Halloween Archives - With love from Lou

10 Things To Do With The Kids In And Around Nottingham This Halloween

08/10/2019 by Louise 47 Comments

With Halloween fast approaching, we’ve been making a list of family-friendly activities we’d like to do in around Nottingham over half term. Compared to previous years, we’ve found there are plenty of events and activities in the area to enjoy with your little ones. And today we’ve picked out our top ten to share with you guys who read my blog.

From hunting down ghosts and ghouls at Rufford Abbey, picking your own pumpkins at Maxey’s Farm Shop, and visiting Nottingham’s Old Market Scare, there’s something for everyone. So grab yourself a cuppa, make yourself comfortable, and let me tell you more …

01. Visit the Halloween Event in Nottingham’s Old Market Square

Every October Nottingham’s Old Market Square transforms into an amazing Halloween Adventureland, where you can ride the UK’s biggest mobile ghost train, visit the walk-through haunted house or don your spookiest costumes for a selfie with the giant light-up Halloween pumpkin.

On Halloween itself, you can discover more of Nottingham city centre with your family for free. Trick or Treat your way around a fun map to hunt out the hidden spooky characters and take part in craft activities, ghost stories and games. Families are encouraged to start at the Nottingham Tourist Information Centre off Market Square for an official welcome and to collect their map. Treat bags filled with goodies will be handed out as you make your way around the trail. And you can make as many or as few stops as you like.

There’s also live entertainment planned for the evening, and there’ll be a brand-new bar on hand to help calm your nerves. I definitely recommend having a wander around the Old Market Scare as it’s a truly magical experience – my two little monsters love it as it captures the essence of Halloween just perfectly.

The Old Market Scare will be open all day from Friday 25th October to Thursday 31st October.

02. P..P..Pick Up a Pumpkin at Maxey’s Farm Shop

Have you ever wondered where you can pick your own pumpkin near Nottingham? Well, the answer is to visit Maxeys Farm Shop between 5th October and 31st October for their annual P..P..Pick Up a Pumpkin Festival. Maxey’s is open every day from 9am till 5pm, and admission is completely free. You just pay for any pumpkins you pick and any activities you fancy taking part in while you’re there.

The pumpkins are grown where you pick them. So the owners recommend you wear wellies or boots when you visit as the ground may be uneven and muddy. But I think that’s all part of the fun! And as well as being able to pick your own pumpkins, Maxey’s have a whole host of other activities you can take part in too. From going on a spooky woodland walk to taking a Halloween themed tractor ride through the fields of the farm, they’ve thought of it all!

And if your tummies are a-rumbling after all that excitement, you can head on over to the BBQ and grab a delicious homemade burger or hotdog made with fresh meat from the farm shop before heading home. Visiting Maxey’s is sure to make a fantastic day out for the whole family, and my two can’t wait to go check it out. Keep an eye on my Insta feed for pictures!

03. Hunt Down Monsters at Rufford Abbey

If your kids fancy being a real-life Ghostbuster this Halloween, then I highly recommend visiting Rufford Abbey for their annual Halloween Monster Hunt Trail! Spooky goings on have been reported to the Rufford Park Rangers recently. And they need your help to hunt down ghosts, ghouls and monsters in order to restore peace and harmony to the Abbey.

Between Saturday 12th October and Sunday 3rd November, you can join Rufford’s Monster Hunt team and follow the map into the haunted hideaways and creepy woods to see if you can figure out what’s been causing the commotion! The Monster Hunt maps cost £2 each and you’re promised a whole heap of fun exploring the spooky happenings around the Abbey. Survive the trail and you will also receive a fun prize at the end of the hunt. How cool! We can’t wait to give it a go.

04. Visit White Post Farm’s Halloween Festival

This half term, White Post Farm has created a whole host of spooktacular fun for families to enjoy. You can learn to ride a broomstick at Broomstick School, get your hands dirty at one of their Slime Workshops, watch some amazing magic tricks and even pick and carve your very own pumpkins!

As well as all the Halloween fun you can find at White Post Farm this year, you’ll also find their friends from the Go-Active Falconry showing off their birds of prey, have farm favourite, Sam the Entertainer, on-hand to teach you some awesome circus skills, and find all the usual animal activities going on as well.

The Halloween Festival takes place daily from Monday 21st October to Friday 2nd November and entry costs £9.85 per adult and £9.45 per child, with under 2’s being admitted free of charge. And with so much going on, I think that’s a bargain. Will we be seeing you guys there?

05. Go to The National Ice Centre’s Family Halloween Party

If you fancy doing something a little different with your tribe this half term, why not head down to The National Ice Centre on Saturday 26th October for one of their Family Halloween Parties? This year the venue will be looking eerie and ready to host not one BUT two spooky ice parties with lots of spine-tingling action in store including gloopy slime, scary face painting and horrifying photobooth filters!

The activities begin with a spooky but not scary family party themed ‘Scaries & Fairies’, for parents to enjoy time on the ice with their little horrors. Then the family fun will be followed by a garish neon-lit Halloween Club Party where the scary face painting, photobooth filters and slime fun will continue into the evening while playing the best Halloween themed beats.

Skaters will have the chance to show-off their most frightening and drop dead gorgeous Halloween outfits as prizes for the best spookily dressed skater will be up for grabs at both parties! I’m also hoping the awesome Sub Zero Cafe will be on hand to make delicious Pumpkin Spice Lattes for the parents like they were last year. Yum!

Scaries & Fairies will take place on Saturday 26th October from 11am-5pm and The Club Party will take place on the same day but from 7:30pm-9:30pm. Tickets for both events cost £8.50 per adult, £7.50 per child and under 5’s are absolutely free! Got a big family? Don’t worry – there are family tickets available too. Just head on over to their website to find out more.

