What you learn from the previous Halloween

[MauEvig]

Do you ever reflect on last year's Halloween, or previous years and think about things you would like to do differently for the upcoming Halloween?
I certainly have. We only got one trick or treater this year, so I think one thing I'm going to do differently is not buy a whole bunch of candy. Still planning to decorate, dress up, watch horror movies and such, but since I don't live in town anymore there's no point in spending a bunch of money on candy. Plus I need to start eating healthier...at least after I get done eating up my Christmas candy.

I still plan on buying some candy, because it just wouldn't be Halloween without it, but maybe just one little bag this time around.

Any thoughts? If you don't get a lot of trick or treaters do you still buy a bunch of candy, or just skip the candy and go for other Halloween traditions?

What would you like to do differently this year that you want to change about last years, or any previous years Halloweens?

[vrb8919]

This year, I plan to really decorate my house more. This is actually the first Halloween that I will own my home, so I plan on making it look pretty festive. That would probably be the main thing. We didn't really have a whole lot of trick-or-treaters (about ten this year) either, so we had quite a few pieces of candy left over too. However, we just give most of it to my niece and nephew and we keep a few pieces as well.

[MauEvig]

We mostly got candy we liked so for the most part, it wasn't really an issue to eat it ourselves, but after Christmas and such, it's really time to cut down on the junk food.
I won't completely abolish junk food though, since it's easier to grab a bag of chips than to prepare a meal, but I might try sneaking a little more nutrition in my diet. Besides, I don't want to end up like my grandma who is in her 70's and has a ton of health problems.
I discovered I really like broccoli casserole which basically consists of cheese and broccoli, so I consider that healthy since you have the taste of cheese with the broccoli providing the nutrition that's being sneaked in.
Perhaps some nice healthy Halloween recipes would be something I could look into. But I'm definitely not giving up my Pumpkin spice coffee. I just got a keurig this year for Christmas along with a reusable filter, and it definitely makes a great cup of coffee.

But alas I'm going off on a tangent here. In any case, I think one little bag of candy should be sufficient. I'll probably think of some other things, like planning where to hang up the Halloween lights I never got around to last year, along with the inflatable cat. Plus, my dad sent me down some Halloween stuff from my home state so I can add those to my decorating this year.

As I mentioned in my collaborative decorating thread, my neighbor put up a lot of stuff, so technically I don't even need to decorate outside, but I still like to add my own things to it. She even let me use some of her Christmas decorations this year.

[The Duchess]

I made a tremendous hit as Mrs. Bates at my annual Ghostly Galavant this year.

I must have done a good job since many of the attendees thought that I was a real woman dressed as Mrs. Bates.

I have been told that I make a great woman in costume.

So in the future I will be some wicked Halloween female character . Why knock success. I seem to do well in a dress!

Here is me as Mrs. Bates.



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The Duchess - The Dude In The Dress!

[Pumpkin_Man]

This year, I really want to try something different for Halloween. Something OUTLANDISH, that I have never done before. I might even wait until October to take my vacation instead of taking it during the Summer months.

And DON'T FORGET!! 2017 is only 3 years away, and 2017, October 13th will be on a Friday, so we all should do something extra special that year, be it a 'haunted road trip' or just something cyber.

Mike

[johnsoneliza52]

From this year, I learned a few things.. We invited too many random people here for the adult party. I was stressed at the party just trying to meet everyone and control the chaos.
We do better with our theme parties to have just a backdrop. The old west town, the castle and the pirate ship were the big hits. The ones where we had alot of props in the yard, like last years Beetlejuice, just didnt seem to work as well.
I WILL have more control over the DJ, if we hire one again. They will play what I want them to play, and quite playing techno to our mostly over 40 crowd, because they feel like it! Even after being told twice to start mixing it up..Made me mad!

[Pumpkin_Man]

I use to be a DJ, and in order to make any kind of a proffit at all in that business is you must know the people who you are DJing for. I'm over 50, band while there are a few Techno tunes that I like, I wouldn't care to put up with it endlesly.

When I have a party at my house, however, I don't have to bother with a DJ, because I have a pretty decent stereo system, and a huge record and CD collection. When my family is over, there is a whole range of ages, so I have to, as you say, "mix it up" with everything from Techno to 50s Rock & Roll. I WILL NEVER PLAY Gangster Rap," however. That is one genre of music I absolutey despise.

