Easy Halloween Party Food Recipes by Maggie Jackson on KTLA Morning News

Featured on TV: Last-Minute Halloween Party Food Recipe Ideas

Imagine this: Halloween is one day away (or today!!), and you signed up to bring treats to the class party, or perhaps you offered to host your neighbors for a get-together before trick-or-treating… Or, maybe you simply want to surprise your kids with a spooky spread when they get home from school… And, you still haven’t figured out what food you’re making! AHHHH!! Last-minute party prep is scarier than Halloween movie flicks!! Look, I’ve been in these situations, too, so I get it! I’m a busy mom balancing school drop-offs/pickups, work, children’s activities, housework, marriage and volunteer commitments all while trying to squeeze in workouts and self-care… Phew! Can’t you relate?

Thankfully, my last-minute habit (some may call it “procrastination”) has made me quick and creative when it comes to pulling together fun, festive food for parties and holidays. And, thankfully, with our fab grocery stores in Southern California, like Smart & Final, there’s so many ways to make fast and festive semi-homemade food for Halloween or any themed party!

Monster Rice Krispy Treats – scroll to find the recipe!

Smart & Final sponsored a KTLA Morning News segment that I hosted about last-minute Halloween food, and I’m sharing my tips below. I have 7 of my favorite wicked Halloween party food ideas that you can pull together in no time! From dips to treats and drinks, you can create a spooktacular spread with these recipes! If you’d like to watch the full TV segment featuring these recipes, scroll to the bottom of this blog post.

Frankenstein Layered Dip with Spooky Tortilla Crisps

Frankenstein Layered Dip and Spooky Tortilla Crisps

This is a spooktacular twist on a crowd-pleasing layered dip! Mexican food is one of my favorites, and this dip combines all the best “South of the Border” flavors with sour cream, taco seasoning, pico de gallo, cheese, guacamole and black beans. Make this recipe even more frightfully fun with Halloween-themed tortilla crisps created with spooky-themed cookie cutters, flour tortillas, butter and garlic salt. This recipe is available on my blog here.

Candy Corn Fruit Cups

Here’s a recipe that’s semi-healthy, pretty-looking and SO EASY to put together! To create these candy-corn inspired fruit cocktail cups, use a clear cup and simply layer yellow pineapple on the bottom, mandarin oranges in the middle and whipped cream on top. Add a sprinkle of real candy corn (optional), and voila! Yummy, sweet candy corn fruit cups that the whole family will love!

My Candy Corn Fruit Parfait (without the candy corn candy topping)

Nutella Banana Mummy Wraps

Here’s a treat that’s as adorable as it is spooky: the Nutella Banana Mummy Wraps (credit: Our Best Bites). Ripe bananas wrapped snugly in buttery crescent-dough, layered with creamy Nutella and topped with candy eyes that peer out from their “bandages” — it’s the perfect mix of playful and delicious. With minimal fuss, you’ve got a quick assembly that invites kids to help (who doesn’t love wrapping their “mummies”?), and the bake time means you’ll have fresh pastries just as your little ghouls arrive for trick-or-treating or Halloween party. Serve them warm, let the chocolate and banana mingle in every bite, and watch your gathering light up with “oohs” and “ahhs.” For the complete recipe, visit Our Best Bites here.

Cheesy Crescent Witch Hats

These Cheesy Crescent Witch Hats are the perfect savory spell for your Halloween spread! 🧙‍♀️✨ With only 3 ingredients — buttery crescent rolls, gooey melted cheese, and a couple spooky pepperoni stars — they’re delightfully simple to make yet look like something straight out of a witch’s kitchen. Kids will love helping roll the dough into “pointy hats,” and adults will appreciate that they’re warm, flaky, and ready in minutes. Serve them as a snack, side, or appetizer at your Halloween party — they’re frightfully festive, crowd-pleasing, and guaranteed to disappear faster than you can say abracadabra!

All you need is a can of Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls, three mozzarella cheese sticks and pepperoni slices. Use a mini cookie cutter to cut the pepperoni into spellbinding stars and moons.

Cheesy Crescent Witch Hats Recipe Directions:

Unroll crescent dough on a baking sheet.
Cut cheese sticks into thirds, and place each of the small cheese stick pieces in the middle of the wide base of each crescent dough triangle.
Roll the base of each hat over the cheese to cover completely. Pinch the sides of the hat to seal.
Cut pepperonis into mini stars and moons, and place on top of hats.
Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
Serve with ranch, marinara or pizza sauce for dipping!

Graveyard Trifle

This Graveyard Trifle is a frightfully fun and decadent no-bake dessert that’s guaranteed to steal the show at any Halloween gathering! Layers of rich, moist chocolate bundt cake (I purchased two at the bakery section at Smart & Final), creamy chocolate pudding, and fluffy whipped cream create a deliciously spooky trifle cake, while the top transforms into an edible “graveyard.” Milano cookies and Hershey bars serve as tombstones, ghostly marshmallow Peeps rise from the “dirt,” and candy pumpkins add the perfect festive touch. It’s the ultimate combination of playful presentation and irresistible flavor — easy to assemble, fun for kids to decorate, and a total crowd-pleaser for anyone with a sweet tooth. A dessert so good, it’s to die for!

