Here are some toddler Halloween costume ideas that we are loving:

Rainy Day

• What you’ll need: rain gear (hat/jacket/boots/umbrella), cotton batting, construction paper, string
• How to make it: once your child is all dressed up and ready for rain, use a hot glue gun to glue the cotton batting on top of your umbrella to resemble a cloud. Cut some rain drop shapes out of construction paper and attach to string or ribbon and hot glue them to the umbrella to mimic raindrops!

Life is a Highway

• What you’ll need: black clothing (jacket/pants), yellow tape, black and white cardstock and a bonus if you have some – toy race cars!
• How to make it: add strips of yellow tape to the black jacket and pants mimicking the lines on a road/highway, hot glue gun your race cars sporadically on the clothing as well and cut your black cardstock into little squares and glue onto your white cardstock to create a racing flag

Lego Character

• What you’ll need: colored clothing (stick to one color from top to bottom), an egg carton, ribbon and a piece of cardboard
• How to make it: after you dress your child up in their matching-coloured clothing (think yellow, red or blue) you can then create the “lego block” by hot gluing your egg carton cups onto the piece of cardboard and paint it all the same colour as the clothing. Attach pieces of ribbon onto the back so that they can wear it on top!

Jellyfish

• What you’ll need: clear umbrella, ribbon, tape or a hot glue gun
• How to make it: use either your tape or hot glue gun to attach your ribbon to the inside edge of the umbrella, that’s it! You can throw on some googly eyes to make this one extra fun!

Rosie the Riveter

• What you’ll need: a bandana, a piece of black foamboard, a white marker, a stick of some sort
• How to make it: dress your little one in their cutest denim outfit and wrap the bandana around their head like a headband. Shape your foam board into a speech bubble shape and write “We Can Do It” with your white marker – attach the sign to a stick and you’re ready to rock!

M&M Candy

• What you’ll need: various colored t-shirts if you are doing this in a group (purple, green, blue or red etc), white tape or marker
• How to make it: using your white tape you can create the M&M logo on top of the t-shirt, if you are using a marker instead you can write the M&M logo.

Mummy

• What you’ll need: multiple rolls of bandages, white clothing for layering underneath
• How to make it: dress your little one in white clothing and wrap the bandages around mummy-style – an extremely simple but cute costume!

Fabulous trolls

• What you’ll need: you can use either a wig or simply grab some colored hairspray, nude colored bodysuit and a fun colorful skirt or pants
• How to make it: if you decide to use hairspray, tie your child’s hair up in a very high ponytail and spray away, but a wig works too, and you can do the same thing with it. So fun!

Mario & Luigi

• What you’ll need: red t-shirt and overalls, green t-shirt and overalls, green baseball cap, red baseball cap, white felt, black marker
• How to make it: once your little one’s are dressed in their t-shirts and overalls, cut a circle out of the white felt and glue on top of your baseball hats, use a black marker to write an M and an L on each hat. The perfect pair!

Minions

• What you’ll need: yellow long sleeve shirt, denim overalls, yellow beanie, black pipe cleaners, black gloves, goggles/glasses
• How to make it: glue your pipe cleaners onto the top of your hats and with the rest of your clothing you’re set!

Let’s take the stress out of Halloween costume shopping and use what we already have: creativity! Making any of these Halloween costumes can also be a fun family activity. There are always so many of the same costumes on Halloween night, but your child will be sure to stand out with any of these DIY options.  Don’t forget to label anything important that you don’t want to lose! Happy trick or treating!

The post DIY Kids and Toddler Halloween Costume Ideas appeared first on The Mabelhood.

In fact, to those people, I say, get over it.

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that Halloween is just for little kids. But the truth is, teenagers are still growing up and exploring their identities. Dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door for treats is a fun and harmless way for them to do just that. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good piece of candy?

Of course, there are some concerns that come with older kids trick-or-treating. Some worry that they might be too scary or intimidating to younger children. Others are concerned that teens might be disruptive or cause damage to property; from what I know of the teens who come through my house daily, these fears are unfounded.

First, not all teens are scary or intimidating. In fact, many of them choose costumes that are fun or silly rather than spooky. And even if they do opt for a scarier look, it’s important to remember that Halloween is all about playing pretend. Just because someone is dressed as a zombie or a vampire doesn’t mean they are actually dangerous.