06. Go to Playmania’s Halloween Party

While we’re on the subject of Halloween party’s, I have another suggestion for you! Soft Play Centre, Playmania, in Mansfield are hosting their annual Halloween party on Sunday 27th October from 5-7pm. Little ones can spend time running off lots of energy while enjoying the equipment, while adults sit and enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee in relative peace.

As well as being able to use the soft play area, there will be loads of fun, games and prizes for little ones to enjoy too. And, of course, a spooky disco! Playmania is also laying on a cold buffet for everyone so you won’t go hungry while you’re there. Tickets for the event cost £4.00 per adult and £8.00 per child. But be sure to order them quick, as they always sell out fast!

07. Visit Wheelgate Park’s Lil’ Park Of Horrors

From Monday 21st October till Wednesday 31st October Wheelgate Park near Newark is inviting families to it’s fangtastic Halloween event, which is jam-packed with things to do! Head on over to one of their spooky workshops where you can carve or paint a specially grown pumpkin, make a magical wand, or learn to fly your very own broomstick!

Keep an eye out for Millie the friendly Monster and Grizelda the naughty Witch who will be making special appearances throughout the festivities. Little ones love having cuddles and photo opportunities with them.

Tickets to the park are £12.99 for both adults and children over 108cm, £6.49 for kids between 95cm and 108cm and free entry for little ones under 95cm. With so much to do at the park, I think this offers great value for money. Don’t you!?

08. Catch a Movie at Nottingham Cineworld

Did you guys know that Cineworld in Nottingham has specially discounted screenings at weekends and on school holiday mornings? Well, they do, and my two absolutely love to head along to them! They’re the perfect way to enjoy a little bit of time as a family, without having to head out too far and make a full day of it.

Movies for Juniors is a great way to introduce your little ones to the exciting world of cinema without it costing a fortune and having to keep them quiet throughout the whole film. We’ve been to a fair few screenings now and find them to be a lovely, relaxed environment. If children want to jump up and down and sing or talk throughout the whole film then they can – no one complains. Although to be fair I’ve always found the majority of children do sit and watch the movies quietly, no matter how young they are!

The selection of movies is always really good and we’ve been to see The Muppet’s Most Wanted, Shaun the Sheep and Minions to name just a few. In fact, I think the kids will be wanting to go again over half term. And how can I say no when tickets are priced at just £2.50 each for 2D movies? (And slightly more for 3D ones).

Movies for Juniors offers great value for money and you’re guaranteed to choose a movie that’s suitable for the whole family to enjoy. And if you’re worried that you’ll get cheap cinema tickets but then end up spending a small fortune at the popcorn stand then don’t be. Cineworld has a special deal where you can get a box of popcorn, a snack and a drink that doesn’t cost the earth. It’s a real winner in my eyes!

09. Burn Off Some Energy at Clip ‘N Climb

If celebrating Halloween isn’t really your thing, but you still want to do something fun with the kids this half term, how about taking them to Clip ‘N Climb, Nottingham – the action-packed climbing experience for the whole family?!

We’ve been to Clip ‘N Climb as a family a couple of times now, and the kids always thoroughly enjoy it. It has a large arena with loads of different climbing walls around it, and after a safety briefing and getting harnessed up, you head out, clip your harness into whichever wall you want to climb, and off you go! There are walls for beginners, intermediates and pro’s, and I’ll be publishing a full review of the centre here on my blog soon, so make sure you look out for that.

During half term, Clip ‘N Climb is open every day from 9:30am-8pm and it costs £12.50 per person to enter.

10. Go Tenpin Bowling at Mansfield Superbowl

And last but not least on my list on things to do with the kids in and around Nottingham this half term is to go tenpin bowling at Mansfield Superbowl! I particularly like this bowling alley because it has 28 lanes, so you’re almost always sure of being able to get in if you drop by on a whim. And it’s a really relaxed, fun environment to bowl in. Oh, and they also have some amazing offers on throughout the week too.

For example, my sister-in-law and I took the kids bowling over the summer, and we hired a lane for a whole hour for just £20. How cheap is that?! It meant we could have as many games of bowling as we could squeeze in during that time, without having to keep paying for more games. There’s also an on-site diner which offers a wide range of delicious food and drinks for when you start to get a bit peckish.

Mansfield Superbowl is clean, modern and well equipped with all sorts of little extras. The staff are always friendly and ready to help, and I truly think it’s the best tenpin bowling alley in the area. You’ll definitely find us there again this half term!

And there you have it, 10 things to do with the kids in and around Nottingham this Halloween.
Have I convinced you to go and try any of them out? Or will you be heading somewhere else instead?

Be sure to let me know in the comments below.
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Yankee Candle Halloween Box Set Review and Giveaway

08/10/2018 by Louise 28 Comments

Well, guys, Halloween is just around the corner. And, as usual, I’m super excited! The shelves of my favourite stores are already chock-full of seasonal goodies. And I may have already done a spot of Halloween themed shopping ready for the big day. Eek!

One thing I always look forward to around this time of year is all the autumn candles that come out. And recently I was lucky enough to be sent a brand new Yankee Candle Halloween Box Set to try out. How cool is that?!

The set includes two limited edition sample-sized votive candles in the scents ‘Witches Brew’ and ‘Forbidden Apple’. And a small but suitably spooky looking ceramic votive holder in the shape of a pumpkin head. The set comes packaged in a black box with metallic orange cobwebs and spiders printed on the outside of it. And, of course, it also includes the Yankee branding. I think it looks fab!