Tools needed for Graveyard Trifle:

Large trifle bowl
Cutlery (spoon and knife)
Large serving spoon

Ingredients:

Two (2) chocolate bundt cakes (I used two 36oz cakes from Smart & Final grocery store)
One (1) large 16oz Original Cool Whip container, thawed
Five (5) packages of Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding (equals 20 pudding cups total); alternatively, you can make chocolate pudding with JELL-O Chocolate Pudding mix
Sweet decorations, like Milano cookies, Hershey chocolate bars, Peep marshmallow ghosts, candy pumpkins

Directions:

Cut bundt cakes into small bite-size pieces. Save a small portion to crumble for the trifle’s topping at the end.
In a large trifle bowl, add half of the bundt cake pieces. Next, layer 10 Snack Pack cups of chocolate pudding, then half of the large Cool Whip container. Repeat layers once more: cake, pudding, Cool Whip.
Use saved crumbled cake pieces to create “dirt” on the last layer of Cool Whip. Make a graveyard scene on top with decorations like Milano cookies, Hershey chocolate bars, Peep marshmallow ghosts and candy pumpkins.
Serve immediately. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Monster Rice Krispies Treats

These Monster Rice Krispies Treats are my kids’ favorite! You can make your own Rice Krispy Treats or cut corners, like I did, and use store-bought. These are so easy, it’s scary! Your kids will love helping you make them! Plus, I love that the process of making them does not have to be perfect. Odd-looking monsters is what makes these treats perfect for a ghoulish Halloween party!

Ingredients:

Large Box of Rice Krispy Treats (includes 40 individually wrapped treats)
Four (4) cups white chocolate
Four (4) different colors of food coloring (I used orange, green, purple and blue)
Sprinkles (use the same colors as chosen food coloring)
A variety of different sized candy eyeballs

Directions:

Unwrap 10 Rice Krispy Treats while melting 1 cup of white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Add a couple drops of food coloring of choice to chocolate and stir until color is completely well mixed.
Dip one end of the Rice Krispy Treat into the colored chocolate. Dip each treat slightly different to make each coating look odd and spooky. Place dipped treat on parchment paper.
Add a variety of candy eyeballs to each treat. Get creative with different sizes and 1-3 eyeballs per treat to make them look creepy.
Make “hair” on the monster treat by adding sprinkles to the tops of the treats.
Repeat steps 1-4 for the other three food coloring colors.
Allow treats to dry for 30 minutes and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for several days.

3-Ingredient Halloween Punch

This Halloween punch from the I Heart Naptime blog is as easy as it is eerie, and it’s sure to be your new go-to. With just three ingredients (chilled orange soda or Sprite, pineapple juice, and scoops of orange sherbet), this recipe brings bright, spooky color and fizzy fun in minutes. The vivid orange hue fits perfectly into any Halloween spread, and the sherbet floating on top adds a playful, kid-friendly float effect that will have little trick-or-treaters and grown-ups alike reaching for seconds. What I love most: it’s practically no-stress — prep the soda and juice ahead of time, scoop in the sherbet right before guests arrive, and you’ve got a drink that looks festive, tastes delicious, and leaves you free to chat and celebrate instead of hiding in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 (2-liter) bottle Sprite or Orange Soda, chilled
1 cup pineapple juice , chilled
1 pint orange sherbet
Optional decoration: Plastic eyeballs

Directions:

In a punch bowl or pitcher, stir together the Sprite and pineapple juice. Scoop the sherbet into the bowl just before serving.
Place plastic eyeballs or other decoration on top, if desired. Serve immediately.

Halloween Recipes on TV!

Watch all these recipes in action during my KTLA Morning News TV segment about family-friendly, last-minute Halloween party food below.

I’d love to hear what you think of these Halloween recipes! Leave a comment below, or connect with me on Instagram and TikTok!

XO Maggie

Last-Minute Valentine’s Party Ideas for Kids!

Holidays, kids

I’ve always appreciated Valentine’s Day, but I love the holiday more now that I have kids. My son especially loves Valentine’s Day and has declared it as his second favorite holiday after Christmas. Every year, we have so much fun making Valentine’s crafts, heart-shaped treats and finding thoughtful ways to tell our family, teachers and friends that we love them.

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, and our school district has the President’s Day holiday (this year, President’s Day is Feb. 17 — it always the third Monday in February) listed as a 4-day weekend, instead of the typical 3-day weekend that I grew up with. So, the kids will be home for Valentine’s Day! Curious about how we should spend the holiday, I decided we’ll host a last-minute mini Valentine’s Day party. As I’m typing this, we’re only two days away from Valentine’s Day, so we need food, decor and activities that we can pull together fast and easy!

Below, I’ve listed my favorite ideas for hosting a last-minute Valentine’s Day party for kids, including heart-shaped food, festive decor and love-themed crafts and games! I also shared these ideas on KTLA Morning News – scroll to the bottom to watch the clip!

Sharing my last-minute Valentine’s Party ideas for kids on KTLA Morning News

VALENTINE’S DAY FOOD FOR KIDS

Heart Shaped Mini Tortilla Pizzas

I love that these pizzas are only three ingredients – so easy! Thanks to TheBakerMama for this cute recipe!

