Calling all Potterheads!

Last year, we added a Harry Potter family movie night to our October traditions, and it quickly became a favorite–one my kids have been asking about since summer ended. I admit, the Honeydukes candy bar is probably the selling point, but whatever the case, we are looking forward to our movie night this weekend as I squeeze melted chocolate into slug molds and dig up our witch hats from last year to get ready. I found cute apothecary jars at Target (Spritz brand, in the party aisles) that I thought would make an adorable addition to our tradition this year, so we are filling them with Polyjuice Potion and attempting to turn Brett into Bradley Cooper this weekend. Not really, but I have Dash believing that it might possibly transform me into a toad if we achieve the right potency. It will all depend on how much bat blood I can extract from now until tomorrow evening.

Want to join in on some Harry Potter fun this weekend? You can print our Polyjuice Potion Labels Here. Adhere them to some jars or bottles (Michael’s has flasks and beakers) and mix up your potion of choice. We mixed equal parts Simply Limeade and club soda and spooned in a tablespoon of lime sherbet (gives it a bubbly foam on the top). For more magical effect, drop in a small chunk of dry ice, and your potion will bubble and fog like a true wizard’s.

As for the rest of the evening, keep it as simple as you’d like. We draw Potter scars on our forehead, make a fire, hang some “suspended candles” (I skip the toilet paper rolls and just roll cardstock paper around the tealights) and have a Honeydukes intermission.

But seriously, how fun are holidays?!

And in other festive October news, our box of leaves arrived yesterday from Michigan.

My cousin has shipped us a box every year for twelve years now, and thanks to her thoughtfulness, my kids have never missed a fall experiencing what I loved as a kid.

Several on Instagram have asked how she ships them. After the first few years attempting the best way to keep them fresh, she tried vacuum packing them, and it works perfectly. She gathers them during peak colors (literally hand picks every single leaf, and there are soooooo many!), fills a large vacuum seal bag and then sucks all the air out of it, seals it and ships it immediately. When we receive them, they’re as fresh and colorful as if we picked them off the trees ourselves. And with the vacuum bag, it’s always so fascinating to see how small it looks when it arrives but expands to the largest pile of leaves when we open them and let them loose.

They smell absolutely delicious. Just like home.

Loving this season and looking forward to the weekend!

Sitting in the kitchen last week after a particularly long day that involved yellow slime on my office rug and an animated argument over who got to sit behind me in the back seat, it dawned on me that we had an upcoming day off school and that we might possibly be able to run away from the madness for a weekend. Normally when discussing these spontaneous ideas with Brett, one of us is impulsive while the other practically thinks it through; so I was pleasantly surprised when I threw out the idea and he snapped back immediately, “I’m in, do it. Let’s go.” Of all the Bretts he is, Spontaneous Brett is still one of my favorites. Like that time he was pushing our rickety little travel stroller downtown Chicago one summer when he suddenly had the urge to throw it in the trash and buy a new one right that second from a fancy stroller store. There was something strangely attractive about his out-of-character move to ditch comparing prices and safety features for the immediate satisfaction of pushing something better than a tin can on wheels through the busy streets of Chicago. So who I was to play practical last week when he jumped at my suggestion to book a weekend on Marco Island, just 45 minutes away.

Turns out the best remedy for fall cravings and missing the north is to dig a little deeper into the treasures of our own environment. This was our pumpkin patch this weekend, and it was perfect.

We stayed at the JW Marriott, and after staying at several hotels now in our area, I can say this is by far the best place for families. We stayed there a few years back for a quick end-of-summer getaway, and I loved it then; but it’s even better now, completely remodeled with a gorgeous new building added including new restaurants, event spaces and the most amazing arcade (it was HUGE!) that the kids loved.

Within the arcade was a bar, several bowling lanes and glow-in-the-dark miniature golf. Our kids were beyond impressed.

We had plans to adventure on the island, but we ended up never leaving the resort because it offered everything we needed.

Lainey brought her mermaid tail and effortlessly swam around the pool with it, much to the delight of little girls who watched her.

One of my favorite things about getting away as a family is our morning ritual. Brett likes to sleep in (Lainey and Dash usually join him), and I–along with my sunrise loving sidekick–like to get out and explore. Nella and I quietly slip out of the hotel room to walk the beach and collect washed up treasures–speckled scallops, lightening whelks and smooth olive shells.

We feed the seagulls bits of bagel, make sand castles with our shells and head back to the hotel to collect the other two when Brett texts that they’re up.

Round Two of morning beach adventures includes donuts.

Lainey’s friend came up to join us for part of the weekend, and the balcony slime session commenced shortly after.

The hotel offered so many family-friendly perks that made our stay more convenient and enjoyable including an on-site Menchies for frozen yogurt…

…multiple pools (and water slide) and several beach-front dining options which made meals so easy because the kids played on the beach while we sat and talked.

The best part was that when the weekend was over, we hopped back in the car, drove 45 minutes home and had bags unpacked and our little Florida fall scene going by the end of Sunday evening.

If you’re planning a getaway to our little corner of the state (might I suggest February after your windshield scraper breaks while you’re chipping the ice off at 4 a.m.), I highly recommend JW Marriott for families!

“Baby Shark”

Now to get moving on Halloween! We are so behind on costume planning!