Each sample sized-votive is said to burn for around 15 hours, and I love how cute and dinky they are. I decided to burn ‘Witches Brew’ first, as I’ve bought this in a medium-sized jar in the past and absolutely loved the scent. It has top notes of wood, clove and cinnamon. Middle notes of jasmine, cedar and balsam. And base notes of patchouli and vanilla.

Once lit, I noticed you have to set the sampler down close to where you’re sitting to be able to smell it. I have to admit, I found this slightly disappointing as I’m used to buying the jars which always fill the room with fragrance. Nevertheless, it smelt lovely, and just as I remembered it. I reckon it will remain a firm favourite for many years to come.

Next, I lit ‘Forbidden Apple’, and I was really excited to try this as it’s not a scent I’d come across before. It has top notes of bergamot, rich pear nectar, candied quince and raw sugar. Middle notes of red apple, MacIntosh, black oak and midnight freesia. And base notes of dark patchouli, tonka bean, vanilla noir and cedarwood.

I’ve found that ‘Forbidden Apple’ gives off a much stronger scent than ‘Witches Brew’ does, which I’m really pleased about. It means I can put it up on a high shelf away from the little ones, but still enjoy the smell myself. The sampler fills the whole room with the scent of juicy apples, and I find you can smell it long after the candle has been extinguished. I’m always happy when candle scents linger as I think it offers good value for money.

Overall, I really like this gift set and I would most definitely repurchase it. I love how the Pumpkin Head Votive Holder lights up when it has one of the samplers inside. It even looks a little spooky when you have it lit in a dark room! The only downside I’ve found with the set as a whole is that the bottoms of the samplers aren’t very flat, so they tend to lean to one side when they’re sitting inside the holder. The wax then drips inside, making a bit of a mess. I think it would be better suited to housing tea lights rather than votives. It’s not a massive issue though.

If you like the look of this particular Yankee Candle Set, then it’s worth noting that there’s a competition running over at Wow Free Stuff right now where you can win one for yourself! To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is give their official Facebook page a ‘like’ and fill in your name and e-mail address on the entry form. Simple!

The competition is open to residents of the UK age 18 and over and closes on October 24th. Please note that by entering you’re agreeing to sign up to the Wow Free Stuff Newsletter. The prize is for one Yankee Candle Halloween Box Set, which includes one ceramic votive holder in the shape of a pumpkin head and two rare samplers: Witches Brew and Forbidden Apple.

Yankee Candle Halloween Pumpkin Head Votive Holder Box Set – £11.99 ||link||

Have you ever tried any of the Halloween scents from Yankee Candle before?
Let me know in the comments below.
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Halloweek 2015 – My ‘Spooky’ Experiences

06/10/2015 by Louise 44 Comments

With Halloween being just a few short weeks away, I thought I would share some of the ‘spooky’ experiences I’ve had over the years with you. So pop on the kettle and make yourself comfortable while I tell you when it all began …

The Man in the Top Hat
The first time I saw something strange was when I was fairly young – I’d say maybe around six or seven years old. I was in bed one night when I heard a noise on the stairs. My mum always used to leave the landing light on until she and my dad went to bed, and she’d also leave my bedroom door open so I could shout down to her if I needed to. As I glanced across to the landing to see what the noise was I saw a man in old fashioned clothes and a top hat walk down the attic stairs and then totally disappear. I called down to my mum and she said it was a bad dream, and I believed her until many years later when I was babysitting at my brother’s house. I’d put my nieces to bed and was downstairs watching TV when I heard the eldest scream. I rushed back up to see what was wrong and what she told me really freaked me out : she’d seen a man in old fashioned clothes and a top hat walk down the attic stairs and then totally disappear …

The Missing Meatloaf CD
When I was in my teens my mum used to listen to Meatloaf a lot and one day when I got in from school she asked me if I’d borrowed one of her CD’s as it wasn’t in the case. I hadn’t, but I checked all the CD players in the house anyway just incase someone had been listening to it and not put it back in the case. I couldn’t find it, and didn’t think about it again until I had a dream a few weeks later that I was putting the ‘Dirty Dancing’ soundtrack on to listen to and I found the missing Meatloaf one was underneath the disc in the case. Next morning I told my mum and when we checked the Dirty Dancing case there was the Meatloaf CD underneath the actual CD!

The Voice of Ricky
As a teenager I decided that I’d like to sleep up in the attic as it was much bigger than my room, so my dad decorated it for me and I moved up there. A few years after I had I was woken in the night by my friend Ricky talking to me. I couldn’t understand why he was in my room as my parents didn’t allow boys up there so I turned on the light to find out why, only to find that there was no one there. Assuming I had been dreaming I went back to sleep, but soon after my friend Amy slept over and woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that Ricky was there and wanted to talk to me. I turned on the light and again there was no one there. I don’t know who it freaked out more that night – me or my friend!

It’s a Girl (and a Boy)
Another dream that I had as a teenager (I realise that all of my spooky experiences seem to happen while I’m asleep, I do apologise) was that I was laid on a bed in a white room with my mum at the side of me. She was looking very pale and I tried to speak to her to find out what was wrong but no sound came out of my mouth. A nurse then appeared with a pink bundle, passed it to me and said “Congratulations, it’s a girl.” And at 18 I gave birth to a little girl. Then, in the summer of 2012, I dreamt that I was on the phone to my mum when Nathan said “Tell her it’s a boy”. I thought nothing of it until a year later when – you guessed it – I gave birth to a little boy!

The Fusty Smell
When Stacey was a few weeks old, we were in the house alone and I was making a cup of tea when she started crying. I called to her “Mummy will just be two minutes sweetheart” and she stopped. When I went into the room where she was there was a really fusty smell, and it was strongest where Stacey was laid in her moses basket. She was laid on her back, staring straight up at the ceiling and smiling and laughing. The smell reminded me of a damp smell that my grandma and grandads bedroom had had before they died so I asked “Grandma, is that you?” and it disappeared. When it did, Stacey went straight to sleep. After this happened she would often stare up at the ceiling and chuckle.

