Halloween Events for Kids

Your kids might be super excited about celebrating Halloween. While some Halloween events are specifically geared for children, there are others that might be too scary for little ones to attend. Here is a list of some kid-friendly Halloween events that are taking place this year. Disney Store Halloween Dress Rehearsal Event The Disney Store near you might be having a Halloween Dress Rehearsal Event. Children must be at least three years of age in order to participate. Kids are to arrive dressed in their favorite Disney character costume. The event will take place on Friday, October 5, 2016, between … Continue reading

Fifteen Minute Breaks Could Help Kids Stay Focused

When adults take a fifteen minute break at work, they tend to come back a bit less stressed and more able to focus on the tasks at hand. It turns out that kids at school can obtain the same benefits from a fifteen minute break. Schools in Finland have already implemented this strategy. They’ve been doing it since the 1960’s. A typical American public school could include one 30 minute recess per school day. The exact amount of time can vary. Some schools might have recess that lasts for 45 minutes, while others might only allow 20 minutes for recess. … Continue reading

The Worst Genealogy Blog of the Year

Many genealogists take time out of their research to work on their very own, personal, genealogy blog. While some of these blogs are entertaining, informative, and inspirational, others are a chore to try and read. Here are some tips to keep your blog from being deemed “the worst genealogy blog of the year”. Anyone can make a blog. There are several websites that will let you sign up and instantly start creating a blog about whatever topic you like for free. This is both good and bad. It allows every genealogist who desires to make a family history blog the … Continue reading

Can You Have A Happy Halloween Without Candy? Yes!

This evening, I took the boys out for more extensive Halloween activity than we have ever done before. This was Dylan’s third Halloween. For his first Halloween, he was a little bear and we only went to the children’s costume parade downtown. Last year, we did nothing. I forget why, but we did not dress up or go anywhere. This year, we all dressed as firefighters (even the baby) and went out two times. For both outings, my goal was the same – to have fun with Dylan and Blake without the boys eating any candy. As we drove towards … Continue reading

Halloween Safety

It’s the night before Halloween. The kids are getting anxious to get out there and start trick-or-treating. Before long ghosts and goblins will be running the streets looking for some Halloween fun, but don’t forget to remind your kids about the importance of staying safe on Halloween this year. Most kids know that they’re supposed to look both ways before crossing the street, but sometimes in the excitement of everything they forget the basic things they’ve been taught from the time they were two. Remind them to never go into a stranger’s home. If they tell you to come in … Continue reading

Halloween-Themed Weight Loss Plan for Brave Parents

Have you seen Hershey’s newest Halloween treat? The Screme Egg is a twist on the chocolate giant’s popular Easter sweet, the Cadbury Creme Egg. The shape is the same, as is the egg’s white filling, but the Halloween version features a green yolk-like center instead of yellow. If that doesn’t make you scream, perhaps the nutritional value will. A single Screme Egg contains 150 calories and five grams of fat. While that may not seem like a frightening amount, consider that the average adult can fit roughly four of the eggs in his or her mouth at one time. Add … Continue reading

Green Halloween 2012

Halloween is almost here, but it is not too late to still think green. If you are still looking for a costume, I wish I had told you sooner about Green Halloween. It is a website that promotes a green Halloween. The site sponsors a yearly National Costume Swap Day, but I learned about it too late this year to advertise it here. It was Oct 13th, but it is still not too late to hold your own costume swap day. You can get together with friends from playgroup, other mothers from school or church or anyone you know with … Continue reading

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

Last Minute Costume Ideas For Toddlers

Did you just look at the calendar and have a minor meltdown because Halloween is a week away? Parents of toddlers are busy, and sometimes things like buying or making Halloween costumes fall by the wayside as we try to take care of the necessities each day before we run out of time and energy. Fortunately, there are a few quick and inexpensive costumes that you can whip up in no time so that your little monsters won’t miss any Halloween fun. If your child has a rain coat and rain boots, you are on your way to making a … 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