The Grand Prize winner was
Ezekiel Paul

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until December 14 we will be accepting entries for December’s contests. December’s theme is Christmas and Holidays!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

Round 3
Winner:     Sadie Whitlock
Runner-up: Makayla Kay
Runner-up: Zachary James

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until December 14 we will be accepting entries for December’s contests. December’s theme is Christmas and Holidays!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

Round 2
Winner:     Ezekiel Paul
Runner-up: Grady Merriam
Runner-up: Gabriella Marie

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until December 14 we will be accepting entries for December’s contests. December’s theme is Christmas and Holidays!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

Round 1
Winner:     Bauer Roy Douglas
Runner-up: Sullivan Fitzpatrick
Runner-up: Myah Faye

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until November 14 we will be accepting entries for November’s contests. November’s theme is Masquerade Month!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

Here are some last minute links that may help your Halloween celebrations go a little smoother:

• Last Minutes Halloween Costumes

• Halloween Costume Advice

• Baby’s First Halloween

• Using Face Paints Safely

• Halloween Safety Tips

• How to Prevent the Most Common Halloween ER Injuries

Oh no! Not another Halloween warning to dampen our spirits. Every year, we parents are faced with the choice of locking our kids in (thus protecting them from harm) or letting them out and enjoy childhood for a little bit longer. Mrs H’s Halloween Safety Tips just about said it all.

Now, there’s nothing like face paint to make Halloween or any kiddie party for that matter, fun and festive. From the shimmering to the neon, to the glowing-in-the dark colors, most parents have used face paints on their little ones.

Beware of Halloween Face Paint

Then comes this warning from no less than the US FDA itself. Was it only yesterday that we were advised to use face paints instead of masks? Masks can obscure child’s vision and can present choking or asphyxiation hazards. Now, we have to take care which face paints to use.

Why To Be Cautious When Using Face Paint

Face paints may contain toxic or irritating substances that can trigger allergic reactions. Some have been reported to contain lead and mercury. Reported adverse effects of the paints on the skin areas it was applied to are:

• Rashes

• Itchiness

• Burning Sensation

• Swelling

So which will it be, mask or face paint?

Well, luckily the US FDA gives some recommendations regarding the safe use of face paints. So before you do a Spiderman or princess masterpiece on your child’s face, please read the following:

• Use only paint or make up that is intended for the skin.

• Check for allergies before extensive use by doing a patch test before the big day.

• Avoid applying paint around and close to the eyes, especially fluorescent (neon) and luminescent (glow in the dark) colors. The fluorescent colors (D&C Orange No. 5, No. 10, and No. 11; D&C Red No. 21, No. 22, No. 27 and No. 28; and D&C Yellow No. 7) should especially be avoided near the eyes.

• Follow application instructions carefully.

• Read the labels and check the ingredients. Watch out for colors not approved by the US FDA. Colors approved for cosmetic use are listed on the FDA site.

• Use newly purchased products. Paints already opened and previously used may be contaminated.

• Watch out for recalled products. In May of this year, the FDA advised consumers of several types of children’s face paint recalled by Fun Express. Check out the list of products here and here.

• Remove the paint thoroughly after all the fun is over. Don’t sleep with paint or make up on. Follow removal instructions on the product labels.

Halloween is a fun holiday! With a little caution and awareness from parents, it can stay that way.

Huh. Color me ignorant. I had no idea that Halloween was considered the most dangerous holiday for kids. Thinking about it some more, it makes sense. Trick-or-treating in the dark, the pointy costume props, the costumes themselves which are easy to trip on, the possibility of injury is staggering. Children have a higher chance of getting hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year. The number of injuries caused by plastic swords, pitchforks, and other Halloween props increases ER visits on Halloween more than any other night.

I guess my child’s tame roaming at the local mall for her first Halloween years has kept me in a bubble. She’s two so that was ok, but as she gets older I know she’ll want to do the street trick-or-treating with friends.