The Christmas Decoration Incident
The Christmas after Stacey turned one, we were eating dinner and she would not stop screaming! When I’d finished I decided to take her upstairs and put her in her cot to sleep. I went back downstairs to eat my Christmas Pudding but I could still hear her and was going to go back up to her to try and settle her down, but my dad said to leave her for ten minutes as she was just being mardy. The next thing we knew a Christmas decoration was flinging itself across the room, and as it did the screaming just stopped. I rushed back upstairs to check on Stacey and she was fast asleep. I was relieved and turned round to go back downstairs. As I did I noticed a book on the floor in front of me. It was one that I’d loved as a child and had been looking for since having Stacey as I wanted to pass it on to her. How it got there I will never know.

Sensing Death

A few years ago we were sat having dinner one night when Stacey said that Toby (Nathan’s parents’ dog) wouldn’t be around for much longer. Nathan asked what had made her say that and she got all upset and said she didn’t know. She worried about it for the rest of the evening but finally settled down and went to bed. The next day we were out shopping when Nathan rung me and said that Toby had gone to sleep that morning. Although we were all upset, Stacey was beside herself with grief. She kept saying she didn’t know why she’d said what she’d said the night before and was convinced that she’d somehow cursed him. It was heartbreaking to see.

The Spot on the Door
When Oscar was just a couple of months old he started staring at a spot on the living room door. He would sit on mine or Nathan’s lap and smile away at it, before cooing and then finally screaming and looking genuinely frightened. It happened for a good few weeks before it stopped and I hated how upset he would get.

Now, I have to tell you that I’ve never been afraid of these happenings. Perhaps I’m a little bit psychic, or maybe I think too much about things once they’ve happened. One thing I do know though is that I was glad that there seemed to be someone looking out for Stacey. I just remember wishing that they’d do the same for Oscar instead of scaring him. I know they say that spirits can’t hurt you, but how do we really know?

Who’s in my Bed?
Another morning when Oscar was just a baby the alarm went off and, as usual, I nudged Nathan before turning over to have an extra half an hour while Oscar was asleep. I must have nodded off as I was suddenly woken up by a wriggling at the side of me. Assuming that Nathan hadn’t felt me nudge him I turned over to wake him up but he wasn’t there. I sat up and saw the bed covers move and could feel the wriggling again. I whipped the covers back, thinking that I must have put Oscar on the bed without realising and that he’d slipped under the covers but there was nobody there. I looked over to his moses basket and he was still in there, fast asleep. The wriggling stopped after that but it certainly gave me a fright. And I never left Oscar alone in our bedroom after that!

In the last couple of years I haven’t really had any other spooky experiences. I often feel there’s someone in the room with me when there isn’t, and sometimes the seat cushion on the chair where Nathan usually sits will creak and move down as if someone is sitting on it when there’s no one here but me, but other than that it’s been pretty quiet. Oh, except for the day when Oscar mentioned my Grandad Jack, who died when I was 10! I’m pretty sure no one had ever mentioned him before but Oscar was adamant that he was coming round to play – spooky!!

You’ve probably just read this and decided that I’m a complete lunatic. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion so I won’t hold it against you if you have! LOL.

Do you have any weird or spooky stories to share?
Why not leave me a comment below if you have – I’d love to hear them!

Thanks for reading guys.
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Halloweek 2015 – Halloween Costume Ideas for Boys

05/10/2015 by Louise 13 Comments

For today’s Halloween Costume Ideas post I’m talking about those all important outfits for boys! I’ve also written ones for him, for her, for girls and for toddlers if you fancy checking them out as well.

I had a little help from my son, Oscar, when choosing these particular costumes, so most of them aren’t as scary as you might imagine, but I think they’d all work really well for trick or treating or as something to wear to a Halloween party. We hope you like them as much as we do …

Zombie School Boy
I’m pretty sure it will come as no surprise to you guys that I’ve added at least one zombie costume to my list of costume ideas for boys. After all, I love zombie costumes! This one is a zombie school boy outfit from Escapade and I think it really captures both the horror of having to go to school and the fun of Halloween in one cool costume. It comes complete with a grey ripped school uniform jacket and trousers, mock shirt and tartan tie. This is one little zombie I really wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Eek!!

Zombie School Boy Costume – £9.99 ||link||

Grim Reaper
It wouldn’t be Halloween without seeing a Grim Reaper lurking about, and my favourite version of this costume just has to be this one from George at ASDA. I think this is fairly scary, and would work well for most Halloween events. The outfit consists of a black robe with a rib cage design on the chest that changes its image as your child moves around, and a hood with a grim reaper face mask attached. I think this is one awesome costume that is really unique. I love it!

Grim Reaper Costume – £10.00 ||link||

Captain Hook
I love to see kids dressed up as storybook or film characters on Halloween, and one of my favourite costume ideas for this theme this year has got to be the wonderful Captain Hook! I found this super cute costume in The Disney Store and just couldn’t resist adding it to today’s post. Now, with it being an official Disney store item it’s a little more expensive than a lot of the other costumes I’m talking about, but their items are always fantastic quality and last for ages so it’s definitely worth considering if you’re happy to pay a little bit more for your fancy dress. The costume comes with a red velvet tunic with shirt effect underlay, brocade trims, black trousers with elasticated waist and cuffs and boot covers with a buckle detail. It looks exactly like Captain Hooks outfit in Peter Pan and I just love it!

