Archives for 2026

Spooky and Fun Halloween Gift Suggestions for the Kids!

Available on OrientalTrading.com

Oriental Trading 54″ x 54″ Halloween Let’s Get Spooky Fleece Tied Blanket Craft Kit | MSRP: $27.99 | Available on OrientalTrading.com

Decorate your haunt with a blanket featuring a haunted house! This convenient craft kit includes two pieces of fleece with pre-cut fringe that kids can tie together to create a blanket that has the image of a haunted house, ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, bats and a black cat. Kids will be excited to complete the blanket and then add it to seasonal home decorations to use for keeping warm on spooky fall evenings. Imported. Includes pre-cut fleece fringe. Kits include instructions.

This is a lot of fun, simple, and I love that it can be used for the Halloween decor!

Available on Amazon

MindWare Magic Noise Catcher Magic Noise Catcher Voice Recorder Toy | MSRP: $34.99 | Available on Amazon

Giggle, sing and speak into this one-of-a-kind voice recorder toy, which captures each sound and plays it back! It’s perfect for fostering self-discovery and enhancing language skills while providing screen-free fun at home, in the classroom or on the go! This is fun for very young kids, but older kids will have a lot of fun with it too!

Available at: Walmart

Stanley Jr. Painters Set | MSRP: $32.99 | Ages: 3+ | The Stanley Jr. Kids Painter Set lets little ones dive into the colorful world of painting and design! The set includes a roller, brush, tray, color fun deck, and realistic paint bucket, all perfectly sized for little hands. Kids can mix, match, and pretend-paint walls, furniture, or create their own masterpieces while building fine motor skills and creativity along the way. It’s a fun way to bring imaginative, hands-on play to life! 

Moonbuddy: A screen-free relaxation device for kids and it is sooo cute! I even recommend it for adults!

Looking for a screen-free product for young kids? One that will help them feel calmer? This is the product for you! So what is moonbuddy?  It is a screen-free calming companion for kids aged 5 to 12. Its tummy gently expands and contracts, with soft light cues, so children can simply breathe along. It helps kids settle down, wind down at bedtime and manage big feelings. One button, no app, and each session stops on its own after 6 minutes. I absolutely love this product!
– Price: $99.99

You can check it out and buy it here.

Sticki Rolls Creepies (MSRP $4.99 | Ages 5+)

The spooky obsession continues! Sticki Rolls Creepies Season 2 is the crossover of cute and creepy that fans have been waiting for. This limited-edition line brings a darker, more elevated take on the wearable sticker format, turning art into fashion and fashion into fun. Each capsule comes with 50 stickers and is a surprise experience, allowing fans to curate their own high-style looks inspired by the ever-evolving world of spooky storytelling.

Available at Target.

Sunset Ocean Waves Kit

Looking for a fun art project for the kids or even yourself this Fall season? Davincified has you covered! They are a paint-by-numbers brand focused on creating personalized painting kits for adults and families.

They have a wide variety of different kits you can choose from and I loved the Sunset Ocean Waves kit, but I haven’t finished it yet so will be posting again over the upcoming holidays! Stay tuned!
Website: https://www.davincified.com
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube under @davincifiedcom

PLAYMOBIL x Monster High (MSRP $24.99-$44.99 | Ages 5+ | Available on PLAYMOBIL & Amazon

The all-new PLAYMOBIL x Monster High collection brings the spooky halls of Monster High to life through four detailed, collectible playsets featuring fan-favorite characters, glow-in-the-dark elements and interactive accessories. Designed for ages 5+, each set encourages imaginative storytelling and can be connected with the others to create a customizable Monster High campus for endless fang-tastic adventures. 

Self Disclosure: I received free samples of the above items to feature. Info and images were also provided. All products posted are highly recommended.

Books of the Week: October 16, 2026

So much fun to read!
Unicorn Rescuers: Adventure in Witch Land
(Candlewick Press, for ages 5-7)


The second in a new full-color series set in the magical Unicornia universe, featuring an exciting journey to Witch Land!

Claudia, Pippa, and Sara are off on another unicorn-rescuing mission, this time to Witch Land, where the witches are expert liars and time moves in mysterious ways. Worse still, nobody is allowed to fly! Can the Unicorn Rescuers save the day before their own unicorns fall under a spell?

🔮 “The age-friendly language, complemented by Vicedo’s bright, colorful illustrations, will keep young readers engaged […] Series fans and newbies alike will enjoy reading about the latest high jinks of these intrepid unicorn adventurers.”—School Library Journal

Ana Punset is a best-selling author of books for children, including the other books in the Unicornia series. She lives in Barcelona and has always dreamed of flying with unicorns.