Here are a few things to remember about tweens and teens going out for Halloween:

-We adults spend so much time complaining about how quickly kids grow up, and then when they try to have fun trick-or-treating, we berate them for it.

-Hormones do crazy things. You can have a 12-year-old who looks like a Man-Boy at your door because he’s tall and needs a shave. But really, it’s hard to tell how old these kids are. Before we get all judgmental, we need to remember that tweens and teens come in all shapes and sizes.

-And speaking about being judgmental, many bigger kids in the special needs community love Halloween. You don’t know much about the kids who come to your door, so don’t assume they’re being greedy. They may just be special kids enjoying the fun.

-Is it really that painful to hand over a fun-sized chocolate bar? Is it really worth all the stress and negativity for the price of a lollipop? Just smile and hand over the candy.

-Every kid out there trick-or-treating has their own parents. Let that kid’s parents worry about whether their kids are too old to participate. You don’t have to make it your business.

What to consider if your teens want to trick-or-treat:

If your teen has approached you and said they want to trick-or-treat and you’re feeling a little skeptical, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

-You know your kid best. Are they a troublemaker? If your kid has no history of mischief or bad behavior, then let them have fun!

-It’s probably more likely that they’re just trying to hang onto a fun tradition they enjoyed as a kid.  We all complain that kids grow up too fast; they may feel this, too.

-Find out who they’re going with, and if there are no red flags, then allow them to have fun!

-Make sure you know who they are with and where they’ll be. (Here are some great safety tips for teens and tweens).

Of course, that’s not to say there aren’t some guidelines teens should follow when going trick-or-treating.

Here are some tips for your tweens and teens to remember when heading out trick-or-treating:

-Try to avoid overly scary or violent costumes. Never purposely jump out or spook others.

-Be respectful of younger children and not push past them in line; what a great opportunity to be a good role model!

-If they’re going out in a group, it’s important to be mindful of their behavior and not do anything that might appear intimidating. Smaller groups are probably best.

-Just because you can stay out later doesn’t mean you should. Once the streets start to clear and parents turn off lights it’s time to go. Many households are struggling to get little ones to sleep, and they won’t appreciate you ringing the doorbell past 9 p.m.

Halloween is a chance for them to be creative and express themselves, and it’s a fun way to bond with friends and family and be a part of their community. Plus, with so many other pressures and stresses in their lives, it’s nice to have a night where they can just let loose and have some offline fun. Instead of judging others, let’s focus on having fun and spreading some spooky holiday cheer.

Whether they’re young or old, scary or silly, let’s give them a reason to smile and enjoy the night. After all, it’s just candy.

A version of this post originally appeared on yummymummyclub.ca  

The post When Are Kids Too Old for Trick-or-Treating? appeared first on The Mabelhood.

So instead of not allowing the candy, the best way to combat this is to incorporate it into a healthy treat. It’s also a good way to use up any uneaten candy you didn’t give away on Halloween night. Here are four simple recipes to turn Halloween candy into a healthy treat

Materials for chocolate dipper and gummy skewers:

• 1 Plate
  1 Spoon
  1 Knife
  Skewers
  Cutting Board
  Festive Cookie Cutter (optional)
  Parchment paper (optional)
  Microwave or stovetop
  1 Small microwave safe bowl

Gummy Skewers:

1 packet Gummy Candy
1-2 Fruits (e.g. bananas, strawberries, oranges, grapes)
1-2 Vegetables (eg. cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes)
Cheese cubes or Cheese String

Chop fruits, vegetables, and cheese into bite-sized pieces or cut into shapes using your festive cookie cutters. Carefully, slide the gummy candy, fruit, vegetables, and cheese on the skewers, alternating between two pieces of healthy fruit and a treat candy.

