OCTOBER

LIVING
FIRST HOME
HALLOWEEN
HOW-TO
THE DEBUTANT BALL
OF NEIGHBOURING
Too excited to stay home on the big night?
Think about who you want to be. Plans to
attend a fabulous costume party dressed
as a sexy kitten or a teenaged Tom Cruise
(sunglasses and tighty-whities - check!!)?
You fall into the friendly category of ‘Big
bowl of treats with a ‘Take one, please’
message.’
Make sure your pumpkins are carved, but
use an electronic tea light instead of candles.
You don’t want to come home to a charred
front porch, due to a pumpkin fire. Turn on
the porch lights, make a big, friendly sign,
and let conscience be every candy takers’
guide.
Have you been dreaming about this since
you donned your first Halloween costume? Did
your parents pull in the reins on Halloween
decorations and candy consumption? Well,
you’re the adult now, and it’s your time to
shine!!!
START EARLY. Don’t wait until it’s slim
pickings in the stores, the best decorations
don’t last long. Cobwebs are tricky, so plan a
full afternoon, one to two weeks prior, to get
started on setting your Spooktacular outdoor
décor.
W
BY JENNIFER GREENBERG
REAL ESTATE WRITER
ith moving day in the rear-view
mirror, you’ve settled into a home
you love, but…How do you fit into your new
neighbourhood and community? Where do
you begin to make inroads with new friends
and a fabulous neighbourhood-centric
lifestyle?
SHOP LOCAL. Rub elbows with the
residents at the favourite coffee/butcher
shop, bakery, candlestick maker… Don’t stop
there! Head to the local farmers’ markets,
or hang with pint-sized family members at
the local parks. Still not enough? Ready for
the big night?? Halloween is the season’s
debutant ball of the neighbourhood. The way
you handle your first Halloween will be your
defining moment.
JENNIFER GREENBERG is a Broker with Royal
LePage Real Estate Sales Services, a mom
and an active supporter of the St. Clair West
Community. LOEWITHGREENBERG.COM
8 VILLAGE LIVING MIDTOWN
Is spending money on loads of candy and
dollar store decorations a complete waste of
time and money? Tread lightly. You don’t
want to be known as the neighbourhood
curmudgeon, and you might have a change
of heart if some little people enter your
lives in the future. Drop hints with the
neighbours about a busy workload and
some disappointment about having to
work late on the big night. Make a couple
of baggie-sized care packages for the
neighbouring ghosts/goblins/ninja warrior
princesses. A little candy can go along way
in relationship building!
Pumpkin stencils are nothing to be
ashamed of. It’s hard to be a Picasso-rate
carver on your first go. Watch the local
flyers, and plan your candy strategy for the
night. Ask the neighbours how many kids to
expect - you don’t want to risk running out
and having to pass out saltines and granola
bars (it’s happened to the best of us). Invite a
few friends, order pizza, light the pumpkins,
and wait.
You will start to feel, as the sun sinks, ‘Will
this be the year no one comes? Will I be left with
too much candy? Will I ever fit in?’ You will!
Once the door knocking begins, move your
party to the porch, and get ready to meet
everyone within a 10-block radius. Comment
on the cute costumes, be prepared to top up
a few travelling hot toddies, smile, laugh,
and enjoy!! You have arrived! Welcome to
your bustling community, filled with new
friends and neighbours!