Trick or Treat!

Growing up Halloween didn’t strike much of a chord with me. My mom made three homemade costumes that four of us kids would rotate annually (yes, that meant someone was the odd man out). I was a pumpkin for three years, a bunny for another three, and I’m embarrassed to admit how long the clown costume got showtime. Needless to say, this event looks completely different now through the lens of a parent: it’s mainly an excuse to doll up my kids and show them off to the neighbors. For my kids, who think every day is an excuse to dress up, Halloween seems like a time when the rest of the world acknowledges that costumes are as cool as my boys know them to be.

Our Halloween traditions have varied year to year, but one thing has always remained the same: we choose themed family costumes. From Wizard of Oz to Toy Story, we’d done it all. For a few years, my husband and I even joined in the mix, but we drew the line after we took part in a local costume competition and felt like absolute dorks as the only adults sporting handmade crayon outfits (we leave the costumes now exclusively to the kids). Our crew has visited area trunk or treats and made rounds the traditional way through our neighborhood for sugary treats, but we’ve found that the highlight at this point for our kids isn’t the candy but the costumes. Now, with a recent food dye allergy brought to light, we have the creative challenge of trying to let our sons enjoy as many aspects of trick-or-treating, all while basically clearing out their candy stash to chocolate bars and stickers (thank goodness for the houses that offer non-sugary treats!). We’ve been able to offset this by spending the evening with good friends and establishing some at-home activities and traditions that make our kids feel extra-special. I don’t feel like we’ve short-changed our holiday fun in any way by shifting our focus toward more home-based entertainment, seeing as it’s only fun for so long to hit the block in the dark of night just to fill a child’s bag with more sugar than they ever needed anyway.

Like most, we enjoy carving pumpkins and displaying them for all to see. One nearby house inspired us with their use of foam craft pumpkins for carving. Each year they add 2-3 new ones to their display and we enjoying seeing how their collection of luminary gourds continues to grow. Reusable craft pumpkins can be a great way to display the cutest of milestones (how about cutting out handprints or footprints of your children each year and seeing how they’ve grown over the years?), but if sticking to the real deal is more your thing then save the “innerds”, clean them off, and try one of the myriad of different pumpkin seed recipes available online, varying from sweet sugar & cinnamon combinations to spicy chili pepper varieties. I’m sure we’d be more adventurous if we could just get past how good plain pumpkins seeds are toasted with a bit of EVOO, salt, and pepper!

Once pumpkins are displayed, we then direct our attention towards supper and family movie night. You can’t go wrong with chili and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! A little trick or treating around the block is later in store, then it’s back home for hot cider, homemade pumpkin desserts, and time around the fireplace.

Costumes may be the star of the show- and I know my kids will get tons of wear out of them well beyond trick or treating- but in all reality, it’s only a matter of hours that they get showcased on Halloween so I can’t justify spending a ton for that one special night. Here are some of the top ways to save some moola on costumes.

• Shop Early.  A little ingenuity can go far and I’ve discovered one of the best ways to get costumes reasonably is to plan a year in advance. Post-Halloween is the best time to get costumes at a steep discount. The only downside? Guessing how big your child will be twelve months from now and buying a size accordingly.
• Shop Used.  I have enjoyed the challenge of finding costumes economically by scouting out garage sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Ebay, and Children’s Orchard. This is an item you’re smart to look for used, as many costumes come in near-new condition due to only being worn a couple hours one night a year.
• Shop for birthdays. Why wait until Halloween’s around the corner to do the last minute costume scramble? If you have a kiddo that likes imaginative play, getting costumes for his birthday makes a great idea and then he can simply choose from his stash once the holiday arrives.
• Do a costume swap. Cinderella’s ball gown may be so last week for your pre-school daughter but her best friend might love to don your daughter’s gown. Consider doing a costume trade for the night with same-size friends. Kids love this and feel as though getting something new to them is just as exciting as something brand new!

Lauren Greenlee spent a grand total of $10 over the course of this year buying two costumes and piecemealing clothing to transform her three boys into The Man with the Yellow Hat, Curious George, and a banana. She and her crew can be found trick or treating in their Olathe neighborhood.