KK is three, and this is our first year we have Halloween plans.

(To be fair, last year’s Halloween I was 39273 months pregnant with Joe, both immobile and grumpy. So no Halloween plans occurred, and luckily KK was too young to understand Trick or Treating.)

KK has preschool, which throws a Trunk or Treat. We have a very darling friend group, with whom we eat dinner with every Monday, and gather for a playdate every Wednesday, and there’s been excited chatter about maybe a costumed playdate of sorts. We were invited to an adults-only Halloween party. We’ve been eyeing the local Halloween festivities, like at our zoo and our library. Not to mention this is the year I’d love to be the house that has a great Trick-or-Treat situation, and we’re excited to take KK Trick-or-Treating.

Whew! Aren’t holidays fun?

So I’m brainstorming what I can do now to help Future Haley.

And I admit, I haven’t been the biggest fan of Halloween. So, in the past, since Halloween wasn’t my favorite, I never put in any effort. Which not only meant Halloween wasn’t exciting, but it also meant I inevitably had to do things very last minute. Like figure out a costume. Which was never fun. And gah, figuring out a costume last minute wastes so much dang brain power, I swear.

And, as y’all know, I don’t like clutter. So if I’m going to bring a costume into our home, I’d love if it was pretty simple, and if it used materials we could use again. Like clothes we already have. Or if we do buy something, can we use it again and again in the future - like adding it to our dress-up box?

So I came up with an easy costume for this year - a costume that KK loves based on her interests, but also can be turned into a family costume, a baby costume, and/or an adults-only costume. And a costume that we’d love to keep in our dress-up box. And honestly, a costume I’d personally be happy wearing to any costume-situation for years to come. Win, winnnnnnn!

KK will be a butterfly.

I bought these wonderful wings. I love that they are a scarf-like material, and KK loves that they feel like a cape. “Look at me fly! Look at me flap my wings!” she calls. And I love that these butterfly wings will be an amazing addition to our imaginative play. They also fits a very wide range of sizes, so they can definitely be used again and again in the future - both as a costume, and just for day-to-day play.
Plus, you can’t beat the price.
These butterfly wings also come with a headband and a mask, but we’ll probably just wear the wings. KK will wear black leggings (or black shorts, depending on the Texas weather), and a black shirt, too.
It’s such a darling ensemble! And, so simple, and so clutter-free.

Baby Joey will be a butterfly, too.

I bought a second set of the same wings for Joey. There are lots of darling baby ideas out there, but I went simple and kept him a butterfly, too. Plus, I loved the idea of having a second set of wings for the future for playdates with friends, cousins, etc.
And, Joey already has a black shirt and black pants, so he’s ready to go!

And I’ll be a butterfly!

Because goodness knows I already have plenty of black tops and black bottoms. And I love the idea of having these adult butterfly wings as a simple, pretty costume that works in almost every costume situation for years to come. Plus, you can’t beat the price.
When I was a teacher, we had Book Character Day every Halloween, and one year I dressed up as a butterfly - but that costume is long gone since it was this bulky, wired, costume that I loved in theory. So the fact that these butterfly wings are the adult version of KK’s scarf-type material that wears like a silky cape makes me so happy.

AND BRETT WILL BE A BUTTERFLY CATCHER.

Which basically means he just walks around with this great big net.
Psssst! Do you have this set of awesome nets? They’re so great for both our daily Outdoor Time and our Weekend Adventures! KK loves them particularly when we’re at lakes or rivers. But they also get a ton of imaginary play inside.
And, it turns out, these great big nets are perfect for making a butterfly catcher costume. We’ll just have brett wear one of his fishing shirts and carry around a net and ta-da! Done!
If he’s feeling especially festive, maybe I can convince him to wear some little adhesive butterflies on his shirt like the couple in this inspiration photo - LOVE!

You deserve whatever you need to take care of yourself. Like choosing easy Halloween costumes. And choosing them ahead of time. And choosing ones that will be loved for years to come, even if just in the form of imaginative play.

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