Maud and the Very Eventful Week (Candlewick Press, for ages 5-8)

Follow an adorable little vampire named Maud through a week of ever-so-gently-spooky adventures in this charming vignette-style story—the first in a series poised to engross newly independent readers.

Who would have known on Monday that the week ahead would be such a busy one? It all starts when Maud finds a teapot that is obviously haunted (and very hungry). EEEK! The days continue with Maud’s attempt to sell spiders (and juice) from a sidewalk stand; a mega-toothy discovery; a ghost family taking over the dollhouse; and a visit to Agnes the witch, who brews up a dynamite soup. Then comes Maud’s yard sale, which is a lot of work but a great success, rounding out a very full week. But wait, could that be a teapot coming around again, on Sunday?

In this slightly gothic tour through the days of the week, the delight is in the details as illustrations portray Maud and her family and friends among the familiar objects and activities of childhood, with just enough of a quirky twist to please the young vampire lovers among us.

Lisa Anchin is an illustrator, author, and designer. She has long had a literary love of vampires and often ran around in a red cape and fangs as a child, not only on Halloween. She is the author-illustrator of the picture book The Little Green Girl, which won a Crystal Kite Award, and the illustrator of a number of other books for children. When not in her studio stringing words together and doodling, she loves meeting other kidlit folks and has long volunteered as the illustration coordinator for the Metro New York chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Lisa Anchin lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Pumpkin and Beetle: Super Secret Garden (Holiday House, for ages 7-10)

Two vampire cat best friends plus a mysterious treasure—what could go wrong in this young graphic novel full of gentle spooky fun?

Pumpkin and Beetle are vampire cat best friends who sleep during the day, only eat red foods, and go to school at night! In this adventure, Beetle has found something mysterious. To Pumpkin, this treasure looks like a pile of crumbs. They decide to bury it—and soon their whole town is covered in vines. This plant is hungry! Will they be able to save their town? Will curiosity get the better of these two cats?

Pumpkin and Beetle is a delightful graphic novel series for young readers, featuring two vampire cat best friends and their hijinks around their spooky town.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Philadelphia, Jannie Ho moved to New York to study illustration at Parsons School of Design. After working as a graphic designer and an art director at many fun places such as Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and TIME Magazine for Kids, she decided that illustration was her true calling. Jannie (also known as Chicken Girl) now specializes in illustrating for the children’s market, with her work appearing in both trade and educational books, magazines, toys, crafts, and digital media. She currently lives in Boston, MA with her husband and daughter.

Where’s Waldo? Spooky Spot the Difference (Candlewick Press, for ages 5-9)

Join Waldo on a pumpkin hunt for Halloween. With hundreds of spot-the-differences to find among zombies, ghosts, vampires, monsters, and more for children aged six and up!

Search for Waldo and the gang on the hunt for some perfect pumpkins. Watch out for hundreds of spooky differences to spot in the puzzles along the way, but beware of a host of hair-raising characters wandering in the places they visit. Spook-tacularly fun entertainment for brave young fans of Waldo and search-and-find puzzles!

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to feature. Cover images were also provided. I highly recommend all books that are featured weekly.

Jonas, Oct. 16 Pet of the Week

AWWWWWW!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just ask the Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) vet team, their cat volunteers and anyone who meets Jonas. Jonas is a 9-year-old senior fellow who came to LBACS in June. He was, frankly, a mess—he had mange, conjunctivitis, a few missing teeth and entropion, an ocular condition in which the eyelid margin rolls inward, causing eyelashes and fur to rub on the surface of the eye. But Jonas took it all like the champ he is. He’s been improving big time with treatment: hee got entropion surgery and had a mass removed from the tongue area “like it was no big deal,” LBACS staff said. He’s also FIV positive, but FIV cats can live long, wonderful lives, and Jonas will in the right household. He may need further eye surgery, dental work and routine bloodwork, but Jonas can handle it. He’s had a rough life, but he’s a sweetheart—“I haven’t seem him get annoyed, although he does start meowing when I close the kennel door since he wants more attention and pets,” said volunteer Ona, who spends a lot of time with Jonas. Personality, perseverance, and just the right amount of sass—meet Jonas and see for yourself how beautiful this survivor is. To adopt or foster Jonas, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to speed the process, or call (562) 570-7387. Ask for ID# A762667. Better yet, meet him in person at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Visiting hours are Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Spooky Season at Santa Monica Place – Line Dancing, Cooking Classes & More!

