The Great Pumpkin Plan!!!!! Calendar and Basic Budget Week
Sept 16 to Sept 22, 2017:
Sept 16 to Sept 22, 2017:
- Events/Activities To Participate In - The idea here is to just sit down and think about all these events and activities that could be part of the Fall/Halloween season. Planning now could allow you to fit in things you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t made happen - or decide where to trim events that just make things TOO hectic! High level planning only to get you thinking about what is coming - details can come later...
- Hosting a party?
- Small or large there are so many possibilities - and then can be family friendly too!
- Host a Halloween cookie swap!
- A Halloween themed Decorate Your Own Donut Party (maybe as part of a brunch event?)!
- Halloween Murder Mystery parties are great for medium sized groups (there are tons of kits available for purchase online)!
- Host a Halloween cookie swap!
- Small or large there are so many possibilities - and then can be family friendly too!
- Attending parties?
- Do you get invited to the same place(s) every year? Even if you can’t confirm dates yet, thinking about what you may need to bring or prepare now is always good. Will you be making food to contribute? Is it a trunk or treat event where you need to plan to decorate your vehicle?
- Trick or treating? Handing out? In neighborhood? Elsewhere?
- Community events? Trip to Pumpkin Patch? Corn maze? Haunted House? Other?
- School events?
- For example, every year my son has a Halloween class party (I’ll have to sign up for some sort of food item) and the whole school has a Halloween costume parade that the parents come to watch (so we need to plan to make arrangements to attend)
- Trip to local Halloween store for costumes? Or will you be ordering online this year?
- Sending in classroom treats?
- For those of us with younger children where this sort of thing is encouraged, now is the time to start browsing ideas for possible treat items. There are tons of them out there, from simple to complex. An early start will give you more flexibility and save late nights right before they are due - ask me how I know!
- Worried about too much sugar? Consider using The Great Pumpkin Candy Swap idea!
- After your kids collect their haul of candy, they select a small portion to keep and leave the rest out in the house, somewhere of your choosing, on Halloween night. In the night, The Great Pumpkin “comes” and takes the candy, leaving a toy or book behind instead for them to find the next morning.
- Plan to prepare your kids for the idea (works best for younger ones obviously) and decide on item that will be left in place of the candy
- After your kids collect their haul of candy, they select a small portion to keep and leave the rest out in the house, somewhere of your choosing, on Halloween night. In the night, The Great Pumpkin “comes” and takes the candy, leaving a toy or book behind instead for them to find the next morning.
- Use printed or digital calendar of choice to plug in all dates currently known or ballpark ideas on the rest
- Hosting a party?
- Candy Stock-up
- Purchase at least one bag of candy during normal grocery trips this week - HIDE!
- Include jokes about candy (saved to Halloween - Fun and Games board)
- Purchase at least one bag of candy during normal grocery trips this week - HIDE!
- Costume Discussion
- Decide whether or not you or other adults in the household will dress up this year
- Begin researching possible costume ideas
- Pinterest
- Halloween Costume Websites
- Pinterest
- Optional: Plan for Halloween themed attire for desired events - could be as simple as a Halloween themed shirt or a fun headband, face makeup, etc.
- Do you have school aged children that would love to wear a fun Halloween shirt to school the day of a class party? Add needed items to your shopping lists!
- Begin researching possible costume ideas
- Discuss costume choices with your kids as well; If at all possible, pin them down on a decision so that planning can begin!
- Decide whether or not you or other adults in the household will dress up this year
- Make a Basic Budget
- Based on all of the above, sketch out a rough idea of what you want to spend in the following categories:
- Costumes
- Candy
- Food (if hosting party or pot-lucking or for any seasonal treats)
- Classroom Treats/Gifts (if applicable)
- Tickets to chosen community events
- New Decor
- Any additional misc. expenses specific to your needs
- Costumes
- Based on all of the above, sketch out a rough idea of what you want to spend in the following categories: