That whole bit about buying what you genuinely love vs buying for the sake of buying/FOMO definitely resonated with me. One thing I've really been trying to hammer into my head in recent years is knowing the difference between what I "want to have" vs what I "want to witness". I feel like there's a lot of stuff being sold that feels exciting to see in the moment, but after sleeping on it a couple nights, I start to realize I can't reasonably incorporate it into my life, or the enthusiasm over it is already fading. Also learning to DIY stuff out of simple or recycled materials if you've got the time and tools. A few years ago I made a bunch of paper box lanterns one year out of black poster board and some old post-it note paper that I could fit over an existing LED string light in my house, and it was such a huge mood setter despite how cheap and simple it was. I use it year after year, with the added bonus of having enough poster board left over to cut out some 3D wall bats.
what an awesome comment! I'm going to pin it. Thanks so much for sharing this. The "what I want to have" vs "What I want to witness"- wow what a takeaway. I'd really love to see how you made the lanterns if you have it up on the internet (here or instagram or something). Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@HauntedHaven Thanks, haha. I think my original reply to you got auto-deleted for mentioning my reddit handle. Woops. I haven't gotten around to posting the patterns online yet, but any paper box pattern should do the trick. I made them about 2x2x3 inches, and cut rectangular windows out of the sides to cover with orange paper, which tints the light. Then drew some designs on them with black sharpie. For attaching the box lanterns to a string of lights, I used a hole punch on the left and right sides of the lantern, and snipped the top edge of the hole with some scissors to create a slit for attaching and detaching them from the string light.
A girl I follow on RUclips had been hyping up Halloween for months and buying stuff and she said in her Halloween vlog that the day itself felt flat and empty. I felt the same tbh. I think I’m trying to capture my love for the season through consumerism when in reality it’s about events, walking outside and smelling the fall air, going to a party, handing out candy, seasonal drinks, etc. This year I’m gonna be doing stuff instead of buying stuff
Thanks for sharing this, that's super interesting that she was able to articulate that even in the midst of the haul and hyping it up. Thank you for sharing your alternative plans too! Smelling the fall air... that cannot be under emphasized hahah. Thank you for your comment 🧡
It feels WAY overdone and stores are noticing. Appreciate your insight, but it isn't just Halloween, it's everything and it just reminds me how unhappy and bored we truly are.
I am a Halloween lover. But what I love most about it is the aura of Halloween. The images, the feeling outside. And I love the colors orange/black together. But, I have found that the over the top Halloween that exists today is totally out of control. The rows of pink pumpkins, the endless cutesy signs, etc. do nothing for me. Homegoods has so much that nothing really stands out. It all becomes so much junk. It used to be fun seeking out Halloween items and pieces that I would love to own, but what exists now is overkill. Same with the whole Pumpkin Spice phenomenon. Before pumpkin spice was a thing, I would always be thrilled to find a pumpkin muffin, or some pumpkin bread. I feel like the over saturation of pumpkin spice products has diminished things. I guess what I'm saying is 'less is more' certainly applies here.
This is such a great insight thank you so much for sharing . I can relate to this, the thrill of the Halloween hunt is when it is truly a hunt! Finding a unique treasure or a surprise little jolt of Halloween when you're out. I fear Halloween rising to the level or Christmas, where it feels like it's being shoved down our throats and therefore is a source of resentment. Thank you so much for your pumpkin spice example as well, i hadn't thought of that. 🧡🖤orange and black forever!
So glad you’re bringing this up. I’ve definitely been a code orange fanatic over the years and after mounting credit card payments and completely running out of storage space, I’m for sure re-evaluating my consumption this year. I love donating my old costumes that I’ve made over the years. I love the thrill of finding unique oddball decor items at the thrift shops to bring home. My focus this year will be on supporting local pumpkin farmers, bringing in small and large REAL pumpkins that can be composted at the end of the season, along with hay, real branches, sunflowers (etc) that can be put back to the earth and not things that will end up in landfills. I also love the idea of celebrating with more Halloween food parties, budgeting more for experiences like haunted houses etc. rather than store-hopping to accumulate STUFF
Ooooooo thank you for bringing up decorating with things that can be "put back to the earth" and budgeting for experiences over things, those are great alternatives to underline. The storage space part is huge for me too, I've completely run out. Thank you so much for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven :)
Yes 👍 this is the ideal way to celebrate, and if you like black cats, adopt one or donate to a animal rescue or shelter for cats or dogs or whatever, let’s make a difference and help, because it’s so needed 🐈⬛😻🍁
FINALLY someone is talking about this. In the last few years I feel like my joy of the holiday has dampened from the people chanting code orange and making me feel fomo to buy quick selling things that in the end I'm unsure about. I remember as a kid we used the same decor year after year and it was special taking it out. I miss that.
Yes! I have inherited special decorations from my childhood and the enjoyment of those pieces are much more satisfying than buying a bunch of things to clutter around everywhere.
I don't think we even had much Halloween decor when I was a kid (80s). I distinctly remember making pumpkins and bats from construction paper and hanging those up.
@@notme7090 yea, tbh I don't even remember Halloween being a huge holiday in the 90s when I was a kid. But maybe that's because we didnt go shopping for Halloween decor on the reg and we didn't have internet so maybe I just wasn't aware? Halloween back then was more spooky than cute and I was a scaredy pants so I also didn't love the holiday then like I do now.
I would do anything to get some of my childhood Halloween decorations back- I can conjure them in my mind and I have no idea if they even still exist which makes me so sad. But they invoke such a pure distillation of all of the homemade excitement, all of those feelings and memories happened without the big box stores. I will say, however, that Yankee Candles were always a yearly purchase along with the farm stand candies and pumpkins, and that's why I have such strong nostalgic attachment to candles. But oh my gosh I yearn for a simpler and more magical expression of Hallloween... thank you so much for your comment and hanging out with me
A majority of my Halloween decor is stuff my mom gave me when she was done with it, and they are pieces from my childhood. I absolutely love them more than anything I could buy today. I get enough excitement just seeing others look at the new decor cause it reminds me that fall and Halloween are on the way. I do agree with getting new candles though, cause I use those up every year.
I love libraries so much! Thank the lord for them honestly, what a great program. I'm very glad to know that this exists as an alternative. Thank you for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven
I noticed it this year and it just makes me sad and also tired. The commercial frenzy of all the holidays and the pressure to spend just takes out my desire to participate.
I noticed this super hard for Christmas this past year and by the time June hit I knew I couldn't continue on in the same way. Commercial frenzy is a great phrase for this. I'm glad you're finding alternatives and backing away from what makes you tired and sad. thank you so much for your comment
So refreshing to hear all this put in perspective. Will always love Halloween but I agree-Feel all the hauls, code orange consumerism has taken a lot of the true essence from of it. Love hearing about a shift in thinking. Thank you.
hi, thank you for this very sweet and supportive comment. I'm so glad that it's being well received by people and I plan to be posting more videos on celebrating Halloween without crazy consumption this year. Thanks again for hanging out and sharing
I've noticed several of the Halloween content creators I follow have talked about reducing their purchases and spending and I'm really happy they're deciding to model that conscious decision making. I love watching store walk throughs, but it does stress me out to see certain people pulling item after item out of all their bags at the end of the video. I'm also very pedantic and hearing some of those influencer phrases really gets on my nerves! An example: "I found the new 'X' item everyone has been looking for so, OF COURSE, you know I HAD to pick it up!" Like, did you? Were you being threatened? If you listen to the things they say and imagine taking them literally, it really shows how ridiculous all of this is.
Thank you so much for all of these insights, and I'd love to know who those other creators are so that I can follow them too! Yes, the copy and paste influencer phrases are sooooo tiring. Thank you for commenting and hanging out in the Haven
@@HauntedHaven ooh definitely! I know Midge Munster started saying last year that she wanted to pull back on buying items. Sarah Tuhro has been saying this year she will only buy items she loves and is encouraging people to do the same, and a new creator - House Beyond the Hedge - has also encouraged reduced consumption!
I totally agree with you. Past years, I've gotten caught up in the FOMO and ended up buying a bunch of stuff just because everyone else wanted it. It left me with a collection I don't really care for. This year, I'm consciously not participating in the craziness.
We should collectively have a viral items yard sale 🤣🤣I would love to know how your experience goes this year with your different approach if you ever feel like circling back and letting me know. I will be sharing my experience and I definitely want to know how it's going for other people. Thank you so much for sharing and for hanging with me in the Haven
From an old ghoul, I find the channels that are copying each other running around filming stuff seems to have exploded the past few years and there seems to be an over abundance of stuff that seems really unnecessary. I have things that obviously are special pieces and have had since the 90’s. My home is only so big and I just don’t need any more “things”. I enjoy my candles because, yeah they are something that you consume. I agree with you, thrifting certain items, finding a special piece, at the end of the day, I don’t need a home full of “things “ that will basically get tossed or be someone else’s headache to unload. Making your home feel cozy and enjoyable, and tasteful, not crazy seems to be a better choice. 🤷🏻♀️ but that’s just my opinion.
Oh my goodness I really want to see those pieces from the 90s...... I bet they are sooo unique and creepy and cool! I have also completely run out of storage space. That's a major problem that I didn't even get to in the vid. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective, I think a lot of us will totally agree. 🧡🖤
@@HauntedHaven oh yes very special pieces that have so many memories. But yes, I have a small space and no room, I can’t justify putting things in stacks of storage bins piled to the ceiling 🤣 that would be really crazy. Thank you for addressing this issue 😉
I think I would love for “code orange” to be something that involves more DIY, Halloween party vlogs, ancient ghost stories by candle light, trying different things like Victorian Halloween traditions. I enjoy a bit of the store related videos but it just gets super old every year. Most of my Halloween decor is simply year round decor for me and mostly antique, a few modern pieces. When I do buy modern I’m typically buying it to diy a bit, using its form.
I'm trying to add more of this to my channel this year. I have some Victorian traditions that I really want to try (cabbage head divination anyone?) Thank you so much for commenting and adding this perspective
Can definitely see where you're coming from. It's hard though when Halloween is the only thing that really brings joy to my life. But I will try to be responsible by only celebrating 1 holiday this year. 🎃
I toootallyyy hear that. Honestly this has been a very difficult video for me to make because on the one hand I get a huge dopamine rush in seeing Halloween emerge. However, that has soon been followed by skepticism and ... well, whatever the opposite of a dopamine rush is, I guess anxiety... as I wonder about the source and eventual destination for all of this stuff.... but I hear you Virgil. Halloween is my safe place, it is the Haunted Haven after all. Hoping to continue on with nuance. Like I said in the video, the one thing I won't give up (at least this year) is Halloween Candles, and candles in general.
Great video! Truly enjoy your words and thoughts on this topic, something I feel should be talked about more. Old time ghoul here the consumerism around the holidays has gotten seriously out of control.
Window shopping Halloween decor over the years is something I used to do SO much as a Halloween enthusiast, however I suppose I should consider myself lucky I don't have the luxury of living in a large town with a million shops or reliable transportation to worry about FOMO taking over me. I agree with your points and I'm happy to see other people who acknowledge what Halloween is truly about and that we don't have to let consumerism literally consume us just for the sake of owning stuff because it's neat.
thanks for this perspective and for sharing your comment! I live in a veerrryyyyyy suburban area so I've got homegoods stores spattered all about me and let me tell you, the temptation is real real real. Especially when I'm bored. A bit jealous that its not that easy for you lol
I’m so excited to watch this video! I’m still thrilled by Halloween shopping but the endless hauls and shopping clips of the same stuff repeated gets dystopian as hell when they don’t back it up with any sort of creative or unique content. Really appreciate that creators are starting to pick up on and rebel against this.
hi! thank you so much for this kind and supportive comment and for being excited for the video! that makes me so happy. Yeesss dystopian is such a good word for this, I didn't think of that but it's perfect. There's all of this excess and it's just getting destroyed and going to waste. Thank you for commenting and being a supportive voice to the rebellion! lol 🤣
Very good topic! I think the resellers have a large chunk of blame to accept. Code orange used to be fun and going on the hunt for a new piece was exciting. However, since the resellers are now buying all the new pieces to sell at a much higher price, the fun is being replaced with FOMO panic. I still enjoy the videos of store walk throughs (they save me a lot of gas), but I don't enjoy the hauls so much anymore. The consumerism bothers me.
YES! Reselling was a topic that I didnt have a chance to get into with this video but I might do another one just on that. But you're totally right, that may have a huuuuge deal to do with the recent production cycles. Thank you for bringing this up and hanging out with me in the Haven!
Thank you for this video! I stopped Halloween shopping about 6 years ago. I got tired of everything being ravaged by early September and only finding the leftovers.