Chocolate Fruit Dippers:

2 packs mini-Chocolate bars (to melt)
1Pcket Candy to sprinkle 1-2 (nerds, skittles)
Fruits (eg. bananas, strawberries, apples, grapes)
Optional: 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
2tbsp Nut/seed Butter

Chop candy and chocolates into small pieces and place in separate bowls, little kids will need assistance.
Place parchment paper on a plate. Wash and cut fruit to cubes or slices.
Place each piece on its own skewer.
Put the chocolate bowl in the microwave, and heat for 30 seconds. Stir. Then continue to heat for 15 seconds and stir until the chocolate is melted. (If using the stovetop, place chocolate in pot and heat on low for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly)
Slowly dip the fruit in the chocolate and place on the plate.
Sprinkle your chocolate dipped fruit with candy and extra chocolate pieces.
Put in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Yogurt bark

(5.3oz) cartons of plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp coconut oil (stops the yogurt from crystalizing)
1/4 c. blueberries
1 small pack of smarties, gummies or other candy
1 mango

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper.
Mix honey into your yogurt. Spread across the pan of parchment paper
Top with the sliced kiwi, blueberries, and candy pieces
Lastly, place in freezer until set. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Trail Mix

Add smarties, m&m’s into a trail mix (almonds, peanuts, cashews, pretzels) Don’t bother with raisins, dried fruit is high in sugar, and if we’re going to add sugar- we’ll keep the candy!

If you’re looking for some healthy meals to get back on track after all the candy- give these soup recipes a try!

The post Tips for incorporating Halloween candy into a healthy treat! appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Eventually, our kids will reach a point when they wander out without adults or perhaps attend a party. The rules are different. While we want them to be independent and have fun with their friends, it’s also essential to send them into the world armed with all the tools to stay safe.

Your must talk to them before going out. As painful as they may find it – it’s super important. Read safety tips to make yourself aware of and open the discussion up with your tweens and teens.

Tips:

• Pick a route ahead of time.
  Make all the parents aware of this route and stick to it. Remind them only to visit houses with lights on and never enter inside someone’s home. Make sure you know who they are with, and have the numbers of those kids and parents.
• Car safety.
  Remind them never to get in the car with someone who has been drinking. Remind them never to text and drive. They’ll likely roll their eyes and say that they already know – say it anyway.
• Share their location.
  If they change the plan, or go to a friend’s house, ask that they share their location with you.
• Costumes aren’t invitations.
  Halloween is about escapism, Your kiddo, or their friends may choose to dress in a costume that is revealing. A sexy costume is not an invitation. Remind both your daughters and sons of this.
• Don’t fall prey to tricks.
  Halloween night is known for tricks (toilet papering a house, we’ve all been there!). But times are different now. With the prevalence of smartphones, these innocent shenanigans will likely be recorded. What once was perceived as mischief can get you in trouble with charges of vandalism, trespassing, or worse. Make sure your kids know that these tricks can lead to charges and big consequences can affect their college applications and entire future.
• Walk away.
  Provide your kid with an “out” if something feels off or they want to leave. Make sure you have a code word or plan to help them pick them up. Remember, doing this means they were responsible, so don’t get angry that they allowed themselves to get into a situation. Just be pleased they were responsible enough to get out.
• Don’t eat candy.
  Yes, this one may seem strange, it’s Halloween after all!  But for this one night, it’s probably best that you ask them not to consume any candy given to them by acquaintances  at a party. With cannabis edibles  looking  similar to regular candy, your kiddo may not be able to spot something is different. THC edibles can be hard to recognize and very dangerous. Give them a few packs of ‘decoy’ candy they can keep with them to open and enjoy. Better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t be fearful, but be aware

This isn’t meant to scare you, it’s meant to make you aware, and help keep you kids aware too. The more you talk openly with them, the more you’ll find that they know a lot more than you think, and you may even learn a thing or too! Keeping the conversation open and light will also make sure that they share info with you, trust you and know that you’re always there to help when they may need it.

Also, maybe your teens just want to trick-or-treat but you’re not sure if they’re too old? Read this!

Happy Halloween! (Oh, and check these out!)

The post Halloween Safety for Tweens & Teens; Because Times Have Changed! appeared first on The Mabelhood.

1.Costumes

When choosing their costumes, I ask my kids always to be respectful. Have them consider if their costume is making for or offensive of a culture or religion. Does it reinforce stereotypes about certain groups? My kiddos are generally very aware of cultural appropriation, but it’s still a meaningful conversation to have. Otherwise, if their costumes are safe and not too restrictive, I don’t police unnecessarily. Let them express themselves and have fun!

