Im one of those people who just loves Halloween! It's such a great celebration for so many reasons. I love that we stare fear and all things that-go-bump-in-the-night right in the face and make it fun. This has got to be one of the best therapeutic days all year. 

I also love that when it comes to crafting it up I don't have to be to careful and am not afraid of messing crafts up. Halloween crafts can look crappy and people think you did it on purpose. Thats why I only paper mache halloween decorations because Im very sloppy at it and that just wouldn't do for a christmas Santa. He would be all disfigured and bumpy. lol!

Halloween shouldn't cost much money in my opinion. Most of our decorations and costumes are handmade with paper and cardboard. Then we usually accessorize with one or two things that we purchase to give it a little more punch. 

This year I added battery operated micro string lights to the paper mache display and the mantle decorations. These LED lights are so handy for sprucing up a project. These tiny little lights are actually on a thin wire you can bend and shape to your needs. 

They are very cool and surprisingly bright. Plus I love playing with all the different light settings. My favorite thing about these micro string lights is the "wave" It just looks magical to me. The light motion really livens up my decorations. I can't wait to use these on my other holiday decorations. 

Our Total Halloween Cost: $25.95

Candy: $10.00

Pumpkin Patch: $3.00 (cost of pumpkins)

Community Halloween Block Party: $0.00

Library Star Wars Party: $0:00

Costumes: $0.00 (just used stuff we had around the house)

Decorations: $12.95 (LED micro lights)

Like I said Halloween shouldn't cost very much. There are so many free community events during the month of October you don't need to spend money on Halloween entertainment. We are lucky enough to live near an awesome pumpkin patch that gets better every year. There is tons of free stuff to do there before you pick out your pumpkins. And if you want to spend a little bit extra on the corn maze go for it, but there is usually plenty of things to keep the kiddos busy having fun. Also check your local library for events and like your towns Facebook page, for more updates on free community events. 

Community events are not only great because there are usually tons of free stuff to do but its also a great way to feel at home in your own town. Your kids will have a greater since of stability and ownership to where they live. In this crazy world it can be the small things that make a lasting impression on our kids childhood.