“Somehow we’ve always ended up dressing in home-
made ‘treat’ costumes. One year I made a cotton candy
costume for myself and a snow cone for my husband.
For my daughter’s first Halloween, she was a cupcake.
Then she went as a donut, and last year she was an
ice cream seller. We’ll see what happens next!!”
—Lexie Sachs“Our favorite trick-or-treating spot is the ‘book lady’
who hands out five or six books to every child. When
we get home, the boys pick one book each to read
before bed (after a couple pieces of candy).” —Dana Levy
“When my kids were little, their favorite Halloween
movie was Hocus Pocus. They would watch it every
year after trick-or-treating. Now they’re 22 and 26, and
they still watch, no matter where they are. [Aside: I
hate this movie and am so glad I don’t have to watch
it with them anymore!]” —Lisa Bain
“My mom, my sisters and I used to go to this ‘spooky
haunted tunnel.’ We went every year! And we shame-
lessly still do. It’s god-awful, but we love it!”
—Danielle Daly“As our kids trick-or-treat, we love to take in all the
amazing decorations around the neighborhood. There
are haunted houses, giant spiders, wild costumes,
live bands and all kinds of fun to be had...and not
a single car in sight.” —Laurie Jennings
“My cousins, my brother and I would come back from
trick-or-treating and do a candy swap. We’d trade for
high-stakes candies like Reese’s cups and Peanut
M&M’s, and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It’s still one of my favorite movies!” —Laura Formisano“We have a big cauldron of mini candy and hide the
full-size stuff and glow sticks deep in there as a fun
surprise for the kids who find them.” —Allie Early Francisco:^ColinF
aulkner.^
We
halloween
The Good Stuff rom the editor
INSTAGRAM
20 GH OCTOBER 2019 t ’s cect @janeseymourfrancisco“We live in a very large apartment building, so our
favorite thing was decorating our door with skulls
and spiderwebs from the dollar store, since it’s the only
time of year we’re allowed to decorate the outside of
the apartment!” — Marisa Cohen“I used to make spiked cider in thermoses for the
moms to sip while we walked around
—
kids up front,
parents chatting behind
—
then head back to the house
for pizza and candy swapping.” —Tiffany Blackstone“We like to walk around our neighborhood and look
at the creative creepy decor. If it’s a nice fall evening,
there’s almost a party vibe, since people sit out on
their front steps with friends and family.”—Cathy Lo“We sit out front with wine and cheese while we
hand out candy and watch the amazing costumes
go by! I make a big pot of chili so friends can stop
and have something to eat other than candy. Then
my husband and I watch The Shining
—
still scary,
year after year!” —Mariana Tuma“My friends and I dress up and hit the restaurants
and clubs in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen ;)”
—Janie Matthews“I ask kids to say ‘Happy Halloween’ in the voice/
character of their costume. One kid came as Waldo
in Where’s Waldo?—who is a book character and
hence silent. He was like, ‘Um,’ and did a pantomime.
Adorbs.”—Stephanie Dolgoff“I’ve got a thing for scary movies, so you better believe
Halloween is a favorite. In the weeks before the big
spooky day, you can find me on the couch, candles lit,
streaming Poltergeist.”
—Melissa Geurts“Puppies in costumes
—
the best thing about
Halloween.” —Michelle ManettiFor me, the best part of Halloween is decorating the house.
I get especially inspired and excited when I see all the amazingly
creative, clever and beautiful ideas the GH Home and Design
teams bring to our pages. But when it comes to the big night itself,
everyone seems to have a different take. Our executive editor,
Meaghan Murphy, loves it so much that she plans for it all year!
I’ve asked our crew to share their highlights below. — Jane FranciscoMEET THE BLOB!
My son Grey’s costume has
a small fan inside to keep
him “inflated.” It was a hit
at the party, but made it
a little hard for him to
get around.COSTUME TRICK
My dressing-up secret?
Get a black cape and
a sparkly mask—then
you’re always ready!