Most of those participating in the holiday on October 31st are thinking and planning for a party or walking through a neighborhood. Have you ever thought about how to prepare for Halloween on the other side of the door? And, I’m not just talking about buying those bags of candy!
Halloween inside the Quiet Hollow and Cedar Lane Doors
Halloween’s going to be different from all those years we spent with that TV tray by the door on Cedar Lane. The trick-or-treating event was almost a non-event and some years the only ones dipping into the bowl were the residents…us! After the grandkids got old enough, they and their parents would make the effort to come through the woods and down that driveway. Of course, we loved it and it helped use up some of those sugary calories.
This year on Quiet Hollow we’re preparing for maybe 500 times the amount of treats as we’re used to providing. People in our neighborhood spend close to $100 per home to have enough candy to fill all those bags. (I found this good deal on Amazon. We’ll probably get a couple, maybe three.)We’ve heard the kids are polite and cute and the parents are friendly. So, other than needing to take out a small personal loan for all that trick-or-treating bootie, we’re actually looking forward to this fun neighborhood event. Plus, we’re looking forward to treating our grandkids as well. The best part of all!
Costume Shopping Time
Since we’re going all-in with the candy bowl, we’re thinking about getting a little more involved with Halloween on the other side of the door. In other words, we’re shopping for costumes for ourselves. Those who know us might possibly go into shock with that news! We never dress up. We never attend costume parties. So, this will be a huge step for us. A huge step of bravery. It’s not a totally done deal, but we are shopping on Amazon. We’ve discussed some possibilities. Here are some of the costumes we’ve been shopping online:
I asked Siri what I should be for Halloween and she told me to go as an Eclipse by dressing in black and just standing in front of things. 🙂 I went shopping and found a few more realistic costumes!
Here’s the first one. What do you think? Peanut Butter and Jelly would be appropriate for both of us!
Or, we could be Milk and Cookies…I kinda like this pair! Another very fitting idea. These are not form-fitting which is a good thing as well.
The last one is a pair of red tennis shoes. Cute. Maybe. This one looks a little more restrictive than the other two. What do you think?
Halloween Outside the Door
This neighborhood decorates for Halloween and Fall in Texas! There’s a huge spider, little ghosts and I think a big pumpkin on the house next door. Kitty-corner across from us is a big ol’ zombie. And, those are just the ones close to us two weeks before the big day!
I’ve got my fall Welcome basket near the door filled with autumn flowers and a cute ribboned pumpkin underneath. Great verse on it BTW (that ‘punkin’ was a gift.) Oh, and the little Fall swag on the door. We might do a little more later on, but this could be it. We’re focusing on the candy bowl and our costumes!
If you’re also thinking about doing Halloween on the other side of the door, now’s the time to shop. October 31st will be here before you know it!
Time to Share
I’ll be sharing photos of our costumes on the Quiet Hollow Facebook page. Please check in there to see what we looked like and maybe even share your ‘look’ as well. It’s going to be fun this year!
Disclosure: If you purchase from links in this post, I may receive some kind of affiliate commission. Thank you for your support in this way.Â
Finding a new purpose in living and joy in the day-to-day was the goal when author Kathy Rowland and her entire family (adult kids and grandkids) moved from the PNW to Texas several years ago. The focus of Quiet Hollow is to encourage ‘next chapter women’ – those who are retired, empty-nesters, or have found themselves without a spouse to jump back into life. And, she shares multiple tips, ideas, and possibilities toward that end. Kathy completed her almost 30 years as an elementary teacher and hopped into over a decade of volunteer work, side hustle-type businesses, and grandchild care before discovering her unique and fulfilling purpose for the next chapter of life. What you read on Quiet Hollow is a large part of that calling. Another part is the happy life she’s leading in Central Texas in the same neighborhood as the 3 big kids and her 5 grandkids. She and her college sweetheart husband made sure to add a pool to their new Texas home, so there are lots of noisy, splashy days in their little oasis of a backyard. Come join her on Quiet Hollow in a conversation about finding and living the life you were created to live in this later stage. The chats will be full of laughter, support, faith, and inspiration to create.
