Are You Scared? Happy Halloween!

I missed out on the fun this year, staying home with the beloved 4 year old, 2 year old and 7 week old, while Dad took the four older children to the House of Horrors in Buffalo. We had a talk with our 6 year old (well, he's seven TODAY, as his birthday is Halloween!) and told him that he could go - only if he's brave, we didn't want him to ruin it for everyone else.

Seems all of my brave children made it through the haunted houses just fine! Maybe next year I'll be able to enjoy some scary festivities, but for now...

It's trick-or-treat night! Happy Halloween!

Have You Seen That Halloween Commecial?

I think it's just the most adorable thing - and my kids do, too!




Is that too cute????

Days We Remember All Our Lives

Halloween is one of my favorite Fall festivals. Less pressure than Christmas, it is one of those laid back times when Mums get to play and remember their own childhoods, without having to break the bank, or worry about the table decorations. It’s a real kid’s time, and so evocative, with the nip of Fall in the air and the evenings drawing in. With this in mind, I’d like to share my own memories of Halloween, and how one particular event has stayed with me throughout my life.

Scary! But Not Too Scary!

It is often the ‘low input’ events that remain most powerfully with children, and the family in this story made a night to remember with a few simple household ingredients, some candles, and a book. The most powerful force at work was the child’s imagination.

The memory is of a Halloween party held at a friend’s house. It was scary enough to remain in my memory to this day, but not scary enough to traumatize me for life. Parents! This is the correct balance!

Numerous little girls had gathered at Alison’s, and no doubt we giggled ceaselessly and ran up and down stairs for a while. There were treacle toffees and sausages to be eaten, and biscuits cut into the shape of ghosts. There was dressing up and carving pumpkins going on in various rooms, but in our minds this was all just marking time before the Big Event. We knew what was happening when Alison’s Daddy got in from work, and the excitement bordered on hysteria.

Love Your Competitive Dad

Alison had one of those Dads who threw themselves into events like this. We all know them – it’s a competitive thing really. How big and elaborate can I make this birthday cake? How great is my Santa outfit? How complex was that Treasure Hunt? I love Dads like this. My advice is to embrace this competitive urge in your men and other people’s and celebrate it! Alison’s Dad had a particular fondness for Halloween shenanigans, and such was their renown that the whole neighborhood seemed to turn up and leave their children for the evening (even if they hadn’t been invited).

How to set the mood

The games got underway with Apple Bobbing. I have never quite understood the attraction of this game, but it seemed to be traditional, so I played along. After this the lights were dimmed for the pumpkin lanterns to be lit. They glowed in from the darkness, lending the once friendly living room a distinctly spooky air. We huddled slightly closer together and chewed on our bobbed apples warily. Alison’s Dad came in and sat with us around his feet while he read a really quite scary ghost story. There was a gruesome murder, a ghost who came back to haunt the innocent children who had stumbled in on the scene of a haunting, and the inevitable twist with a BANG! at the end that had us all screaming. Having set the tone for the evening, which left us slightly jumpy, the ‘contest’ began. We occupied ourselves with fake blood and face-painting and those who dared entered the lair (the study) which was candle-lit and fake cob-webby…

What’s Under The Towel?

Ok, it’s not the scariest name for a scary game, but you have no idea how scary those words are to six-year-olds hyped up on ghost stories and toffee apples. In a quavering voice Alison’s Dad, who had transformed through the miracle of costume, into a spooky old man, said ‘Come and see what’s Under the Towel…’ Shrieeeeeek! Various kitchen bowls, covered up with tea towels were lined up. Waiting nervously to go into the lair, our trepidation increased as we heard the shrieks of others. Mwahhhaaaahahhahhhaaaa! Under one towel was a bowl of peeled grapes (“Eyeballs!”); under another some cold spaghetti (“Intestines!”); some rice pudding was insect mush, some broken sticks from the garden were bones, a tinned tomato was a heart.  I am sure you can imagine the scene, eyes tight closed and little hands nervously reaching to see what was hidden from view.

Too Grim?

