Money Can't Buy Happiness...Can It?

I've already spent so much money this season...and I'd probably spend a whole lot more if store shelves weren't already picked over, consolidated, or downright bare!  Has anyone else noticed this?  Stores put out their Halloween decorations pretty early this year (which I'm not complaining about!) but it was...anticlimactic.  It seems as if by mid to late September, the trucks just stopped and Halloween merchandise was never replenished. 

Christmas Decorations Before Halloween

If you belong to or follow ANY Halloween Facebook page, then you've seen this meme---probably multiple times, lol. I thought it was pretty funny and sort of fitting for my own life right now. As Halloween enthusiasts, we are the ONLY house on our block so far to put up any outdoor Halloween decorations. However, some of the exterior decorating has been a comedy of errors. Last weekend, my boyfriend started stringing up our purple and orange Halloween house lights. Unfortunately, we were one strand too short. A busy schedule of scouts, baseball, and jujitsu hasn't left any available time to remedy the situation, so for a week now, my house has had an unlit, partial strand of what looks like Christmas lights across our facade.

I'm sure our neighbors think we're absolutely insane. Not only did I start with the outdoor decorations in mid-September, but now we have unlit, sagging (some of our light clips needed replacing as well) lights that for all intents and purposes LOOK exactly like Christmas lights, lol. Oh well. At least the inside decorations look absolutely fabulous!

Anyway, more on topic with this meme...when do YOU put out your Christmas decorations? I won't let my boyfriend even start on Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving, which is pretty hypocritical of me since I start decorating for Halloween in August. Let me know in the comments when you start decorating!

Halloween Doormat

Boo Y'all! I wanted to stop in and share my new doormat with you all! For the past few years, I had a haunted house scene doormat. At the end of last season, my boyfriend threw it out, saying it was in REALLY bad shape. At the time, I was really upset. I loved that doormat and thought we could get away with at least one more season, lol. Turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. Since I needed to replace it, it gave me a reason to buy this lil' ghostie doormat, which I'm totally in love with. I found it at Walmart in the Halloween section for $9.97!

Halloween Merchandise!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" The time when Halloween merchandise starts hitting the shelves! Around here, it seems like many places started putting their Halloween stuff out a little earlier than usual...and their school supplies stuff out a little later. Oh well. I am completely fine with that! So far, I've really only been to check out the offerings at Michael's and at Jo-Ann Fabrics, and they had some pretty awesome stuff. I haven't bought anything yet.* I just haven't seen anything I'm completely ready to commit to, at least not until we get vacation and the first few days of school out of the way first. But tell me, what have YOU found so far in the stores? Who else is already getting their merchandise out and ready?

*That's not entirely true since I buy Halloween stuff year round at thrift and antique stores, lol. I just meant I haven't bought any 2016 season merchandise....YET.