You can save lots of moneyand stretch your budget  by making yourself or your child a homemade Halloween witch costume. With just a hat, broomstick and some scary makeup to complete the look.

Decorate the handle of the witch’s broomstick with brightly colored markers or reflecting tape for trick or treating safety. Accessories you might want to include are striped tights, brightly colored shoes, or a cape.

Add some Halloween makeup and black out a tooth or two and add lots of dark eye shadow, or you can go all the way and go green. For an easy cape, buy a few yards of sparkly material and safety clip ribbons to the top so it can be tied. A long, black wig is pretty handy, too.

Below is a fun selection of Halloween witch accessories, but if you don’t see what your looking for or just want to narrow your search, type a phrase like “witch hats” or “witch broom” into the search box and see what else is available.

What will your child be this Halloween – a light-pumpkin princess, like the one shown on the left, a superhero, or a mythical animal – like a unicorn? Whatever fantasy character your child chooses to portray on this ghostly night, you want him to be safe.

Most children spend a great deal of time thinking about what they’ll wear on October 31, but few give any thought to safety. That’s where mom and dad come in. Here’s how to help your child choose a safe Halloween costume.

A Safe Halloween Costume: Flame Resistant Material is Important

How easily a child’s costume could brush against a lighted candle and catch fire which is why costumes should always be made of flame resistant materials. If you buy a ready made costume, check the label carefully to make sure it’s labeled as such. Some kids like to put together their own costumes from secondhand clothing from thrift stores, but this may not be a good idea since there’s no way to determine the flammability of the materials. Buying a ready made costume from a reputable company may be a better choice. Keep in mind that any trims that you add or accessories should be flame proof too.

A Safe Halloween Costume: Get a Costume That Fits Well

Don’t compromise on fit when it comes to a Halloween costume. A costume that drags on the ground may cause a child to trip when he goes up and down stairs leading to a serious injury. Avoid costumes that have ties, hooks, or long sleeves that can get caught on things in the dark and stay away from loose, flowing costumes. Don’t let your child wear high heels or impractical shoes as these will increase the risk of falls and twisted ankles. Please check out our Halloween Costume Size Chart.

A Safe Halloween Costume: The Importance of Visibility
Your child will be crossing streets in the dark so it’s important the he be visible to oncoming cars. Unless your child’s costume is made of reflective, fluorescent material, he may not be visible to oncoming traffic. Get some reflective tape and tape it around the hem and sleeves of his costume. Make sure you or your child carry a flashlight or wear light sticks after dark.

A Safe Halloween Costume: The Importance of Good Ventilation

A tight fitting mask can not only be hot and uncomfortable, but it can cause dizziness and lightheadedness. Halloween masks, particularly ones with small eye holes, also reduce visibility. If possible, skip the mask entirely and create the look with facial makeup and a wig instead. Your child will feel more comfortable and be able to navigate better through the dark streets without a mask.

A safe Halloween costume and one that’s comfortable can make this all important evening all the more fun and memorable. Help your child choose it wisely.

As seen on the Today Show, Good Morning America and featured in Parents Magazine, Mom Magazine and First for Women Magazine

Perfect for Halloween Safety

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	Halloween Safety Tattoos! Dracky Vampire Born and raised in Transylavnia (Louisiana!) this little cutie, is called “Dracky” by his goulish friends. His best friend is a bat named “Ding”. Favorite food? You guessed it! Tomato soup and…	$19.95
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Related articles

• Food Allergies On The Go; Life Simplified by iPhone Apps (thefoodallergymom.wordpress.com)
• Making food-allergic kids feel included (cnn.com)

Tips for a Healthy and Happy Halloween for All Ages

By Lisa Barnes

With all of the news about the state of childrens’  health and diets today including the rise in diabetes, childhood obesity, and banning junk food in schools, how can we celebrate a fun, but healthy Halloween for our children? First we need to remember there is a lot more to Halloween than just candy.

