My husband and I spent a few days last week in Florida.  (The more time I spend there the more I think it would be a great place to be for the months of January and February.  You know, away from the cold and snow here in Utah. . . )

We had a layover in Dallas.  I watched this lady transform herself from a normal looking woman into a mummy.  Literally.

Once we got on the plane, she graciously allowed me to take her picture.  She was on her way to visit her son and grandson.  (I do hope her grandson is old enough so that he won’t be scared spitless at the sight of  his grandma!)

Do have a safe, fun filled Halloween!

Halloween will soon be here. But I still have a few more ideas to share with you. Like these three.

Printable Halloween toys: they require minimal preparation and are easy to assemble. All you have to do is print them up, punch holes, and put together using brads.  I like the mummy (pictured here).  They also have a fun robot.

It seems that we (in the United States) can’t have a holiday that isn’t connected to sugar laden treats.  And Halloween tops the list.  (Or is it Christmas? Or Valentine’s Day?  Or Easter???)

Whatever.

If you are like me,  you want treats that are easy to make and inexpensive.  Rice Krispie treats always seem to fill that bill.  (I don’t know any kids — and even adults — that don’t like Rice Krispie treats!)

Here are some fun ideas.  Don’t you just love this Frankenstein and skull!  You can see these ideas (and more) on CraftJr.com.

Remember the Cake In a Cup idea I shared? I saw an idea where you make a cake in a mason jar and then you made a chocolate spider web over the top of the jar. It is very clever.  It looks like it might take some skill to make the spider web . . . but it could be a great activity to do with older grandchildren who might enjoy the culinary challenge. If you make one, let me know how it turns out!

My daughter teases me that I am the Grandma Paparazzi of the grandchildren. Well of course am!! Isn’t that what it’s all about at times?

This made me think about sharing some thoughts on taking pictures of your Halloween activities with your grandchildren.

Before you push the button on your camera, take a moment to look at the background.  See how the background impacts your grandchild.  Is there a telephone in the background that looks like it is coming out of your grandchild’s head?  Is there a hanging tree branch that is overpowering the scene?

See if you can take more candid shots instead of posed ones.  These pictures will be more interesting.  Stand back from the action.  Your grandchildren will forget that you are taking pictures and will be more natural.  Of course you will need to zoom in.

Turn your grandchildren into ghosts!  Set your camera’s exposure to 8 or 9 seconds.  Have your grandchild sit or stand still for 5 to 6 seconds.  Then have them leave their spot. Their image in the picture will look transparent.  If they walk away VERY slowly, it will be as if the ‘ghost’ was moving.

Take an annual photo of you and your grandchildren.  If you do this from year to year, have every one keep the same position in the photos so that you can see the changes as your grandchildren grow.

Get up close and personal.  While a full-on shot is good to get a picture of your grandchild’s whole costume, take several steps closer (or zoom in). Close up pictures are more interesting.

Maybe have Grandpa tell a joke or pull a silly face as you take a picture. Your grandchild can have an honest belly laugh and not have a pasted on smile.  (My son did that when he was taking a photo of me once. He told a joke that cracks me up.  When I try to tell it, I can’t even get out the punch line because I am laughing so hard. Even though I’ve known this joke for years and years, I still gaffaw uncontrollably!)

Try taking pictures from different angles.  Hold the camera up high to create a bird’s-eye view.  Crouch down low to be on the same level as your little grandchildren.

Take pictures while your grandchild is getting dressed in her costume and getting make-up applied. You’ll have a fun series of photos where she is transformed from her day-to-day look into the persona of her costume.

Don’t take a picture of your grandchildren just standing there. Take a picture of them doing something – like holding out their trick or treat bucket for Grandpa to fill.  “Action” shots are more interesting than having your grandchildren standing stiffly and waiting for their picture to be taken.

Make sure your grandchild isn’t standing in front of a window or mirror or a blank big screen TV.  That way, you won’t get a flash in the pictures. (Voice of experience here.)

Have your grandchild ‘act out’ something that their character would do.  If your grandson is dressed as a football player, have him pose like he is going to tackle someone.

Many digital cameras have specific settings for nighttime.  Make sure that your camera is set to that mode if you are shooting outside in the dark or in low-light conditions.

Try turning off your flash. This can add to the spookiness and mood of a picture. You might want to practice in advance taking pictures with the flash off so you know how your camera works and how it affects the picture.

Try unusual poses.  Take a picture of your grandchildren’s against the sky to get a silhouette effect.  Take a picture of just your grandchildren’s hands or with their backs turned toward you.

One last piece of advice.  You don’t want to spend your whole time behind the camera when you’re having a family Halloween activity.  Decide which moments you want to capture.  Take lots of pictures at those times, and then tuck your camera away and enjoy being with your grandchildren.

Attention all readers who live in Utah. I have a special announcement that I will make tomorrow.

(No, I am not expecting!)

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what I am announcing.

No mess.

No goo.

No stringy pumpkin innards.

No cuts.

But lots of fun.

Carve a virtual pumpkin.

I carved this little fella in less than a minute.

TheoWorlds Halloween is a great site that you can share this with your grandchildren — especially those that live far away.  Ask those distant grandchildren to go to the site, carve a pumpkin, and then e-mail it to you. (The site allows you to do this.)

You can carve a pumpkin and send it back to your grandchildren. You can even add a Halloween greeting.

Wait a minute!!!

Don’t neglect those grand chickabiddies that live nearby.  You can share this site with them, too, you know.

Carving a virtual pumpkin is lots of fun.  It’s amazing to see how realistic the pumpkins look.  So, head on over to TheoWorlds and check it out.

Happy virtual carving.