# First Sighting- Home Decorations



## ScareRookie (Aug 1, 2008)

One of the things that my kids and I used to do when they were little around this time was pick any week usually starting around the first of August until Oct that we would find thevery first home decorated for Halloween.

We walked noticing the leaves on the trees changing, the air growing crisp and the smell of fall all around us. Kids would get excited when they saw a pumpkin at the door step.. but that didnt count. It had to be a Jack-o-lantern or better.

So I figured this could be a good thread. If you had to pick a week starting August 1, what is the earliest week that you would find a home in your community decorated for Halloween. I have seen some as early as the first week of September before.

We used to walk around the neighborhood once or twice a week hopping to spot the first house. Kids had a great time with it. You should give it a try if you have kids. It can turn into a fun game and it makes you get out with you kids and take a walk!


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## selling1309 (Mar 30, 2016)

HAHA! That is a great game!
I can remember seeing Halloween decorations going up mid to end of September around my neighborhood. 
I've always tried to keep my Halloween decorations out of sight 'till October first. Even the ten foot tree I built was kept in the back yard, hidden, till the Fist day of Halloween. 
Since I've moved, I'm going to pay closer attention and see who puts out the fist piece of Halloween this year, maybe even give them an award or a prize! hehe


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

There are a couple houses within a few blocks of us that put some things out in early September. This does not include my buddy and forum member Motel Sixx who starts the last week of August lol!!


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:August sounds lovely! I may start earlier this year. Hopefully we will get a break from these HOT, 95+ degree days....UGH! It's no fun putting out Halloween decor while a river of sweat runs down your arms, chest, back, etc.:undecidekin:


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## Gorylovescene (Sep 18, 2011)

My family has a "Fall Fest" in which we celebrate the End of Summer/Beginning of Fall by having some sort of meal or event in which there is Halloween themed food and/or Decorations. This happens at the end of August, usually, or the beginning of September. After that Halloween decorating is fair game. This earns censure from the neighbors, but some of them are year round killjoys, so I don't take it to heart. Rarely do I see other houses that decorate as early as we do. 

My room is horror/halloween themed all the time, I can't help but want to convert the rest of the house.


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## matrixmom (Aug 20, 2011)

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:August sounds lovely! I may start earlier this year. Hopefully we will get a break from these HOT, 95+ degree days....UGH! It's no fun putting out Halloween decor while a river of sweat runs down your arms, chest, back, etc.:undecidekin:


You aint kidding sister! But great idea on the game, we could do it early am. What if we are the first house???


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## talkingcatblues (Apr 29, 2013)

We just changed neighborhoods, and there is a house in our new neighborhood that has a (funkin) Jack o' Lantern peeking out their back window. I suspect it may be a year-round decoration though - it has that feel. They have some Christmas-y looking blowmold penguins tucked down on the stairs by the side of the house too. I'm excited to see what they put out. They seem like they might be a good house.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Ug! - I hate to be a killjoy, and by no means hope to discourage anyone else, but I can't hardly get into the mood until that first frost hits, that crisp smell is in the air and the leaves start falling. Usually (and luckily) works out to end of September / first of October here... though we've had a few years with warm, summer-like weather into the first week or two of October. Overall, I really need a change in seasons to get in the mood! I would be terrible in a different climate. Much earlier than October, and I'm almost burned-out by the time Halloween gets here.


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## ladyligeia (Aug 26, 2016)

We decorate inside and the front door Sept.1st and outside Oct.1st.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:I'm putting my Countdown sign up today or tomorrow....let the games begin....:lolkin::laugheton:


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## Longmont Haunt (Jul 26, 2016)

My birthday is September 3rd, and I usually put up the graveyard that day. This year was no different!




























Not bad for a day's effort, but still LOTS to go! Cheers!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

So does it count if you still have stuff up from last year ?


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## lisa48317 (Aug 18, 2010)

We've just had some glorious cool days recently (windows open!) and there are leaves changing here & there all over, so it's kind of gotten me into the mood. But all I did this weekend was rearrange the totes in the garage so the important ones are easily accessible and buy one of those tiny little yappy bulldogs from Big Lots.


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## Longmont Haunt (Jul 26, 2016)

We had some visitors to the graveyard yesterday afternoon.










But apparently zombie gnomes aren't to their liking.










So, we opted for the Big Lots skeleton animals instead!










Cheers!


