Halloween is fun. It’s a great way to meet all the people in your neighborhood and have fun with your kids. My wife and I dress up with our kids because they’re young enough where they actually like it and since we know that won’t last forever, we do what we can, when we can.

This is only our second Halloween in the neighborhood so we’re still meeting the neighbors. Some of the houses are older, while some are brand-spanking new just this year. Everyone is super nice and we get a lot of “oh, it’s so great to have little kids in the neighborhood again” which means that there are some neighbors that wait for us to come over.

This year, we were invited into the foyers of many of the homes in our neighborhoods.

Beautifully decorated for Halloween, but also just beautifully decorated in general. Clean. Tasteful. Impeccable interior design. Super classy. It was hard not to notice.

Each time we were invited in so my kids could tell jokes, I did what I typically try really hard not to do: I compared our house with their house. I know, I know. I’m not supposed to do that but it’s hard and I did and shut up, you do it too sometimes.

Where are the scooters? Skateboards? Strollers? Car seats? That family picture is nice, but why don’t you have a broken solo cup full of rocks on that table right there? Great hardwood floors, but why aren’t there broken crayons on it and how am I supposed to know where to walk if there aren’t any matchbox cars or LEGOs for me to perilously avoid? Where do you keep your fallen tree branches? Outside? Hmmm…interesting choice. Oooooh, you have furniture in your living room? Nice. Nice. Ours has a cardboard box fort in it but yeah, I like what you did there. Clever use of the space.

Please know that I’m not complaining, and honestly, I love the stuff in our foyer. It’s a mess but our house is fantastic and it’s totally us and it’s ours. By your first step in, you will immediately know what to expect. That’s more than ok with us, it’s preferred. If you’re offended by it, then you’re clearly in our house in error.

I wondered if I do it with Magic Room Brand and came to realize that I kind of do. It’s hard not to.

It’s a good idea to have a good grasp of the competitive landscape, I get that much. You need to know what you’re up against because it can help set goals, map out a timeline of milestones, etc. I get it.

But my friend Brandon once told me that you should be careful not to confuse the front of someone else’s house with the back of yours. Meaning: what you perceive isn’t always the real story and their backyard is probably as messy as yours. Figuratively, it’s a great piece of advice that I think about all the time — especially when my sanity is waning. For Halloween, it took a literal sense.

Knowledge of other things can be good when it’s inspiring, but bad when it’s paralyzing and counterproductive.

We know that there will be a time when there won’t be toys everywhere in our house, and we’re going to miss this mess.

Did I write this blog while in a cardboard box fort? Sadly, no (because I just thought of it), but for now, I’m just glad that I have the option.

#bewhatyoumake