Halloween Prep and a Spooky Movie Night

Hey everyone, happy Halloween! I can’t believe it’s already the end of October. This week has been a blur of getting the house ready for tonight, even though Ren and I aren’t exactly the biggest Halloween people. We don’t do costumes or anything wild, but we like handing out candy to the neighborhood kids and just soaking in the spooky vibes. Plus, it’s an excuse to eat way too much chocolate. So, here’s a little rundown of how we prepped and how our movie night went.

First off, decorating. I’m not one of those people who goes all out with inflatables and fake cobwebs everywhere, but I do love a good pumpkin setup. We grabbed a couple from the farmers’ market last weekend—nothing fancy, just your standard orange ones. Ren carved a classic jack-o’-lantern face into one, and I attempted something artsy with little star shapes on the other. Mine looks more like a toddler attacked it with a spoon, but whatever, it’s the thought that counts. We’ve got them sitting on the porch with those little battery-powered candles inside. I also strung up some orange fairy lights around the front window, which honestly looks so cozy at night. Our street gets a decent amount of trick-or-treaters, so we wanted to make sure the house looked inviting.

Speaking of candy, we hit up Target earlier this week for a giant mixed bag of the good stuff—Reese’s, Snickers, Kit Kats, the works. I’m trying not to dip into it before the kids show up, but it’s hard. Ren keeps catching me sneaking a mini Snickers and just shakes his head. We also got a backup stash just in case we run out, because last year we had to turn off the porch light by 8 p.m. when we were out of treats. Not this year!

For dinner tonight, I whipped up something quick and thematic—bloody mary sloppy joes. Okay, not actual Bloody Marys, but I added a splash of tomato juice with a little extra kick from some hot sauce to the ground beef mix, and it turned out pretty good for a last-minute idea. Served it on brioche buns with some kettle chips on the side. I’m no chef, as you all know by now, but this was a win. Ren even went back for seconds, which is rare. If you want the recipe, it’s basically just a standard sloppy joe with about a half-cup of tomato juice and a dash of something spicy thrown in. Super easy.

After dinner, we settled in for a spooky movie marathon. Our living room setup isn’t anything fancy—just the couch, a couple of throw blankets, and our old Samsung TV that’s probably on its last legs. We started with Hocus Pocus because it’s a classic and not too scary for me (I’m a wimp, I admit it). Then Ren picked The Shining, which I’ve seen before but still get creeped out by every single time. We dimmed the lights, popped some popcorn, and just chilled. There’s something about hearing the wind outside on Halloween night that makes every movie feel ten times spookier, don’t you think? I swear I heard a branch snap at one point and nearly jumped off the couch. Ren just laughed at me.

Oh, and a quick sidenote—while we were watching, our cat, Miso, did the weirdest thing. He usually just sleeps through everything, but tonight he kept pacing by the window and doing this low, grumbly chirp that I’ve never heard before. Ren said it’s probably just because of all the kids outside in costumes, but I don’t know. Cats are supposed to sense stuff, right? Anyway, it added to the creepy atmosphere, even if he was just being dramatic.

One last thing before I wrap up: I called my grandmother this morning to wish her a happy Halloween, and she reminded me that back in her day, they didn’t do much trick-or-treating in our city. Instead, kids used to go door-to-door singing little harvest songs for apples or pennies. She even hummed one of the tunes over the phone, something about “the amber moon rising.” I’d never heard of that tradition before, but it sounds so sweet. Makes me wonder how many other old customs we’ve forgotten about.

Anyway, the doorbell just rang, so I’m off to hand out candy. Hope you’re all having a fun and safe Halloween, whether you’re dressing up, staying in, or just stealing candy from your own stash like me. Let me know in the comments what you’re up to tonight—I love hearing your plans! Talk to you soon.

-Maren