Keeping Our Children Safe on Halloween

• Supervision. It shouldn’t matter whether they’re 1 yr. old or 11 yrs. old. We as parents, should be around to supervise them especially if they are trick-or-treating in the streets. If your preteen argues that it’s uncool, just cite the statistics and explain you’re doing your job as parents in keeping them safe. In other words, you don’t care if it’s “uncool”!

• Preventative Measures. Discuss safety tips with your kids before you go out. Impress upon them the importance of being aware of their surroundings. It’s never too much to repeat the adage of stop, look, and listen to them.

• Avoid Poorly Lit Streets. There’s nothing more risky than trying to cross a dark street with several kids in tow. Stick to familiar and well-lit streets. You and your kids will be familiar with your surroundings, and you’re able to see them better – and see better overall- as well.

• Choose Appropriate Costumes. Rethink bulky costumes they can trip over easily. Have them try their costume on at home and see how they handle it. The trial run allows you to modify any sources of possible injury. You can tell them they can use a prop at home for pictures but that you will carry it for them when they’re out trick-or-treating. This gives them the proper range of motion without having to worry about them poking themselves or someone else. Click here for tips on picking out age appropriate Halloween costumes for you baby or toddler.

• Indoor Venues. A church, an indoor mall, even schools sometimes put together Halloween events for kids. This is a nice alternative that offers candy, games, and other prizes, without having to be out in the element, and on the streets.

• Ration the Halloween Candy. It’s definitely prudent to have your kids bring all their candy at home where you can inspect their loot to make sure its safe. Aside from safety, you can ration their candy too so they don’t get themselves a tummy ache. I usually let my child choose their favorite candy from their loot, then take the rest to work/school in a candy jar at a prominent place. That way, we don’t give their dentist any more work than they have too and I don’t end up getting tempted as well.

If you are vigilant, and safe, Halloween can remain the happy memory it’s supposed to be for years to come.

If your family participated in the holiday celebrations, you are probably overwhelmed at the sheer amount of candy your children have gotten in a few hours!

I admit that I don’t buy candy for my kids. When Halloween arrives, they absolutely love to trick-or-treat and they actually list the different types of candy they have gotten, along with the amount of that type of candy. Yes, they construct GRAPHS based on their candy. Then, they begin to trade amongst themselves – or fight amongst themselves. Our son was just old enough to go trick-or-treating with his sisters this year, but he really isn’t old enough to eat all of the candy he received.

Perhaps your little pumpkin went trick or treating and now you are wondering what to do with all of that candy. You may? be wondering exactly what kinds of candy are appropriate for your child to eat. I’ll share our system with you, but remember to keep your child in mind when making food decisions. Each child is different, and what is ok for one child may not be for another.

Lollipops are usually a good choice
They may be sticky, but older babies (around a year) are able to enjoy lollipops. Be sure to supervise your child and to make sure that they don’t bite off a small piece, which could be a choking hazard. I only allow my son to eat ‘regular’lollipops; not the kind with the candy in the center.

Avoid sticky and chewy candy
Candy that is sticky and chewy is a bad choice as these are bad for you child’s teeth and they can pose a choking hazard.

Avoid small pieces
If your child is young, small round candy pieces can also be a chocking hazard, even if they are easy to eat.

Avoid nuts and peanut butter
Nuts of course are a choking hazard. Peanut butter can cause allergies or a reaction. In some candy, the peanut butter is chewy or sticky, and can also be a chocking hazard. I actually don’t feed my children peanut butter until they are around 2 years old anyway but I’ve heard of people who wait until their children are around 3.

Chocolate is usually a good choice
I say usually, because the chocolate may have crispy bits, nuts or peanut butter mixed with it. I find that the ’snack bar’size is perfect for my son to eat. Be forewarned however – chocolate can get VERY messy and it’s hard to remove from the carpet and paint on the walls!