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol: I just got my countdown sign put up yesterday...(I had to touch up the paint on some of the lettering and the moon, the weather last year took a toll) I am waiting for two new ghosts to add to the right side of the sign, and maybe a blue light on the flying bats because at night they are almost invisible. The spotlight needs to be placed so that it doesn't "glare" on the sign so much, but it's a tweaking process. Yay for Halloween! Let the decorating begin!!!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol: I just got my countdown sign put up yesterday...(I had to touch up the paint on some of the lettering and the moon, the weather last year took a toll) I am waiting for two new ghosts to add to the right side of the sign, and maybe a blue light on the flying bats because at night they are almost invisible. The spotlight needs to be placed so that it doesn't "glare" on the sign so much, but it's a tweaking process. Yay for Halloween! Let the decorating begin!!!


Yours is the absolute best countdown sign ever Jana! Vintage and whimsical, beautiful colors, it just checks all the boxes. I'll bet the kids who see it are already getting excited!


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:^Thank you jdubbya!  I hope the wee ones are getting excited and I hope their parents are forced to drive by my house every day...Muhahahahahaaaaaaaa.:devil:


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## bobzilla (Nov 13, 2008)

Oh my!
Look at the pumpkin5 go!
Terrific sign, Jbird


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## djgra79 (Oct 11, 2015)

Wow, so you guys decorate for a whole month, a bit like Christmas? I guess to go to all the effort on some of your haunts and props, it would be a shame to only see them for a few days.
Here in Aus Halloween is growing in popularity, but it's still more about just the night itself for TOTing. I don't know of too many houses near me that go "all out", just some quick and cheap store bought window stickers and some spiderwebs really. 
I plan to meet in the middle - not do a haunt, but certainly do more than window stickers!!


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## Longmont Haunt (Jul 26, 2016)

Great sign, P5! Whimsical to the nines! DJ, my sympathies. That would drive me nuts! We've already gotten a few fans, which is nice since this is our first year really getting serious. For instance, just a few minutes ago, a meter reader was out checking on the water meter, and I went out to apologize (as I'd put the zombie lawn jockey plumb on top, then weighed him down with rocks), and she was grinning ear to ear while taking pictures! Several of the neighborhood kids keep walking by/standing out front, staring, too, and there's still plenty to trickle out over the coming weekends. Nothing like seeing the joyous fascination on folks' faces as they take things in! That sort of thing requires more than a couple days, imo.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Love your sign P5


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## djgra79 (Oct 11, 2015)

Longmont Haunt said:


> Great sign, P5! Whimsical to the nines! DJ, my sympathies. That would drive me nuts! We've already gotten a few fans, which is nice since this is our first year really getting serious. For instance, just a few minutes ago, a meter reader was out checking on the water meter, and I went out to apologize (as I'd put the zombie lawn jockey plumb on top, then weighed him down with rocks), and she was grinning ear to ear while taking pictures! Several of the neighborhood kids keep walking by/standing out front, staring, too, and there's still plenty to trickle out over the coming weekends. Nothing like seeing the joyous fascination on folks' faces as they take things in! That sort of thing requires more than a couple days, imo.


Hmm, maybe I'll put a couple of things out a week or so early then, to tease the (very few) passers by. I live on the elbow of a court so there is no (drive) through traffic, only some walking by. Still, I got a number of visits last year for Christmas so hopefully some of them come by for Halloween too


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Thanks everyone for your very kind comments, I just added the two new ghosts...now I have to get working on tombstones.


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## MikeR (Sep 24, 2016)

The time is here! Mine went out yesterday. Well, at least some of them... I had to work until 3 pm so time was limited of how much I could set up. Mostly lighting is up and the rest will go up today. Very exciting.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

First official home Halloween decor sighting tonight! Was out for the semi-nightly run/bike and noticed a few houses with lights, ghosts and coffins set out. I have nothing yet, but planning to make a run to the storage barn this weekend and see what I can scare up.

For the record, I think the first official store sighting was around July 20! One of the local stores put out a rack of clay/ceramic jack-o-lanterns.


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## Doc-Dead-Inside (Aug 12, 2013)

I'm usually the first one decorating in our neighborhood, the neighbors probably think I'm a weirdo ... my wife does too  I started my decor the last week of August this year.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Our neighbors can see this in one of our upstairs windows:

skellie window by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


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## Troll Wizard (May 3, 2012)

_*Several homes in my neighborhood have Halloween out already as of about a couple of weeks ago. *_


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