Ingredients:

12 street taco size tortillas
12 slices mozzarella cheese
36 pepperoni slices
1/2 cup prepared pizza or marina sauce, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut each tortillas into a heart shape with a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter or shape the tortillas into hearts with kitchen scissors. Place the heart-shaped tortillas on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until they start to lightly brown and crisp around the edges.
While the tortillas are baking, cut slices of mozzarella cheese with the same heart-shaped cookie cutter you used to cut the tortillas.
Use a mini (1-inch) heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the pepperoni into heart shapes or shape the pepperoni into hearts with kitchen scissors.
Once the heart-shaped tortillas have baked, place a slice of heart-shaped mozzarella cheese onto each tortilla and then 3 mini heart-shaped pepperonis.
Return the topped tortillas to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to turn golden brown in spots.
Serve with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

Deviled Strawberries

This is an adorable healthy-ish treat from one of my favorite TV chef Katie Lee Biegel. The deviled strawberries’ filling is the same recipe – marshmallow creme and cream cheese – used for fruit dip at parties when I was growing up in the 90s. Top your deviled strawberries with coconut, chocolate shavings or sprinkles. Find the full recipe here.

Photo courtesy of Food Network, Katie Lee Biegel

Assorted Treats from Cheryl’s Cookies and 1800 Flowers

It’t not a Valentine’s Day party without heart-shaped treats and chocolate, of course! Cheryl’s Cookies and 1800 Flowers has you covered with a large variety of beautiful and playful treats perfect for a kids Valentine’s Day party! Plus, Cheryl’s and 1800 Flowers offer same day or next day delivery in many zip codes throughout the United States. This is a perfect last-minute option for treats when hosting a party. Here are three of my favorite Valentine’s treats for kids from Cheryls.com and 1800flowers.com:

Cheryl’s Cookies Valentine Gift Tin Treats Assortment – This cute heart cookie tin comes with 15 snack size butter shortbread heart cookies plus 17 other different treats, like raspberry galettes, buttercream frosted red heart cutout cookies, cheesecake flavored buttercream frosted raspberry cookie, gourmet drizzled chocolate pretzel and a raspberry crumb bar, so all your party guests can choose their favorite goodies. Purchase this cookie tin here.

1800 Flowers Fleur de Chocolate Belgian Chocolate Roses – This box of chocolate roses not only looks stunning on your party table, it’s fun to eat while letting each guest pick their favorite rose! This also could be a fabulous hostess gift! Purchase the beautiful chocolate rose box here.

Disney Princess Explosion Box with Spinning Music Stand – Add some excitement to your Valentine’s treat table with this show-stopping explosion music box that’s perfect for a Disney princess fan! When your kids open the box, they’ll feel completely enchanted by the flurry of bright butterflies and a delicious strawberry shortcake topped with an edible bow. Purchase this fun music box with strawberry cake here.

VALENTINE’S DAY DECOR FOR KIDS

Florals from 1800 Flowers

Flowers are an iconic symbol of Valentine’s Day, and 1800Flowers.com is the floral and gift authority with 49 years of helping consumer’s celebrate the love-filled holiday! In fact, this year they plan to deliver 24 million stems with 15.5 million of them being roses! They have a curated collection of fun gifts and floral bouquets that are perfect celebrating with your littlest sweethearts and are available for next-day and same-day delivery on Valentine’s Day. A favorite arrangement of mine is the Fields of Europe Romance Bouquet. This vibrant mixed bouquet includes a variety of pink and red blooms. On special request, the blooms can feature a whimsical heart banner that says “Happy Valentine’s Day.” I also adore this Love Pup Arrangement for kids, which includes a plush puppy! Arrangements from 1800 Flowers are designed and delivered by a local florist in your community. If you’re looking to support a local business, this is a great way to do that!

Heart Shaped Table Runner

Sprucing up your dining table for Valentine’s Day is easier than you think with foam paper! I love using foam paper for easy crafts, like the heart-shaped table runner. I used pre-cut foam hearts, but you could also cut them yourself from regular foam paper. You could always use construction paper to create a similar table runner, but I prefer foam paper because I think it looks nicer, and it lasts longer!

Tissue Paper Wreath

This was a craft my mother taught me in the 90s, and now I love that I get to share it with my children! To make this wreath, cut a large heart out of a piece of cardboard. You’ll also need Elmer’s liquid glue, a pencil with an eraser, and LOTS of squares of tissue paper – preferably in red and pink Valentine’s colors! If you want to hang it inside or outside, attach a ribbon or decorative pipe cleaner as a hook on the back of the wreath once complete.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Station by Baker Ross

VALENTINE’S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

XO Tic-Tac-Toe

In my opinion, there’s not a more fitting kids’ game for Valentine’s Day than tic-tac-toe because of its X’s and O’s! I used foam paper and decorative craft tape to make one version of a tic-tac-toe board and painted wooden hearts for another. You can create X’s and O’s out of pipe cleaners (bonus points if you shape the O into a heart!) or use different colored candies for opposing players. I used Dove milk chocolate hearts for one player and Dove dark chocolate hearts for another.

