Thread: Ever get in a halloween funk?

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I'm usually pretty excited year round to do my planning...had already started some for this year. Last night my hubby made a joke about something and I said, "Oh, lets just pass on setting up the stuff this year". I said it as a joke...but then I actually got the "eh, maybe we should" feeling!!! We've been doing it for about 5 yrs now, each year is bigger and bigger...we have more and more stuff and a decent walkthrough now. I just sorta feel "eh" about this year for some reason. Is it the pressure of doing more and more and it just being two people trying to get it done? All the planning, storage, take down for one big night? Kids getting more and more rude....I don't know. This is the first time I've ever felt this way though.

Have any of you ever felt this way or had the "why bother doing it" feeling? I know the kids love it, parents love it...and really we love it. But for some reason I feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work that goes into it. I'm somewhat thinking about just doing a little big...whatever can get done w/out being a huge event...but I know how I get and it would be a week before, the bug will bite and I'd have to rush to plan some huge event with no time! Do you just plug away with your prop building and hope for the best? Stop and let some time pass? I was going to order 3 more buckys and skulls this week...but sorta feel like letting that go. Don't know what has gotten into me!!! We just got this huge walk through hall/maze like thing to put up in our driveway this year....I should be more excited than ever!! Don't know...just feel like I've "lost that lovin feeling" for this year

Anyway, thanks for listening to me vent....I'm very disappointed in myself right now for feeling this way and wanted to share. Hope it passes!!!

Hack

Short answer is yes. I have felt and am feeling now the same way. Last year, at one point, I just said forget it. My husband talked me out of it. But then, he doesn't even help me set up anymore. Some stuff hasn't even come down, because it's just too much for an old lady to do. My kid helped me with some, but we didn't finish, and I haven't bothered.
This year, it's even worse, since I lost my job at the end of January, and have no prospects right now, and no money. I've always gone cheap, but the workplace was good for wood, and a lot of other things I used. Instead of building anything, I just mope around. Of course, the weather doesn't help.
I hope we snap out of it. It is so much fun, even if I don't get TOTs to speak of. But I really need help to do this, and with one kid living out of state and the other, well, we won't talk about him, I don't know anymore. Hope we snap out of it. All the members here are getting way ahead of us.

awww I felt the same way a little bit after '06's haunt. This upcoming year will be our 4th year and I frankly just didn't want to do it. Two people trying to get ALL the work done and spend ALL that money when people can't even give just a little bit on money, or even help to take things down, just seems way to rude to be doing all of this stuff for these people. BUT, as always, end of March, i fell right back into the mood to start it up again. haha. :-P trust me, your "oomf" will come back to re-start working. just give yourself sometime to do other things and not focus on halloween. Your mind will soon realize, you NEEd to do this. haha.

YES YES Especially because I only set up the day of and take down before going to bed. The feeling usually passes after I start to unpack or actually finish a new prop which their has been NO time for lately. I usaully have to step away from it all and start fresh.

Yes! But then I think about how many kids and their families make a special effort to TOT at my house. We live out waaaaay in the country and some TOT families drive more than six miles just to ring my door bell.

That thought usually gets me back on track.

My take;
It's only April. Personally, while I think Halloween is the best holiday, I don't eat and breathe it all year long. I don't start "gearing up" until about the end of August. Too much else going on, and while I'll start a few projects in the summer, I don't see things come to fruition until about the end of September. Our display is about as big as it's going to get. We can tweak it here and there and add some dimension to it but we're tapped out for space and storage so building lots of new/big things is pretty much out. I have thought (futuristically) about scaling back within the next few years, only due to the amount of time and effort that goes into setting up and tearing down within a couple days, and doing so pretty much by myself. (I'm also going to be 50 next year.) I ask if the two hours on Halloween night justifies the effort and I usually arrive at the same answer; Sure does!

My sense is that as long as I can do the work and still enjoy it personally, I'll continue to make the effort but it does get tiresome, sometimes to even think and plan too far ahead. It is definitley my most stressful time of year and I foresee atime when I simply revert back to a front yeard display and hand out candy, vs a walk through. My kids are committed to helping out for as long as I
want to do it, so that keeps the spirit alive.
Interestingly, my wife and I were discussing leap year and the fact that in 2008 Halloween falls on a Friday. My son will be a senior in high school and he is on the football team. Most of their regular season games are on Friday night. I mentioned about having to miss a game if it fell on Halloween and she said I had to be at the game. My son said to her "mom, we can't let all those people down. We're THE house!" I knew I trained him right!

I just haven't been happy with my haunt the last couple of years. Most of my stuff is store bought and it's getting boring to me. Maybe I should start making more of my own stuff. It doesn't help that in our old neighborhood we'd get 200-300 TOTs and now we get about 40. Hardly seems worth it...

Someone somewhere posted a neat idea about prop swapping this may hold some real potential for those who have grown as large as they want to be but are bored with what they have.

Could be an interesting barter setup and would have to a trade rather than a loaner. Nonetheless if a forum could be set up and everyone could play nice it could be a great thing.

I think we all feel that at times, so first thing to know is there's nothing wrong with you or your love for Halloween.
Maybe you should take a year off, what the heck? IF you honestly, truthfully think you won't be sitting there on Halloween evening at sundown going 'Dang I should be doing SOMETHING', then by all means, take a year off. Can't hurt you.
On the other hand, remember that for all our passion and self-proclaimed madness over Halloween, we don't all live it all day, all year.
As was written previously, it's only April.
But like relationships and careers, sometimes we need to change things up, and radically, to rediscover the reasons we love what we love.
Maybe instead of a walkthrough, you SHOULD just do a yard haunt. And make it only what YOU want to see and experience.
Think nothing of ToTs or even your friends and family, just do a display just for YOU.
Don't try to fix a prop that was goofy last year, or re-do a similar theme, I mean change it up entirely.
I'll bet you that one of two (or more I guess) things will happen.
One, halfway through designing the display, you'll get that ol' feeling and realize why you keep doing this... or
Two, you will make a brand new type of haunt or display that reinvigorates your Halloween passion.
Either way, you'll be fine.
And if you decide to just take a year off, well, what's the worst that can happen?
It's not like you're in a funk because of social, religious or familial pressures.
You just don't have the magic there right now.
I have a feeling it'll be there when you least expect it, so don't try to get it back, just let it be for now.
Maybe avoid Halloween things intentionally for a while. And if you find you just CAN'T avoid it, you have an answer right there! :-)


Mike C.

Originally Posted by jdubbya

... in 2008, Halloween falls on a Friday. My son will be a senior in high school and he is on the football team. Most of their regular season games are on Friday night. I mentioned about having to miss a game if it fell on Halloween and she said I had to be at the game.

That is exactly why TOTing isn't ever scheduled for Friday nights 'round here. Sunday is another TOT no-no.