Bluebird Patch Halloween Safety Checklist

Bluebird Patch Halloween Safety List Checklist

	Kids Safety: Provide yourself or the children with a flashlight to see better and to be better seen. Glow bands or sticks are a must!
	Costume Safety: Kids must wear bright, flame retardant costumes. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
	Put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms or any Halloween prop.
	If your child is trick or treating with a group and you are staying home to give out the candy make sure you provide each child with a wristband with your name and cell phone number. Or, write this information on a piece of paper and place it in each child’s pocket.
	Go only to well-lit houses and remain on porches rather than entering houses.
	Road Safety: Walk on sidewalks, not on the street. Cross the streets ONLY at corners. Do NOT hide or cross the street between parked cars. In the case where there is no sidewalk, walk close to the edge of the street or on the grass area (not across residents lawns) facing the on-coming traffic.
	Prepare homes for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns and sidewalks and by placing jack-o’-lanterns away from doorways and landings.
	Life Saving Reminders: Remind children to keep away from open fires and candles. Review with your children the principle of "Stop-Drop-Roll", should their clothes catch on fire. Never enter a strangers house or car for a treat, and don't eat your candy until an adult at home has checked it.
	Give kids a big meal before heading out to trick-or-treat so they’re not tempted to eat candy before they get home.
	Candy Safety: Tell your child he'll be able to eat some but he mustn't try anything unless you check it first. When checking your child's candy, there are a couple things to keep in mind. Carefully review each individual piece, checking for pinholes or tears. If candy doesn't have a wrapper it should be discarded. If a treat is homemade, best to throw it out unless you know the giver well. If your child has an allergy, read labels carefully. And avoid giving a child under 4 potential choking hazards -- gum, popcorn, nuts and hard candies.

Call Police immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.
Decorations for special events, most often involving candles, account for an annual average of 800 home fires in North America, causing nearly $4 million in direct property damage. Additionally, more than 100 people die each year as a result of their clothing becoming ignited.

Click here to download the checklist. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/101064471/Halloween-Safety-Checklist

Critical Safety Videos You Need To Watch

How Happiness and Psychology Relate

Nothing is Good or Bad

Jonathan Haidt speaks about happiness and how nothing is good or bad.

Jonathan Haidt is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the psychological bases of morality across different cultures and political ideology.

Haidt created a "Happiness Theory" that can be read (and downloaded) by going to this link http://www.positiveworkplacealliance.com/files/Abstract%20Happiness%20Hypothesis%20Haidt%202006.pdf

My favorite idea about Haid is about the "divided self" or divided mind and how he uses the analogy of the rider and the elephant.

Basically, he states the mind is divided into parts that sometimes conflict. People are driven by strange forces.They are able to see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong. People are not really in charge of their behavior. They know and see the right way but they just can't do it. The reason for this is the mind is divided in many ways: Automatic cognition and controlled cognition.

Automatic cognition is all the stuff neuro-networks do on their own without any conscious direction. Automatic cognition or "intuition" (the elephant) makes up 99% of all cognition.

The controlled cognition (the rider) or reasoning is not connected to motivational centers, is  fast, easy, don't get tired, and ultimate is the one responsible for controlling our behavior.

Best out-of-the-ordinary Halloween events around Atlanta you don't want to miss

Fernbank BOO-seum Trick-or-Treat

 

Saturday, October 29 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Get ready to have a screaming (in delight) good time! For one day only, Fernbank Museum is becoming Fernbank BOO-seum. Little Beat Music, Inc. will provide family-friendly tunes and face painting will inspire those who didn’t quite finish their costumes. Plus, enjoy a frightening-ly fun Halloween party featuring games, crafts, hands-on activities and special treats for kids in costumes.* (*Treats available while supplies last.)

BOO-seum admission is free with a Museum ticket: $17.50 for adults, $16.50 for students/seniors, $15.50 for children ages 3-12, and free for museum members and children ages 2 and under.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road, NE in Atlanta. Visitor information is available at fernbankmuseum.org or 404.929.6300. Tickets can be purchased at fernbankmuseum.org or by calling the box office at 404.929.6400.

Haunted Night at the Museum  

Storytelling, face painting and crafts accompany family-friendly frights. Oct. 21-22 at the Lawrenceville Female Seminary-Gwinnett History Museum in Lawrenceville.

