The Costume For Baby Halloweens

Toddler costumes are particularly important because your little one is just starting to get to that "dress up" age where they love to feel special and like part of the crowd. Particularly for kids with older siblings, your toddler is going to love the thrill of the trick or treat festivities and transforming him or herself into an animal, movie character or alter-ego.

The costume you choose should say something about your child and should be something your little one will like. After all, no matter how big or small, there's probably still that one costume you fondly remember.

At www.brandsonsale.com, you can surely find the costume that will be perfect for your toddler or infant for a great price! Choose between 101 toddler animal costumes, 22 toddler Disney costumes, 25 toddler bug costumes, 75 toddler TV & movie costumes, 17 toddler super hero costumes, 36 toddler time period costumes, 5 toddler food costumes, 43 toddler character costumes, 45 toddler career costumes, 18 toddler pirates, 6 toddler devils, 4 toddler vampires, 12 toddler witches, 6 toddler pumpkins, 12 toddler clowns and 10 toddler angels.

Your little one will love some of the kids costumes that may feature their parents' professions, from mailmen, police officers, fighter pilots and doctors to chefs, artists and rappers. Imagine your toddler dressed up as R2D2, Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat, Dora the Explorer or Blues Clues from the "TV/Movie Section!" Some of the cutest animal toddler costumes include the cow, the penguin, the grape ape, the kitty, the dinosaurs and the puppies!

Additionally, Disney costume design options include Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear), Finding Nemo, Lilo and Stitch, Jo Jo's Circus, Dash and Eeyore.

The costume you choose is going to get trashed, you know this. It's going to be pooped in, drooled on, spilled on and spit up on. Many of the plush baby and toddler costumes are "spot clean only," which means you'll need to use a gentle non-abrasive laundry spot remover and hope there are no major messes. If your princess dribbles on her dress, then you can try a fine fabric cleaner and cold water via hand-wash.

"Dry clean only" costumes may not be worth the money if they'll never be worn again. If you only paid $6.95 for it, then why bother paying $20 to clean it? Checking the label and opt for machine washable, and feed your baby with bibs or in another outfit before getting dressed up for Halloween fun!

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Halloween Horror Tales

No holiday conjures up all of America's deepest darkest fears more than Halloween. There are many sources of Halloween terror, such as razor blades in apples, cyanide in Pixie Stix, needles in Snickers bars, sex predators lurking in dark doorways, psychos with chainsaws and kidnappers in parked vans.

While the vast majority of Halloween horror stories are exaggerated and unfounded, the real dangers are fires, hand injuries caused by carving pumpkins and traffic accidents.

Even though there are many urban legends surrounding Halloween, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, on average, four children are struck and killed by cars each October 31st, which is four times the fatality rate on any other night. The statistics do not even include accidents that occur in driveways or on sidewalks, so the numbers are suspected to be higher.

Experts say kids in dark costumes and vision-obscuring Halloween masks dashing through the streets for delicious Halloween candy is a recipe for disaster. To protect the kids, costumes and candy bags should have bright reflecting tape on them, parents should accompany little ones and older kids should be given the pre-trick-or-treating huddle to discuss serious safety rules. Kids should be told not to run, to stay together at crosswalks and to carry a flashlight.

Last year, the US recalled 440,000 Halloween toys that were contaminated with lead. Among these dangerous items were: Galaxy Warriors figures, plastic disguise teeth, military-style Elite Operations action figures distributed by Toys R Us and Ribbit board games.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the fake teeth were particularly disturbing, with 100 times more lead than what is deemed "safe." Parents are advised to check labels when buying trick or treat toys and avoid the aforementioned products altogether.

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Happy Halloween With Better Party Ideas

As we get older, some of the luster of Halloween diminishes. We no longer labor over costume design for months in advance. We don't go hog-wild on Halloween candy, emptying our sacks out onto the living room carpet to barter and trade with our siblings.

We forgot what it feels like to bob for apples or get truly spooked by a ghost story. Yet there are many ways to rekindle your Halloween spirit and ensure that you have a happy Halloween after all.

You can play a game to have a happy Halloween this year, whether it's a "Halloween" movie/Michael Myers drinking game with your friends or a few rounds of Halloween Jenga and Halloween Twister with the kids. If you're hosting a kids party, then you'll find that there are a number of Halloween themed games you can make right at home using a few simple craft supplies.

More often than not, you'll have just as much fun watching the kids as you would if you were playing! For some kids games, check out www.partygamecentral.com! To entertain your friends, you may even want to try your hand at learning to read tarot cards, or have a psychic visit your party.

Lastly, express your creative side by putting up some Halloween decorations this year. Perhaps your idea of a happy Halloween is sticky window ghosts, a witch on the door and some cobwebs from the chandelier. Or perhaps you can enlist the help of your kids and transform your whole exterior into a spooky haunted house.

By assembling old adult costumes and costume accessories with the help of some basic craft store items, you can really make some amazing dummies to prop in the front yard to astound spectators. You don't have to spend a fortune either. Each year add a few more items and at least one show-stopping prop.

