As one of the best Holidays of the year quickly approaches. I am frantically trying to figure out how in the hell I’m going to get all of the decorations made, the yard decorated, the house decorated, the treats made and figure out if middle schoolers even like goodie bags. Our part is like 4 weeks away, but with volleyball and girls on the run, shits been a little crazy around these parts!
This tradition started a few years ago, when we lived in a little apartment, I would have a few kiddos over, they would wrap each other in toilet paper, shove their little faces full of sugar and pizza and then be on their merry little way! This time around, we live in a house that has a huge yard. So much more room for activities! But damnit if I don’t feel like I’ve over shot this one. I told the girls the limit for friends was 20. What in hell was I thinking?? 20? That means 20 invites, that I said I would hand make. 20 times the food I’m gonna crank out. Games for 20 kids. See what I mean? its a bit much, even for the most organized Halloween lover.
To keep things as simple as possible, I have tried to come up with the most simple decorations, some home made, some store bought. For instance, I’m making a cardboard graveyard. We have an abundance of cardboard and the shape of a gravestone is relatively easy to cut out. On the other hand, I’m buying pre-made ghosts to hang in the trees. I’ve started a few different banners but will probably buy window decorations.
As far as the food goes, I’m going to make cookies and mummy dogs and all sorts of other stuff (thank you Pintrest!). I’d rather make all the food here, or as much as I can so I can ensure that the kids are getting at least something healthy. A lot has changed since I threw our first Halloween party. I’m actually thinking I will get a piñata instead of goodie bags. The piñata will count as a game annnnnd as snacks! Win!
Halloween party planning, especially for a larger crowd, can seem overwhelming. Here are some tips that help me stay on track!
Halloween Party Planning Tips
- Stay clam! Party planning should be fun for everyone, not a nightmare. If things start to seem too out of hand, scrap it. I had grand ideas of getting hay bails and all sorts of scare crows and building all sorts of stuff. Nope! Those ideas are nice, and would be bad ass, but this isn’t a school fund raiser, its a yard party. No need to stress.
- Ask for help when you need it. Every year I always say “no…I’ve got this”. When in fact I do not have it. Making food for even just a few hungry growing children can turn into all day in the kitchen. Instead, I enlist help. This year Shelby and Emory are going to help. In the past, my sisters have helped.
- Do a little bit each day leading up to the party. This one is a hard one for me because I procrastinate like its no one’s business. Like I said above, I have a few things done, but I’ve slipped into my old ways. Part of writing this post is to get motivated to get some stuff done! Doing a little bit each day, takes away the craziness the day of the party. We usually decorate for Halloween, so there really aren’t any special decorations we need, but on the off chance there are, I make sure we have them and they are up before the party.
- Keep the food simple. This is a party, not a 3 course meal. I made this mistake our very first Halloween party! I thought that all the kiddos needed all sorts of food. I had pizza, mummy dogs, chips and dip, veggies, trail mix, cookies, cupcakes, soda, punch and candy. You know what I was left with at the end? almost everything except for candy.
- Plan it out but stay flexible. If things don’t go your way, don’t have a melt down. This is supposed to be fun! Things will sometimes not go according to plan, because that’s life! I used to have an itinerary, that was until a bunch of 8 year olds just did whatever the hell they wanted. Now, we do have organized games but we also play creepy Halloween music and let the kids just chill. About a month or so before the party, I plan out what food, music and decorations I need. This helps take some of the panic away.
In the end, remember its just for a few hours, you can have some hard cider and relax once its all done. The smile on your kiddos faces will be more than enough to make you want to go through hell all over again next year!
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