Spooky Excessiveness? 👻

Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH Halloween?

I was watching one of my favorite You Tubers, Charlotte Dobre, the other day and couldn’t resist her video entitled HALLOWEEN FAILS. Take a gander, it’s pretty funny:

As much as I love just about everything about Halloween (It is the best holiday and this is the hill I will die on — COME AT ME!), it’s at about the 2:50 mark when she says, “There’s one thing I realize about Halloween: it just generates so much waste, doesn’t it? Such a wasteful holiday.”

OUCH… 😢 She has a point, doesn’t she?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I try to generate as little waste as possible in my everyday life. I reuse food jars, recycle and buy a lot of my clothes second-hand. And when it comes to Halloween, I’m no different. I try to make/use things that I know have a good shelf life, while trying to only DIY décor that I know I will use for a long time. I’ve found quite a bit of cute things at thrift stores without having to buy stuff at “new” prices.

So… how do we FIX this? How can we still celebrate the best holiday ever without further damaging our environment by creating more waste?

🎃Put your costume together using second-hand purchases. Honestly, these costumes are usually the best and most authentic, often winning contests. One year, Roxy and I went as Carmen Sandiego and Where’s Waldo. My costume was under $10 and Roxy’s (complete with an authentic, red trench coat from ThredUp) was under $15. All the pieces we could use again and absolutely adorable!

🎃Use pieces you already have in your closet. Again, a great way to save the planet and your wallet. Boots, scarves, jackets, purses, backpacks… honestly, the possibilities are endless. Here’s my kids when they were little, wearing mostly pieces from their closets:

And a rare pic with me in it… My son hated store bought costumes for a very long time, so I chose to buy him pieces he could use again for a while. Mine was all from my closet… We were Leonard and Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.

Don’t be a dork like I was a couple months ago and purchase a costume piece from a company like SHEIN. I’ll be lucky to get one use out of the dress before it falls apart and I add it to a landfill somewhere.

🎃 Only use/make/buy decorations that you will use more than once. While the dollar tree has some really cute, inexpensive and tempting things, REALLY take into consideration how many times you will be using it. I can’t tell you how many DIY videos I watch and think, “I can do that!!!”, only to later think, “Would it last me a few years, or is it a one-time thing?”

I love my décor, as most of it is my kids’ art and things I’ve been gifted over the years or made. Anyone who knows me will tell you I never throw away my Halloween decorations: it feels like betrayal! 😱

How do you lower waste on a holiday like Halloween? Share your ideas in the comments! 🎃😁

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for reading! I truly appreciate it! It’s spooky season, so be sure to watch your favorite spooky movie with some popcorn and a warm beverage! Remember to take care of YOU! ❤🎃

I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it! Love ~ Dani ❤

Tagging spooky lovers: Ginger Cook, Kirby Workes, Susan Wheelock, Jan Sebastian, Amanda Laughtland, Mona S Gable, Jack Vance, Gustave Deresse (˙ᗡ˙𝐖 'ɥʇıƃƃı𝐳ɥɔʇı𝐌), Gus Gresham, Michele Maize (The Sober Vegan Yogi), Katie Michaelson, Marilyn Glover, Heather Paz, Michele Baumgardner, Teresa Wymore 🏳️‍🌈, Mona Lazar