The Ultimate Guide to a Happy Halloween

I was provided free product from Oriental Trading in exchange for a blog post.  No other type of compensation was received.  All opinions are my own.

Halloween is less than a month away!  Are you ready?  Do you have the Halloween treats/prizes for your kids classmates?  Do you have the candy ready for trick or treaters?  Did you spend a fortune on it?  Do you have your decorations up?  How are your decorations looking?  Are they a bit old and sad looking?  Have you picked up your pumpkins?  If you have then have you made time to decorate them with your kids?  

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE HOLIDAYS.  However, sometimes we expect way too much of ourselves when it comes to holidays.  I am so very guilty of this.  For instance with Halloween I tend to think I need to hand make my girls Halloween costumes.  I mean it is cheaper so why not?  I tend to try and hand make cute packages that my oldest daughter gives to her classmates.  

I try to do a Halloween party for kids.  I try to do different and fun things with all the pumpkins on my porch.  Then I try to make some grandiose new decoration.  You know, with all the spare time I have.   Then lastly I usually forget about the candy and I end up paying a good fortune on it and I am not that happy with the candy that I pick. 

This year I was determined to do it different.  I have been struggling with anxiety and I knew I needed to change things this holiday season for my own mental health, but also for the good of my own family.  So I decided to simplify things this year.  Who's with me?  Do you want to simplify your Halloween as well?  

Here's ways I plan to have a Happy Halloween (but simplify at the same time).

Costumes

I am hand making my youngest daughter's costume, but it is so simple that I am actually putting my husband in charge of it.  We are excited to do it together and it won't take long at all.  For my oldest daughter we bought a Halloween costume at a second hand store by us.  She is in love with it and I figured it was easy and inexpensive for me and I LOVE to see her happy.  Oriental Trading has great costumes.  I just have a picky daughter that has to try them on.  (yeah I have no idea where she came from!)

Items to pass out to classmates

Usually I try to make these beautiful and basically kill myself over it.  However, the kids really do not care at all.  Although I do love to make paper crafts I came to the realization that this year is not the time.  So this year I am going to give her classmates a bundle of temporary tattoos (Item #: IN-25/716).  These are not any tattoos, but these glow in the dark!  So much fun!  The best part is the price!  These are only $5.99 for 6 dozen!  That is roughly $.08 a tattoo.  My daughter is so excited to give them to her friends. 

Treats to pass out for trick or treaters

Every year I want to give something to trick or treaters that is not candy.  Kids get so much candy for Halloween I love the idea of giving them something else.  This year I am finally doing it.  I am giving out Halloween pretzels (Item #: IN-K678) this year.  Again these are not a break the bank option.  They are $5.98 for 48 packets.  So that turns into $0.13 a packet.  Not bad at all. 

Pumpkin Decorating

This year we are having fun decorating pumpkins, but it isn't messy and my 4 year old can do it completely by herself.  She has so much fun picking what eyes she wants with what mouth.  She seriously is in love with these stickers (Item #: IN-13707814) and making different faces.  These packets will last us forever.  They would be PERFECT for a party because there are so many options.  With this you get 12 sheets of stickers for $4.99. If these are a little too silly for you there are so many options to choose from.  However, these will make you laugh for sure.  We were all laughing while decorating them. 

Halloween Decorations 

This Halloween I have a new garland that I didn't lift a finger to make.  I have a slight obsession with garlands and this Candy Corn Garland (Item #: IN-13602080) is seriously so cute!  I love it accenting my chalkboard that I love to update every month or so. 

Then since I absolutely love making wreaths I decided I would do that one thing this year.  Although it isn't the easiest thing because it doesn't come ready, but I still love crafting and honestly I so happy when I craft.  So I decided to put together a wreath that wouldn't take long and would be made by me.  Even if you are not a crafter I can promise you can make this.  

Steps:

1. Gather supplies
   
1. Grapevine wreath
2. 2 Black Feather Boas (Item #: IN-25/702)
3. Black pipe cleaners
4. Ribbon (any color that will look good together)
5. Black crow(s) (Item #: IN-70/1642)
6. "Happy Haunting" Sign (Item #: IN-13605330)
2. Place one end of the boa on wreath form and attach with a pipe cleaner. 
   
3. Wrap the boa around the wreath.  Make sure you do not see the grapevine wreath underneath.  
4. When the first boa runs out then secure it along with the beginning of the next boa to the wreath with a pipe cleaner.  Then secure the end of 2nd boa the same way. 
   
5. Wrap the ribbon around the wreath while still allowing the boas to show through. Again securing with a pipe cleaner. 
   
6. Attach one crow to the bottom of the inside of the wreath.  These crows come with wires attached to the feet.  This makes it super simple to attach a pipe cleaner to the crow and then attach the crow to the wreath. 
   
   
7. Attach the sign with pipe cleaners as well.  
   
   
8. If you want you can add the second crow to the top of the wreath.  It looks fantastic both ways.
   

Pretty easy right?  I love that I have everything prepared.  I am ready for Halloween and I am not stressing about it.  No I didn't hand do everything, but I did make one thing.  That way I can still do things I love, but I am not having a panic attack while doing it.  

What way(s) do you want to simplify your Halloween this year?