Remember that this is a great opportunity to get your child to brush his teeth too! After we eat a piece of candy, we make sure to brush our toddler’s teeth. He loves every minute of it and I’m hoping that we’re creating good habits for the future! Of course, it’s best to also limit the amount of candy that your children eat for a bunch of reasons. I usually allow the children a piece of candy a day.

What happens to all of the sticky, small, chewy, and peanut butter filled candy that our son can’t eat? Well, my husband and I can eat small, chewy and peanut butter filled candy – isn’t that a good thing. I guess you could say that everyone in our house got treated this holiday!

Isn’t it a bummer? Sweets and sweets every where but not a piece to eat? There are many people out there with diabetes and have therefore special dietary requirements. Unfortunately, these include little children.

I have 2 young children who are fortunately not diabetic and tend towards moderation when it comes to sweets. Still, we do get into problems in terms of sweets control on special occasions like Halloween. Mommies of children with diabetes, how do you do it? You are heroes, no doubt about that.

Here are a few tips which might be useful for you during festive occasions like this:

Halloween Tips for Parents & Kids. This one’s really specific for today, 31 October. And the message from the American Diabetic Association is clear: there is no reason why diabetic children can’t have fun on Halloween.

Sugar and sweeteners. The British Diabetic Association (DBA) gives an overview of what makes your food sweet and their nutritional value and their safety.

Celebrations and eating out. This resource gives you tips for parties (including children’s parties!) and celebrations. In addition, this book by the DBA might come in very handy: Festive Foods and Easy Entertaining. ISBN 1-899288-70-8.

How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. This resource from the US FDA is really handy – and it is for free. It can be downloaded in pdf and comes with a video. Just so you know what you are putting in the cake.

Happy Halloween, everyone.

The most fun age to take children trick or treating may be when they are toddlers. But that can also be when they are most in danger. This is partly because they are very mobile, but also uncoordinated, leading to the three most common preventable Halloween injuries. Dr. Brian Keaton, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians says, “Every year you see kids injured while trick-or-treating, and it’s always frustrating because the injuries are easily prevented.” What do ER doctors see most often? Eye injuries and burns, and children hit by cars as they go through the neighborhood.

To safeguard their eyes, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar organizations have suggested that wands, swords, and other accessories should be blunted. Also make sure they are short enough that your little one does not trip over it. And, in case he does trip, make sure it is flexible enough to bend under him. The University of Michigan Health System also recommends that you take the lenses out of decorative eyeglasses.

Because of the burn risk, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission urges parents to only purchase costumes that are flame resistant. Of course, if you make your own costume, keep in mind that some fabrics are more flammable than others. The University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center says that the most flammable fabric is 100% cotton. The safest is polyester. Don’t let little trick-or-treaters wear capes and other billowy costumes that can come in contacts with burning jack-o-lanterns.

When it comes to traffic injuries, have your children wear reflective tape no the their costumes, even if it “spoils” some of the look. Keep them always at arm’s length and make them carry their own lights.

Of course, there are other common sense advisories, such as making sure shoes aren’t too big, and that you don’t obstruct airways, vision or hearing. Infant costumes should not have accessories that can cause choking. For this reason, many parents use face paint for little children instead of masks. That is a smart choice, but can have its own potential downside. To avoid allergic reactions with a child’s sensitive skin, use only FDA approved cosmetics (note that zinc sulfide is the only luminescent color approved for skin).

Last night, our doorbell rang at 8:00 pm. My reaction: Who could possibly be at our door at this hour, on a school night, just as the kids have finished their homework and I’m trying to get the baby to unwind and go ‘Night-night?’

The boys ran to the door and shouted out ‘We got booed!’. This is a tradition that’s been going on in our neighborhood for a few years. The kids love it, and they have just as much fun ‘booing’ their friends as they do when they get ‘booed’.

