In conversation with a "Super Mom"
Costume Ideas and Trick or Treats traditions with Charlotte Eedson - A 90's lover and her creative universe!
✨The Family Interviews✨: In conversation with a parent about any topic that inspires them. Sharing their universe, vibes and unique way of looking at things. Any survival tips, everything they love, eat and recommend!
For this first one, I am thrilled to invite my dear friend Charlotte to share her Love for Halloween! Let’s celebrate in a fun, and affordable way but make it magical for us and our little ones!
ABOUT CHARLOTTE IN A NUTSHELL:
She is a Canadian super mom of two little girls Sigourney 4 and Cecile 18 months, she lives in Mar Vista with her French husband Bart. She obviously loves a Canadian Tuxedo. She is a Rom-Com lover and will always win at pop culture trivia. In her free time she makes cool ceramics. She turns every challenge into an opportunity to learn something new and always there for you. She has an inspiring positive attitude even when she is tired because she woke up 3 times last night to soothe her youngest.
Charlotte will never be the sexy dead nurse for Halloween instead she will be the feminist heroine of Daisie, an experimental Czech film. And is a mom friend whom I admire very much and learn from all the time.
I know how much you love Halloween. You truly incarnate the real aspirational Halloween family spirit I have always dreamed of when I was younger and living in Europe. What does Halloween mean to you and do you have any family traditions?
I grew up in Canada, where Halloween is just as important as in the United States. My mom always made it an extra special time of year for us when we were kids. Me and my sister always had the best handmade costumes. Later, in High school, we were never the typical friend group with sexy spooky costumes, we were more the giant mascot costumes.
Today as a mum I am passing down those traditions to my kids. We start decorating the house on October 1st. We put the lights out and some giant decorations in the front lawn by the artist Priscilla Moreno.
As a little Halloween count down, we have a play house that we are turning into a haunted castle by adding some paper cut or affordable decorations every day to it. The girls love it.
We get into the holiday spirit by going to the public library and getting Halloween-themed books - This one is our favorite this year: Spooky Pookie.
Any cool ideas for pumpkin decorations?
I am learning new tricks every year. The paint was very messy and ruined all the kid's costumes last year and the markers were not staying. So I changed to sticker beads, gluing things on, and some fuzzy strings to decorate.
The first time we celebrated Halloween together was at work 6 years ago. For me as the little Parisian girl just arrived in California it was amazing to see everyone dressed up in those crazy costumes, photo-booth, Best Costume awards…You were dressed as a Wallflower that year!
Where do you get all your cool costume ideas?
Honestly it’s all about what I’m obsessed with at the moment! I get inspired by musicians, movies, and whatever I find while thrifting. I have this vintage 80s costume book “Fancy dress” by Jane Asher that gives me so many ideas. Another brand I look at is Fashionbrandcompany they have cool things.
This year though I am going to take it easy. We will probably be a spider family, that is what Sigourney asked for. I also thrifted a SuperWoman dress that she likes and it will do!
What was one of the favorite costumes you have ever made? Any Eco-Friendly ideas to share with us?
Speaking about Eco friendly, all of my favorite costumes were made out of cardboard recycled Amazon boxes: I made this Alexander Calder mobile once the idea came from a Calder exhibition that was in LA - The challenge though was to figure out how to make it balanced it was not so easy!
Another memorable one was the “Cousin ITT” from the Addams Family that I made from Hula skirts. I was sewing all day long for many days and the neighbor came up to me and asked me to stop with that machine! (Laughs)
I also like the Halloween “culture check”, you can find your people at parties that have similar references and that get you!
I know you work full time too so when do you have time to make those crazy costumes? Any advice for new moms?
First, I did most of my “one million hours” costumes pre-kids. I always wanted everything to be handmade, but I have learned to be kind to myself. Instead of sewing everything, I use hot glue now. Last year we were moving, and Sigourney wanted to be a cat, I was stressing so much about it and I just ended up buying a costume on Amazon and that’s fine! But when I have more time I enjoy doing it myself, I would just do it the night before and stay up very late! But we put so much pressure on our self so if I had one advice to new moms, if you are feeling overwhelmed, instead of making them a costume from scratch let them wear pajamas and carry a stuffed animal and they will be perfectly happy!
What is your Best Halloween memory as a Mom?
For us it is also a special time of the year because we celebrate Sigourney’s birthday and she turns 4 this year. We usually throw a birthday with all of our friends and organize activities such as Pumpkin decorating for both kids and adults and spooky scavenger hunts. My kids also love to hand out treats!
One thing I always find magical if you live in LA is Bob’s baker Marionette's “Spooktacular” show.
We love to celebrate this time of year with you! Everyone is in the mood to party. I love how you greeted us last year by doing a pretend trick-or-treat upon our arrival. Such a cute idea!
Do you have any boundaries on candy?
Of course I do, mainly because the kids are still young. For Sigourney it is fairly easy because I have to take all the candies away as she is allergic to several things, she is just allowed a few pieces on the day. I am also surprised how parents are never proposing healthy alternatives to give the kids like fruit leathers - raisins- or fruit pouches, I saw that only one time.
A cool thing I saw last year, this family in our neighborhood puts a table out front with all the kid's old toys and it’s for everyone to take instead of candies. My daughter got a Playmobil once from there and still plays with it all the time.
The toy table is such an inspiring idea. How cool to have a basket full of all the one-off little toys, small charms, that our kids love to accumulate throughout the years and will end up in the trash at some point instead of candys!
One thing I love about you is your endless 90’s references. Any favorite classic movies to rewatch? Or music to listen too?
CE: For parents, I liked the movie “Witches of Eastwick” for which Polly Platt did production design. She was the first woman accepted into the Art Directors Guild, in 1971! Two others that are my classics: The Craft and Practical Magic.
I listen to The Cranberries and love this podcast, My Favorite Murder A True Crime Comedy Podcast.
I remember you invited us to go see The Craft at Cinespia a few years ago. A much-needed girls' night out! Our friend Dida was 8.5 months pregnant and drove one hour from Long Beach ! She wanted to do as much as possible before her baby showed up! She had so much energy it was so refreshing and inspiring to see :)
Tell us about your kid's top 3 Halloween favorites?
My youngest loves these floating lights, she pretends to play Harry Potter and just started saying “Abracadabra” in the cutest way. Those pumpkin pillows are also a hit. They love to dress up, I got a full box of second hand costumes on Facebook marketplace that they will be wearing for the whole month.
And of course trick or treating! Our friends close off their street and it does become a full block party, it’s really fun!
A tradition of this newsletter is to share an easy and healthy recipe that your kids love too.
When we have time, we cook mostly easy and quick sheet pan or one-pot-type meals! This is one of our favorite easy-fall recipes:
Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms and Spinach
If I have to pick a favorite costume from yours it will be this flower bouquet. Love! One last question - Do you keep all of your costumes?
I don’t keep them but the legit costumes I will donate them. If not I will just recycle the cardboard and make new ones.
For my kids, I've kept them all for dress-up and for the younger one to reuse.
Thank you for sharing your magical universe. It is so inspiring and thanks for the great laughs!
If you have any questions for Charlotte! Hit the comment box.
Much Love,
xxx,
Marina