Halloween Ideas and Tips

Halloween is the holiday that kicks off Autumn. It’s my favorite time of the year because of all the fun holidays back to back. Our Halloween celebration is so much more than just costumes and trick or treating. It’s a time for us to make magical memories together. Here are some ways my family celebrate the month of Halloween.

Rent Movies

It seems to me, that these days Halloween  themed or Horror movies  aren’t on TV enough around this time. I can remember as a child,  in the month of October, nearly every channel featured a horror film such as a Tales from the Crypt Marathon, Twilight Zones, Nightmare on

Elm Street, Friday the 13th, you get the idea. But now, I have to stalk the TV guide to find something, so I decided to visit the local video store and load up on movies. They even make it convenient for you and move the most popular  Halloween movies to their own section during

this time. So I get the really scary stuff for myself and Casper or more family friendly movies to watch with my 6 year old.  Goosebumps are her fav, It’s a series of stories based off the Goosebumps novels by R.L. Stine, which I was absolutely obsessed with  reading when I was a

child. They are perfect for her, not too scary, but bring a little thrill. So head to your local video store this week and get in the Halloween Spirit.

Visit Pumpkin Patch

 

My daughter loves to visit the pumpkin patch, and I can see why. There’s much more to do other than picking out that perfect pumpkin. There’s hayrides, hay mazes, bounce houses, face painting, you name it!. The activities vary from place to place. So look into your local farms, to see what’s offered. For those of you in the St. Louis Area. My favs are Eckerts and Rombachs Farms. But if your only looking to pick a pumpkin, I suggest your local grocer, because at the farm they can be pricey. Click the links below to browse their site.

http://www.eckerts.com/millstadt.htm

http://www.rombachsfarm.com

Make Pumpkin Pie

Making Pumpkin Pie has definitely become a Halloween Tradition for me. I can remember when I would not touch Pumpkin Pie, because I just couldn’t imagine it tasting good. Until one day a co-worker brought some into work, and I decided to try it. I Loved It! I’ve always made sweet potato pie for the holidays and still do, but I reserve Halloween for the pumpkin pie. I make it the exactly the same way I make sweet potato pie, I just use pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes! So here’s my recipe, ENJOY!

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp of pumpkin spice

2 large eggs

1/2 cup of butter

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 can of evaporated milk

1 can on pure pumpkin (I use Libbys)

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust.

Mix all the ingredients, stirring in evaporated milk gradually last.  Pour in the pie shell. Bake in preheated 425 degrees oven for 15 min, then reduce to 350 degrees for 40-50 min. Cool for 2 hours , then serve or refrigerate. And don’t forget the whip cream!

Carving Pumpkins

It Just wouldn’t be Halloween without Jack O’ Lanterns! I know, I know, carving pumpkins can be a chore. If you want a special design, it can sometimes take hours.  Or maybe you just don’t have any cutting skills. Well hopefully I can help you out with that, I have uploaded a video

tutorial on my Youtube Channel. Click the link below!

Decorations

There’s just something about dressing up the house with creepy scary things! I love it! But, a downside is that it can get expensive. So what I do to offset those prices is shop at the Dollar Tree (EVERYTHING IS A DOLLAR!)  They have an entire section dedicated to Halloween, and

I just go on a spree. Now this is cheap stuff, most things you will probably throw away once you take them down.  But what I do  each year is buy a couple pieces from Pier One or the Disney Store to put out, and over the years I have more and more really nice decorations, and the

less I have to get from the Dollar Tree!

Another negative about decorating the home, is the work of putting it up and taking it down. In the past I would start decorating the first week of October, but it seemed like as soon and I was done it was time to take it all down. So now I start about mid September, just because I

feel I get to enjoy it more, and it increase the anticipation for Halloween day.

Trick or Treating

When I was a kids the only options for trick or treating that I can remember was door to door in the neighborhood, or in the local mall. TODAY, there are tons of options! So much so, we go trick or treating probably  three are more times during the month. Hey gotta get our money’s worth out of those costumes right? So here are the three we almost always do each year.

Boo at the Zoo– This is an event that’s hosted by the St. Louis Zoo. It usually runs from mid October to Halloween, during the evening from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Every one wears there Halloween costumes and follow a trick or treating path around the zoo to get candy. After your done trick or treating you can visit the animals! They also have a couple of “haunted houses” set up that you can walk through, and much more.  The kids 12 and under will receive a trick or treat bag filled with goodies upon leaving. The admission is only about $7 per person. This has become a must do for us.

Trunk or Treat– This is something I noticed that started popping up when I was in college. Everyone parks their car on a lot and decorate their trunk and the kids go from car  to car for candy. This is a safer alternative for door to door trick or treating, and I think that may be why this was born. My daughter’s school host one every year the week before Halloween, so we are always in attendance to that as well!

Trick or Treat Street– This is the grand finale of our trick or treating! This is what we do on Halloween, we visit a neighborhood that goes all out and has been dubbed Trick or Treat Street! I mean almost every house is decorated and lights on passing out candy! Some families even sit outside in their lawn chairs have a little bonfire going and sip wine watching all the children trick or treating. We don’t trick or treat in our neighborhood because there usually aren’t any lights on and I think its because nobody’s home! Everybody is out doing things  for Halloween these days, times  have changed.

I usually visit the St. Louis events calendar to find out what’s going in the are during the month of October, because we are always on the look out for Halloween Fun! I’m sure each city has their own so go see what’s going on in your town!

http://www.explorestlouis.com

Halloween Parties

Who says Halloween is the for Kids? No way! Adults can have their own fun for Halloween without any kids involved! My husband and I, and some friends went  on a Halloween Riverboat cruise! It was for adults  21 years and older, and every person had on a costume. It was so much fun, a night filled with laughter, dancing and drinks! Great Combo Right? ! Attend an adult  costume party this year  if you haven’t done so already, you won’t regret it.

Thank you for visiting , and I hope you enjoyed reading how my family celebrates Halloween  and were  inspired!

CONTEST !!!

I have a contest, if you would like to enter just subscribe and comment your answer! My husband and I were  a Harlem Renaissance couple  for the costume party. Can you tell me who are my friends? Winner will receive a Bath and Body Works Candle of Pumpkin Cupcake scent. Good Luck! Winner will be announced next week! COMMENT BOX IS AT THE TOP OF POST!

CONTEST CLOSED!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO ELIZABETH SPIVEY!