Now is the perfect time to take advantage of post Halloween clearance sales.  Today I was shopping at Family Dollar and their Halloween things were 75% off.  I got a 3 lb bag of Kiddie Mix for only $1.25.  I also picked up some extra candy for my daughter’s classroom.  The teachers like to have treats for their students and it’s nice to contribute for a small price.

If your kids are like mine, they like to dress up all year long.  Take advantage of the Halloween costumes that are on clearance right now.  Tonight, I saw a Batman costume on clearance for $10.  The original price was around $30 or more.  Kids like to dress up and these would make great Christmas presents.

Happy saving!

Baby Center has halloween costumes on sale as well.  I love Baby Center’s store.  They have great stuff and layering pieces to put under the costumes as well.

image : baby center

Trick or treat!  Right now Diapers.com is offering up to 40% off their Halloween costumes.  In addition, there is free shipping on all costumes.

I don’t know about you, but I find it boring to walk around department stores and see the same costumes each year.  What’s worse is paying the money for a costume and then seeing three other children walking around with the same costume as your child.  Ordering online offers a different selection and individuality from others.  My favorite costume at Diapers.com is the adorable lion costume.  Which one is your favorite?

Don’t forget, Diapers.com is donating one of these cute costumes for our Blogtoberfest.  You could be a winner!

image from diapers.com

Brianne, over at Greetings, is a craft-o-holic.  So to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, she is giving away a set of studio G clear stamps for Halloween.  She also wants to know what you would make with it so go over and enter to win such a great gift for the kickoff of the holiday season!

I was surfing the other b5 Family & Relationships blogs tonight and thought you might like these articles I found on Halloween.  There is a wide range of interesting, helpful, and funny.  Enjoy! 

Enjoying a Safe Halloween

Trick or Treat Dilemma

Free Pumpkin Stencils

Halloween Out There

Ahem! Some of Us Don’t Need Halloween to Dress Up

Halloween Costumes and the Mommy Wars

Last Minute Halloween Ideas for the Thrifty

Funny Halloween Pranks

Help the Elderly Celebrate Halloween

Top 10 Do-It-Yourself Costume Tips

Make Your Own Halloween Costumes or Throw a Party

More Feline Fantasy for Halloween

Wedding Theme:  Halloween

Halloween and the Single Mother

Have a Spooky Green Halloween

I found this great website today that has some recipes from restaurants such as Red Lobster, Pizza Hut, Planet Hollywood, Outback, Cracker Barrel, and more! 

Since I was there, I thought you might like the recipe for popcorn balls.  These are a Halloween favorite for many.

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup white corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter
3/4 Teaspoon salt
3/4 Teaspoon vanilla
3 quarts popped corn
Put sugar, syrup, water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Cook, stirring until
sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking without stirring until it reaches 250
degrees. Add vanilla and stir only enough to mix. Pour over corn and mix
well. Form into balls. You can add food coloring along with the vanilla for
colored popcorn balls.

Check out Recipe Insider for more great recipes.

Better Homes and Gardens has a free pumpkin stencil maker on their site.  You do have to be a member to use it, but it only takes a few seconds to sign up.  There are many different choices for eyes, nose, and mouths.  You can have your pumpkin stencil created and printed in less than 5 minutes.

Other places for pumpkin designs:

BH&G also has some premade designs, such as the one in the above picture.

eHow

About.com

DLTK - Scooby Doo, pirate, Thomas the Train, Blue’s Clues, and more.

World Wildlife - wildlife stencils

Fabulous Foods - rock and roll collection

Huggies - Disney

Pumpkin Glow - Disney villains

Hope you find something you like.  Enjoy!

If you’re looking to save money on a costume, or even if you want to be unique, then you should try making your own costume.  Here are some tips to get you started: 

1.  Start with a foundation, such as a sweat suit, pajamas, leggings, tights, etc.

2.  If you can’t sew then use glue or some other adhesive.

3.  Look around the house for everyday things that can be transformed.

4.  Embellish your costume with glitter, glow-in-the-dark paint, fringe,  boas, etc.

5.  Use bathing caps and headbands to attach ears or antennas.

6.  Don’t wait until the last minute.

7.  Check your local dollar store for accessories.  Sometimes you can find wands, crowns, make up, and more.

8.  Let the kids help.  They can have creative ideas and suggestions that you hadn’t thought of.

9. Choose fabrics that are easy to work with such as felt and flannel.  You wouldn’t want to spend money on costly fabrics such as silk and velvet, which are hard to work with.

10.  My favorite tip:  Look online for ideas.  There are plenty of websites with do-it-yourself ideas.  Most come with instructions and pictures. 

For more Halloween ideas, click on “Halloween” under the Thrifty Mommy categories to your right.

A new survey released by Visa Inc. shows that 73% of Americans celebrate and spend money on Halloween.  The average family will spend $40 on candy and decorations.  Parents with children under 18 will spend $54 on candy and decorations.  Dads are said to spend more than moms.

I guess how much you spend depends upon where you live.  I’m sure that in the last 10 years, we haven’t had more than 10 children at our house trick-or-treating.  Maybe it’s because there are so many church and school festivals and other activities going on.  

I have a friend that lives in a neighborhood that has a few hundred houses.  She says that every year she spends more than $100 on candy and each year she runs out.  Can you imagine?

So, we want to know.  How much money do you spend on Halloween?  Please vote in the poll and leave any comments below. 

Last year I was going to take my preschool class to the pumpkin patch, but plans had to be changed when I found out there were no pumpkins left.  It seems there is a shortage of pumpkins again this year due to the scorching summer weather and extreme drought.  As you can imagine, a low harvest drives up prices. 

If you simply must have a pumpkin to carve for your little ones, you’d better go ahead and get it now while they’re still around.  Otherwise, try picking up a fake one from your local craft store.  I saw that Michael’s had theirs 40% off last week.  Yes, they’re fake, but if you’re using them as a decoration in your yard, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.  Then you can use it again for years to come.

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