(The purr-fect costume??) You are looking at my daughter’s darling Halloween cat costume. The one she swears she’ll never wear again. She wore the cute and cuddly getup a couple of years ago during her All Hallows’ Eve candy collecting adventures, but don’t look for her to ever go trick-or-treating again dressed as a fluffy feline because “only little kids dress up as cats.” P.S. She’s eight. I spent the better half of last night explaining to her that she most certainly could dress-up as a cat again if she desired. We’d just tailor the outfit to make it look … Continue reading →

Face paint is a spooktacular way to get into the Halloween spirit. What’s more, you don’t have to wave a brush like Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso in order to look scary good on All Hallows’ Eve. And, even better, you don’t need to drain your wallet paying for elaborate face painting kits or fancy supplies. With a little time and energy you can whip up a batch of face paint using materials found around your home. A safe and easy recipe for face paint requires: one teaspoon of cornstarch, a half teaspoon of water, a half teaspoon … Continue reading →

I dread going to Target on Sundays. However, I dread the place even more on Saturdays, which is why I was there today. Procrastinators were out in full force today scooping up half-price Halloween candy like it was the November 1st. Frankly, I was surprised Target slashed prices on some of its trick-or-treat candy. I thought that’s what post-Halloween sales were for. Regardless, there is some cheap candy to be hand out there. Still, I didn’t cave. By this time tomorrow my kid will have hauled in her weight in cheap treats and she’ll want something with a little more … Continue reading →

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a Hollywood make-up artist to transform your kid from cute to creepy this Halloween. By using quality products and following a few simple steps your children can say goodbye to uncomfortable plastic masks and hello to an elaborately decorated face that will elicit a chorus of oohs and aahs from friends, family and neighbors. One of the easiest face painting ideas for Halloween is Dracula. The popular vampire is known for his pale skin and bloody lips. However, you could spice up the look by creating a female vampire with long eyelashes and deep-purple … Continue reading →

I’ve always been a bit wary of teenage trick-or-treaters. Then again, Halloween is a time when older kids should have fun too. So what do you do if your older children want to have a ball on All Hallows’ Eve, but you want to keep an eye on them while they do so? The answer: Host a Halloween party with age appropriate activities, such as: Costume Contest: This easy event is great fun for kids of all ages. Let your teenage guests select winners in a variety of categories, from scariest costume to cutest and most creative. Then, hand prizes … Continue reading →

My daughter is in the second grade, but she still freaks out when she sees scary Halloween decorations. She’s terrified of the bloody limbs, moving skeletons and rolling eyeballs. Consequently, we tend to stick to the kid-friendly Halloween events and parties that pop up around our small community this time of year. No tours of haunted mansions, creepy corn mazes or ghost towns for my kid. Rather, we’ve been spending weekends at fall festivals that have allowed her to sample the fun side of a horrifying holiday. Some of the games she’s had a blast playing at the local fests … Continue reading →

Halloween is just a few weeks away, though you’d never know it by walking around outside. We’ve had four straight days of beautiful weather; temps in the high 70s and cloudless blue skies. But, step inside our home and you’ll have no trouble figuring out that All Hallows’ Eve is near. After our overpriced trip to the pumpkin patch, we’ve been busy decorating gourds and making sure our home looks as haunted as possible. Of course, when we’re this far out from Halloween and it’s this hot out, it’s not a good idea to start carving jack-o-lanterns just yet. However, … Continue reading →