Check www.frightcatalog.com, www.anniescostumes.com and www.orientaltrading.com for some basic decorations and www.thehorrordome.com for some more professional (and expensive) add-ons. To learn how to make your own Halloween dummies, you can get an idea at www.doityourself.com or www.scaryguys.com.

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Halloween Costume Easy To Find Online

Usually, when people think of a Halloween costume, they think of witches, devils, ghosts and other horrifying creatures. Yet scary is not the only type of costume theme. In fact, many adult Halloween costumes are focused on a particular era, like Western, Roaring 20s or even 16th Century England Renaissance.

In fact, Renaissance costumes are some of the most breath-taking show stoppers you can find on the internet. The pieces vary widely so no two queens or wenches will look exactly the same.

At www.medievalcollectibles.com you will find a great selection of renaissance costumes. Fans of "The Tudors" on Showtime will love the high quality, two-piece "Anne Boleyn Gown" with its golden champagne floral fabric and burgundy lined sleeves, for $270. The Renaissance maiden Halloween costume includes a corset with attached sleeves, a skirt, with attached sash, drape and headpiece for $187.50.

By contrast, you can buy a "Lady Guinevere" green velvet dress and headpiece for just $62.50. Men can also choose between "Robin Hood" and "Lancelot" for under $70. For kids costumes, your daughter can be a princess or your son can be a Renaissance pirate for $20-$40.

No matter which character you want for your Halloween costume, the Renaissance costumes are timeless classics. You needn't embody Halloween horror this year. Instead, why not try something sexy, yet formal?

Who knows, you may even decide on attending a Renaissance Festival or a Renaissance-themed birthday party or wedding! Some people decide to incorporate the lace-up bodice or corset into their regular Saturday night garb. Whether you want to pay $50 or $1500, you can look your best this Halloween.

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Finding The Halloween Decor Online

Sure, you can buy a kitschy little kit from Target to cover the Halloween decor for your house. Smiling bats will proclaim "Happy Halloween" and you can slap sticky ghosts on your windows. Yet, since there are plenty of nice holidays, such as Valentines Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, why not dip into the unusual selection of ghastly and ghoulish Halloween horror items?

The Halloween decor doesn't have to bankrupt you, of course. If your kids want the "coolest costume party ever," then just take a deep breath, set a budget and plan wisely. Visit www.frightcatalog.com, as it is a good place to start looking for reasonable Halloween decorations, like outdoor tombstone kits for $16-$40, "Goretrait" paintings that change from old-fashioned to dead corpses for $14, tablecloths from $10-$30, creepy flower vases for $14, a $10 bloody shower curtain for the bathroom and dramatic "scene setter" wall/window hangings for under $10!

To add further ambiance, there are shrunken heads that change colors, terminator skeleton disco balls, spooky shadow lights, plus thunder and lightning kits. You'll find a selection of Halloween kitchen items, such as cupcake tins, severed hand wine flutes, spooky bottle stickers, Jason vs Freddy or Texas Chainsaw Massacre platters, candy holders, a bowl full of severed fingers, Jell-O molds and skeleton ice cube trays. You can buy the "Creepy Feely" game, "Bone Bender" Twister, Boo Bingo and Ghoulish Golf, and older adults might like the "Pick Your Poison" drinking game.

There are some really unique prizes for your costume contest or other games, like the adorably ugly $25 Zombaby dolls, a $10 "ghost hunting" camera, death playing cards for $10, a best costume trophy for $7, a $7 doorknob skull, skull candles, books and DVDs.

Last, but certainly not least, consider how the Halloween music and Halloween horror sound effects can really help set the tone for your Halloween party.

If you're looking for a huge selection of CDs, then check out www.goregalore.com, which offers some scene-specific soundtracks, such as chainsaws, industrial machinery sound effects, cemetery sounds, thunder and rain, night creatures, demonic whispers, zombie attacks, pipe organ music, creepy carnival, dark orchestral or Danny Elfman inspired soundtracks.

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Halloween Costumes And Searching Online

When October 31st rolls around, it seems that all the girls are prancing around in scantily-clad sexy costumes and all the guys are wandering aimlessly, staring at eye-candy, while wearing their last-minute, thrown-together garb.

How many guys have you seen dressed up as a beer keg or women wearing Halloween costumes portraying nurses, police officers or Playboy bunnies? We can do better than this. Whether you're prepared to make your own ensemble, seek out a movie character or find a group theme, there is an original costume for you.

If you are brave and resilient, then you may want to choose Halloween masks and costume accessories to complete your look this year. The scariest Halloween costumes usually involve masks, whether you're a pumpkin monster, a vampire or a terrifying clown. At www.halloweenmask.com, you will find the best selection of original, high-quality Halloween masks for all price ranges and objectives.

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Hillary or Bill Clinton, George or Laura Bush, Al Gore, Dennis Rodman, Bill Gates, Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods, David Letterman, Donald Trump, Tupac, Jay Leno or Tony Blair? All these masks are available for less than $30. If you're looking for the real deal in film studio-grade masks, then you can buy a Planet of the Apes mask for $250, Jeepers Creepers for $130, a signed mask from The Fly for $250, Slimer for $200 or a large Alien collector's mask for $500.

