Halloween Isn’t Just For The Kids

Halloween is a great holiday. Getting to dress up as whatever you want for one night, loading up on sweet treats and staying up past your bedtime were the highlights of this holiday when I was a kid. In college, it was the perfect excuse for a mid-week party, or whatever night Halloween landed on. Now that my trick-or-treating and college days are over, I’m finding new ways to celebrate the holiday.

I have to admit that heading to a bar dressed as naughty nurse no longer seems fun to me (thank goodness), but getting a few of our friends together for an informal Halloween-themed dinner party? Yes, please!

I love entertaining, and when there’s a holiday on the horizon, it makes for an extra special party complete with fall flavors and adorable decor. For the most part, my style of entertaining is pretty relaxed, but there are a few rules that I stick to that will make your party manageable, fun and memorable for you and your guests!

1. K.I.S.S

Keep it simple, stupid. Dinner parties can be super stressful and exhausting if you try to make complicated dishes or too many different things. I always have a starter, simple cocktail, main course and dessert. The starter and dessert should be ready or mostly prepped before hand so you can enjoy your party — the salad only needed dressing and cupcakes were already baked, iced and sprinkled.

For cocktails I made a simple whiskey old fashioned with a mixer I picked up at World Market. I even grabbed the sphere ice molds to make the drinks look fancier. You can make a bunch of ice cubes in advance and keep them frozen in an air-tight container until ready to use, just make sure they’re not touching.

2. Keep It Small

I always like keeping my dinner parties smaller so they’re more intimate. When there are fewer people, I find that conversation flows naturally and no one is yelling over anyone else. It also makes your preparation even easier and you won’t find yourself alone in the kitchen while everyone else enjoys the party without you!

I typically bring the cocktail ingredients to the table afterward to encourage my guests to linger and chat and it usually works!

3. Unique Decor

You don’t have to create a crazy, complicated tablescape, just combine a few unique details to make your table pop! For this party, I went for a Dia De Los Muertos theme that was a good mix of Halloween and grown-up. I stuck to bold black and white pieces and added a few whimsical details just for fun — it is Halloween after all! One of my favorite details are these bat close-pins that held the name tags onto the glasses!

So, I think I’ve proved my point, Halloween really isn’t just for the kids. I love putting my own twist on the holiday to turn it into a fun event for my friends, even if we don’t celebrate the way we used to! Do you have any tricks for keeping parties fun and easy for the host or hostess?!

P.S. Wondering about this pizza? You should, because it was delicious! I’ll be sharing the recipe for this simple pizza with an autumn-flavored twist later this week.

This post was sponsored by World Market, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make The Fox & She possible!