It’s that time. Not red and green, but orange and black! Despite the humidity and temperature outside, you can see a change in the sunlight that means fall is upon us. We’ve survived another hot Louisiana summer and the payoff is big. Football, good hair days, tons of outdoor activities and Halloween.

Here are a few of our family’s favorite fall functions:

• Corn Maze at the Burden Center. There’s a corn maze and so much more. Activities also include a zip line and a hay mountain.
• Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch. There are fun activities for kids and lots of cute little pumpkins that you can pick yourself.
• Boo at the Zoo. Trick or treating among the animals–yes please! I remember the first year I was a mom. Bringing PMan to the zoo for Boo at the Zoo felt like I was in the mom club. It’s an annual tradition for our crew now and we don’t miss.
• Haunted Hikes at the Bluebonnet Swamp. This is another one that is always fun. My favorite part of the experience is seeing the reflector eyes they place along the path.

These are just a few of the things to do in October. There’s also the 13th Gate, which I admit I’m too scared to enter. I hope we can make it to the Baton Rouge Halloween Parade this year too. And then there’s Halloween. It’s such an easygoing holiday that everyone can get involved in without the stress of turkey or gift wrap. In my family, the adults even join in with the kids and wear costumes. Some of my favorites from recent years include the year I dressed as the solar system–it was out of this world. (Ha!) We also did a Wizard of Oz year where we all dressed as a character from the yellow brick road. Lions and tigers and bears–oh my! Our family party has featured everything from princesses and athletes to pirates and zombies. At least as far as our family is concerned, it does seem that the adults tend to get creative, making costumes from whatever is hanging in the closet at the time. Somehow, this boosts the fun!

Like the adults in our crew, the boys are also fans of dressing up. In fact PMan, who is ever-philosophical even in elementary school, told me he feels like costumes are like a surprise party waiting to happen because you never know what everyone is going to wear. I never thought of it that way, but I guess that’s true. “Surprise, Marshall from Paw Patrol is at the door!”

I would be totally remiss if I didn’t mention Halloween candy in a post about Halloween, as both boys enthusiastically reminded me. I’m always amazed that the candy we adults think looks totally inedible is the very treat that the children grab first. No need to track down a particular candy or a particular brand as any sweet treat will do. All the more reason to consider Halloween a truly low stress holiday. Of course, I guess the stress in Louisiana most years could be the fear that all that chocolatey goodness will melt before you get home. By the way, what’s up with those hard, skeleton pieces that have no flavor?! Really, kids, that’s what you grab first?! 

Hopefully no matter what you and yours grab this October, you have a great time together as a family. Do you have a favorite tradition? Do you have a great, or not so great, costume idea? Please share it so that we can add it to our calendar or search Pinterest for how to make it.

Fall is finally here. Ready, set, go!!