Friday Chit Chat: Halloween Fun, New Traditions & Little Life Updates
Hello, good morning, and happy Halloween! Halloween on a Friday feels like a jackpot, doesn’t it? What are your plans?
We will be joining in our neighborhood festivities, which include dressing up, gathering for pizza and costume contests, then heading out to collect candy in a caravan of kids. We live in a smallish community and it’s very sweet and wholesome.
I think my girls will forever talk about Halloween in our old neighborhood because it was huge and people went all out, complete with spooky trails and an in-garage haunted house for the hundreds of kids that would turn out and run around the neighborhood. We would always have friends over for chili then head out for a few miles of walking through the Halloween fun.
I love that they had that experience during some of their prime trick-or-treating years and have fond memories from it. Part of me thinks it is idolized in their heads because of the ages they were when they had the experience, but nonetheless they like to relive the stories.
Shifting to new traditions has been one of the transitions that has come with moving and I’m helping guide the girls through the understanding that will always have those memories, but instead of trying to recreate the same experience in a new place (square peg, round hole), we need to open our minds and hearts to embracing new traditions that are special in their own way (our wonderful, close-knit community we have now, for example).
Apparently I’m feeling chatty, so let’s go with it…
With Halloween comes the anniversary of our move-in!
We moved in last year on the day before Halloween. What a whirlwind that was, trying to set up the basics of a new home while wanting to make the season special for the kids. When I look back, I’m so grateful to be where we are this year- settled in, having friends, and getting to embrace the season in full.
What else…
The Toothfairy visited our house this week!
The difference between H and K losing teeth is drastic. David would spend literal hours with H in tears trying to convince her to allow him to break the final thread of a tooth dangling out the side of her mouth. K, on the other hand, finds a tooth that is slightly wiggly, works on it all day, and rips it out ASAP. Anything for that $5 that a molar delivers, I guess!
Other happenings this week include me trying to eat as much of the fridge and freezer as possible. We are having solar panels installed next week! This adventure began as looking into home generators, then as details emerged (expiring solar energy tax credits, the cost of generators, the funky way our local electric company charges), it started making more sense to go this route. It’s mostly been David’s project, my main contribution was to minimize the appearance of them from the front of the house, and I’m curious to see how they work and the benefits they bring.
I also found a local food bank this week and I’m looking forward to getting involved. We were big supporters of Feed NC in our old town. Even the girls would use their “give” money they saved each year to purchase of the organization’s need list. My heart is most drawn to giving as locally to our community as possible, and I think I’ve found a good fit at perhaps just the right time.
I really can’t believe it’s the last day of October.
This time of year FLIES by. Our calendar is certainly slammed. We’ll be spending Saturday and Sunday from 8AM to 8PM at the soccer fields for the end of season tournaments. and figuring out how to fit in a musical theater commitment between it all.
When I look at our calendar as a whole, I start to hyperventilate a bit, but I’m not allowing myself to live in that. Instead, I’ll glance once at the week and otherwise I’m committing to living in the bite size pieces of the day to day, which are very manageable with a little grace. Grace to me looks like embracing simple meals or picking something up, keeping my daily to do list reasonable, and simply enjoying the present.
Currently, for example, K just walked downstairs with messy hair and a big grin saying happy Halloween!! She asked to watch something spooky while the sun came up and now I’m going to top off my coffee and cuddle next to her on the couch to watch Toy Story of Terror.
I treasure each holiday more and more each year knowing how quickly time goes. Next week is November! How wild. And fun. I have been working on my gifts guides for tweens and teens and I’m so excited to share them next week because these can be such tough ages to nail.
Thanks for stopping by for a Friday chat. If you have a minute, I’d love to hear what’s happening in your world. What is coming up on your calendar? What do you enjoy most about this season? Struggle with? Is there a tradition that you’ve had to shift?
And if you’re too busy getting ready on this Halloween Friday, I totally get that, too! 🎃
Kathy says
Enjoyed reading your chit chat. 🙂 Have a fun Halloween! 🙂
Laura says
Happy Halloween!!