Credit: Santa Monica Place

Here’s a quick look at what’s happening:

Western Wednesday: Halloween Edition

Wednesday, October 28 from 6–8 p.m.

HaLouLouWeen Night

Saturday, October 31 at 6 p.m. until late

Kid’s Halloween Baking Classes at The Gourmandise School

Sunday, October 25 from 2–4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 31 from 10 A.M–12:00 p.m.

Halloween Harvest Date Night at The Gourmandise School

Saturday, October 31 from 6:30–9:30 p.m.

The festivities start with Western Wednesdays, bringing free line dancing to Center Plaza every Wednesday in October from 6-8 p.m. Professional instructors lead dancers of all experience levels, with restaurant happy hours, shopping perks and complimentary giveaways adding to the fun. The series culminates with a Halloween-themed Western Wednesday on October 28, inviting guests to dress in costume and dance the night away, with a $50 Tenshoppe gift card awarded for the best costume!

On Saturday, October 31, LouLou Santa Monica will transform for HaLouLouWeen Night, a glamorous Halloween celebration featuring music, cocktails, dinner and dancing with its signature French Riviera flair! Guests are encouraged to arrive dressed to impress in their favorite costumes and book a table in advance for the fan-favorite Halloween festivities.

Santa Monica Place’s cooking academy, The Gourmandise School will also host a parent & child Halloween Treats baking class, where parents and little chefs from 6-11 can get hands-on creating spooky sweets including vampire sandwich cookies, eyeball cookies and monster haystacks.

For adults looking to get in on the Halloween fun, The Gourmandise School will also host a Halloween Harvest Date Night cooking class on Saturday, October 31, from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Couples can enjoy a hands-on evening of cooking featuring a festive fall-inspired menu, including Graveyard Short Rib Ragu over Creamy Polenta, Blood Red Beet Salad, Midnight Molten Lava Cake and a Witches Brew Cocktail. Costumes are encouraged for an extra touch of holiday fun!

With spooky family fun, free line dancing and Halloween nightlife all in one destination, Santa Monica Place offers plenty of ways to celebrate throughout October.

Book of the Day: Clutter Rehab: 101 Tips and Tricks to Declutter Your Home and Organize Your Space

Clutter Rehab: 101 Tips and Tricks to Declutter Your Home and Organize Your Space
by Laura Wittmann (Author)
Ulysses Press
Hardcover; May 26, 2026
ISBN: 978-1646047987
$19.99; 5 1/2 x 8 1/2; 128 pages

Wanna declutter your house and your life this Fall? This book is a must-buy!

The secret to decluttering sentimental items isn’t getting tougher about what you throw away, it’s getting smarter about how you preserve the memory.

Organizing expert Laura Wittmann provides a realistic take in her new book, Clutter Rehab: 101 Tips and Tricks to Declutter Your Home and Organize Your Space [Ulysses Press; May 2026]. 

Her philosophy? You don’t have to keep the object to keep the meaning.

One of Wittmann’s strategies is what she calls “Remember in Pictures,” taking photos of sentimental items before letting them go. Old trophies, childhood mementos, inherited knickknacks, stacks of artwork stuffed in closets… The photo becomes the memory trigger without the physical clutter taking over your home.

“The biggest reason we hang onto stuff is the memories attached to the item,” Wittmann said. “The memory is inside of us, not in the object itself, although I do agree that it helps to have a memory trigger.”

Her method helps families navigate overflowing keepsake bins, crowded garages, and emotional attachment to “stuff.” In Clutter Rehab, Wittmann also shares practical systems for managing children’s memorabilia without drowning in paper clutter, including memory binders organized by school year and designated keepsake totes that create healthy boundaries around what’s truly worth saving.

“I always ask myself, ‘Is this my memory or theirs?’” Wittmann said. “What we hang on to is what is important to them, not me.”

About the Author
Laura Wittmann is the founder of the popular blog I’m an Organizing Junkie (www.orgjunkie.com), a website dedicated to providing encouragement and education for organized living with a good dose of fun. She loves to help overwhelmed families learn to manage their clutter and chaos so they can experience the joy that comes with peaceful, organized homes. Laura lives in Alberta, Canada, where she is addicted to the “high” that comes from living a life of simplicity and order and is always on the lookout for her next “fix.”

Self Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book to feature. The cover image was also provided.

Santa Monica Place Brings Western Wednesday Back for October

Free weekly line dancing returns to Center Plaza, with a Halloween-themed edition on 

October 28!

