Halloween has a way of sneaking up on you. One day, it’s back to school, and the next, you’re knee-deep in costume negotiations and candy debates. But here’s the good news: You don’t need an over-the-top haunted house or a monthlong Pinterest board to make the holiday memorable. With a few simple ideas, you can turn Halloween into a tradition your kids look forward to without totally exhausting yourself! Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt Who says egg hunts are just for spring? Fill plastic eggs with small candies, stickers, or tiny trinkets, toss in a glow stick bracelet or glow- in-the-dark sticker, and scatter them in the yard or house. With the lights off and flashlights on, it’s like Halloween hide and seek! Fun, Not Fussy NAIL HALLOWEEN WITH MINIMAL EFFORT
A client called us one recent afternoon in a panic. “The IRS just took all my money!” she declared. FREAKOUT MOMENT: WHEN BOTH THE IRS AND YOUR BANK DERAIL YOU At first, I couldn’t believe it. I insisted there was no way the IRS could legally do that. I was right: Although our client, a self-employed event planner, did owe back taxes, her case was on appeal, and we had taken all the necessary steps to prevent the IRS from levying her bank account while the tax resolution process was underway. Toph’s Tax Triumphs
Costume Creation Station You can forget the overpriced store-bought outfits that
tear before dinner on Halloween night. Set up a costume creation corner with old clothes, cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, and safe accessories. Let the kids go wild designing their own characters. These can be superheroes, TV characters, animals, or fun foods.
I was shocked to learn that the IRS had taken $40,000 from her bank account anyway.
For our client, it was a freakout moment. The money in her account came from clients who paid her in advance for future work. Not only did the IRS’s money grab leave her broke, but she could no longer do the promised work for her clients. “I can’t pay my rent!” she declared. “I can’t buy groceries! I’m going to be homeless!” When something like this happens, everybody in the office goes to war. I double-checked all of our actions and found we had done everything right to make sure she was protected from exactly what had just happened. The case should clearly have been on pause. I called the IRS immediately and, drawing on my contacts, went straight to the top. After I explained what had happened, paperwork was set in motion to release the levy. Within 24 hours, we succeeded in getting the IRS to acknowledge its error and reverse the levy. However, the crisis for our client wasn’t over. When she asked the bank to return her funds, she was told it had already been sent to the IRS! This, too, was a breach of duty. A bank is legally required to hold a client’s funds for 21 days after an IRS levy, to give the taxpayer a chance to work things out. We supported our client as she called the bank repeatedly, reached the legal department, and threatened legal action. She finally got her money back. But her aggravation, lost time, and stress were off the charts. Consider this a public service announcement: If you are battling the IRS over a tax debt, it might not be a good time to have all your money sitting in a bank account. Based on my client’s experience, consider keeping it in a safer place!
Pumpkin Painting Party Carving can be fun, but it’s not always kid-friendly. Painting pumpkins is safer, cleaner, and just as
festive. Grab some nontoxic paints, markers, and stickers, and let your kids transform their pumpkins into silly, spooky, or sparkly works of Halloween art. Haunted Story Walk Set up a path around your backyard or hallway with hidden story pages or flashlight stations. Each stop reveals part of a spooky (but age-appropriate) tale. For an extra-special touch, have an older sibling or adult dress up and narrate along the way. Spooky Snack Lab Host a kitchen “lab” where your little monsters whip up their own creepy creations. Think monster trail mix, pretzel broomsticks, mummy-wrapped hot dogs, or bubbling punch with dry ice. The process is half the fun, and the mess is part of the Halloween magic.
–Toph Sheldon
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