How are you celebrating Halloween?

[PRICEPLUS]

What do you do to celebrate?

[pearlieq]

Since it's just DH and I, we don't usually do much.

My biggest challenge is finding something to give the trick-or-treaters that they think is cool and that I have absolutely NO interest in. I'm on the hunt already for this year. I'm thinking either of those little mini halloween pretzel bags or maybe some of that neon sour candy the kids like so much.

[Ima saver]

We get all dressed up and go to a big Halloween party. This lady goes all out, spending about $5000 for each party. she had a d.j., the food catered and sets up a spook room down in her basement. It is lots of fun and I can't wait. My costume has been on back order since aug., so I am ordering a back up. My dh already has his.!

[jodi]

I'm not a big Halloween fan. The boys are 1 and 3 this year, so the older one might start realizing what all the fuss is about. I have both their costumes (hand-me-downs from friends). I think I will take them over to the mall, where the stores do trick-or-treating. We live in a pretty sparsely populated area, so even if I wanted to go door to door, it would be a challenge. Plus I don't want them to end up with a ton of candy. I figure we can leave the mall whenever I decide they've had enough.

[Jacklad]

What's to celebrate? Seriously, it's right up there with Valentine's as a Hallmark venture these days.

And the "kids" are getting older. When I was young(er), we simply didn't go out trick or treating after grade six or so. Now the doorbell is ringing at 11 pm with "kids" who are bigger than I am.

I like Christmas, but it's "Bah, humbug" to Halloween.

Jackie

I notice that this tradition is starting to fade around my area... The last time I went trick or treating was in 7th grade and there weren't a lot of people who gave out candies and not many kids out there. I think I'm going to buy a pumpkin and learn how to make pumpkin pie. =P

[Broken Arrow]

I love Halloween, but I'm probably not going to do much this year. Probably just hand out candy or something, but that's basically it....

I wish I knew a neighbor like Ima's. That sounds like a lot of fun.

[kashi]

I love, love, love Halloween. Always have, always will. It's my favorite holiday.

As for celebrating, though...I'm not sure yet. I wish I had a cool party to go to like Imasaver!!

[Snoopy2645]

its one of my favorite times too I took the kids & bought them costumes at walgreens today they had them on sale they ended up being half price of what they were marked so got a great deal!!! I love running door to door & all the scary houses its my highlight of the year I hate the fact that it only last 2hours here. I love going to the parades though the school has during the day that is fun to watch my kids & thier friends all dressed up

[kealina]

Originally Posted by Jacklad

What's to celebrate? Seriously, it's right up there with Valentine's as a Hallmark venture these days.

And the "kids" are getting older. When I was young(er), we simply didn't go out trick or treating after grade six or so. Now the doorbell is ringing at 11 pm with "kids" who are bigger than I am.

I like Christmas, but it's "Bah, humbug" to Halloween.

Jackie

that's sad to hear... i love halloween and went "trick or treating", or at least walking around to see all the kids costumes, until i was out of high school... my and my friend would get together, dress up, and walk around...
i would have felt really deflated if lots of people thought i was one of those kids... of course, i was always done far before 10 because i wanted to see the kids costumes and for that you have to go early and i was never bigger than anybody... lol...
as for the candy i generally only kept a few bits and the rest my mom gave out to underprivileged kids we knew... as i got older, we also didn't take candy unless there was plenty left and the we knew there would be tons for the kids... when i was younger our neighborhood was really active with kids so it was a lot of fun on halloween... and people made sure to stock up with tons of candy...

[twinsmommy]

I am taking the kids to Six Flags tomorrow. They have Fright Night for the month of October. We will take pictures. My job gives us the tickets so it should be a fun day for free. I haven't decided whether to do costumes for them or not. I don't turn our light on for trick or treaters (it drives my dog crazy to have people ringing the doorbell) and the babies cry when she barks like that.

Lot of place here are Halloween activities though. Safe places for kids with activities and not so much candy.

There might be a pumpkin patch around here somewhere. That would be a fun Saturday afternoon activity.

[JanH]

One year working at a Mother's Day Out program I fell in love with a little bitty Pillsbury Dough Boy. Couldn't figure out one of my kids, had lots of legs and in camoflauge. Turned out he was an army ant. Gotta love it.

[PRICEPLUS]

Well, as I understand it Halloween is only second to Christmas in terms of money spent. I make my own costume and usually attend a party. I get a kick out of the kids and the wife and I will be putting up decorations tomorrow!

Maybe this year I'll hang out with Linus and await the Great Pumpkin!

[shelbylovesmelby]

No partys this year, as our friend isn't throwing one this year. Wich is fine with me, so then dh won't blow some un necessary $ on a costume where as I just go as myself. I feel silly dressing up.

Beyond that getting the kids pics taken in their costumes & going Trick or Treating that's about it. Unless they have a lil party at school. Though they won't call it a Halloween party as the school won't celebrate Halloween (can't recall what they dubbed it).

[Diolla]

Halloween was a big thing before but DS is too old for it (17). Our zoo has a Boo at the Zoo so I might go to that just to see the kiddies.

My birthday is Nov 1st so when I was a kid I thought it was a big b-day party just for me.

We tried the mall thing once, never want to go through that again! A big circle of kids and cheapo candy. No resemblence to trick & treat at all.

[Lori63]

This year I'll be in New Orleans on a mission trip, so hubby and the boys are on their own.
Michael will be at college, Justin probably at a party and Mason will hand out candy.

[PrincessPerky]

this year we got mini playdough to hand out, we know decent number of kids around here and it is fun to see the costumes. Last year we made r2d2 for jc and a jedi one for gmc, (lil one week UE got nothing) this year we are not sure yet. prolly superbaby for UE a PJ set that used to be Gmcs in great shape and really cool to me to use it .

gmc will be a pirate, jc's not sure yet.

[Elgin526]

DH and I have no kids, but we both love Halloween.

We had a Costco coupon for BOGOF for a 30 count box of full size candy bars (the "good ones", too!). So that gives us 60 full size candy bars to give out to the kids. I always wanted to be the "cool" house in the neighborhood! If we run out of those we have a huge bag of fun size candy to hand out. I wish we'd had two of those coupons, we could have really stocked up and been sure all the kids would have gotten full size bars, but oh well!

[MonkeyMama]

Kids have the costumes already, from last couple of years. We will go trick or treating because my 3yo LOVES it so much, but we will probably be the only ones. Trick or Treating is pretty nonexistent. I have considered taking the kids to the mall/zoo this year where they have "safe halloween" but the crowds suck - and it is nice to go visit all the neighbors since we don't do it enough. They all buy candy in the hopes someone will show up I guess.

A couple of trips to the pumpkin patch and a few kiddie parties, plus I am going to 1 adult party. Yeah all the moms groups go a little crazy on halloween. I Wouldn't bother myself, but the kids enjoy so they already have 3 parties lined up. If other people want to go crazy over it and do all the work, what the heck... I remember last year was exhausting so probably more of the same...

I don't really intend to spend any money though. Some candy and maybe a pumpkin or 2 for the kids. Decorate pumpkins and bake pumpkin seeds...

[Ima saver]

I live in a small town. All the kids and parents (and lots of teens) dress up and walk around the town square. Many of the merchants stand outside and pass out candy. We eat in a restaurant on halloween night and sit out on the porch so we can see all the kids. Our costume party is on sat. night before Halloween and there is a prize for best costume. DH won it the first year. The restaurant people all beg us to stop on sat. night and show our costumes, but dh is too embarrassed. He went last year as a fat, ugly stripper!