2. Inclusivity

I try to ensure I have non-food items for kids with allergies or food sensitivities. Having a teal pumpkin on your porch will alert trick-or-treaters that you are a safe house for them. If you notice a child carrying a blue pumpkin for their treats, they alert homeowners that they are on the autism spectrum. These kiddos may not be in costume because of sensory issues. They may not say “trick-or-treat” if they are non-verbal. If you have a child in your neighbourhood with a mobility device, be sure to make your home accessible for them or set up your treats at the bottom of your driveway. As a mom now of many teenagers who love to trick-or-treat, don’t be that guy who doesn’t give them candy because they are teenagers. Let them be kids for as long as they can.

3. Covid Safety

We’re all well versed in this by now – wear masks, bring hand sanitizer, and try to avoid congregating and chatting on porches. Instead, have your little trick-or-treaters move along quickly. When distributing treats, don’t have the kiddos all reaching into a common bowl. Using tongs to hand out treats is probably the way to go this year.

And remember – Hallowe’en is not mandatory! If you feel uncomfortable letting your kids go out or having people come to your door, you can always turn that porch light off and have fun with the kiddos doing other activities. So for those who are participating – let’s have a safe, inclusive, and fun night!

The post Three Important Halloween Tips for 2021 appeared first on The Mabelhood.

You may have heard of The Teal Pumpkin Project in recent years. It’s an initiative that raises awareness for food allergies and the goal is to make trick-or-treating safe and more inclusive for the many children who have food allergies, intolerances, and other conditions. It’s quite simple to participate too! Just place a teal pumpkin on your doorstep to let trick-or-treaters with food allergies know that you also have non-food treats to give out that are safe for everyone. Need some non-candy ideas? We’ve made a list of some great ideas that you can find at most dollar stores. Remember to keep them in a separate bowl from candy if you’re planning on giving out both.

• Glowsticks or glow necklaces.
• Pencils, pens, or markers
• Bookmarks
• Halloween erasers
• Bouncy Balls
• Playing Cards
• Halloween rings
• Stickers
• Bubbles

There are also some other things to keep in mind this Halloween if you have a child with a food allergy. If this isn’t your first rodeo, you’ve likely considered all the things listed below. If your child has been recently diagnosed however and this is your first Halloween navigating an allergy, you might find some of these tips quite helpful

– Consider making a “no eating until we get home” rule. Foods you might think are safe, might not be. It’s best to wait until you get home to check everything before eating. Some candy has ingredients you wouldn’t think they would have. For example, candy corn has egg whites in it, and licorice has wheat! Plus, some candy doesn’t have a label, so you have no idea what’s in it.

– Keep the emphasis on how fun the whole experience is, not just the candy.  

– Pick up some non-food items to keep at home so your child can trade in their unsafe candy.

– If trick-or-treating just seems too stressful, skip it! Instead, celebrate Halloween with a party at home or a spooky family movie night with allergy friendly treats!

The Teal Pumpkin Project has been a huge help in raising awareness, and promoting safety, inclusion, and respect for those with food allergies. If you want to help make Halloween safe for all the little ghosts and goblins, you can buy some teal paint and paint a pumpkin to set on your doorstep. You can also find teal pumpkins for sale at stores in your community. If you want to learn more about this worldwide initiative, simply google The Teal Pumpkin Project and you’ll find plenty of great info!

Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween!

The post Non-candy Treats to Consider for an Allergy Aware Halloween appeared first on The Mabelhood.

“I just don’t know if we should do Halloween this year,” a friend said to us one night, a few weeks ago, when the subject of trick-or-treating came up over a socially distanced visit.

It seemed preposterous to my husband and I at the time, and yet, it isn’t far from the truth. Since then, I’ve been polling every parent I run into: Trick-or-treat or stay at home? Survey results are mixed.

Some parents are talking about replacing trick or treating with treasure hunts and family movie nights. Some have mentioned using tongs to hand out treats, to maintain social distance. One parent even suggested throwing candy at the kids. Trick or treating as sport, I guess?

One mom mentioned candy chutes and slides parents can use to distribute the stuff. She’s right, it’s true! I saw it on YouTube!

Then there are the events that have popped up to replace local traditions. Instead of walks in the park where neighbours have put up their pumpkins, there are now pumpkin theme parks and Halloween light drive-throughs that can cost a small fortune if you have a car full of kids, like I do. That is if you can still get tickets, as most dates I looked up are sold out.