Captain Hook Costume – £30.95 ||link||
Captain Hook Costume Hat – £10.95 ||link||

Spiderman
Every Halloween I see lots of little boys dressed up as Spiderman, so I thought I’d add one of my favourite Spidey outfits to my costume ideas post. My great-nephew Alfie is Spiderman mad so I’m sure he’ll appreciate me including this! This is a deluxe costume from Angels Fancy Dress which is made up of a blue and red jumpsuit with a padded chest to make the little ones look muscly, and an awesome Spiderman mask. Perfect for superheroes everywhere.

Spiderman Deluxe Costume – £23.99 ||link||

The Joker
It’s a well known fact that at least one of your friends is afraid of clowns. So why not frighten the life out of them by dressing as the scariest of them all – The Joker from the Batman film ‘The Dark Knight’? The costume is a really simple one and includes a long purple jacket with an attached printed waistcoat over a shirt and tie detail. What I really like about this costume is that the waistcoat ties at the back (and is covered by the jacket) to ensure it’s a really good fit. It also includes the scary Joker mask. Yikes! Just add a pair of black trousers, shoes and gloves to finish the look.

The Joker Costume – £19.99 ||link||

Dracula from Hotel Transylvania
With the movie Hotel Transylvania 2 currently in cinemas, I thought I’d add this awesome Count Dracula outfit to my list of costume ideas! The outfit consists of a smart black shirt front and black trousers, an elegant long black cape with a deep purple lining and high collar and a fabulous Count Dracula mask that looks just like the character in the film. I’m sure all Hotel Transylvania fans would be happy to wear this costume this Halloween. What do you guys think?

Dracula from Hotel Transylvania – £17.99 ||link||

Pirate
This year I’ve let Oscar choose his own Halloween costume for the first time, and he’s chosen to be a pirate! There are loads of different pirate costumes out there but we both loved this Deckhand Pirate costume that we found on eBay. The costume is especially piratey and comes complete with an adventure-ready jumpsuit with striped sailor shirt, attached black waistcoat and red belt above black cropped trousers with a jagged hem. It also comes with the pirate hat with a skull and crossbones design on the front. He’ll look ready to sail the seven seas in an instant – but in a super cute way of course!

Pirate Costume – £7.99 ||link||
Pirate Sword – £2.49 ||link||
Eyepatch – 29p ||link||

Mike from Monsters University
Another character costume idea that’s not too scary for little ones is dressing as the brilliant Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc/Monsters University. This super cute costume is just a deluxe padded top and trousers with a picture of Mike’s face printed on the front and spikes attached to the shoulders, but it looks really cool and I’m sure that Monsters Inc fans would absolutely love dressing as one of their favourite characters from the movie.

Mike from Monsters University Deluxe Costume – £20.99 ||link||

Werewolf
And last but not least for my boys Halloween costume ideas is this fantastic werewolf outfit. It reminds me of something out of the movie ‘Twilight’. The costume includes a vinyl chinless mask, shirt with realistic looking tears that show a little bit of wolf body and furry, fingerless gloves. I think it looks brilliant, and would be so easy to pull off this Halloween.

Werewolf – £22.99 ||link||

And that brings us to the end of my Halloween Costume Ideas for boys. I hope you guys like what I’ve picked out and that it gives you some fresh ideas for what you can dress your little ones up as this October 31st.

Do your little ones enjoy dressing up for Halloween?
I’d love to hear what they’re dressing as this year if they do!Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

Halloweek 2015 – Ghost Hunt Game Giveaway

05/10/2015 by Louise 50 Comments

It’s Day 5 of ‘Halloweek’ and today I have another fab giveaway for you where you could win yourself a Ghost Hunt game from Megableu!

Turn down the lights and prepare yourself for a scary adventure … Billy Bones sees dead people, and his skull projects ghosts on the walls and ceiling. They could be high or low, ahead or behind – everywhere! The aim of the game is to help Billy get rid of the ghosts by shooting them with your laser gun, and he’ll scream every time you zap one.

The game has 3 difficulty levels, so you can control how long you have to shoot each ghost, and your gun will count up how many you hit. Who will bust the most ghosts and win the game?!

If you’d like to try your luck at winning this prize then just follow the easy peasy giveaway rules below …

Giveaway Rules

This giveaway is to win a Ghost Hunt Game by Megableu, and it will run from 12am GMT on 5/10/2015 until 12am GMT on 15/10/2015. One winner will be drawn at random.
To enter you must follow With love from Lou on Bloglovin’ and Twitter.
You can earn four extra entries by tweeting about the giveaway, following me on Instagram, visiting my Facebook page and leaving me a comment to tell me if you’ve ever had any ghostly encounters or been on a ghost hunt before.
The prize for this giveaway is being provided by myself, and is in no way affiliated with Megableu.
The winner will be e-mailed with 24 hours of the giveaway ending, and they will have 30 days to claim their prize. If no contact has been made within this time, I reserve the right to choose another winner.
Please feel free to e-mail me at withlovefromlou@outlook.com if you have any further questions. Thank you and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering.
Happy Halloween!Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

More competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Halloweek 2015 – Halloween Costume Ideas for Girls

04/10/2015 by Louise 13 Comments

It’s time for another Halloween Costume Ideas post today, and today I’m sharing my favourite outfits for girls! I’ve also written one for him, for her and for toddlers if you fancy checking them out too.

Just like in the other posts I’ve pick out 9 costumes that I know my daughter Stacey would love to dress up in, and hope it gives you some ideas of what outfit you could pick up for your own little girls this year. I hope you like them!

Punky Skeleton
At last years Halloween party one of Stacey’s friends dressed in this Punky Skeleton costume from Wilko’s and it looked really good! It comes with a rib cage bodice with attached black tutu, leggings with a bone print on and one long and one short glove. Add a skull face with some face paint and you’re ready to go. And at just £8.00 it won’t break the bank either. Fantastic!

