Alright, I give in—bring on the giant lawn inflatables
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I'm more of a "mums, hay bales, and corn stalks" front yard person.
I have always believed that when it comes to holiday decor during the months of September and October, there are two schools: those who decorate for autumn, and those who decorate for Halloween. Sometimes these two schools merge, especially during the latter month. But for the most part, people seem to fall distinctly into either camp. Lawn inflatables, for example, typically fall into the Halloween school.
Now as for me, I’m more of an autumnal decor admirer. You know, a basic Homegoods you-know-what. Every year, I’m drawn in by the fall-hued pumpkins, faux foliage, and—of course—those cozy-scented candles. Pumpkins, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and amber scents are like a drug to me. As a kid, I used to flip through my grandma’s back issues of “House Beautiful” like other kids did comic books. I’d probably describe my personal style as “Nancy Meyers on a strict budget.” Delulu? Maybe. But it’s who I am at my (middle-class purse strings) core. I’m not a strict “all-neutrals-only minimalist” by any means, but I like what I like. And that means a lot of earth tones. Sorry not sorry!
I have never once been swayed by ghoulish decorations. Halloween hoopla like fake spider webs, punny tombstones, fake blood, zombies, skeletons, lawn inflatables, and the like are all things I genuinely admire—as long as they’re in my neighbor’s yard. It’s just never been my thing. I’m more of a “mums, hay bales, and corn stalks” front yard person.
But now I have kids. They’re old enough to notice—and snidely remark upon—mom’s “boring” decorations. But they’re young enough to get completely swept up in the magic of enormous, inflatable pumpkins and ghosts and turkeys and Santas during the holidays. Not a night goes by when my kids aren’t pressing their noses against our front windows, exclaiming in wonder over the lively lawn displays that belong to our neighbors.
As it turns out, 7-year-olds and 4-year-olds aren’t impressed with my secret to watering mums to get them to bloom beautifully (you’ve got to do it from the bottom up) or my taste in muted—but gorgeous, in my opinion—fall-foliaged front door wreaths.
Maybe one day they’ll recall my personal holiday taste with loving nostalgia, but for now, they’ve reached their verdict on our decor this fall: It’s lame. Painfully uncool, even. And totally lacking in Paul Bunyan-sized lawn inflatables.
Far be it from me to deny my children the whimsy they’re getting from other kids’ parents in our neighborhood! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to search for blow-up pumpkins and black cats and witches (one Halloween staple I’m actually into—shocking, I know) to display on our own front lawn this year. Because I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom. (Actually, using that quote from 2004’s “Mean Girls” probably makes me the exact opposite of “cool.” Oh well.)
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday lawn inflatables too, here’s a great place to start.
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