Halloween Party Playlist

It's almost Halloween! And that means it's time for Halloween parties! I'm sure many of you are gearing up for your parties with decorations, food, and of course loads of candy, but what's a great Halloween party without some creepy music to help set the mood? Well I've got a spooktacular playlist just for you. It's sure to get your Halloween party started! And even if you're not throwing a party, these songs are still great to play to help get you in the Halloween spirit.
P.S. For those of you that know me, yes, the majority of these songs are great for dancing. :)

HALLOWEEN PARTY PLAYLIST

Thriller- Michael Jackson
Ghostbusters- Ray Parker Jr.
Disturbia- Rihanna
Moon Trance- Lindsey Sterling
Ghost Town- Adam Lambert
Black Magic- Little Mix
Monster Mash- John Zacherle
Somebody's Watching Me- Rockwell
Music of the Night- Transiberian Orchestra
Time Warp- Rocky Horror Picture Show
Purple People Eater- Sheb Wooley
The Munster's Theme
The Addams Family
Beetlejuice
Abracadabra- Steve Miller Band
Little Red Riding Hood- Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
Werewolves of London- Warren Zevon
Hungry Like the Wolf- Duran Duran
Witch Doctor- David Seville
This is Halloween- Nightmare Before Christmas
Don't Fear the Reaper- Blue Oyster Cult
The Twilight Zone- The Ventures
Grim, Grinning, Ghosts- The Ghosts
People are Strange- The Doors
They're Coming to Take Me Away- Napoleon XIV
Weird Science- Oingo Boingo
Superstition- Stevie Wonder
Witchy Woman- The Eagles
I Put a Spell On You- Credence Clearwater Revival
Kill of the Night- Gin Wigmore
Little Shop of Horrors
Monster- Imagine Dragons
The Monster- Eminem and Rihanna
I'm a Monster- Becky G.
Calling All the Monsters- China Anne McClain

25 Not-so-Scary Halloween Movies

It's Halloween time! And I'll admit, Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I mean, it's fun when you're a kid because it's all about dressing up like a princess or a pirate and getting lots of  candy! But when you get older, Halloween turns into "how scared can I get?" A lot of people, especially teenagers and young adults, like seeking out ways to be completely terrified. Apparently it's a great thrill! Personally, I hate being scared and I especially hate scary movies. Luckily, there is still a light side to this creepy holiday and some great movies to go along with it! So here is my list of 25 not-so-scary Halloween movies to help get you in the light spirit of Halloween!

25 Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies

1. It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

 

2. Hocus Pocus

 

3. Ghostbusters

 

4. Halloweentown trilogy

 

5. Twitches 1 and Too

 

6. Nightmare Before Christmas

 

7. Hotel Transylvania

 

8. Frankenweenie

 

9. Casper

 

10. The Haunted Mansion

 

11. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

 

12. Monster House

 

13. E.T.

 

14. The Watcher in the Woods

 

15. Young Frankenstein

 

16. Gremlins

 

17. Mickey's House of Villains

 

18. Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie

 

19. Winnie the Pooh- Frankenpooh and Spookable Pooh

 

20. Scooby Doo the Movie

 

21. Beetlejuice

 

22. The Tower of Terror

 

23. The Addams Family

 

24. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 

25. The Halloween Tree

Conference Crepes

I look forward to General Conference weekend every 6 months. It is such a great time to relax with our families, listen to the words of our inspired leaders, and recharge our spiritual batteries. But there is one more reason that I always look forward to Conference... Food! It has been my family's tradition to make lots of food, especially treats, to snack on while we watched Conference. My mom would make a big breakfast and then we would all pitch in to make our favorite treats. I am carrying on this tradition in my own home. So today, I made one of my favorite big breakfasts to start off our General Conference feast. Here is the recipe for my Aunt Cheryl's Crepes.

CREPES

1 1/3 cup milk
2 T. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar

Mix ingredients in order until smooth and well-blended. Let mixture sit for several minutes before cooking. Methods for cooking:
Non-stick pan
Pour small amount (about 1/8 cup) of the mixture into pre-heated non-stick pan. Tilt pan to evenly distribute mixture. Make it thin. Cook approximately 1 minute, then turn and cook other side for 1 minute.
Electric Griddle
Use 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour mixture on griddle heated to 250 degrees.  Use bottom of measuring cup to spread mixture into a thin circular form. Cook approximately 1 minute then turn and cook other side for 1 minute.
Hand-held Crepe maker
Pour mixture onto a deep round plate. Heat crepe maker. Dip heated side into mixture on the plate. Cook approximately 30 seconds then turn and cook other side for 30 seconds.

Filling ideas:
Cream cheese filling (recipe below), Whipped cream, ice cream, jam, fruit, peanut butter, Nutella , scrambled eggs, cheese, sausage, bacon, salsa, and whatever else you like!

