For the past year I have been so focused on my writing career that I always write-weekends, vacations, nights…it seems I am always attached to the computer, a notebook, or a book for research or review.

Lately I have been trying to take the weekends off so I can spend time with my family. This weekend I fully succeeded, we spent a lot of time outside. When we weren’t outside we were making spooky Halloween crafts from items I saved from the garbage and recycling bin. It turned out to be a creepy craft-tacular weekend.

Everyone got involved in making the Halloween crafts this weekend (except the teenager – Homecoming weekend, he was kinda busy).

My husband helped poke holes in aluminum cans to make luminaries, my daughter and I painted the cans and a lot of yogurt cups, a coffee creamer bottle and a laundry detergent bottle. You’d be surprised what can be transformed into creepy Halloween decor. Even my two year old wanted to help so I gave him a sheet of stickers to decorate painted yogurt cups with.

It was great spending time with my family. No stress, no deadlines, no rushing around. We had nowhere to go and nothing to do except what we wanted to do. A welcome change to the normal “must be here, have to go there” schedule.

My daughter really enjoyed making things with me this weekend. For awhile we were doing craft projects together every weekend then I got so busy with my writing we hadn’t made anything in awhile. I think this weekend made up for it because we did a lot, but I plan to revive the tradition, especially now that the holidays are creeping up on us. I see loads of homemade gifts in the near future.

[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]