Here’s what ‘getting booed’ is all about: Fill bags with Halloween goodies and other fun stuff. (First, decide whose house you will ‘boo’ and be sure to make up a bag for each child in the house). Draw a ghost on white paper, just a basic ghost-shape with big black eyes, and write this on a piece of paper: ‘Good evening! You’ve just been Booed! Now it’s your turn to pass along a treat and Boo, because now the neighborhood phantom is You! By this time tomorrow night, pick a friend so sweet, and give them a Halloween treat. You have only one day so hurry, Leave a treat on the doorstep, ring the bell and then scurry! Signed, The Phantom. Then write in smaller letters below these words:

Now these are the things you’ll need to do:
1. Make a copy of this ghost
2. Post the phantom on your door to let others know you’ve been booed
3. Take the letter, the copied phantom, and treat to a neighbor’s house that does not have a phantom posted.

When it’s dark outside (our neighborhood usually does its booing between 7 and 8), let your kids sneak to the neighbors? front door, drop the goody bags with ghost and note inside or taped to one of the bags, ring the doorbell, run as fast as they can and hide. The point is to truly surprise the family and let them guess who booed them.

That family then goes on to boo another, and so on. The kids have a blast doing it.

We usually put a small amount of candy in each bag, as well as other prizes like bubbles, bouncy balls, coloring books and other party favors. This year, our thoughtful neighbor left cute, cloth pumpkin bags filled with candy, sunflower seeds, plastic whistles and more for our older boys and a sippy cup and teething ring for the baby. (How thoughtful!).

Last year, we ‘booed’ the house with all girls; I had fun picking out black Halloween nail polish for the older girls and Halloween barrettes for the little one!

Why not stir up some fun in your neighborhood by booing someone?

In a recent post, I discussed why I now let me son go trick-or-treating. If you are in agreement, then we may be in another situation together, too: there are only a few days left, and your kids don’t have a costume yet! Ah! You could go buy one, if you don’t mind spending the money. You could sew one if you are extra crafty and have the time, money, and energy to devote to it. You could make your kids go as ghosts (again). Or…you could take your cue from some of the most fun, simple costumes I’ve seen at my door:

• A Christmas present: All you need is a big cardboard box and wrapping paper!
• Cell phone: This is an updated variation of the old robot idea. But I thought it was clever.
• A pair of dice: Have two children? Find two big boxes, paint them to look like dice! Especially cute on a set of twins.
• Butterfly: This may be a little too commonplace for you, but maybe that’s because it’s so cute! Dress your child in black, cut out cardboard wings (you can paint them or decorate them with markers), wear a headband with antennae made from pipe cleaners or even cardboard. Add some face paint if you wish!
• Artist: Find an old shirt of your or daddy’s. Smudge paint on it. Cut out a little cardboard palette. Top everything with a beret. Voila! (For your little boy, add a goatee with eyeliner for fun.
• Angel: a variation of the butterfly. But this time your little girl wears white instead of black. Make cardboard wings and cover them with foil. Make a halo if you wish from foil, again.- Miss America: She can wear her dress up clothes or your old bridesmaid’s dress! Add a sash that spells out “Miss America” and a tiara.
• Laundry basket: It’s pretty much what it sounds like. An inexpensive laundry basket, with a hole cut in the middle, stuffed with clothes. Very funny to see at your door.
• Smores: I saw this one online and it made me smile. Make a sandwich board sign like you see on the side of the road. Regular cardboard is already the color of a graham cracker. Then paint the inside of one side dark brown like chocolate. Fill a white pillow case with a little newsprint and staple it inside the other “graham cracker.”
• Sumo wrestler: Your little on puts on daddy’s white sweats and stuffs them. Tie if off with a black sash and slick back their hair. Make a top knot if you can!
• Tea bag: This one requires a little bit of sewing or hot glue. Use two old white sheets, and fold them in half. Sew up the sides so they make two pockets. Fill them up about halfway with dried leaves then sew them together at the top (but leave a space for your head in the middle!) Staple a long piece of string to a tag and attach it to the top of your tea bag. Then identify what kind of tea you are!

