Hostess with the Mostess
Or I just love planning parties!
It’s Spooky Season y’all, and I — unlike Shelby — absolutely love all things Halloween! Dressing up in fun costumes, carving pumpkins, watching Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown, eating a sickening amount of candy (yes, I’ve already eaten every Baby Ruth from the candy bucket)… It is just the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year! This is the holiday where I get jacked up on enough sugar to last me until Thanksgiving. It is also the start of house decorating season where I can lug out all the old Rubbermaid containers filled to the brim with fake skeletons, plastic spiders, and enough fake cobwebs to fill the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney. The onset of Halloween just fills my soul with joy as I know it is the beginning of the end…of the year.
My love of Halloween started when I was young. Both of my parents were super into dressing up and decorating. One of my earliest memories is from Halloween. We had a fake plastic book of witch spells and when you opened it up it sang “Monster Mash”. I still remember my mom walking around the house with it open and singing the song in her best Dracula accent. We also grew up next to neighbors that were OBSESSED with Halloween. They started decorating at the beginning of September and their entire yard was a production. I swear, they must have spent thousands on their Halloween decorations. They would turn their entire front yard into a graveyard complete with moving skeletons, a giant fake rod-iron fence, ghosts hanging in the trees, strobe lights, a smoke machine, and scary music coming from speakers. In addition to having the best decorations in the neighborhood, they also had a killer Halloween party every year. Trust me, these neighbors knew how to party. The house was always completely decked out (just like the front yard) and no detail was overlooked. They had decorations in literally every room of the house. A fake zombie butler in the entryway, cobwebs on the lights in the dining room, fake spiders on the tables, even the pool was dyed red to look like blood! We used to go to their Halloween party each year growing up and I was completely inspired by their dedication to the holiday.
As soon as Marc and I bought a house, I knew I wanted to start hosting a yearly Halloween party. Unfortunately, the first year we had our house we closed on Oct. 23rd so there was no time to set up and plan for a party; however, I knew that 2019 was going to be our year. Last year we hosted our first annual Halloween bash at the Vogelsang household and, if I do say so myself, it was amazing! We had a great turnout, everyone ate/drank way too much, the house got trashed, and most of us were passed out by 11:00pm. Honestly I don’t remember much of the later part of the evening due to one too many test tube shots, but I know I tried to take off my shirt and put my whole fist in my mouth due to evidence on Snapchat that can never be unseen. So, when 2020 rolled around, I knew I wanted to keep the tradition going and throw another epic Halloween bash…well, we all know how this year has turned out so my epic party has turned into a much smaller Halloween soiree instead. I’m going to choose to look on the brighter side of things and get super jazzed for 2021 instead!
In an effort to keep my spirits up (no pun intended…I have lots of ghosts hanging in my front yard), I wanted to write a little piece of tips and tricks to keep in mind when planning a Halloween party. Honestly any party really! Becoming a homeowner has really improved my hostess skills and I’m hoping that I can soon get back to hosting more “ragers” in the future!
Decide what is the most important aspect of the party. Do you want to have the best food? Amazing décor? Delicious cocktails? Fantastic entertainment?…Let’s face it, all of these aspects are expensive and if you are like me, you don’t have an unlimited budget. So, decide what is the most important aspect of the party and focus a lot of your time/money towards that. If you don’t really care about something, don’t waste a ton of time or money on it. Trust me, especially with a party that involved booze, chances are nobody will remember anyways.
The Dollar Store is your friend. I know, at one time in my life I was the spoiled rotten child who would never think to set foot in a dollar store. Times have changed though and I must say, they have some amazing items! I am personally partial to the Dollar Tree, but there are many different chains that are essentially the same thing. The stuff may not be amazing quality, but it does get the job done — especially if décor is not high on your priority list. Almost 90% of our Halloween decorations have come from the Dollar Tree and I’ve actually been quite impressed with the selection! You can find similar items to Party City of Spirit Halloween at a fraction of the cost…This just means you have way more money to spend on alcohol!
Be basic. AKA, look on Pinterest. It almost kills me to admit that I have fallen into the depths of Pinterest for Halloween ideas, but I must be honest with myself…There are so many other people who are WAY more creative than I. Sometimes I wonder how people have the time to be as crafty as they are, but then I remember that it doesn’t take everyone else hours to carve a pumpkin. As a follow up to this, I would also like to recommend trying any food recipes prior to the day of the party…trust me, last year there was a fiasco with a Pinterest recipe for mini caramel apples that may have ended in a few tears. Just test the recipe out first to save yourself a gameday headache.
Ask for help. It may be hard to ask for help, but sometimes just having a few friends help with food or drinks can be a lifesaver! This can also be a necessity if you are in a time crunch. Normally I like to plan my parties months in advance, but with COVID this year we didn’t make the decision to have a small party for Halloween until a few weeks ago. Luckily I have some amazing friends who are always up to step up and help out!
Don’t forget yourself! Especially with Halloween, a costume is incredibly important. While most of your energy may go to planning stuff for the party, never forget to plan an amazing outfit. Last year, we had a costume contest during the party and I’m convinced that my group would have won if I was not the judge…Just kidding, it was just for fun! This year I need to remember to select a winner before everyone is too drunk to vote on their favorite costumes. My choice in giving the prize (one giant candy bar) to Marc and I’s roommate at the time most likely had to do with her being the closest one next to me when I announced the winner, and it was the only costume I remembered. The choice didn’t disappoint though as she decided to give an acceptance speech that went something like, “I’d like to thank god and my roommates for this amazing achievement” before proceeding to chug some Franzia. We keep it classy.
Whether you are having a small event with a few friends, staying in with family, or just hanging by yourself, there are always ways to spice up the party! Holidays looked very different this year than most, but it doesn’t mean we cannot make the most of it. As I think about my small little Halloween get together this year, I start to think about all of the fun parties that will have to be placed on hold, reduced, or cancelled due to the on-going pandemic; however, I’m trying to make the most of this year and not let the current circumstances get me too sad. There will always be another party to plan, potluck to host, or dinner to cook for. To be honest, I am really just hoping we get trick-or-treaters this year! The joy on their faces when they ring the doorbell and say, “trick or treat” makes my heart melt each time! Plus, I bought enough candy to feed the entire neighborhood….
Originally published on October 27, 2020.
