How to have a happy Halloween

As Halloween gets closer, it is important to keep a few safety tips in mind to make sure you make the most of it! From trick-or-treating, to celebrating with friends, or getting a good scare (Shocktober, anyone?), Halloween is a holiday everyone can enjoy.

Keep your kids safe!

When it comes to children’s costumes, it is a good idea to steer clear from masks and use face-paint whenever possible. Although masks can be an easier option, a great face-paint job won’t block a child’s vision, and will definitely turn some heads! When choosing a costume, try to get the best fit (not too tight or too loose) to prevent trips or falls. Now that your kid is ready to go trick-or-treating, its time to pick up their special reflective trick-or-treat bag. This will help ensure your child is easily visible by drivers. An alternative to buying a special bag is to use reflective tape to decorate your kid’s bags.

Between 5:30pm and 9:30pm is when most kids usually head out to trick-or-treat. Drivers, please be extra careful during those hours.  Remember to enter and exit driveways carefully, and to slow down especially within residential areas. Having an adult around to look out for groups of kids is always a good idea. Specially in the event that someone gets too scared.

A little planning goes a long way

Here are a few tips on planning your route:

Stay close to home
Yes, trick-or-treating is excellent for getting tons of free candy, but it is also great for building up your own community. Another benefit of staying close to home is that it will be harder to get lost.

Chat among your community
Talking to your neighbors will help you find out which houses are known for giving out full-sized candy bars! They will also help keep you informed of any troublemakers that might be out to ruin Halloween.

Don’t zig-zag!
It might be tempting, but remember it is usually more efficient (and safer) to walk up one side of the road, and take care of the other side afterwards.

Ignore the Halloween Grinches
A good rule of thumb is that if a house’s porch lights are off, they won’t have any treats for you. Ringing their doorbell and hoping for the best won’t get you much, and will probably just waste your time.

Nextdoor.com, your neighborhoods free private social network, has a convenient map where they’ve marked homes that will be handing out candy this year. You can also check out the Teal Pumpkin Project’s map for non-food treats, in case allergies come into play. Click here to learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Halloween Treat Map from Nextdoor.com

Enjoy Responsibly

Since Halloween is on a Monday this year, a lot of bars will be holding specials over the weekend. If you’re going out to celebrate with more than a few Bloody Marys or Blood Orange Margaritas, remember to have a designated driver, or make use of WRAP’s SoberRide program.

SoberRide will provide free cab rides for residents in the greater Washington DC area. The SoberRide program will run from Saturday, October 29th at 10:00pm until 6:00am on Sunday, October 30th. All you have to do is call 1-800-200-8294 (1-800-200-TAXI). They will transfer you to the cab company in your area for a free cab ride worth up to $30. You can get all the details from WRAP’s website.

WRAP operates the SoberRide program during the 5 holidays with the highest risk for drunk drivers. Those are the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, July 4th, and Halloween.

Tell us about your favorite Halloween memory – a memorable costume, or a funny story – we’d love to hear about it! And if you’re looking for your dream home or want to sell your property, give us a call. We are always happy to help!

Tom & Cindy and Associates
703-822-0207
tomandcindy@hellovirginia.com
7027-A Manchester Blvd
Alexandria, VA 22310