As far back as I can remember, our pre-trick-or-treating tradition has been to have everyone gather around the grill and make their own pizza. Our neighborhood is famous for a great Halloween. All the streets are cul-de-sacs and on many of those streets, the families all gather at the entrance and put out tables where the kids can just come up to table and pick candy from five bowls placed out (1 from each house). Meanwhile the adults socialize, eat, drink and just have a great time together.

There are already loads of kids in neighborhood, but it seems everyone invites all their friends to come here to trick-or-treat too.

Other houses set up elaborate haunted houses that attract not only the kids, but the adults, as well. Joannie, my neighbor from 2 doors down, dresses up as a witch each and every year and makes the kids do a trick before they get their treat, her house is a destination for the kids!

We go through 4 or 5 huge bags of Costco-sized candy each year. When my two kids were young, we’d have at least another dozen kids at our house (from outside the neighborhood) over to have pizza and then head out for their candy. [Read more →]