By: Jessica Parsons

Finally! The extravagant demon living inside of you can rejoice! As soon as the clock ticks to midnight of October 1, it is officially time to break out the Halloween spirit you’ve had locked up for the past horribly non-spooky 11 months. It can be difficult to switch from summertime sunshine to the ghastly ghoul that is your true self, though, so here are some ideas The Peak has to help you get all hyped up for good ol’ Hallows’ Eve.

1. Browse Pinterest and plan to fill your spaces with homemade crafts and desserts. Go to six different stores to find the specific brand of glue that you need, and four others because the “spooktacular orange” shade of ribbon you need is out of stock just about everywhere and NO, craft store lady, you can’t just buy a different shade! Go home to piece it together, stick your fingers together permanently with glue, get something unidentifiable all over your carpets, realize your DIY hanging ghosts look like used tissues, give up, burn it all, and just go buy decorations instead (and those little round pumpkin Pillsbury cookies, too).
   
   
2. Break out your old VHS copies of Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Halloweentown and then recite them in your daily life. Someone a little too cheery for your 8:30 a.m. class? “Oh look, another GLORIOUS morning — makes me sick!” Refer to every cab driver as Benny and ask them intrusive questions about their skeleton. Awkward situation? Cackle until the other person walks away.                                            
3. Immediately stop cleaning your house. Welcome cobwebs, spiders, and other critters. #aesthetic
   
4. Wear a sheet over your head and cut out eyes holes to be a ghost. It’s festive AND you don’t have to get ready in the morning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
5. Keep handfuls of candy in your pockets to throw at anyone who walks through a door near you.                                                                                                                                                  
6. Go to your local graveyard and raise a ghost. It will be the perfect spooky friend to accompany you to Halloween parties. You’ll have so much fun watching as he dances through people who are jamming out to the “Monster Mash.” Of course, you’ll have to keep an eye on him since he will be bent on getting drunk off spirits — because there is nothing more terrifying than a bad pun.                                                                                                                    
7. Make a jack-o-lantern and wear it on your head. All your friends will be sooooo jealous that you are celebrating Halloween, like, so much better than them. Nothing screams “FASHION!” like the sight of a giant round squash atop your shoulders. And the natural wobble from the weight as you walk is the new runway trend. So couture.                                                  

If you follow these tips, there is no doubt you will be oozing Halloween . . . and possibly some candy, too. Don’t be afraid to NOT be yourself. Find the darkness in your soul and let it loose. And, let’s not forget the main reason to be hyped about Halloween — the discounted bulk candy on November 1.