Punky Skeleton Costume – £8.00 ||link||

Miss Matched Witch
You guys already know how much I love to see little witches running around on Halloween, and my favourite costume this year is this cute and colourful Miss Matched Witch one from Party Delights. It comes as a three piece set in funky neon colours and includes a dress with criss-cross ribbon detail, a pair of super cute striped tights and a pointed hat with sparkly bow. Part of me wishes that Stacey was just a little bit younger so she could wear this on Halloween. I just love it!

Miss Matched Witch Costume – £18.99 ||link||

Miss Dee Meane
If, like me, you have a little one who loves anything pink then this cute Miss De Meane costume from Party Pieces could be right up their street! It’s basically the cutest prisoner outfit you’re ever likely to see and includes a pink and black striped prisoner dress and hat, capri leggings, pink wrist cuffs and a number necklace. I’ve never seen anything like this at any of our Halloween bashes before so it really would make a unique costume for any little trick or treater!

Miss Dee Meane Costume – £16.99 ||link||

Zombie Cheerleader
Last Halloween Stacey asked to dress up as a Zombie Cheerleader and the best costume we found was this one from Wilko’s. She absolutely loves anything American themed so was over the moon with the whole outfit. It comes with a fake-blood-splatted cheerleader dress and a set of matching pom-poms and then we finished the look by painting her face to look like a Zombie and splattering an old pair of white socks with fake blood. The finished result was great and I think she’ll be wearing the outfit again at some point this year!

Zombie Cheerleader Costume – £10.00 ||link||

Daring Devil
If your little devil would like to dress up as just that, then I absolutely love this cute little number from HalloweenCostumes.co.uk. It’s a bit more grown up than most of the other outfits I’ve featured, but I think it would suit tweens and teens of all ages! The outfit comes complete with a dress with an attached tail, headband with horns, wings and a little ptchfork. Team with a pair of long black boots for a devilishly good look!

Daring Devil Costume – £19.99 ||link||

Skelly Cat
When witches go riding and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ’tis near Halloween! And what a lovely black cat costume this is from Escapade! It’s actually a cross between a skeleton and a cat costume and it works really well. Little girls will look super cute dressed as Skelly Cat, and the costume comes complete with a black and purple dress with frilled skirt, collar, and a shrug with a hood that features a cats skull. It has a really modern twist on the traditional Halloween outfit and I think I’m going to pick this up for Stacey this year!

Skelly Cat Costume – £21.99 ||link||

Monster High Clawdeen Wolf

Monster High fans will love dressing up as their favourite characters from the show. Our personal favourite is Clawdeen Wolf, and we adore this cute little outfit from All Fancy Dress. Clawdeen is the daughter of the Werewolf and is a fashionista with a fierce personality. I think the costume shows this perfectly and it comes complete with jacket with attached shirt, skirt, belt and choker. The wig is available to buy separately, but is super affordable and just adds that final touch to a stunning costume!

Monster High Clawdeen Wolf Costume – £15.99 ||link||
Monster High Clawdeen Wolf Wig – £8.99 ||link||

Batgirl

For as long as I can remember, Batgirl has been a popular choice of Halloween costume for girls, and I love this black and gold version from Angels Fancy Dress. It includes a tutu dress, boot tops (not pictured), cape, gauntlets, eye mask and belt. Isn’t it just gorgeous?!

Batgirl Costume – £22.99 ||link||

Jester Girl

And last but certainly not least, I’ve chosen to include this wonderful Jester Girl costume! I love black and purple at this time of year, so the outfit most definitely screams Halloween to me! The costume comes with a printed dress with netted sleeves and netted bubble skirt, Jester style hat, collar, tights, wrist cuffs and a wand. I just love it and think it would be another unique outfit to wear to a Halloween party this year.

Jester Girl – £20.99 ||link||

And there you have it, my 9 Halloween Costume Ideas for Girls. I hope you enjoyed reading it and that it’s given you some inspiration for dressing your little ones this Halloween. Make sure you look out for my costume ideas for boys tomorrow as well.

Do your little ones enjoy dressing up for Halloween?
As always, I’d love to hear from you!Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

Halloweek 2015 – Halloween Animated Prisoner in Cage Giveaway

04/10/2015 by Louise 47 Comments

Can you believe we’re on to Day 4 of Halloweek already?! I certainly can’t – it feels like October is whizzing by too fast already.

Today I have another little giveaway for you – A Halloween Animated Prisoner in a Cage from B&M Bargains!

This would make an absolutely brilliant party prop to scare your party guests and trick or treaters.

Please note that I have no control over which design the winner receives, but it will be one of the four pictured above, which is either a Skeleton, Zombie, Clown or Orange Haired Prisoner.

So, if you’d like to be in with a chance of winning this fabulous prize then make sure you check out the easy peasy giveaway rules below …

Giveaway Rules

This giveaway is to win a Halloween Animated Prisoner in Cage, and it will run from 12am GMT on 4/10/2015 until 12am GMT on 14/10/2015. One winner will be drawn at random.
To enter you must follow With love from Lou on Bloglovin’ and and leave a comment on this post sharing your favourite Halloween joke with my readers.
You can earn four extra entries by following me on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway, following me on Instagram and visiting my Facebook page.
The winner will be e-mailed with 24 hours of the giveaway ending, and they will have 30 days to claim their prize. If no contact has been made within this time, I reserve the right to choose another winner.
The giveaway is open worldwide!
Please feel free to e-mail me at withlovefromlou@outlook.com if you have any further questions. Thank you and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveawayThank you for entering.
Happy Halloween!