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 small carton heavy whipping cream (whipped)
1 cup powdered sugar

Whip cream cheese and add powdered sugar a little at a time. Fold in cream. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I've got an easy and yummy recipe for you! This Croc Pot Mac and Cheese is perfect for those busy weeknights when you just need something hearty and warm to eat. It's one of my favorite things to make as a side dish or a main course. I can put this in my Crock Pot right before afternoon dance classes and it will be creamy and ready by the time I get home. And it's delicious!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Recipe for 2.5 quart Crock Pot (you can double or triple this for larger Crock Pots)

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
16 oz. Rotini noodles (I prefer these because they cook best in the slow cooker, but you can use macaroni or any other type of noodles.)

In Crock Pot, combine all ingredients except noodles. Whisk together until frothy. Add noodles. Mix until noodles are completely covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on Low for 5-6 hrs or High for 3-4 hrs.
After it's cooked, I like to add more cheese to the top to melt just before serving.

I attempted and tweeked this recipe many times until I finally got it to the right taste and texture. Now I guess I can consider this my own recipe! Hope you enjoy!

The "F's" of Fall

Fall is finally HERE!!! Like most people, I LOVE fall and everything that it brings. The cool weather, the changing leaves, the aroma of pumpkin spice and much more! I want to share with you some of my favorite things about fall and it just so happens that they all start with the letter "F"! So here are my "F's" of fall to get you excited for this great time of year!

FOOTBALL

 

Honestly, I  go to football games to see the halftime show... That's just the dancer in me... But, I definitely still enjoy football! It has become a big part of my life and one of my favorite things about fall. I have 3 brothers playing on football teams so I attend their games and get to hear all about their experiences as growing athletes. My husband is very passionate about football and he is a coach at the local high school so I get to go to all of the high school football games. Go Templars! Plus my sister is on the drill team so I can enjoy the halftime show too! So now when fall rolls around, I have Friday nights at the football field to look forward to.

FASHION

Sweaters, leggings, plaid, boots, scarves, hoodies... I could go on and on about fall fashion! I love it! In my opinion, it should be fall all the time just so I can always wear my favorite clothes! Keep an eye out for some fall fashion tips coming soon from a surprise source!

FOOD

Probably my absolute favorite thing about fall is eating a nice hot bowl of soup and a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cool fall night. My mom is a wonderful cook and she always knew just what to make for those cool fall nights. She taught me everything I know and I can't wait to start cooking! Stay tuned for lots of tasty recipes for this upcoming fall weather.

FUN!

Finally, on my list is fall fun! What could be more fun than a four-wheeler ride in the mountains, through the trees covered in beautifully colored leaves? This has to be at the top of my fall fun list. I love seeing all the colors of the changing leaves as the trees prepare for the cold winter. If you haven't ever been in the mountains during fall, definitely put it on your bucket list!

Well there you have it! My "F's" of fall! What are some of your favorite things about fall? I would love to know!
Can't wait for the upcoming fall days!

Hannah Montana Who?... I'm not that old am I?

Well, here's my first blog post! I'm brand new at this so bear with me, but I hope this post will be somewhat entertaining for those of you who are getting older, but are still young at heart.
This first post is dedicated to growing up and growing old. Now I don't consider myself to be that old, really I'm still just a kid, but recently I realized that I am definitely getting older, and it's happening fast! I have experiences all the time that make me realize how fast life happens and how fast you really do grow up! I had an experience like this recently in one of the dance classes I teach.

This particular class was for 4th grade girls, 8-9 year olds. I was searching for music to play for the girls to go across the floor (this means do technique or dance steps while moving across the floor). In my search, I came across a song by my tween self's favorite artist, Hannah Montana. After the small internal excitement died down, I played the song and the other dance assistant and I started singing along. I cranked up the volume and we were jamming out when I noticed the confused looks on the girl's faces.  So I asked them, "Do you know who sings this song?" headshakes and many "No's" ensued... Then, it hit me... These girls are too young to even remember Hannah Montana!.. Wow... I'm not that old am I?? Then I realized, though it seemed like not that long ago, I went to a Hannah Montana concert when I was 12 years old... that was just over 8 years ago... So most of these girls weren't even born yet!!!... Well, I guess I really am that old!...

Now I could go off talking about how great Hannah Montana was and then Miley Cyrus kind of fell apart and now she's just weird, but I won't. I'm just going to hold on to my memories of a young pop star with great music and good morals for teen girls.

This small experience was a good moment for me to realize how fast time goes by. But getting older doesn't mean forgetting things you enjoy! In fact it's those things that keep you young! Getting old is inevitable, but by holding on to young passions like Disney and Hannah Montana, it will keep you young forever.