Valentine’s Themed Tumble Tower

Put a love-themed spin on the classic tumble tower game! I got this cute idea from Vanessa at the Tried and True Creative Blog. Jazz up your blocks with some red hearts, then write Valentine’s themed instructions on each block. Every time your child pulls out a block, they have to follow the instructions. Blocks could say, “Show us how dogs say I love you,” “Give me Eskimo kisses,” or “What do you love most about yourself?” I’ve seen many different versions of Tumble Towers available on Amazon and at Target, Dollar Tree and craft stores, and I used paint pens to write on the blocks.

Melissa & Doug Heart Themed Crafts

Sometimes, we don’t have the time or energy to make our own crafts, so I adore Melissa & Doug for helping out with their heart themed craft kits. Melissa & Doug has long been one of my favorite children’s toy and activity brands. From classic wooden toys to realistic pretend play sets, Melissa & Doug products inspire creative thinking through screen-free, open-ended play. They intentionally make well-crafted toys that are developed with care to be passed down from generation to generation or shared family to family. Here’s some of their great heart-themed craft products to consider adding to your Valentine’s Day party:

Created By Me! Heart Beads Wooden Bead Kit

Created by Me! Heart Box Wooden Craft Kit

Wooden Stamp Set – Friendship

All these crafts are so fun to do with friends and guaranteed to last!

Watch the full TV segment featuring all these ideas on YouTube, linked below!

What other ideas do you have for a kids Valentine’s Day party? Share in the comments below or connect with me on Instagram at @maggiehjackson.

Easy Family-Friendly Breakfast Recipes

Cooking, Health & Wellness, kids

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of this post contains affiliate links for the products I use and LOVE. If you take action on these links (like clicking, buying, etc.), I may receive compensation at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own, and I’ll only recommend what I truly like and recommend. For more information about affiliates and your privacy, view our Terms & Conditions page here.

It’s back-to-school season, so mornings are early and rushed! Unfortunately, this often leaves little time to feed our families a nutritious breakfast. But, as the saying goes, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and its imperative that our kiddos get a healthy start before their long day at school and activities.

I know that with the early mornings’ limited time, plus a house full of picky eaters and different taste preferences, it feels much easier to resort to packaged donuts and pastries or swing through the fast food drive-through for a chicken biscuit for a quick breakfast. However, I’m here to assure you that making a fast, healthful breakfast for your family does not have to be hard, time consuming or expensive. As long as you’re willing to put in just a little prep work, you and your family can eat a variety of delicious and nutritious every day of the week! Plus, you’ll save money from avoiding coffee shops and fast food restaurants!

Check out my top family-friendly breakfast recipe ideas below!

Apple “Donuts”

Recipe: Food Network

Not only do Apple “Donuts” encourage your children to eat more fruit — it’s also a great recipe for little hands to get involved in making! Slice apples into 1/2-inch circles, and use a small circular cookie cutter or small melon baller to cut a hole in the center of each to make a “donut.” Top apples with better-for-you “frosting,” like peanut butter, cream cheese and greek yogurt. Add more fun with additional toppings, like sprinkles, sliced strawberries, granola and chocolate chips.

One-Bowl, Multi-Flavor Mini Muffins

Recipe: The Baker Mama

This one-bowl muffin batter recipe is easy to make. After adding the batter to muffin tins, simply drop in your favorite mix-ins, like blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, bananas or sprinkles, to create multiple flavors in one batch. This recipe is perfect for all the different taste preferences in your house or if your kiddos get bored of eating the same flavor every morning.

Super Pancakes

Don’t settle for boring regular pancakes when you can have “Super Pancakes” filled with superpower ingredients! This recipe is especially beneficial for kids who need help eating more protein, fruits and vegetables. I make these pancakes with Kodiak Protein-Packed Flapjack and Waffle Mix and mix in milk and egg instead of water for added protein! After the batter is made, I mix in mashed banana and grated zucchini (you can’t even taste the zucchini, I promise!). Make a large batch of these Super Pancakes on Sunday morning to quickly heat up for breakfast for 3-4 days!

Photo credit: Confessions of a Midnight Baker

Coffee Shop Dupe Egg Bites

Recipe: Once Upon a Chef

Save time and money by skipping the coffee shop for your favorite egg bites and making them at home! The secret ingredient in these egg, bacon and cheese egg bites is cottage cheese and tabasco sauce! They’re so flavorful and easy to make ahead of time. Store in the fridge for 3 days or freezer for 2 months. You won’t miss your pricey store-bought egg bites!

Quick Caprese Breakfast Sandwich

Recipe: Jones Dairy Farm

This sandwich is low on prep time but full on flavor! Most breakfast sandwiches are time consuming to make, but not this Caprese Breakfast Sandwich with the help of Jones Dairy Farm Canadian Bacon, Egg Life Egg White Wraps and pre-sliced BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella. Cut the egg wrap down into 4-6 pieces. Lightly toast the English muffin. Top one half with basil leaves, 2-3 slices of mozzarella, 2-3 slices of tomato. Finish with 2-3 egg slices and 2 slices of Canadian bacon.

Protein Yogurt Parfait

Recipe: Created by ME! My full recipe is available in a previous blog post here

When you’re challenged with food allergies and diet restrictions but still want a high-protein breakfast, this make-ahead dairy, egg and gluten free yogurt parfait is a delectable choice! It’s made with my favorite Super Granola and Vanilla Cinnamon Protein Powder from Kroma Wellness, along with creamy Coconut Yogurt and Berries. You could add more toppings, too, like honey, chia seeds, hemp seeds, nut butter, etc. Customize it to your preference! This is a great recipe to make ahead in a mason jar to bring on-the-go during busy mornings!

