Halloween Has Always Been a Favorite Childhood Memory of Mine

Halloween is tomorrow and all the little ghouls and goblins will be out in full force filling their pumpkin pails with as much candy as possible. I remember those days fondly. It's great to be a kid.

Halloween was my second favorite holiday, behind Christmas, when I was a kid. I vividly remember picking out the perfect pumpkin to make our family's Jack-O-Lantern. It was always a friendly Jack-O-Lantern, never scary.

Then it was on to the corner five and dime store, M.E. Moses, to pick out my costume. Picking out my costume was serious business. Back in those days, costumes were just a plastic mask with a stretchy string in the back that held it on your face, and the actual costume was pretty much just a jumper made from some cheap material. The costumes were not fire retardant, heck we had never heard of fire retardant. You have to remember folks, this was before seat belts.

I carry on the tradition of celebrating Halloween with my family. Last night we carved a pumpkin, and to my dismay, my husband and daughter carved a scary Jack-O-Lantern (I can't win every time). We won't be trick-or-treating because my daughter, Chloe, is 16 now, but we will be dressed in costume and pass out candy.

My mother always emphasized Halloween as a fun and upbeat holiday -- never gruesome or scary. We enjoy using our imaginations and dressing up and eating candy! So that's what I have passed down to my family. I have some beautiful and sweet memories of Halloween from my youth that I will treasure always.

One sweet memory from Halloween pasts is my favorite candy to get in my Halloween pumpkin -- Pixy Sticks and a Giant Pixy Stick. A delicious sugary powder in a stick that looks like a straw. Pixy's rule!

Halloween has changed so much, with trick-or-treating in your neighborhood almost non-existent because of fear of what might be found in candy that could harm your child. It's a shame I think. My mother says she rarely gets any trick-or-treaters and it disappoints her. I joke with her ever year that this may the be the year you get a knock on the door. She still buys tons of candy every year, just in case. There's always hope -- right Mom!

Enjoy Halloween and treasure each moment, especially if you have little ones who are so full excitement! Happy Halloween everybody!