Seventeen children and the adults who brought them spent Halloween morning painting canvases and mixing slime at YSV Candles & Gifts.
“Anyone with kids knows they wake up on Halloween asking, ‘When can we go trick-or-treating?'” said Melinda Tomasweski, owner of Mama’s World, who hosted the Halloween Paint and Slime Party. “My daughter is no exception!”
With Halloween on a Saturday this year, Tomasweski said she wanted to give families something to do that morning. She also hoped to start a tradition that lets parents and children spend the day together instead of waiting for trick-or-treating to begin.
Her daughter’s love of slime inspired the party. Tomasweski also had an idea for a painting project.
“I also had an idea for a canvas painting project that would incorporate some of my plaster molds attached directly to the canvas, giving the artwork a fun, three-dimensional look,” she said.
Combining the two made a Halloween activity for kids, she said.
“I love coming up with new events and craft kits, but I will say that my daughter’s current interests often inspire some of my best ideas,” Tomasweski said. “If she’s excited about something, chances are other kids will enjoy it too!”
Tomasewski started Mama’s World in February 2024. A few months later, she joined YSV Candles in October 2024.
“As a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to build a business that would allow me to earn an income while still being present for what matters most to me,” she said. Her daughter, she said, is her world, “and that’s how Mama’s World was born.”
Her first event at YSV was an ornament workshop on Oct. 24, 2024, she said. Since then, she has hosted events there mostly for children, along with private events for adults such as baby and bridal showers. Adults recently joined in for an event called Bricks & Brushes.
“It means a lot to me to be able to offer something in our community that’s affordable, accessible, and fun for families,” Tomasweski told the Clear Ridge Reporter. “I love making connections with people in my community. What starts as a family attending a craft event can turn into friendships, familiar faces returning to future events, and opportunities to connect in other ways.”
She said those connections mean as much to her as the business itself, and she wants Mama’s World to be a place where families feel welcome, and children can create and have fun together.
Her favorite part of the party, she said, was watching the children’s creativity take directions she never would have imagined.
“Being a small part of that happiness and knowing they get to take home something they created themselves, is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do,” she said.
