It's no secret the Fall is my absolute FAVORITE season! All the delicious pumpkin flavored drinks, the crisp air and changing leaves, and of course HALLOWEEN! Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. It's a magical time for kids and I think it teaches an important lesson.

As a child, it's fun to dress up and become ANYTHING you want to be for a day. I feel like that instilled a lot of confidence in me, and allowed me to realize that I really can be anything I want to be. Allowing a child to dream about their future and the endless possibilities is such a beautiful thing. With the recent pandemic- many cities have discussed banning Halloween which makes my heart sad. 

This inspired me to think of several ways that we (and our children) can enjoy Halloween, spread seasonal joy, and inspire new (or recycled😉) traditions.

"YOU'VE BEEN BOOED"

 This is one of my favorite Halloween childhood memories. Growing up in New Jersey, my neighborhood had a very close knit community and celebrated all different holidays in such unique ways. "BOO-ing" someone, is essentially "ding, dong, ditching" them with a Halloween goodie basket. As a child it was SO fun to try to guess which friend or neighbor had booed you, choosing who you want to pass along the seasonal joy to, and feeling like a ninja dropping off the basket, ringing the doorbell, and making a (probably not so stealthy) getaway. 

This memory and tradition is something that can be shared among children and adults alike. But now with the power of the internet and social media. We can spread this joy SO MUCH FURTHER than just within our own neighborhood. Let's spread this joy together as far as we can.

Here's how:

NERVOUS ABOUT SAFETY?

Safety first, always guys! Aside from wearing a mask and gloves while handing out or receiving candy- there are a few additional methods you can use for extra safety. Here's  3 tips for added safety during trick or treating.

1.) Front Porch Light System: If you aren't comfortable with trick or treaters coming to your door simply observe the front porch light system. Keep your light turned off on Halloween to let trick or treaters know you aren't participating. If you want some extra peace of mind print out a sign and place it on your front door that states you aren't participating for covid-19 safety reasons.

2.) Contactless Trick or Treating: If you don't feel comfortable trick or treating that doesn't mean you can't still give out candy! Simply place a bowl of candy in front of your door with a sign to "Take 2 please!" Bonus Points if you say: "Happy Halloween!" on your ring to your trick or treaters! 😉 We purchased a witch that sits in a chair with a bowl of candy in her lap. She's got some fun catch phrases and small jump scares built in, a super fun way to keep the tradition going in a contactless way.

3.) Sanitize your Candy! My parents always made me wait until I got home to eat any candy because my Dad insisted on inspecting it first. You can utilize this same rule and just add in a sanitization of the entire bag before allowing them to dig in.

TRICK OR TREATING BANNED NEAR YOU?

In case our local laws decided to ban Halloween I thought of a fun idea to observe it within just family + close friends. Remember the DRIVE THRU BIRTHDAY PARTIES where people decorated their cars, dressed up and drove past their family members house to pick up a cupcake? Well, that same idea can work for Halloween. Decorate your car, dress up in costumes, and you can do a "Drive Thru" booth at the end of your driveway for close family and friends "by invite only".

I hope you love all these ideas and end up using some of them. Wishing you all an amazing Fall Season and a happy Halloween! 

xoxo 

Megan Tellez 

Glass Ladder & Co.

Co-Founder + Designer