 

 

Boo at the Zoo

Saturdays and Sundays, October 22, 23, 29 and 30
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Atlanta’s favorite fun family Halloween festival returns for just four days! Explore magical paths, sample sweet treats*, meet the whimsical characters of Zoo Boo Town, and much more on two enchanted weekends with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. Don’t forget your costume! Activities run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enter the Boo costume contest and receive special prizes if you win! Located at Zoo Boo Town Castle (Ford Pavilion)

Little Five Points has been keeping Atlanta weird for decades, and theis one sure way to make sure it stays freaky. The music begins at noon Oct. 22 and the parade starts at 4 p.m. in the neighborhood surrounding Moreland and Euclid avenues.

Spirits of McDonough City Cemetery Tour  

 

Experience a Fall Afternoon on the Square, where you can browse an artists market, watch performances on stage and bid on items in a silent auction from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 22. Then catch the tour from 6-9 p.m. The fest happens on the Courthouse Square in McDonough and there will be parking at Richard Craig Park, 125 S. Zack Hinton Parkway.

Georgia A-Scary-Um at the Georgia Aquarium

 

Georgia Aquarium will become the Georgia A-Scary-Um! Georgia A-Scary-Um will provide a safe and friendly environment for the whole family to have fun in costume and trick-or-treat in a unique environment with batfish, spider crabs and more creatures from the deep.
On Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, all kids 12 and under in costume will receive free general admission.* Get in the spirit with Georgia A-Scary-Um, which will be decked out with Halloween decorations. Visit the trick-or-treat candy stations in each gallery while Halloween music plays throughout the world's largest aquarium. Then, participate in the Halloween-themed arts and crafts tables and costume contests throughout the day!


Great Chefs of Atlanta Pumpkin-Carving Contest - Thursday, October 27 - 7:00pm Atlanta Botanical Garden  

 
Watch Atlanta's top chefs, armed with knives and power saws, go pumpkin to pumpkin in designing the most creative sculptures. The competition is held during Fest-of-Ale, featuring specialty beers and a scarecrow exhibition. Also don't forget for the entire month of October Atlanta Botanical will be celebrating Scarecrows at the Garden. This is one of my kids favorite event on halloween.

Family Storytelling: Spooky Stories

Friday October 21, 2011 7:00pm Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 
 
Celebrate the power of storytelling as Callanwolde showcases the Atlanta area's best stories, storytellers and storytelling traditions. Audiences will enjoy a diverse group of professional and student storytellers as they entertain audiences with tales for all ages. October features Spooky Stories with Georgia Youth Storytellers and Bev Center. 

Children are welcome to wear costumes for a parade and contest, and festive snacks will be served. 

 Little Creek Farm Fall Festival

Saturday Oct 22. 2011 - 12:00pm Little Creek Horse Farm Decatur, GA

Come experience a day at the farm as the whole family gains access to the farm where they can enjoy riding demonstrations, pony rides, live music, carnival games, kid's crafts, and a silent auction. Food and beverages, including beer, will also be available for purchase. Cash & check only for all tickets & event purchases. Checkout their website to learn how you can save time and money at our event and get free stuff!!

Halloween House Workshops at Young Chefs Academy!

Sunday, Oct 23 at 2:00pm Young Chefs Academy-North Druid Hills
Create your own Halloween House Masterpiece at Young Chefs Academy-North Druid Hills! Add a dash of creativity, a handful of treats, and a whole lot of fun. Cost of workshop includes Halloween House, candy and icing for decorating. Reservations Required.

The Great Scribble Pumpkin Party

Saturday October 22, 2011 10:30am The C3 Church
Come bring in fall with us at the Scribbles Pumpkin Party! The party will be held on October 22nd from 10:30 to 12:00. The event will include a mini pumpkin for each child to decorate with glitter and stickers. As well as, coloring pumpkin pages for the younger kids. Chili will be served for lunch after the pumpkins are finished! Scribbles is for kids between the ages of 0-3.

Halloween on the Green

 3167 Main Street, Duluth, GA, United States, 30096

Family-friendly activities, costume contest, pony rides, face painting, inflatables, HAUNTED THEATRE & More! *HAUNTED THEATRE hours will be extended. October 29, 2011 3:00 pm

"Scarecrow Village" - 10/20 - 10/30/2011

This photo of Locust Grove is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

Businesses are invited to display a scarecrow advertising their business in the downtown scarecrow village area during the month of October. 