I got so desperate I even thought about renting a tent and heaters for an outdoor neighbourhood party, but then I remembered it would be hard to maintain social distance.

For Halloween babies, it’s especially tough. Halloween AND my birthday are cancelled this year? Ugh.

It’s enough to make this parent finally give in to the request to try paint ball, just to give my eldest SOMETHING to look forward to.

As for the handing out candy part, my husband has had his flu shot and as long as he’s feeling fine, he’ll be dressed up and dishing it out like any other year. Perhaps he’ll wear a fancy mask—that way he’ll have his costume and COVID protection all in one.

The truth is, I’m beginning to wonder if all these measures to protect us aren’t the beginning of our undoing. Businesses going under. Parents and kids feeling depressed and disconnected. If we’re still alive once the pandemic is finally over, I have to wonder what will be left of us if we keep going this way?

Chatting with other parents and neighbours, I hear that I’m not alone in these thoughts.

I’ve never been a traditionalist, despite the husband and four kids and a house in the suburbs. But I’m feeling very protective lately of our way of life. And that includes Halloween. Relinquishing this holiday feels like giving in to fear to me. A fear that is as nebulous as the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween.

Extra curricular sports like hockey are cancelled, but we can still take our kids to the mall if we want to. The kids wear masks at school and yet many of them are catching the common cold. To be honest, none of it is quite adding up.

For now, it looks like I’ll be planning an Easter Egg hunt in October. Like I said, the truth is stranger than fiction.

The post What’s a Parent To Do About Halloween This Year? appeared first on The Mabelhood.

My kids have a sixth sense and seem to just know the moment the Halloween store at the mall has set up shop.

Every year they beg to wander through the store to scare themselves with the spooky displays they have set up and eye the packaged costumes that line the walls.

Inevitably my kids will declare their obsession with one of those packaged costumes that cost a fortune and that will be how they decide on their Halloween attire. It won’t be a unique costume. There may be half a dozen kids at their school or in our neighbourhood dressed the exact same. But my kids don’t seem to care about that.

As a kid, I remember half the fun of Halloween was figuring out what I was going to be and finding things around my house to make my costume. My mother was really good at putting costumes together out of items that lay around the house already and some make up. Sometimes I was able to recycle old dance recital costumes, but growing up in Canada where your costume often had to fit a snowsuit underneath made it tricky.

Every so often my parents would buy us the packaged costume that came with those awful plastic masks that barely let you breathe. To be honest I don’t know if packaged costumes were rare in my house because my parents couldn’t afford them, because they were super uncomfortable to wear or because we just wanted something more creative.

I remember being in awe of the little girl down the street whose mother was an excellent seamstress and would sew her these elaborate costumes. Rainbow Bright was my favourite.

Putting together a Halloween costume was one of the most exciting parts of Halloween.

My kids don’t seem to put any thought into their costume. They wander the store until something catches their eye; my daughter looks for something with a big dress that will allow her to wear makeup and my son looks for something that will creep people out. But they don’t often go in stuck on an idea of what they want to be.

I wish my kids were open to homemade Halloween costumes.

I remember my daughter’s kindergarten Halloween party with such pride. For weeks she spoke about wanting to be Elsa from Disney’s Frozen. But the weekend before Halloween we were cleaning out some old boxes and she came across a dance recital costume of mine that looked an awful lot like Wonder Woman. I could see her little eyes dance at the sight of it.

The night before the big day she stated that she had changed her mind and now wanted to be Wonder Woman. So I went at it, pinning stars to the shorts and finding pieces to add. My husband fastened a yellow rope to her side so that she had her trusty lasso with her. When we walked in to the party the next day she was the only Wonder Woman in a sea of Elsas. I loved that she had some originality.

I wish they kept some of that creativity.

When I suggest homemade costumes the kids scoff at me. I mentioned a zombie soccer player to my son, whose favourite thing in life is soccer and he rolled his eyes as I excitedly described ripping an old uniform and using make up to make him look like a zombie.

My daughter, who loves bows and arrows, wandered the store looking for a costume that could somehow incorporate that piece but didn’t seem impressed with my idea to create a Robin Hood costume.

Have we taken away that part of Halloween from our kids by always presenting them with a ready made option? I so desperately want my kids to use their imagination rather than wait for some corporation to show them what they can be.