When I have a Halloween party, however, I do play some music, but I also show horror movies. Most of my friends are over 50, and they, like me, tend to enjoy some of the old school Universal monster movies like "Dracula" "The Wolfman" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman." For Halloween, my family members are usualy too busy with work and school, so I invite some friends over. On the actual October 31st Halloween, my nephew brings his kids over tor ToT, so I do things a little differently for them, but I still stick with a pretty traditional Halloween theme of monster movies, a weenie roast in the fire place and maybe some music.

Mike

[johnsoneliza52]

Nice!!
I am usually too busy to deal with the music, but the last DJ I had should have been shot. No one wants to make a scene, especially with 80 guests around, but every time he played old school rock, or a few selected country songs, everyone was dancing. He didn't seem to get it, though; and I personally went to him twice and reminded him..."hello, no one is dancing to this *$&#^, please play something else"...I had only requested 4 songs by title...the two main songs from Beetlejuice, which I asked him to play 1 of the two per hour, and a couple special songs. Everything was left up to him but the genres were well explained..over 40 crowd, for the most part...old school rock, some (but not all) country, etc. It is just a drag to have to police the DJ at our one huge party of the year.
Thanks for listening!! lol

[MauEvig]

I almost think you're better off controlling your own music. My Uncle offered a free DJ service at my Graduation party back when I graduated Highschool. I still can't believe it's been 10 years since I've been out of Highschool. Time sure does fly by! I guess it was his Graduation gift to me to DJ for my little party. I think he played a lot of classic rock, but I like some classic rock so it was all good. A lot of times it was a choice between classic rock or country, so I'd rather take the classic rock. I'm not crazy about country one bit.

But I never really seem to throw any Halloween parties. It's usually kept pretty simple. I did pick up a CD with some spooky sounds on it, but my boyfriend and I couldn't take it seriously after the voice came on that said "NOW YOU WILL DIE!" and then it plays the cheesy old school horror sound effects.

[Pumpkin_Man]

80 guests???? Wow, Johnsoneliza, that must have been one heck of a party. The most I'll ever have over to my house for any ocassion, Halloween or otherwise would be 16 guests. At any rate, it sounds like the DJ you hired was either entertaining himself, or just didn't have a lot of classic rock or country in his collection. He was probably use to dealing with a younger croud. I assume that he, himself was a younger person. That's still no excuse, though. If the vast majority of his music collection was that Techno that you referenced in a previous post, and he only had a small handful of the over 40 genres, he should have told you that flat out before accepting your check.

MauEvig, I am not a huge fan of country music either. There are a couple of songs here and there, and some of the older country songs are good. I also like folk music, (i.e. Peter Paul & Mary, Kingston Trio, etc) but unless you are having a folk music themed party, folk music really wouldn't work. When I throw a party at my house, I usualy go with a mixture of music that ranges from the 50s all the way through the 90s. If I'm hosting Thanksgiving and when I have my Tree Trimming party, I usualy throw in Christmas music, as that is very much loved by my nieces and nephews. There are some genres of music that I will never play when I throw a party, however.

Mike

[MauEvig]

I like a good variety, some classic rock, some modern, some heavy metal. I think back in the 50's it was hard to distinguish country from rock, since I think rock technically came from country originally.

But this new "twing twang" stuff I can't stand.

I do like techno though depending on the songs and such. If people are going to have a party they definitely should have a variety. I think I remember going to a High School graduation party and asking the DJ for some Linkin Park because all he played was country. I may be from New York, but I was from the more country part, which isn't much different than the South to be honest.

Still, there's nothing like the country. I just can't stand country music. I'm not sure if that makes sense though being someone who likes the country but not country music. I do like Christmas music at Christmas time, but I don't think I'd want to hear it year round. Although I do like the transybarian orchestra.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I only enjoy Christmas music when I'm doing my Christmas cleaning, and through December, but as of Jan 1st, Christmas is over as far as I'm concerned.

I do like Blue Grass and folk music, but some of what you hear today, like "Achy Breaky Heart," I can't stand. I pretty much grew up with classic groups like Chicago, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Simon & Garfunkle, The Cars, The Doors, The Beatles, and others of that ilk.

Mike

[Kolchak]

What did I learn? That I'm still the coolest dude around

Actually at our Halloween party I introduced a few people to music they'd never heard.

Little Steven and Warren Zevon were big hits despite not many people knowing about them. Tim Curry cut an album called Fearless back in the day and most people only think of him from Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Everybody knows who Chubby Checker is but not many people know he cut a pretty hard rocking album in 1980 called The Change Has Come. Not a single guest at my party knew that was Chubby Checker singing!

[johnsoneliza52]

You ARE the coolest guy around!! It sounds like a lot of fun, good job!

[Pumpkin_Man]

Thanks for that Chubby Checker tip. I'll have to see if its available on vinal.

Mike