A fun Halloween tree all decked out in orange, black, and white, and a few bats, are the perfect choice for our Halloween themed playroom!

I only decorate for Halloween in a few rooms, and it is always done with more “cute” Halloween, and I thought the playroom would be perfect for a fun Halloween tree for the kids!

This was so fun to decorate so I thought I would share with you all the details.  I did purchase the tree this year, but most the rest of the decor was just from the Dollar Tree, so very inexpensive.  And once you have the tree, you can reuse it again and again!  The only two main things on the tree, not from the Dollar Tree, is the Happy Halloween sign at the top, and the black and white ribbon.

I made the little yarn balls and those are so easy to make. I followed a tutorial from the Instagram account Haverstraw Hill.  She has it saved in her highlights.

The bats I made last year and I used the template from Devanie at Home.  The Halloween banner is from the Target Dollar spot this year.

I think the orange and black look so fun with the green chalkboard!

So far my kids are loving this!!  Do you have any fun places that you decorate for Halloween??

***I’m so excited to have had my Halloween Tree featured in an article on The Spruce!!

Affiliate links (Amazon) are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure here.

Black tree

Happy Halloween sign- Amazon but is showing unavailable

Black and white ribbon- Hobby Lobby

White crate- Hobby Lobby

Most everything else on the tree is from the Dollar Tree.  Let me know if you have any other questions!

Halloween Themed Playroom

a fireman’s wife

Fall is here!  I love all things fall and I look forward to this time every year.  Decorating my home for the fall season is always so fun and I’m excited to welcome you into my home!

FALL HOME TOUR

I will start you off with my front porch and then take you inside!

This year I went with white mums and then a couple simple pumpkins and a magnolia wreath to add a little pop of color.

I just adore this welcome mat that I found and it is the perfect addition to my fall front porch!

Entryway

I kept my entryway table super simple this year and love the pop of color in the fall stems.

Living Room

Right across from the entryway table is the living room and I carried the same colors in here too.

The stems on the piano are from JoAnn and the ones on the cabinet are from Hobby Lobby.  Those are my favorite fall stems this year and I have them in a few places around the house!

Garage Entryway

I just added a tote with my favorite fall stems and a pillow to help prop it up.  Then a simple boxwood wreath adds the perfect farm charm!

Dining Room

Right across from the garage entryway is the dining room.  I absolutely love this large black tray I found.  I will be so fun to style for all the coming holidays!

I love the pops of rust-orange and gold in here.  The pumpkins were from the Target dollar spot this year.

This fall wreath on the chalkboard was a favorite find as it coordinates so well with my favorite fall stems!

Kitchen

Right at the beginning of September we were starting school and I added these bright red apples to my galvanized chicken feeder.  Simple fall stems from JoAnn were added to my galvanized bucket. Then a few weeks later I added in pumpkins to bring out the fun orange color of fall!

These amber hand and dish soap bottles helped to complete the look and they are perfect to add in any soap of your choice.  I went with Young Living’s Thieves soap that smells heavenly like fall and Christmas; and even better because it is free of all harmful perfumes or chemicals!

I found this fun vintage farmhouse scale and it looks perfect with this boxwood wreath I found from the Target dollar spot, a year ago, and a white pumpkin.

Family Room

Right next to the kitchen nook is the family room and I had fun not only bringing in fall, but a few subtle halloween touches with these adorable copper pumpkins.  Neutral pillows help to complete the look!

I recently found this new coffee table and I loved how well it coordinated with my entertainment center.

I also added this cute Fall Market sign and this beautiful neutral fall wreath.  Next to the mantel I placed my blanket ladder and they are perfect for bringing warmth and coziness to a space.

Loft

I kept this side of the loft very simple with adding a fall wreath to my upstairs blanket ladder and a few buffalo check pillows.

Master Bedroom

This past summer I was able to give my master bedroom a little refresh with some new bedding and curtains, so I had fun adding some fall in here too.  A thankful pillow, ticking stripe, and fall stems add the perfect touch!

I hope you enjoyed my fall home tour!  I will link some of the items below and let me know if you have any questions about anything else!

Affiliate links (Amazon & Etsy) are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure here.

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Hey There Pumpkin doormat

Buffalo check mat

Front door wreath

Fall pillow

Living room rug

Large black farmhouse tray

Dining room table runner

Chalkboard wreath

Galvanized chicken feeder

Amber soap bottles

Vintage scale

Fall Market sign

Fall wreath

Copper pumpkins

White coffee table

Pom pom pillow covers

White ruffle pillow cover

Ticking stripe pillow cover -family room

Fall pillow cover -family room

Curtain rods

Curtain clips

Curtains

Blanket ladder- family room

Blanket ladder- loft

Loft wreath

Ticking stripe pillow cover- master bedroom

Thankful pillow

White ruffle pillow cover- master bedroom

FALL HOME TOUR

a fireman’s wife

These are so quick and simple to put together and you may already have everything on hand!  You need any size Mason jars, battery tea lights, and scotch tape.

I just picked these tea lights up at Target.

Tear off some tape and loop it around, sticky side out, and place on the inside of the lid.

Stick on the tea light candle and close up the lid.  That is it!

The tape is strong enough to hold the tea light in place to put the lid back on, but easy enough to pull the tea light off for turning on the light.  

These are also great for outside or any time of year!

What are everyone’s plans for Thanksgiving this year??!!  Do you host or head somewhere else??

Affiliate links (Amazon) are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure here.

shop this look….

~ Mason jars

~ Battery Tea light candles

~ Masking tape

~ White buffet plates

~ buffalo check napkins

SIMPLE MASON JAR LANTERNS

I love how we get to enjoy our tree a little longer by putting it out early because the Christmas season goes so quickly!

I know some people just decorate for Christmas right after Halloween but we always host Thanksgiving so I don’t like to ignore that holiday and decor!

Most of the tree decor is from Hobby Lobby or JoAnn.  The wooden letters and pillow is from the Target Dollar Spot.

So how about you….do you decorate a tree for any other holidays besides Christmas??  Let me know if you have any other questions about where I purchased something!

XOXO

Jen

A fun sign, spooky trees and a wreath, a pumpkin banner, glittery pumpkins, and a small 3 part chalkboard that was just waiting for me to write “BOO” on it makes up my spooky dining room!  The Target Dollar spot has just been so much fun this year and it is such a great way to add in seasonal decor for cheap!

Here is a close up of the pumpkin banner and wreath hanging in the window.  Sorry the lighting is so bad.  No matter what time of day it is I always get so much glare when taking photos facing the window in the dining room.

I added some fun bats on the wall after seeing this cute cutout bat tutorial from Devanie At Home.

I made another pillow to have hang out in the dining room from Target Dollar Spot towels.  You can find all the info on how to do that here!

I hope this gives you some simple, inexpensive halloween inspiration!

XOXO

JEN

When I started my diet several months ago to help cut back on inflammation one of the things I had to cut initially was eggs.  I was so used to eating some form of eggs on most mornings that I wanted to find something else hardy that was going to stay with me and not leave me hungry within an hour.  I searched around and after tweaking a few things together this is what I came up with.  I love how this makes a large amount so I save the leftovers in the refrigerator and eat it for breakfast throughout the week.  I am not going to lie, this takes about 45 minutes to prepare even with me pre-cutting up the butternut squash the night before.  And I know we all don’t have time for that every morning so leftovers are great!

As I mentioned above I often pre-cut up my butternut squash the night before because it is a little bit of a process.  When making this meal I either buy one small butternut squash or one large one that is cut in half and I save the other half for the next time I make this. In these pictures I used a large butternut squash.  This probably could have used a post all on it’s own but here are the steps for cutting up a butternut squash.

Before we start I need to share this y-peeler with you.  Don’t even try to peel one of these without a really sharp peeler.  You will probably start crying, well maybe not, but it will be super frustrating and almost impossible.  This OXO Y-peeler right here is a lifesaver and goes through the squash like butter!

Cut the ends off the squash.

With the y-peeler peel away from you and keep your fingers out of the way as this baby is sharp!

Once peeled stand it up and slice it in half as even as you can.

With a metal spoon scrape out the seeds.

When using a large squash I bag up one of the halves to use for next time.  It has always been fine in the refrigerator for about 5-6 days.

With the other half, lay it down and then cut it in half across the middle.

With one of the halves start making slices about 1/4- 1/2 inches wide.

Then with each slice cut them into 1/4-1/2 inch strips.

Slice each of those strips into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes.  Usually I am doing this the night before so I just pop them right into a storage bag.  If you are making the hash right away just put them in a bowl while you are cutting up the rest.

This usually comes out to about 3-4 cups of cubed squash.  Because all squash are a little different it is never exact and I just use my judgement if it is big enough to split or if I can use the whole thing.  It has always turned out great no matter what!

When you are ready to make the hash add about 1/2 cup avocado oil to a large skillet on medium heat.  I honestly never measure.

