I’m taking a break from travel blog content to bring you Halloween content. And yes, I do know that Halloween was basically three weeks ago, but since I am always balancing 78 things, and doing them all at about 50% capacity, this seemed like the perfect timing.
As you already know, Halloween is my favorite holiday. It combines so many things I love: candy, DIY costumes, strangers, and drinking.
Since I have a 15 month old now (almost 16!!), I don’t do much of the drinking part, but I figured I could still capitalize on the candy and costumes and strangers, sort of.
I had a few complications for the amount of prep time required this year: namely, my 11-day trip during October, and the fact that I had 19 braid clients for the Marathon, which was also Halloween weekend. I still did my best by preparing and multi-tasking like all great moms do.
I started my Halloween prep in August. Prep always begins with the idea. I was brainstorming a lot of different themed outfits, knowing I needed to capitalize on the last year Toddler A wouldn’t be voicing his opinions about what he wanted to be. I wanted something unique, funny, and simple to DIY. I was very close to making us a family of Loraxes (Loraxi?) because a toddler tummy is just the cutest, and you all know my affinity for unitards runs deep. But when I realized it would be unlikely to get Chris to agree to galivanting around in a bright orange uni, I went back to the drawing board.
I finally decided on the movie, Up! The original plan was to make Toddler A Russell, the Scout, and then create the house for me, and for Ms. Jen, our nanny, to wear during the day while I was busy braiding, and have Chris be the old man.
However, as with all plans, there were hiccups. 1. I didn’t think Ms. Jen could push the stroller while wearing a box and 2. Chris refused to spray paint his hair, and gray hair is mandatory if you want to be the old man!
I switched gears. I decided to make Ms. Jen and Toddler A matching Wilderness Explorer costumes, in case she couldn’t wear the house while strollering. Then, since Chris wouldn’t be the old man, I decided I would! That is funnier, anyway.
I followed a few DIY tutorials I found online. This and this and this for Russell, and then this major one for the house. For Russell, I used felt I already owned for Toddler A’s sash and handkerchief, and I had to buy fabric for Ms. Jen’s. The badges were tedious to cut out, first the felt, then the badges, then glueing them all together (with an empty spot for the “Assisting the Elderly”/ Elliebadge Russell’s working on, of course). The advantage of the tedium was that it was a very easy multi-tasking process. I actually cut the felt backing for the badges and the badges themselves, AND glued it all together while on work calls. It required no concentration.
I wasn’t planning on writing a blog about this, or taking photos of the process, but our cleaner saw me gluing badges and said I absolutely HAD to document the process.
The house was another story. That required a lot of concentration, outside time for painting, measuring, and of course insane engineering. Not to mention, I had to find the right size box! I had the whole building staff looking out on recycling days to find me a box, and they found a perfect one from another apartment’s Ruggable delivery! After 3 coats of paint, I measured and cut the windows and trimming from felt I already owned, and then I threaded the shoulder strap ribbons with a plastic needle I had from wrapping string around braids. The ribbon I used was also from my braid supplies. Definitely DIY.
For the old man costume, I just bought the bow tie and glasses, and used Chris’s clothes. (See? He’s an old man at heart.) I borrowed a cane from someone in our Buy Nothing Group!
The final challenge for the costume was balloons. There cannot be an Up costume without balloons! But helium is hard to find, and expensive. Also, it’s a day-of task, and I was too busy braiding on Halloween to find and procure helium balloons! My friend told me about a delivery website for balloons, but they were $5 each plus delivery, and I knew I probably needed at least 8. That seemed like a steep price for a DIY costume we’d probably wear for under an hour.
Four days before Halloween, I had an idea: I would make a headband. I was convinced this was better because: 1. I already owned multiple headbands 2. The balloons would then be above the house, which was the whole point 3. It wouldn’t require helium and 4. A headband on Chris was a win, no matter what.
The night before Halloween, I sat down with balloons, a headband, and packing tape, and it worked!! I was so proud of myself for my idea.
On the actual day of Halloween, I was busy braiding all day, but I did get to visit with Ms. Jen and Toddler A to see them in their matching outfits and it was just the cutest thing ever. My heart was bursting!!
Later that night, I took a one-hour break from braiding to go trick or treating in the building. Everything about our costume worked out perfectly! With the exception of the fact that Toddler A grabbed the glasses off my face every time he was near them, and it was hard for Chris to fit in the elevator with his box, especially if there were other kiddos in costumes in there.
We trick or treated for about 30 minutes (#toddlerlife), but the doormen said we had the best costume in the building, and that made it all worth it.
Ideas for next year? For the moms out there… at what age did your kids insist on a specific costume and veto a family one?