I’ll bet you’ve seen plenty of clever, inexpensive last minute costumes yourself. Share them with us!

A candy recall has been announced just in time for Halloween.

Sherwood Brands Pirate?s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins contain melamine, the ingredient that has caused numerous infant illnesses and deaths in China. Melamine is a chemical compound is used in a number of industrial products and is harmful if ingested.

The candies have been sold at Costco, and other bulk food and dollar stores. The affected candies are sold in bags with 240 pieces of chocolate in the bag. The product was sold widely across Canada, but supposedly, no tainted candy has reached other countries.

There have been no illnesses reported at this time, and the Canadian government feels that the risk of illness is very low. Despite this, it has issued the recall.

When I moved to Europe 17 years ago, I was disappointed how little they put stock on Halloween and the customs that go with it. The Europeans wore costumes during the carnival season (around February to April) but dismissed Halloween as pure “American frivolity.” I somehow got used to it over the years as I moved from one European country to the other.

That’s why it was a pleasant surprise when we moved to Switzerland two years ago to see that this little alpine country has somehow picked up the tradition of Halloween. At least in big, expat-infested urban areas like Z?rich. In our little neighborhood of about 30 row houses just outside Switzerland’s biggest city, the kids are very much into Trick or Treats (S?sses oder Saures in the local language) on October 31. In no time, my boys were part of the whole operation.

Last year, when they were 4, I told them they could tag along with their older friends as they went around the block so that I, mommy, could stay at home and distribute the treats. I, however, would fetch them after an hour, just before bedtime. Ours is a very safe neighborhood and almost traffic-free (all cars are parked in a common underground garage) and all the kids know each other.

When they got home that evening, my boys were so proud to show me their loot and we did the usual routine when it comes to sweets they collect (be it at Easter, birthdays, Christmas, or this time Halloween): they are allowed to choose and eat one or two sweets and the rest were kept in jars (properly labeled with the owner’s name) for future consumption. They are then allowed to choose one sweet each day after that. Eventually they will get tired of or forget about the sweets till they become spoiled or too hard to eat. Over the years, we have managed to teach our boys moderation when it comes to sweets. They are simply collectors, not consumers.

Imagine to my surprise (and delight) last year when I found, among the chocolates and the gum drops, toothbrushes! Two new kiddie toothbrushes, the ones that light up while being used, one for each boy. Now, who on earth could be so thoughtful to spend so much money on such an unusual (and extremely useful) treat? Is somebody in the neighborhood sending us parents a message? If so, then she or he has succeeded (at least with me).

Now, I am not one to fully forbid sweets on special occasions, not wanting my kids to have little Willy Wonka’s (of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) sad childhood experience. However, I do have my own strategy (as described earlier) to limit my kids’ sugar intake.

For Halloween last year, I just bought and distributed candies and then left it to the parents to sort out their sweet consumption policy at home. How irresponsible of me.

I never found out who gave each and every child in our neighborhood the toothbrushes that night. However, whoever “tooth fairy” or (should I say “toothbrush fairy”?) was, he or she was a person of wisdom and compassion. Definitely somebody who disapproves giving sweets to kids. Yet, instead of closing his/her door and denying the kids their fun, he/she gave something to help prevent the damage that sweets can do.

This year, I am following his/her example. Sort of. I can’t afford to give everyone toothbrushes. But I am giving out no chocolates, gum drops or candies this year. Instead, it will be granola and cereal snack bars and whole grain crackers that will go into the bags. Whatever I buy, I will be looking at the sugar and fat content .The kids will get their treats but healthy treats. Let’s see whether the other parents got the message as well.

As for our toothbrush fairy, I will tell my boys to watch out for him/her this year.

So I can say thank you.

When I began my parenting career, I was in the camp that said, ‘Trick-or-treating is at best dangerous, and at worst, evil.’ I once gave a speech in school about why Christians shouldn’t celebrate Halloween. Of course, that was also a time when we were more concerned about trying to figure out what our music said backwards than we were worried about what we could plainly hear forward! All that to say, my practices as a parent when it came to Halloween were well-intentioned, but misguided.

