Last-Minute Halloween Reminders

Halloween is still a few days away, but trick-or-treating has already started in my neck of the woods. In Wisconsin, individual municipalities are given the power to determine their own trick-or-treat times. In recent years, many communities have designated the weekend prior to October 31st as the official period where kids can “legally” go door-to-door collecting free candy. Safety is the main motivator behind the move. Law makers believe it’s safer for children to trick-or-treat on a weekend when the traffic is lighter. In addition, having kids hit the streets in costume on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon increases the … Continue reading

The Art of Recycling Halloween Costume Ideas

(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

Halloween for the In-Betweens

My 8-year-old is crazy excited for Halloween. She’s got her costume picked out, her plastic pumpkin’s ready to be filled, heck, she’s even created a list of “Most Wanted Candy,” with estimations on how long her stash of free sweets will last if she devours four/five/six pieces per day. Like mother, like daughter. Meanwhile, my neighbor’s two children are at that “in-between” stage in regards to All Hallows’ Eve. They love the idea of getting mountains of candy, but are not as enthused about going door-to-door to gather it. They’d much prefer having it delivered to them a la the … Continue reading

Last-Minute Halloween Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner. Does your house look haunted yet? Mountains of dirty dishes, piles of soiled laundry and black rings around the toilet don’t count. If you’ve waited until now to get into the Halloween spirit, don’t fret. There are a slew of simple ways you can create a spooktacular holiday display without breaking the bank: Sweet Treats on a Stick: With a little patience and a few cheap materials you can make a sweet treat on a stick. Halloween topiaries are a cinch to make. All you need are your favorite candies, such as gum drops, … Continue reading

Decorate for Halloween Without Going Overboard or Over Budget

Have you seen how much realistic-looking severed heads and limbs dripping with fake blood cost these days? Gore can really add up. If you are looking for ways to keep your Halloween decor and spending on the conservative side, you’re not alone. Millions of people across the country prefer embellishing their homes and offices with subtle holiday touches, such as: Leaf Garlands: Show your love for the season by purchasing inexpensive fall leaf garlands from discount stores. The vibrantly colored strands are an easy way to show your love for the season without going overboard. Simply drape the garland around … Continue reading

Simplify Halloween

And by “simplify” I mean “keep it cheap.” Fortunately, cheap doesn’t have to translate into ugly. Goodness knows my 8-year-old would just “diiiiiiiie!!” if I suggested we scale back on Halloween costumes and decor. However, like many families the world over; we live on a budget. A tight budget, that doesn’t allow us to go bat wild celebrating pagan holidays. Still, I don’t want her missing out on all of the candy-coated fun, so instead of canceling Halloween, I find frugal ways we can participate without going into debt. Here are some of the inexpensive ways we keep the holiday … Continue reading

Paint Your Way to an Affordable Halloween Costume

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

Halloween Events for Kids With Special Needs

Halloween can be fun, but it can also be scary. Not every Halloween event is designed to accommodate kids who have special needs, but there are starting to be more of them happening. The “trick” is to find them! Here is a list of upcoming Halloween events that are for children who have special needs. On October 23, 2012, the Valley Church, which is located in West Des Moines, Iowa, will hold “The Great Pumpkin Party”. There will be more than one event, but the party designed for children who have special needs will happen on October 23. It will … Continue reading

Keeping Your Little Ones Safe this Halloween

Halloween is only a few days away. Have you planned out your trick-or-treating route yet? It is important to make sure your children are trick-or-treating in a familiar area and know exactly where they are going the night of Halloween. The last thing you would want is your child to wander off and get lost in the middle of nowhere! Always make sure there is an adult with your child. Some kids like to go trick-or-treating in a big group of friends. While there tends to be safety in numbers it is still important to have at least one adult … Continue reading

Fun with Halloween Face Paint

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