Maybe you were wondering if my neighbor strung up an extremely scary, life-like mannequin to decorate his house for Halloween?? Yep, he did. Freaky!
I opted for a far less threatening, kid-friendly pumpkin arrangement on the porch 
My candy strategy for the trick-or-treaters this year was to buy cheap candy I don’t like. I learned my lesson after I bought Laffy Taffy to hand out last year. Let’s just say there might have been more Laffy Taffy in my belly than in the candy bags of the trick-or-treaters…eeeeek. This year’s stash consists of:
Gummy Life Savers: Gross.
Hot Tamales: which I actually do kind of like, but can control myself around them.
100 Grand Bars: Ok these actually turned out to be delicious. So delicious that Ben is hoarding them and not handing them out tonight!
Before the trick-or-treaters arrived, we made a quick trip to Costco because we had some time to kill and…it’s Costco! Aka trick-or-treating for grown-ups!
Look at the size of this pumpkin pie – keep in mind, those are man hands. It was only $6 and was HUGE!
I purchased some Old Fashioned Oats:
And Ben picked out some red chili flakes.
Because we’re really exciting like that 
I also REALLY wanted one of theeeese:
but I refrained, and had copious amounts of samples and a bite of Ben’s polish sausage instead. 
Well the doorbell’s a ringin’ – time to start handing out that candy! Have a great night everyone!
**Edited to add: Ben just informed me that Iowa, Ohio and parts of New England are the only places that have “Beggar’s Night” which is when trick-or-treaters come around the day before Halloween. I guess I thought that’s how everyone did it! FYI!
You celebrate Halloween on the 30th? Weird…I thought it was the 31st everywhere….
That is distrubing. I would freak if I drove down the street and saw that.
I love trick or treating for grown ups. Hunni and I went to the mall tonight since most kids were out TorT. And we will probably just stay home tomorrow.
I’m confused… Halloween is tomorrow?!?
I guess your neighborhood does it the night before?!?
… still confused…
Huh? I’m also confused!
I’m such a sucker for pranks, I hate when people are gory like that!
I live in the Boston area and we don’t have beggars night.
Oh my gosh, how creepy is your neighbor’s display!? I’m freakin’ out!
I’ve never heard of Beggar’s Night – that is so interesting! So…dumb question. Do the kids go TOTing tomorrow, too? (Prob. not…so what do people do on Halloween?) So fun!
That is a massive pumpkin pie! I am confused, I used to live in Cedar Rapids, and I haven’t heard of Beggar’s Night! Do kids in Des Moines go trick or treating two nights in a row? Lucky kiddos!
A friend of mine lives in IL and they were having ToTers tonight too. But I think their town planned it that way.
If I were a trick-or-treater, I would NEVER have the guts to go to your neighbor’s door… Not even for candy. Yikes! : )
definitely never heard of handing out candy the night before Halloween either? i admit i was also a bit confused at first until i read your note
That mannequin is just so wrong! Wow. In the town I’m from in Florida kids trick or treat the Thursday night closest to Halloween but that’s not common in the rest of the state I don’t think.
Woohoo! Yay for Costco! I like your purchases:)
Right after college I moved to KC and was just like you. Assumed everyone had “beggars night” and did it the night before. I still get made of fun by my friends down there.
Oh, and earlier I tweeted about the poor trick or treaters getting rained on and there was mucho confusion there too. Ha!
woah thats so weird that you have “beggers night” i’ve never heard of that….
Costco is sooo much fun that sometimes i find it hard to leave that place empty handed, def trick or treating for adults!
Hmmm churros. I haven’t had one since 2007… which is probably a good thing
Wow, that is a bit creepy.. but I kinda love it ahah
Hope you had a fun night!
Gotta love Costco. They have amazing stuff there. Have an awesome Halloween.
I am another person who is curious if the kid trick-or-treat two nights…
I opted for the same approach to candy, buy the stuff that does not tempt me. I have a large bag of Smarties, which have not been touched one bit. Don’t know why it took me so long to figure out a way to not be tempted by the treets:)
Hi!! Found your blog from a post on Facebook!! Another Iowa girl here! Looking forward to enjoying your blog!
Hey my husband and I have been thinking about getting a Costco membership…is it worth it for 2 people? Well we have a baby but she doesn’t count yet
. What do you purchase from there?
It’s not even all of Iowa! Just the Des Moines metro that does Beggars night! Something about a crime wave on Halloween one year long, long ago and they decided to remove the kids from harms way by getting them off the streets that night. I think it’s the weirdest thing ever! I moved here 9 years ago and I still don’t get it. And the jokes?! UUgh.
Dude that’s freaking creepy. Our neighbor had one hanging up too – except it was more just a cloth like human, so the face was just plain cloth – no face. Ahhh I freaked. OMG I love 100 grand bars!! MY favorite! Send them my way
Ahh Costco – always a treat in my book!
I had no idea that you did beggar’s night…how strange! Not that you’re strange, just that it’s strange the differences from area to area! So is there no trick-or-treating on halloween night then?
I love that you guys get excited at Costco! Sounds like me and my hubby. We’re exciting like that too! Ha!
Not all of Iowa has beggars’ night, just the DSM metro. Everywhere else we go out on Halloween.
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