But even so, I have a few pumpkins here and there and am working on a bit of Autumn/ Thanksgiving content yet. We put the trees up in the house to light up the house actually. Did you know that Balsam Hill’s LED Christmas trees only take a tiny amount of energy to run all those magical lights? Our power is currently turned off with the safety shutoffs here in California- and those twinkling trees are absolutely lighting up our rooms. So- that is a big bonus.

But I know some of you are in full on autumn and halloween mode- and so-today it is all about simple Halloween touches. Even though trick or treating and Halloween parties may not be happening this year- you can still decorate the house and create something fun for your kids right at home.

Add a touch of spooky

Even if you aren’t doing anything ‘big’ decor wise for Halloween – you can bring out those little haunted houses, spider webs and Jack O’Lanterns for a touch of spooky on the mantel.

Think branches spray painted black, cutout paper shapes and little ‘glowing’ houses for a fun look.

Spooky frosty foliage & lots of candles

Spooky frosty foliage that is elegant is perfect for an elegant Halloween look. This is from a few years ago- but you can create a similar look by taking a branch with leaves from the yard and spray painting it black for a ‘spooky’ look. And don’t forget the candles- for a bit of fun, I brought those lanterns from the front porch into the cottage.

Whimsical Halloween

Whimsical halloween brings in those paper bats on the wall (the only kind I like!) lanterns and candles glowing in the house and a tad more of those ‘spooky’ halloween touches we might remember from when we were younger.

I am not a fan of ghoulish or gore themed halloween-so I tend to stick with more of the Vincent Price style spooky touches.

Want to see a peek at some halloween costumes from the past? Sharing a few of my favorites from when my kids were little Here. And for a few more whimsical ideas- you can find those here.

On the Table

I love an elegant table any time of the year- and for Halloween – it is all about adding grown up and elegant touches. For this table, I used a few crows and black candles to add an elegant touch- and don’t forget bowls of fruit, pumpkins and a bit of copper and gold for a finishing touch.

And for a touch more whimsy- bring out the candelabra’s and frozen garland for a centerpiece.

Movie Night

Something fun to do this year for a backyard Halloween gathering- is to have a movie marathon outdoors (or indoors). Build a fire in the fire pit, make big bowls of popcorn, gather up the s’mores stuff and set up a tv or projector and screen outdoors and play those halloween movies.

It doesn’t have to be spooky- it can be the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and the The Nightmare Before Christmas type- it is all about kids feeling like they have some of that halloween fun.

My husband and I just finished Bates Motel (my third time watching it- I love that series!) and are planning on date night movie night and watching some old time creepy movies from when we were younger.

Backyard Halloween Party

Just because you can’t trick or treat at every house on the block on ‘Candy Mountain’ doesn’t mean you can’t create a simple fun ‘party’ right at home for your kids. You can create little trick or treat stations around the yard for littles- peanut butter cups over at the chicken coop, m&m’s by the garden, etc. Or maybe set up a scavenger hunt to find all those delicious treats by flashlight.

If you are into more spooky- you can set up a ‘haunted house’ in the garage or backyard. One of the things I remember from haunted houses at school was putting my hands inside a box and ‘feeling’ things like ‘eyeballs’ (peeled grapes) and ‘worms’ (cooked spaghetti in oil). Always creeped me out.

This year we are not doing much for Halloween- though truth be told, we don’t usually do a ton. When the kids were little they would dress up and have fun- and we would trick or treat. But most of the time, my husband was working on Halloween so we would be wandering around our little town with friends of my daughters. Since it is just my husband and I at home this year- I may try to convince him to dress up as something ( a police officer maybe since he already has the uniform?) and we are planning a simple quiet night at home.

Coming your way- it is all about getting ready for Christmas and a quick change we are working on in the cottage kitchen- I am obsessed already.

Happy Monday all.

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