First official Halloween!

Last halloween I was in the throws of newborn baby land, and I didn't leave the house much AT ALL. So this halloween, I wanted to play and even the rain wasn't going to stop me!  
Andrew's mom, bought Layne a halloween costume last year after Halloween when it was like 75% off. Score!  So this little lady bug has been hanging in her room for a year, WAITING for this day. 

My friend Amanda  told me about a meetup on the Meetup.com app about a street that closes and hands out great candy and she suggested we should go.

(The group is called CHEERS for Mom's!)  I highly suggest it as a new mom in Chicago. 

Here was the description of the meet up.

Last year fellow Cheers member, Melissa, let our group know about the amazingly fun trick or treating that her street, N. Fremont St., does for Halloween and my family and I decided to partake in the fun with some fellow Cheers friends and their families. We were oh so delighted with the fun and festive time we had and are determined to make it a family holiday tradition. We'd love to repeat the experience by having some Cheers mamas (dads/SO's are welcome to come too!) join us this year too! 

N. Fremont Street is closed to traffic on Halloween from Willow St. to Armitage Ave. (yay!). Melissa's neighbors get really creative with their decorations, and the kids love it. Last year, people came from all over to trick or treat and show off their costumes. The best thing is its family friendly and you don't have to knock on any doors...everyone sits out on the street ready to give out treats to the little ones (and big kids too!). We'll meet up at my house (which is at the corner of Willow and bissell) first then we'll leave promptly at 4:45p and walk the block to Fremont together, we'll go up the east side of the street first, then will cross and go down the west of the street, making sure to stop by to say Hi to Melissa and her cute kiddos before we go down the rest of street!  

I would love for us to stick together as a group as much as possible, and so thus why I have set a cap for this event, if this event fills up fast, feel free to duplicate the event and get another group of friends to meet up and go with you.

So we went!  And another mama friend of mine from my Mom's group (Heidi and her sweet baby Sophie)  didn't have plans so they came too!  We braved the rainy/ fall night and headed over (to a strangers house) ha!  

We got there and had a mini play date while we waited for everyone to arrive. Here is Layne on the car ride there.  I couldn't help myself, poor girl looked TOO CUTE!  (poor girl, because she couldn't really see with the hood on.) 

And here she is at the play date:

And us :)

I tried to match her little outfit :)

Here are Amanda and Cruz: Day of the dead and a baby skeleton...

And Heidi and Sophie - Baby Owl and a Flapper! 

Here is Layne and I by the awesomely decorated fence:

Andrew had to work a little late so he met us there after he got off.  I unfortunately didn't get any pictures of him with Layne.  

By that time, mama had a glass of wine in her hand and a full bag of candy!  That's right, this street gave the adults wine while they trick or treated!  (we unfortunately found the "wine" house at the end) but it was good! 

Here is my loot ! I mean.. Layne's Loot.....  but let's get serious, she will get none of it and doesn't know what it is. But she did put her cute little hand in bowls and pick out her own candy at a few of the houses.   

this is minus all of the kit kats. I took those out immediately and put them in the fridge.  Kit Kats cold is the way to go! 

I got this little gem while getting Layne ready for a bath...  Behind the scenes if you will:

Lookit that little booty!  

Happy Halloween folks!  Having this much candy around the house is not a good thing, but it was a great time and such a fun memory. 

xo