Yes, you read that right. We are not taking our one-year-old out to parade him around the neighborhood after his bed time, collecting candy that he’s not allowed to eat. I refuse to spend $100 on candy for kids that don’t even live in our neighborhood or are way too old to be out collecting candy. I will not sit in a lawn chair at the end of the driveway because they are too lazy to walk up to our front porch.

A few years ago, we realized (or rather, my parents realized and told us) that you can get into ANY restaurant on Halloween, especially if it’s on a weekend. This year, Halloween is on a Saturday and everyone will either be handing out candy, trick-or-treating, or going to parties. It is the one day all year when you can walk into any restaurant, sit down and eat. You can even bring a baby with you because there’s no one to care if he cries, babbles too loudly, or makes a mess.

Until my son realizes what he’s missing, we’ll be dressing in costume and going out to a nice restaurant on Halloween, feasting on treats that are way better than anything you can stuff in an old pillowcase.