Halloween- Expectation vs Reality


Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year. I love getting dressed up, cosy nights in watching spooky movies with the kids, having an excuse to eat sweeties, beautifully carved pumpkins glowing on the hearth...  what's not to love? But sometimes, despite your best efforts, things don't always turn out quite like you hope.

Here are some of my Halloween expectations vs the realities.

  • Costume
Expectation - You have had an idea for an amazing costume running through your head since last October, which you are going to hand make because it's going to look really unique and spooky and your kids will definitely be the best dressed at the local halloween party.

Reality - You end up desperately searching the town on October 30th for a costume in your childs size. 3 sizes too big is fine right.... I mean, they could wear it next Halloween too? When all else fails, a black cape and an old broom will do... or the old classic, a black bin bag tied at the neck.


  • Pumpkins
Expectation - Sitting around the table as a family carving spooky scenes in to your pumpkin. As you hollow out your pumpkins all of the seeds are collected to later be made in to a delicious healthy snack.

Reality - Your children find the most complicated image they possibly can for each of their pumkins and then they leave quicker than you can say jack-o-lantern. You are left trying to scrape out the mulch with a desert spoon. with most of the seeds ending up in the bin because you can't bring yourself to sift through the disgusting pulp. When you start carving the Disney Castle on to your first pumpkin, the carving tool you bought from the pound shop snaps in your hand . You curse yourself for not buying this, and spend the next few hours trying to carve intricate designs with a kitchen knife.

  • Baking
Expectation - Cupcakes beautifully decorated with vivid orange frosting, with little hand made witches hat placed neatly on top of each one.

Reality -You make a delicious  butter cream, but ruin it trying to add enough food colouring to actually bloody colour it! You will not admit defeat and will continue to pipe the runny icing all over cupcakes. You realise you cannot make fancy Halloween sugar decorations to save your life, and cover your cupcakes in some kind of spooky haribo instead.
Nailed it!

  • Trick or Treating
Expectation - The big day arrives and it's time to go trick or treating in your fancy home made costume. Pumpkins line the paths towards the front doors of the houses, you will stroll around enjoying the spooky festivities and the kids will get a nice bucket of sweets that they can enjoy as a treat over the coming weeks.

Reality - As you dodge your way through groups of teenagers with bangers you realise it is starting to rain. The face paint you spent ages applying is gradually melting away, with your bin liner cape blowing in the wind. When you get home the kids eat half of their body weight in tang fastics and spend the rest of the night running around the house screaming and jumping from the sofa's.

Despite some pretty crap costumes, and even crapper pumpkins, you can't help but love it. So I wish you all a Happy Halloween and hope you have a fabulously spooky time, whatever you are doing!


The Reading Residence
Mums' Days

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10 comments:

  1. haha...oh yes, I can relate to all of these...the best Halloween I ever had was going out, kidless, to an adults Halloween party in an outfit borrowed from a Goth friend and getting a little tipsy (ok, totally plastered) while the kids had fun trick or treating at a friends house :)

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  2. Surely that's what the spooky haribo is for? No? :)

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  3. Awww a nice read! I did made some cakes thinking they will be like the one in magazines but they did not turn out quite well =P #wotw

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  4. hahaha! This is so funny because it's true....lol

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  5. Ha ha - love this post! We're not doing much with it, though we had a fab day out with pumpkin carving and broomstick training at the weekend, which I think ticks off Halloween for us. That said, the 5yo's been going on about dressing as a ghost later so we'll see what happens there..! Thanks for sharing with #WotW

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  6. So true :) Luckily mines too old to trick and treat now! Happy Halloween

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  7. This is brilliant Lauren! I particularly liked your description of the pumpkin carving because that's exactly how it would work out for me too I'm pretty sure :-) X #wotw

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  8. So very true! I'm definitely not a fan of halloween these reasons might be part of that!
    AliceMegan

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  9. Love this - I think it's always true of life with kids isn't it?! I love Halloween too, one of mine has been so grumpy to dress up though, that's my expectation fail.. Bah! PS. Icing top tip - you need gel icing not liquid!

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  10. Heheee - you could do this for every event! Just on wednesday (the 5th I might add) I was rushing around trying to find a cake sparkler - found one but it's got a hell of a carbon footprint now!! Hope you had fun anyway - how was that a week ago?!?!?!

    Thanks for Lining up to #TheList and your face paints were insane!!! xx

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