A Lesson on Halloween in Idaho is available on: Haunt Rave Haunted houses near me

A Lesson on Halloween in Idaho

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Idaho, search here!

 

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Idaho, click here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween in Hawaii is republished from: Haunt Rave Directory Blog

A Lesson on Halloween in Hawaii

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Hawaii, search here!

 

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Hawaii, click here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The following article A Lesson on Halloween in Georgia was originally published to: https://hauntrave.com/

A Lesson on Halloween in Georgia

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Georgia, search here!

 

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Georgia, click here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween in Florida was first published to: www.hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in Florida

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Florida, search here!

 

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Florida, click here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween inDelaware is available on: Haunt Rave Directory Blog

A Lesson on Halloween in Delaware

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Delaware, click here

 

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Delaware, search here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The post A Lesson on Halloween in Connecticut is courtesy of: www.hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in Connecticut

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Connecticut, click here

 

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Connecticut, search here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The following article A Lesson on Halloween in Colorado was first published on: Haunt Rave haunted houses

A Lesson on Halloween in Colorado

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

 

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Colorado, search here!

 

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

 

Find the best haunted houses in Colorado, click here

 

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The following post A Lesson on Halloween in Arizona was first seen on: Haunt Rave

A Lesson on Halloween in Arizona

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b>

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Arizona, click here

<b>Trying Again</b>

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

<b>Halloween is Here</b>

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

Find the best haunted houses in Arizona, search here

<b>The Results</b>

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

<b>The Lessons</b>

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The following blog post A Lesson on Halloween in Alaska is republished from: www.hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in Alaska

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b>

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Alaska, click here

<b>Trying Again</b>

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

<b>Halloween is Here</b>

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

Find the best haunted houses in Alaska, search here

<b>The Results</b>

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

<b>The Lessons</b>

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

The post A Lesson on Halloween in Alabama was first published on: https://hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in Alabama

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b>

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Find the best haunted houses in Alabama, click here

<b>Trying Again</b>

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Alabama, search here

<b>Halloween is Here</b>

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

<b>The Results</b>

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

Find the best haunted houses in Alabama, search here

<b>The Lessons</b>

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween in Illininois

A Lesson on Halloween in Illininois was originally published on: https://hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in Illinois

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me. As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b> Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year. Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Illinois, search here!

<b>Trying Again</b> The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect! Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili. As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

<b>Halloween is Here</b> Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill. Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready. It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught. The onslaught never came.

<b>The Results</b> By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses). It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

Find the best haunted houses in Illinois, click here

<b>The Lessons</b> I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened: - We had fun both planning and doing the event. - We strengthened neighborhood relationships. - We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks. - We made a memory we will talk about for years. - We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween! - I got the subject for this essay. - A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns. - And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work. However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome. If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book. We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them. Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on! I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween in California is courtesy of: www.hauntrave.com

A Lesson on Halloween in California

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b>

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

<b>Trying Again</b>

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in California, click here

<b>Halloween is Here</b>

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

<b>The Results</b>

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

Find the best haunted houses in California, search here

The Lesson

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Lesson on Halloween in Arkansas was first published on: Haunt Rave

A Lesson on Halloween in Arkansas

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I've been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I've actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn't go quite the way I expected ...

<b>The Garage Sale</b>

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone's sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren't selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

<b>Trying Again</b>

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea-- let's do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers. We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather-- upper 60's by "game time." We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Are you looking for the best haunted houses in Arkansas, click here

<b>Halloween is Here</b>

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn't wait to set up! We got everything out-- ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy-- to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

<b>The Results</b>

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

Find the best haunted houses in Arkansas, search here

<b>The Lessons</b>

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did-- and what we accomplished. $32. I didn't even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

- We had fun both planning and doing the event.

- We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

- We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others-- through our actions, not our checkbooks.

- We made a memory we will talk about for years.

- We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

- I got the subject for this essay.

- A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

- And we did add $32 to the Riley Children's Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn't reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn't raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren't. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that's OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don't know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.

Discover Halloween Sounds is republished from: Haunt Rave Haunted houses near me

Discover Halloween Sounds

Halloween is a time for scaring folks, becoming what you always wanted to be (a princess or a superhero) or would never hope to be (a monster or a mummy), eating delicious sweet treats, seeing ghostly images, and hearing Halloween sounds that make your blood curdle.

Halloween sounds are a big part of the holiday fun, and you should not overlook the sense of hearing when decorating for your party or rigging up the scariest house in the neighborhood for the trick-or-treaters.

Find the best local haunted house in Chicago, click here!

Halloween sounds of things that go bump in the night, screams of helpless victims, songs of monsters, fling bat wings, and spooky howls can add just the right frightening touch to any scene-- whether it is your charity's haunted house fundraiser or your own front yard that awaits the pounding feet of little tykes dressed up in all their finery.

There are a few different ways you can accumulate some scary and fun Halloween sounds to your life this holiday.

You can head to your local costume shop, party superstore, WalMart, or probably even dollar store and pick up a pre-recorded CD or tape of classically frightening Halloween sounds and noises. This is easy, and they are usually only five bucks or less.

For a little more of a personal touch, you can make a recording of your own Halloween sounds. Just get out a tape recorder and bang some pots and pans together. Have your kids enter a screaming contest, and record the screams as they get louder and louder.

Find the best local haunted house in Chicago, click here!

