A DIY Halloween Housewarming

Last weekend, Sean and I hosted our annual Halloween party. Okay, it was only our second year having one, but traditions form fast in my family. (Right, Mom?) It was our first time entertaining since we moved into our new place in May, so it was also a pseudo-housewarming. A lot of our friends were busy or out of town the previous weekend, so we decided to have our party a few days after Halloween, and it came in clutch for severely discounted candy and decorations. Plus it helped fill those awkward few weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving where I'm using all of my restraint not to get excited about Christmas just yet.

When it comes to hosting, I like to make things as easy as possible so I can actually enjoy the night myself. That means food and snacks prepped ahead of time, paper plates, and a giant throw-away tablecloth for easy cleanup. I made this Spiderweb Nacho Spread, which required minimum effort for maximum cuteness. I also made a pretty epic cheeseboard inspired by this one by Sugar and Charm and sourced from Trader Joe's. We ordered a pizza for reinforcements, and friends brought witches broom Reeses Cups and a caramel cream cheese apple dip.

For the drinks, I made a friend's go-to fall sangria. The recipe includes apple cider (I bought Trader Joe's brand from the juice aisle), Smirnoff's caramel vodka, and moscato. I used the whole gallon of cider, a magnum bottle of Barefoot moscato, and about 2/3 of the liter of Smirnoff. It was enough for a crowd but did in fact pack a punch—so make yours to taste. I plan on making it for Thanksgiving as well.

We had such a fun night, and everyone impressed with some pretty creative costumes. (But baby Dominik won, I think, on cuteness alone, sorry guys.) Sean and I were tacky New York tourists, fitting for our new status as a suburban married couple. I got the selfie stick for effect, but it actually took some great photos! Can you tell which ones they are?

Sunday, I cleaned up and put away my Halloween decorations, leaving out the more general fall things and adding a few Thanksgiving pieces. We also have a stock pile of candy so I'm going to hop off now and book a dentist appointment. How did you celebrate this Halloween?