Halloween is starting to look more and more like Christmas and it's got to stop! I am super impressed that you stopped shopping 6 years ago, that's even before the phrase code orange was super widespread (I think), so you've had your pulse on this for a while. It's been really hard for me to back away from Halloween shopping as a hobby but reading comments like yours tells me I'm late to the game! Thank you for sharing your perspective and hanging out in the Haven
Hello fellow spooky friend!!! It's been awhile. Yes, that time of year is approaching. I have to admit I do feel excited when I see all the Halloween product out there. I've become a bit more picky in these last few years though. I'm looking for more quality items that will last me for years to come. I pick and choose what will work for me. I personally think some of the Halloween decor is getting a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I don't need a skeleton in a bath tub or sitting on a toilet. Just tacky for me, but hey to each their own. I have a weakness for Fall and Halloween candles. At the same time....I think how many Witches Brews do I really need even though I love that scent. For me, Halloween is means more than "stuff" It's that smell and feeling in the air. Just have to scale back and get back to the basics of why I love Halloween so much.
hello friend!! It's so good to hear from you and I hope you are enjoying that Kringle Candy Corn lol! Halloween candles will continue to be my weakness but I've also decided to really narrow down what I'll pick up and who I'll purchase from, Kringle and SOS being at the top of the list due to the small business natuere.
@@HauntedHaven Yes, I have been enjoying the Kringle Korn. Looking forward to Kringle this year and see what they have to offer. I have checked out South Of Sanity. May have to order a couple of wax melts to try out if they do ship to Canada.
I am not a Halloween shopper, but I def have other hobbies that I have over consumed in, in the past. I am so glad to see people waking up from this shopping spell and getting back to the real joy. 🙌
I completely agree!!!! I've been a Halloween collector for years, but with more people getting into it, prices were bound to go up. This year, i can't make the same kind of wreckless purchases I have in the past. My focus this year is to either make my own decorations or buy from small artists
Hello! thanks for the feedback and for watching the video- I'm super curious to know if there is anything in particular that you are DIYing or would like to DIY, I'm on the lookout for projects too! Yes, it's a real annoying shame that things are headed in this direction, hopefully we can reign it in
@@HauntedHaven Happy to answer!! The first thing I'm planning to make is some concrete jack o lanterns. Been on my want to make list for years. Also plan on finishing a paper mache pumpkin I started last year. The vintage ones tend to be really expensive and not in the best shape, so, I figured I would try my hand at it.
Hey friend!! This is a topic that I see being part of the conversation every spooky season and it definitely requires nuance to discuss well. I’ve noticed that all holidays in general are incredibly driven by consumerism. I mean, Americans spend billions on holidays and the general public has gotten accustomed to keeping things exciting by buying new decor every year. This is what is powering the success of Code Oranges, and leads to most successful content being about stores and products. Of course we have been part of that, as we commonly film new decor and candles as well. I even do very campy “Halloween hunting” by pretending it’s cryptids on Instagram lol. A common misconception is that the spooky community is the reason there’s such a craze and I think that even without us it would be the same. The bigger issue at hand is the lack of regulations for these corporations, one executive probably does enough damage to the Earth for 100 of us. Politically the country is hell right now, which is not leading to improvements for the environment in that sense, so voting for the right people is the most important duty for anyone right now. Sometimes all we have for fun or to protect our mental wellbeing is this sort of escapism as well. A few decades ago people my age were buying houses and getting paid more, now the hope has evaporated into nothing, and it’s hard to stay positive in that environment. I agree with what you said about how purchasing decor makes us feel more in control in this world where so much going wrong is far from being in our hands. Halloween is absolutely not just a “who can spend the most money on decor competition”, and people should be responsible when buying too much, but I feel bad about the situation we’re all in right now and understand that people aren’t at fault for all of it. The sentiment that people can’t say certain buzzwords online when posting about decor is odd, the account saying that seems cool but adults should know to control themselves if they have enough decor. I use the words in a fun tongue in cheek way and don’t think saying “runnn” should lead to people actually running hahaha, that’s funny to imagine. I was reading that electric cars like the ones I’m usually in are also bad for the environment so honestly these corporations have made it hard to get around in the country while being environmentally conscious (except for like NYC), and it’s heartbreaking because I thought just seeing the decor was harmless. Granted I’m not someone who actually goes to stores daily, but it’s definitely better to go and see than to impulse purchase more products. In conclusion because this comment is looong, the goal should be all of us making improvements and showing the intent to have a balanced spooky season, but acknowledging the problem is bigger than spooky season. Just not being too obnoxious with decor or gas/electricity wasted would benefit all. Love these more in depth video essays, and I hope you can see why I disagree with some points friend! Excited to see what other content you have planned for this year! 🎃🖤🤭
hello sweet friend!! Yeessss the need for nuance here cannot be understated! and there's no one size fit's all for how we need to approach this. Halloween hunting is 110% an escape for me as well and I agree, we can't just put it all on the consumers. The state of the world is mmeeessseeedddd up and sometimes we really do need to do whatever we need to do to regulate. And absolutely no shade to you personally! I actually had other YT creators in mind mostly bc the driving routes are a big part of the videos. My shift this year is going to be around having more consciousness in what I'm actually doing and considering more broadly its full implications- because I've really just been checking out and not thinking at all. But like I said in the video- there are going to be areas that I'm not ready to cut back on , Halloween candles being one of them. I can give up a few trips to Homegoods but I'm not ready to give up Witches Brew or Kringle Halloween lol. I always appreciate your feedback and can't wait to share more of YOUR MERCH too!!!! (I will vehemently support small biz always)
wonderful video!! Subject and implementation are well done. and yes, I feel exactly the same and tried to limit my purchases. I already own enough and only buy new items when I absolutely fall in love with them.
thank you so much for the kind words and support! I try to leave that nuance for myself too- it's ok to buy something as long as I really really love it and know it won't just sit around and have to be donated. thanks for hanging out in the haven and hope you come back!
Hi, in my country in Europe, we dont have such variety of Halloween decor. I decided to DIY it, there are ton of free vintage printable Halloween pictures.. So garland, ornaments, candle holders.. I find that the emotions connected with the DIY items give them special emotional value.. So that is is one other way... 🧡 Sorry for my English 🤭
It has been ages and ages since I've made ANYTHING, let alone a Halloween item. I'm going to give this a think, this would be a great DIY video! I would love to make something again and have it actually hold that extra value. Thank you for your perspoective and comment!
thank you for the supportive comment! this was honestly a scary one for me to make, I didn't know how people would react. I'll be back with some more ways to celebrate that aren't centered around consumption and would love to know what you'll be up to as well!
Let's talk about code orange my friends 🛍🎃 What do you think of the way our Halloween shopping habits have evolved over the years? Have you had any similar reflections or is what I'm talking about nonsense to you? Is there an area of your life (like Halloween candles are for me) that you would have a really hard time letting go of? Are there other areas where you feel like it would be easier to scale back and not buy so much?
Agreed! It used to be that only the true Halloween lovers and spooky people would be shopping early. Online resellers and content creators have made it so that things are sold out before most of us can even get to the store and then they want to charge 3x the price on Mercari or eBay no thanks 🙄
It's not as much of a treasure hunt for sure. I have a video that I made wayyyyy at the beginning of this channel that showcased this halloween room at this antique shop and everything in that room was so WIERD!!! and unique. And the room itself was an oddity. Thank you for commenting and hanging out with me
The code orange is way over done and the FOMO is nuts. Maybe it's because I live where October is naturally spooky but I personally find nothing spooky about a shelf full of resin and plastic from Cracker Barrel or wherever.
I think this has really blown up since alternative and y2k fashion got really popular and trendy the past couple years. Alt ppl like myself love Halloween decor and a decent amount of us use it as home decor year round and now normal people are getting into it too cause it's trendy, except they buy a ton of stuff for 1 month of use vs others who use it year round. I might spend $150 on Halloween decor (they make really nice quality stuff now, not cheap plastic) but that's also all I buy for my home except maybe a throw blanket. Vs normal people who spend that much and toss it in a closet for most of the year and keep buying things
Yes another commenter had a similar thing to say- Halloween is when they can get their "normal" home decor so code orange is a somewhat helpful phenomenon. You have an interesting perspective with the y2k and alt fashion trend tho, I hadn't considered that. Thank you so much for your input!
I love this! I’m also a Halloween content creator. And Last year I went through this and made the conscious effort to buy less and support more local businesses. I’m only looking for things that I truly love-like the Halloween Blow molds at Cracker Barrel this year. I didn’t buy them last year cuz they were meh to me but this year’s collection is great. I didn’t buy the witch figurine last year because it sold out and I was bummed but when I saw it in the store this week I was like “eh” I don’t need it and look they came out with-it again. I’m also turning away from doing hauls-your right it creates a sense of FOMO I try to focus on mostly vintage, DIY with a smattering of big store items if I truly love them. We don’t want our beloved Halloween to jump the Shark! 🧡👻🧡
Just subbed!! Yes I think it's ok to have nuance in our approach. I did get the cat and pumpkin blow mold from Cracker Barrel last year and I absolutely love and use that thing. But unlike last year, i won't be broadcasting it if I do end up making any purchases, or if I do it will be in one small intentional sharing, not a continuous influx of stuff. I am going to focus on thrifting and small businesses this year, and I want to do more videos on small farm stands etc. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective from the YT creation side of things and can't wait to watch your vids! 🧡🖤
@@HauntedHaven aw thanks! What you said really resonated with me. It also reminded me too. I’ve been feeling this way since last year. I’m making the shift gradually and giving my thoughts on it as I go. We can all do better! We only have this one planet ❤
I hate the frenzy. I also hate how expensive things have become. I need more creators to acknowledge the driving force of demand and how it can contribute to driving up the cost. I agree that the consumption of Halloween products can be really uncomfortable and destructive in all the ways you mentioned.
@@Dashasia totally, even though I LOVE Halloween, it's my favorite time of year, I also love doing things that make sense for the season, like you mentioned going to farmer's markets, and I also love going berry picking and going to the lake/ocean and just doing things you really can only do in the summer. My mind doesn't shift to Halloween til September when it starts getting cooler. I try to live in the current moment/season because they all have beautiful things about them.
While I do agree that we need to be critical about the waste we produce directly and indirectly, I do need to point out that carbon foot printing is a concept pushed from BP to shift the responsibilities of the environment from the corporations to the individual. Essentially, by getting the people to focus on their own waste, the corporations are distracting us from the waste THEY produce.
THANK YOU! Wow this is a great point and I need to do some more looking into this. Of course, corporations are at the root of overproduction and greed, and profiting off of our boredom, and I agree that so much of our response to environmental anxieties has been put onto consumers which makes us feel even more sh***y and powerless... Thank you so much for sharing this perspective
Thank you for articulating this thoroughly! I've been trying to find a way to explain the overt discomfort about the early and over consumerism of it all. Perfect timing- instant subscribe 🎃 I've worked for seasonal stores. We were always instructed to destroy SO many items in those overstock Pods during store builds. Told to damage it out like it was expired food/makeup products and then destroy it profoundly enough so that it cannot be garabge picked or fixed. During store teardown the remainder of product goes in the Pods to be discarded by a new crew the next year.
) I love ASMR and I subbed!! 2) oh my goooooodddddd - ok this is great info to have. I didn't have specific numbers/stats on how stores do this and I feel very justified in having said the bit about stores sending decor to the land fill. That makes my blood boil honestly. Then my other question is - if they're destroying so much why do they keep producing so much!?! gahhhhhhh
@HauntedHaven Thank you- Always happy to have a friendly ghost haunting the Crypt! Halloween x ASMR alliance confirmed 🎃🕯🤝🏻🪦👂🏻 I've worked for Spirit and Halloween City years apart on seperate occasions and they were eerily similar(bad). HC is also mirroring the policies of Party City because they are a fringe of the same brand as Spirit is to Spencer Gifts. I'm not ashamed to say I was motivated to apply because I wanted dibs and an employee discount. It was SO disheartening because as a collector I got excited opening up the Pods during store builds since I thought that product would be made available to us. It's absolutely wild how much they told us to toss due to the self imposed expiration dates governed by their profit margins. 😡 I don't have an accurate number, but I would surmise about 25% of what was in there from the year prior had a SKU in the system that was authorized to be marked down for clearence. We were told to break and toss anything else that was coming up with errors. A majority of the items were costumes, accessories, masks and static props in good condition, so not even consumable items with legitimate annual expiration dates. If you walk into a seasonal store the first couple weeks that they're open you will most likely see an associate scanning a disheveled stockpile into the system then put it off to the side when it doesn't read for mark down. Nobody wanted to do it because we all felt wrong and pissed about it. It's all about the hype train and they don't seem to care about the repercussions as long as they make money. Home Depot skeleton is chronically out of stock and they all want a piece of that pie by any means necessary which is why these product drops are happening too early and often to whip us into a tizzy. It's good that you've platformed this talking point so that people can hopefully pivot towards more conscientious consumption patterns that benefit us as a community. 🫶🏻
I was so excited to see a video like this because it really is a needle in a haystack. I myself have fallen prey to the Code Orange Consumer Phenomenon for years. It was only when I began to dread decorating my home for Halloween because of all the effort it took to use all the things I had spent my money on, that I realized how ridiculous it all was. Spending all this money, setting out all this precious, breakable stuff around a tiny apartment with 2 kids, and then packing it all away again. Year after year. I love seeing all the Halloween items but I’m now realizing I don’t have to own it all. Just seeing it can fill my soul and I can enjoy it that way. Thank you for doing a video like this! 👻🎃🧡
@100jeichelle this is awesome feedback thank you so much and I'm very glad to hear it. I to have become overwhelmed by my Halloween stuff and have run into this same exact issue where it's become a burden. It feels like an addiction for me because it feels like "giving in" to my impulse to go out and buy new things. Thank you for your supportive comment, it means the world to me.
