Some people don’t do Halloween and some people are professional Halloween-ers. I believe I fall into the latter category. Since the blog world is all about sharing how-tos, I decided today was the perfect day for a How To ~Halloween~ post.
(1) First things first… You need to get in the Halloween spirit (pun intended). Halloween movies come in all forms of scariness…
Less Scary: Hotel Transylvania, Monster House, Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice, and obviously It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (airing Sunday at 8pm on ABC)
Moderately Scary: Sleepy Hollow, The Shining, IT (the 1990 one)
I’d recommend some horror/scary movies but I don’t watch them… lol. You don’t have to love horror to love Halloween 😉
Freeform (cough*ABC Family*cough) always disappoints me with their 13 Nights of Halloween, but if you’d like to check out that list you can find it here
(2) Now it’s time to figure out your costume…
Some super simple costumes include: cat, witch, a Grecian goddess or Medusa, a princess, or this scarecrow.
Check these out, too…
- Holly Golightly/Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s as demonstrated by Ashley.
- I so badly want to see someone try this!
- Stephanie offers up some easy last minute ideas!
- Check out Alexandra’s tips for a kick-butt costume!
(3) If you’re hosting a party this year* you’ll need a few snacks & drinks:
- These Dead Man’s Toes are always a hit! (Ghoulish name optional…)
- Apple teeth are pretty self explanatory
- I’m making Nadine’s spinach & artichoke dip and calling it Zombie Brains 😉
- This veggie tray is SO simple
- My party staples include guac in a pumpkin & a whipped pumpkin dip!
*obviously you don’t need to host anything to enjoy these snacks
(Here are the posts from our Halloween Parties in 2014, 2015, & 2016!)
(4) My go-to places for Halloween decorations include HomeGoods, Marshalls, JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, and any local craft show or fall festival.
In need of some music? This is a Spotify playlist from Alexandra rocks!
What are some must-haves for your Halloween season? Do you have any big plans this weekend? Our annual party is Saturday night and I’m so excited!!
Life as Louise 
I LOVE Halloween. It’s by far my favorite holiday. I used to do a different themed party every year (my favorite was probably Clue) but I haven’t in years now. It just got difficult for my friends to attend because a lot of them work weekends, have kids, etc. I hope you have a great party though!! I need to come back and check out that awesome playlist!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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We’ve thrown a party every year for the last… 5 years, maybe? I usually do a theme (and I kind of did this year), but this year was more of a housewarming party for us 😉
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Seeing that Kayla got herself grounded from Halloween, we are just handing out candy…but I did let her decorate our porch.
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Awww, bummer for Kayla! (But yay no costume stress, ha!) We’ll be handing out candy on Tuesday and I’m so excited to see all the kids in costumes!
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I love it all 🙂 Thanks for including my post!
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Heck yay! Halloween Queens have to stick together 😉 Lol!
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Halloween is a huge deal in LA. People go all out but I’m lazy. I sadly get no trick or treaters in my apartment but I still enjoy the holiday and make Max dress up. This year I’m extra excited because I get a sweet treat. My lone sweet treat for the month! So I am counting down the days! I am going to pick the most awesome dessert (haven’t decided what) and watch a scary movie. Maybe Conjuring 2. I’ve already watched Hocus Pocus like 3 times. I’m sure I’ll see it at least one more time before Halloween. Freeform (seriously ABC Family was a better name) airs it a million times.
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I think a sweet treat, a festive cat, and a Halloween movie is the perfect way to celebrate!! I’d LOVE to see some LA Halloween festivities- I bet that’d be awesome!
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This is perfect! We’re having a party Saturday and I needed some good snack ideas. Will definitely be making the veggie tray!
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The veggie tray is so simple 🙂 My sister-in-law actually made ours this year and shaped it like a jack-o-lantern. It’s the little things, ya know? Ha!
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You ARE a professional Halloween-er! So impressed.
I love your “We can do it” costume! And your decorations are great. I love the fall sign with (of course) a dog!
I have been in the doesn’t-do-Halloween camp until the past couple years with the kids. This weekend we’re doing a Halloween party at preschool and a trunk-or-treat at church and carving pumpkins.
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Haha- thank you!!
I think it’ll be so fun to impart my Halloween love on future kids 🙂 I hope we can find some neat things to do, too!!
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I love this post because I love Halloween but Nick doesn’t, which means we don’t usually do anything aside from watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. However, once of my friends is really into Halloween, so she has me covered. She’s hosting a masquerade murder mystery party which I am so excite for! And she’s organized a bunch of us to go see Rocky Horror on Halloween. I’m really getting into it this year!! I like parties where they tell you how to dress up, like Rocky Horror and this masquerade ball, because I get so overwhelmed with costume choices!
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I saw the pics from your party- you looked great! I usually give our guys a theme to work with, although one year I did a murder mystery and they all had assigned characters 🙂 I looove Halloween. K isn’t a huge fan of the strange and unusual, but he fakes it for a few days for me. Ha 😀
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Thank you for sharing my links!! I LOOOOVE Halloween! & I love that you love Halloween! & I love your Halloween posts. I hope that you have a great one, even though the festivities happen during your move this year! I hope you are still able to get festive! 🙂 Thanks for the reminder about Hotel Transylvania! I loved it… and totally forgot.. somehow! Plans made now! 😛 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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You’re welcome and thank you! Haha!!
Your Snape and Trelawney costumes were P E R F E C T I O N.
We had a nice party with a good group of people 🙂 I’m surprised I managed to get so many decorations up. Lol!
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Oooh, I love this post because of my Halloween obsession! I love the little sneak peek of the new house too! I can’t wait to hear about your Halloween this year. 🙂
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I busted my butt to get some Halloween decor up 🙂 Thank you!
I’m sharing about the party tomorrow!! It was a fun time!
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What fun ideas, and thanks for the shout out!
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Thanks! Your quick costume ideas this year were/are genius!!
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Love these ideas! I’ll admit I am not a huge fan of Halloween – mostly the dressing up and party things BUT I do love spooky or Halloween-themed animated movies – Over the Garden Wall, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, ParaNorman and Coraline are some of my favourites!
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I’ve never heard of Over the Garden Wall and I’ve never seen ParaNorman, but I will now be checking both of those out!! Have you see The Witches? It’s a good spooky kids movie.
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the apple teeth are so cute!!
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They’re *almost* healthy, too! Hahaha. (But do marshmallows even count…?)
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yay! super solid list on halloweening! i am so not a scary movie watcher anymore so sign me up for hocus pocus (viewed on saturday) and halloween town!
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Oops! I always forget Halloweentown! Since a good one, though!
I loooove Halloween but dislike horror. Glad I’m not the only one 🙂
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Your decor is so good- I love it all! Black Magic Woman…yesssss, such a good tune!
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Thank you!! I’m glad I got some of it up before the holiday was over 🙂
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