Last Halloween we had the cutest little girl come up to our door. She smiled with her princess smile, took her candy, said “Thank you,” and turned to leave. Then she abruptly turned to look at me and said in her best bossy 4 year old voice, “Why are these things in my way?” She was referring to our overgrown bougainvillea plants that forced her off the sidewalk and into the landscaping rocks. This year, in an effort to not be told off by pre-schoolers, we will be preparing for Halloween the week before.
A few tips that you can follow with us:
1- Give kids a safe path to walk from the street to your door. Make sure the path is well lit and free of obstacles (like huge thorny plants).
2- When decorating, think safety first! Many times kids have long, flowing costumes. If your sidewalk is uneven, mark it well to prevent kids from tripping while they can’t see their feet. Also, avoid using candles in your exterior decorations. Nothing ruins Halloween like a costume going up in flames.
3- Start buying big bags of candy now. They won’t go on sale closer to the holiday, so postponing your candy purchase only increases your chance of being the house with crappy candy.
4- Make sure you have a large bowl to put the candy in. Avoid glass bowls which could fall and break if a bunch of sugar-crazed kids knock the bowl out of your hands. Plus, it will be slightly lighter so you don’t wear yourself out holding the candy all night.
5- Finally, be prepared to hand out candy from dusk until mid-night. If you run out of candy (or energy) before midnight, simply shut off your front lights, including decorations, and lock your front door. A dark house is the universal sign for “No Candy.”
Happy Halloween from Moxie Girl!!