Today is/ will be crazy but that’s okay. I heard the first boxing match bell go off at 6 am and by 7:30 I was already knee deep with a couple other of teachers wrapping up 70 breakfast Boo-ritos for a Halloween fundraiser. I’ve now got a moment (5 minutes) to catch my breath before setting up all the stuff for dipping caramel apples and making caramel popcorn balls with my 100 culinary students. Quick stop at Wal-Mart on the way home to pick up more fog juice, then oven pizzas and hot mulled apple cider for the boys and their friends coming over before we head out for trick-or-treating! I’d like to end the evening with a drive by some of the wonderfully decorated Victorian houses in Old Colorado City. Treated/ prepared myself with my end of spooky season sadness with a couple of travel books arriving tonight, and possibly sealing the deal on the plane tickets tomorrow. I don’t want to jinx it though so I’ll wait to say where to!
Brittany Dixon says
Plane tickets to where?!
You made me giggle at your “first boxing match bell” comment. I can relate! Sounds like you have a full day; hope you enjoy this Friday Halloween!!
Laura says
Denver direct to Istanbul! 3 nights in Istanbul, then fly to Bucharest, Romania. 3 nights in Transylvania, one in Bucharest. Spice Bazaar, Whirling Dervish performance, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern (pics look too incredible to be true!), traditional Hamman (Turkish bath), and then medieval Transylvania and Dracula’s castle, and a ballet performance in Bucharest. I’m so incredibly excited! We’ll start reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula in January after the holidays are over 🙂
Sarah says
I also have to take it one day at a time. I do look ahead each week on Sundays to the calendar, and try to prepare, but some weeks I literally just have to take it one day at a time
or it would overwhelm me (and we’re not even that busy compared to some friends of ours)! Thinking ahead so much has never actually benefitted me! But it takes self-discipline to take it one day at a time, at least for me 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
It takes self discipline for me, too! I’m such a planner, so forcing myself to chill out and focus just on the day at hand is a great practice in discipline for me- ha. Hope you enjoy this wonderful Friday!
Eva says
I love this and am going to remember it for myself as well “ Grace to me looks like embracing simple meals or picking something up, keeping my daily to do list reasonable, and simply enjoying the present.”
A few weeks ago we just moved into a new house with our 11 month old! I am in that messy stage of settling in – stuff everywhere, trying to get organized, while also working on aesthetic house projects. And we are also in the process of selling our old house so it’s been a LOT. Especially since my husband works full time & I work 4 days/week. Thank goodness my parents are around because trying to settle in, update a house, and organize selling another one is craziness with a baby ! I know there’s no deadline to settle into the new house but we’re hosting her 1-year bday party in early December and I want the house to be in decent shape :). So anyway – remembering to give myself grace this season!!
Brittany Dixon says
Congrats on all the wonderful things happening in your life (new house, sweet baby turning one!), and yes, deep breath and grace because you have a LOT on your plate right now. I remember moving in a year ago and desperately wanting to feel “settled” in the new place. It took some time, but it’s fun to celebrate the little wins and progress along the way. Enjoy this season! <3
Eva says
I love this and am going to remember it for myself as well “ Grace to me looks like embracing simple meals or picking something up, keeping my daily to do list reasonable, and simply enjoying the present.”
A few weeks ago we just moved into a new house with our 11 month old! I am in that messy stage of settling in – stuff everywhere, trying to get organized, while also working on aesthetic house projects. And we are also in the process of selling our old house so it’s been a LOT. Especially since my husband works full time & I work 4 days/week. Thank goodness my parents are around because trying to settle in, update a house, and organize selling another one is craziness with a baby ! I know there’s no deadline to settle into the new house but we’re hosting her 1-year bday party in early December and I want the house to be in decent shape :). So anyway – remembering to give myself grace this season!!
Grateful Kae says
Hope you had a great Halloween! It all sounds like so much fun! We had my parents here for the night for our usual chili tradition. I put up quite a lot of Halloween decorations and lights etc and I love the fun ambiance. We were on the soccer field on Saturday too- my oldest’s high school team played in the Sectional Final (next stop would have been State!) but they lost a heartbreaking loss 2-1 in an otherwise winnable game where they really dominated most of the play!! Ughhhh.
Brittany Dixon says
Ahh always so frustrating when the final score doesn’t reflect how the game was played. Those losses are such a sucker punch!