Lots of families have very good reasons why they do or do not celebrate any particular holiday. I’m not about to tell them they should do otherwise. But I have, in the last almost-11 years, changed my own mind about trick-or-treating. And here’s why: my reasons before were bad.

First of all, yes, there may be terrible people out there who use that night to prey on innocent children and perform sacrifices to evil spirits. But if I stayed indoors every time I heard about someone doing something unspeakable and dangerous, I would never leave my house. And I would cower in fear every New Year’s Eve.

More importantly, I no longer am convinced it is the devil’s holiday. All Hallows Eve is the night before a Catholic celebration to honor all of the saints. But cultures all over the world have stories about the dead. When immigrants came to the United States, they brought these traditions with them. Trick-or-treating as we know it is a combination of all of them.

Across places and times, including Ireland, China, Egypt and Mexico, people believed that souls needed food to nourish them on their journey to heaven. So homeowners left out meals for them, lest the wandering spirits become angry and play a bad trick on their home. Add into the mix a European belief from the Middle Ages. They were terrified of these lost souls who wandered the earth looking for new bodies to possess. So they lit fires in the cemeteries and disguised themselves to scare away the souls. (It may seem like a bad thing to recreate, but it’s the same reason why we have bridesmaids at weddings?)

Anyway, poor people started putting two and two together. They would disguise themselves, go to a neighbors door, and ask for “soulcakes”. The beggars promised to pray the lost souls into heaven if they received the food. If not well, then, let’s just say the ’souls’ would return that night and play a trick on the homeowner. Pretty soon, people started sending their children to beg. Housewives gave them food but the kids were expected to perform a song or dance.

Trick-or-treating began in immigrant neighborhoods in the US in the early 1900s. After a story appeared in the October 1947 Jack and Jill, the tradition spread. Radio shows the following year featured it, and when Disney created a 1952 cartoon about it, trick-or-treating was here to stay.

But besides the fact that my history was wrong and my fears are at bay, there are a couple of positive reasons to participate in trick-or-treat night. Perhaps most importantly, it brings communities together. In an age when people can live in a house for five years and not know their neighbors names, kids have the gall to show up and ring my doorbell. Eegads! The little brats want candy. But take a moment and you just might learn that a few bucks worth of Hershey bars will give you the opportunity to meet their parents, learn their names and exchange phone numbers. Maybe the next day you can wave and greet them by name. That’s why we don’t even have a ‘harvest festival’ at my church.

Good reason #2 to get out there and have your children shill for tooth-decayers! It’s fun. And I’m willing to put my name on the line to say your kids won’t turn to the dark side because of it.

Halloween is just around the corner, and along with those ghosts and goblins and delicious treats are potential hazards for our kids. While all parents make every effort to ensure that their kids are safe, Halloween night can be an especially hazardous time. Not only can an ill fitting costume cause trips and falls, but parents also have to worry about safety while trick or treating, especially once night falls.

While it can be tempting to just keep the kids inside and give them candy you bought yourself (at least you know where it came from and that it?s safe!) there are some precautions you can take to ensure that your kids stay safe on Halloween night.

• Dress your child appropriately. Make sure your kids are dressed not only in costumes that fit their bodies and aren?t constricting or difficult to move in, but that they can also see clearly. In addition, take the weather into consideration ? sometimes an extra layer underneath the costume is necessary, or perhaps part of the costume can be removed if it?s too warm.
• Avoid choking hazards. For babies and toddlers, select costumes that do not contain any buttons or other small parts that can be easily removed and pose a choking hazard. Especially if it?s dark outside when you are trick or treating, you may not notice right away if a small piece comes off of your child?s costume and finds its way into his or her mouth.
• Carry a flash light. Especially if you live in a rural area without street lights, carry a flash light ? and make sure you use it! Especially on Halloween, there may be stray items on the sidewalk or on driveways; with a flash light, you can see them before you or your child trips over them.
• Choose an age appropriate costume. While an elaborate costume that might have zippers or snaps on it may look adorable on your little one, it can be a hassle getting them in and out of it ? especially for the very young. Choose an age appropriate costume for safety, as well as to make any diaper changes or potty breaks easier for everyone.
• Stay in your neighborhood. While the stories of razor blades in candy are mostly urban legends, staying within your neighborhood ? and sticking to homes where you know the families ? can be the safest way to trick or treat.