In the end their costume needs to be about them and what they want to dress up as, not what I want them to dress up in. They only have a few short years of Trick or Treating left, I don’t want to take any of that away from them. But I will continue to give my suggestions in the hopes that one day something will stick. Until then, I’ll continue to wander the Halloween store until they find just what they’re looking for.

As long as they give me their peanut butter cups I’ll be happy.

..

The post My Kid’s Halloween Costumes Aren’t Creative appeared first on The Mabelhood.

For kids, Halloween is one of the most awesome days of the year. First, you get to dress up as pretty much anything you want! And second, and probably most important…CANDY!

I remember LOVING Halloween when I was a kid. Mind you, I have a mild (okay major) candy addiction, so I think that was a big part of its appeal. I dressed up as a cabbage patch kid, a devil, a clown and a whole whack of other characters that were cool in the 80’s and 90’s.

Our guys had a tough time choosing their costumes this year. Our oldest REALLY wanted to be an inflatable T-Rex, but I told him there was no way I was spending 70 or 80 dollars on a costume that will likely get ruined on Halloween night. Our youngest wanted to be Dash from The Incredibles, a skeleton, Spongebob Squarepants, Jack Skellington and a werewolf. In the end, they have both decided to be ninjas together. Does anyone else wait until the last minute to get costumes so there’s no time left for them to change their mind?

Once the costume is taken care of, our minds turn to making sure our little ones have a blast on Halloween night, but also stay safe. So, I’ve put together a few things for all of us to keep in mind to make sure everyone has an awesome Halloween!

Costumes – Costumes are so much fun, but they can be tricky. Make sure masks are comfortable and have holes big enough for children to properly see out of. Check the length of the costume to make sure your child won’t be tripping on it. If the costume is dark, think about adding some reflectors, giving them a flashlight or a glow bracelet or necklace so drivers can see them better.

Candy – Kids are always excited to dig right into the candy! But make sure they know that you – the parent – need to check all their treats BEFORE they eat any. I read these stories about people finding razor blades in chocolate bars and it completely blows my mind. Why would anyone want to harm a child? It’s mind-boggling, but it’s real. It does happen. Please make sure your children know to wait for you to quickly check it over before they go crazy.

Trick or Treating – In normal circumstances, we don’t encourage our children to go knocking on stranger’s doors asking for candy. But Halloween is different. Which may give kids the idea that all those rules about strangers are different and don’t apply. Remind your children not to go into stranger’s homes, to always stay with the group, and to only go to houses with lights on. Also, stay on sidewalks and always look both ways before crossing the street.

Happy Halloween to all the kids and to all the parents looking forward to raiding the Halloween bags after they’re in bed!

The post 3 Tips for Keeping Kids Safe on Halloween appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Seventy-eight. Yes, that is the number of Halloween costumes I’ve had to deal with in my parenting career. Certainly there have been costumes that have been re-used and handed down, but regardless, parenting six children through a combined total of 78 trick-or-treat nights has not been without its share of costume adventures and misadventures.

Parents can put an extraordinary amount of work into making elaborate costumes, or spend a ridiculous amount of money buying them. It begs the question – what do families do with all those Halloween costumes once the spooky night is over?

• Turn to the Book of Face:

Yes, on Facebook there are many moms buy and sell groups. When you’re clearing out old costumes, post them on one of the groups. You’ll be helping out another mom and getting a bit back from your initial investment.

• Costume Trunk:

I’m not gonna lie, I have one ridiculously good dress-up trunk. Between Halloween costumes and old dance recital gear, my entire family can turn into a freak show on the turn of a dime.

• Donate:

There are many daycares, dance studios, children’s theatre groups and libraries that accept and love to collect old costumes for tickle trunks and dress-ups.

• Look to the future:

One day you may enjoy little grandkids of your own. If there are any special costumes that hold sentimental value, keep them and cue the waterworks in about 20 Halloweens from now when you see them on the next generation.

• “Go Green For Halloween”:

Start a costume swap at your school. People can bring in gently used costumes and trade them with other members of the school community. Better still? Have folks pay $5.00 per costume and make it a fundraiser for the school.

How do you survive the craziness of Halloween costumes – both the creating, and the disposing of?

The post What To Do With All Those Halloween Costumes appeared first on The Mabelhood.