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More competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Halloweek 2015 – Halloween Costume Ideas for Toddlers

03/10/2015 by Louise 1 Comment

If you’ve been following ‘Halloweek’ on my blog you’ll know that I’ve already shared my favourite Halloween costumes for him and for her, and today I thought I’d carry that theme on and do a post on Halloween costume ideas for toddlers.

I’ve picked out 9 super cute costumes that will hopefully give you some fab ideas of what you can dress your little ones up as this year. Each one would be suitable for trick or treating, parties or for just playing in at home. I hope you like them!

Vampire
It wouldn’t be Halloween without seeing a Vampire out and about, and I love this exquisite looking costume from Angels Fancy Dress! It includes a red waistcoat with a mock silk shirt attached, and a detachable black and red cape. The waistcoat has three little bats on the front which I think adds a little more character to the outfit and I could definitely see my Oscar dressed up in this. Absolutely gorgeous!

Vampire Costume – £19.99 ||link||

Charmed Witch
I love seeing little witches out and about on Halloween, and think this Charmed Witch costume is just adorable! It consists of a cute little purple and black dress with a ribbon that ties around the middle, witches hat with purple bow and the cutest pair of purple tights with black polka dots all over them! Stacey used to have something very similar to this when she was a toddler and I was gutted when she grew out of it.

Charmed Witch Costume – £19.99 ||link||
Witch’s Broom – £11.99 ||link||

Lil Monster
Next up we have the costume I’m considering buying Oscar this Halloween – Lil Monster!! I just love how cute this outfit looks on. It comes in one size only, and fits children up to 24 months. Oscar is quite small for his age though so I think I might risk picking one up to try out. The costume is all in one and is a jumpsuit with a hood on. I’ve never seen any other children where I live wearing anything like this before so I think it would make a really unique costume choice for Halloween!

Lil Monster Costume – £14.99 ||link||

Bat

Last year I dressed Oscar up as a bat for our little Halloween party and everyone said how cute he looked! Unfortunately the costume I bought him is no longer available, but I found this similar one from George at Asda and think it looks fab. It includes an ultra-soft faux-fur onesie with attached purple bat wings, hood with googly eyes and neon green tummy. It also has a hook and loop tape fastening, so it’s easy for toddlers to pop on and off. I love it!

Bat Costume – £8.00 ||link||

Itsi Bitsi Spider
Another cute costume idea suitable for both babies and toddlers is this super cute Itsi Bitsi Spider costume. It includes a snug-looking jumpsuit with attached spider legs and snaps for easy nappy changes. The jumpsuit has a hood with a plush tuft of hair, and big eyes! And for safety, the bottom of the feet are skid resistant. This is one spider you’ll surely not be scared to come across!

Itsi Bitsi Spider Costume – £19.99 ||link||

Pumpkin
This fun Pumpkin fancy dress costume will have your toddlers squealing with delight this Halloween. The padded tabard has has an integral hood and comes complete with light-up eyes! It also comes with green stripy trousers, and Asda (along with most other UK supermarkets) have recently introduced a more rigorous testing system for their fancy dress range to ensure they meet the same standards as nightwear. I think that can only be a good thing, and I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a fancy dress costume from the supermarkets nowadays.

Light-Up Pumpkin Costume – £8.00 ||link||

Frankie
If you’re after a full costume that won’t break the bank, then how about this ‘Frankie’ costume? It’s a super cute version of the iconic Frankenstein’s Monster costume and includes a top, trousers and hat with pretend bolts attached on each side. It’s perfect for both partying and trick or treating this Halloween and I think the kids will absolutely love it!

Frankie Costume – £8.00 ||link||

Devilina
If your little devil is a cutie like this one then how about dressing her as Devilina? The costume is just adorable and comes with a black and red tutu dress, sparkling headband with devil horns, plush red tail which sticks to the back of the dress with velcro and black velour glovelettes. I think it would look great paired with some black tights and ballet flats and I’m sure that most little girls would love to wear this!

Devilina Costume – £19.99 ||link||

Baby Boo
And last but not least I’ve picked out this Baby Boo costume – just how cute is it?! It’s a very simple costume that looks fantastic and it won’t break the bank either. This toddlers ghost costume comes with an all-in-one tunic that has an adorable ghost face with fluttering eyelashes and rosy red cheeks. This costume would definitely be a winner.

Baby Boo Tunic – £8.99 ||link||

And that concludes my Halloween Costume Ideas for Toddlers – I hope you enjoyed it and that it’s given you some ideas of what costumes are available to pick up this year.

Are your little ones dressing up this Halloween?
As always, I’d love to hear from you!Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

Halloweek 2015 Giveaway – Heebie Jeebie Bat & Pumpkin Sets from Lush

03/10/2015 by Louise 89 Comments

It’s day 3 of Halloweek and time for another giveaway. Today you could win yourself one of two fab prizes from Lush – A Heebie Jeebie Bat or Pumpkin from Lush!

Each of these cute Heebie Jeebie gift sets includes two lovely products from the Halloween range at Lush …

Heebie Jeebie Bat
This set includes the Lord of Misrule Shower Scream and Nightwing Shower Jelly, which are both fangtastic products that will make your spine tingle when you use them!

Heebie Jeebie Pumpkin
This set includes the Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb and Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar, which are perfect bath partners!

