Halloween — parents either love it or hate it. Whether it’s the pressure of wrangling costumes, making Pinterest-perfect spooky eats or pulling off authentically ghastly décor, moms and dads across the country either rally, or duck. At Kimpton we love donning costumes, and our very own Kathleen Reidenbach, SVP of Marketing, is a Halloween pro. With her two adorable kids and husband she really gets in the spirit every year, even with her hectic schedule and business travel. We sat down with her to get tips for surviving the Halloween dash and whooping it up right.
Kathleen, your Halloween festivities, and love for costumes, are infamous. Why do you love Halloween so much, anyway?
I have learned if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. My husband is a character and absolutely loves Halloween, and then a couple years ago we unknowingly moved into our new home on a very popular Halloween street. I mean, we’re talking over 500 trick or treaters. No pressure.
Walk us through how you get so perfectly Halloween ready. Do you start planning far in advance?
I think I have all the holidays circling in the back of my mind all year long. So when I see something in April that would be great for Christmas or in February for Halloween, I grab it. It takes the pressure off. I don’t have time or energy for the holiday scramble.
What are some absolute non-negotiables for Halloween for you and your family?
Eat throughout the day. The kids are wired starting at 7 a.m. with all the school parades and excitement, so I’m intense about making sure we eat well that day and have a good dinner before we head out trick or treating. Otherwise we have meltdown central. I learned the hard way one year
Let’s talk trick or treating. What’s the best way for a parent to survive it like a champ?
Have a backup costume. Worst case scenario it goes in the dress up bin. We’ve called the backup costume off the bench many a time and it’s been a lifesaver. This is not the night I’m interested in sticking with the whole “stick with what you choose” life lesson. It will bite you right back.
Any other tips you can share?
A post-trick or treating activity is a must. After candy viewing and trading is over, we roll right into Karaoke to work out all that sugar. It’s a huge hit and even the parents get into it. Who doesn’t love a little Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me”? So appropriate.
Thanks for the tips, Kathleen! And what do you readers think — what are YOUR tips for scaring up fun for Halloween?
— reported by Maggie Lang
