I loved Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion ride for as long as I can remember, and any excuse to get dressed up is welcome in my book, so it’s only natural that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Although Max was a few weeks old for Halloween last year, this is the first year he was interactive and it was so fun seeing him study all the decorations, listen to the spooky music, and watch all the other trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood.
This year Max dressed up as a little monkey baby for Halloween night, as well as his events at school, and mommy’s Halloween celebration at work. He was scrumptious as usual, but I couldn’t leave him in his costume for too long because it is still getting into the 80’s during the daytime and those costumes can get a little spicy!
This year I bought a few more skeletons for the porch, and I hope to take advantage of some post-Halloween sales so I can retire out some of my more worn decorations. That being said, I don’t think you have to break the bank or cover your entire house with clutter to help set a spooky mood. Before you do any post Halloween shopping this week, below are a few of my Halloween decorating tips!
1. Use what you have, just add a little funk. This year I bought several bouquets of pretty flowers earlier in the month, and when they started turn I hung the flowers to dry and put them back in the vases to decorate the tables, and my skeleton on the front porch held a bouquet in her left hand while she held an empty wine glass in the right.
2. Soundtrack! I hand selected every song for the playlist for my wedding reception, so it’s no surprise that I have a soundtrack for Halloween too. I keep a mixture of my favorite spooky sounds and the soundtrack to Disney’s Haunted Mansion on loop that plays on a Bluetooth tombstone speaker I have outside. Hand held speakers are a dime a dozen these days, so you could pick one up at Target or Walgreens for just a few dollars and have on hand any time you want music. With I-tunes, it is super easy to build a spooky soundtrack to your liking.
3. Lighting. A few years ago I bought some bulbs on Amazon that change color by remote control. I use these lights on my front porch to help set the mood from above, and I also use them inside as backlighting for the spooky ghosts in my window. On Halloween night I place them under a glass table (that we already have) covered by a regular old white lace table cloth (that we already have), and it creates a great little area to stage the candy bowl. Because you can change the colors, I use these lights to help set the mood for lots of other holidays as well.
4. Statement Pieces. Instead of loading up your shopping cart with 20 hanging ghosts, streamers and every trinket the store has to offer, focus on just one or two cool new purchases each year. As with a good wardrobe, a few key pieces in holiday decorating can go a long way. My favorite decoration is my skeleton butler that talks with a moving mouth and illuminated eyes when people pass by. It creates fun interaction with the kids when they go up on the front porch, and it adds an element of personal greeting when you might not be there yourself because you are out trick or treating with your little one. (I am eyeing this one for next year -I’m a sucker for the Pirates of the Caribbean in addition to that Haunted Mansion!)
5. Vignettes. Instead of putting a ghost or vampire in every area of your house, focus on a few little staged areas and do them up right. It helps prevent your house from feeling too cluttered, and those areas you do decorate will pack a big punch.
Hope you all had a great Halloween, and enjoy your post Halloween shopping for next year!
