It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Family Movie Night  | It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown activities

Since the girls were babies we have sat & watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown movie back when it was on television. As the years have gone on I try to add a little something, something to make the night just a little bit more fun. Now, every year the girls look forward to The Great Pumpkin movie night! 

GREAT PUMPKIN BROWNIES

First, I made just a basic store-bought box of brownies. Cut them into squares & used cookie icing to make some pumpkin vines. I put a little dollop on to "glue" a candy pumpkin on top. I was able to grab a Great Pumpkin coloring page & size down the "welcome great pumpkin" sign & tape it to a toothpick. 

Quick & easy Great Pumpkin Brownies!

PUMPKIN FLOATS

Next, I made "pumpkin floats"! You could do this with just a black permanent marker on clear cups but I had THESE stickers that worked great! You just add some vanilla ice cream & top with orange soda!

@mrsmumaw

Great pumpkin movie night! ##halloween ##greatpumpkin ##movienight ##charliebrown ##SaveIt4TheEndZone ##MakeADogsDay

♬ Halloween ・ cute horror song - PeriTune

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN BOARD GAME

If you are a regular reader you know that we are huge game night people. I was able to find this game at a thrift store but you should be able to find one HERE! It made the perfect topper to movie night!

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HALLOWEEN Scavenger hunt walk | HALLOWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD WALK SCAVENGER HUNT

 HALLOWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD WALK SCAVENGER HUNT

Last year I did a series of scavenger hunts for inside & outside on a walk. They were wildly popular & still are! I thought I would do some seasonal scavenger hunts, too! This is a Halloween Scavenger Hunt that is perfect for a crisp fall walk around the neighborhood! 

Want to listen to some tunes on your walk? Check out my kid-friendly Halloween Playlist HERE! Perfect background music!

*TIP: Print out the list & put it on a clipboard to check them off as you go!*

You can view my other scavenger hunts HERE!

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Book Stack of the Week

10/10 Week Book Stack | Fall Books for Kids

 1. Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland

"Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter."

2. Sweep by Louise Greig 

"Ed’s bad mood begins as something really small, hardly a thing at all. But before long it grows, gathers pace, and spreads through the whole town.

Can Ed sweep his troubles away?"

3. Sophie's Squash by Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf

"On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?"

4. The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry

"Bestselling author Beth Ferry (Stick and Stone) and the widely acclaimed Fan Brothers (The Night Gardener) present a gorgeous and poignant picture book about two unexpected friends and the special connection they share.

This tender and affectionate story reminds us of the comforting power of friendship and the joy of helping others—a tale that will inspire and delight children for generations to come.

All the animals know not to mess with old Scarecrow. But when a small, scared crow falls from midair, Scarecrow does the strangest thing.…

He saves the tiny baby crow.

Soon a loving bond grows between the two unlikely friends. But is it strong enough to weather the changing of the seasons?"

5. The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson 

"These are the apples, juicy and red,

that went in the pie,

warm and sweet,

that Papa baked...

for guess who!"

6. Windows by Julia Denos

"Before your city goes to sleep, you might head out for a walk, your dog at your side as you go out the door and into the almost-night. Anything can happen on such a walk: you might pass a cat, or a friend, or even an early raccoon. And as you go down your street and around the corner, the windows around you light up one by one until you are walking through a maze of paper lanterns, each one granting you a brief, glowing snapshot of your neighbors as families come together and folks settle in for the night. With a setting that feels both specific and universal and a story full of homages to The Snowy Day, Julia Denos and E. B. Goodale have created a singular book — at once about the idea of home and the magic of curiosity, but also about how a sense of safety and belonging is something to which every child is entitled."

7. The Sequoia Lives On by Joanna Cooke 

"This book shares the life story of the giant sequoia, casting light on natural questions: How does this tree grow so big? How does it live so long?

From tiny seed to world's largest tree, the giant sequoia is a living wonder of nature. This ancient and tremendous species grows naturally only on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada. Each sequoia begins life as a seed no larger than an oatmeal flake—yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tale. The oldest sequoias have lived as long as forty human lifetimes. The largest are so enormous, twenty children holding hands can’t wrap their arms around the trunks! In evocative text and vibrant paintings, The Sequoia Lives On reveals all of this fascinating information and more. An extensive author’s note completes the portrait for young readers, inviting them to become the next generation of protectors for this amazing tree."

8. He Came with the Couch by David Slonim

"When Sophie's family purchases a new couch, they get something they never expected. An original adventure that's both zany and tender, He Came with The Couch is silly, sweet, and hilarious good fun!

GOOD FUN: This is a simple, fun story that is a silly read for the whole family!

A CLASSIC BOOK: For fans of classic picture books as well as modern tales of fun, this book has humor for everyone.

A FRIEND FOR THE AGES: Every child will want a friend and protector like the one Sophie has, instilling and cementing the power of friendship and good surprises. You never know what you'll get when you get a new couch!

Perfect for: parents and grandparents, educators, librarians"

9. Fall Leaves FUN by Martha Rustad

"Fun text and charming illustrations show how leaves grow and change throughout the seasons. Critical thinking and comprehension questions help readers understand the text and engage with the changing seasons."