I am thoughtfully curating my Halloween decor. I have a clear plan and have been buying from small artists and shops. Stopped doing the big box stores last year.
Yes!! I fully am on board with small business support! I will get my guitly pleasures there :) Awesome to hear you were already on board with getting away from big box stores
I love halloween, but its a very personal holiday for me and it lasts all through october. I have difficulty understanding that people use halloween decor for one year and then never again. I love the classic feeling of halloween, its something i can always count on. I try hard to collect decor that i know i will love for years. Ive made my own cardboard bats, and i have this crazy cool witches hat that i found at the thrift store years ago. I always have a goal to find a halloween themed item thay i could love all year round, as well as adding to the trick or treat decor i keep around. Yes, some of the cheap stuff from the dollar store eventually needs to be thrown out, but im going to use those window stickers until they dont stick anymore!
What an awesome comment thank you so much it had me smiling. I also keep Halloween decor up in my house all year and if I really think that something is going to fit in and become part of the year-round Decor then I don't feel bad to make the purchase. When I do feel bad is in looking back at some of the purchases that I've made that I don't end up loving like that and it just seems like I made a impulsive decision. I really need to make some cardboard DIYs or something this year everyone keeps bringing up cardboard. I have some DIYs that I'm thinking of doing but nothing that can simply be made out of recycled materials yet thank you for this awesome comment again
Thank you for this, this is a very important discussion to have. I'm caught in the middle of this as someone who is naturally a minimalist but deals with impulse spending. I've made the decision to be more mindful in my halloween purchases, and not buy just because it's there and I get caught up in the season. I'm saying this as someone who has a halloween room 365, and have started to need to store some of my newer stuff that doesn't fit or things I don't want to be staring at all year. I would say the last 5 years have been noticeably more crazy with the fomo/code orange hype, and in turn i notice so much of the new halloween merchandise looks so cheap, tacky and...pointless? Like no thought goes into the design anymore.
Thank you for watching and for your input! I have a similar reaction to what I've been seeing in recent years compared to vintage decor. What we have now feels cheap. I too get really caught up in the season and I've incorporated buying stuff into how I celebrate, however it's taken on too big of a role.
I agree with a majority of what you’re saying. I’ve been taking stock, in general. I’m cleaning out and organizing just about everything. I’m reevaluating in a “bigger picture” sense. I went to goodwill and other thrift stores for my spooky goods, last year. I personally value vintage, and or, preowned over new, because that’s just how I roll anyway. I think it has become a trend, and as a result has become very consumerist friendly. On the other hand, as a witch, it will still be something I love even when it becomes less popular and trendy. This is year round decor for me. Some of it is, “in your face,” Halloween decor, but a lot is just how I decorate my spaces. I used to resell out of necessity. Now, I’m try to swap first with friends, then donate and only resell the very special pieces. I’m a single parent who works full time and my time and energy is limited. Priorities have to be made. That’s just my take. 🤓🧙♀️
Hello fellow witch! (I am what I would consider a baby witch in some ways, in other ways I've been doing this all my life). Oh my goodness, yes. I feel like there is so much nuance to be explored and there can't be a one size fits all approach. I tried to give a lot of room for that in the video, as I myself am exploring where that line is. I also have halloween decor up year round, Thank you so much for bringing your perspective and commenting!
Thanks for the thoughtful video. As one who displays dark décor year round, Code Orange season is my time to shop, so I always look forward to it. I see these pieces every day and make an honest effort to choose items that are useful or really make my heart flutter. And because these items have meant a lot to me, I've asked my family to rehome as much as possible (and provided them with ways to do so) so the joy they bring continues, and they stay out of the garbage. With some businesses still struggling, I hope a successful Fall and Halloween season helps. I do my best to stimulate the economy, but I know I can't do it all myself 😉🤑
hi! thanks for your perspective and comment. I'm a halloween all year person too so I totally get you- I haven't told myself "no halloween shopping at all"- that's totally unrealistic and will only lead to me acting out lol. But yea the line I'm trying to walk is do I really truly have to have this or die or is this going to be just another thing for me. Also, I fully support shopping small businesses, they need our help!
Great video and loving the content and I am from the Uk about a week ago whilst putting out the recycling bins for collecting I looked inside one of them an found an Christmas cookie tin in perfect condition brought it in. Took a photo of it as a reference for searching it up on eBay and they were selling for $20.95 in Australian dollars . Cut the long story short it was a good find and saved it from being taken to the landfill.
Woahhhhh that's wild. It's always a wonder to me how people throw those things away but maybe a trip to the thrift store is inaccessible for whatever reason but jeez! $20 in the trash. Thank you for the input, I'm glad you were able to salvage it.
I think it goes beyond Halloween and is just a huge issue in our culture. One aspect is definitely seasonal merchandise. Another is just the whole FOMO which is created even on non-seasonal merchandise, like Disney items, makeup, beauty products, the list goes on. I have tried to become much more conscious of my purchases. And as far as seasonal decor it's fine to reuse things year after year. Love the video, I am glad more people are thinking this way!
@kevinm4069 hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Yes, this is a symptom of a much bigger problem with consumption and influence etc in our culture. I've heard about hello kitty craze etc. Wild. Thank you for hanging out here! I will have another Code Orange video out in the next couple of days if you want to keep an eye out
Really glad someone is talking about this as I have been been kind of disturbed by the massive purchases halloween and horror consumers are making on youtube.
Thank you for the supportive comment! I'm hoping the "huge haul" trend dies down however an unfortunate angle of content creation can be "I spent a lot of money on x" and people usually want to see that- at least that's what I assume applies for the "huge X haul" thing
I can't wait for the thrift stores around me to start putting Halloween out, I found these really cute faux stained glass window decorations last year and I love them so much. Thanks for commenting and hanging out !
I love Halloween 🎃 , but summer is my most absolute favorite season and it’s so hard and sad for me to see all of the vibrant, super fun summer stuff swiped out at the end of June!! I do not like the pushing of the season. I wish we were allowed to enjoy summer! And let Halloween start at the very beginning of September. 8 weeks of Halloween would be plenty.
Christmas Creep is totally applying to Halloween now. I enjoy thinking about fall but I don't want it to completely over take summer and I can see how that would be sooooo annoying if summer is your favorite
I agree I am running out of room and I noticed that what I would rather have is more vintage or really fun handmade crafted items things that have media vintage look to them Victorian and some of these cheaper ones like especially the gnomes terrible I do not like that at all Seems like there’s other people that are the same way as some of the Facebook groups that I’m on people are buying kind of more higher vintage items and doing really fun DIY I love the vintage crafts more. but again there’s a few pieces out there that I think I might want to get that bigger and higher quality instead of just buying cheap
Yes! I think that there can be nuance to the approach. If we see something in a big box store that we reaallyyy reallyyyy think we'll like we can absolutely consider it, we don't have to shut ourselves off completely. It's just the mindless buying and mindless overproduction that needs to be examined. Facebook marketplace is a treasure trove of vintage and unique items
Last year I bought very little Halloween items. They were all metallic items and ended up using most of those items as my permanent outdoor decorations. Only a couple of items went into storage. I'm starting to get things this way. How can I have items I purchase out all year. I hate storing too many items and taking up too much space.
This is my approach too! Many of my Halloween items stay out all year and I feel great about those purchases. Having less storage is helping me to be way more intentional about what I do bring in.
I'm excited to see the fall & Halloween displays mid-July & August! Its gives me a little boost to help me cope with heat & humidity. Unfortunately, I tend to get overwhelmed in stores & end up with items that really don't work w/my collection or I don't really love. Last year I took pictures & this really helped. I rarely buy anything that's on a must have list, decor or otherwise though. If something is sold out when I go back, it wasn't meant to be mine.
That's a great way to approach shopping! I've done that a few times and kind of forgot to do it a bunch and just went straight for the purchase 🤣 I love what you said also about "if it's not there it's not meant for me"
Making decorations is something I'm starting to do. We have a lot of cardboard, and since she's little it'll be cute to make some decorations with her.
Oooo!!! Let me know what kind of things you are thinking of making. I have two DIY projects that I want to do this fall but they also require going to get materials so I'm trying to think of things that can be made out of recycled materials
@@HauntedHaven Usually simple things like skulls, ghosts bats. Nothing too complex bc she is a MESSY child, but I do plan on making more complex ones when she's less impulsive lol If you have like cereal or chip boxes that's excellent for thick cut outs which can be strung or glued or whatever to other things.
@@vvitch-mist20 ok awesome! I do eat a lot of cereal lol. I wish I could find the decorations that I made as a child, I don't think my parents would have gotten rid of them but I don't know where they are...
I can say as a Halloween lover I just heard about Summerween and “code orange” this year. I initially had tons of fun watching everyone’s videos but then quickly realized it was more about shopping and hunting for items than keeping the Halloween spirit alive all year🥲 obviously I’m generalizing but I’d love to see more activity focused Summerween content.
hello! thanks for this great feedback :) I've got a summerween book list as my next (or second to next) video. Curious what other summerween activities you might be interested in, I'd love to provide more activity centered content rather than shopping
Great video! You are so right about the mood in the air lately about consumerism in the Halloween side of youtube. I have noticed several of my favorite creators mention not feeling the same need to buy a ton this year. I have also noticed this with just the merch not disappearing as fast this year either. The Cracker Barrel ghosts/witches didn't disappear immediately online this year and that says A LOT. I sooo feel it to. I'm cutting back on buying a lot this year. I'm trying to only do thrift/small business/crow things for the store this year.
Spook Ums!! Omg I love your channel you're commenting on my video 🥹. Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one, I only follow a few other Halloween youtube ppl and have really only seen shopping and hauls. I am totally in board with fully supporting small businesses this year (like your book shop eeeee). I think I will do a small biz haul
I get what you’re saying; we shouldn’t drive (literally) ourselves crazy trying hunt down certain items just because they’re “viral” this year. I think a good rule of thumb is to only buy what truly speaks to you and your individuality. I little self control in this regard can also really help you find and perfect your signature style. In my opinion, nothing really beats vintage/antique/thrifted Halloween anyway.
I really like that rule of thumb you shared- I think a sense of personal touch is being totally lost right now- everything just feeellsss cheap. That's why old Yankee Candles are such treasures, they have an actual artistry to them.
I think it would just be nice if they had the same decor out for a few years; the few pieces I like I usually can’t afford right that second so being able to collect a piece or two a year is much easier
Oh my gosh yes, I wish they didn't feel the need to come up with a new theme/aesthetic every year. Another commenter says she worked at a home decor store and validated that they destroy merch that doesn't get sold
The code orange got my attention, my favorite color. I have been feeling the same way towards Fall and Christmas decor, and the frenzied consumerism (which I am guilty of) . I work at a craft store and the amount of plastic/resin made stuff that they produce is mind blowing. The Fall and Christmas stuff is already out, we don't sell Halloween things. Now you know where I work. I keep wondering for myself, don't I have enough decor already?!? I have been collecting things for a long time. Yeah you know I'm old, I used parentheses haha. Its nice to hear others feel th same.
Lol! Picked up on the clues 🤣 yea I feel like the quality of what's produced now is just not the same at all, vintage stuff was just artful and playful in a way that a lot of current stuff just misses. Thank you for your input from inside the industry
@@staroflight2982 "Christmas Creep" is the one that most people are familiar with, with Christmas items starting to get on shelves as early as October. I am living in a suburb so I would image that I see some pretty prime examples of it but from where I stand holidays have been starting earlier and earlier each year
I am a Halloween lover, and my friend sent me pictures of the Michaels store they were visiting because it looked like the lesbian flag and overall things were very cute. To me, in fighting off consumption, I try to create what I can. I was inspired by the pictures I was sent to embroider skulls and skeletons in the same color palette on a plain shirt I have. Maybe I'll make my own floral bat pillow out of what scraps of fabric I have. I feel inspired looking at the decor, but there is no desire in me to buy when I could make something by hand and be proud of it :)
that's so cool that you have the abilities to make these things! I need to invest more in learning these skills for sure because I totally agree- the flower bat pillow was so cute but a handmade one with custom fabric.... oh my gosh that would be sooooo much better. thank you for throwing this perspective out there and hanging out with me in the Haven
it's a tough thing for sure! I love it in many ways too.... I tried to not present this as a black or white thing, we can all take a harder look and discern what is really true for each of us.
Yes! The storage problem is real and how much stuff we can store is also a huge indicator of access/means. That's why I think it can be really dangerous to compare ourselves to people who have a lot of room to work with- it's a privilege to have room to store things!
while i am enjoying halloween having more of a hold on space in stores (it prevents the christmas creep) and it gaining in popularity, i do think folks should focus more on the community aspect of halloween. i spend all summer making a little home-haunt walkthrough for my neighborhood kids. we hand out little toys, drinks, and full-size candy (for 300kids) i always wanted to be the halloween house growing up and i spend more time focusing on creating the halloween magic for the next generation. 🎃
Don’t like pink pumpkins? Leave them on the shelf. Geeezzzzz as soon as the store removes the pink pumpkins someone will say Hey where’s the pink pumpkins? Lmao
I have always seen Halloween walk thru videos as a way to save me time and gas. I see what is out there from the comfort of my home and truthfully 90 percent isn't my style (I'm looking at you TJ Marshgoods). If there is something I am nuts over I'll get it if I can but I don't make special trips. I personally have never understood the "viral/ fomo" trend. Why would someone want what everyone else has, looking like a clone with no individual thought or style?