If you're making Halloween costumes this year, then be sure to start in advance. Make a list of items you'll need and reference with your closet. Then it's shopping time. Hit the thrift store first for old cheesy suits, out-of-date styles and uniforms, the army surplus store second for jumpsuits or military accessories, the dollar store third for odds and ends accessories, the fabric store fourth for sewing fabrics, velcro or felt and the Halloween costume store for wigs, make-up and hard-to-procure items last.

Generally, the time and effort it takes to make your own costume design will pay off greatly because no one at the party will look just like you!

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Halloween Night Frightening Party Themes

The highlight of your Halloween night might be staying in to see all the cute toddler costumes, the creative kids costumes and the teenagers who thought you wouldn't recognize them beneath their Halloween masks! Yet, for others, slightly more self-centered gratification is in order. After all, the bowl of candy outside should work out just fine for the few kids who do come around the neighborhood, yet for some, the night of October 31st is the perfect time to party!

Perhaps you'd like to plan a formal Halloween Night Dinner Party. This is a great idea and works well if you'd like to make it a themed event. For instance, you could request that everyone dress up as pirates or in turn-of-the-century vampire/Renaissance costumes. For the best results, do a little research ahead of time and find adult costume sites to direct your guests to visit.

HGTV has some good "eerily elegant" Halloween decorations recommendations for you at www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,hgtv_22056_51609,00.html and www.epicurious.com offers a full selection of Halloween recipes for you to choose from. Your food should be planned out, from the appetizers and drinks to a main course and desserts, served up in themed kitchenware for the most memorable dinner.

An easy October 31st festivity is to plan a "Murder Mystery Party" by using one of the many boxed game sets out there. You'll typically receive character and costume suggestions for each person, music and decoration ideas, Halloween recipes, music suggestions and scripts. Check out www.dinnerandamurder.com, www.acemurdermystery.com, www.tailormademysteries.com, www.mysteriesbyvincent.com or www.host-a-murder.com for starters.

Some kits allow hosts to download all the materials they need, while others offer more person-to-person party planning advice. There are also murder mystery kits you can buy at game stores, notably the Bepuzzled brand "A Taste For Wine and Murder," which comes with recipes, character booklets, invitations, a CD, secret clues and costume/decorating advice.

Murder mystery games are great guides to hosting your first Halloween night party!

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Halloween Party Tricks And Treats

At this year's Halloween party, your young ones will love a dance contest, Halloween bingo, classic ring toss game and a pinata. As long as you have Halloween recipes for cupcakes, they'll be happy. For pre-teens, you'll need creative options, such as a scavenger hunt, a story contest and Halloween twister.

Teenagers may enjoy role playing games, Ouija boards, tarot cards or creating their own films. Adults may be more inclined to have a "murder mystery dinner," play a few wild Halloween drinking games or watch a horror movie. No matter what age you're planning for, Halloween fun is there if you seek it.

If you'd rather buy a few games than make them, then here are some Halloween party suggestions. Little kids will love the "Halloween Role Play Game," which can be purchased for $4.99 at Oriental Trading and plays up to six kids. The game includes a 10" spinner, 6 each of 8 assorted character cards, 6 "surprise" cards and instructions.

They'll spin, pick a card and do an action, such as making bump sounds with their feet, talking like Frankenstein, doing the Monster Mash and acting like they've been zapped! Oriental Trading also has "Halloween Bend Game," which is an awesome seasonal version of Twister that kindergartners to teenagers will love! "Color Your Own Halloween Bingo" is another great game you can purchase for almost any age.

"Inflatable Halloween Limbo" or the "Inflatable Spider Ring Toss Game" are sure to add Halloween fun to your child's party. Ouija Boards are always creepy Halloween fun for teens. "Halloween Jenga" may be more your speed, with red and black blocks, custom rules and a special glow-in-the-dark die. If you roll a "pumpkin," then the direction of play is reversed; roll a "haunted house" and remove any piece or roll a "bat" and you can only remove an orange block. The Harry Potter "Scene It" DVD game is another fun one, testing kids of ages 8 and up with trivia from the Harry Potter movies.

If you're planning an adult Halloween party as an excuse to get together and drink, then fear not. There are plenty of wild Halloween fun drinking games to keep your party entertaining. "Trick or treat" is a classic: The player picks a slip of paper out of a pumpkin with an embarrassing action or question and reads it aloud.

They can then choose to do the action or answer the question, or take a shot. The catch is that some of the shots are "tricks" made of disgusting things and some of the shots are identical looking (but delicious) "treats!" You can also try a bobbing for apples (with numbers carved into them to indicate how many shots should be taken) and use Jell-O shots for these games. (But be careful -- they'll sneak up on ya!) Movie games are always popular as well.

There's one with the movie "Halloween," where 1 drink is taken whenever Michael kills someone with a butcher knife, a female exposes her breasts, when the Halloween theme song plays, when Halloween masks appear on screen, when Loomis says "evil," when the history of Halloween is discussed and when someone drinks or does drugs. Visit www.geocities.com/madnessmike/halloweendrinking_game.htm for the rest of the rules.

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