids love these cute treats, and they couldn't be easier to make.

Here's what you need:

• A bag of Tootsie Roll pops (or any lollipop)
• Box of tissues
• Rubber bands
• Black Sharpie

Wrap each lollipop in a tissue and wrap with a rubber band. Have your cat double-check your work.

Draw faces on each lollipop, and voila! The cutest little ghosts you've ever seen. Happy Halloween!

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

Our next stop on our tour of Maine was Acadia National Park. I had really been looking forward to this part of the trip and it did not disappoint. We went at the perfect time of year: the leaves were stunning, the sun was shining, and it was not nearly as crowded as it would have been in high-season.

We based ourselves in Bar Harbor, which is only a few minutes from the entrance to Acadia. First, let me tell you how amazing Bar Harbor is. I absolutely love this town. It's quaint, but also filled with fantastic restaurants. We had the cutest house just steps from Main street. A couple of nights we ordered food to go and brought it back to the house to eat while the kids slept. It was nice to have wine and eat at our own pace, without tantrums. Our favorite place was Mt. Desert Ice Cream--easily one of the top five ice creams I've ever had! The flavors were so fresh and clean. My favorites were the baked apple and speculoos. The chocolate that Zahara got was out of this world. Can't believe we didn't get any pictures.

We spent two full days in Acadia; the first day was on Mount Desert Island and the second was on Schoodic Peninsula. 

We drove along the scenic route and parked at Sandy Beach for our first stop. Zahara loved running through the sand and jumping in the puddles. We had a nice picnic lunch and then walked to our next stop--Thunder Hole. It was a nice walk with beautiful views. Thunder Hole is really cool, and we loved climbing the rocks to find hidden views.

Next up was the Jordan Pond House to experience their famous popovers. We sat outside looking at the pond and the Bubbles (the hills), while the waitress brought us fresh-from-the-oven popovers. They were so light and airy and paired perfectly with the Maine blueberry jam.

To keep Zahara entertained, Dan made up a series of "jobs" that she had to complete. Things like: count the number of chairs, whisper the answer to that bush, and then run back here. She couldn't get enough of these jobs. It was adorable.

Last stop for the day was Cadillac Mountain. It's the tallest mountain on the East Coast. It was pretty, but we (read: Zahara) were done for the day.

Next up, Schoodic Peninsula.

Read more about our trip to Maine:
Ogunquit
Camden
Schoodic Peninsula
Portland

Dear Asher: 3 Months

Dear Asher,

Happy 3 month birthday! I can't get over what a great baby you are. You are so sweet and calm, and very generous with your smiles. And you're a great sleeper! Knock on wood that we didn't just jinx ourselves.

You are also a great traveler. You've been to four states and took your first plane ride this month. You slept the whole flight!

You are still sucking on your hands non-stop and are drooling like Niagara Falls. You've really found your voice this month and you love testing it out. Lots of coos, laughs, and shouts. You love playing games with us, like when you stand on our laps, or when we hold you in the air like Superman.

You look so much like your dad it's uncanny. It's funny because your sister looked so much like mummy as a baby and you look so much like daddy. We each got our mini-me.

We can't wait to watch you grow. We love you!

Read about Zahara at this age:
Dear Zahara: 3 Months

Camden, Maine

Day two of our trip to Maine was already so much better than day one. It really helped that I started feeling better. We didn't get a ton of sleep, but at least it was gorgeous outside. We took advantage of the clear, warm weather with a drive up to Mount Battie overlooking Camden.

After viewing it from afar, we made our way down to Camden to explore on foot. This town is so cute! I'm glad we came in the off-season though. It must be so crowded in the summer. I loved the look of the old buildings right next to the clear water. There were even hidden waterfalls behind the storefronts. And Zahara had a great time playing with the ducks and collecting sea shells at the dock.

We stopped in Belfast (around 30 minutes away) on the way to our next house and had a fantastic meal at Chase's Daily, a farm-to-table vegetarian restaurant. And when the say farm-to-table, they mean it literally. We watched as the chef grabbed the cauliflower for our incredible pasta dish from the farmer's market inside the restaurant. Everything was so fresh and tasty. Too bad we didn't get any pictures.

After lunch we made our way to our house in Bar Harbor and were treated with this view along the way. Maine is so beautiful! Stay tuned for our time in Acacia National Park.

Read more about our trip to Maine:
Ogunquit
Bar Harbor
Schoodic Peninsula
Portland

Ogunquit, Maine

I can finally check off another state: Maine! For around ten years now I've been asking Dan to take me to Maine during "leafing season." He grew up in the Northeast where the change of seasons brings glorious colors to all the foliage. I, on the other hand, grew up in Texas where there barely is a change of season, much less any color associated.

I finally got my wish and it was worth the wait! We had gorgeous weather and the kids did great. Sidenote: I still can't get used to saying kids, as in I have more than one! This was Asher's first flight and he was a champ. Our flight was ridiculously early on the day after Rosh Hashanah and both Dan and I were sick. So, it wasn't the best start to the trip, but Z and A were amazing. Zahara loved going in the Uber in her pajamas.

It was before noon when we landed so we had plenty of time to drive the 45 minutes to Ogunquit for lunch. This small town is known for the gorgeous sea views and stunning Marginal Way trail. We had fish tacos and a fish sandwich at the Lobster Shack. The fish was really fresh and good, but the potato salad and coleslaw stole the show. The lobster looked amazing too, but what do I know?

After a brief walk on Marginal Way, we drove a couple of hours to Rockland for dinner and ice cream before heading to our cottage in Lincolnville. I am sure this cottage would be great in other circumstances, but it was a terrible night for everyone. We were all exhausted, and half of us were sick, and the place was freezing. Thankfully, the trip only got better from here.  

Read more about our trip to Maine:
Camden

Honey Harvest Festival

Last month our neighborhood park put on a honey harvest festival. It was a fun day out filled with all sorts of hands-on demonstrations. Zahara really enjoyed planting her own flower, getting her hand painted, seeing the live bee-keepers, and tasting the honey. I liked that last part too!

We even got to meet up with some of our friends (hi Katie and Andy!). I love living so close to such fun activities.

October Thoughts by Z

She's still keeping us on our toes. Here's what Z has been saying this month:

Thought 1:

Z: Why is that man drinking juice? Daddies don't drink juice. They drink beer.

Thought 2: 
Z: When I'm 14, I am going to be a boy.

Thought 3: 
Upon seeing a man in a bandanna and a goatee
Z: Is that man a pirate?

Thought 4: 
Dan: Singing Old MacDonald
Z: Daddy, that was great!

See previous Thoughts by Z here