Happy Halloween & The Best Pumpkin Carving Tools

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Hope you have your pumpkins carved and ready to light tonight. See below for our new favorite pumpkin carving tools that we used to make the pumpkin above. Last year on this day we came home from the hospital with little Birch! It was a chaotic time to bring a newborn home, but also sort of a fun memory. Did I ever tell you guys that the night before a nurse came into my room in the dim light to check my vitals. She moved about the room doing business as usual and I barely looked up until finally she approached my bed….wearing a witch hat and full witch costume! I burst out laughing and said: “OMG you’re a witch!” The super dim lighting and the fact that I hadn’t noticed for about two full minutes made the situation extra funny.

The Best Pumpkin Carving Tools!

I have to tell you about the new pumpkin carving tools we got this year that made the process so much easier! First, this scooper. So much better than the short plastic one I had used in year’s past. And second – these cut-out shapes! Think cookie cutters for punching through pumpkin skin. You do need a rubber mallet (not included) to bang them in. (Mazen loved that part). He needed help getting the shape started in the right spot, but once we got it going he banged it the rest of the way in. We also found Thomas’s nail remover tool to be key to get the pumpkin out of the cookie cutter after punching through.

But these are such a great invention because 1) they saved SO much time for the grown-ups who would have otherwise had to do most of the carving and 2) our face looks really good, doesn’t it?!

The only knife we used was to cut the top of the pumpkin off.

Thomas and I traded off pumpkins while the other snuggled with Birch on the porch. Next year he can carve too!

The brothers have started playing together!

I think things will get a lot easier for Mazen (and a lot harder for me!) when B can walk. I kind of want to fence in our front yard because we do live on a busy street, but Thomas said it’s not that simple.

Sweet Swinging

To contain him for now, Birch has a new swing! This company is the alternative to the plastic primary color swing hanging in your front yard. He loves it! The swing fabric is indoor/outdoor, although you’re not supposed to leave it out in the rain/snow/bright sun. Right now it’s on our front porch, which is SO great for watching the “cas” go by, but we’ll move it to the back porch when it’s finished. We can sit on our rocking chairs and push him at the same time!

And speaking of sweets…

I had to share two pics from our visit to Vivi’s Cakes and Candy. When Sweethaus expectedly closed, so many of us were devastated. But it re-opened not too long ago as Vivi’s in the Ivy Road location. Same amazing cupcakes and candy as before. (This was where we got Birch’s birch cake.) If you’re ever in town, get the cookie dough frosting!

Think after all the candy he gets tonight he’ll be like a kid in a candy store!?