This year I am eagerly anticipating Halloween. Even though Indy is way too young to appreciate the festivities, something about experiencing our first holiday with him (Labor day didn't count) and building family traditions has me downright giddy. It started when my aunt Marla was recounting her family's Halloween traditions that I realized how special it would be for Daniel and I to create these (hopefully) amazing memories for Indio. Not leaving Halloween memory making to chance, I've taken stock of our established traditions and new ones we're just starting.
Decoration. The past three years I've done your run-of-the-mill front yard tombstones and cobweb decor with a few jack-o-lanterns thrown in. I'll also put out my Halloween luminarias, weather permitting. I'm of the old school mentality when it comes to Halloween decorations, so orange 'Christmas' lights are a no go. I'll probably eat my words in a few years when I decide orange lights are completely charming and decide to drape something with them. Never say never. This year I found gel clings shaped like bloody handprints and threw them up on the front door. Somewhere out there is a blogger posing the question 'when did bloody hand gel clings become the thing to do for Halloween'? Good question.
Treats. This is where things get serious. When we first moved into the neighborhood Daniel made an executive decision that we were going to pass out full-sized candy bars. Not candy corn, not apples (gasp! - no one really does that, right?), and not your typical mini candy bars. Something about it being a dream of his since he was a child...and who am I to get in the way of such an attainable dream? We quickly realized when people introduced us to other neighbors as 'the house that passes out full-size candy bars' that there was no turning back. Rest assured, dear neighbors, that the full-size candy bars have been bought and I tried to get the variety pack with no Almond Joys this year (we actually had a little girl try to return an Almond Joy last year, to the mortification of her mother). Until either we move or a mass exodus of the neighborhood occurs, big candy bars will be a tradition.
More treats. I picked up a pretzel candy kit as a total impulse buy the other day. Consisting of a few plastic molds to transform ordinary pretzel rods into a chocolate dipped variety with a Halloween theme. Quite honestly I bought it (on sale) and had just a tinge of buyer's remorse thinking there was no way was I going to make time to do it, leaving this kit to be stashed away for a year until it resurfaced too late for another Halloween. BUT, it is amazing what a late night craving for a little something sweet will motivate a person to do. The kit was remarkably easy to use even when it was painfully obvious that momma didn't raise no pastry chef. By far the coolest molds are the big rats - being a little too big to be all chocolate we dipped those pretzels in caramel first creating a caramel filled chocolate rat pretzel. If that doesn't say Halloween I don't know what does. I declare Halloween pretzels to be our new tradition.
Tricks. Okay, not really a trick, but each year trick-or-treating gets kicked off with a block parade. All the kids start at one end of the block and make the trek to the other end of the block in full costume. It has been such a fun thing to see in the past and this year I am beyond excited as little Indy makes his inaugural appearance in the parade with his dad. I will be at the finishing end of the block taking a million pictures and doling out our big candy bars.
Decoration. The past three years I've done your run-of-the-mill front yard tombstones and cobweb decor with a few jack-o-lanterns thrown in. I'll also put out my Halloween luminarias, weather permitting. I'm of the old school mentality when it comes to Halloween decorations, so orange 'Christmas' lights are a no go. I'll probably eat my words in a few years when I decide orange lights are completely charming and decide to drape something with them. Never say never. This year I found gel clings shaped like bloody handprints and threw them up on the front door. Somewhere out there is a blogger posing the question 'when did bloody hand gel clings become the thing to do for Halloween'? Good question.
Treats. This is where things get serious. When we first moved into the neighborhood Daniel made an executive decision that we were going to pass out full-sized candy bars. Not candy corn, not apples (gasp! - no one really does that, right?), and not your typical mini candy bars. Something about it being a dream of his since he was a child...and who am I to get in the way of such an attainable dream? We quickly realized when people introduced us to other neighbors as 'the house that passes out full-size candy bars' that there was no turning back. Rest assured, dear neighbors, that the full-size candy bars have been bought and I tried to get the variety pack with no Almond Joys this year (we actually had a little girl try to return an Almond Joy last year, to the mortification of her mother). Until either we move or a mass exodus of the neighborhood occurs, big candy bars will be a tradition.
More treats. I picked up a pretzel candy kit as a total impulse buy the other day. Consisting of a few plastic molds to transform ordinary pretzel rods into a chocolate dipped variety with a Halloween theme. Quite honestly I bought it (on sale) and had just a tinge of buyer's remorse thinking there was no way was I going to make time to do it, leaving this kit to be stashed away for a year until it resurfaced too late for another Halloween. BUT, it is amazing what a late night craving for a little something sweet will motivate a person to do. The kit was remarkably easy to use even when it was painfully obvious that momma didn't raise no pastry chef. By far the coolest molds are the big rats - being a little too big to be all chocolate we dipped those pretzels in caramel first creating a caramel filled chocolate rat pretzel. If that doesn't say Halloween I don't know what does. I declare Halloween pretzels to be our new tradition.
Tricks. Okay, not really a trick, but each year trick-or-treating gets kicked off with a block parade. All the kids start at one end of the block and make the trek to the other end of the block in full costume. It has been such a fun thing to see in the past and this year I am beyond excited as little Indy makes his inaugural appearance in the parade with his dad. I will be at the finishing end of the block taking a million pictures and doling out our big candy bars.
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