It’s almost Halloween. Last year I relied on Google and Pinterest to help me create the perfect costumes for my family, and it was a blast. This year, we’ll all be dressed as felines of one persuasion or another, thanks to an obsession with the Disney classic “The Aristocats”, which has had a revival in the Claire household. I think I can probably quote that movie line for line.

But we’ve decided to start a new tradition this year. I don’t know about you, but I remember Halloween as a time to put on your costume and head outside with your siblings and friends. Then you’d go door to door (if the porch light was on) and yell out “trick or treat!” all in exchange for a handful of tootsie rolls or a sucker. Somehow I always ended up with a homemade popcorn ball as well. But now, we don’t go door to door. We go to parking lots, churches, and shopping centers. We go through candy bag assembly lines. So therefore...a new tradition!

This year we’re having a Halloween party. There will be bobbing for apples, fog machines, and ghost stories. Monster Mash, Thriller, and Ghostbusters will be playing in the background. There will be a little bit of scary (the kids are still pretty young after all) but a whole lot of fun. And my husband and I will have another chance to grab onto some of those childhood memories we treasure and bring them back to life vicariously through our own kids.

Of course, there’s a price tag that comes along with having a party, and it’s slightly possible that we’re developing something of a habit. After all, we just renewed our vows last month, and the month before that was the father-daughter birthday bash. With the holiday season right around the corner, I’m not going to slow down on the entertaining anytime soon. I’m happiest when I’m at home, surrounded by friends and family, enjoying good food, a cozy fire, and lively conversation...but I’m a lot happier if I can do that while staying within budget. Thankfully with a little bit of planning, I’m positive I’ll still have money in my Afena checking account come Sunday. So here’s my plan for Saturday...

We’ll decorate for the party this week, so that Saturday morning I’m not actually crazy. We’ve already purchased everything we need, mostly at our local Dollar Tree. We’re going to have a snack station for the kids and the parents, but the party is in the early afternoon, so a meal isn’t in the works. That’s a big help when it comes to staying within budget, and also in saving time. And then I’m going to get the munchkins all whiskered up, talk the husband into actually wearing the the cat costume, and get ready myself. Finally, it will be time to relax, enjoy, and make some memories. I hope your Halloween is fully of spooky fun as well. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.