Santa Monica Place invites locals and visitors to kick up their heels with Western Wednesday, a free weekly line dancing experience in Center Plaza throughout October. Professional instructors lead lessons for beginners and seasoned dancers alike, with complimentary giveaways available while supplies last.

Guests can make a night of it with pre-dance happy hour at Santa Monica Place restaurants. LouLou Restaurant offers Golden Hour from 3–6 p.m., with special cocktail prices and a complimentary bite with the first drink; The Cheesecake Factory offers discounted drinks and bites in its bar area from 4–6 p.m.; and Curious Palate offers discounted craft beer and wine.

Western Wednesday attendees can receive 20% off at Tenshoppe when they shop on the day of the event. The offer is valid only on Western Wednesdays.

The final October edition will have a Halloween-themed Western Wednesday on October 28. Guests are encouraged to come in costume and dance the night away. The guest with the best Halloween costume will receive a $50 gift card to Tenshoppe.

WHEN

Wednesdays in October 2026, 6–8 p.m.

Halloween dress-up edition: Wednesday, October 28, 6–8 p.m.

WHERE

Santa Monica Place | Center Plaza, Level 1

395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401

MORE INFORMATION

Admission is free. For event updates, visit SantaMonicaPlace.com/events.

Credit: Santa Monica Place.

Hyper SoCal Launches Fall 2026 Season with Regional Arts Programming Across Southern California

LAX Gateway’s Kinetic Light Installation. Photo courtesy of Panic Studio LA.

Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and Brand Library & Art Center unveiled the fall 2026 lineup for Hyper SoCal, the regional initiative redefining how audiences experience Southern California’s creative ecosystem. The fall roster mobilizes a new grouping of partner venues to deliver innovative exhibitions, site-specific installations, and interdisciplinary programs.

Conceived at Glendale’s historic Brand Library & Art Center, Hyper SoCal acts as a connector for Southern California’s art scene, offering cultural journeys with an interactive map of local art venues. This season invites art lovers and explorers alike to step off the beaten path and discover everything from kinetic light works in transit terminals to thought-provoking contemporary showcases in municipal and non-profit galleries.

“Hyper SoCal captures the collaborative energy that makes Southern California a epicenter for creativity,” says Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Lessa Pelayo-Lozada. “By showcasing these spaces, we are lowering barriers and connecting diverse communities directly with the artists shaping our region’s culture.”

“This fall is all about the thrill of discovery,” adds GLAC Exhibition Coordinator and Hyper SoCal Founder Stephanie Sherwood. “We want people to be on the lookout for art in completely unexpected contexts, whether it’s experiencing a public art installation at LAX or discovering a hidden gem of a gallery downtown. It’s an invitation to hit the road and experience the unbelievable depth of SoCal’s creative talent firsthand.”

A sample list of featured exhibitions and programs opening fall 2026 is included below. A complete list of partner institutions and programs can be found at BrandLibrary.org/Hyper-SoCal.

  • LAX Art Program
    LAX Gateway’s Kinetic Light Installation
    Now on view through January 2027
  • Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
    Susan Silton: Diving into the Wreck
    September 3 – November 22, 2026
  • Art Share L.A.
    Unfolding Light
    October 2, 2026 – January 2, 2027
  • Experimentally Structured Museum of Art (ESMoA)
    Experience 72: SCRIPT
    October 3, 2026 – March 13, 2027
  • OCC: Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion
    Bad Marks
    October 5, 2026 – November 25, 2026
  • 18th Street Arts Center
    Revival_Revival
    Special Event: November 8, 2026 | 1:00 PM
  • Velaslavasay Panorama
    Florence in Ruin: An Excavation
    November 13 – December 19, 2026
  • ReflectSpace
    Gerald Clarke
    December 19, 2026 – April 3, 2027

About Library, Arts & Culture

Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission, which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust (GLACT). For more information visit GlendaleLAC.org, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@glendaleca.gov.

About the Arts & Culture Commission

The mission of the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission is to enrich human experience, reinforce Glendale’s identity and civic pride through arts and culture, and to recognize the importance of arts to our quality of life and to the local economy. This is accomplished by consciously integrating arts and culture into the daily life of the people of Glendale through urban design, planning, economic development, and education. For more information about the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission see the website: GlendaleArtsAndCulture.org

October Book Choices

OUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK by Ashley Franklin and Rahele Jomepour is a fun book for kids to read! Young kids will enjoy the story and characters.

In the follow-up to the bestselling and beloved Our Favorite Day of the Year, Musa and his friends return to share their favorite days of the week and why each day is special to them.

