I love doing holidays with my kids. I think it’s one of the best parts of being a mom. We decorate, do crafts, bake seasonal treats, and throw parties. Halloween is one of my favorites; I love the community, the costumes, and, of course, the chocolate.
In the past, we’ve hosted a potluck dinner with neighbors before trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, COVID forced us to cancel those plans last year. This year, we have a better reason for not hosting the potluck: we have a new baby due to arrive at the end of October. Because of the uncertainty around baby’s arrival, I’m really simplifying our Halloween this year. If you are also in a season of not being able to go all out with your Halloween plans (for any reason), this is the post for you! Here are a few ways I’m simplifying or outsourcing this Halloween.
Decorations
My kids love any excuse to decorate our house for a holiday. This year, I decided to order these bats from Amazon. They are cheap, look cute on the wall, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to re-use them for a few years. My husband and kids put these up together. It kept them entertained for quite a while and my 7-year-old has exclaimed multiple times, “Mom, I really LOVE these bats!”
The other simple decoration we’re doing this year is paper chains. My kids took the initiative on this one and the 5- and 7-year-old have been making orange and black paper chains to hang up all over the house. This decoration is so simple, mom doesn’t even have to help! And when Halloween’s over, they will be easy to remove and put straight in the recycling bin.
Costumes
Once my kids are old enough to express an opinion (somewhere between 2 and 3), I let them choose their own Halloween costumes. If possible, I like to make at least part of the costume for them. It’s fun for me and I like trying to make them out of things we already have or will be able to reuse. Not this year! I asked my kids early on what they wanted to be, and I ordered the costumes from Amazon or Target pickup. We’re not even going into the store to look. They also aren’t going to have the opportunity to change their minds, Mom doesn’t have it in her to order multiple costumes this year.
Candy
Similar to costumes, I’m deciding on candy early. I will order a couple of bags from Kroger or Target pickup. I will hide it until Halloween (from both myself and the kids). I’m anticipating a sleeping newborn or potentially still being in the hospital, so the plan will be to place a bowl of candy outside on a table. Lights are going off at our house at 8:30 and any remaining candy will be brought in at that time. Making these decisions early will take some of the pressure off when Halloween rolls around.
Dinner
Once again, I’m deciding ahead of time. This is the best way I know how to simplify our Halloween. Pizza is always a favorite in my house, and a festive pizza is sure to be a hit. Papa John’s has a Jack-o-lantern pizza. To keep things simple, pizza delivery will be our dinner before trick-or-treating.
Trick-or-Treating
I promised my kids they would get to go trick-or-treating this year, regardless of baby status. To make that happen, I’m going to have to call in recruits. I have some friends that could take my kids trick-or-treating with them. But, most likely they will be going out with grandparents this year. To make things easier on everyone, my husband and I will map out a designated route for them. Because my kids are still relatively young, hitting a few streets is usually more than enough for them. If the pre-determined route brings them home early, I’m planning to have a movie ready at home. Since Halloween is on a Sunday this year, we don’t need to worry about them staying up too late.