The holidays are a particularly tough time to restrict children’s diets, but organic children’s food cookbook author, Lisa Barnes has some creative thoughts on Halloween festivities and treats for those with babies and young children just starting their Halloween traditions. Here are a few ways to celebrate the holiday:

Dress Up – Parents love to dress up babies and toddlers in cute Halloween costumes. Lisa remembers, “My son’s first costume was a pod of peas at three months old. I of course paraded him past the neighbors and took lots of photos to send to relatives”. There are many opportunities to show off that homemade or store bought costume before and beyond Halloween night – parties, parades, mom’s groups, play dates, preschool, and day care.

Host a Party – A Halloween Party is especially good for children who are too little to trick or treat and do not eat candy. However you may have a full house of older children too, as parents will appreciate having some place for their children to celebrate without being worried for their child’s safety trick-or-treating at night. And let’s face it – this holiday is for us parents too! With a little effort and some decorations, a Halloween gathering for any age can be more than simply eating a huge bowl of “what’s on sale” candy.” This is a great way to see friends, show off your little one, share healthy treats, and entertain all ages. “Before my son was born, my husband and I hosted and attended many Halloween dinner parties. Thankfully these parties now include children of all ages” says Barnes. Older children can scare each other with ghost stories, while younger ones can bob for apples.

Visit a Farm – There are many farms with pumpkin patches, hay rides, and petting zoos open to the public in October. Children love to pull wagons full of pumpkins and squashes they’ve carefully chosen. You may also want to pick up an unfamiliar squash or pumpkin variety and find out how to best cook and eat it for your Halloween gathering.

Make Treats – Go beyond the “what’s on sale” jumbo bag of candy and create and serve your own treats for friends and family. Cooking and baking is a fun activity for kids and a good way to insure a tasty and healthy treat. The treats do not need to be complicated or require much time or kitchen expertise. They can be healthy foods made festive by simply dressing them up. A simple bowl of cereal, cranberries and raisins can be decorated with surprise skeleton figures and spider rings hidden in the bowl. Pumpkin carving is always a creative activity with children, but why stop there? Remember to roast the seeds in the oven for a healthy snack. You can even use the carved pumpkin to hold a bowl of soup or stew to “wow” them at the Halloween table.

Here is a recipe for a festive and tasty cookie that all ages can help prepare and enjoy.

Goulish Gingerbread Cookies
Adapted from The Petit Appetit Cookbook

We usually think of gingerbread only for Christmas, but why not Halloween? Your little ones will love to roll and cut these cookies with their favorite scary shaped cutters. After baking you may want to use your favorite icing to add a name and decorate for your Halloween party – these make great personalized favors for children to take home. Or arrange in a scary scene on a chalk board or platter. Boo!

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup organic light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups organic whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses and continue beating until well mixed. Combine flours, baking soda, spices and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients and the water alternately to the butter mixture. Blend well after each addition. You may need to add a bit more water to bring the dough together. Note: This dough is thick. The quickest and easiest way to combine ingredients is by using a stand or hand held mixer.

Roll out dough on lightly floured wax paper or a silpat mat. Cut gingerbread into favorite shapes with a floured cutter. Place cookie cutter on rolled dough, press down evenly, and lift away dough outside form. Pick up shapes with metal spatula to transfer to baking sheet. Continue to knead dough scraps to roll and cut more cookies.

Bake cookies for 7 – 9 minutes, turning baking sheet 4 minutes through baking. Check doneness by pressing on cookie. If the dough springs back, the cookies are done. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 – 15 large (5 inch) or 24 – 28 small (2.5 – 3 inch) gingerbread cookies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Barnes

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This Pumpkin Flashlight is a Halloween safety must!

Be sure your  trick-or-treater has this handy little guy! This pumpkin-shaped flashlight is a  perfect way to stay safe while keeping with the Halloween spirit.  Your kids will love it! (This flashlight requires 2 C batteries that are not included.)

HK Tip: This flashlight makes a great party favor for Halloween Birthdays!