Movie Night: Spookley the Square Pumpkin

Today I’m sharing a favorite movie night from last year. This post contains affiliate links.

This movie is just too cute.  It suitable for any age and it has a great message.  Around here, we love Spookley the Square Pumpkin!

For the table I ordered a plush Spookley and he’s the cutest.  The ceramic square pumpkins are from Hobby Lobby.  Before and after movie night they've been mixed in with the other Halloween decor around the house and I love them.  I've had the little glass candy corn table scatters forever.  I'm pretty sure I called ON THE PHONE and gave someone a CATALOG ORDER NUMBER.  I might has well have brought them west with me on a covered wagon.

The tablecloth is one I've had for years from Pottery Barn.

I also had the orange square plates and I used a simple green paper napkin for the "stem."

I simply folded it lengthwise twice and tucked under the plates.

I made fun little appetizers from a photo I saw on Pinterest.

I used peanut butter sandwich crackers, a green Airhead, black icing for the smiles, and white icing to attach the "stems" and candy eyes.   A "stickier" icing probably would have worked better, but it was what I had on hand.

I count any day I break out the candy eyes as a success!

These little Spookleys look so cute and happy!  They are not perfect but you guys... neither was Spookley and he taught us THAT'S OK.

Obviously I'm not a very skilled piper.  Which makes me think of this...

Oh, I crack myself up.

Dinner was a simple one but still went with the pumpkin theme.  This pasta from Trader Joe's is so pretty.

I added TJ's Autumnal Harvest sauce, sausage, a little Parmesan.  I served it with a quick Caesar salad and bread.

Trader Joe's also made our dessert!  

I'll leave you with a little bonus tip since this movie is great for preschoolers.  If your kiddos are at an age where it's hard for you to get dinner on the table because they are so "busy"... you can often find free coloring sheets related to the movie to print off on Pinterest or just by googling it.  I did this a lot when my kids were smaller (with various movie nights) and it helps keep them busy while you prep and gets them excited for the movie.

If you haven't seen this one yet, you can catch it on The Disney Channel this time of year.  Dare to be square!

Recent Reads

I absolutely love to read and enjoy swapping book recommendations with friends. Today I’m sharing some of my recent reads… and they are all over the place as usual. I loved some, I loathed some… I actually laughed AND cried. Spoiler alert… I saved the best for last on this list.

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Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

This was a book club selection by the author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and had the same quirky, unpredictable feel.  The story takes you on a bit of a wild ride.  It’s an easy, quick read that will leave you guessing until the end.

I Will Carry You by Angie Smith

This is a book I’ve owned for a long time and gifted to friends who dealt with infant loss.  For many years I avoided reading it because I knew it would be extremely difficult.  I finally picked it up and yes, the tears came.  It’s a gut-wrenching, beautiful story of faith and deep love.  Not ever experiencing this kind of loss, I felt it gave me tools to help walk alongside friends who go through the unimaginable.  I was deeply touched by this one.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

This is a tough one for me to review.  Rachel Hollis is all the rage right now and this book had some great motivational tools and ideas.  On some levels it is inspiring.  In other ways I feel it’s deeply lacking.  A like-minded friend sent me this article which parallels a lot of my thoughts.  As with anything, approach this one with discernment.

Standing Strong by Teresa Giudice

Y’all.  I kind of want the time back I spent reading this book.  I found Turning the Tables to be somewhat fascinating, so when I spotted this one on display at the library, I grabbed it.  It’s all over the place.  Not a favorite.

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

After reading Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, I was so excited to read this one and saw the Crazy Rich Asians movie in the middle of it.  These books are a delight, an indulgence, and too fun.  You must see the movie if you haven’t already.  If you are looking for a twisting, saucy series go ahead and grab the trilogy.

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Buy this right now along with a few extra copies to gift your girlfriends for Christmas.  Put on your best Draper James dress, pour yourself some sweet tea, and ENJOY.  This book is a delightful mix of Southern secrets, stories and recipes.  I loved it.  Turns out, Reese and I share an affection for hot rollers and calculating a cooking schedule for dinner parties.  She even has a darling collection to celebrate the book.  This one is a treasure.

Those are my most recent reads… what’s next on your reading list?

Movie Night: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Certain seasonal movies are so classic, they bring a certain level of comfort when you watch them year after year. That’s the case with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for our family. My kids said this was the movie they were most excited about this year!

Our table was simple but festive. I pull out these little figurines year after year.

Another thing that is rapidly becoming a fall family tradition? Making super easy and delicious seasonal meals from Trader Joe’s. We had the pumpkin ravioli, sausage, Autumnal Harvest sauce, salad and garlic cheese bread. It all came together so quickly.

It was a cozy kind of dinner, perfect for waiting on the Great Pumpkin!

Our movie snack was hot chocolate and popcorn with some candy corn mixed in… simple pleasures of the season. I was delighted to find these bowls and mugs at Homegoods.

What are your go-to Halloween movies? Check out last year’s Great Pumpkin movie night here.