I’m planning to take my son to a pumpkin patch this weekend. We have an nearby apple orchard and pumpkin patch with hayrides and a petting zoo that he had a blast at when we visited last year. The leaves here are changing color and we have had some beautiful fall days so I’m really looking forwards to it.

If you have a picky eater, almost any baby or toddler will eat an apple that they picked themselves! Then there’s all the mess and fun of carving your pumpkin. Younger children can paint a pumpkin instead without needing anything sharp.

Turns out mere mortals are not the only ones who take their children to pumpkin patches. Celebrities take their kids too: they just do it in higher heels than most of us!

Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and their older son Kingston were snapped at the Hollywood pumpkin patch this weekend. Model Shauna Sand and her daughters visited on the same day.

Tobey Maguire, wife wife Jennifer Meyer and their daughter Ruby Sweetheart also went to pick pumpkins. Marcia Cross and her twin daughters visited too.

It’s a bit cold here for the kind of dress Gwen looks so gorgeous in…and I’ll be leaving my heels at home too. Nevertheless I think we’ll have just as good a time as the Hollywood folks do.

Are you planning to take your baby or toddler out to a pumpkin patch? Or have you already been and have a pumpkin already?

Yesterday, my mom and sister put on their ‘Martha Stewart’ hats. They threw a little birthday lunch in honor of my son’s and niece’s birthdays; both turn nine this month.

My mom made homemade chicken noodle soup, which I also enjoy making once the cooler weather sets in. She, however, made the noodles for the soup from scratch! She also baked muffins and cider donuts from scratch. Wow.

My sister came with her 13 month old in tow and a gorgeous chocolate birthday cake she baked, from scratch of course, decorated with mini M&Ms. She used to have her own baking/cake business. At some point during the lunch, she took out the pouch of animal finger puppets she sewed by hand, for her son to play with. She is truly domestically gifted.

Before my sis had a child of her own, she made an unbelievable birthday cake each year for her nieces and nephews (my boys included, of course). I took photos of every single one over the years, as some of them blew me away. One year, she made a three-dimensional train cake for our little train-lover. Photos of our family’s faces were somehow superimposed onto the cake; it looked like the birthday boy was the conductor and his brother, dad and mom (me) were passengers. This is just one of my sister’s many baked creations that have made my jaw drop.

She also sewed each and every Halloween costume for her nieces and nephews over the years. The green dragon costume she created for my middle son was unbelievable, with an extremely long tail spiked with scales. We received compliments each and every year about our boys? hand sewn costumes.

Now, I’m not totally inept; I’m crafty, you could say. I created a Crabby Patty for a Sponge Bob costume one year, made from Styrofoam balls, pieces of felt, an exacto knife and my handy-dandy hot glue gun.

My Crabby Patty, however, pales in comparison to my mom’s and sister’s domestic accomplishments. This Halloween, I will be creative about costume ideas and get out my glue gun if I need to but I won’t be sewing up any award-winning homemade costumes.

I can’t wait to see the costume my sister will make for her son’s first Halloween (last Halloween, he was only one month old, so that didn’t count). His ‘down on the farm’ – themed first birthday cake was unbelievable.

Will your kids be wearing homemade or store-bought costumes this Halloween? Do your homemade cakes look like they came from a bakery, like my sister’s? I hope I’m not the only domestically-challenged mom on the planet!