Have You Ever Been Ghosted?

Have you ever been ghosted? Or Booed?

My definition of “ghosted”: (v) When someone rings your doorbell anonymously (think G-rated “ding-dong-ditch”) before Halloween and leaves a small bag of goodies and a ghostly poem at your door.

A paper ghost on your neighbor's door means people are getting ghosted on your street. AND YOU MAY BE NEXT!

We started this Halloween-time tradition 10 years ago when we first moved to Barrington. My sister-in-law and her family ghosted us one night (they got us so good, it scared the Beetle Juice out of me) and we haven’t stopped since. It’s something my kids look forward to every October. We make a night of it, running around with flashlights, goodie bags, ringing doorbells and hiding. There's always tons of giggling.

If you haven’t been “ghosted” yet, plan to ghost someone this weekend! It’s easy, inexpensive and so much fun for the whole family. But hurry, because you HAVE to do it before Halloween!

How to start a GHOSTING tradition in your neighborhood:

Make two copies of this “Ghostly” poem. (Or create your own version like I've done.) Visit this link http://ventingsessions.com/2013/10/25/have-you-ever-been-ghosted/ to download a copy.

Sample:

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

You've Been Ghosted!

During the night, we left you a treat. This Halloween tradition is fun, and one we hope you'll repeat.

Take this ghost and tape it TO your door, to let others know you’ll be ghosted no more.

Now it's your turn to pass on the surprise, to two more families who WOULD ENJOY a GHOSTLY door prize.

2. Gather some inexpensive goodies and treats – from play dough and pencils to crayons and candy. Visit local stores like CVS, Barrington Books, Rite Aid or Target for tiny treats (edible and non-edible) to create cute goodie bags. Plastic army guys and spider rings are always a favorite for us.

3. Fill two ghostly goodie bags with treats and copies of the poem and ghost picture and hide them somewhere safe.

4. Choose at least two neighbors to “Ghost” that do NOT have a ghost taped to their door. (Important: This means they have already been ghosted!)

5. Wait until it’s dark outside and walk through your neighborhood. Be careful of cars and USE A FLASHLIGHT, please. “Whatevs. mom.” Leave the ghostly goodie bag on your neighbor’s doorstep. (Double check that the poem and ghost picture are safely tucked inside.)

6. Then get ready to hide! Make a run for it (safely please) so no one sees you!

7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 for the next neighbor!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Jackie Hennessey is a Barrington mom, writer and pr professional who blogs about her take on motherhood at www.ventingsessions.com and writes about it in her book, How to Spread Sanity on a Cracker, available at Hollies, Barrington Books, other bookstores and at Amazon.com.