Making days special is always on my mind, taking the opportunity to create fun family memories and magical moments for my littles is a priority for us. Holidays and events are such a sweet extra way to bond with your little ones, make them feel special and create lasting memories. I can still remember how I felt as a child each holiday with my family all around. While our babies grow and some things change,  the family holiday traditions that matter stay the same. Chris and I’s first date was on October 21st and then ten days later I remember him coming over to my parent’s house where we handed out candy to trick or treaters together. Now 10 years later we have our own family traditions for trick or treating, it has evolved and has turned into something so fun and special!

My brother, his wife, Chris’ brother, his wife and my sweet nephew + my sister in law’s brother plus my whole crew all go to my parents for a fun family dinner together. We eat outside on the back porch and my mom usually has bags of candies at each of our place settings. Last year my kiddos rushed through the meal, eager to get on their costumes! Each one has carefully picked out their favorite costume and added even just a touch of face paint, grabbing their pumpkins and out the door we go!

This year I am SO excited to try Treatster!! Treatster is the world’s first social network exclusively for Trick-or-Treaters, pointing all of our sweet littles to the sweetest Halloween houses in the neighborhood. Can you even imagine knowing this ahead of time?!

It can be accessed, used and participated with via mobile web and also with these AMAZING synced interactive jack-o-lanterns, made exclusively for Target partners. So cool right?!

Through innovative technology Treatster is a fun way for parents to up-vote their favorite Halloween houses, making their Halloween as wonderful as possible!

It is so incredible to me how technologies like Treatster will impact the tradition of trick-or-treating for years to come. It’s a new time and I love seeing how this is truly paving the way. Not only is the technology amazing but to be able to have some guidance before arriving up to doorsteps is amazing for us mamas!  

Chris and I always walk down the street letting them run up to each door…such anticipation and excitement as they ring the doorbell and wait to have more treats added to their bags! Seeing all of the beautiful costumes is always so fun too, last year we just oowed and awed over them all! In Texas the air is just starting to get cooler and every year Halloween always marks a turning point for that enjoyable crisp air.

After a few blocks we turn around to head home, the kids dump out all of their treats on my parents front porch and start sorting through. The very same front porch that I sat with Chris on ten years ago- now we rock in those same rocking chairs with a nephew, new sister in laws, 3 babies- full hearts.

We hand-out candy for hours and then eventually all begin to head inside. The little ones head to bed and the rest of us pop in a movie.

The candles flicker, my babes are sound asleep in my childhood home and after the movie I will head back outside to sit on the same porch swing that I did as a small girl. The soft cold wind blowing in my hair, just a quiet moment alone. The same staircase that I walked down in my prom dress and the same bed that I slept in night after night. The same glow in the dark stars that I would look up at in my childhood bedroom. The rhythm in my heart is the same, a familiar peaceful feeling returns. I sat in this same home wondering years before if I would have a husband and babies and all my dreams come true…and now here I sit, candy wrappers and costumes left next to me of the tiny little hearts that fill my world.

Growing up my dad would make me my favorite pancakes in the world- a chocolate chip swedish pancake recipe and the morning after all spending the night we trickle down the staircase one by one and enjoy a big family breakfast together. Just like we did when we were small but now with so much more added to our lives. Love and laughter and family, it’s everything.

Will you be trying out Treatster this year? 
Let me know on instagram/twitter or facebook! and be sure to follow along on my Instagram for more Halloween photos to follow!! – can’t wait to hear what you think! 

Interactive jack-o-lantern currently exclusive for Target partners- not for sale. (Though they aren’t available to everyone right now, anyone can participate in the Treatster experience by visiting the mobile site from their phones.)