The heartwarming lesson of this story is that every day can be special to someone and the reasons why we find a day special can be personal and meaningful, which offers an alternative, positive perspective to how days of the week are often talked about in popular culture (like Monday having negative connotations).

Like the first book, Our Favorite Day of the Week is set at school and features the conversations classmates have with each other, making it the perfect book for back-to-school reading.

So much fun!

Welcome to Broadway by Carolyn Sloan (On Sale 9/15/26; $29.99)! The newest addition to the widely successfulWelcome to Music! series, Welcome to Broadwayis an interactive picture book about the history of musicals, complete with 12 sound buttons that play iconic show tunes, sung by real Broadway stars! 

Follow three adorable pigeons as they explore New York City’s famous theater district and learn about musical theater while listening to classic songs sung by Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning performers, such as “For Good,” from Wicked (sung by Alyssa Fox and Janine LaManna), “Mama Will Provide” fromOnce on This Island (sung by Lilias White), “Tomorrow” fromAnnie(sung by Avery Hope), and many more. 

Readers ages 4 and up will embark on a dazzling adventure through Arief Putra’s lively illustrations, learning all the sensational elements of a Broadway show, from patter songs and ballads to costumes and choreography. 

Unauthorized Ultimate K-Pop Fanbook: Girl Group Edition 
Puzzles, Games, Biases, Stickers, Fun Facts, and more! 
By Workman Publishing, illustrated by Brooke O’Neill 
Workman Kids 
$9.99 | ISBN 9781523536375 |  

This interactive book features seven of the best of today’s K-Pop girl groups. Can you help K-Pop Demon Hunters’ HUNTR/X battle the demons through a Golden maze? Or prove you’re the ultimate Blackpink stan with a pretty savage crossword? Test your loyalty with a TWICE Bias bingo? Decode LE SSERAFIM song titles? Explore the 32 pages of activities, then decorate your life with 16 sheets of full color stickers featuring song references and music video iconography. 

This unique fanbook is filled with puzzles, games, stickers, and symbols from hit songs, albums, and band lore. This book is recommended for ages 7 and up.

Puzzle-A-Story: Pizza Night!
A Puzzle Piece Board Book
By Margot Nicoletta
Illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens
Workman Kids
$9.99 | 9781523535972 | Ages 2 and up

Puzzle-a-Story: Pizza Night by Margot Nicoletta, illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens. This unique book has built-in, reversible puzzle pieces that readers collect throughout the book, then fit together to create a pizza pie on the final page! 

It’s pizza night! Gather all the ingredients and learn how to make a pizza from scratch with Grandma. Toss the dough, simmer the sauce, and spread the cheese. Collect the 4 ingredient puzzle pieces, flip them over to “bake,” and put them together to assemble your delicious feast! Little ones will love this fun book!

This is the one for the older kids!

 NIGHT OF MADNESS by New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass is perfect for the Halloween season!

Mara is a horror buff whose only fond memories of her dad are bonding over movies by Jack Stanley—the producer of the eighties. Stanley’s campy slasher movies may have kept Mara’s fraught parental relationship on life support and gained a cult following, but the man himself has faded from the public eye…until he announces a contest centered around Asylum, his most terrifying film. Five teen influencers will be invited to spend the night on the fully constructed set; whoever sticks it out until morning wins a hundred thousand dollars.

Stuck in a dead-end job, Mara seriously needs that cash. She may not be a famous influencer, but there has to be a way to manufacture an online presence that will capture Stanley’s attention. With the help of her brother and best friend, Mara finds some creative solutions to her dilemma and lands herself onto the roster of the lucky chosen few by way of her engaging authenticity.

When Mara and the other contestants arrive on set, it’s a horror fan’s dream being immersed in the asylum setting, but as the night wears on, they realize the danger is more than movie magic… They’re not there to win or lose but to live or die. As Mara fights to survive, she discovers an inner ruthlessness she didn’t know she had. Just how far will she go to see the sunrise—and will she still recognize herself by the end?

For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed stenciled edges while the special edition supply lasts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Douglassis the author of young adult horror novel The Taking of Jake Livingston, a New York Times bestseller and an ALA Rainbow Book List Pick; The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay, a reimagining of The Great Gatsby set in 1920s Harlem; and Night of Madness, a collaboration with the company behind Clown in a Cornfield. His work explores the ways young people fight to survive in hostile worlds. He lives in Atlanta with his dog and spends his free time baking ambitious desserts and scoping out true crime documentaries.

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books. Cover images were also provided.