I had a call with a client this week and we commiserated together over the fact that Halloween (when you have kids) is HARD. Between work and planning for the upcoming holiday season, and keeping the house clean and the kid alive and trying not to catch COVID (all of which by themselves are full time jobs) who has time to make a costume? And goodie bags for their baby friends? And find a pumpkin? And then carve said pumpkin? And decorate the house (let alone find the decorations to decorate the house with)? Not I (said the mom who tried to do all that and keep the kid alive).
This year, as with every year I’m sure (I haven’t been a mom that long so I can’t say for sure), Halloween requires some creativity. Of course it’s more for me than it is for him at this age. And it’s definitely not for the husband who just goes along with it all because I ask him to. So here’s what our socially distanced, creative, running-on-fumes Halloween looked like. I would have posted this a week ago and asked for ideas of what others are doing but I ran out of time (of course).
Spooking Up Our House. I’m not a crafty person. Or particularly festive. And though our house decorations are neither I probably wouldn’t have even done anything if it weren’t for Covid and I wasn’t feeling like Halloween was being robbed from us (so dramatic, I know). I found these stick on bats from Amazon, and we miraculously found some orange string lights and light up ghosts for our front yard at Home Depot. And every time E walks by either he’ll scream “GO!” (ghost) and “BAH!” (for bat). He even knows what sound the ghost makes (boo!).
Cookie Decorating. Since Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and we’re all at home together and there’s not much to do I was hard-pressed to find a toddler-appropriate festive activity. So of course I came up with cookie decorating. And of course I waited till the last minute to decide this. Thanks, A Cake Life for saving me (and Halloween) with their adorable and super festive and super easy cookie decorating kits! They were so responsive and even found me two kits just a day before Halloween. They said they are also planning similar kits for Thanksgiving and Christmas however I don’t recommend you wait like I did and order your kits ASAP. They’re totally worth it and you support an awesome local business!
Socially Distanced Pumpkin Patching. I’ve gone to the Waimanalo Country Farms and Aloun Farms pumpkin patches in years past and of course this year was nothing like that But the drive-through pumpkin patch that Waimānalo Country Farms offered was still a fun, family activity and looking at the animals was more than enough to entertain our 18-month old whose attention span is about the length of the event. I think he’s still traumatized though from being tossed into that tub of pumpkins.
Trick or Treating. We made some goodie bags for our baby friends and delivered them. Otherwise we aren’t doing "traditional" trick or treating this year because Ev doesn’t care and won’t remember and doesn’t know that’s it’s Halloween or what Halloween is. I do plan to set two tables up in our driveway and lay out some pre-bagged treats and we’ll watch the parade of kids from a distance in the garage (if there is a parade of kids). E honestly just loves to see kids so will probably find this just as, if not more, entertaining.
Anyway, now I’m off to start looking at Christmas decorations so I can festive up the house for that holiday. If you have ideas or links to cute decor send them my way, please and thank you!
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