Make your voice sound hoarse like you used to do when you wanted to get out of going to school, and say monsterly things like, "Come here you little ones," or "Have I got a treat for you?" Basically, anything that sounds like it might be creepy after dark will work. Then, of course, on Halloween night, just put it on the porch and let it play.

For a higer-tech version of Halloween sounds, you can turn to your new best friend, the Internet. There are lots of sites out there that have free WAV files and other noises that you can download and burn onto a CD right on your own computer. Just look around for a while and record anything you think sounds pretty darn scary-- or even funny-- if you prefer, and you will have a CD you can pop in your computer or stereo and play after dark when the little goblins are heading up the sidewalk or driveway.

Scary-loking decorations like spider webs, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and tombstones are way too much fun to describe, but be sure to include some Halloween sounds into your Halloween decorating plans to make for a really spooky night.

Search Chicago for a haunted house, click here!

Fun & Easy Halloween Party Themes and Ideas is available on: https://hauntrave.com

Fun & Easy Halloween Party Themes and Ideas

Halloween is the day of the year that has the most parties thrown in its honor. Everyone loves to dress up and attend Halloween parties with their friends. Most people end up getting several invitations to different Halloween parties that are often on the same night. If you are planning to throw your own Halloween party, how can you get all your friends to head to your shindig and not someone else's? You need to come up with some unique and fun ideas that will get everyone on your list so excited about your party they won't even consider going anywhere else.

Not Just Any Old Theme

Many people don't bother thinking of a theme for their Halloween party since it seems to be somewhat of a theme already. But rather than just putting up some Happy Halloween banners and fake cobwebs, why not come up with a great theme party idea? You can do anything from a haunted house or graveyard to a monster mash or horror movie bash. Once you've chosen your theme apply it to everything from your invitations to your party food. Guests will love some guidance on what to dress up as, especially if you do something a little different.

Find the best local haunted house in Chicago, click here!

Your Halloween party invitations are one of the most important aspects of your party. Invitations are the best way to get your guests excited about your party. Many people don't even send invitations anymore so even sending out simple ones will help your party stick in people's minds. Be sure to apply your party theme to your invitations. If you can't find any invitations at your local party store that go with your theme you can always use invitation templates that you can download for free from the Internet.

You can totally customize invitation templates and add colorful pictures as well. Guests will love to receive these fun invitations in the mail. You should send your invitations out approximately three to four weeks before your party to give everyone time to make plans to attend. If you're running short of time sending electronic invitations is a great idea too. You can add animation and sound to e-invitations and even check guest's responses online. Be sure to contact anyone who doesn't respond via telephone since not everyone checks their email often.

Spooky Decorations

Everyone will expect to see your house decorated to the nines on Halloween so be sure not to disappoint. Your decorations should match your theme, so give them plenty of thought. For instance, a haunted house theme should be complete with low lighting, smoke, a spooky soundtrack, and even live ghouls to jump out and scare the guests as they arrive. A horror movie bash might include retro horror B-movie posters stuck on the walls which you can find on the Internet and print off at home.

Find the best local haunted house in Chicago, click here!

Decorations can be found just about anywhere in the months leading up to Halloween. Even grocery stores carry a wide selection. Start shopping early so you can get the best selection possible and take advantage of any sales. If you can't find just what you're looking for you can always rent decorations from a local party supply shop or even purchase decorations from the Internet. The Internet has an almost endless selection and you can find just about any party supplies or decorations you'll need.

Music is an important aspect of any party as well. While some spooky tunes are fun at first, you'll want to switch over to some more upbeat music once the party gets going. People love to dance so have plenty of high energy songs ready to go. If you are inviting a variety of different people have several different types of music so no ones gets bored.

Tasty Halloween Treats

Food is an important part of any party. While you don't need to provide a full meal, some creative and tasty snacks and treats will help keep your guests fueled for the night's festivities. Turning simple party food into ghoulish culinary delights will surprise and please your guests. Try making some bewitching cupcakes, and put out snacks such as gummy worms and other Halloween candy treats.

Costumes are a given, since this is Halloween after all. If you are having a Halloween theme of some sort, let your guests know on your invitations that they should dress to fit the theme. For instance, if you're throwing a horror movie bash, you can simply say, "come as your favorite horror movie star". Don't expect all your guests to comply with your request. Some people have been thinking up their Halloween costume since last year!

Don't forget about the party favors! Depending on how many people you're inviting and how much you're willing to spend, the possibilities are endless when it comes to party favors. A simple idea is candy bags full of traditional treats such as candy corn. Something more substantial might be a pumpkin carving kit that comes with cutouts and tools. Your guests will love having a little something to take home with them.

Endless Costume Possibilities

If you really aren't into the scary aspect of Halloween, you can always break with tradition and hold a different type of Halloween party. Have a famous couples party or a crazy hat party instead. Guests can still dress up but might be more creative then a white sheet with holes cut out of it. Dressing up for Halloween is something that both adults and kids can enjoy so great creative and have fun with it!

Having games at your party isn't a necessity, but can be a great deal of fun for your guests. Games act as an excellent icebreaker if everyone doesn't know each other. Any games where you can break people off into teams will help to get everyone talking. Pumpkin carving contests are a good idea, as is bobbing for apples. Be sure to give a prize to the best costume as well.

Your Halloween party is sure to be a success if you take the time to plan. Leave yourself plenty of time and don't forget it's all the little details that help to make a fabulous party. Enlist the help of family and friends if you're feeling overwhelmed, and remember, planning is half the fun!

Search Chicago for a haunted house, click here!