Like most kids in America, I loved Halloween growing up. Then, I went through a period where I didn’t think much about it, and just wondered if there would be a great party invite where I didn’t have to dress up. Yes, I used to be that girl who didn’t want to dress up for Halloween. And then, I had kids and, much like the Christmas holiday, they brought the magic back to Halloween – in spades – and I love it all over again.
There’s been a lot of talk out on the inter webs, and in my circles of friends, about how much Halloween has changed, and how all the Pinterest moms try too hard, and what a total rip-off Pottery Barn costumes, candy buckets and table displays are. And, as much as I wholeheartedly agree with all of those sentiments, I don’t really care how anyone else celebrates Halloween.
However you celebrate, it’s about creating memories, some of which will last a lifetime.
With that in mind, here are some of my most fond, crazy and downright stupid Halloween memories:
1. Although my mom did not eat healthy by any stretch of the imagination, she must have gone though a Jane Fonda moment one October because I remember a year of giving out God-awful items. Basically, anything besides actual candy on Halloween is “God-awful!” This one particular year she handed out little cloth ghosts (which she demanded I help her with) and instead of using a Tootsie Pop for the head, she used pennies! Pennies! WTF? I’m pretty sure they were used as weapons because, what the hell else are you going to do with a ghost head filled with 20 cents?
TRICK! It’s filled with pennies!
2. Using a pillowcase as a treat bag. We didn’t decorate it, have a special “Halloween” one or order it online (because there was no “online”) but simply plucked it from the linen closet minutes before heading out the door. I guess we tried to think of the largest sack available on premises in which to carry our loot. There would be nothing worse then actually filling your treat bag with more houses to go! Now that is scary.
3. The year my mom dressed me as an old lady with saggy boobs. This is evidence of child abuse. I don’t know what my problem was, but I somehow ended up on Halloween night with no costume. I was probably being overly picky and stubborn. So, my crafty mother racked her brain and came up with “old lady” complete with sagging boobs down to my waist. I was scarred for life, and I can still hear her laughing hysterically at the sight of me. I can only hope to torture my children this way someday. In her honor of course.
This is adorable. I assure you, I was not. If only I could find that picture!
4. When I lived in Los Angeles for a few years, we used to have grown-ass adults come to the door with plastic bags in hand, waiting for us to fill them. They didn’t even bother to dress up! At least, I don’t think they were…tough to tell. The first time it happened I was so shocked that I just gave them candy. When I mentioned it to co-workers the next day they just shook their heads like “Yep, that happens.” What the…????
5. Egging my eighth grade teacher’s car. There, I’ve finally confessed it to the world. Trust me, I was punished. The teacher never found out, but I was so worried about what I had done, that I didn’t sleep all that night and almost made myself sick with guilt. By some miracle, it started raining in the early morning and I remember actually praying the rain would wash the egg away and she wouldn’t see it.
If only the eggs had been harder to get!
I was never so afraid to go to school in my life (well, at least up until that point!) but she never said a word and I figured the rain had worked. To this day I have no clue if she ever saw the egg plastered on the back window of her Buick station wagon. I’ll tell you this – I never did anything like it again. I figured that was my one free pass!
Happy Halloween everyone! May you have a great costume, get wonderful treats and have zero eggs thrown at you.
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Best/Worst costume you ever wore?
You know that after midnight on Halloween it’s officially winter, right? Here’s some ways to get in your winter workouts a la my latest Learnist board.
Ha, your story with the eggs sounds exactly like something that would happen to me. I have never egged anything but I can guarantee you I would be so worried with guilt if I did! I think Halloween is such a fun holiday myself so I can relate to this!
I think about it every Halloween! Talk about being scarred for life.
All the egging, Tping and other antics of my youth…never got in trouble for it but my conscious has never forgotten!
Glad you (kind of ) got away with all of it! So harmless and so funny that most kids do it…we’ll have to see what OUR kids end up doing in a few years! Now that’s scary.
Laughing about the egging b/c I wouldn’t know the first thing about that–I never did anything like that as a kid!