Families and civic groups are encouraged to participate as well. Come enjoy a display of various scarecrows throughout the month of October. Address: 3644 Hwy 42, Locust Grove, GA 30248

City of Locust Grove TRUNK-OR-TREAT

Friday, October 28 · 5:30pm – 7:00pm at Front Lawn of City Hall

Bring your trunks of candy and goodies and your little trick or treaters for a night of safe Halloween fun. Decorated Trunks need to be set up by 5:00pm. Cash prizes awarded for top three decorated trunks. For more information call 770-957-7055.

North Georgia Zoo & Petting Farm Scarecrow Trail & Pumpkin Fest  Sept 22nd- Oct 31^st

^{THE WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER!}

<sup>Featuring:
•Themed Scarecrows
• Hayrides
•mini hay maze
•Pumpkin Patch
*Sunset Tours
*Meet and Greet with a variety of animals
•Boo at the Zoo:  Halloween Weekend!

Visiting the Scarecrow Trail & Pumpkin Fest is included in Zoo admission. Special Fall events may require additional fees.</sup>

A Tour of Southern Ghosts at The Antebellum Plantation
^{Stone Mountain Park}

 

At this bewitching time of the year, why not visit Stone Mountain Park and go on an evening adventure to the Antebellum Plantation for a "tour" with ghosts? The tour features fun and spooky ghost stories from the Antebellum South, great fun for young, old, and of course, a perfect family outing. It's for those who believe and for those who don't and for those who just want to have a good time. 

On the "tour" you'll meet six professional storytellers as they spin tales of Southern ghosts along the lantern lit paths of the South's most authentic and spookiest plantation. Join us for this Atlanta family tradition. It's only here that you will experience the authentic Southern Boo! 

 

Terror on the Trail, Sims Lake Park, Suwanee, Ga

By day, Sims Lake Park is an idyllic retreat, but beware the park after dark! Over two weekends this month, the park's 1.2-mile looping trail will be transformed into a haunting backdrop for zombies and tales of terror.
In cooperation with the City of Suwanee, the Aurora Theatre will bring Terror on the Trail, a haunted attraction, to life Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15 and October 21 and 22. Zombies will lead the brave of heart through Sims Lake Park to hear tales of terror. The first tour will begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening with the final tour starting at 9:30. Tours last approximately 75 minutes.

Tickets are $15 in advance and available at www.terroronthetrail.com or by calling the Aurora Theatre Box Office at 678/226-6222. Tickets also may be purchased at the park for $18. Sims Lake Park is located at 4600 Suwanee Dam Road.
Terror on the Trail is somewhere between a historic storytelling and haunted house experience, featuring professional storytellers who weave a new mythology and lore around the historical grounds that surround Sims Lake. There are some special effects, but nothing will jump out to startle visitors.


Guests are encouraged to wear appropriate footwear and to dress for the weather. No flashlights please (the zombies don't like light). While the tour is wheelchair accessible, strollers are not permitted. The tour is not recommended for children under 10; it is strongly suggested that children 12 and younger be accompanied by an adult. More information: www.terroronthetrail.com or 678/226-6222.

UndergroundAtlanta - The Greatest Halloween Show on Earth! October 29

This celebration will be the last night all Elevate / Art Above Underground artwork and performers will be on display and is FREE to the public.

Elevate Carnival will boast more than 20 acts with over 100 performances including fire breathers, stilt walkers, dancers, acrobats, aerialists, magicians and more! Underground Atlanta will transform into a colorful spotlight of daring performances and deceiving disguises resembling something seen only in dreams!

Schedule:
5:00-7:00pm | Family-friendly Events
7:00-9:30pm | Daring and Dangerous Performances
9:30-11:00pm | Adults Only Burlesque and Sideshow
**Must be 21+ to enter Kenny's Alley after 9:00pm.

 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!! The Bluebird Patch is expanding

"Divided We Fall, United We Will Prevail

Great news! If you live in the Atlanta area keep in mind that @BloggingAtlanta in now @BluebirdPtchATL

We decided it was best to join forces and merge these two brands into one.  If you only want to receive our regular "musings" please follow our main twitter account @BluebirdPatch. However, if you are from Atlanta, please follow us at @BluebirdPtchATL. 

You will not see double tweets since one account is just for our "musings" and our Tumblr and Pinterest posts, while the other account is just for promoting local happenings around the city.

We also opened a Bluebird Patch Atlanta facebook page so give us a like and check things out. http://www.facebook.com/BluebirdPatchAtlanta

Thank you all for your support.

