GREAT PHOTOS - I'd leave in the man-eating part - it's a hoot.
I decorate our front room, dress up as a witch and pass out witch's warts (a sweet tart type candy from Oriental Trading company which sells great 'not in the store' stuff). I tell the kids that I save the warts I peel off all year just so I can share them. I love to watch the reaction.
I don't consider the small candybars 'good stuff'. To me 'good stuff' is the whole candy bar. When I was a kid the nuns would get only a few children come to the convent - but it was sure worth it. Each one would come giggling to the door with a box of 'full sized' candy bars. That one stop was worth dressing up.
We never know from year to year how many kids we'll get so I try to buy stuff that 'keeps' and something different each year. The kids say that they like to come see what I'm passing out each year.
In addition to the cheap little witch's warts I normally buy some other 'unique' candy - blood squirting gumballs, creepy eyeballs, bug shaped gummies, etc.
One year I passed out stuffed halloween thingees. I used to buy every halloween related stuffed toy I'd find at the local thrift shop. One year, I decided I was tired of them so I passed them out. I threw them all on a couch and let the kids pick one out.
Even if it is just cheap candies. I make sure they are in treat bags. The kids don't seem to mind. Most of them come to just talk to the witch.
Oh yes - for the parents. I sometimes either buy or make nice chocolates. If I'm not feeling too stressed and have the time - I make some dark and light chocolate suckers just for them. I tell the mothers that they deserve it for taking the time to not just trunk or treat with the kids.
Ages??? I believe Halloween is for everyone. We have a couple who make fresh donuts for everyone. After the parents are finished and the kids are at home going through their stash, we drive over to their house and sit and gossip while devouring warm sugar donuts and hot cider.
My favorite Halloween story - My Dh was dressed as a hunchbacked ghoul. We had a swiss door (upper and lower sections can open separately) and if it was a little kid coming, I'd answer and hand out candy but if it was an older kid he'd hide behind the door and then slowly rise up and lean over the door, drooling. Gave quite a few a shock.
Late that night - after most of the kids had died away, and the Swiss door was secured back into a full door, a 13/14 year old Black kid came to the door - not in costume. He was really struttin' his stuff. I'm bad, I'm too cool to dress up for Halloween.
I gave him some candy. As I left the front porch I could hear some rustling outside my bedroom window. It was the same kid - he was putting on a costume.
He came to the door again. I figured - any kid that wanted candy that bad deserved it. He got the candy and left - more rustling. He was changing from that costume into another! Knocked, more candy, left. More rustling. This was too good to be true!
I called Dh so he could watch the fun. He quickly got back on his ghoul costume while I unlocked the swiss door.
Knock. I watched from a window to watch the look on his face as ...
Creeeeeeeeeeeeek - the upper part of the door slowly opened.
His eyes widened - I don't think he'd ever seen a Swiss door before.
You could see him, trying to look cool but also wondering how the door opened on its' own. Where's the dumb woman who didn't know that she was giving the same kid candy?????
He slowly leaned forward to peer over the lower part of the door and Dh stood up, groaning and drooling.
The kid let out a scream and started running.
Later I noticed him peeking from behind our hedge to see if the 'thing' was still there. The door was still 1/2 opened so he didn't want to come back. He never did come for his sack of costumes.
He probably thought that he'd pulled one over on us but in reality he MADE that Halloween. We loved his ingenuity. If he had gotten the nerve to come back and get his stuff, I would have gladly handed him the left-over candy. He deserved it!