So, if you’d like to be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize then make sure you check out the easy peasy giveaway rules below …

Giveaway Rules

This giveaway is to win a Heebie Jeebie Bat or Heebie Jeebie Pumpkin from Lush, and it will run from 12am GMT on 3/10/2015 until 12am GMT on 13/10/2015. One winner will be drawn at random.
To enter you must follow With love from Lou on Bloglovin’ and let me know which set you’d prefer to receive if you win. Preference will be given to the first winner drawn on the day the giveaway ends.
You can earn 4 extra entries by following With love from Lou on Twitter and Instagram, tweeting about the giveaway and by leaving a comment below to tell me what your all-time favourite Lush product is!
The prize for this giveaway is being provided by myself, and is in no way affiliated with Lush
The winner will be e-mailed with 24 hours of the giveaway ending, and they will have 30 days to claim their prize. If no contact has been made within this time, I reserve the right to choose another winner.
The giveaway is open worldwide!
Please feel free to e-mail me at withlovefromlou@outlook.com if you have any further questions. Thank you and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveawayThank you for entering.
Happy Halloween!

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More competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Halloweek 2015 – Halloween Costume Ideas for Him

02/10/2015 by Louise 12 Comments

It’s the second day of ‘Halloweek’, and today I thought I’d share some of my favourite Halloween costume ideas for him.

Just like I did yesterday, I’ve picked out 9 costumes that will hopefully give you (or the man in your life) a little inspiration if you’re planning on dressing up for Halloween this year. In previous years I’ve really struggled to find a wide variety of different costumes for men, but this year there seems to be so much more to choose from – it’s made me a happy bunny!!

Read on to find out more …

Cool Ghoul
The first costume I’ve picked out is this ‘Cool Ghoul’ one from Angels Fancy Dress. I can’t decide whether it looks cool or quite scary, but either way I absolutely love it! It comes complete with a long flowing robe with black printed stitching on it, a mask and a length of plastic chain that can be pinned on to the costume however you wish. The robe only comes in one size, but it’s designed to fit most adults up to a 42″ chest. This costume is bound to be a winner at any Halloween bash this year!

Cool Ghoul Costume – £20.99 ||link||

Teen Wolf
For guys looking for a cool Halloween costume this year, have you considered a Teen Wolf outfit? Just stick on your regular jeans and trainers and then add this fabulous yellow vest, American High School letter jacket, hairy gloves and wig and beard set and you’re good to go! I don’t think I’ve ever spied anyone out wearing this particular costume before either so I’m sure it would be one your friends remembered!

Teen Wolf Costume – £40.99 ||link||

Scary Surgeon
I don’t think you can go wrong with this cheap and cheerful(?) Scary Surgeon’s outfit from Wilko’s this Halloween. The costume includes a set of scrubs and mask which are splattered with blood stains and a stethoscope. It’s freakishly bargainous!

Scary Surgeon Costume – £10.00 ||link||

Skeleton
If you’re looking to ‘stand out’ this Halloween I recommend considering this glow in the dark skeleton costume from Escapade. It consists of a black jumpsuit with hood, gloves and boot covers which have an all-over glow in the dark skeleton print on them. I can imagine it to look really good at a Halloween party, as well as being super comfortable to wear. It gets a big thumbs up from me!

Graveyard Bones Glow in the Dark Costume – £41.99 ||link||

Down for the Count
Ok, I know that this costume is a little naughty, but everyone needs a giggle every now and then don’t they? This ‘Down for the Count’ costume (I love the name by the way) is perfect for any guy who has a bit of a cheeky side to him. I’m actually considering buying it for Nathan for our next Halloween Soiree! It comes complete with shirt and waistcoat, bow tie, medallion with ribbon, cape, nude coloured trousers with attached dropped trouser effect and detachable blow up doll with scimpy black lingerie and blonde wig.

Down for the Count Costume – £34.35 ||link||

Mummy
When I was little Mummy costumes used to consist of a couple of rolls of white toilet paper or bandages being wrapped around someone and then held together with plasters or tape, which would inevitably fall apart within half an hour. These days though, you can get some awesome Mummy costumes that don’t require any DIY, and my favourite just has to be this one. It includes a hooded top and trousers with a fabric overlay which is designed to look like bandages. There are also some extra ‘bandages’ attached to the costume which can either be wrapped around or left hanging. It also comes with a sinister looking skull-face mask. Absolutely brilliant!

Mummy Costume – £29.99 ||link||

Scream Stalker
If you’re a fan of American slasher movies then why not dress up as the popular ‘Ghostface’ character from the film series, Scream? I’m sure that everyone you meet at your party/on your night out will recognize the familiar face and it’s quite an easy one to pull off as well. Bonus! This Scream Stalker costume from Angels Fancy Dress includes a hooded robe with draped sleeves, a ghost face mask and a waist sash. Now tell me – what’s your favourite scary movie?!

Scream Stalker Costume – £27.99 ||link||
Deluxe Black Gloves – £5.99 ||link||
Machette – £3.99 ||link||

Harry Potter
For the guys who don’t really want to dress up as anything scary, but still want to make an effort, there’s a wonderful Harry Potter costume available. It comes with a Harry Potter robe lined with deep red material and a printed Gryffindor badge on the chest. Of course, ladies can also wear this costume and dress up as Harriet Potter! Just don’t forget to draw on that all important scar!

Harry Potter Costume – £27.99 ||link||
Harry Potter Wand – £5.99 ||link||
Round Glasses – £2.99 ||link||

Ghostbusters
And last but not least I’ve picked out a costume from one of the films I always like to watch around this time of year – Ghostbusters! This particular costume consists of a boiler suit with official Ghostbusters logo on the chest and sleeve, blow up gun and back pack. I think it looks really great on but requires very little ‘dressing up’. I think you’re gonna love it. Altogether now “If there’s something strange … in your neighbourhood … who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS”!

Ghostbusters Costume – £34.99 ||link||

And that brings us to the end of my Halloween Costume Ideas for him – I hope you enjoyed it and that it’s given you some inspiration for dressing up this October 31st.

Do you guys ever dress up for Halloween?
I’d love to hear what sort of costumes you wear if you do!

Thanks for reading.Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube