HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR HALLOWEEN?

My number one priority for Halloween is buying candy. Some who know me might say that is my priority year round, but I will deny it in the highest court!
Everything pictured was purchased on sale, at least half price. This is my excuse for hoarding candy! And with all you see above, it is a surprise if we get more then 20 trick or treaters at our door in any given year. What to do with the leftovers!

Now that there is a child in the family, pumpkins have become a priority as well. We must have at least one to carve per Halloween season. Isn’t it lucky that CVS had the pumpkin carving kits for free for their regular customers? My personal trick is to have my son carve the pumpkin at my mother-in-laws with his cousins, this way she has to clean up the mess! She is much better at that than me, just ask her. She also collects the pumpkin seeds and toasts them for the kids. I am unable to perform that extra Halloween function. Having the carving be a family wide activity lends a nice feel to the experience. The kids get a little competitive but we do not have a contest to see who made the best pumpkin! (I voted for my son’s in the secret ballot!)

Again, since our son was born, we have trick or treated. When he was 5 months old we went around my in-laws neighborhood in Staten Island and it seemed a waste not to have a bag to collect candy, so I did it on his behalf even though he was barely eating solid food. What’s a dad to do?

Now, at 7 1/2, it’s all about the costume. Yes, I am one of those parents who buys a costume on November 1st! I got lucky and purchased Darth Vader last year during the Halloween after sale, it seems I made the right call as my son is now interested in villain costumes, much to our dismay. I would rather he be a sheriff or a superhero!

Our neighborhood has a Halloween party and then we take a group of kids and hit what everyone knows are the most lucrative candy buildings. This is how we stay organized for the month of October!


Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Dad Central Consulting and they sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.