Halloween illuminations

I’m constantly impressed by the glut of new items and products that spring up on the market every day. It opens the door to so many creative projects (and uses that I’m sure they were never originally intended for!). I love walking down the aisles of my local hardware store, department store, or pharmacy -- there’s always sooo much to see!

Now, although this particular product isn’t new (it’s been out for about three years now, I think), my team and I have been working on new ways to incorporate it into our Halloween crafts and decor. It’s an electric tea light run by a tiny little battery. What’s pretty darn amazing about these little luminaries is that they actually throw off a decent bit of light for a good amount of time (usually about 8 to 20 hours, depending on the brand and the quality of the batteries they use). They also sport a little on/off switch so you can conserve power. Some brands even have a flicker effect which mimics a true flame. Trust me, they’re pretty darn cool!

Anyway, there are countless numbers of uses for these little fellas. Here are some of my ideas...

Mantle or window sill night shades



1. Start with basic white paper drinking cones (we get ours from Uline, but usually you can find them at office or restaurant supply stores).



2. The sky is the limit on how you can decorate your cones: use a black Sharpie to create a silhouette of a black cat, spider on a web, simple ghost face, even a mummy. Or you can go full-color and paint your cones like candy corn, green witches, black cats, or funny monsters.



3. Place your little light on a mantle, table, or window sill, turn it on, and place the cone over top.



4. There you have it -- instant night lights!



The amazing thing is that the cone shape actually lends itself to so many critters and creatures, the longer you play with it, the more creative you can become. Simone made a steampunk kitty that was to die for!



Luminary walkway
1. Similar to the nightlights, take small white paper bags and use your Sharpie pens draw ghostly little faces (all you really need are the eyes and mouth).
2. Fill the bags with a small amount of sand or a few rocks to keep them from blowing away.
3. Line the bags up along the sides of your pathway, then place one or more (depending on how bright you want your ghosties) lights into each bag.
4. Wait for sundown, and turn on your lights...
5. There you have it -- a ghostly entrance



Water jug monster night light
I love this idea. Melissa, another one of our fabulous craft testers/creators, is going to school for Art Therapy, and we got to talking about demystifying the notion of monsters for children. She came up with what I think is an adorable idea: creating your own Monster Night Light. The notion is that if the monster is of your own creation, then he will help keep the other monsters and night terrors at bay.

The best thing is this is an easy craft for kids of all ages. Once the trap door is cut (which should be done by an adult, of course) the kids can pretty much do this one all by themselves (it may get a tiny bit messy, but it’s fun).

1. All you need is a water bottle, water jug, or milk carton (the plastic kind).
2 Cover the jug with colorful strips of tissue paper (you can use Modge Podge, or a glue-and-water mixture of 1 part water to 1 part glue, or even just use a glue stick to apply the glue to the bottle surface, then place the strip, and then go over again with the glue stick).
3. Let the tissue paper dry (about an hour or so, depending upon how much glue you’ve used).
4. Have an adult cut a small flap or trap door in the back of the bottle (it just needs to be big enough for your hand to place one of the little electric candles).
5. Decorate your monster any way you want! You can use cut-out noses, eyes, teeth, and so on from magazines. You can use googly eyes or other crafting materials you may have. Or you can raid the recycle bin and use bottle caps for eyes, tape dispensers for a nose, a broken-toothed comb for teeth.
6. Place your little light inside the trap door, flick the switch, and chase those nightly fears away.




There’s so many ways to use these handy little lights. Make sure you pick up a pack next time you’re out shopping -- I guarantee you’ll find lots of uses for them!

Am I getting bigger, or are things getting smaller?

The other day I got my big shipment of Halloween toys and treats. This is one of those fun deliveries that I look forward to every year. Halloween is such a big time for us, with lots of parties and lots of fun little goodies to hand out.

The prep for this day reminds me of when I was a little kid. I would pore over the Sears Christmas catalogue, drooling over all the new toys that were coming out that year. It was a daily ritual of dogearing pages (this was in the days before Post-Its, folks!), then unfolding them the next day in favor of a newly desired object: the Barbie camper, the Dusty Doll’s horse Nugget, the Easy Bake oven... Sigh... It was heaven!

Going through my goodie catalogues now for my party business is the same thing, as I add and subtract little ghost ring pops, skeleton keychains, pumpkins with gooey pop-eyes... Crossing out this item, replacing it with that item, making sure I’m within my budget (although truth be told, I can never stay within my budget -- there’s just too much good stuff!).