Goodness! Reading this back now I wonder if it all sounds a little too grim for six-year-olds. But in fact I think it fulfills the function of this kind of festival perfectly. Halloween is a festival of the dead, a night when we play with our fears and make them less terrifying through play. Once the festival is over those fears have been faced, looked at, laughed at and returned to where they belong. This is entirely healthy and good for us. Fairytales have the same psychological function, psychologists maintain. A good fright helps us deal with the unfamiliar emotions of suspense and anticipation and teach us that resolution is just round the corner. We challenged ourselves, felt the fear and did it anyway.

All’s Well That Ends Well

As for the party, when things just got too noisy the lights would come on, the living-room would return to normal and Alison’s Dad was suddenly just lovely Alison’s Dad again, hugging us and handing out sweets. Normality was restored, along with our feelings of stability and security. We had survived the Halloween Party! Yay!

I have never forgotten those silly childhood games, and the fun and excitement of Halloween. This time of year always brings back the memories. I still know Alison’s Dad too. I wonder if he’d throw a party this year for my son…

 -----

Dee is a freelance writer and proud parent. She writes on behalf of numerous folk, including a kidsHYPERLINK "http://adams.co.uk/baby-clothing" clothes site.

Creative DIY Halloween Costumes on a Budget

If you’ve dared to enter a Halloween costume “superstore” with children, you understand the ridiculousness of it all. The kids go nuts for an overpriced, poorly made superhero costume and the begging commences. If you make it out without a costume and your wallet (and sanity) intact, you’re a stronger woman than most. I’m sure you’re just chewing at the bit now to get to the Halloween store, but as much fun as this sounds (not), I’d like to offer an alternative to the pricey, megastore costumes.

Growing up, my mom would pack all of us in to the bus-burban, as we fondly called our behemoth family vehicle, and take us to the local Goodwill store. Each of us were given a certain amount of money and let loose for an hour. I remember turning choir robes into scary monster costumes, old sheets into capes, and used prom dresses into an outfit fit for a queen. Not only did she minimize her expenses, my wise momma encouraged creativity and pushed us to think outside-the-box.

I absolutely loved creating my Halloween costume as a kid, so when I had the opportunity to work with the Socks4Life.com team to put together a DIY HYPERLINK "http://www.socks4life.com/resources/diy-costume-ideas/"CHYPERLINK "http://www.socks4life.com/resources/diy-costume-ideas/"ostume HYPERLINK "http://www.socks4life.com/resources/diy-costume-ideas/"Ideas guide, I jumped at the chance. The list of costume ideas and descriptions on how to put the ensembles together is a part of their new resource, Heel to Toe: A Guide to Feet. A few of the costumes include socks as a crucial part of the costume, i.e. Tom Cruise in Risky Business, but if you’re looking for costume ideas we’ve got it all—from character costumes to clever, funny costume ideas for groups. Below are a few examples:

·         Tom Cruise in Risky Business:

·         Men’s over-sized dress shirt

·         Wayfarer sunglasses

·         White HYPERLINK "https://docs.google.com/a/oneclickventures.com/document/d/1Rv1guAXPDEEac9xxUvWxZKcNCt4MVWow7wtZGU3DdBE/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socks4life.com%2Fwomen-s-colored-slouch-socks-12.html"sHYPERLINK "https://docs.google.com/a/oneclickventures.com/document/d/1Rv1guAXPDEEac9xxUvWxZKcNCt4MVWow7wtZGU3DdBE/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socks4life.com%2Fwomen-s-colored-slouch-socks-12.html"louch socks

·         Pretend like you’re singing into a microphone and slide around on your socks.

·         A Picnic:

·         A red and white checkered picnic table cloth: Cut a hole for your in the center of the cloth and wear as a poncho.

·         Attach plastic food (or pictures of food) to the cloth and carry around a picnic basket.

·         The Weasley Family (Harry Potter):

·         White button-down shirt

·         Oversized red or maroon sweater: If you’re really creative, use yellow tape to put the first letter in the name of your favorite Weasley on the front of the sweater (i.e. R for Ron).

·         Dark dress pants

·         Dark shoes and dress socks

·         Temporary color hair spray: Orange of course!

·         Lady Bug or Bumble Bee

·         Red or yellow long sleeve shirt

·         Black spandex pants or tights.

·         Create wings using cardboard: Draw a large circle on red or yellow (depending on your bug of choice) posterboard. Color large black dots or use tape to create black stripes (again depending on your bug). Draw a line down the center of the circle and cut down the center of the line to create two wings. Attach to back of shirt.