Liza Cardona

The Bluebird Patch

   

Sip, Savor & Shop with Chefs in the City and Virginia Willis

This fall, Grape Crush Productions and Bloomingdale’s are bringing Atlanta’s premier chefs to the kitchen of one of the city’s most celebrated shopping destinations for a monthly event where guests will enjoy a guided tasting of artisan wines, a cooking demonstration by some of the city’s most celebrated chefs and preview the latest in home and fashion décor along with exclusive savings at Bloomingdale’s.  

A celebration of food and fashion, this month the Chefs in the City event brings beloved Southern chef and cookbook author Virginia Willis to the store’s state-of-the-art demo kitchen on Oct. 27, from 6-8 p.m.  

Virginia Willis, former kitchen director for Bobby Flay and Martha Stewart is one of the South’s most talented chefs. She’ll demonstrate how guests can dish out a few Southern classics from her new release, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes & Ways to Dress them Up for Company, perfect for serving during the upcoming holiday season.  

Eagle Eye Book Shop will be selling copies of the book at a special discount that evening that can be personalized by Willis, perfect to use in one’s own kitchen or the ideal gift for foodies.  

 

Guests will also have the opportunity to win chic prizes and giveaways from Bloomingdale’s, Grape Crush Productions and event partners. To share in the spirit of good meals to be enjoyed by all, a portion of each evening’s proceeds  will benefit Open Hand  in an effort to further their mission of helping people prevent or better manage chronic disease through Comprehensive Nutrition Care™, which combines home-delivered meals and nutrition education as a means to reinforce the connection between informed food choices and improved quality of life.  

  

Tickets are $25 in advance and may be purchased online at www.atlantachefs.eventbrite.com.   A limited number of tickets may be available at the door for $35. Guests must be 21 or older to attend.

Want to win a a pair of tickets to this fabulous event?  This is a Rafflecopter giveaway so just follow the steps listed in the widget!  If you don't SEE the Rafflecopter widget, please leave us a message. Good Luck!

Disclaimer: No purchase necessary to enter.

5 Brilliant Home Tips You've Never Heard Of

1. One-of-a-kind Picture Frame.  

                                   Photographs in Oil

From all the possible things you can do with a mason jar this is hands down the least expected. I think the whole idea is simply genius.  Olive oil as a picture frame? Who knew...

2. Glow-sticks Inside Bottles.

Just add water and break glow-sticks in the bottles for lawn bowling at night. Great idea for a glow in the dark Halloween party!!

 

3. How to Create Unique Affordable Art

For personalized bedroom poster print black and white photos as an "engineer blueprint" at Staples. Only $2.99 for a copy 2ft. by 3ft. AWESOME!

4. Chalkboard Fridge

  

Tired of looking at your old refrigerator? Don't have the money to upgrade? Turn it into a chalkboard!!

5. Re-purposing Your Old Maps

Do you complain you don't have enough art to hang around the house? Why not create art that actually means something.

Where you met, where you married, where you honeymooned. Fabulous!! 

Oh, how Pinteresting!!!

It's official. We are obsessed with Pinterest. I love how it helps you discover and organize all the things you love. From all things turquoise, recipes, to DIY projects Pinterest is quickly becoming my favorite tool to organize all the great things I find on the internet.  We open the account last nite and we already created 2 boards to die for. My favorite is "For the love of turquoise" so make sure you check them out. I'm getting so many ideas for my home that is mind blowing. 

To view our boards just visit us at: http://pinterest.com/bluebirdpatch/

If you want us to follow you on Pinterest please leave us you link in the comment section and we will follow you back. 

Have a Pinteresting day. Let's start pinning!!

 

Super Chic Halloween Decorating Ideas.

 

 Make Your Home Stand Out From the Rest.

Halloween is finally around the corner. Nothing like a good set of pictures to help us gather ideas for our homes. Besides Thanksgiving, Halloween is and will always be one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy Halloween not because of the free candy you might get, but simply because is the only day of the year that makes me feel like a kid again. 

If you ask me, what's the first word that comes to my mind when I hear the word "Halloween" my answer will always be "laughter". I don't know about you, but Halloween just makes me giggle and laugh uncontrollably.

I love decorating my front door but by looking at the pictures this year I need to pump out the volume. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do, but hopefully it will be something spectacular! 

Have you already decorated your home? Send us a pic and we will post it on our Tumblr page and link it back at ya! 

Happy Halloween Ya'll!!!

Have fun decorating :D

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I claim no credit for the images unless otherwise noted. If you own the rights to any of the images and do not wish for them to appear on this site please contact us.