By Jill Fleming, SOS: Smart Organizing Solutions
You know the holidays are close when Halloween candy hits store shelves. Good grief! Time flies! But don’t let holiday preparation spook you. Create a game plan for a stress-free holiday season.
Here are 7 easy steps to a more organized Halloween!
1. Plan ahead. Make a list of everything you’d like to do for Halloween: costumes, party plans, visiting a pumpkin patch, going on a hay ride, pumpkin carving and, of course, trick-or-treating.
2. Decorate. Hopefully everything is together in one place. If not, when you’re finished with them this year, store your decorations in an organized fashion to make next year even easier! If you’re carving pumpkins, try to wait until the weekend before so they stay fresh.
3. Costumes. If you plan to buy a costume, shop early so you have a better selection. Same goes for renting a costume. If you want to make your own, take some time to figure out what you’ll need to make sure that 1) you can do it and 2) you have all the supplies. Thrift stores are a great place to find great deals.
4. Treats. Buy Halloween candy early. Lots of stores offer great deals early in the month. I typically buy candy I DON’T like so I’m not tempted to “sample” it all month long, saving myself additional trips to the store for more candy.
5. Party Plans. If you plan to host a party, put together a prep list. Who will you invite? What will you cook? Put together a music list and then put together the actual play list. Will you need extra decorations inside and out? What kind of fun games will you have? Plan and prep as early as you can so you spend the night of your party enjoying yourself.
6. School activities. Get dates marked on your calendar so you have treat bags and costumes ready to go. Also check with the school about any restrictions as far as the kind of treats your child can bring.
7. Trick or Treat. If you plan to join friends or family on the big night, set up a time and location to meet. Give each child a glow stick or something else that makes them easy to see in the dark. And remember to sort candy once you get home. Yes, it’s tempting to munch as you go, but for safety’s sake, wait until you get home unless you know the person who gave you the treat. Anything without a wrapper should be thrown out.
Hope everyone has a Spooktacular Halloween!
