Halloween Decorations Aren't Just for Kids: How I Spread Chills & Joy All Year Round! by Keith Sereduck

Maybe it was because I started reading my mom's Stephen King books in the third grade. Maybe I'm just strange. Something about Halloween has always excited me. The thrills. The chills. The things that go bump in the night. I never found any of it "scary," per se. Discovering Halloween for me was like finding a long-lost friend.

I've always loved all things macabre and, as I grew older and that remained, sadly, the fun of Halloween itself took a back seat. That all changed when I became a homeowner and had children. My boys have not only brought back the joy of Halloween for me, but all holidays. At our house, holidays are a big deal. We go all out. We're that house. The one that everybody has to slow down while driving by to look the decorations. I'll get to the why in a minute. but first, Halloween.

We started small, 10 years ago. A skeleton, a few graves, hands climbing out of the muck, some spiders in the window. Every year I add a few more. Lights. Skeletons. Pumpkins. Wolves. You name it, I've got it. But, I didn't do it all at once – it took a decade. So, while I have a head start, it's not too late to get your set going now. It's all about saving, reusing and adding. But, whatever you choose to add to your display, don't forget the lights. There are some wonderful lights that create creepy effects and, best of all, they're cheap!

And, speaking of reusing, that brings me to the other holidays. Two years ago, I decided to leave some skeletons out after Halloween and make them a part of my Christmas set. It went over so well in my neighborhood that this year, the gang got to enjoy almost every holiday. They were there for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. This summer, they even went to the beach and played ball. It's amazing what you can do with some cheap garden spikes and wire.

People stop by all the time to say that they can't wait to see what we'll do next. To that I say this: our Christmas set this year will be absolutely to die for.

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