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 FALL MOVIES TO WATCH | COMFY COZY FALL MOVIES 

Looking for Fall movies to watch to feel all comfy & cozy? I gotchu.

There are few things I love more than to cozy up with a fire going, on a lazy fall day, watching movies from my fall movie list! Even when it's not Fall, these movies make me warm & cozy & are my go-to comfort movies. Their soundtracks, locations, etc all just make me cozy.  All of these are best watched with hot chocolate or apple cider in hand of course. You get extra points if you have a pumpkin snack, too! 

I even included some Hallmark movies, yeah they don't just have Christmas Movies. They have a whole Fall movie category. It's glorious. You can thank me later.

AND because I can tell you are a girl after my own heart, that appreciates the cozy, comfort of Gilmore Girls. I went through and found every fall episode for easy watching. It's *chefs kiss*

Here are some of my favorites, You've Got Mail always kicks off Fall movies at our house. Followed by it being watched 1000 times from there forward.  I had so much fun putting together this Fall movie list, I hope you enjoy it!

            LOOKING FOR HALLOWEEN MOVIES?           

           CHECK OUT MY FAMILY HALLOWEEN MOVIE LIST HERE!            

Fall Movies to Watch

Gilmore girls fall episodes

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Thank you so much to Wayfair for sponsoring this post!

Choosing the Right Rug For Your Living Room

Choosing the Right Rug For Your Living Room

Rugs in the living room can be tricky. It can make or break a space! And deciding what to get can be hard! But it doesn’t have to be! Let me help you!

 If you have an open concept home, it can help define a space. But, mostly, Rugs help set the intention of a space, making it feel inviting and cozy. Depending on the color of your rug it can set the tone of the living room. You could go light & bright, or dark & moody. For mine, I wanted to bring warmth & texture.

Choosing a Rug

You want to choose a rug you love! Early on you want to choose what you want the rug to accomplish in your living room. You want to think about the design of your current room. You won't want to buy a rug with a lot of patterns if you already have a lot of patterns throughout your space. You would want a solid color. Or if you have a lot of colors go with something more muted.  If your space is mostly only texture, like me, you would want to bring in texture with a jute rug, something with tassels or textured patterns! My rug shown in the photos is THIS jute rug.

For more high-traffic areas, you think of print or color that will last & not show as much traffic. For example, You wouldn't want a white fluffy rug at a doorway. 

Choosing the Right Sized Rug

Here is where things get tricky and can make or break your space. You have to get the right-sized rug. You want the rug to fit the room, not your furniture.

Typically, depending on your space of cour, an average living room rug is 8x10 or 9x12. I have found that Wayfair has an exceptional amount of various sizes for every home! My jute rug pictured in my space is a 9x12. Always, always measure before you order! I like to take painter's tape & place it exactly the same measurements & where I want I want the rug to make sure it's going to fit & looks great!

  You don't want the rug to be too big as well, going behind all the furniture, or wall to wall it makes it feel like everything is floating.  A too small-sized rug will make a room feel so much smaller than it actually is. When choosing the right size you want the front legs of each furniture piece to be on the rug. It really grounds the space & just makes it look better & more put together.

Some examples of placement are below: 

Don't Forget!

Also-- don't forget to get a rug pad! Wayfair makes it super easy to add one to your order! Grab one with good thickness adds cushion but also protects your floor! Which is key!

Hope this helps you while shopping for your next Living Room rug!

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 Incline Railway with Kids | Chattanooga Family Travel Guide

During our trip to Chattanooga one our stops there was the Incline Railway! It was so fun & such an unique experience! We had such a great time.

You start at the bottom of the train station {on St. Elmo Aveune}. Make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time as they sell out quickly. They make it very easy right on their website. Once you get there you will need to go to the ticket booth to exchange your online tickets for actual tickets. We didn't do this & stood in line for 20 mins & had to get out of line to do that & wait again. Don't do what we did! There are signs saying so if you park in their parking lot but we parked on the road so we had no idea! Whoops!

PRICE:

Prices vary by busy months.

ADULTS: $15

CHILDREN {AGES 3-12}: $7

**A NOTE FOR TOSE READING DURING THE PANDAMIC, MASKS ARE REQUIRED ON THE CARS AS IT IS TSA REGULATED TRANSPORTATION**

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE INCLINE RAILWAY 

The trains are trolley-style cars. You sit backwards going up so that your view is always in front of you! I really recommend trying to get to the front of the car for on the way up! It is so neat & sorta freaky looking down as you go up more & more! Near the top there is a 72.7% grade, making The Incline one of the steepest passenger railways in the world.The cars are lined with winodws on the sides & ceiling so you always have a great view! The car goes under 10 MPH. You barely can tell how steep you are going until the last 1/4 mile.

A ride on The Incline takes about 15 minutes each direction. Incline trains leave from each station every 20 minutes. In addition to the ride there is an observation deck atop Lookout Mountain, and food service and gift shops available at both stations. It’s best to plan at least an hour for the whole experience.

