Halloween is around the corner… What will you be up to?
This time last year we were living in Atlanta while I was filming Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. We really loved the neighborhood we lived in, the Virginia Highland area. We were across the street from a park, walking distance to Piedmont Park, close to a Whole Foods, and surrounded by kind neighbors. It was such a cool experience for Bear to be able to run to either of our neighbors’ houses for spontaneous play. That said, living in such a family-friendly neighborhood changed up our Halloween experience!
Last year’s holiday was special for a couple of reasons:
- Bear had never gone trick-or-treating!
- Our neighborhood was completely taken over by Halloween! Between all the decked-out houses and dressed-up kids, we couldn’t resist participating in a festive adventure.
So we went trick-or-treating with our neighbors, which felt festive given the things mentioned above and a delicious glass of rose! Bear collected candy, and at the end of the night we did the “Switch Witch” (watch this silly video for more info on it). In exchange for his candy, he requested blueberries and a vegan pizza – which he was thrilled about!! The next day he said, “Thank you mommy for Halloween!” It was so cute.
If you’re wondering what to do with all the excess candy, we donated it. Some people feel it’s bad to donate candy to anyone, but if they are going to eat it anyway, isn’t donating it better than wasting it? I do this with other items; for example, companies sometimes send me samples of self-care products that are filled with chemicals, and while I would never use them, I give them to someone I know is never going to buy kind cosmetics, ever. At least then I know they won’t go to waste and it prevents more chemicals from being made and purchased. If you’ll be giving out candy at your household, choose candies that are vegan and free of conventional palm oil. Luckily there’s a lot of vegan candy out there but just double check the ones your interested in to make sure they’re free of conventional palm oil!
This year there’s a cool event at Highland Hall Waldorf School with pumpkins, pumpkin carving, and other fun festivities with no animals involved. We’re happy we found this since so many events going on locally seem to have petting zoos or some kind of pony rides!
No matter how you and your family choose to celebrate (if you do that is!) there are ways to keep things kind–whether it’s creating less waste or enjoying tastier treats without the naughty tricks on your body. Check out my “Have a Green Halloween” post for all sorts of tips.
I wish you a kind and fun celebration!
Bear’s Halloween costume last year.. He borrowed it from a classmate and said he was a solider but he looked more like a woods elf or Robin Hood.
The costume Bear made the day after Halloween… He said “I’m bored Mommy, I want to watch cartoons,” I said “we’re not doing that” (we try really hard to stay away from screens) and the next thing I know he made this. He had so much fun doing it! Creativity really shines through out of boredom!
