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Consistency is a key factor !

Give yourself plenty of time for the routine! I think starting an hour before we actually want the kids to be asleep has worked best for our family.

Involve them however you can, so they have some choice in the process. For us, it is often picking the story we read, or the number of books we read (within reason), as well as which kid goes first to brush teeth or take their bath.

What's the scariest pasta to eat? Fettuccine "afraid-o"

Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have any guts.

Why do vampires have no friends? Because they are a pain in the neck.

Why are ghosts such bad liars? Because you can see right through them.

Volunteer to participate in a trunk or treat event! This is a fun Halloween activity for high school kids who have a car. They can pick a theme, decorate the car and dress up in costume, and hand out candy to kids.

For teens that are into baking, there are a lot of fun Halloween treat recipes to try.

A murder mystery dinner is a fun thing for teens to do for Halloween with friends. You can use a kit that sets it all up for you, and everyone can dress in costume that matches the time period or setting of the game.

Many amusement parks host Halloween events with haunted houses and other festivities. This can be a fun thing for teens to do together.

Spa/bath gifts like shower steamers, sheet masks, bath bombs, bubble bath.

Gift cards to Starbucks or boba places.

My middle schooler has loved receiving upgraded school supplies from friends. A really nice pencil holder with lots of compartments, fun post-it tabs, mildliners, colorful pens and mechanical pencils, etc.

Pura vida bracelets are popular with the girls at our middle school, and they make a great gift because you can't really have too many.

Blankets, quilts. Used swaddling blankets only.

I bought peepee teepees and used one once. Receiving blankets. Used maybe once or twice. Baby nail file! As much as I have to admit it...just get clippers and suck up the fear of cutting their nails. The files don’t work very well.

Pee guards. I didn’t use these with my first boy but decided to give them a try with my second. Only used it the one time!! It totally got in the way when trying to change him and I needed to take it off to wipe him anyway. Better to just move as quickly as possible, and use the diaper itself as a guard if necessary, to avoid the pee in the face!

Wipe warmers

If there are six apples and you take away four, how many apples do you have? Four.

The more you take away from me, the bigger I get. What am I? A hole.

What starts with E, ends with E, and has only 1 letter in it? Envelope.

Michael’s father has three sons. Two are named Snap and Crackle. What’s the third son called? Michael

Make a Halloween playlist (or find a ready-made one), and listen to it throughout October. We have a few streets around us that really go all out with Halloween decorations, and we like to listen to a playlist in the car while we drive around and check them out.

We like to paint or carve pumpkins to leave outside of our house to decorate for Halloween.

If your kids love making paper chain countdowns for events they're anticipating and ripping off a link each day, make a black and orange one for Halloween!

Find a local pumpkin patch or corn maze to explore as a family. Many really go all out with fun Halloween activities for kids.

What did the shark say when it ate the clown fish? Tastes funny.

Why does a duck have feathers? To cover his butt quack

What did the triangle say to the circle? You're pointless.

Why should you never give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll Let it Go.

Rosie the Riveter with jeans, blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled up, red bandana around the head, red lipstick.

I love this topic! DIY Halloween costumes are such a fun and creative way to celebrate without spending too much time or money. It’s amazing how a few simple items can turn into a great costume. Quick and easy ideas are perfect for last-minute plans and they make dressing up so much more enjoyable

Wednesday Addams. Wear a black dress/skirt with a white collared shirt. If you can, put on a black long sleeve shirt over the collared shirt, and add white knee socks, black shoes, dark makeup, and braid your hair for the finishing touch!

Anyone else's kids saying "6 7" a million times a day? Make a big 6 out of a cardboard box, a 7 for a friend, and carry it around together for the 2025 costume of the year. (Those big number balloons would be perfect for this, too.)

Peanut butter. By itself, on a sandwich, with sliced fruits - it’s a delicious work horse in the protein department!

Hard boiled eggs. We will hard boil maybe 6-8 on Sunday for my teen to eat throughout the week. Stinks up the fridge, but worth it! (And actually, when I store them in a container with a lid it’s not so bad.)

Post-workout, my teen likes to make himself a glass of chocolate milk.

Yogurt. My little kids are picky about what they’ll eat at school for lunch, and won’t eat most foods with protein, leaving them hungry. Thankfully, I recently realized they'll eat yogurt, which has helped a lot.