But I have to admit that this year when I opened my boxes and began sorting through all the made-in-China wonders, my “oohs” and “ahhs” were actually more “ewws” and “huhs?” Items that I’ve ordered year after year were downsized -- literally! A stuffed kitty that I’d purchased before was at least half the size it had been last year: same look, same style, same fabrics, everything. But it was as if Victor from “Despicable Me” had used his shrink ray on the poor puddy-tat. And mind you, it cost 20% more than it did last year!

And it didn’t stop with just the stuffed animals. It was almost everything we had ordered! The most ridiculous were the “gummy flinger frogs” which used to be the size of my thumb, but now measure less than the size of a fingernail. The one that caused me to break into hysterics were these little koosh-ball critters. These little guys are meant to be figurines that a child could play with. Instead, they arrived with heads the size of microchips. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with them... except maybe get them stuck in a nostril. (So yeah, not a great idea for little kids!)


The frog flingers in the catalogue...


... and in real life!


The koosh figures in the catalogue...


... and in their actual, microscopic form!


Last year's sticky hand versus this year's stick hand!

Oh, and then...! Did I mention the whoopie cushions? Whoopie cushions need to be made out of rubber to get the appropriate melodic sound we all know and love. What arrived in the box was a cheap, plastic bag type of imitation. Besides being difficult to blow up, the insipid cushion produced only a hiss and a pop, instead of the might, raucous, flapping of air that should have erupted. In a word, it was pathetic.


A real rubber whoopee cushion and what they're trying to pass off as one. This is just sad...

I wish that I had samples of last year’s products to compare to this year’s, just so you could get as big a laugh out of it as I am...

The problem is that the items are photographed for the catalogues without any reference point, so you have no idea how large something really is. Oh sure, you can read that it’s “two inches long” in the description, but does that really get across the full picture? That really cute backpack that I thought would make a fun American Girl doll-sized goodie bag turns out to be a keychain size that would only fit a Spiderman action figure... Sigh...

I suppose my advice to you, dear consumer, is to get out that ruler and really figure out what you are ordering before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. You might just be disappointed at what arrives via UPS if you don’t.

For me, the size/quality issue isn’t a huge one this time, because these items are mostly for “trick or treat” givaways, and I can make them work. However, I will certainly say this about my Halloween box opening experience this year... it was much more of a “trick” than a “treat!”

Film canister poppers (Video)

This week, me and my nephew Eric show you how to make film canister poppers! Sure, film canisters can be harder to come by these days with everyone toting around a digital camera, but I know that you've got some lying around the house somewhere, and this activity is definitely worth it! It's sure to end your afternoon activities with a BANG!

And don't forget! Our official site, Sophie's World, is up and running! If you like finding activities like the one above, you must check it out!

Don't bring stinky fruit to the office!

When I opened the door to my office this morning, I was hit with the most unpleasant smell. It was a mixture of nasty feet and sun-spoiled milk. Immediately my mind raced to a power outage; did the food in the fridge go bad? Was there something nasty in the garbage bins? Did someone leave their lunch out overnight?

My poor assistant Kelly, who had arrived earlier that morning, said she had made the rounds and cleared out every garbage can in the office and warehouse, but that the culprit was actually a gift that my sister had created.

My sister Freda, appeared just at that moment, wearing this huge, sheepish grin. Turns out she had made a “present” for my mother’s birthday out of a durian (an extremely expensive fruit that is an Asian delicacy), and let me tell you -- all 3,500 square feet of our warehouse reeked!

Let me explain the circumstances that begot the invasion of the stinky fruit.

It’s my mom’s 67th birthday, and I decided that it would be fun to buy her a chicken coop. She lives in Sonora, California, on a nice-sized piece of land, and has always wanted to raise chickens. She’s had this idea in her head now for about 2 years, and I figured that I’d hasten the process by getting the actual dwelling. My dad had spoken of this guy who built amazing little coops, so with my Dad’s help, I contacted Bolton Feed and ordered a cute little coop.

I mentioned the idea to my sister, who after her initial reaction of abject horror over my mother raising chickens, decided to get on board and pay for the chickens to go with the coop. Now, where she got the idea to dress up a durian as a chicken is anybody’s guess, but that’s what my sister decided to do... hence the odor that assaulted us when we opened the door.


