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Minimaluxe Halloween Decor

October 13, 2020

I didn’t think we were going to put up Halloween decor this year because we are still on lockdown and trick or treating is definitely cancelled this year!

But a few weekends ago DiploBaby was really excited to put it up so he and TD had to do it on their own because I was having a bipolar episode and had to stay in bed.

Good thing I already wrote about it in the past on minimaluxe.com and they also saw our previous Halloweens on IG. So they just had to look at it and be inspired by it.

View this post on Instagram

Yesterday we finally got our super easy Halloween decor up and @diplobaby wanted to help every step of the way – even if he couldn’t reach stuff yet. I thought it was so cute that he wants to be hands on all the way! You can ready about our annual EASY TO STORE HALLOWEEN DECOR here: https://www.minimaluxe.com/blog/2018/10/12/fun-yet-easy-to-store-halloween-decor or click on link in bio! You can also tap to see where I got the decor. I’ll also be posting our ONE DECOR addition for this year. I only buy if something is really cute and different! Are you ready for Halloween?

A post shared by Ayessa | UnDiplomaticWife (@undiplomaticwife) on Oct 16, 2019 at 7:42pm PDT

I think it was more exciting for him this year coz as a newly minted 5year old he is really big enough to really help put up the decor! Look how please he was with the results!

HOW I CHOSE OUR HALLOWEEN DECOR

  • I like to get Halloween decor that is flat-packed because this means that they will take up less storage space. Like these:
    • A. Halloween Swirl Decoration – best bang for buck!
    • B. Huge black Spider-web Mobile from Pottery Barn USA
    • C. Silver Spider-web Garland from Pottery Barn USA
  • I also make sure they are light and not breakable.
    • D. White Boo Pumpkin in Medium from Pottery Barn USA
    • E. Faux cobwebs & spiders from Rustans Makati

I bought most of these decor in Pottery Barn USA at super clearance sale prices in 2017. However the huge spider web mobile was too big for LBC’s Shipping Cart air shipping so I had it sea shipped and used it the year after. It really makes a huge impact on our entry way though.

I use 3M Command strips and Hooks to avoid damaging the paint. For the swirl decor using reusable adhesive tack is enough because it’s very light! Or sometimes we just hang them to the drop light fixtures we have like this:

It’s much simpler this year than in the past years, yet I feel because of the quantity of the swirl decorations, it still makes an impact. The important thing is that DiploBaby really was part of the decorating process and he is so proud of it!

NON-BREAKABLE TREAT BAGS

Though we aren’t using it his year, I want to make a note about treat bags. I learned the hard way that it’s better not to buy plastic pails because they get broken so easily! We got a cheap white one from Rustans and it’s totally broken after one season. What a sad waste!

Instead I got this Ghost Pillow Case Treat Bag from Pottery Barn USA. Bonus it stores flat and takes up so little space!This might not be available anymore but they have the cutest selection of treat bags. Look for one that isn’t too bulky if you have limited space like we do!

2017 Pottery Barn Kids Halloween Treat Bags Sale Must Haves at 20% Off!

A NOTE ON DECALS

I also love decorating using decals but this year we are too lazy because you need to clean surfaces well, then carefully attach. And to remove you also need to be very careful so you roll it back up nice so you can reuse it. Swipe below to see the mice stickers – not decals!

The problem with some decals is that there are some being sold on Amazon that aren’t actually reusable decals like these mouse ones that are super cute. But I learned the hard way that they are just stickers that leave gross residue and cannot be reused. I hate single-use plastic so this was not cool for me.

SHIPPING TO MANILA

Normally I shop 2-3 months in advance if I want to use LBC ShippingCart.com‘s sea shipping. But these days their service is so delayed that even air shipping can take as long. Air shipping used to take only 1-2 weeks door to door. They are just so inundated right now coz a lot more people are shopping online!

So if you cannot find the items locally or you don’t want to physically go to the store. Amazon Global Shipping is better for now because it arrives 1-2 weeks after. Even if the ETA is 2 weeks, in my experience it arrives around 7 days after. It’s very convenient because the import fees are already included and it’s air shipping door to door.

Locally I love the decor in Rustan’s Makati but it is a bit pricey. I did get a super cute ghost from them last year. Worth every peso! You can see a video of where we discovered Ghosty (that’s what DiplBaby calls it) and Halloween 2019 below.

Last year DiploBaby could barely reach the decor, but he has had a growth spurt so he was much more hands on this year. So pleased with himself. Just look at that face!

How do you simplify Halloween decorating in your home? Are you still decorating even if there is not trick or treat this year?

2 Comments · Diplo Home, manila shopping

Comments

  1. kaho says

    October 14, 2020 at 8:33 PM

    what a lovely halloween decoration. your video is also so fun and sweet. it made me realize how much Diplobaby has grown since the video was made in 2019. i love how db calls the ghost decoration ghosty. thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      October 14, 2020 at 10:59 PM

      IKR?!? It’s crazy how much he has grown in a year! I’ve begun to learn editing videos because I realized it’s a great way to share and enjoy memories. Thank you for reading and watching Kaho!

      Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

Glad there is now a @gifi.ch near us with affordable HALLOWEEN DECOR & COSTUMES. 🧛‍♂️ 

I hope you enjoy seeing what they have in this short video! 👻 

It’s not lost on me how much plastic is used during Halloween, from the polyester costumes to the decor elements. 

ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

🎃 If i dont use something anymore, I pass them on to others by selling it for a fraction of the price on Marketplace.

🎃 If it doesn’t sell, I pass them on the Pay it Forward Nyon group or place them in the donation pile in our dechetterie where others can take them.

🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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