Monthly Musings: Fall And Halloween

Today I'm linking up with Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good, Better, Best for their Monthly Musings. Today we're talking about fall and Hallowe'en. I will start off by saying that Hallowe'en isn't necessarily my favourite holiday, especially as the kids get older. However, this year, we've gone with super easy for costumes -- each kid has acquired a onesie which will work well for a Hallowe'en costume too. Yay! Okay, on with the link up...

1) How do you decorate for fall/Halloween?

I don't do a lot of fall decorating and I don't do any decorating at all for Halloween. I definitely buy chrysanthemums for outside and, the past couple of years, I've bought a slightly bigger fall planter. And I hang our fall wreath, which I only did last night. I'm a little behind this year :)

2) Do you decorate inside? Outside? Both?

I really don't decorate inside at all. Sometimes I'll buy sunflowers in the fall for indoor flowers but I haven't even done that this year. I should get some this weekend. I like putting them in my orange fish vase for a really fall look.

Rachel added some pine cones to this bouquet from a few years ago.

3) When do you do your fall decorating?

Usually I wait until Labour Day weekend but, because we did a random, last minute road trip this year on Labour Day weekend, I didn't get my fall mums until the following weekend.

This picture is a little dark because I took it too late last night, 

but these are my fall mums this year.

4) How do you pumpkin -- decorate with pumpkins?

We used to carve a pumpkin with the kids but we haven't done that the past few years. Mostly, I chop up any pumpkins we get, steam them, mash them up, and freeze them to make pumpkin muffins and pumpkin penne.

5) Do you add lights to your decorating? Share photos!

Do my solar lights count?!?!? I do enjoy that they've been turning on earlier as it gets dark so much earlier. Other than that, I don't use lights in fall decorating.

Again, I took this photo as it was getting dark last night, 

but I'm loving the mums on the table.

6) Do you do anything special for Halloween dinner?

We used to get McDonald's and I would carve orange pepper jack-o-lanterns for everybody. The past few years we've had an orange meal of grilled cheese (or Kraft Dinner) and Cheetos and orange juice.

Lots of orange for Hallowe'en dinners!

7) Favourite Halloween candy?

Coffee Crisp (a truly Canadian chocolate bar) and KitKats.

The kids sorting their Halloween candy.

8) Full size or fun size candy bar?

Fun size candy bars please. That way I can eat a couple at once!

9) Best fall decor tip?

Decorate with flowers! That's clearly what I do! Additionally, decorate with things in nature -- colourful leaves, pine cones, etc. 

I love that we get such vibrantly coloured leaves.

10) Pumpkin spice -- yes or no?

NNNNNNOOOOOOO. I don't understand the obsession with pumpkin spice AT ALL.

So that's how I fall. I LOVE fall, and Halloween is just kind of a part of it. I'm hoping to read all of the posts in the link up in the next few days and see how you all celebrate this time of year!