Add the butternut squash.

Add the chopped onion.  I like to pre-cut up that too if I can.  Stir around.

While that is cooking slice the apples and cut into about 1/2 inch pieces.  Add the apples and water to the skillet and stir.

Let that continue to cook and stir often while you season the meat.  I usually use ground pork, my favorite, but I also have used ground turkey or ground chicken.  I try to buy what I can find organic or at least all natural.  Here is what you need to season the meat.  

Add the spices right on top of the meat.

I take my spoon and kind of mix them together a little first.

Then I mix the seasonings into the meat.

Move the squash, apples, and onion to the side of the pan and add another tablespoon or two of avocado oil.

Add the meat to the pan and kind of push it down to fill the space.  Let it sit and cook for a minute or two before you start breaking it up.

Continue to break it up and stir it around until it is no longer pink.

Then mix it all together.

Roughly chop up a big pile of greens.  I usually buy the pre-washed containers of power greens or super greens but you can also use just spinach.

Add to the skillet and then stir it around. I usually have the heat turned down to medium low by now.

It won’t take long to wilt and look like you hardly have any spinach in the pan.

Finally start seasoning it with pink salt and fresh ground black pepper.  I usually do a few rounds of the salt and pepper and I just keep cooking it and stirring in between.

I will often taste it, cool the bite first, to see if it needs more salt and pepper and add more if needed.  When it tastes to your liking turn off the heat and serve.  Refrigerate the leftovers to eat throughout the week!

Affiliate links (Amazon) are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure here.

OXO Y Peeler

large cast iron skillet

Here is your printable recipe!!

XOXO

JEN

Autumn Breakfast Hash

 

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Cook time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

This is a warm hearty breakfast with all the yummy fall flavors!

Author: A Fireman's Wife

Recipe type: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash cut in half, or 1 small, peeled and cut into ¼-1/2 inch cubes (about 3½ - 4 cups)
• Avocado oil for cooking (about ½ cup plus 1-2 tablespoons divided)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 apples cored and diced (depends on preference and size)
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 pound ground pork, (chicken or turkey may also be used)
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon pink salt
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• about 3 cups spinach or power greens roughly chopped
• pink salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (omit pepper for AIP)

Instructions

1. Add about ½ cup avocado oil to a large skillet on medium heat.
2. Add the butternut squash and diced onion. Stir around.
3. Dice up the apples and add to the skillet along with the water. Continue to cook and stir while you prepare the meat.
4. In a medium bowl add your ground pork, sage, salt, thyme, and garlic powder. Stir it all together.
5. Move the squash, apples, and onion to the side of the pan and add another tablespoon or two of avocado oil.
6. Add the meat to the pan and kind of push it down to fill the space. Let it sit and cook for a minute or two before you start breaking it up.
7. Continue to break it up and stir it around until it is no longer pink. Then mix it all together.
8. Add the spinach or power greens to the skillet and stir it around.
9. I usually have the heat turned down to medium low by now.
10. It won't take long for the spinach to wilt and look like you hardly have any in the pan.
11. Finally start seasoning it with pink salt and fresh ground black pepper. I usually do a few rounds of the salt and pepper and I just keep cooking it and stirring in between.
12. I will often taste it, cool the bite first, to see if it needs more salt and pepper and add more if needed. When it tastes to your liking turn off the heat and serve.
13. Refrigerate the leftovers to eat throughout the week!

3.5.3251

AUTUMN BREAKFAST HASH

a warm hearty breakfast with all the yummy fall flavors!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

I always love shortcuts in the kitchen and even before celiac disease we would often buy Kodiak Cakes pancake mix when I needed to be quick and not make them from scratch.  Once diagnosed, I found that Kodiak Cakes make a gluten free version and we were all amazed how similar they taste to the regular ones.  So when making these pumpkin pancakes I had the idea to just doctor up the Kodak Cakes! So nice and easy!!

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl add the Kodiak Cakes Gluten Free Flapjack and Baking Mix.  Add the milk, or Almond milk if you want to keep it dairy free, and mix.

Add in the pumpkin puree.

Mix together and add in cinnamon and ginger.  Mix well!

Heat a griddle pan on the stove, I usually have it between medium and medium low or it gets too hot, and baste with coconut oil.

Ladle the pancake mix onto the griddle and cook pancakes until bubbly and slightly browed on the bottom then flip.

I re-baste the pan with the coconut oil between every round of pancakes.

Serve warm with organic pure maple syrup and enjoy those yummy flavors of fall!!

