Halloween! I love it. The costumes, the candy, the cooler weather, the parties, the decorations and of course, carving pumpkins - a plethora of fun for all ages.

Hmmm…all that spooky fun can cause a lot of consumption and waste. Chad and I found some ways to manage our haunting excesses, and I’m certain we could always be doing more.

Buying local pumpkins was a cinch. Boone Hall Farms, hosts a Fall Festival with one of my boys’ most favorite places, their pumpkin patch. For five dollars, your kids will also love the jump castles, mazes, goats and tractor ride (check out all that bamboo!) This fun filled event is a mere 2 miles from our home. I’d love to hear where you all are buying your locally grown pumpkins.

Then the carving fun begins. Chad and I are looking forward to composting our pumpkins again this fall. From the pulp to the seeds to the sorry rotten faces jack-o-lanterns become, all will be put back into our own gardens.

We try to reuse our decorations, Chad does a great job organizing the crafts we’ve created or purchased, packing them all away for the year. After four years, most of our spooky fanfare appears new. We did, however, make one trip to a Halloween shop - the mad scientist supplies have proven worthwhile. Anyone need a potion?

While Chad and I will be wearing old costumes again this year (he’s really devoted to Obi Wan), our boys do have brand new costumes. Perhaps we should have visited Goodwill for the Thomas the Tank costume, but it’s a special moment when a little guy opens his new costume.

I also cannot resist handing out candies to our neighborhood trick-or-treaters. I thought about more practical reusable hand-outs, such as pencils, but I believe the whole family would protest, loudly. Maybe next year, when chocolate is easier for me to resist!

My biggest disappointment was my lack of a voice in planning the school party, even though I volunteered. I will try not to grumble about the fancy designer Halloween paper plates, napkins and cups our school children will be throwing into trash bins. I suggested one stack of Seventh Generation supplies to last a school year full of little parties. I guess my idea wasn’t cute enough. Again, I will try not to grumble.

My boys are counting the days until Halloween, and I look forward to answering the door to little pirates and princesses. Don’t forget, there is no reason to buy a pail or sack for collecting all those goodies. An old pillowcase has been my favorite Halloween bag since I was dressed as a tiger shouting, “Trick or Treat!” Have a safe and spooky Halloween!