Ah, October. The geek mom’s sanctuary.  This is the month where we can dress like we want, decorate our homes as crazy as we like, and attend a bevy of cosplay-friendly and spooky swag-getting event with our kids!

In celebration, I’ll be posting a couple of easy “Three-Step Tips” this month to keep the fall festivities going strong. Since the month is still young, here’s an early idea: Make a Swag Bag countdown garland!

Step 1

Take old treat bags, boxes, envelopes, folded scrapbook paper, party cups, etc. and string them along a rope, garland, or string (I used mini-binder clips to hang them). You can mix and match and make it look quirky and off-beat. Think of what Lemony Snicket’s Violet Baudelaire might cook up or what Jack Skellington might hang on his mantel.

Step 2

Fill them up with little cheap treats: mini chocolate bars, glow sticks, Halloween stickers, raisin boxes, spider rings….you name it! Make sure each container is numbered with days of the month or as a “count down” from whatever number you choose.

Step 3

Hang it up! Place it wherever the gremlins… or your kids… can get to them every day.

Each day, let your kids retrieve the goodies from one bag until October 31st. Put a little something extra in that day’s swag bag, or perhaps a note telling them where to find a bigger treat (like a candy apple or  little “Frankenweenie” plush… shhhh, don’t tell them!)

If you don’t want to commit to a full month, you can start this anytime during the month…make it a 10-day, 20-day, one-week count down, it’s fun no matter how long.  We do the whole month since my girls start geeking out over Halloween time early. Giving them a little something to look forward to day by day keeps them down to a dull roar…if that is even possible.

Quick reminder: With Christmas and other holidays around the corner, Swag Bag Garlands make good advent calendars as well! After you’ve finished your Halloween Countdown Garland, relax and wind down with Ten Family Friendly Halloween Movies to help lull the kiddos into a candy coma! Afterward, you can set the mood with Five Albums to Flesh Out Your Halloween Playlist and huddle under the covers with Netflix and Chilling – Halloween Movie Edition. Any other off-beat Halloween music suggestions to throw our way? You can let us know on Twitter @SubCultured or come party like its 1599 in our Discord server!