Which of these recipes do you want to try? Let me know in the comments below! For more family-friendly products, activities and recipe ideas, be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

XO Maggie

Best Classic Children’s Play Clothes for Summer

fashion, kids

There’s something so sweet about classic children’s clothes. I grew up in the 80s and 90s in the South (Houston, Memphis and Asheville, to be exact — my family moved a lot!), and if my mother didn’t sew the clothes herself, she always made sure my two older brothers and I were dressed in classic children’s clothing, especially for special occasions!

Now, you might be asking…

What is classic children’s clothing, anyway, and why should I dress my kids this way?

Classic children’s clothing embodies the innocence of childhood while featuring a soft color palette, clean lines, high-quality fabric and simple designs. These timeless pieces can include smocked dresses, oxford shirts, sweaters, and elevated design elements like monograms, appliqués and embroidery.

When I started having children 5 years ago, my mom would mail me products, along with texting me photos and links to adorable classic children’s clothing. But, to be honest, I wasn’t quite sold yet. I thought the style looked “old-fashioned” and like an 80s grandma was dressing my children! But, then, when it came to dressing my children for special occasions, like their first Christmas, Easter or Baptism, I started thinking about those moments in my childhood and maintaining tradition felt important to me. I thought of the photos of those special moments that we’d look back on year after year, and it became clear to me why so many parents love classic children’s clothing. It never goes out of style and always looks cute and appropriate for their age and the occasion! On top of that, the quality of classic children’s clothing is typically very nice, so the items can be passed down to siblings or kept as heirlooms. Classic children’s clothing is more sustainable than fast fashion. Now, as my kids are getting older and not growing as fast, I love that they can wear some of the same pieces year after year without going out of style. Not only that, but I love that dressing my children in classic children’s clothes helps preserve this short-lived sweet time of their lives. They only have a few short years of childhood to wear these sweet clothes, and they have the rest of their lives to dress like adults.

What are the best classic children’s play clothes for summer?

This summer, we have some fun family vacations, events and activities coming up where I’m excited to dress my children in sweet outfits from Mud Pie, a female-founded and family-operated company that specializes in everyday classic children’s clothing, along with clothing for women, home decor and gifts. Mud Pie has so many cute classic children’s clothes options for baby through toddler for everything from playdates to special occasions.

My babies in their red, white and blue from Mud Pie

Best classic children’s clothes for July 4th holiday:

Nothing is more quintessential summer than Americana themed clothing, and I adore these toddler pieces from Mud Pie, below, featuring an American flag, USA colors and sailboats, along with smocked embroidery, applique details and comfy jersey fabric. These casual classic children’s clothing pieces make me want to take the family on a sailing excursion followed by a New England style clambake! These outfits are going to be perfect for our Memorial Day celebrations, annual July 4th pool party, and all the fun summer moments in between!

I’m the type of person who loves to wear Americana themed clothing all summer long, not just on holidays! Below are some more of my favorite USA themed outfits from Mud Pie for your kids to wear while having fun in the sun!

I’m in love with the bow straps on this sailboat dress!

Nothing is more American than denim!

The details of this red and blue seersucker swimsuit are perfection!

How cute would a little baby girl be in this classic seersucker swimsuit with ruffles?!

Best classic children’s play clothes to wear to camps and country clubs:

Our kids are just now getting old enough to participate in summer camps, and I’m so excited that they’ve taken interest in hobbies at our country club (just like their parents!), where they’ll be doing their first golf and tennis camps! Mud Pie’s tennis and golf prints are perfect for your little sports enthusiasts’ upcoming camps or any playtime this summer.

Ready to play in her Toddler Tennis Dress

I’m a big tennis fan, and my daughter adores being like mommy, so we’re both loving this adorable tennis print that comes in a dress for toddlers, as well as a baby longall, sunsuit and sleeper. Check out all the cute tennis outfits from Mud Pie, below!

Lucy is wearing a size 4-5T, which is a smidge large for her at the moment, but I’m excited for her to wear it for multiple summers!

Your kiddo can dream of tennis in these adorable pajamas!

How cute is this sunsuit?! Makes me want to have another baby girl!!

Seersucker is so classic and perfect for summer!

A cute tennis themed romper for the boys!

My 5-year-old son is doing his first golf camp this summer and he’s so excited to be on the course like his golf-loving dad. Whether your child is on the greens or not, the whole family will love Mud Pie’s precious golf themed outfits for kids – everything from a short set, t-shirt set, t-shirt jersey dress, bodysuit, sleeper set and swimsuit. Below are some of my personal favorite Mud Pie outfits for your kids to wear around the pro shop this summer!

This golf cart crochet detail is to die for! Wish my son was still little enough to wear this!

Shoes can be just for fun!

At the beginning of this post, I shared about an important characteristic of classic children’s clothing is that it’s timeless, so it can be passed down for generations without going out of style. One way for your children to easily express themselves or have fun wearing something trendy is with shoes and accessories! My kids are obsessed with Mud Pie’s Light Up Toddler Sandals!

I know we’re going to have so much fun wearing them this summer! Can’t wait for them to make memories watching fireworks while their sandals light up the night!

