Ever heard about cake pops?? Supposedly, the idea has been circulating out and about the Internet for the past year.  I just learned about them. (My kids tell me all the time that I am S-L-O-W . . .)  These are pictures that Bakerella has taken of her divine creations.  Aren’t these pops just the cat’s meow?

Bakerella has got to be one of the most creative cake pop creators in the universe.  She has also made the cutest ever reindeer pops,  wedding cake pops, rabbit pops, spring chick pops, turkey pops, and voting pops. Why just this very day in honor of Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary, she has shared her Elmo (and friends) cake pops.  Boy howdy!  If you made these for a grandchild’s birthday celebration, you’d be his most-est favorite grandma ever.  I think I’m going to have to retire right now to spend all of my time (trying) to make these fun cake pops — and then eating them.  (I’m sure grandpa would help me out — especially the eating part.)

(We pause here for a commercial break:  You’ve got to check out those little gobbling turkey pops.  Fun, fun fun!!  They would be a hoot to make around Thanksgiving time with your grandchildren.  But, they call for the brown version of candy corn.  Last year when I was looking for some around Thanksgiving, I had a hard time finding any.  So, you might want to start checking out your local stores now so that you will have it on hand for when you need it.  We return you now to our regular scheduled program.)

I’m giving our daughter-in-law a baby shower this Saturday and I’m going to attempt the smiley face cake pops.  They seem to be fairly simple.  Something that I could manage.  Wish me luck . . .

Making cake pops would be a delightful activity to do with grandchildren.  Wouldn’t it be fun for you and your grandchildren to come up with your own designs that you could make together?  Kitchen krafts.  What a yummy idea.  Even if they didn’t turn out as elegant as Bakerella’s, I’m sure they would still be edible.

Maybe it’s a good thing that the New Year is just around the corner so that I can set a goal of losing all of the weight that I have gained just LOOKING at these cake pops . . .

Robert Sabuda is a children’s book illustrator.  And creator of pop-up books.  His website offers simple pop-ups you can make. This would be an easy, great, and inexpensive activity to do with your grandchildren.

He has several Halloween pop-ups: a witch, bat, and this endearing Frankenstein.  He also has pop-up directions for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valetine’s Day.

Folding the pop-up turkey would keep grandchildren busy while grandma is wrestling the turkey in the kitchen.  Older grandchildren can supervise younger grandchildren in the making of these pop-ups if the turkey in the kitchen starts winning the battle against grandma . . .).

	Cornbread.  I love cornbread.  Saturday, I fixed a batch of cornbread and it tasted rather ghoulish.  I told my husband I was cooking like a new bride — then I dumped it in the trash. While my cooking was ghastly, I hope you have better culinary luck with the Creepy Cuisine from Family Fun.  There’s stuff like Swamp Juice, Putrid Punch, Hairy Daddy Longlegs Cupcakes, Edible Eyeballs, and Vampire Fangs.  Food like this is sure to be a hit with your grandchildren (especially your grandsons).
	Whip up some of these easy Halloween popcorn balls.  (The ’sauce’ reminds me of Rice Krispie Treats.)  They are so cute I could just eat them!
	You might want to take a break from all of your Halloween eatin’ to make a few Halloween crafts like this candy corn luminary, or the tin can black cat, or the crashing witch door hanging, or the witches hats, or the bat pins, or the . .  . Hey! If you can’t find something fun to make with your grandchildren on this site, there’s something wrong with you!
	Head on over to Family Fun for more Halloween crafts and decorations. I liked their CandleEyebra, the Boa Bats, and the Ghost Disguised as a Pumpkin.  (Your grandchildren will love his crazed eyes!  I sure did.)

Time is running out. Halloween will soon be here. I hope some of these ideas will help you have a spook-tacular time celebrating Halloween with your grandchildren!

Isn’t it just amazing how creative people are?  Robert Mahar from the Mahar Drygood site is one such creative guy!  He’s the creator of the Sock Skeleton.  (Kinda reminds me of the monkey made out of a brown work sock.)

You can purchase a skeleton kit for $9.95 that even comes with a cardboard coffin.  Everything is all ready for you to stitch up this little fella.  For those of you writhing in crafty creativeness, you can try your own hand at making this skeleton sans kit.  Here are the direction.  (If I were to make one without the kit — and that would be a mighty big IF — I would definitely have to buy a new pair of white socks because I don’t have any. White ones that is. Mmmm. . . . I wonder what it would be like to make a black skeleton with white stitching?  Might be kinda fun to give it a go.)

If your grandchildren are young, you can make this and then give it to them for a playmate.  (And maybe make the monkey, too, as the skeleton’s best friend.)  If your grandchildren are older,  you can spend time together making a skeleton.  Maybe even whip out a whole flock of them to passel out to brothers, sisters, cousins, aunties, and other unsuspecting family members.

Have fun making this skeleton.  It will leave you in stitches.