Don't you just love Halloween?! It's exciting (dressing up and sugar!) and scary (trick-or-treating in the dark!) … and a little bit gross (pumpkin goo!). My parents started Halloween traditions with me, and my mom still calls every year to make sure we know when the Charlie Brown "Great Pumpkin" show is on. Like me, I'm sure you enjoy discovering new traditions with your own kids, so here are a few from my Halloween treasure chest, some of "witch" you may know, others of "witch" may be new to you.

• Pumpkin carving (one now, one later). Many people wait until Halloween Day to carve our pumpkins so they'll be fresh for the trick-or-treaters, but you can also carve a few earlier in October so you can enjoy them before the big night. Go to www.ZombiePumpkins.com and see more than 240 designs and templates.
   
• Booing. Last year we ran to the front door to see who was there and found … nobody. But there were plastic cups full of Halloween-themed treats like pencils, erasers, spider rings and candy - and a note. It turns out we'd been "booed." We never found out who
  booed us, but we promptly went to www.BeenBooed.com, then printed out flyers and instructions on how to boo friends in our own neighborhood. The kids loved sneaking over to their friends' houses in the dark and leave treats undetected.
   
• Halloween shows and movies. If your kids are old enough, watch Halloween-themed movies and TV shows. They're a great way to get in the Halloween mood.

• Go Orange (and black)! Do lots of orange-and-black things; painting your daughter's nails, eat Devil's Food cupcakes with orange frosting, or coloring Halloween pictures you print from www.Halloween-Coloring.com.

• Dress up! There's a cool slideshow at www.TheDailyGreen.com that shows 25 ideas for homemade costumes made from recycled materials.

• Trunk or Treat. These are held in a parking lot or inside of local churches, community centers or schools. Check the digital or print edition of your local parenting magazine (like this one!) to find a Trunk or Treat near you, call a few churches in your neighborhood - and go to www.TrunkOrTreat.homestead.com for ideas on how to decorate your car if you go the classic parking lot route.

• Trick or treat, smell my feet. Some families head to the mall if the weather stinks, or leave one parent home to hand out candy, but we all go together since we all love Halloween and love to make it a family affair.

• Indulge! End the holiday with a mini-sugar coma for you and the kids. I love watching my kids count and trade candy, then eat their way through each stash until Thanksgiving! I also take a picture of my kids sitting in their huge piles of
  candy for a great scrapbook keepsake.