TIP: There are two cars constantly going they alternate going up & down. Because of this, I suggest getting there early if you want to. They let some on earlier than their scheduled time. This way when everyone is coming at the scheduled time they get full & you have to wait for the next car, making your wait so so much longer.

There is no A/C in the cars. So it is HOT.

AT THE TOP OF THE INCLINE RAILWAY

Once you get to the top, there is  gift shop that has snacks & drinks. They had some yummt fudge! Of course you have to head to observation deck! The views are INCREDIBLE!  From there is actually the highest overlook point on Lookout Mountain! You are able to stay as long as you would like at the top. They have the cars coming and going every 10 or so minutes for you to come back down.

WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE TRAIN STATION

Make sure you grab some ice cream from Crumpies right next to the train station! They are a Chattanooga staple!

MOUNTAIN MEMORIES

On the way up the mountain, you may have noticed the log cabin with a giant QR code on the side. This little shop is owned by the Granddaughter of Leo & Ruby Lambert, the founder of Ruby Falls! Thi is a must stop if you visited Ruby Falls on your trip. They have lots of photos to look & great sovieners. If you re lucky you maybe able to meet the owner yourself & she is the sweetest! They have been open 93 years!!    

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 Rock City with Kids | Things to Do in Chattanooga 

This summer we made our summer vacation trip to Chattanooga, Tennesse! One of our stops was Rock City. I wasn't sure what to expect because the little that I knew was it was a hike. It is a hike, a very easy one but it does cost admission. Which I did not realize prior to arriving. However, we were not disappointed at all! The hike is extremely easy. The views made the trip completely worth it & were just amazing!

Where is Rock City?

Technically it is in Georgia on Lookout Mountain. But it is just a short 6-mile drive from Chattanooga. You really can't miss it as there are actually signed EVERYWHERE for this place. Truly. Every.Where.

Parking is Free!

How much does it cost?

I mentioned that there is an admission price for Rock City. You will need to purchase tickets to hike the trail & see the amazing views.

Adults: $21.95-$24.95

Children {ages 3-12}:  $12.95-$13.95

Children under the age of 2 are FREE.

WHAT TO BRING TO ROCK CITY

As I said, the hike is extremely easy. Like you could do it in flip-flops if you wanted. Though some areas were slick when we were there so I am not sure I recommend it! I wore my Teva sandals, the girls wore their keens & Brandon wore his Murells! Basic tennis shoes work perfectly! 

Dress-wise depending on the weather would be just something comfortable for walking!

While the trail is, from what I  can recall, all paved the trail itself is not stroller friendly. There are some incredibly tight squeezes {one is actually called "Fat Mans Squeeze"} so there is no way to fit even the smaller stroller in areas. We wore Bo, 6 months at the time, in a hiking carrier. Brandon did have to take him off in some tight spaces and carry the pack.

There are vending machines & even little shops to grab food along the way but I would recommend water bottles &/or snacks if you have young ones! Mommas there is a Starbucks right across the street if you need a pick me up!

WHAT TO EXPECT AT ROCKING CITY WITH KIDS

I would plan on being there anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours to not feel rushed & see everything!

I think any age would be great to come to Rock City, however, there are some tight spaces, bridges & heights. You know your kiddo best, but staying on the trail will be important! 

The first trail is so fun for kiddos. You look for gnomes throughout the gardens & get to see some awesome rock formations & plants! You will get a feel for the first narrow passage in the first half. If you have little ones they may be a little nervous, holding hands or having an adult or older sibling go first may help during these tight squeezes!

The paths signs are kinda confusing. The arrows of where to go don't actually point anywhere & it's confusing on which trail to choose. Families around were having the same issue as us. Let me take the confusion away from you & let you know it really doesn't matter which way you take. They all lead to the same place. ha! Definitely grab a map on your way in!

 My favorite thing about hiking Rock City is there is something everywhere along the way to look for kids! It was never boring! My favorite thing was this Rainbow Hall where they put colored stained-glass into this walkthrough & the sun coming through makes a rainbow!

LOVER'S LEAP & 7 STATES LOOKOUT POINT

The ultimate destination at Rock City is seeing Lover's Leap waterfall & the lookout point where you can see 7 states! & holy cow was it amazing! The waterfall has so much power you can feel it. Seeing 7 states was so so neat! They have all of the state flags flying at point, too! They have lots of seating & even a place to eat up here so it is a great place to take a break!

Near the end of the path, you will come across the Fairyland Caverns & Mother Goose Village. I am going, to be honest here & say I thought this place was creepy. But the girls absolutely loved it. There are handmade scenes from fairytales along the way & you eventually make it Mother Goose Village which is a black light lit room where it has more scenes from all of the old nursery rhymes. This area is underground & a little stuffy but a nice break from the sun if you go on a summer day!

Rock City was so much fun with Kids!

Rock City was one of the main highlights of our trip. We had such a blast. It was such a leisure hike with the most incredible views, the girls haven't stopped talking about. We really enjoyed ourselves & it was for sure a stop we won't forget!

LOOKING FOR MORE TO DO IN CHATTANOOGA WITH YOUR FAMILY? VIEW MY CHATTANOOGA FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE HERE!

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