My parents were never into Halloween. The labelled it “some kind of North American nonsense.” In Barbados, there was no Halloween. No one in the district was showing up at your house, dressed up like a duppy, asking for candy.

Nope, that’s some straight-up North American stuff.

When I was small my parents took me trick-or-treating a couple of times, but I grew up in Montreal. Many Halloween nights it was snowing–maybe not a full-on snowstorm, but enough snow that boots and a snowsuit.

It kinda messes up the look.

Unlike my neighbours I’m not a big Halloween decorating person, but now with the kids I want them to enjoy the Halloween flex–not scary Halloween, but fun and silly Halloween…including pumpkins. Now, you may have read about the fall decor massacre where my pumpkins were attacked by a gang of raccoons— (side note: my neighbours down the street were also attacked and these beasts came for my mums)–and the one surviving pumpkin.

Well, we carved that pumpkin and got it ready for Tuesday.

As I said before, unlike my neighbours, I’m not hanging ghouls, gremlins and skeletons off my trees and bushes. This is more than enough Halloween decor for me.

If you’re still looking for Halloween ideas? You have this weekend to get in shape! Here are some not-so-spooky decor ideas that you can do to get the neighbourhood ghosts to drop by:

• Pumpkin Candy Holder Revamp by Drab to Fab
• 20+ Fun and Easy DIY Halloween Decorating Projects by Styletic
• 27 Creative Fall Porch Decorating Ideas to Make Yours Unforgettable by HomeBNC

Of course, Pinterest is a great place to visit for DIY ideas.

Happy trick or treating–or if you’re like my West Indian parents, turning off all of the lights and waiting for the children to come off your property.