My mom with the chicken-durian


The durian in its natural, spiky form

After all the explanations, the birthday revelations, and the excitement over getting chickens, Freda decided we need to crack open this stinky fruit and try it. First, I must reiterate that this smell was so nasty that I was literally gagging. I got all the windows and doors open and still the smell wouldn’t leave... so the idea of cracking the offending fruit open filled me with dread.

If you’ve ever seen a durian, it’s not something one would readily consider a tasty treat for dessert. It’s huge (ours must have weighted at least 12 pounds) and covered with deadly spikes. I swear I’m not exaggerating here. This thing could be used as a weapon. In fact, I’m convinced that years ago, somewhere in Indonesia or Malaysia, armies were using these as deadly cannonballs. I can see them used as ammo for a catapult. How else would anyone decide to crack the puppy open and eat the insides?

Both my mom and Freda punctured to their fingers when trying to lift the sucker out of its straw-lined bed (remember, my sister had turned it into a chicken). Opening the fruit was a challenge. Like a coconut, its got this incredibly hard skin (with one-inch dagger-like spikes sticking out). Brittany, another assistant in our office, quickly jumped on the internet, and we discovered a video showing how to handle and open a durian (gotta love the web!). Turns out there are actually six lines on the durian, which serve as “score” marks for cutting. If you cut along those edges, you can open the fruit pretty cleanly, revealing what I can only describe as a lung-like mass of fleshy fruit. It’s pale, and meaty looking like an organ... or a very large albino banana slug.

If I’ve painted an appetizing picture for you, then you and my sister should hang out together.


Yum? … Yeah, not so much.

We all were forced to try the substance, which, although not unpleasant in flavor, has such a strange odor and consistency that I could only get a small bit into my mouth before I felt my breakfast demanding a quick exit.

I will say, it made for a very exciting morning, with all of us chicks squealing and screeching, and challenging each other to try the durian. It was quite a scene.


Brittany examines the reeking insides


Kelly tries a bite

My sister leaves early on Tuesdays, so I insisted she take the offensive fruit with her. She did so, but the smell and the injured fingers still linger...

My advice to any of you out there... leave the stinky fruit at home; don’t bring it to work to torture your poor coworkers!

Big news!

Announcing...



Sophie's World has officially launched!

After months of planning, working, fixing, working some more, and fixing some more, our site is up and running! Sophie's World is a place where anyone who interacts with children can find tons of crafts, games, activities, party ideas, tips and tricks, and more! If you like some of the ideas that I've shared on my blog, you have to check it out! I've got ideas coming out of my ears, and Sophie's World is the place where I get to share them with the world!

So check it out, and be sure to come back often. This blog will eventually move over there (so be sure to keep your bookmarks and RSS feeds up-to-date!), plus I've got videos, pictures, forums, a contest, and lots more rolling out on a regular basis.

Here's a small taste...


Hanging candy cones!


Balloon pop!


Ghost goo!

Bessie gets a makeover!

Anyone who knows me, knows Bessie. She goes everywhere with me. She’s my constant companion at all of my events, and she is a good warhorse. Bessie has taken me up and down the California coast, and even when she was suffering she made sure to get me to my destination. True story: even when her transmission went out, she waiting until we were a mile from the location to finally give it up, and then she actually coasted to the event before dying entirely in the client’s driveway. I was able to call AAA and have her towed back to the warehouse without ever interrupting the party, that’s how dependable she is!

Bessie is my van. She’s got 160,000 miles on her odometer. She’s got dings and scrapes, and all kinds of little wounds. She’s been referred to as “the stinky van” by my husband for years, and borne the criticism of many that she should be replaced for a newer, sleeker, larger model. To others, Bessie is just a van, but to me, Bessie is a friend.

So when it came to discussing the new website, and how we should start our grassroots advertising campaign, the natural choice was Bessie. I have to share with you that Bessie, has brought in more business than any web ad, brochure placement, or expensive listing in the Yellow Pages. I often will see people jotting down my information in a parking lot, or have them stop me at an intersection to ask what I do... then ask me to throw them a card. Bessie is a rolling billboard.

But of late, Bessie has been looking a tiny bit tired, and I knew that she needed a bit of a makeover.

