Simple fall decor

I saw this on Pinterest. It's another crafty gem out of Martha Stewart's bag of tricks. I was able to knock this out in about half an hour. The entire project cost less than $10 - pumpkin and mum included! We squeezed this activity in after dinner, on a school night no less.

Carve out pumpkin guts.


Punch holes in bottom for drainage.


Place potted mum inside. Voila! A new fall planter to spruce up any front porch, no repotting necessary and almost completely compostable. The plastic pot that came with the mum can be recycled.


It was a perfect activity to do on the back deck while Gavin did this...


and this...


After I was finished, Gavin helped me separate the seeds from the stringy insides. "Gooey, mommy!! Gooey." [followed by lots of giggles]

After that we rinsed, boiled, seasoned, and roasted the seeds, making a yummy snack before it was time for bath and bedtime. We'll carve the second pumpkin closer to Halloween so that Gavin can have a proper Jack-O-Lantern. We may be trying a more toddler-friendly approach to pumpkin carving this year, i.e., something that doesn't require a sharp knife.

Also, I am on the hunt for a good Halloween children's book. Do any of you readers have a recommendation? If yes, please share.