That's a very interesting point. Yeah I can totally see how walkthrough videos would be helpful from that perspective, if you don't want to spend the time and gas going and searching for yourself you can just kind of watch other people do it I have always found store walkthrough videos to be a bit of nice Ambience when I'm doing chores and stuff like that but I have found myself wanting things that I didn't know about just because I saw somebody doing a walkthrough. So I think for me that's where the line is coming in like oh man I'm creating want just because I saw this thing that I didn't know about. And yeah the viral item thing is very strange. Like some of the things that get a viral status I can see why and some of them I just don't understand at all LOL
This helps me not do the shopping. I get to live through someone elses shopping. I prefer to buy second hand and make my own decor items. As I am decorating my home a certain way. In October, i bring out my store bought items. But Halloween is my favorite holiday!
I too love to watch the walk throughs, and its very interesting that it helps you not to shop! I suppose my fear with it is that it encoruages even more shopping, but very interesting to hear it has the opposite effect for you. thanks for the feedback!
@HauntedHaven I always set a budget. I have a theme for several years. This helps me build the look. I also have limited space to store decore. I am always looking for all year-long pieces, I love a witchy vibe all year round.
I would point out that both Halloween and Christmas re HUGE decor-based hollidays, but that both are also full of the kind of cute and simple decor that's easy to DIY. Why not let another youtuber do the filming of store shelves and lift up their content for others who want to see it by browsing it to find items you actually love. Then, make it a challenge to spend the time and effort to DIY those items in a way that will be higher quality than what stores typically produce. Fix and update the decor you've got. Make halloween things out of non-halloween objects you already own - makeabarbie into a witch or a creepy doll or paint a ugly cat figurine black and restyle it to perfewction. If the halloween goal is to get the joy without buying a thing, you can be just as busy with objects, and everything becomes more personalized and valued. Actually, if candles are your thing, they are some ofthe most DIY-friendly crafts. Building a relationship with someone who can teach you to do them exactly as you'd want, melting down beloved old candle wax into a stacked "best of" candle and chooseing or creating your own candle vessels is possible. You can even do photo-transfers at home directly onto candle, as far as I'v seen.
These are awesome suggestions!! Someone said they want to DIY the michaels bat floral pillow and I really want to do that. I get my candles from South of Sanity and Kringle bc they do it best!
This rampant Halloween purchasing doesnt bring me joy because everyone from online groups to resellers are just fiening over so many products. No, I dont have to "Run to target, HomeGoods,marshalls" or whatever to get the hot item that just so happens to be there. Sometimes I think people are straight up lying what is considered the trendy decor to give fomo. It makes people want to spend. The chain reaction is that it makes everyones decorating look so homogenous. Now it all feels like everyone is trying to be the next cool spooky youtube video or the next Halloween Pinterest post, it feels like we brought the retail store to our homes and thats not fun at all. It just feels like another type of hoarding.
thanks for this comment and your reflections! I have also suspected that "trendy items" are planted by the stores themselves and influencers are paid to hype up certain items. can't prove it but it seems within reason. Also the resellers- whew what a topic. I may have to touch on that one in another video. Thank you again for your perspective and for sharing it here
This video has such a healthy message both practically and spiritually! For myself, I just don't have room for more stuff in general and want to focus on what channels the Halloween season more organically. Candles create such a positive atmosphere and raise energy. Thank you for this vid!
Thank you so much for this supportive and kind comment! This means the world to me, it's just what I was hoping that this video would do. ❤️❤️ I agree, candles just change my whole mood and atmosphere of my home
I think the only problem with Halloween overconsumption is people who buy a bunch of decor every year for the holiday then put it into storage for 11 months. A ton of alternative people (like goth, punk, emo, etc.) use Halloween decor year round. Halloween season is home decor season for me. I use the things I buy during that season as my regular home decor. I have a fake skeleton animal and a ghost pencil cup on my desk as I'm typing and it's July
thank you!! out of curiosity would you be interested in seeing halloween diys/non shopping vids or more critiques of consumerism and halloween? or both?
I enjoy watching the haul videos, etc on youtube. However, I only buy what interests me and I don't care what goes viral. I buy enough but it is very little compared to what I see on youtube. I rarely follow the crowd.
I will be re wearing my costume from last year as it was very expensive its a harry potter outfit so ill definitely be re wearing them as much as i could💕also i love Christmas a lot but this coming Christmas ill be doing secret Santa as i spent too much last time😅👀🩷
Oh my gosh I had to set a limit for christmas a few years ago because I was going wayyyy beyond. Still getting the hang of being that strict with Halloween. I'm so glad you'll be reusing your costume this year!! horray!
Yes yes yes! I love this video and have been thinking about this a lot. “Code orange” feels so mass produced and soulless now 🥹 Last year, I set an insanely strict spooky shopping budget and it made me really reflect on the things I was bringing home/time I was investing driving around looking for *stuff* lol also, I would plan one day a week that I could hunt for things (usually my day off). Thankfully I have all the fav stores a very short distance from home so it became a fun outing rather than an obsessive after-work sprint. I’ve realized if it’s a super popular item this year, companies with reproduce it next year and there will be minimal hype. Nothing is worth feeding the overconsumption craze. Already setting a budget for this year and hoping to make more and bake more to get into the season ☺️
Hi! thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm so happy to hear that you already are engaged in this process of reflection and scaling back. Yes, I think the obsession of finding certain things really got to me last year. I'm considering muting a lot of the halloween accounts I follow bc I'm already feeling myself wanting things that I'm seeing others post about. sighs..... Yes to more baking and making as well!! Not to be under rated
I love Halloween just as much as the next spooky kid but I see that a lot of it is just a load of tatt and I think the shops are kinda laughing at us coz they are making millions over a load of junk 😂 I've been a part of the hysteria 100%, I've gone to every shop that I possibly can but when I look at most of it I do wonder what the environmental impact is? Given the materials it's made from and cheap labour that's involved 😕 it's like glitter and plastic and of these toxic things. Getting older sure does suck coz u can't just enjoy things without thinking of the detrimental impact it all has, not everyone is the same but I sure am 😅 also this is a very important topic to bring up and i also think how much stuff to we need to pump out and put into the world?! it's just too much. I can't help thinking that most of the time modern living is so hollow that these are the things that make us feel better.
Yes, I didn't even get into the labor practices. That's a whole different thing that really needs to be uplifted. I think your hypothesis at the end is a good one- things are just so sh** all around us so it makes sense that we're doing these things to pacify ourselves. And no shade, sometimes we need that, but we have to be willing to examine it. Thank you so much for bringing your perspective and hanging out with me!
Those soda pop candles. I dont know how much you increased youre carbon foot print in your quest to obtain that spooky treasure but, Im willing to figure out a way to eat some of it. The amount of joy they clearly brings you, no they were not ment to be yours.
😂try having Halloween as your wedding anniversary! *Everyone* gives us Halloween themed gifts, I’m overwhelmed after nearly 34 yrs! When kiddo was little as were all the neighbourhood kids we did massive, fun displays. Eventually we got less & less kids so stopped so hubby & I could go out & celebrate our anniversary. Stopped buying quite some yrs ago, only picking up things I truly love & use, everything else is getting sold with exception for sentimental items. Not a fan of all the “cutesy” stuff either, prefer spooky but classy😊. Jet 🧡🎸🎶⚡️🤘🦋🏍 PS ironically we live next village to Sleepy Hollow & the ONE thing I’d like is a headless horseman but they’re always gone😕. Otoh one less thing to move! 😅
oh my goodness 1) that's awesome that you got married on Halloween and 2)yes I can see how you'd be overwhelmed 🤣🤣🤣 I'm so jelous of the families that put on big displays... sigh.... thank you for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven!
@@HauntedHaven when theres a item plugged as the hot item but its not available anywhere or only in few places.like charlie and chocolate factory buying choclate to get a golden ticket.its an old marketing trick.
I really have to ask myself a bunch of questions: is it something I will regret if don't buy it or regret it if I do, is it something I can DIY, or find from a small creator, can I use it outside of Halloween season, before getting anything nowadays.
I love these questions!! I need to get more into DIYing, I would really love to sew pillows. I'm not going to diy candles bc the companies I work with just do it so much better but there's a lot that I COULD do. Do you have any favorite DIYs that you've done?
@@HauntedHaven Well, nothing I can particularly speak of, but stuff that's just paper glued on something, pom-pom or fabric scrap garlands, or throw pillows that are just one solid piece of fabric, one can easily create something similar.
@@candydemure ok sure! yea I'm thinking about those dollar store candles that people collage images onto. I'll look into the throw pillow with one piece of fabric thing, that's a cool idea
I feel the exact same way, I have run out of places to store my stuff and so the question became, do I make room for more? and if I do that, what is the eventual fate for the stuff that I already do have? I really allowed myself to think about it before buying more
Don’t you think 🤔 social media has played a huge role in this. Think about the money people are paying out for theme parks. It might be cheesy and corny but self made decorations and low cost entertainment can offer genuine enjoyment
I think there are a lot of sources. In particular I wanted to call out YT creators (like myself) for the role that we play in perpetuating the cycles of desire in places like big box stores (target, michaels, jo ann etc). I never mind supporting and promoting small businesses but creating viral status for things that are massed produced I think is a problem.
I understand your points but many people in America have 2-3 cars which they use to just get milk or eggs. I feel hunting for Halloween products or shopping for any holiday wouldn’t make a difference since the world is already a lost cause with the majority understanding Fossil Fuels environmental damage. One person can make a difference in most cases but I believe this is already out of control. I am glad electric cars are being made to try to combat this and car companies are pledging to become fully electric. When I go hunting for items I try my best to make a eco friendly efficient trip. Trying to avoid excessive mileage and charting a course which allows me to tackle as many stores as possible in a straight line. If I fail to find the items I am looking for on this trip then I just order online. I also think it’s important for people to keep buying in person because otherwise stores will close and everything will be online. Jobs would be lost and people be out of work whether corporations or small stores.
Yes, it was very selfish of you to drive all that distance and waist all that time, gas, and money. I mean, how dare you? Bur remember, Halloween put aside, you looked very pretty doing it!! That is the important thing to remember. Happy Halloween, and fill that tank again dammit.
Yes! The ones that come out year after year at my parents house are the ones that have the most Magic ✨️✨️ plus I feel like the decor used to just look like higher quality
That whole bit about buying what you genuinely love vs buying for the sake of buying/FOMO definitely resonated with me. One thing I've really been trying to hammer into my head in recent years is knowing the difference between what I "want to have" vs what I "want to witness". I feel like there's a lot of stuff being sold that feels exciting to see in the moment, but after sleeping on it a couple nights, I start to realize I can't reasonably incorporate it into my life, or the enthusiasm over it is already fading.
Also learning to DIY stuff out of simple or recycled materials if you've got the time and tools. A few years ago I made a bunch of paper box lanterns one year out of black poster board and some old post-it note paper that I could fit over an existing LED string light in my house, and it was such a huge mood setter despite how cheap and simple it was. I use it year after year, with the added bonus of having enough poster board left over to cut out some 3D wall bats.
what an awesome comment! I'm going to pin it. Thanks so much for sharing this. The "what I want to have" vs "What I want to witness"- wow what a takeaway. I'd really love to see how you made the lanterns if you have it up on the internet (here or instagram or something). Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@HauntedHaven Thanks, haha. I think my original reply to you got auto-deleted for mentioning my reddit handle. Woops.
I haven't gotten around to posting the patterns online yet, but any paper box pattern should do the trick. I made them about 2x2x3 inches, and cut rectangular windows out of the sides to cover with orange paper, which tints the light. Then drew some designs on them with black sharpie. For attaching the box lanterns to a string of lights, I used a hole punch on the left and right sides of the lantern, and snipped the top edge of the hole with some scissors to create a slit for attaching and detaching them from the string light.
A girl I follow on RUclips had been hyping up Halloween for months and buying stuff and she said in her Halloween vlog that the day itself felt flat and empty. I felt the same tbh. I think I’m trying to capture my love for the season through consumerism when in reality it’s about events, walking outside and smelling the fall air, going to a party, handing out candy, seasonal drinks, etc. This year I’m gonna be doing stuff instead of buying stuff
Thanks for sharing this, that's super interesting that she was able to articulate that even in the midst of the haul and hyping it up. Thank you for sharing your alternative plans too! Smelling the fall air... that cannot be under emphasized hahah. Thank you for your comment 🧡
It feels WAY overdone and stores are noticing. Appreciate your insight, but it isn't just Halloween, it's everything and it just reminds me how unhappy and bored we truly are.
Unhappy and bored are perfect words for the moment. Thank you for your input and for watching and commenting 🧡
I am a Halloween lover. But what I love most about it is the aura of Halloween. The images, the feeling outside. And I love the colors orange/black together. But, I have found that the over the top Halloween that exists today is totally out of control. The rows of pink pumpkins, the endless cutesy signs, etc. do nothing for me. Homegoods has so much that nothing really stands out. It all becomes so much junk. It used to be fun seeking out Halloween items and pieces that I would love to own, but what exists now is overkill. Same with the whole Pumpkin Spice phenomenon. Before pumpkin spice was a thing, I would always be thrilled to find a pumpkin muffin, or some pumpkin bread. I feel like the over saturation of pumpkin spice products has diminished things. I guess what I'm saying is 'less is more' certainly applies here.
This is such a great insight thank you so much for sharing . I can relate to this, the thrill of the Halloween hunt is when it is truly a hunt! Finding a unique treasure or a surprise little jolt of Halloween when you're out. I fear Halloween rising to the level or Christmas, where it feels like it's being shoved down our throats and therefore is a source of resentment. Thank you so much for your pumpkin spice example as well, i hadn't thought of that. 🧡🖤orange and black forever!
The pastel decorations are probably meant for younger children. Or to have a little Halloween spirit during the summer months.
So glad you’re bringing this up. I’ve definitely been a code orange fanatic over the years and after mounting credit card payments and completely running out of storage space, I’m for sure re-evaluating my consumption this year.
I love donating my old costumes that I’ve made over the years. I love the thrill of finding unique oddball decor items at the thrift shops to bring home.
My focus this year will be on supporting local pumpkin farmers, bringing in small and large REAL pumpkins that can be composted at the end of the season, along with hay, real branches, sunflowers (etc) that can be put back to the earth and not things that will end up in landfills.
I also love the idea of celebrating with more Halloween food parties, budgeting more for experiences like haunted houses etc. rather than store-hopping to accumulate STUFF
Ooooooo thank you for bringing up decorating with things that can be "put back to the earth" and budgeting for experiences over things, those are great alternatives to underline. The storage space part is huge for me too, I've completely run out. Thank you so much for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven :)
Yes 👍 this is the ideal way to celebrate, and if you like black cats, adopt one or donate to a animal rescue or shelter for cats or dogs or whatever, let’s make a difference and help, because it’s so needed 🐈⬛😻🍁
@@glendacarpenter2767 proud black and tabby cat mama over here :) - the little loves of my life
@@lindsaybloom8014 they are the best 😻🐈⬛
FINALLY someone is talking about this. In the last few years I feel like my joy of the holiday has dampened from the people chanting code orange and making me feel fomo to buy quick selling things that in the end I'm unsure about. I remember as a kid we used the same decor year after year and it was special taking it out. I miss that.
Yes! I have inherited special decorations from my childhood and the enjoyment of those pieces are much more satisfying than buying a bunch of things to clutter around everywhere.
I don't think we even had much Halloween decor when I was a kid (80s). I distinctly remember making pumpkins and bats from construction paper and hanging those up.
@@notme7090 yea, tbh I don't even remember Halloween being a huge holiday in the 90s when I was a kid. But maybe that's because we didnt go shopping for Halloween decor on the reg and we didn't have internet so maybe I just wasn't aware? Halloween back then was more spooky than cute and I was a scaredy pants so I also didn't love the holiday then like I do now.
I would do anything to get some of my childhood Halloween decorations back- I can conjure them in my mind and I have no idea if they even still exist which makes me so sad. But they invoke such a pure distillation of all of the homemade excitement, all of those feelings and memories happened without the big box stores. I will say, however, that Yankee Candles were always a yearly purchase along with the farm stand candies and pumpkins, and that's why I have such strong nostalgic attachment to candles. But oh my gosh I yearn for a simpler and more magical expression of Hallloween... thank you so much for your comment and hanging out with me
A majority of my Halloween decor is stuff my mom gave me when she was done with it, and they are pieces from my childhood. I absolutely love them more than anything I could buy today. I get enough excitement just seeing others look at the new decor cause it reminds me that fall and Halloween are on the way. I do agree with getting new candles though, cause I use those up every year.
Our local library (small town) has donations for used halloween costumes..and they are free for any child/adult in need btw same for prom dresses
I love libraries so much! Thank the lord for them honestly, what a great program. I'm very glad to know that this exists as an alternative. Thank you for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven
Our library started a seed library. Each patron can get up to 5 packs of seeds a year.
I noticed it this year and it just makes me sad and also tired. The commercial frenzy of all the holidays and the pressure to spend just takes out my desire to participate.
I noticed this super hard for Christmas this past year and by the time June hit I knew I couldn't continue on in the same way. Commercial frenzy is a great phrase for this. I'm glad you're finding alternatives and backing away from what makes you tired and sad. thank you so much for your comment
So refreshing to hear all this put in perspective. Will always love Halloween but I agree-Feel all the hauls, code orange consumerism has taken a lot of the true essence from of it. Love hearing about a shift in thinking. Thank you.
hi, thank you for this very sweet and supportive comment. I'm so glad that it's being well received by people and I plan to be posting more videos on celebrating Halloween without crazy consumption this year. Thanks again for hanging out and sharing
I've noticed several of the Halloween content creators I follow have talked about reducing their purchases and spending and I'm really happy they're deciding to model that conscious decision making. I love watching store walk throughs, but it does stress me out to see certain people pulling item after item out of all their bags at the end of the video.
I'm also very pedantic and hearing some of those influencer phrases really gets on my nerves! An example: "I found the new 'X' item everyone has been looking for so, OF COURSE, you know I HAD to pick it up!" Like, did you? Were you being threatened? If you listen to the things they say and imagine taking them literally, it really shows how ridiculous all of this is.
Thank you so much for all of these insights, and I'd love to know who those other creators are so that I can follow them too! Yes, the copy and paste influencer phrases are sooooo tiring. Thank you for commenting and hanging out in the Haven
@@Dashasia hopefully not 😭😭😭
@@HauntedHaven ooh definitely! I know Midge Munster started saying last year that she wanted to pull back on buying items. Sarah Tuhro has been saying this year she will only buy items she loves and is encouraging people to do the same, and a new creator - House Beyond the Hedge - has also encouraged reduced consumption!
I totally agree with you. Past years, I've gotten caught up in the FOMO and ended up buying a bunch of stuff just because everyone else wanted it. It left me with a collection I don't really care for. This year, I'm consciously not participating in the craziness.
We should collectively have a viral items yard sale 🤣🤣I would love to know how your experience goes this year with your different approach if you ever feel like circling back and letting me know. I will be sharing my experience and I definitely want to know how it's going for other people. Thank you so much for sharing and for hanging with me in the Haven
Why did you buy things just because everyone else was buying them too? Curious about why people sometimes do this type of buying. Thanks
From an old ghoul, I find the channels that are copying each other running around filming stuff seems to have exploded the past few years and there seems to be an over abundance of stuff that seems really unnecessary. I have things that obviously are special pieces and have had since the 90’s. My home is only so big and I just don’t need any more “things”. I enjoy my candles because, yeah they are something that you consume. I agree with you, thrifting certain items, finding a special piece, at the end of the day, I don’t need a home full of “things “ that will basically get tossed or be someone else’s headache to unload. Making your home feel cozy and enjoyable, and tasteful, not crazy seems to be a better choice. 🤷🏻♀️ but that’s just my opinion.
Oh my goodness I really want to see those pieces from the 90s...... I bet they are sooo unique and creepy and cool! I have also completely run out of storage space. That's a major problem that I didn't even get to in the vid. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective, I think a lot of us will totally agree. 🧡🖤
@@HauntedHaven oh yes very special pieces that have so many memories. But yes, I have a small space and no room, I can’t justify putting things in stacks of storage bins piled to the ceiling 🤣 that would be really crazy. Thank you for addressing this issue 😉
I think I would love for “code orange” to be something that involves more DIY, Halloween party vlogs, ancient ghost stories by candle light, trying different things like Victorian Halloween traditions. I enjoy a bit of the store related videos but it just gets super old every year. Most of my Halloween decor is simply year round decor for me and mostly antique, a few modern pieces. When I do buy modern I’m typically buying it to diy a bit, using its form.
I'm trying to add more of this to my channel this year. I have some Victorian traditions that I really want to try (cabbage head divination anyone?) Thank you so much for commenting and adding this perspective
Such an amazing take on overconsumption. I really needed to hear this!
thank you so much for your kind and supportive words!! it means a lot to hear it, I wasn't sure how this would be received
It’s quite out of control.
thanks for saying so!! It's nice to have another kindred spirit around
Can definitely see where you're coming from. It's hard though when Halloween is the only thing that really brings joy to my life. But I will try to be responsible by only celebrating 1 holiday this year. 🎃
I toootallyyy hear that. Honestly this has been a very difficult video for me to make because on the one hand I get a huge dopamine rush in seeing Halloween emerge. However, that has soon been followed by skepticism and ... well, whatever the opposite of a dopamine rush is, I guess anxiety... as I wonder about the source and eventual destination for all of this stuff.... but I hear you Virgil. Halloween is my safe place, it is the Haunted Haven after all. Hoping to continue on with nuance. Like I said in the video, the one thing I won't give up (at least this year) is Halloween Candles, and candles in general.
i completely ignore every other holiday but Halloween so i am dong my part for the environment lol
🤣🤣 🤣
Great video! Truly enjoy your words and thoughts on this topic, something I feel should be talked about more. Old time ghoul here the consumerism around the holidays has gotten seriously out of control.
Hello! thank you so much for the comment and supportive words
Window shopping Halloween decor over the years is something I used to do SO much as a Halloween enthusiast, however I suppose I should consider myself lucky I don't have the luxury of living in a large town with a million shops or reliable transportation to worry about FOMO taking over me. I agree with your points and I'm happy to see other people who acknowledge what Halloween is truly about and that we don't have to let consumerism literally consume us just for the sake of owning stuff because it's neat.
thanks for this perspective and for sharing your comment! I live in a veerrryyyyyy suburban area so I've got homegoods stores spattered all about me and let me tell you, the temptation is real real real. Especially when I'm bored. A bit jealous that its not that easy for you lol
@HauntedHaven I could say the same about you lol
I WISH I had more than Michael's or my local party store to go to
I’m so excited to watch this video! I’m still thrilled by Halloween shopping but the endless hauls and shopping clips of the same stuff repeated gets dystopian as hell when they don’t back it up with any sort of creative or unique content. Really appreciate that creators are starting to pick up on and rebel against this.
hi! thank you so much for this kind and supportive comment and for being excited for the video! that makes me so happy. Yeesss dystopian is such a good word for this, I didn't think of that but it's perfect. There's all of this excess and it's just getting destroyed and going to waste. Thank you for commenting and being a supportive voice to the rebellion! lol 🤣
Very good topic! I think the resellers have a large chunk of blame to accept. Code orange used to be fun and going on the hunt for a new piece was exciting. However, since the resellers are now buying all the new pieces to sell at a much higher price, the fun is being replaced with FOMO panic. I still enjoy the videos of store walk throughs (they save me a lot of gas), but I don't enjoy the hauls so much anymore. The consumerism bothers me.
YES! Reselling was a topic that I didnt have a chance to get into with this video but I might do another one just on that. But you're totally right, that may have a huuuuge deal to do with the recent production cycles. Thank you for bringing this up and hanging out with me in the Haven!
Thank you for this video! I stopped Halloween shopping about 6 years ago. I got tired of everything being ravaged by early September and only finding the leftovers.
Halloween is starting to look more and more like Christmas and it's got to stop! I am super impressed that you stopped shopping 6 years ago, that's even before the phrase code orange was super widespread (I think), so you've had your pulse on this for a while. It's been really hard for me to back away from Halloween shopping as a hobby but reading comments like yours tells me I'm late to the game! Thank you for sharing your perspective and hanging out in the Haven
Hello fellow spooky friend!!! It's been awhile. Yes, that time of year is approaching. I have to admit I do feel excited when I see all the Halloween product out there. I've become a bit more picky in these last few years though. I'm looking for more quality items that will last me for years to come. I pick and choose what will work for me. I personally think some of the Halloween decor is getting a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I don't need a skeleton in a bath tub or sitting on a toilet. Just tacky for me, but hey to each their own. I have a weakness for Fall and Halloween candles. At the same time....I think how many Witches Brews do I really need even though I love that scent. For me, Halloween is means more than "stuff" It's that smell and feeling in the air. Just have to scale back and get back to the basics of why I love Halloween so much.
Agree with everything you said however I can never have too many Witches Brew candles 🤣
hello friend!! It's so good to hear from you and I hope you are enjoying that Kringle Candy Corn lol! Halloween candles will continue to be my weakness but I've also decided to really narrow down what I'll pick up and who I'll purchase from, Kringle and SOS being at the top of the list due to the small business natuere.
@@LadyNightsong heard lol!
@@HauntedHaven Yes, I have been enjoying the Kringle Korn. Looking forward to Kringle this year and see what they have to offer. I have checked out South Of Sanity. May have to order a couple of wax melts to try out if they do ship to Canada.
I am not a Halloween shopper, but I def have other hobbies that I have over consumed in, in the past. I am so glad to see people waking up from this shopping spell and getting back to the real joy. 🙌
Hi! thank you so much for this supportive comment!! It means a lot! Happy summer to you, hope you're experiecing lots of real joy
I completely agree!!!! I've been a Halloween collector for years, but with more people getting into it, prices were bound to go up. This year, i can't make the same kind of wreckless purchases I have in the past. My focus this year is to either make my own decorations or buy from small artists
Hello! thanks for the feedback and for watching the video- I'm super curious to know if there is anything in particular that you are DIYing or would like to DIY, I'm on the lookout for projects too! Yes, it's a real annoying shame that things are headed in this direction, hopefully we can reign it in
@@HauntedHaven Happy to answer!! The first thing I'm planning to make is some concrete jack o lanterns. Been on my want to make list for years. Also plan on finishing a paper mache pumpkin I started last year. The vintage ones tend to be really expensive and not in the best shape, so, I figured I would try my hand at it.
Hey friend!! This is a topic that I see being part of the conversation every spooky season and it definitely requires nuance to discuss well. I’ve noticed that all holidays in general are incredibly driven by consumerism. I mean, Americans spend billions on holidays and the general public has gotten accustomed to keeping things exciting by buying new decor every year. This is what is powering the success of Code Oranges, and leads to most successful content being about stores and products. Of course we have been part of that, as we commonly film new decor and candles as well. I even do very campy “Halloween hunting” by pretending it’s cryptids on Instagram lol. A common misconception is that the spooky community is the reason there’s such a craze and I think that even without us it would be the same. The bigger issue at hand is the lack of regulations for these corporations, one executive probably does enough damage to the Earth for 100 of us. Politically the country is hell right now, which is not leading to improvements for the environment in that sense, so voting for the right people is the most important duty for anyone right now. Sometimes all we have for fun or to protect our mental wellbeing is this sort of escapism as well. A few decades ago people my age were buying houses and getting paid more, now the hope has evaporated into nothing, and it’s hard to stay positive in that environment. I agree with what you said about how purchasing decor makes us feel more in control in this world where so much going wrong is far from being in our hands. Halloween is absolutely not just a “who can spend the most money on decor competition”, and people should be responsible when buying too much, but I feel bad about the situation we’re all in right now and understand that people aren’t at fault for all of it. The sentiment that people can’t say certain buzzwords online when posting about decor is odd, the account saying that seems cool but adults should know to control themselves if they have enough decor. I use the words in a fun tongue in cheek way and don’t think saying “runnn” should lead to people actually running hahaha, that’s funny to imagine. I was reading that electric cars like the ones I’m usually in are also bad for the environment so honestly these corporations have made it hard to get around in the country while being environmentally conscious (except for like NYC), and it’s heartbreaking because I thought just seeing the decor was harmless. Granted I’m not someone who actually goes to stores daily, but it’s definitely better to go and see than to impulse purchase more products. In conclusion because this comment is looong, the goal should be all of us making improvements and showing the intent to have a balanced spooky season, but acknowledging the problem is bigger than spooky season. Just not being too obnoxious with decor or gas/electricity wasted would benefit all. Love these more in depth video essays, and I hope you can see why I disagree with some points friend! Excited to see what other content you have planned for this year! 🎃🖤🤭
hello sweet friend!! Yeessss the need for nuance here cannot be understated! and there's no one size fit's all for how we need to approach this. Halloween hunting is 110% an escape for me as well and I agree, we can't just put it all on the consumers. The state of the world is mmeeessseeedddd up and sometimes we really do need to do whatever we need to do to regulate. And absolutely no shade to you personally! I actually had other YT creators in mind mostly bc the driving routes are a big part of the videos. My shift this year is going to be around having more consciousness in what I'm actually doing and considering more broadly its full implications- because I've really just been checking out and not thinking at all. But like I said in the video- there are going to be areas that I'm not ready to cut back on , Halloween candles being one of them. I can give up a few trips to Homegoods but I'm not ready to give up Witches Brew or Kringle Halloween lol. I always appreciate your feedback and can't wait to share more of YOUR MERCH too!!!! (I will vehemently support small biz always)
wonderful video!! Subject and implementation are well done. and yes, I feel exactly the same and tried to limit my purchases. I already own enough and only buy new items when I absolutely fall in love with them.
thank you so much for the kind words and support! I try to leave that nuance for myself too- it's ok to buy something as long as I really really love it and know it won't just sit around and have to be donated. thanks for hanging out in the haven and hope you come back!
Happy Summerween!🧛♂🕶☀🦇
happy summerween!
Hi, in my country in Europe, we dont have such variety of Halloween decor. I decided to DIY it, there are ton of free vintage printable Halloween pictures.. So garland, ornaments, candle holders.. I find that the emotions connected with the DIY items give them special emotional value.. So that is is one other way... 🧡 Sorry for my English 🤭
It has been ages and ages since I've made ANYTHING, let alone a Halloween item. I'm going to give this a think, this would be a great DIY video! I would love to make something again and have it actually hold that extra value. Thank you for your perspoective and comment!
I love this video! Thank you for bringing this to the surface and airing it out, us Halloween folks need to be mindful of this this time of year. ❤
thank you for the supportive comment! this was honestly a scary one for me to make, I didn't know how people would react. I'll be back with some more ways to celebrate that aren't centered around consumption and would love to know what you'll be up to as well!
Let's talk about code orange my friends 🛍🎃 What do you think of the way our Halloween shopping habits have evolved over the years? Have you had any similar reflections or is what I'm talking about nonsense to you? Is there an area of your life (like Halloween candles are for me) that you would have a really hard time letting go of? Are there other areas where you feel like it would be easier to scale back and not buy so much?
I dispise how trendy Halloween has become it kinda has ruined the mystery and the vibes when going to stores for me personally
Agreed! It used to be that only the true Halloween lovers and spooky people would be shopping early. Online resellers and content creators have made it so that things are sold out before most of us can even get to the store and then they want to charge 3x the price on Mercari or eBay no thanks 🙄
It's not as much of a treasure hunt for sure. I have a video that I made wayyyyy at the beginning of this channel that showcased this halloween room at this antique shop and everything in that room was so WIERD!!! and unique. And the room itself was an oddity. Thank you for commenting and hanging out with me
The code orange is way over done and the FOMO is nuts. Maybe it's because I live where October is naturally spooky but I personally find nothing spooky about a shelf full of resin and plastic from Cracker Barrel or wherever.
thank you for the feedback!! Where (you can be vague) do you get such a naturally spooky october may I ask?
I think this has really blown up since alternative and y2k fashion got really popular and trendy the past couple years. Alt ppl like myself love Halloween decor and a decent amount of us use it as home decor year round and now normal people are getting into it too cause it's trendy, except they buy a ton of stuff for 1 month of use vs others who use it year round. I might spend $150 on Halloween decor (they make really nice quality stuff now, not cheap plastic) but that's also all I buy for my home except maybe a throw blanket. Vs normal people who spend that much and toss it in a closet for most of the year and keep buying things
Yes another commenter had a similar thing to say- Halloween is when they can get their "normal" home decor so code orange is a somewhat helpful phenomenon. You have an interesting perspective with the y2k and alt fashion trend tho, I hadn't considered that. Thank you so much for your input!
I love this! I’m also a Halloween content creator. And Last year I went through this and made the conscious effort to buy less and support more local businesses. I’m only looking for things that I truly love-like the Halloween Blow molds at Cracker Barrel this year. I didn’t buy them last year cuz they were meh to me but this year’s collection is great. I didn’t buy the witch figurine last year because it sold out and I was bummed but when I saw it in the store this week I was like “eh” I don’t need it and look they came out with-it again.
I’m also turning away from doing hauls-your right it creates a sense of FOMO
I try to focus on mostly vintage, DIY with a smattering of big store items if I truly love them.
We don’t want our beloved Halloween to jump the Shark! 🧡👻🧡
Just subbed!! Yes I think it's ok to have nuance in our approach. I did get the cat and pumpkin blow mold from Cracker Barrel last year and I absolutely love and use that thing. But unlike last year, i won't be broadcasting it if I do end up making any purchases, or if I do it will be in one small intentional sharing, not a continuous influx of stuff. I am going to focus on thrifting and small businesses this year, and I want to do more videos on small farm stands etc. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective from the YT creation side of things and can't wait to watch your vids! 🧡🖤
@@HauntedHaven aw thanks! What you said really resonated with me. It also reminded me too. I’ve been feeling this way since last year. I’m making the shift gradually and giving my thoughts on it as I go. We can all do better! We only have this one planet ❤
I hate the frenzy. I also hate how expensive things have become. I need more creators to acknowledge the driving force of demand and how it can contribute to driving up the cost. I agree that the consumption of Halloween products can be really uncomfortable and destructive in all the ways you mentioned.
hello! thank you for the feedback, it's very good to hear supportive words as I wasn't sure how this would land, so thank you so much
Thank you for this.
I've been feeling this for a few years now. It almost kills the fun for me when it comes out so early and just feels way too consumerist now.
thank you for the supportive words!! It's difficult to speak out like this and it absolutely helps to have this kind of feedback
@@Dashasia totally, even though I LOVE Halloween, it's my favorite time of year, I also love doing things that make sense for the season, like you mentioned going to farmer's markets, and I also love going berry picking and going to the lake/ocean and just doing things you really can only do in the summer. My mind doesn't shift to Halloween til September when it starts getting cooler. I try to live in the current moment/season because they all have beautiful things about them.
While I do agree that we need to be critical about the waste we produce directly and indirectly, I do need to point out that carbon foot printing is a concept pushed from BP to shift the responsibilities of the environment from the corporations to the individual. Essentially, by getting the people to focus on their own waste, the corporations are distracting us from the waste THEY produce.
THANK YOU! Wow this is a great point and I need to do some more looking into this. Of course, corporations are at the root of overproduction and greed, and profiting off of our boredom, and I agree that so much of our response to environmental anxieties has been put onto consumers which makes us feel even more sh***y and powerless... Thank you so much for sharing this perspective
Thank you for articulating this thoroughly! I've been trying to find a way to explain the overt discomfort about the early and over consumerism of it all. Perfect timing- instant subscribe 🎃
I've worked for seasonal stores. We were always instructed to destroy SO many items in those overstock Pods during store builds. Told to damage it out like it was expired food/makeup products and then destroy it profoundly enough so that it cannot be garabge picked or fixed. During store teardown the remainder of product goes in the Pods to be discarded by a new crew the next year.
) I love ASMR and I subbed!! 2) oh my goooooodddddd - ok this is great info to have. I didn't have specific numbers/stats on how stores do this and I feel very justified in having said the bit about stores sending decor to the land fill. That makes my blood boil honestly. Then my other question is - if they're destroying so much why do they keep producing so much!?! gahhhhhhh
@HauntedHaven Thank you- Always happy to have a friendly ghost haunting the Crypt! Halloween x ASMR alliance confirmed 🎃🕯🤝🏻🪦👂🏻
I've worked for Spirit and Halloween City years apart on seperate occasions and they were eerily similar(bad). HC is also mirroring the policies of Party City because they are a fringe of the same brand as Spirit is to Spencer Gifts. I'm not ashamed to say I was motivated to apply because I wanted dibs and an employee discount. It was SO disheartening because as a collector I got excited opening up the Pods during store builds since I thought that product would be made available to us.
It's absolutely wild how much they told us to toss due to the self imposed expiration dates governed by their profit margins. 😡 I don't have an accurate number, but I would surmise about 25% of what was in there from the year prior had a SKU in the system that was authorized to be marked down for clearence. We were told to break and toss anything else that was coming up with errors. A majority of the items were costumes, accessories, masks and static props in good condition, so not even consumable items with legitimate annual expiration dates. If you walk into a seasonal store the first couple weeks that they're open you will most likely see an associate scanning a disheveled stockpile into the system then put it off to the side when it doesn't read for mark down. Nobody wanted to do it because we all felt wrong and pissed about it.
It's all about the hype train and they don't seem to care about the repercussions as long as they make money. Home Depot skeleton is chronically out of stock and they all want a piece of that pie by any means necessary which is why these product drops are happening too early and often to whip us into a tizzy. It's good that you've platformed this talking point so that people can hopefully pivot towards more conscientious consumption patterns that benefit us as a community. 🫶🏻
I am so glad someone else validated this I’ve been having this in the back of my mind for a few years now and now I know I’m not just crazy
Thank you for validating in the comments here!! It was very nerve wracking for me to say something I didn't know how people would react
I was so excited to see a video like this because it really is a needle in a haystack. I myself have fallen prey to the Code Orange Consumer Phenomenon for years. It was only when I began to dread decorating my home for Halloween because of all the effort it took to use all the things I had spent my money on, that I realized how ridiculous it all was. Spending all this money, setting out all this precious, breakable stuff around a tiny apartment with 2 kids, and then packing it all away again. Year after year. I love seeing all the Halloween items but I’m now realizing I don’t have to own it all. Just seeing it can fill my soul and I can enjoy it that way. Thank you for doing a video like this! 👻🎃🧡
@100jeichelle this is awesome feedback thank you so much and I'm very glad to hear it. I to have become overwhelmed by my Halloween stuff and have run into this same exact issue where it's become a burden. It feels like an addiction for me because it feels like "giving in" to my impulse to go out and buy new things. Thank you for your supportive comment, it means the world to me.
I am thoughtfully curating my Halloween decor. I have a clear plan and have been buying from small artists and shops. Stopped doing the big box stores last year.
Yes!! I fully am on board with small business support! I will get my guitly pleasures there :) Awesome to hear you were already on board with getting away from big box stores
I love halloween, but its a very personal holiday for me and it lasts all through october. I have difficulty understanding that people use halloween decor for one year and then never again. I love the classic feeling of halloween, its something i can always count on. I try hard to collect decor that i know i will love for years. Ive made my own cardboard bats, and i have this crazy cool witches hat that i found at the thrift store years ago. I always have a goal to find a halloween themed item thay i could love all year round, as well as adding to the trick or treat decor i keep around. Yes, some of the cheap stuff from the dollar store eventually needs to be thrown out, but im going to use those window stickers until they dont stick anymore!
What an awesome comment thank you so much it had me smiling. I also keep Halloween decor up in my house all year and if I really think that something is going to fit in and become part of the year-round Decor then I don't feel bad to make the purchase. When I do feel bad is in looking back at some of the purchases that I've made that I don't end up loving like that and it just seems like I made a impulsive decision. I really need to make some cardboard DIYs or something this year everyone keeps bringing up cardboard. I have some DIYs that I'm thinking of doing but nothing that can simply be made out of recycled materials yet thank you for this awesome comment again
Thank you for this, this is a very important discussion to have. I'm caught in the middle of this as someone who is naturally a minimalist but deals with impulse spending. I've made the decision to be more mindful in my halloween purchases, and not buy just because it's there and I get caught up in the season. I'm saying this as someone who has a halloween room 365, and have started to need to store some of my newer stuff that doesn't fit or things I don't want to be staring at all year. I would say the last 5 years have been noticeably more crazy with the fomo/code orange hype, and in turn i notice so much of the new halloween merchandise looks so cheap, tacky and...pointless? Like no thought goes into the design anymore.
Thank you for watching and for your input! I have a similar reaction to what I've been seeing in recent years compared to vintage decor. What we have now feels cheap. I too get really caught up in the season and I've incorporated buying stuff into how I celebrate, however it's taken on too big of a role.
I agree with a majority of what you’re saying. I’ve been taking stock, in general. I’m cleaning out and organizing just about everything. I’m reevaluating in a “bigger picture” sense. I went to goodwill and other thrift stores for my spooky goods, last year. I personally value vintage, and or, preowned over new, because that’s just how I roll anyway. I think it has become a trend, and as a result has become very consumerist friendly. On the other hand, as a witch, it will still be something I love even when it becomes less popular and trendy. This is year round decor for me. Some of it is, “in your face,” Halloween decor, but a lot is just how I decorate my spaces. I used to resell out of necessity. Now, I’m try to swap first with friends, then donate and only resell the very special pieces. I’m a single parent who works full time and my time and energy is limited. Priorities have to be made. That’s just my take. 🤓🧙♀️
Hello fellow witch! (I am what I would consider a baby witch in some ways, in other ways I've been doing this all my life). Oh my goodness, yes. I feel like there is so much nuance to be explored and there can't be a one size fits all approach. I tried to give a lot of room for that in the video, as I myself am exploring where that line is. I also have halloween decor up year round, Thank you so much for bringing your perspective and commenting!
Thanks for the thoughtful video. As one who displays dark décor year round, Code Orange season is my time to shop, so I always look forward to it. I see these pieces every day and make an honest effort to choose items that are useful or really make my heart flutter. And because these items have meant a lot to me, I've asked my family to rehome as much as possible (and provided them with ways to do so) so the joy they bring continues, and they stay out of the garbage. With some businesses still struggling, I hope a successful Fall and Halloween season helps. I do my best to stimulate the economy, but I know I can't do it all myself 😉🤑
hi! thanks for your perspective and comment. I'm a halloween all year person too so I totally get you- I haven't told myself "no halloween shopping at all"- that's totally unrealistic and will only lead to me acting out lol. But yea the line I'm trying to walk is do I really truly have to have this or die or is this going to be just another thing for me. Also, I fully support shopping small businesses, they need our help!
Great video and loving the content and I am from the Uk about a week ago whilst putting out the recycling bins for collecting I looked inside one of them an found an Christmas cookie tin in perfect condition brought it in.
Took a photo of it as a reference for searching it up on eBay and they were selling for $20.95 in Australian dollars .
Cut the long story short it was a good find and saved it from being taken to the landfill.
Woahhhhh that's wild. It's always a wonder to me how people throw those things away but maybe a trip to the thrift store is inaccessible for whatever reason but jeez! $20 in the trash. Thank you for the input, I'm glad you were able to salvage it.
I think it goes beyond Halloween and is just a huge issue in our culture. One aspect is definitely seasonal merchandise. Another is just the whole FOMO which is created even on non-seasonal merchandise, like Disney items, makeup, beauty products, the list goes on. I have tried to become much more conscious of my purchases. And as far as seasonal decor it's fine to reuse things year after year. Love the video, I am glad more people are thinking this way!
@kevinm4069 hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Yes, this is a symptom of a much bigger problem with consumption and influence etc in our culture. I've heard about hello kitty craze etc. Wild. Thank you for hanging out here! I will have another Code Orange video out in the next couple of days if you want to keep an eye out
I just appreciate any time that people take a step back and reflect on habits that may not help ourselves in the long run. Thanks for the video ❤
Thank you for this supportive response! So sweet ❤️❤️ thank you for watching
Really glad someone is talking about this as I have been been kind of disturbed by the massive purchases halloween and horror consumers are making on youtube.
Thank you for the supportive comment! I'm hoping the "huge haul" trend dies down however an unfortunate angle of content creation can be "I spent a lot of money on x" and people usually want to see that- at least that's what I assume applies for the "huge X haul" thing
Not just Halloween but all seasonal decorations I’ve got from thrifting are my most favourite and cheapest finds
I can't wait for the thrift stores around me to start putting Halloween out, I found these really cute faux stained glass window decorations last year and I love them so much. Thanks for commenting and hanging out !
I love Halloween 🎃 , but summer is my most absolute favorite season and it’s so hard and sad for me to see all of the vibrant, super fun summer stuff swiped out at the end of June!! I do not like the pushing of the season. I wish we were allowed to enjoy summer! And let Halloween start at the very beginning of September. 8 weeks of Halloween would be plenty.
Christmas Creep is totally applying to Halloween now. I enjoy thinking about fall but I don't want it to completely over take summer and I can see how that would be sooooo annoying if summer is your favorite
I agree I am running out of room and I noticed that what I would rather have is more vintage or really fun handmade crafted items things that have media vintage look to them Victorian and some of these cheaper ones like especially the gnomes terrible I do not like that at all Seems like there’s other people that are the same way as some of the Facebook groups that I’m on people are buying kind of more higher vintage items and doing really fun DIY I love the vintage crafts more. but again there’s a few pieces out there that I think I might want to get that bigger and higher quality instead of just buying cheap
Yes! I think that there can be nuance to the approach. If we see something in a big box store that we reaallyyy reallyyyy think we'll like we can absolutely consider it, we don't have to shut ourselves off completely. It's just the mindless buying and mindless overproduction that needs to be examined. Facebook marketplace is a treasure trove of vintage and unique items
Last year I bought very little Halloween items. They were all metallic items and ended up using most of those items as my permanent outdoor decorations. Only a couple of items went into storage. I'm starting to get things this way. How can I have items I purchase out all year. I hate storing too many items and taking up too much space.
This is my approach too! Many of my Halloween items stay out all year and I feel great about those purchases. Having less storage is helping me to be way more intentional about what I do bring in.
I'm excited to see the fall & Halloween displays mid-July & August! Its gives me a little boost to help me cope with heat & humidity. Unfortunately, I tend to get overwhelmed in stores & end up with items that really don't work w/my collection or I don't really love. Last year I took pictures & this really helped.
I rarely buy anything that's on a must have list, decor or otherwise though. If something is sold out when I go back, it wasn't meant to be mine.
That's a great way to approach shopping! I've done that a few times and kind of forgot to do it a bunch and just went straight for the purchase 🤣 I love what you said also about "if it's not there it's not meant for me"
Making decorations is something I'm starting to do. We have a lot of cardboard, and since she's little it'll be cute to make some decorations with her.
Oooo!!! Let me know what kind of things you are thinking of making. I have two DIY projects that I want to do this fall but they also require going to get materials so I'm trying to think of things that can be made out of recycled materials
@@HauntedHaven
Usually simple things like skulls, ghosts bats. Nothing too complex bc she is a MESSY child, but I do plan on making more complex ones when she's less impulsive lol
If you have like cereal or chip boxes that's excellent for thick cut outs which can be strung or glued or whatever to other things.
@@vvitch-mist20 ok awesome! I do eat a lot of cereal lol. I wish I could find the decorations that I made as a child, I don't think my parents would have gotten rid of them but I don't know where they are...
Really needed to hear this. A good reminder. Subscribed❤
hi! thank you so much for the positive feedback
I can say as a Halloween lover I just heard about Summerween and “code orange” this year. I initially had tons of fun watching everyone’s videos but then quickly realized it was more about shopping and hunting for items than keeping the Halloween spirit alive all year🥲 obviously I’m generalizing but I’d love to see more activity focused Summerween content.
hello! thanks for this great feedback :) I've got a summerween book list as my next (or second to next) video. Curious what other summerween activities you might be interested in, I'd love to provide more activity centered content rather than shopping
Great video! You are so right about the mood in the air lately about consumerism in the Halloween side of youtube. I have noticed several of my favorite creators mention not feeling the same need to buy a ton this year. I have also noticed this with just the merch not disappearing as fast this year either. The Cracker Barrel ghosts/witches didn't disappear immediately online this year and that says A LOT. I sooo feel it to. I'm cutting back on buying a lot this year. I'm trying to only do thrift/small business/crow things for the store this year.
Spook Ums!! Omg I love your channel you're commenting on my video 🥹. Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one, I only follow a few other Halloween youtube ppl and have really only seen shopping and hauls. I am totally in board with fully supporting small businesses this year (like your book shop eeeee). I think I will do a small biz haul
I get what you’re saying; we shouldn’t drive (literally) ourselves crazy trying hunt down certain items just because they’re “viral” this year. I think a good rule of thumb is to only buy what truly speaks to you and your individuality. I little self control in this regard can also really help you find and perfect your signature style. In my opinion, nothing really beats vintage/antique/thrifted Halloween anyway.
I really like that rule of thumb you shared- I think a sense of personal touch is being totally lost right now- everything just feeellsss cheap. That's why old Yankee Candles are such treasures, they have an actual artistry to them.
I think it would just be nice if they had the same decor out for a few years; the few pieces I like I usually can’t afford right that second so being able to collect a piece or two a year is much easier
Oh my gosh yes, I wish they didn't feel the need to come up with a new theme/aesthetic every year. Another commenter says she worked at a home decor store and validated that they destroy merch that doesn't get sold
The code orange got my attention, my favorite color. I have been feeling the same way towards Fall and Christmas decor, and the frenzied consumerism (which I am guilty of) . I work at a craft store and the amount of plastic/resin made stuff that they produce is mind blowing. The Fall and Christmas stuff is already out, we don't sell Halloween things. Now you know where I work. I keep wondering for myself, don't I have enough decor already?!? I have been collecting things for a long time. Yeah you know I'm old, I used parentheses haha. Its nice to hear others feel th same.
Lol! Picked up on the clues 🤣 yea I feel like the quality of what's produced now is just not the same at all, vintage stuff was just artful and playful in a way that a lot of current stuff just misses. Thank you for your input from inside the industry
This is the first I have seen this since it is way too early for it
oh my goodness yes, code orange is absolutely starting in late June around me
@@HauntedHaven I'm wondering if this going happened with the other holidays this year.
@@staroflight2982 "Christmas Creep" is the one that most people are familiar with, with Christmas items starting to get on shelves as early as October. I am living in a suburb so I would image that I see some pretty prime examples of it but from where I stand holidays have been starting earlier and earlier each year
I am a Halloween lover, and my friend sent me pictures of the Michaels store they were visiting because it looked like the lesbian flag and overall things were very cute. To me, in fighting off consumption, I try to create what I can. I was inspired by the pictures I was sent to embroider skulls and skeletons in the same color palette on a plain shirt I have. Maybe I'll make my own floral bat pillow out of what scraps of fabric I have. I feel inspired looking at the decor, but there is no desire in me to buy when I could make something by hand and be proud of it :)
that's so cool that you have the abilities to make these things! I need to invest more in learning these skills for sure because I totally agree- the flower bat pillow was so cute but a handmade one with custom fabric.... oh my gosh that would be sooooo much better. thank you for throwing this perspective out there and hanging out with me in the Haven
YOU DO YOU....
I personally love code Orange. I know that the planet does need to be thought but we also all need a little more joy!🎃😃
it's a tough thing for sure! I love it in many ways too.... I tried to not present this as a black or white thing, we can all take a harder look and discern what is really true for each of us.
