Halloween "To Do" List

October is by far my favorite time of the year. Not only does it fall on my birthday, it also falls in The Fall. Get it? Okay. I know that’s pretty lame. What I meant was that we’ve survived summer, and the cooler months are ahead of us. Also, drum roll please... HALLOWEEN is right around the corner! My favorite holiday. I don’t care what anyone says, but all of October is Halloween.

So, in preparation for Hallow’s Eve, I’ve compiled my own to do list before October 31st.

1. Scary Movie Binge

The flashlight starts to flicker. Ominous music creeps up into the background. The ceiling light of the basement turns off suddenly. A creek at the top of the stairs. A second later, the pitter patter of footsteps running right above her...Strange, she could of sworn she was the only one in the house.

Who doesn’t love to just sit around with friends and family and get spooked, especially during Halloween. I’m not just talking about the children-stealing Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus. No, I am talking about The Grudge, The Conjuring, It, It Chapter 2, Insidious, 28 Days Later, Train to Busan, #Alive. You know, horror movies that make you want to go shit yourself. I might be a masochist for saying this, but don’t you just love the exhilaration of a good scare?

2. Pumpkin Patches

Do you sometimes wonder why your social media is flooded with so many selfies of your friends and family at a pumpkin patch? That’s just it. I honestly think most people go because it’s an excuse to take a butt-load of selfies and of course the weird ones will grab a pumpkin or two. At least that’s what my Facebook feed is insinuating. It’s working. I want to go to a pumpkin patch just for the amazing selfies.

3. Decorations

Is it just me or does everyone else think that October is the start of the home decorating mania? I’m not wrong. Just step out and look around your neighborhood. From one stretch of block to another, there’s either pumpkins, skeletons, graves, spider webs, and... Christmas lights? Okay. Now, you’re pushing it Karen.

4. Costumes

Halloween is the biggest excuse for normal people to dress up. I say normal because not everyone enjoys going to comic conventions or Renaissance Faires whenever they have a chance. I personally feel like everyone needs to go, and in costume/cosplay at least once for the experience. The atmosphere and energy there is always amazing.

From witches, vampires, droids, Batman, Spider Gwen, Bob Ross, a pumpkin, Geralt of Rivia... anything you want to be! The best part about it is that you can either buy it, or make the costumes for those savvy artists with a sewing machine. It’s Halloween! Have fun with it!

5. Haunted Houses

There’s a ghost girl ready to try and grab your ankles, a deranged man in a straight jacket tilting its head at you in the corner, and a woman in a rocking chair humming a soft but ominous tune. When they realize you’re a chicken shit, and they WILL know, your heart begins to race as you find yourself being followed by a crazed butcher with a blunt cleaver. It’s so much more fun when they chase you as you’re screaming out of there. Halloween, you did it again!

6. Zombie Paintball/Escape Room

There’s a key that dangles above a gate filled with zombies moaning and reaching out for you. As you finally maneuver the pvc pipes to pull down the key over to you, the gate slowly opens. The moment the keys are finally in your hands, you’re given a few options of paintball guns. The zombies slowly move in forcing you to pick one. You run into an open field and start laying it on them as they come for you while trying to make it to your next destination. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be screaming and being absolutely useless the whole way through.

Whether it’s cozying up against your couch and binge watching your favorite horror flicks, taking selfies with pumpkins, competing with your neighbors about who has the best Halloween decorations, dressing up in your silliest costumes, purposely getting spooked by adults in makeup and costumes, or trying to escape hordes of zombies while testing your fight or flight reflexes… just remember to have fun with it. Halloween is that time of year where you get to be a kid again. Did I mention it was my favorite holiday?