Shannon Hale is the bestselling author behind The Princess in Black series. It's a favorite early chapter book series for kids ages 5–8 and boys love it as much as girls do. Her newest book, Princess in Black and the Trick or Treating Trouble, comes out just in time for Halloween. We talked with her about it as part of our Q&A author series and asked about a few of her favorite things too.
How can Build-A-Bear be used for Halloween costumes? Let kids create a spooky Build-A-Bear sidekick to incorporate into their costume, which can help the costume be enjoyed beyond Halloween.
Halloween is one of those times when we like to have a little fun with the house. And Target’s latest Halloween collection makes a pretty convincing argument for embracing the season—without necessarily covering every square inch in fake…
Some kids’ pajamas are cute for approximately five minutes—and then they’re stretched out, faded, or covered in breakfast and stained forever. If you’re going to spend a little more on children’s sleepwear, it makes sense to choose somet…
We love Halloween, but there’s a fine line between festive and looking like a craft store exploded on your fingertips. If you want your nails to participate in spooky season without committing to tiny ghosts, glitter bats, and orange-and…
Okay, mama, let’s be honest: Halloween is creeping up, and your kids are already bouncing off the walls with excitement (and probably sugar from your hidden candy stash). But before you drown in costume glitter and candy wrappers, let me…
Alright—let’s talk holiday baking gear . Because listen, you can have the best cookie recipe on earth, but if you’re using that dented cookie sheet from 2009, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Enter: King Arthur Baking . Yes, they’ve got…
Alright, parents—grab your coffee, because we need to talk about something: Gymboree’s Fall Sale . Yes, the one where your kids’ closets go from “meh” to magic in five seconds flat, with enough money left over to hire that photographer f…
Finding ways to make your home festive this Halloween—without any sticker shock—feels like a win. So, have you thought of Dollar Tree ? You might be surprised by their cute, spooky decor, without any budget stress. In fact, their prices …
Creating photo books sounds great in theory, but finishing one can feel like wishful thinking. But we've found you can get it off your to-do list with Chatbooks, which lets you make a book in minutes — straight from your phone —so you ca…
Let’s be real—Halloween costumes are cute (until your kid changes their mind the night before), candy is fun (until the sugar crash), and trick-or-treating is a blast (until you’re carrying your preschooler four whole blocks home). But y…
Back-to-school survival for parents is real. Backpacks are packed. Buses are running. And parents everywhere are running on fumes. Whether your kids started two weeks ago or you're still adjusting to the new routine, this is the part whe…
Each year, we love putting together Valentine's Day gift ideas , but I admittedly have had a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day throughout my life. Love the opportunity to tell people in my life I love them, hate the pressure. L…
Each year, we love putting together a list of affordable holiday gifts for kids under $15 to go with our list of 60+ holiday gifts for adults under $15 . It's nice to know there are plenty of affordable gifts that still seem like big dea…
Halloween is coming, and while we love sharing Halloween craft ideas for our preschoolers and little ones, our teens and older kids want to get in on the fun too. So with my own Halloween-loving older kids in mind, I searched around for …
You know it's time to start thinking about fall decor when a light breeze comes in through an open window, the jeans and jackets move to the front of the closet, and the bed starts to need that cozy quilt again . Browsing Etsy , we found…
If you're starting to plan fall activities for the kids -- or even getting a head start on birthday or holiday gifts -- the popular educational kids' cooking kit subscription boxes from I'm The Chef Too are on sale, and the savings are t…
Dia de los Muertos may sound ominous to those unfamiliar, but this holiday recognized in Mexico, throughout Latin America, and increasingly around the US is traditionally a sweet time for families to come together to pray for and celebra…
When Lisa asked us for cool but appropriately creepy non-candy Halloween gift ideas for her teen and tween nieces and nephews, I was on the case! I checked with my own Halloween-loving but decidedly... particular teens to see what kinds …
For my fellow millennial parents who need a laugh, I present these hilarious 90s throwback Halloween costumes for kids, all inspired by the decade of our misspent youth. We've got Fresh Prince! Wayne's World! Clueless! As if... you could…
If you're a traditionalist, Labor Day marks the last day to wear those white canvas sneakers until next Memorial Day. Which is why we've brought back this great post on cool DIY white sneakers makeovers for you, so you can get more wear …
If one thing has become abundantly clear over the past few years, our kids are growing up seeing all kinds of problems we face in the world, and they're increasingly asking us what they can do, or how they can be part of the solution. Th…
We're always happy to offer up parents ideas for what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy you'll surely end up with. Well, at least after the small gorge-fest that your trick-or-treaters may be entitled to after all their hard w…
Who here is a fan of no-carve pumpkins for Halloween? As someone with a toddler who definitely shouldn't be anywhere near sharp objects, I've become a staunch convert. And as someone who doesn't always get to my Halloween pumpkin until t…