I don’t believe that for a second! 🙂
I think you know how I feel about Halloween and yes I do love it so. Totally loved and enjoyed your walk down memory lane. Definitely had the good and the not so good costumes here, but still can say for the most part had a fun time and hoping are kids can say the same someday. Happy Halloween;)
I know you love it and that is so great! Have so much fun with your ice princesses tonight 🙂
The egging story made me LOL. I remember when my sister spray painted something on the neighbor’s fence, and did not get caught! …we really thought up some bad stuff when we were kids, but that was probably the worst. One time we actually had someone run after us after we rang their doorbell and ran for about the 10th time!
OMG now that would have killed me for sure! At least you had a sister to scheme with…my brother was too cool to hang with me…
LOVED reading this Allie! Old lady! I LOVE it! That is an awesome costume!!! I wish you could find the picture! These are great, fun to read, and happy (well, mostly) for you to share I am sure 🙂
I have to find that picture. I’m sure my dad has it! Thanks Tina 🙂
so just to let you know that the statue of limitation has NOT run out on egging the car so the popo will be at your house any minute….lol! The old lady costume? OMG sagging boobs? I CAN’T DEAL. Please dig up a picture from somewhere? pretty please? A penny bag? That is the saddest treat I have ever seen. I would have been traumatized getting that in my pumpkin basket.
You are cracking me up! It was seriously mortifying when my mom gave those out. I think I was apologizing to people as she gave them out. And I know that the egg God of karma will be here any minute…
Omg this is too funny! Egging your teacher’s house. Did you like her? I don’t think I would ever be able to do that. And those ghosts! I hated going to houses that didn’t pass out candy. I bet the next year some kids missed your house:)
I hated my teacher. She was so awful. I went to a Catholic school and we had a really small class (13) and she just did the craziest things and yelled all.the.time. Even though I hated her…I had all that Catholic guilt instilled in me!!
OMG, she dressed you up as an old lady with saggy boobs?? That is HILARIOUS, I’m dying right now. I don’t really remember much from Halloween as a kid except I hated dressing up and I usually went with a pillow case too!
That’s funny you hated dressing up? Maybe because the costume choices were so bad. We had those awful plastic masks that you couldn’t breathe out of!!
Tiny little ghosts! Those are what my siblings brought home the other day from arts and crafts. But they used cotton balls so they’re not as heavy when we stick them on walls.
Cotton balls would have been an upgrade in this case!
OMG, the eggs! LOL! I hung out with a friend on Halloween when I was 19. She didn’t tell me ahead of time that her and her sister were planning on driving around egging cars. I was mortified! Too bad the store didn’t do that! I love the pennies idea!
I would have died!! The things we do…
yes. yes and yes to the pillowcase as a sack bag. Absolutely remember this! I’d pay anything to see the old lady photo, sounds traumatizing! 🙂 Thanks for linking up with us!
Thanks for reading and commenting!! It was completely traumatic and I think about it every year!
Halloween is the one night out of the year where my saggy boobs (the real ones connected to my body) actually serve a goulishly-fitting purpose. It’s just too bad I won’t be able to flash anybody without getting arrested.
Bawhahahahahaha!!!!!
Happy Halloween!
I used a pillowcase for Halloween candy too!
You too! Hope it was great…
I’ve never been a huge Halloween fan – I’m a scrooge like that.
We don’t get many trick-or-treatrs in our house now but in our previous one we almost always ran out of candy (and I bought tons!!!). The weirdest experience ever was when a group of teen-age kids came to the door (with pillowcases) and one of the girls was pregnant (not a costume – the real deal) – she held her bag up for candy and I didn’t even know what to think.
OMG. You would think trick or treating would have not been a priority for her that year?!
People in my neighborhood run out all the time. There are just SOOOO many kids…but it’s great. Hope you survived this year 🙂
Happy Halloween to you, you goody two shoes! 🙂
I know…I thought it was such a horrible thing to do!
Aww! I egged a tree once, just to get it out of my permission. You with the big heart!
I’m laughing about the saggy boobs costume and the pennies for ghost heads!!
And of course we used pillowcases because the better to get more candy with than cheap pumpkins!
Exactly!!! Hope you all had a great Halloween!
If I ever egged a car the guilt and worry would be awful, hypothetically speaking of course 😉
Of course…cough, cough,…. 🙂
I loved reading these flash back memories of your Halloween days and your confession … gasp! Good thing you were so fast that you could run away after your vandalism career. Ha! xoxo
Hahaha – thanks Jesica! Being fast has saved me more then once… 🙂