Happy Halloween and 2017 Bucket List Completion

Happy Halloween! The big day is finally here, and while I'm stuck at work, I can't wait to get home to pass out treats to kiddies while watching Halloween movies. I'll be honest, this Halloween season has been really hard for me. While I did end up doing a lot of fun stuff, I felt this year was a bit lackluster for me and definitely went by too fast. I also suffered from Halloween burnout early on and between work and the anxiety of dealing with family in the California wildfires (they are all fine now), I wasn't very full of Halloween spirit this year. I'm hoping next year is better.

On the plus side, I did do a lot of great stuff on my bucket list this year! Check out what items I was able to cross off my bucket list this Halloween season:

Book Review: Drawn to the Dark - Explorations in Scare Tourism Around the World (Plus Giveaway!)

How would you like to travel the world checking out festivals, celebrations, and haunted attractions Imagine the wonder and excitement you would have visiting traditional Dia de los Muertos cemetery celebrations, attending demon festivals in Japan, getting menaced by Krampus in Austria, exploring locations that inspired Castle Dracula, traveling up a mountain to celebrate Walpurgisnacht in Germany, and checking out different haunted attractions around the world! That sounds so incredible, and that is exactly what author Chris Kullstroem did for a whole year.

The Enchantment Box - Hocus Pocus Edition

The Hocus Pocus edition of The Enchantment Box

The Enchantment Box is a new monthly subscription service that sends you a magical themed box full of goodies like cruelty-free makeup, vegan snacks, delightful decor, gorgeous jewelry, fun paper crafts, beautiful bath and beauty products, and other charming treats! Plus, all boxes are completely cruelty-free and vegan, yay! They contacted me recently to see if I would be interested in reviewing their October 2017 box, whose theme was Hocus Pocus. I really had to contain myself (because OF COURSE I WAS INTERESTED), as I was so excited about this box since Hocus Pocus is one of the best movies ever and one of my personal favorite Halloween movies!

I checked out some of their past boxes, whose themes included Marie Antoinette, Mystical Mermaid, and Secret Garden, which made me even more thrilled when I saw the fantastical fripperies that were tucked away in those boxes. I knew then that I was head-over-heels in LOVE and couldn't wait to check out their October 2017 box. See my step-by-step unboxing below!

Make a Vegan Jack-o-Lantern Burger for Halloween

Enjoy a vegan Halloween burger this October (and beyond)!

If you're like me, you like to add Halloween magic to everything, and that includes food! I mean, I don't have the time to get too fancy, but a few fearsome flourishes can add Halloween spirit to any meal. As you can see from my pic above, sometimes the simplest trick makes for a festive treat! Turning a vegan cheeseburger into a Halloween cheeseburger is really easy, but I'll walk you through how to do it below.

Join the Monster Kitty Society

Join the Monster Kitty Society

Monsters plus cats? That sounds like a purr-fectly spooky combo and it is a reality thanks to Monster Kitty Society, a woman-owned company that designs and makes adorably eerie jewelry that is both cute and creepy! Monster Kitty Society features a variety of Monster Kitty characters that come with their very own cards describing their traits and fun facts about them. From these different characters you can choose necklaces, stickers, keychains, enamel pins, bags, t-shirts, and so much more!

Here is a little more about them via their website: "Monster Kitty Society is home for dark souls who love cats. The monster cats only like people who get them, and they're pretty picky. We have an aesthetic. It has to be dark and it has to be cute. We prefer to cuddle up in the dark with our cats. If you're not about that life then you better scram! Our hoard is ever-growing. Are you ready to join?"

I received some of their items for review, which you can see more of below:

The Horror Art of Brady Stoehr

The Horror Art of Brady Stoehr

Brady Stoehr is an illustrator creating horror-inspired art in the woods of Missouri. His renditions of classic horror monsters as well as illustrations of famous horror authors immediately drew my interest when he first reached out to me and kindly offered to send me some of his pieces for review. He has posters, prints, stickers, bookmarks, and more available in his Etsy shop. I was lucky enough to receive one of his art prints, stickers, and bookmarks to check out.

Sanrio Pumpkin Patch at Tanaka Farms

Hanging out at the pumpkin patch with my spooky Sanrio friends!

At the beginning of October, I did one of my favorite things - visit my local pumpkin patch! I have been going to Tanaka Farms for years and enjoying their pumpkin patch is one of my Halloween traditions. This year, they teamed up with Sanrio to bring some Hello Kitty cuteness to their patch! I usually go opening weekend, but this Sanrio collaboration proved to be so popular that we decided to go in the middle of the week instead and it was much less crowded.

Grave Harvest Halloween Convention 2017

Grave Harvest 2017

Last year's Grave Harvest was so much fun (check out my recap!), I couldn't wait for this year's event, which took place this past Saturday at The Hotel Fullerton. Grave Harvest is Orange County's very own Halloween convention hosted by Abracadaver Productions, and features oodles of Halloween vendors, plus classes and presentations throughout the day. Check out my coverage of this year's event below!

Watch Now on Netflix: The Babysitter (2017)

The Babysitter hit Netflix on Friday, October 13th and I couldn't wait watch it! This horror comedy stars a young cast including Samara Weaver, Bella Thorne, and Judah Lewis and is about a young kid who finds out something disturbing about his babysitter - that's basically all I knew going in when I gave it a look over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had watching it! It has a fun '80s slasher vibe while still managing to feel fresh. Plus, it's not afraid to poke a little fun at the horror genre. Check out more of my thoughts on it below.

Use Switch Witch to Help Kids Ditch Unhealthy Tricks for Treats This Halloween

Every kid should be able to go trick or treating, even if they aren't able to eat the candy they collect due to allergies or wanting to eat healthier. Now with this adorable Switch Witch, they can! The Switch Witch offers a new tradition that encourages kids to swap out Halloween candy for other fun things.