All wonderful points!!!! Additionally...I'm also running out of room for decorations
Yes! The storage problem is real and how much stuff we can store is also a huge indicator of access/means. That's why I think it can be really dangerous to compare ourselves to people who have a lot of room to work with- it's a privilege to have room to store things!
Do the stores really stock Halloween in July? I usually see it in August
oh absolutely! there are stores that are nearly fully stocked
@@HauntedHaven woah 🤯
@@clairewillow6475 at home and michaels are usually the first
while i am enjoying halloween having more of a hold on space in stores (it prevents the christmas creep) and it gaining in popularity, i do think folks should focus more on the community aspect of halloween. i spend all summer making a little home-haunt walkthrough for my neighborhood kids. we hand out little toys, drinks, and full-size candy (for 300kids) i always wanted to be the halloween house growing up and i spend more time focusing on creating the halloween magic for the next generation. 🎃
the kids in your neighborhood are so lucky!!! yes I totally want to focus more on this year on spending time and experiences over singularly shopping
Don’t like pink pumpkins? Leave them on the shelf. Geeezzzzz as soon as the store removes the pink pumpkins someone will say Hey where’s the pink pumpkins? Lmao
I have always seen Halloween walk thru videos as a way to save me time and gas. I see what is out there from the comfort of my home and truthfully 90 percent isn't my style (I'm looking at you TJ Marshgoods). If there is something I am nuts over I'll get it if I can but I don't make special trips. I personally have never understood the "viral/ fomo" trend. Why would someone want what everyone else has, looking like a clone with no individual thought or style?
That's a very interesting point. Yeah I can totally see how walkthrough videos would be helpful from that perspective, if you don't want to spend the time and gas going and searching for yourself you can just kind of watch other people do it I have always found store walkthrough videos to be a bit of nice Ambience when I'm doing chores and stuff like that but I have found myself wanting things that I didn't know about just because I saw somebody doing a walkthrough. So I think for me that's where the line is coming in like oh man I'm creating want just because I saw this thing that I didn't know about. And yeah the viral item thing is very strange. Like some of the things that get a viral status I can see why and some of them I just don't understand at all LOL
This helps me not do the shopping. I get to live through someone elses shopping. I prefer to buy second hand and make my own decor items. As I am decorating my home a certain way. In October, i bring out my store bought items. But Halloween is my favorite holiday!
I too love to watch the walk throughs, and its very interesting that it helps you not to shop! I suppose my fear with it is that it encoruages even more shopping, but very interesting to hear it has the opposite effect for you. thanks for the feedback!
@HauntedHaven I always set a budget. I have a theme for several years. This helps me build the look. I also have limited space to store decore. I am always looking for all year-long pieces, I love a witchy vibe all year round.
I would point out that both Halloween and Christmas re HUGE decor-based hollidays, but that both are also full of the kind of cute and simple decor that's easy to DIY. Why not let another youtuber do the filming of store shelves and lift up their content for others who want to see it by browsing it to find items you actually love. Then, make it a challenge to spend the time and effort to DIY those items in a way that will be higher quality than what stores typically produce. Fix and update the decor you've got. Make halloween things out of non-halloween objects you already own - makeabarbie into a witch or a creepy doll or paint a ugly cat figurine black and restyle it to perfewction. If the halloween goal is to get the joy without buying a thing, you can be just as busy with objects, and everything becomes more personalized and valued.
Actually, if candles are your thing, they are some ofthe most DIY-friendly crafts. Building a relationship with someone who can teach you to do them exactly as you'd want, melting down beloved old candle wax into a stacked "best of" candle and chooseing or creating your own candle vessels is possible. You can even do photo-transfers at home directly onto candle, as far as I'v seen.
These are awesome suggestions!! Someone said they want to DIY the michaels bat floral pillow and I really want to do that. I get my candles from South of Sanity and Kringle bc they do it best!
This rampant Halloween purchasing doesnt bring me joy because everyone from online groups to resellers are just fiening over so many products. No, I dont have to "Run to target, HomeGoods,marshalls" or whatever to get the hot item that just so happens to be there. Sometimes I think people are straight up lying what is considered the trendy decor to give fomo. It makes people want to spend. The chain reaction is that it makes everyones decorating look so homogenous. Now it all feels like everyone is trying to be the next cool spooky youtube video or the next Halloween Pinterest post, it feels like we brought the retail store to our homes and thats not fun at all. It just feels like another type of hoarding.
thanks for this comment and your reflections! I have also suspected that "trendy items" are planted by the stores themselves and influencers are paid to hype up certain items. can't prove it but it seems within reason. Also the resellers- whew what a topic. I may have to touch on that one in another video. Thank you again for your perspective and for sharing it here
This video has such a healthy message both practically and spiritually! For myself, I just don't have room for more stuff in general and want to focus on what channels the Halloween season more organically. Candles create such a positive atmosphere and raise energy. Thank you for this vid!
Thank you so much for this supportive and kind comment! This means the world to me, it's just what I was hoping that this video would do. ❤️❤️ I agree, candles just change my whole mood and atmosphere of my home
I think the only problem with Halloween overconsumption is people who buy a bunch of decor every year for the holiday then put it into storage for 11 months. A ton of alternative people (like goth, punk, emo, etc.) use Halloween decor year round. Halloween season is home decor season for me. I use the things I buy during that season as my regular home decor. I have a fake skeleton animal and a ghost pencil cup on my desk as I'm typing and it's July
Omg more of this please
thank you!! out of curiosity would you be interested in seeing halloween diys/non shopping vids or more critiques of consumerism and halloween? or both?
@@HauntedHaven both honey
I love a lot of Halloween stuff but sometimes I have to control myself from buying a lot of stuff I don't need
yes! I think that this is the basis of what I'm trying to get at, let's assess what we buy before just buying. thank you so much for your comment!!
@@HauntedHaven ❤️
I enjoy watching the haul videos, etc on youtube. However, I only buy what interests me and I don't care what goes viral. I buy enough but it is very little compared to what I see on youtube. I rarely follow the crowd.
That's awesome that you're not swayed by virality! Very happy to hear you've got a healthy balance
I will be re wearing my costume from last year as it was very expensive its a harry potter outfit so ill definitely be re wearing them as much as i could💕also i love Christmas a lot but this coming Christmas ill be doing secret Santa as i spent too much last time😅👀🩷
Oh my gosh I had to set a limit for christmas a few years ago because I was going wayyyy beyond. Still getting the hang of being that strict with Halloween. I'm so glad you'll be reusing your costume this year!! horray!
Yes yes yes! I love this video and have been thinking about this a lot. “Code orange” feels so mass produced and soulless now 🥹
Last year, I set an insanely strict spooky shopping budget and it made me really reflect on the things I was bringing home/time I was investing driving around looking for *stuff* lol also, I would plan one day a week that I could hunt for things (usually my day off). Thankfully I have all the fav stores a very short distance from home so it became a fun outing rather than an obsessive after-work sprint. I’ve realized if it’s a super popular item this year, companies with reproduce it next year and there will be minimal hype. Nothing is worth feeding the overconsumption craze. Already setting a budget for this year and hoping to make more and bake more to get into the season ☺️
Hi! thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm so happy to hear that you already are engaged in this process of reflection and scaling back. Yes, I think the obsession of finding certain things really got to me last year. I'm considering muting a lot of the halloween accounts I follow bc I'm already feeling myself wanting things that I'm seeing others post about. sighs..... Yes to more baking and making as well!! Not to be under rated
I love Halloween just as much as the next spooky kid but I see that a lot of it is just a load of tatt and I think the shops are kinda laughing at us coz they are making millions over a load of junk 😂 I've been a part of the hysteria 100%, I've gone to every shop that I possibly can but when I look at most of it I do wonder what the environmental impact is? Given the materials it's made from and cheap labour that's involved 😕 it's like glitter and plastic and of these toxic things. Getting older sure does suck coz u can't just enjoy things without thinking of the detrimental impact it all has, not everyone is the same but I sure am 😅 also this is a very important topic to bring up and i also think how much stuff to we need to pump out and put into the world?! it's just too much. I can't help thinking that most of the time modern living is so hollow that these are the things that make us feel better.
Yes, I didn't even get into the labor practices. That's a whole different thing that really needs to be uplifted. I think your hypothesis at the end is a good one- things are just so sh** all around us so it makes sense that we're doing these things to pacify ourselves. And no shade, sometimes we need that, but we have to be willing to examine it. Thank you so much for bringing your perspective and hanging out with me!
I want to like but its at 66 lol
we've passed it the coast is clear lololol
Those soda pop candles. I dont know how much you increased youre carbon foot print in your quest to obtain that spooky treasure but, Im willing to figure out a way to eat some of it. The amount of joy they clearly brings you, no they were not ment to be yours.
😂try having Halloween as your wedding anniversary! *Everyone* gives us Halloween themed gifts, I’m overwhelmed after nearly 34 yrs! When kiddo was little as were all the neighbourhood kids we did massive, fun displays. Eventually we got less & less kids so stopped so hubby & I could go out & celebrate our anniversary. Stopped buying quite some yrs ago, only picking up things I truly love & use, everything else is getting sold with exception for sentimental items. Not a fan of all the “cutesy” stuff either, prefer spooky but classy😊. Jet 🧡🎸🎶⚡️🤘🦋🏍 PS ironically we live next village to Sleepy Hollow & the ONE thing I’d like is a headless horseman but they’re always gone😕. Otoh one less thing to move! 😅
oh my goodness 1) that's awesome that you got married on Halloween and 2)yes I can see how you'd be overwhelmed 🤣🤣🤣 I'm so jelous of the families that put on big displays... sigh.... thank you for your comment and for hanging out in the Haven!
Ghost 👻 pillow I saw a few DIY making that. 12:33
I wish I had a sewing machine I would totally love to DIY this guy!! I'm sure the DIY versions in some cases came out way better too
be careful also of marketing tricks these stores use
@@user-vl3rr2do8y like the high prices that get brought down to normal prices through sales? Or were you referring to something else?
@@HauntedHaven when theres a item plugged as the hot item but its not available anywhere or only in few places.like charlie and chocolate factory buying choclate to get a golden ticket.its an old marketing trick.
I really have to ask myself a bunch of questions: is it something I will regret if don't buy it or regret it if I do, is it something I can DIY, or find from a small creator, can I use it outside of Halloween season, before getting anything nowadays.
I love these questions!! I need to get more into DIYing, I would really love to sew pillows. I'm not going to diy candles bc the companies I work with just do it so much better but there's a lot that I COULD do. Do you have any favorite DIYs that you've done?
@@HauntedHaven Well, nothing I can particularly speak of, but stuff that's just paper glued on something, pom-pom or fabric scrap garlands, or throw pillows that are just one solid piece of fabric, one can easily create something similar.
@@candydemure ok sure! yea I'm thinking about those dollar store candles that people collage images onto. I'll look into the throw pillow with one piece of fabric thing, that's a cool idea
i love halloween but over the last few years my buYing halloween stuff has gone rediculous,i dread it now at the same time as looking forward to it!😮
I feel the exact same way, I have run out of places to store my stuff and so the question became, do I make room for more? and if I do that, what is the eventual fate for the stuff that I already do have? I really allowed myself to think about it before buying more
@HauntedHaven yep I got halloween decs and ornaments crammed in all my extra storage! No room for more !"
Don’t you think 🤔 social media has played a huge role in this. Think about the money people are paying out for theme parks. It might be cheesy and corny but self made decorations and low cost entertainment can offer genuine enjoyment
I think there are a lot of sources. In particular I wanted to call out YT creators (like myself) for the role that we play in perpetuating the cycles of desire in places like big box stores (target, michaels, jo ann etc). I never mind supporting and promoting small businesses but creating viral status for things that are massed produced I think is a problem.
never throw away,just took a boot full [trunk] load of stuff to a animal charity [gooodwill] shop!
awesome! I'm glad to hear it!
you look like the second becky on roseanne
don't know who that is but *insert roseanne quote here* 🤣
I understand your points but many people in America have 2-3 cars which they use to just get milk or eggs. I feel hunting for Halloween products or shopping for any holiday wouldn’t make a difference since the world is already a lost cause with the majority understanding Fossil Fuels environmental damage. One person can make a difference in most cases but I believe this is already out of control. I am glad electric cars are being made to try to combat this and car companies are pledging to become fully electric.
When I go hunting for items I try my best to make a eco friendly efficient trip. Trying to avoid excessive mileage and charting a course which allows me to tackle as many stores as possible in a straight line. If I fail to find the items I am looking for on this trip then I just order online.
I also think it’s important for people to keep buying in person because otherwise stores will close and everything will be online. Jobs would be lost and people be out of work whether corporations or small stores.
there's a lot of nuance to the entire systems that are currently in place!
Yes, it was very selfish of you to drive all that distance and waist all that time, gas, and money. I mean, how dare you? Bur remember, Halloween put aside, you looked very pretty doing it!! That is the important thing to remember. Happy Halloween, and fill that tank again dammit.
we were a huge Halloween family as a kid but my mom had the same decorations my entire life, having a new decor set every year is crazy
Yes! The ones that come out year after year at my parents house are the ones that have the most Magic ✨️✨️ plus I feel like the decor used to just look like higher quality