·         Attenae: Create using a black headband and pipe cleaners.

·         Where’s Waldo?:

·         Jeans

·         Red and white striped sweater

·         Red and white striped snow hat: This might be tricky to find, if so, get a solid colored cap and use colored tape to create stripes. Attach a red poof to the top of the hat.

·         Fake round glasses

·         Walk with a cane and hide behind objects.

Halloween costumes don’t need to break the bank or require the talents of professional seamstress,, so for more ghostly good costume ideas using items from your own closet or the local secondhand store, check out the DIY Costume Ideas page. Happy Halloween!

Guest author Maggie Voelker, works as a writer in Indianapolis, IN. She loves fashion, bargain hunting, good food, live music and spending time with family and friends.

Three Ways to Decorate Your Home for Fall

By Molly Borter

Fall is my favorite season, because the weather is just perfect enough to wear a sweatshirt, scarf, and sunglasses, and the air starts to smell of burning bonfires and pumpkin spice. September days are flying by and soon it’ll be October, so while school’s well underway for the little ones, nights are getting longer and chillier, and summer décor is old news, your home is in need of a fall pick-me-up.  Splashes of autumn give it that warm, cozy vibe we love so much about the season: mums, leaves, pumpkins, and gourds are all beautiful, chic ways to spruce up your home. Transform your haven from summer’s brights to fall’s burnt oranges, reds, and yellows with just a few easy touches. Soon, your home will be a haven of harvest and tranquility in no time at all.

Bring the Outdoors Indoors

The best part of fall is the rich, beautiful colors of the leaves, fruit, and flowers; use these pieces to spruce up your living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms. Round up some fall foliage around your yard, on a hike, or at a craft store and pile them in hurricane dishes, large vases, and candle sets. Combining the outdoors with such stylish holders give it that shabby-chic elegance that’s so perfect for fall.  For table centerpieces or mantel décor, try filling a tall vase (or a couple!) with apples or pears for a sophisticated simple touch. And don’t forget about the flowers: mums and sunflowers are the perfect way to bring fall’s splendor indoors.

Get Creative with Pumpkins

Pumpkins are more than just for carving: stick metal tacks onto the exterior or paint them with shiny golds and bronzes for instant class and a rustic feel. For an island or table centerpiece, stack different-shaped gourds or mini pumpkins. For a more diva-ish feel, rhinestone-studded designs on pumpkins, like a spider web or polka dots (all you need is a bag of jewels from the craft store and a hot glue gun) are a great way to add sparkle, too. For a more traditional feel with a twist, turn pumpkin carving into an accent piece for your shelves by carving cool designs or patterns and placing a yummy smelling candle inside. Pumpkins are such a fall décor do!

Make Baking a Decorative Piece

The most delicious part about fall? Caramel, cinnamon, pumpkin, ginger, vanilla, cloves and nutmeg—just to name a few. Make these staples in your cookie recipes this season, or use them in your pies and even your cocktails! And while you’re at it, you could make: apple crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, nutmeg and cinnamon French toast, pears with caramel drizzled over them, corn pudding, and brown-sugared squash (for a healthier-“ish” choice).  The aromas and decorative deliciousness of autumn baking leaves you comforted, relaxed, satisfied and warm on the inside. Now all you need is a good book, a comfy blanket, and a cup of tea.

Author Bio:

Molly Borter works for The Affordable Style Network specializing in making everything fashionable, even mens diabetic socks.  In her free time she enjoys blogging about sun safety, such as wearing bifocal sunglasses  even into the fall, decorating her home for the seasons, and spending time with her nieces and family.

Magical Halloween Costumes Your Kids Will Love!

It’s hard to believe that September has begun. It feels like just yesterday the clock turned midnight and a new year began. Now we are emerging into fall time and that means you’ll be shopping for jackets, boots, and eventually scarves to keep your kids warm. This also means…that Halloween is almost here! I know, the last thing on your mind with school just starting is getting Halloween costumes, but planning ahead will not only save you time, it will save you money. Speaking of money, there are fabulous ways to cut back by applying Costume Craze Coupons.

