Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

One week left before the kiddos (and some adults) get all dressed up in costumes, going door to door begging for candy. If you haven't gotten a costume for your darling son or daughter, don't panic. There are some great household items that will easily transform them into another character long enough to get gobs of candy.

1. A sheet. And no, I'm not telling you to dress your child up as a ghost. A belted sheet, some jeans, boots, and an eye patch will make a great pirate costume. Cut a whole in the middle of the sheet for your child's head. Gather the sheet at the waist and put on a belt. A couple of safety pins under the arms will finish off the look.  While we're working with a sheet, you can dress up your cutie as an angel, shepherd, or wise man...oh yeah, save those tips for the Nativity coming up in a few weeks.

 2. Poster board.  You'll need two sheets of poster board, ribbon/string, and art supplies.  Your child can be a Bologna Sandwich (draw and cut out huge bread slices and dress your child in red) or a Watch (draw and cut out huge watch faces and dress in one color...for the fancy set make it Michael Kors, wear a sparkly sweater and grey pants) or even SpongeBob.  Punch holes at the top of the boards and slide your ribbon through. Use a little hot glue to reinforce the holes.

3. Face Paint. Now we're talking! Your child can be Two Face from Batman and wear a suit, flip a quarter...Mime face and wear all black....A sleep deprived mom with dark circles under the eyes, a house coat, rollers, and a coffee mug (we can probably go as twins).

4. Don't Trick or Treat at all...My son decided that he didn't want to go Trick or Treating for several reasons (the level of anxiety when he approaches these dramatically decorated homes, his religious convictions, and MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE!). He's a pretty deep guy to be 8 years old. There are lot of fun things to do at malls and restaurants. Have a party with and without costumes for kids to hang out and enjoy a fall Friday night. We usually through out or gave away over half the candy anyway, so this year we'll be enjoying Wolverine's antics eating cotton candy. I don't know what's my son's going to have.

"What are you going to do with those!?" *Halloween Edition*

Thanks to Kroger for saving me money with their quality store brand products!

I like to come up with spins on kids' favorites. So when my son wanted to make something unique for his class project, I knew just the the thing.  He loves dirt! No, not mud pies, but dirt made with crushed up Oreos. To give it a Halloween theme, we added a candy corn pumpkin. What else do we find in dirt? Worms! So a gummi worm has to be part of this treat.  To top it off, a scarecrow has to watch over the pumpkin patch. Voila! You have a Portable Pumpkin Patch treat that's easy to make and fun to eat!

Shopping List:
1 pack Oreo or Oreo style sandwich cookie (creme-scraped & crushed)
1 bag Marshmallows (medium)
1 bag Pretzel Sticks
1 bag Brach's Mellowcreme Pumpkins (taste like candy corn YUM!)
1 pack Gummi Worms
food coloring
8 - 9 oz. clear cups
plastic wrap

Calories per serving about 160 calories or less.

Step 1:
Scrape out the creme filling from the cookies and place scraped cookies in a ziplock bag for crushing

Step 2:

The fun part...crush the cookies with a tenderizer mallet or rolling pin.  Kids love it!

Step 3:

Set the crushed cookies aside. Place one gummi worm in each empty cup.

Now you see it...

Step 4:

Place 2 scoops of the crushed cookies on top of the gummi worm.

Now you don't!

Step 5:

Decorate your marshmallows with facial features using food coloring and a tiny brush.

We kept ours simple.

Step 6:

Give each marshmallow head a pretzel stick body.

You can definitely make the body more elaborate by adding smaller marshmallows and more pretzel sticks. We were just keeping the calories/sugar as reasonable as possible.

Step 7: 

Drop a pumpkin and the scarecrow in the cup. Cover with plastic wrap. Fun treat/activity that kids will love to make and eat!

 I am a Certified Event and Meeting Planner. I love to come up with unique party ideas for kids and adults. You can make these for a class party or have kids create their own by setting up building stations.  You notice that there are NO NUTS so kiddos with nut allergies should be all set to enjoy. For gluten allergies, there are comparable gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies available. Instead of the pumpkin, Jelly Belly makes gluten free candy corn, so it'll be a Portable Corn Field! 

Have fun!

It's Time to "Fall" in Love!

It is amazingly easy to meet new people in the summer. Everyone is traveling, and you can strike up conversation with complete strangers on a plane or in an out-of-town restaurant. But, now that fall is in full swing, the usual routine is solidified once again...or is it? If you are looking to find a sweetie in time for winter snuggling, this is the definitive list just for you.

1. Sports Bars - Have you heard that it is football season? On any given Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, sports bars and grills are filled with men. Take your pick! If you are not an avid football fan, you must know at least a little about the game.  You don't want to be conspicuously clueless, but be willing to learn. This will be a definite ego booster for a man who can be your personal instructor.  If you are genuinely into football, even better. Wear you team's colors proudly and be ready for some cute trash talk.  Don't be too much like one of the guys, but balance your love of the sport with you love of being feminine.  You can do it!

2. Harvest Festivals (Any festivals come to think of it!) - Fall brings all types of festivals, and with the weather becoming more crisp, bad hair days are gone.  Most festivals will bring out the family set, so be meticulous about which ones you chose to find a cutie to flirt with.  Anything with face painting may not be your festival of choice.  "Oktoberfests" and music festivals will usually draw a more mature crowd.  And, never pass up a wine tasting! If you can find a cognac tasting in your area, you will hit pay dirt! 

3. Lunch Break - Now that everyone is back from vacations, you can do a tour of area restaurants during your lunch break.  Pick one or two eateries to try each week with coworkers or solo.  You are guaranteed to meet someone new in no time.

4. Homecoming - Yes, you should attend your homecoming. No, you do not have to lose 100 pounds in two months. Maybe, just maybe, you'll either rekindle an old friendship or meet someone new.

5. Coffee Shops - New flavors, new treats, who knows who you'll meet!  Pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all things yummy pop up in coffee shops. You're not the only one who will stop in to get limited time fare. That special someone may just have a taste for a latte the morning you pop in after reading this list.

Get dates and time at kingsdominion.com.

6. Amusement Parks - If you are not the faint at heart, you should try amusement park Halloween transformations.  You’ll be running for your life from chainsaw wielding mad men! You’ll need someone to save you, so keep a lookout for single fellows to the rescue.  The thrill of it all will help you bond with your new acquaintance.  

7. Volunteer - The fall brings about opportunities to pack food trucks, sort canned goods from food drives, and other altruistic endeavors leading up to the holidays.  Strong arms and caring hearts of available men will be involved. You can help feed the hungry while satisfying your own man hunger!

There are many more places to go and meet new people, but these seven will be a good start.  The key is to stay on the move. Don't slump back in the house because the days are getting shorter and colder.  Take advantage of the events and activities unique to this time of year.  By this winter, you'll be cozied up by the fire with your new sweetie thinking about how wonderful a fall you had. Will you plan a summer wedding?