A few weeks ago, I was visiting family up north (San Jose area) and I must say I LOVE their Halloween spirit. I always come back so inspired.  There are particular neighborhoods where almost every house is decked out in amazing Halloween party decorations. Some homes could seriously put a number of haunted mansions or houses to shame. It’s so much fun to just walk around and look at all the cool set-ups everyone has put together for the season.

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday so every year I like to plan out themed costumes with family early so we have time to make our costumes. This year a few of my friends are planning Halloween parties and/or activity nights for the family or the kids. One of my friend’s is particularly excited about a Family Pumpkin Carving Night she’s attending. It sounds like so much fun and it’s a contest so there are prize incentives! I thought it was such a fun way to bond and get in the spirit of the holiday. I found this cool link on Reader’s Digest website: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/12-free-printable-pumpkin-carving-stencils. There are about 12 different printable stencils for carving designs. I know the more expert carvers may scoff at such a concept, but I’m more of an amateur and this is just perfect!

For good measure, make sure to take any and all safety precautions in regards to carving with sharp knives when working with young children. Once the contests or carving events are all done, please share your pumpkin designs on our Facebook Fan Page or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Have a very “ghoul” Halloween, everyone!!

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Halloween is probably my in my top 5 favorite holidays. Sure, the history is interesting, blah, blah, blah. Modern day rituals, though, are so much fun. People’s creative minds definitely work overtime and produce magical costume and party ideas.

Dressing up every year really takes a toll on your wallet after a while. Depending on your disguise aspirations, costumes start at a minimum of $50. The last couple years, I’ve attempted to be a little more economically savvy since “costume” probably falls under “survive” on my list of priorities. I’ve gone to the fabric store and made my own costume or borrowed one from a friend, which leads me to my next point. This year, invite a few friends over and ask them to bring all of their old Halloween costumes along. Put a few snacks together or order takeout and turn your living room into a Halloween Super Shop! This way, everyone can wear a new (to them) costume and only spend a couple bucks on accessories or tweaking the costume.

Shop our Halloween Party Supplies & Decorations to get you and your guests in the spooky spirit.

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