So what would your child like to be this year? Perhaps your little girl would like to be Tinker Bell or a sweet character from My Little Pony. Your boy on the other hand wants to be a pirate or a super hero like Iron Man. Whatever, the case; there are several costumes you can select from that your child might already have their eye on right now. Once the costumes arise – they usually sell out quickly so it’s a good idea to either get them online by applying coupons or head to a near by store. Here are a few costumes that no doubt will be a hit for your children.

Kid’s Iron Man Costume – With the recent Iron Man sequel, perhaps your little guy is still running up and down the halls, showing you his latest action hero moves. All he wants to be is Iron Man and to save the world from all of the bad guys. Now you can officially make his dreams come true by aiding his latest action moves with an Iron Man costume.

My Little Pony Pinkie Pie Costume – Your daughter just can’t get over her ponies. She takes them everywhere and later you find out that she snuck one in her lunch box. Since My Little Pony is her favorite toys to play with, it would be likely that she would adore being a pony for the night on Halloween. She can gallop away in the distance, asking for sweet candy. She’ll probably also want you to curl her brown hair, which looks just like a pretty pony’s mane.

Scary Pirate Boy Costume – Yo ho yo ho a pirate’s life for me! Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean has become a fun character that your son probably thinks is just too cool. This Pirate Boy Costume comes with a headband, shirt with attached vest, belt and pants. He’ll be Jack Sparrow in no time flat.

Girl’s Tinker Bell Costume – Let’s not forget your tots! This Tinker Bell costume is simply adorable and very magical. She will be thrilled to fly around your house in her fairy wings and later, when it’s time to get candy, she’ll wonder if she can stay in this sweet costume forever.

Halloween will be here before you know it. Take a break from your hard work helping your kids cram for their first test of the season by exciting them and making them anxious for fall time to begin. Once you have their Halloween attire all picked out – you’ll already be all set to start planning for Christmas! Okay, we won’t get that far in advance yet.

Bio: Sierra adores everything that has to do with the beach. She also enjoys being a featured fashion blogger for JoeShopping.com, a social shopping site dedicated to saving you money through hot deals and more. You can also find Sierra at her personal blog Ocean Dreams.

Thank you, Sierra, for your contribution to Mommy Rantings! You definitely came up with a plethora of ideas for costumes this year! Readers: what are your children (or grandchildren...) planning to be this Halloween?

Family Halloween Group Costume Ideas

Halloween is one of the most fun and exciting times of the year for most children. There's no need for parents to miss out on the joy that comes with planning the perfect Halloween costume and getting all dressed up. In fact, a themed group costume that you can each play a roll in is a great activity for the whole family.

Themed Costume Ideas:

Dress everyone in black and be the Addams Family. Bald babies or little boys with crew cuts make adorable Uncle Fester's! Fill a rubber glove with air, water, sand or rice. Tie it shut and then stick it in the slit of a tissue box to be Thing.

Be a family of performers! Mom, dad and kids can all dress as a musician from their favorite type of music. Dad may dress as an 80's head banger, while mom grabs a flowing skirt and guitar for a folk rock look. Kids may dress as pop stars or hip hop artists.

Go as a picnic! Decorate the baby's stroller as a basket and add a red and white plaid "blanket" to represent the tablecloth. Family members can dress as hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, corn on the cob and watermelon. Dress the baby or your pooch as an ant.

Another costume theme involving dogs, is "The Wizard of Oz". Your dog (or a stuffed stand in) can be Toto. Other family members can be Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and the witch. Small children or babies can be Munchkins. If you don't have enough family members for all the roles, chose your favorite characters.


Where to Buy Your Costumes:


Most department stores carry Halloween costumes for both adults and children, but the selection is often limited, particularly in adult sizes. Finding coordinating costumes at your average big box type store will be a challenge. Stores that specialize in Halloween costumes usually begin popping up in September. These stores frequently lease space in empty storefronts for the Halloween season. You will have better luck finding theme costumes for your family at one of these specialty costume stores, but they are often very expensive.

You will probably find the most variety and best value on Halloween costumes by searching online. There are many discount costume shops to chose from online. You can even try Ebay to see if you can score gently used costumes for a great deal. Many websites offer coupon codes, discounts and free shipping. A simple web search using a term such as "Halloween costume coupon codes" will provide you with some options. Websites like www.fatwallet.com will notify you of deals and may even provide you with cash back on your purchases.

