Hi Linda
When the petals of the flower head turn brown, fall off and the back of the sunflower head turns yellow, cover the head with cheesecloth or a brown bag to keep the birds away. A good clue when to harvest is when the birds or squirrels start picking on the head. Another option is to cut off the flower head leaving a good 10″ stem and hang it outdoors or in a dry, ventilated area (garage) upside down. One suggestion is to put a nylon stocking over the head so when the seeds start to fall off, they will collect in the stocking. To test if the seeds are dry, rub the surface with your hand and they should easily release.

Hi Kathryn
Pumpkins need warmth and sun to ripen. If the pumpkins are still on the vine, leave them and remove any leaves to expose them to sunlight. If the weather predicts frost, cover them with plastic overnight and remove during the day as it warms up unless it remains very cold.
Another way to ripen pumpkins and accelerate maturing is to remove them from the patch and place them in a sunny warm spot on a patio, deck, window or a greenhouse. Expose the green side to the sun and rotate periodically to expose all other green parts. If it gets too cold(freezing) overnight bring them inside. The pumpkins may not color evenly especially when exposed to chilling temperatures below 50F.

Hi Jennifer
If the spots on the pumpkin are coming from the inside then I would toss the pumpkins into the compost pile. Cut it open and see. If the spots are just on the outside surface you may be able to cut that away. Use you own judgment. Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not the best for eating so it may not be worth the hassle or the risk.

If the pumpkins has fruit rot caused by a fungus which starts as water-soaked spots and eventually enlarge and get covered with white mold. It can occur from fruit set to harvest. Eating them would not be recommended. http://vegnet.osu.edu/problem/pb78983.htm