Toddler Light Up Sandals in Navy American Flag (Also comes in Blue Shark!)

Toddler Light Up Sandals, Teal Mermaid (Also Comes in Pink Turtle!)

Let me know which of these Mud Pie summer outfits you’d like to see your little one wearing! What other children’s clothing brands do you like? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more fun family-friendly products and ideas!

XO Maggie

5 Easter Basket Ideas for Kids of All Ages

Holidays, kids, Lifestyle

Orange color themed Easter gift basket for teens

My mother was the best at making holidays magical when I was a kid, and I have such fond memories of Easter Sunday morning. The night before Easter, my parents would help us set out carrots for the Easter bunny to munch on as a thank you for stopping by our house. We’d wake up early, run downstairs, and see our pastel wicker Easter basket filled with goodies! Some of the top Easter basket filler gifts that I remember were coloring books, a Barbie doll, a VHS of “Beauty and the Beast,” a giant chocolate bunny and Cadbury Creme Eggs. Man, those creamy, chocolatey eggs are GOOD!

These days, I hear of parents giving some outrageous gifts to their kids for Easter, like concert tickets and bikes. When I was growing up, Easter basket gifts were never as big as Christmas gifts. Whatever fit into our small baskets is what we got, and I’d like to keep that tradition for my kids. I try to make the gifts even more practical and fun with themed baskets! By sticking to a theme, parents keep from overspending on unnecessary trinkets and toys. I also love a practical theme, like a “summer” themed basket to prep kids for their summer activities and trips. If your kids are growing like weeds, like mine, then they’ve likely outgrown last year’s swimsuit, and they could probably use a swim goggles upgrade along with some summer vacation road trip activities and crafts to keep them entertained while at home on a hot summer day.

Yep, themed baskets are the way to go, and I have 5 fabulous ideas to share for you to recreate for your kids Easter baskets! Below are my recommendations for Easter basket theme ideas for kids aged newborn to teen!

Baby’s First Easter Basket

An adorably personalized basket for newborns and infants celebrating their first Easter!

A personalized baby’s first Easter themed gift basket from Personalization Mall

There’s nothing more precious than creating memories around your baby’s first Easter, and one way to make the memories last forever is with personalized keepsake Easter gifts from Personalization Mall, like a bib and diaper cover. Personalization Mall provides thousands of unique keepsakes that can be delivered quickly for Easter and beyond. They are the go-to resource for creating personalized gifts that are perfect for celebrating Easter with your kids – especially if it’s your baby’s first holiday! Give baby something to love with a personalized security blanket, stuffy and personalized book, too! For Easter 2024, be sure to place your order by March 19 for the personalized book in order for it to arrive in time for Easter, as this item takes 7-10 days to personalize and ship. For all other items, you can order up until March 29 at 9 am PST to receive in time for the holiday. But, if you order by March 25 you will save big on shipping!

Here’s what to put in the basket:

Personalized White Bunny Easter Basket Liner & Natural Basket with Folding Handle

Baby’s First Easter Personalized Bunny Security Blanket

Baby’s First Easter Personalized Baby Bib

Personalized 16″ Plush First Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is Coming To Where I Live Personalized Storybook

Busy Toddler Easter Basket

A basket filled with age-appropriate arts and crafts from Michaels is sure to keep your toddler busy and creative this Easter season!

Busy toddler themed Easter basket with lots of activities and crafts from Michaels

I’ve been a fan of shopping at Michaels for holidays for my whole life. Seriously, I’d go with my mom when I was in preschool to buy craft supplies to make our July 4th t-shirts and paint our Keds tennis shoes! Now, Michaels has more than ever, and it’s your one-stop-shop to make festive and creative Easter baskets for your kids, including stuffers, baskets, Easter grass and decorative cellophane wrapping! I love how many options Michaels has for fun and easy crafts for little kids. Create the perfect Easter basket for your busy toddler with the products below:

Large White Decorative Basket with Liner by Ashland®

PEEPS® Marshmallow Scented Play Sand Set, 10ct.

Color In Play Pets Bunny by Creatology™ Easter

Easter Egg Shaped Crayons by Creatology™, 6ct.

Easter Bunny Motif Velvet Poster Kit by Creatology™

Easter Pastel Bunny Shape Bead Kit by Creatology™

10.5″ Gray Plush Easter Bunny by Creatology™

Easter Multi-Character Box of Crafts Activity Kit by Creatology™

Pastel Polka Dot Cello Wrap by Celebrate It™

Pongee Stripes Ribbon by Celebrate It® Easter

Summer Themed Easter Basket

A practical basket to get your kids ready for summer activities and trips!

Maisonette is one of my most favorite online marketplaces for kids apparel, toys, gifts and home decor, because everything they sell is unique and special. Maisonette is your one-stop shop for the best baby and kids products from around the globe! With the warmer seasons right around the corner, Maisonette has all the essentials you need to get your mini ready for Spring and Summer. Whether you’re staying home, taking a vacation, or gearing up for camp, Maisonette is your online destination for quality products of every kind for the little ones in your life; plus, inspiration and intel that’ll make your shopping experience an easy one! For last minute Easter baskets, outfits, activities and decor select 2-day shipping at checkout to make sure you’re Easter Sunday ready. Here’s what to buy to create your child’s summer themed Easter basket:

Tween or Teen Beauty Basket

Your pre-teen or teenager will love these age-appropriate beauty and self-care products from Ulta Beauty!

