Every year, I impatiently anticipate the start of spooky season with a childlike sense of longing, and every year, I’m appalled and quite frankly a little offended by how quickly October comes and goes. We are more than halfway through my favorite month, and you can bet I’ll be shoehornin’ all of the spine-chilling activities I possibly can into the next 12 days.

Whether you’re looking for family-centered fun or something with a bit more bite (i.e., for adults only), let me serve as your Halloween guide. Here are 10 simple ways we’re elevating our October, even with three little kids at home and a hectic schedule. (Emphasis on the simple.) Because if there’s one thing that motherhood has taught this Type B mom, it’s to lean in to each season—imperfectly as it may be. Holiday festivities don’t have to look a certain way, cost a lot of money, or take a ton of effort to embrace wholeheartedly. All that’s needed is enthusiasm.

1. Visit a pumpkin patch to support a local farm.

We’re starting with the most basic, but also the most classic. It’s perfect for all ages and helps support your community. Go ahead and stop in at your town’s apple orchard, too, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Rating: 🍬

2. Tune in to any of Mike Flanagan’s bloodcurdling TV creations.

We just wrapped up his first season of Carrie, but old favorites include Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Don’t have time to commit to a series? Select a movie from this list I compiled in 2017 instead—opt for scary or silly, depending on your mood. Don’t forget the snack: Mix buttered popcorn with a handful of candy corn for sweet-n-salty munching while you watch. Rating: 🎃👻🕷️ 🤡

3. Go on a ghost tour of your city!

Haunted tours and pub crawls are offered in almost all major cities, and they’re a festive way to learn about the history of the places around you. US Ghost Adventures recently reached out to me about exchanging a few free tickets for a shout-out, so I’m taking two friends to their Dallas location on the eve of my 35th birthday for a very “me” kind of activity. (For 10% off your first tour or pub crawl, use the code EMMY10 at checkout.) I’ll report back on how it goes! Rating: 👻

4. Talk about the saints.

Share the life story of a different saint with your kids every day in October, leading up to All Saints’ Day, and ask for that saint’s intercession. Jude and Ayla love this podcast for inspiring saint stories. Rating: 🍬

5. Host a spooky dinner.

I got this idea from Instagram, and I think it makes for the sweetest annual tradition. Cook up a pot of spicy pumpkin tortellini, decorate with cauldrons and candlesticks, and tell ghost stories around the table. I’ve got your spooky tunes playlist covered. Rating: 🎃

6. Visit a “haunted” house.

I love the homemade ones that crop up in our neighborhood every year, but this professional fright house in Dallas looks legit. My only advice? Don’t go alone. Rating: 🤡

7. Make costume preparations a game.

Challenge yourself to find the whole family’s Halloween costumes at a local thrift store or two. For those of us (ahem, hi!) who are not at all crafty and will never make costumes from scratch, buying secondhand beats dropping $200 on cheap bundles of dyed polyester at HalloweenSpirit.com. This year, the five of us are going trick-or-treating as the characters from Ghostbusters, and none of our costumes cost me more than $20. Thank you, Goodwill. Rating: 🍬

8. Take a stroll through an old cemetery to pray over the deceased.

Bonus points if it’s gloomy outside. The kids and I did this for the first time last Halloween, and it was a memory I’ll forever cherish. Rating: 🎃

9. Read The Witch by Freida McFadden.

Then promptly meet up with your girlfriends to discuss—preferably over shimmery cocktails and cheese pairings. Rating: 🕷️

10. Attend a church service on November 1 (All Saints’ Day).

November 2 (All Souls’ Day) would work, too. Either day, light a candle for a loved one who is no longer with us and send up a prayer on their behalf. This is the real reason for the season after all. Rating: 🍬

Happy almost Halloween, y’all.

Top photo by Nataliya Melnychuk.