After contacting my fabulous sign painter Larry Sweat (of the South San Francisco’s country rock fame, Larry Sweat and the Sweat Socks), I set about making Bessie presentable. First she needed a good bath. You must understand, I’m a pretty low-maintenance type of gal, and super busy to boot, so it’s been a while since Bessie has had a proper bathing. I took her to the local do-it-yourself car wash, where I was thrilled to learn you can use your credit card to run the spray and foam machines (mind you, this was after having to make several mad dashes to quell the one-minute warning signal with my ever-depleting stash of scrounged quarters). It was awesome. You just slip in your card and the machine keeps track of your usage until you tell it to stop. It was actually quite fun, soaping Bessie up with this thick lather of foam and then rinsing her down with a high-powered spray gun that could take out a bird out at 20 paces. I must admit though, it was then that I realized just how faded poor Bessie’s paint job had become. Up until then I think I had convinced myself it was just a thin layer of dirt that had dampened her luster, but once scrubbed and scoured it became apparent... Bessie needed a face lift.

Thankfully Larry was up to the task, and by the end of the day my beloved Bessie was not only clean, but also vibrant, sporting our new logo and website address proudly. I think Bessie can feel it, and has a new lease on life. My staff and husband have actually complemented her on how good she looks!







Now if I can just figure out how to gussy up her grungy little seat cushion...

Little kids, big events

Kids at an event don't have to be a stressful part of the affair!

We just had a Bat Mitzvah this past weekend with a fair number of small children invites. This can sometimes cause a bit of a sticky wicket when it comes to seating and dinner. Do you put the kids with the teenagers (who might be resentful for being saddled with the “little kids”), do you seat them with their parents in one large group (creating what I call the “Disney table,” where only parents with little children are sequestered), or disperse the families throughout the room and integrate them (which can sometimes cause issues with other, childless guests if the kids become unruly)? Besides, we all know that the little ones would rather have mac & cheese on the run instead of having to sit properly on a booster seat and eat foie gras-stuffed fillet with baby vegetable mash. It’s becoming even more of a conundrum these days, because the trend is to let the teens have their own areas to eat, hang out, and dance, which leaves our little guys in a no-man’s land.

Some folks like to create a separate tot zone completely away from the adult activity, which is fine, but I do think it’s nice to have the mix if possible.

What I’ve found works really well is to give the little guys their own area. I place those tables in an area that’s close to the parents, but separate, and, if possible, lower. They make these amazing kid-sized tables nowadays that are just so much more comfortable for children.

To make what can often be a long meal for children, I suggest the following:

1. Make sure there is no glassware on the table; sippy cups or plastic cups with straw attachments work great.

2. Skip the centerpiece, or keep it very small.

3. Make sure there is some sort of food on the table the minute the kids get there. It can be bread, or crackers, or breadsticks... but when kids sit down they don’t want to have to wait to be served. Having something there to stave off their hunger is important.

4. Table toys! I love this -- it’s one of the things that keeps kids really happy, and in combination with suggestion number 5, usually ensures that the parents will actually enjoy their meal because their children will be engaged. I choose a variety of toys that can be played by pairs or trios as well as singles. It’s unbelievable what’s out there: miniature Hungry, Hungry Hippo sets, mini Battleship, tiny Connect Fours... it’s really amazing. I also include things like those invisible ink books, where you use invisible ink pens to reveal secret messages and answers. They come in a variety of themes, everything from trivia, to bingo, to bowling. They are always great fun. Mini Etch-a-Sketches, magnetic hair characters (the ones with the little iron filings so you can make mustaches, beards, funny hairdos), wooden game puzzles like tic-tac-toe. I like to have a few small coloring books, crayons, and stickers too. Mini craft kits such as beading on pipe cleaners or small Lego kits are fun. All in all, I find that setting a table with a bunch of kid-friendly activities helps to keep kids in their seats.

A tiny tots zone in an out-of-the-way corner

A play area nearby, but still apart from the dining guests

Centerpieces filled with fun!

5. Kid monitor/baby sitter. If you want your adult guests to enjoy their meal without being worried whether their child is actually staying at the kid’s table, then I suggest hiring a couple kid monitors. You want fun, engaging, baby-sitter types, who will be able to make sure that the kids get fed, but also help to entertain the kids during the dinner hour. They can also take kids to the potty, and walk a child with a case of separation anxiety over to their parent for a quick fix. It’s well worth the cost of hiring folks to do this. If children are really young (under 5) I would suggest 1 “nanny” for every 3 kids.

Of course once the music and the dancing start, most kids hit the dance floor and you won’t see them for the rest of the night. But if you take my advice on this one, you should be able to keep your little ones happy and get them fed. And the best part is, the parents can have a few moments to actually engage with other adults. Kids are happy. Adults are happy. Who could ask for anything more from a celebration?