Last Minute Halloween Deals

If you're the last minute Halloween costume shopper, like me, this year and you don't plan to join in on the do-it-yourself costumes that everyone is raving about, you might be interested in saving a little money...who isn't deal-conscious this year? 

http://www.letitflow.com/casino/

CurrentCodes.com  is a free website that has a great list of promotional codes and discounts for thousands of stores. There is a section on there for those of you last minute Halloween shoppers that includes Halloween costumes and decorations (for that last minute party). According to the consumer reports that are being published on the upcoming spending trends for this year, people are looking to the online shopping experience. Here's the perfect opportunity to save some money will you beat the crowds by ordering on your computer. 

Don't wait too long, though...Halloween is right around the corner and then we will be thinking about the last minute Thanksgiving savings right? Don't forget the Christmas shopping, too. You may find some great coupon codes and discounts for your Christmas decorations and gifts for this year...Happy Shopping!

 Here are some of the codes that you will find at CurrentCodes.com:

 

·        CostumeDiscounters.com- Get free shipping on $60 or more with code FREE60

·         ExtremeHalloween.com- Save 10$ off $85 or more with code SCARY10(expires 10/20/10)

·         HalloweenMart.com- Save $10 off over $75 with code 10OFF

·         DisneyStore.com- Get free shipping on entire order when you buy a costume with code TREAT (expires 9/21/10)

·         Costume Kingdom- Save 10% off with code HALLOWEEN2010 (expires 11/1/10)

·         BuyCostumes.com- Save 10% of $40 or more with code vamp10 (Expires 10/31/10)

·         CelebrateExpress.com- Save 15% off $75 or more with code celebrate4 (expires 12/31/10)

4 Easy Halloween Decorations You Can Make with Your Kids: Guest Blog

(I received a surprise in my email yesterday! A new guest blogger who is excited to share more Halloween crafts and decorations for you to make with your kids. And, it's just in time...Halloween is right around the corner. Thank you so much, Gunter Jameson, for your contribution to Mommy Rantings...)

Everyone keeps complaining about how Christmas is over-commercialized now, but what about Halloween? It used to be that every kid would make all their own costume, and families would make decorations out of construction paper for the big night. Now it seems that few children make their costumes anymore, and all the decorations are store-bought, denying kids the fun of making their own decorations with the help of their parents. Well, let’s get back to basics. If you’re hankering for the old days of making decorations by hand, here are a few easy ideas to get you started.

Egg Carton Bats

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

All you need is an empty egg carton, some scissors, paint, and some string and you’re set.

1)      Cut the egg carton in to four pieces, each piece containing 3 egg container sections—kind of like three-humped camels.

2)      Now, cut the two side carton pieces so they are like arches branching off the middle piece—these are the wings.

3)      Now you can paint the pieces black, or decorate them however you want.

4)      Finally, for added effect, attach a string to the top of the middle section and hang it from a doorway or the ceiling.

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

5)      For more information visit: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

Hanging Ghosts

Ghost are a staple of Halloween, and you can easily make some out of tissues or—for more lasting ghosts—pieces of white scrap cloth.

1)      Take a handful of tissue and wad it up into a tight ball.

2)      Place the tight ball in the middle of another tissue, or piece of white scrap cloth, and gather up the remaining ends, bunching them together with the ball trapped inside.

3)      Tie a string around the cloth or tissue to trap the ball inside then flip it over. The ball is now the head of the ghost and the cloth is the ghost’s dangly waving body.

4)      You can draw a face on the head of the ghost and hang it from the ceiling (or a tree) for maximum effect, like this:

Milk Jug Creatures

If you’re looking for something that will really let your children’s creativity go wild, gather up some old milk jugs.

1)      Turn the milk jugs up side down, with the flat side pointing toward you.

2)      Wrap construction paper or tissue paper around the jug.

3)      Use markets, pencils, glitter, and other decorations to make the scariest face you can think of on the front.

4)      You can hang the heads from trees or doorways, or simply stack them next to the pumpkins on your front porch for an eerie effect.

Paper Spider Webs

This one is like a magic trick and almost too hard to try and explain in words, but here is a great video illustrating how to make simple, cool spider webs out of paper. Once you’ve got your spider webs, you and your kids can decorate them however you want and hang them around the house.

 

Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and online classes.