Welcome fall with a viewing party

Fall, with its cooler temperatures, is the perfect season for snuggling up under a blanket and watching a good movie. I love hosting movie parties, and family movie nights are a weekly tradition in my home. Given that Hocus Pocus 2

(the sequel to the original Halloween classic) is starting to stream on Sept. 30, I thought it would be fun to share a few simple viewing party ideas.

Every good party needs three things: entertainment, décor and food. With a movie night, the entertainment is taken care of, and the movie provides excellent inspiration for décor and food.

If you browse Pinterest, there are a bunch of fantastic Hocus Pocus food and

DIY décor ideas, and I have a few on my blog (www. EastCoastMommy.com), too. Recently, I bought an over the door coat rack at the dollar store, and I used it to set up a “broom parking station”. I added a couple of brooms, a witch hat, and a black cape, and I had an adorable vignette.

It's also wonderful to set up a table filled with food and décor that can serve as a focal point. For our Hocus Pocus movie night, I made a few simple pieces of décor using inexpensive supplies. For example, I bought a package of gold, glittery alphabet stickers at the dollar store and used them to make a movie title banner.

A “book of spells” is another simple DIY that will impress guests. Paint an old book brown (or cover it with brown paper or faux leather), attach a fake eyeball, add details with hot glue and cover the hot glue with brown paint. It is easy to make but looks great.

Festive food can also double as décor and it is easy to create by making a few themed goodies and getting creative with serving dishes. For my Hocus Pocus movie night, I'll be serving: popcorn in a dollar store cauldron, witch hat cookies (peanut butter cup bases, dollops of orange icing, and Hershey kiss tops) and hot chocolate served in Hocus Pocus black mugs (that I made using my Cricut cutting machine).

The mugs can also be used to make individual “cauldron cakes”. To a microwave safe mug, add 3 tablespoons of high-quality chocolate cake mix, one tablespoon of semisweet chocolate chips, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir all the ingredients together, microwave for 50 seconds and carefully remove the mug from the microwave (as it might be hot).

The portion size is small because of the richness of the cake … but you could double or triple the recipe if you want more. You can also top the cake with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

I also made a super-cute candy dish inspired by the movie. I found a wooden cat cut-out at the dollar store, I painted it black and I added a decal that says, “Thackery Binx Candy Company”. Then, I glued the black cat to a tray I already had, and filled it with orange, green and black foil wrapped chocolates. It's a perfect centrepiece for a food table.

If Hocus Pocus doesn't interest you, can still have a fall movie night. Let the theme of the movie inspire your food and décor, cuddle up with family and friends, and enjoy!