Lots of beauty and self-care goodies for this Easter basket from Ulta Beauty!

You’ve probably heard that pre-teen skincare is all the rage, so if you have a middle or high school aged kiddo, they’ll love a beauty themed Easter basket! Ulta Beauty has all the best products to introduce your beauty and self-care obsessed kiddo to age-appropriate skincare and makeup. Plus, many of the products come in bright spring colors, so the aesthetic of your basket will be perfect for Easter! Consider all these great skincare, makeup and nail polish ideas for your beauty basket:

Ulta Beauty Electric City Eyeshadow Palette

Ulta Beauty Paradise Pout Lip Plumping Lip Gloss

e.l.f. Cosmetics Suntouchable! Whoa Glow Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

af94 Acid Patch Salicylic Acid Pimple Patches

Beauty Blender MAKE A SPLASH Blending Duo

Sally Hansen Insta Dri x HERSHEY’S KISSES Nail Polish Quad Pack

Favorite Color Themed Basket

Surprise your child with an Easter basket filled with goodies of their favorite color!

Pink themed Easter basket with gum, Starbucks pink drink, holiday Lip Smackers, lip mask and Easter candy!

An orange color themed Easter gift basket – great for older kids!

Is it just me, or are older kids so hard to shop for? It seems like all they want is gift cards, which takes the fun out of gifting, in my opinion. For an easy Easter basket idea for teenager, college kid, or even your spouse, make a basket filled with items that are their favorite color. This basket idea is also relatively affordable, as you can buy lots of colorful treats at the dollar store, Target, Walmart or Amazon. Here’s what I bought for an orange color themed basket that I put together:

Assorted Easter Bamboo Basket by Creatology™

Lume Whole Body Invisible Cream Tube Deodorant

Reese’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bunny Easter Candy

I’d love to hear what type of Easter basket you’re putting together for your children! Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more fun family-friendly ideas!

XO Maggie

Personalized Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Kids, Their Friends and Teachers

Holidays, kids

I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day, but when I was a kid growing up the 90s, it felt limiting and sad. Like, why do only couples get to celebrate “the day of love?!” I always had so much anticipation leading up to the holiday only to be let down that it wasn’t necessarily designed for little 7-year-old me. Sure, we had class parties and passed out Valentine’s cards, but it still always felt like the main focus was on romantic couples rather than ALL the people we love.

Then, there came the anti-Valentine’s Day movement when I was in my early 20’s where people dedicated the day to NOT celebrating romance and instead glorified being single. This also felt sad to me. The intent felt like it was coming from a negative place, so I never felt comfortable going out for a night on the town with my single friends celebrating NOT being in love. Valentine’s is supposed to be about all the positivity of LOVE!

Next came the GALentine’s fad in the mid 2010’s, and I loved this trend then and now! Finally, we’re expanding Valentine’s Day to love beyond romantic couples, and we’re sharing love with friends that matter so much to us! Every year, I do a fun little event with girlfriends to celebrate how much we love each other. Gosh, where would I be without the love and support of my gal pals?!

Then, I had children, and it only seemed right that I share my love of Valentine’s Day with them, too! So, in our house, we’ve made a point to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a day full of love for our family and everybody we love! Our kids still get to watch mommy and daddy go on a date and celebrate Valentine’s Day the old-fashioned way (which I feel is important), but we also make time to say and show how much we love each other as a family. And, we share our love with our friends and teachers, too! In our house, there’s never too much love, and it’s important to tell those who we care about how much we love them!

As part of our family’s Valentine’s Day tradition, I love to get small gifts for the children. I know some of you may be rolling your eyes thinking that I’ve fallen victim to another “Hallmark holiday” and consumer capitalism, but don’t freak out… these gifts are nothing like Christmas! They’re just small gestures that say, “I’m thinking of and love you!”

The small Valentine’s gift baskets I gave my kids last year

Another part of our family tradition is taking the time to put together gifts for our children’s friends, family and teachers. It’s so fun to hear what they love about each of their friends and help them pick out gifts for their grandparents and teachers.

I hope you’ll consider joining us in our new way of celebrating Valentine’s Day with everyone! Below, I’ve put together some fun gift ideas for kids, their friends, family and teachers! This year, I’m doing all personalized gifts by purchasing items that can be engraved or monogrammed. There’s just something so much more special about a personalized gift! It feels so thoughtful. Plus, they become keepsakes!

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids

Small gift baskets are my go-to for Valentine’s Day. Remember, this is not Christmas, so you don’t need to overdo it! My best recommendation is to stick to a practical theme, so you have a goal in mind and don’t overspend on frivolous toys and candy. For example, if you have a spring break beach vacation coming up, gift your chlid a beach tote filled with beach goodies, like a swimsuit, towel, sand toys, etc. Think of your child’s personality and what they like to do. If you have a budding artist in your house, make them a gift basket filled with art supplies.

For this year’s Valentine’s Day gifts for our kids, I’m turning to Personalization Mall, because they have hundreds of unique gifts you can personalize and use to create theme gift baskets. Here are some of my favorite gift baskets (or in this case, bags and buckets) ideas!

