Host a Neighborhood Halloween Party!

More than ever, families, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and youth organizations are opting to pool their resources to host a big Halloween bash in lieu of traditional trick or treating. It can be a party for as many as 50 or as few as 5... just start with a plan, draft some help, form a committee, and spread the work around.

Dads can help carve pumpkins and hang decorations; moms can split the and baking cooking duties, teens can help with playlists and games, and even the little ones can help. We pulled this party together in an afternoon. Here are some easy ideas for your neighborhood Halloween party!

DESIGN AN INVITING ENTRANCE If you don't have time to go all out, a few scary pumpkins and some strategically placed lighting to greet your guests is all you need! But if you are one of those who like to really boo it to the max, then click on Oriental Trading Company or head to your local dollar store, they always have tons of Halloween items for only a buck each. 

CANDY  TABLE DECORATIONS If you don't have time to carve a pumpkin, no worries. Make this plastic pumpkin person for the center of your buffet table. The total cost was $4.

Add lots of fun touches; put eyeballs in the punch, use ghoulish containers, spiders, Halloween napkins, and lots of orange will tie it all together. This design is perfect for a sweets table. Along with the candy, have cupcakes, popcorn balls, dipped pretzels, apples and other fruit as healthy options. Plan for an assortment of candy stations positioned around the room; kids (and those with a sweet tooth) can fill up their bags just as they would if trick or treating. 

You can also offer lots of other goodies; pencils, stickers, cards, small books, crayons, sidewalk chalk, and notebooks, journals, and diaries are all great little presents the kids can fill their bags with.

GAMES: Well, there is always Wii and other video games you can play. But old school games like the fishing pole game, cake walk, musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey are all perfect for Halloween when you change them up a bit. Pin the whiskers on the cat, for example, is a lot more fun.

Need more great ideas for your Halloween? Our friends at MyRecipes.com have wonderful collection of spooky recipes, treats, decorating ideas, and lots more... check it out!

First Halloween Pictures!

We've already started getting pictures of your Halloween costumes and couldn't resist posting this one of the cutest little lion in the jungle, Charlie!

This fearless lion costume was ordered online at OneStepAhead.com, but Pottery Barn Kids, Target, Old Navy, and other retailers do have their own version of the friendly lion in case you don't have time to order.

More Martie Party Ideas:

Pumpkin People

Caramel Apple Martini

Spooky Snack Menu

Costume Ideas

MyRecipes.com All Halloween site!

Last Minute Halloween Ideas: My Halloween Costume plus more Recipes and Decorating!

Halloween is days away and the emails are still pouring in asking me for party ideas---- and every magazine under the sun is also sending me email ideas for fright night fun. Here is the best of Halloween---- all in one place: 

From MyRecipes.com and Sunset Magazine, these cute Chocolate Caramel Apples with Sprinkles are on my party table this year! Use tart Granny Smith or Fuji apples; mix and match for best results. Get the recipe.

A new use for all of those pumpkins you got at the farmers' market or pumpkin patch! A Great Pumpkin Beverage Cooler! Love it! From the creative folks at Southern Living---- and while I've not tried this one, I've never, ever had a bad result from anything I've tried from any of their magazines. Get the how-to now!

Who doesn't love cupcakes--- and these spooky Skeleton Cupcakes from MyRecipes.com will be the hit of the party. Stack them on a tiered stand for a whole graveyard of scary faces!

MyRecipes.com has an entire Halloween microsite with more how-to videos, pictures, Halloween party recipes, and party menu suggestions than you will find anywhere! Check it out for last minute party help.

Do you need some Creepy Cocktails for your party? Fine Living has 12 of them complete with photos and recipes. Witches Brew, Blood Sucker Cocktail, Liquid Ghost, Zombie, and this one shown, the Black Devil Martini made with dark rum.

Personally, I prefer my own Caramel Apple Martini recipe. Made with butterscotch schnapps, this grown-up version of the fall favorite is always a hit. If you're serving for a party, go ahead and make up a large batch and then all you have to do is pour over ice and serve.

OK, you're officially on your own. I'm flying off on my broom---- the parties start tomorrow night! I'm going as an ICE (Department of Immigration) Agent with a warrant for David Beckham. What are you going as this Halloween?

Halloween Party Ideas: Spooky Snack Menu

Do you still need a menu for your Halloween party? We've sorted through tons of ideas to come up with some really clever suggestions for kids and adult parties.

Let's start with the goodies:

Goat cheese Bat Bites from MyRecipes.comThese Bat Bites from MyRecipes.com are great for adult parties. Made of goat cheese (similar to my goat cheese truffles) these are so whimsical and pretty yummy, too.

Monster Eyes Sausage Balls from MyRecipes.comA new spin on an old classic, sausage ballswith "monster eyeballs" made of olives are pretty creepy but taste delish.

Mummy Dogsare hot dogs wrapped up like a mummy--- a twist on the old pigs in a blanket. (presentation is everything!) Check out the spider web condiments-- really cute. These are also from the great folks at MyRecipes.com and you can watch a how-to video, too!

Cheddar Cheese Witch's Fingers from MyRecipes.comThese completely creepy Witch's Fingers are made from cornmeal, cheddar cheese, and use almonds for the fingernails. They'd be great paired with chili or soup. Guy Fieri's Dragon's Breath Chili

Try this awesome chili recipe from Guy Fieri--- appropriately named Dragon's Breath Chilifrom his "Fuel the Fieri" episode of Guy's Big Bite.

See the full slideshow from MyRecipes.com for more ideas for your Halloween menu!

Martie's Halloween Party Candy Buffet!

If you need to put together a quickie Halloween party for the kids for school, dance class, or for a neighborhood get-together, this one's a cinch to pull together. First, head to the dollar store for cheap decorations. The plastic pumpkins are stacked and dressed like our pumpkin people sculptures but are put together in less than ten minutes. The dollar store also has lots of other items perfect for affordable party decorating. These ghoulish goblets were $1 each; use them for serving treats or as a lantern by adding a flameless candle. All of this is available at the dollar store! 

Need more ideas? Check out these recent blog posts for our Halloween menus suggestions, party decorating tips and costumes!