Affiliate links are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure here.

Gluten Free Kodiak Cakes

Lodge Cast Iron Griddle 

Here is your printable recipe!

XOXO

JEN

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

 

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This is a great way to doctor up gluten free pancake mix so you can still enjoy yummy pumpkin pancakes in the fall!

Author: A Fireman's Wife

Recipe type: Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten free Kodiak Cakes Flapjack and Baking Mix
• 2 cups milk or Almond Milk
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• coconut oil for cooking
• pure organic maple syrup for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl add the Kodiak Cakes Gluten Free Flapjack and Baking Mix. Add the milk, or Almond milk if you want to keep it dairy free, and mix.
2. Add in the pumpkin puree.
3. Mix together and add in cinnamon and ginger. Mix well!
4. Heat a griddle pan on the stove, I usually have it between medium and medium low or it gets too hot, and baste with coconut oil.
5. Ladle the pancake mix onto the griddle and cook pancakes until bubbly and slightly browed on the bottom, then flip.
6. Re-baste the pan with the coconut oil between every round of pancakes.
7. Serve warm with organic pure maple syrup and enjoy those yummy flavors of fall!!

3.5.3251

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN PANCAKES

an easy way to bring in those yummy flavors of fall!!

FALL HOME TOUR…..A FIREMAN’S WIFE

Black, white, and pops of orange seem to be the common color theme in most the rooms in my home this fall.  I love these colors as they can pass for fall and Halloween.  If you are interested in seeing my fall front porch you can check out my post here.

Entryway

Front Living Room

If you were to turn around when facing my entryway table you would see the front living room.

Dining Room

Garage Entryway and stairwell

Turn around from the dining room and you will see this area.

Kitchen

Family Room

Added a little Halloween!

Powder Room

Guest Room and guest bath

Loft and playroom

Office

I hope you enjoyed my Fall Home Tour!!  Let me know if you have any questions about anything!

XOXO

Jen

Black, white, orange, fun pumpkins, galvanized lanterns, and mums are what I had fun decorating my fall front porch with this year.

I just adore this fun black and white welcome sign that I found recently and I love how it can stay on my porch beyond fall!

I am loving this cute plaid rug and the pop of orange in the door mat.

More black and white added to the chairs of my bistro set, a buffalo check rug, and fun pillows for the bench!

I thought it would be fun to stack pumpkins in my large white planter rather than fill the whole thing with flowers.

I always keep these two black flower pots in the front archways and they are fun to change out for the different holidays and seasons!

Now that it is October some halloween lights were added around the door along with hanging up more lights out front and my Buffalo Check Banner!

I hope you all enjoyed my fall front porch!

Affiliate links are included for some of the items below for your convenience.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  See my disclosure here. 

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~ Welcome Sign

~ Orange doormat

~ Plaid rug (similar 1) mine was from my fall Homestyler Box and sadly the company just shut down.

~ Plaid rug (similar 2)

~ Buffalo Check rug

~ Buffalo Check pillow cover

~ black and white bistro chair cushions

~ I think I love fall most of all pillow cover (similar)

~ Pumpkin buffalo check pillow (Target dollar spot this year)

~ Buffalo check flower pot

~ Galvanized lantern 1

~ Galvanized lantern 2

~ Mums (Walmart)

~Pumpkins (Sprouts & Walmart)

FALL FRONT PORCH

XOXO

Jen

DIY Target Dollar Spot Pillow

So here is what I started with.  One towel that says October 31, and one buffalo check towel.

First I flipped the towels facing in on each other.  After washing and drying the towels they weren’t exactly even so I did my best to line them up.  I actually wet them with a spray bottle to stretch them back out to their normal shape.  After they dried I pinned it all around except I left about a 6-7 inch gap on one side so that once mostly sewed I could flip it back over.

I just hand stitched it all around as I still have not been able to figure out my sewing machine!  See below the gap I left so I could flip it around.

Then flip it around and you are able to stuff the pillow.

I still had an extra bag of Poly-fil lying around from when I made the Valentine’s pillows.  This was about $3 from Hobby Lobby.  It would be even cheaper with one of their $40% off coupons if not on sale.

Then stuff the pillow, I only used about half the bag, and finish hand stitching it the rest of the way around.  Super easy and affordable Halloween pillow!

It added a great addition, and Halloween transformation, to my fall mantel!

This is about as scary of Halloween decorating that I do around here!!

DIY TARGET DOLLAR SPOT PILLOW

an affordable way to add in halloween decor!!