Beach-Goers Gift Bag – Put all these items into the striped beach bag, and you’re all set for your upcoming spring break vacation or summer! For even more fun, add a swimsuit, goggles and beach snacks!

Classic Stripe Personalized Terry Cloth Beach Bag- Large

I Dig You Personalized Beach Pail & Shovel

Classic Stripe Personalized Beach Towel

Vibrant Name Personalized Water Bottle

Sous Chef’s Gift Bucket – If you have a little one who loves helping out in the kitchen, he/she will adore their own personalized chef’s apron, hat and utensils! Add this personalized pizza puzzle for a fun foodie touch! Put everything in an adorable custom treat bucket that can be used year after year!

Chef In Training Personalized Kid’s Apron

Chef In Training Personalized Kid’s Chef Hat

Hearts Personalized Kids Dinnerware

You Have a Pizza My Heart Personalized Round Puzzle

Hugs & Kisses Treat Bucket

Aspiring Artists Gift Bucket – Your little artist will love coloring and painting crafts personalized with their name while wearing this craft smock!

Art Time Personalized Kid’s Craft Apron

Valentine’s Day Personalized Coloring Book

Paint It! Personalized Coloring Canvas Prints

Just For Him Personalized Pencil Box

A Little Treat Bucket Metal Bucket-Large

Construction Lovers Bucket – If your little love can’t get enough diggers and bulldozers, consider building him/her a bucket filled with construction toys and gifts.

I Dig You Personalized Bucket-Large

Construction Crew Personalized Kids Hat

I Dig You Sweatshirt

I Dig You Socks

Melissa & Doug Personalized Tool Kit

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids’ Family

There’s no more precious gift than a photo of your kids, and Shutterbugs Photoshoots in LA has Valentine’s themed set-ups for your little loves! Founded by local mom, Rachel Nomann, Shutterbugs puts a unique spin on classic studio photography by capturing a variety of headshots showcasing your children’s personality in a monochromatic style. Shutterbugs is offering three mini photo shoot dates for special Valentine’s Day themed photos – January 28, January 31 and February 1 – but you can book a session with Rachel year-round, too! The Valentine’s Day Mini Sessions are 10-15 minutes per child for $100, and you’ll receive 5-7 black and white high-resolution images per child. Regular photo sessions are $200 per child and include 15-30+ high-resolution images of your child. I did a regular Shutterbugs photo session last year with my two kiddos, and we have used these photos several times as gifts for grandparents and friends, in addition to printing them for art on our wall at home. For larger wall prints, Rachel recommends using Smallwood Home. For standard prints both large or small, she recommends Shutterfly, Minted, or Artifact Uprising. To book a Valentine’s Mini Session or Regular Session with Shutterbugs Photoshoots, visit the link in Rachel’s Instagram @shutterbugs_photoshoots, or email littleshutterbugs@gmail.com.

Class Valentine’s Day Cards

I get nostalgic every year helping my kids making Valentine’s cards for their classmates. What a fun tradition! This year, I wanted to do something a bit more special! Instead of buying whatever character-themed cards were left on the shelves at Target, we decided to create our own personalized class Valentine’s cards with Minted. I love that Minted has hundreds of cards to choose from, and you can personalize each card with your preferred colors, shapes and messaging. This was a perfect excuse to use our Shutterbugs Photoshoots images, too! If you don’t want to use a photo, there’s so many fun cards with cute Valentine’s Day puns or games, like word searches and mazes. I also love that there’s some cards that encourage giving small toys and snacks rather than candy. We ended up choosing few different cards to give to our friends at school and at other activities, like tee ball and music class. We’re looking forward to giving our friends the cards you see below!

You Color My World Valentine’s Cards

You Color My World Stickers

Crayola Crayons Party Favor Pack

Just Another Cheezy Valentine Cards

Just Another Cheezy Valentine Stickers

Cheez-It Cheese Crackers Variety Pack

Happy Heart Day Photo Card

Happy Heart Day Custom Stickers

Jumbo Hearts Photo Card

Jumbo Hearts Custom Stickers

Wonderful Words Cards

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Make class Valentine’s Day cards with us!

Gifts for Kids’ Teachers

Teachers need ALL the love on Valentine’s Day! After all, they take great care into loving and teaching our children every day! Instead of gifting your child’s teacher the typical chocolates or flowers this Valentine’s Day, I recommend giving something personal and useful! The best place for personalized gifts in LA? The Monogrammed Home in San Marino! And, if you don’t live in LA, they ship! This adorable boutique has a large variety of thoughtful upscale gifts that can be engraved or monogrammed. I love the idea of giving teachers tote bags filled with desk supplies and other teacher essentials, like a cosmetics bag, key chain, etc. It’s also fun to make sure all the items are red and pink for Valentine’s Day! Below are some fabulous teacher gift ideas from The Monogrammed Home. Make sure you get all your orders in by February 2, so that you’ll get them monogrammed in time for Valentine’s Day! Shopping from here also means you’ll be supporting a small local mom-owned business! LOVE!

Teachers Rule Notepad

Screen Cleaning Towelettes

I’d love to hear about how you plan to spend Valentine’s Day in the comments below! For more product recommendations and lifestyle tips, be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

XO Maggie