I love a reason to celebrate.
Whether it be a birthday, or a holiday, or getting out of work early on a Tuesday. I’m never going to turn down a sparkle of joy.
Here we are in the last week of October, and Halloween is literally right around the corner. This month has flown by! And even though we’ve decorated, made plans for a Halloween party, and picked out costumes, I feel like the season should just be getting started – not coming to an end.
I was sitting on the living room floor this weekend, packing Halloween goody bags, thinking about how special getting a goody bag always feels. It reminded me of all the best parts of this holiday.
I’m not into super scary type Halloween celebrations. You won’t catch me watching a horror movie, or wearing a costume with fake blood.
But there are so many awesome things about this time of year, reasons to celebrate, ways to embrace spooky season.
Remember what it felt like when you were little? Picking the best Halloween costume you could think of – a character from your favorite movie, the coolest superhero, something magical – making Halloween crafts at school, carving a pumpkin with your family.
And the best part of trick-or-treating is when the sun starts to set and it gets a little chilly. Not cold enough to want to wear a coat over your costume, but just cool enough to know the weather is changing. That is just *chef’s kiss* the best part of Halloween.
Trick-or-treating hasn’t been a part of how I celebrate Halloween in a few years, but there are so many things to be excited about this time of year. Here’s a list of some of the best ones.
Best Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies
I’m not into horror films, or jump scares, but I love a good Disney Channel Original Movie. And nothing beats a classic Halloween cartoon.
Halloweentown – This is an unpopular opinion I’m afraid, but I’m a firm believer that the 4th one – Return to Halloweentown is the best in the series!
Twitches – I remember watching these movies over and over again, imagining I discovered my own magic powers. And an Aly & AJ music video tie-in? Early 2000s nostalgia for the win!
The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – You can’t go wrong with The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – it’s a classic!
Scooby Doo – Scooby Doo and Scooby Doo 2: Monster’s Unleashed were movies that my brother, sister, and I all agreed on. They’re fun, and goofy, and spooky without being too scary.
Monster’s Inc – While not technically a Halloween movie, we can always enjoy some fuzzy monsters.
Best Spooky Party Foods
We’re having a Halloween get together this year, and we’re going to try to make some spooky foods. I can’t wait to try these spooky cookies!
Witches hat’s – I’m so excited to make these cookies for our party this year! They’re so simple, and they turn out so cute! You take fudge stripe cookies, and attach Hershey kisses with orange frosting.
Spooky Punch – There is something so delightfully special about party punch! You only ever make it for special occasions like a baby shower or holiday parties. We’re going to make a pineapple orange punch and float creepy crawly gummy candies in it.
Mummy Pigs in a Blanket – I love how this traditional party food can instantly become spooky by wrapping the biscuit dough a little differently and adding candy eyes. Pigs in a blanket become mummies!
Best Spooky Party Games and Activities
Carving a pumpkin is always so much fun! If you’re looking for something extra fun to do – carve your jack-o-lantern and then use baking soda and vinegar to turn it into a spooky volcano!
Carving Pumpkins – The most classic of Halloween activities, and one of the best. Spooky faces, funny faces, happy faces – carving a pumpkin is so much fun!
Picking Out Costumes – Picking out and planning a Halloween costume is what a lot of people love most about Halloween! I loved picking a costume as a kid – Taylor Swift circa 2008 and a little white cat are a couple of my favorites. Picking a costume as an adult is just as much fun! This year we all drew colors and had to plan a costume accordingly.
Pin the Spider on the Web – This is a game you can buy or make yourself. It’s easy to plan and easy to play! And it’s so fun to play at parties.
Cutest Halloween Decorations
I love store-bought decorations! Our yard is full of Halloween blow-ups that make my heart happy! But these are also some fun, not so expensive ways to make your space extra spooky!
Paper Lantern Ghosts – Making these ghosts was so easy and they turned out so cute! We took white paper lanterns, and cut out black construction paper to make ghost faces. I hung mine outside, but they would be super cute in the house, too!
Die-cut bats – I used a die cut to cut out a bunch of paper bats. If you don’t have access to a die cut, you could also just trace them onto black paper and cut them out. Last year we hung them from the ceiling, and attached them to cabinets. This year we hung them on the wall to look like a flock of bats was flying away.
DIY Balloon Arch – I’ve only made a balloon arch once before, and I won’t lie – it was way harder than I thought it would be. But this year I’m going to try again. All you need is a package of balloons, the balloon arch tape, and a lot of patience to make a pretty fantastic decoration!
What’s you favorite part of Halloween?
