{Halloween Traditions}

I found these tips and ideas that I thought they were great for starting Halloween Traditions with Ella Grace since my days of planning costume parties and staying up all night are OVER!

3 -4 weeks before Halloween: Decorating the House
Make it a family event! Either assign different areas to different people, or give them a certain topic. Who's in charge of spider webs and spiders? Hanging lights in just the right spot?

1 - 2 weeks before Halloween: Picking the pumpkins
You don't have to go to your local supermarket to find great pumpkins - there are plenty of places around within driving distance to take the family to not only pick out the best pumpkins, but to have a day filled with fun! Watch for the signs on the road, check your local paper. Many people grow pumpkins and then sell them at this wonderful time of year. Most don't just sell pumpkins either! You can get a nice cup of hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick, go for a hayride, check out a corn field maze, or take a walk through a haunted barn. These kinds of places are usually family owned and know what kind of entertainment other families are looking for. Enjoy watching your child rolling a 20 pound pumpkin back to the hay wagon instead of digging through a large wooden crate outside the grocery store.

2- 7 days before Halloween: The Pumpkin Carving Party Make sure you have enough pumpkins for everyone to carve at least one. Can't wait for the pumpkin seeds to be ready? Pick some up from the store so you can have some ready on hand to enjoy while carving! Prepare a spoooooooooooooky meal to
eat along with your party. Try some "ghoulash" or "Spooketti" with a "blood" red drink. Make "bones" (breadsticks) to go along. Have plenty of candles on hand so when you are all done carving you can run outside, place your jack-o-lanterns and end your party with a firey show of evil, happy, and scary faces!

The Main Event: The most important part of a Halloween party is to have fun together. Bob for apples,
play ghost in the graveyard, watch movies, read a story by candelight or flashlight. If your area allows it, have a campfire and tell stories outside. For dinner, serve something inventive - give it a crazy name - werewolf burgers, eye ball soup, what ever you can think of.
For dessert and snacking try popcorn balls, taffy apples, and of course, pumpkin pie!