A little real estate A little me

HOMEBUYING 101 - HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD

In any given city on any given day, it seems a new neighborhood is popping up every 5 seconds. It is not enough to know what city you want to be in. Neighborhood is just as important, if not more important, than picking a city. And figuring out the perfect neighborhood can seem daunting! Consider these tips when choosing a neighborhood: What are your needs? Different strokes for different folks. Maybe it's an easy commute to work. Or prioritizing the schools. Perhaps you want to be near a park or have a bike-friendly neighborhood. Figure out what is most important to you. Research, research, research. Check out the school district, school ratings, and school reviews. Look into what other homes are valued in the area. Look up crime rates. Check out online groups and newsletters to get a feel for the type of community. Take yourself on a tour. Drive around potential hours of the day. Do you enjoy taking your dog for a walk at night or night runs? Visit a neighborhood at night to get a feel for what that would be like should you live there. See if you can picture yourself in this neighborhood. If you're out of town, don't fret. Use Google Maps to take a virtual walk around the neighborhood!

DIY - DOG COSTUMES

Need costume ideas for the furry member of your family? Check out these 24 DIY ideas from The Spruce Crafts! My favorites include the s'mores and teenage mutant ninja turtle ideas.

COVID-FRIENDLY TRICK-OR-TREATING IDEAS

Candy Chute: I'm sure by now you've all seen the dad who created the candy chute for socially distant trick or treating. So cute. And easy! Just grab a delivery tube, decorate it however you like, and attach it to the railing on your stairs. On Halloween, don't forget to sanitize your hands before putting candy down the chute. Reverse trick-or-treating: Similar to the Covid birthday parades, in this scenario, people drive by houses and throw candy out of the car or deliver it from the car to the kiddos Trick-or-treat driveway table: Set up a Halloween decorated table in your driveway. Make individually packaged bags of candy and set then on the table. Hand them out to the trick-or-treaters, with mask and plenty of hand sanitizer (and maybe even gloves) of course.

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH

31 Nights of Halloween Truly a crowd pleaser. What started as 13 nights on some other network years ago has turned into 31 nights of Halloween. From Hocus Pocus to Hotel Transylvania to Beetlejuice, all monthlong on Freeform there will be something Halloween-y for everyone in the family, all day everyday. Don't have access to local TV? You can stream on Hulu! Find the full, detailed schedule here

Yelp Haunts at Home Since everything normal about Halloween is cancelled this year, Yelp has organized a month of virtual spooky events for the kiddos and adults! Find the full, detailed schedule here

RECIPE(S) OF THE MONTH

Per usual, Half Baked Harvest is my go-to. She has so many excellent Halloween-themed recipes. Check two out below!

For the whole family: BOO! Spooky Monster Chocolate Covered Pretzel Brownies For the adults: Sleepy Hollow Cocktail

QUOTE OF THE MONTH "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." -Albus Dumbledore

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