Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Scooby Doo Costume for Kids: Layah’s Halloween Pick (Zoinks!)

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Thanks to Costume SuperCenter for providing Layah’s Scooby Doo costume. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last month I sat my girls down and we had a brainstorming session on Halloween costumes. Darah flipped through a costume catalog, cut out ideas, and created an entire vision board full of possibilities.

Layah’s brainstorming session, on the other hand, took 8 seconds. She thought for 6 of those seconds and then yelled, “Scooby Doo!” and marched right up to her room without so much as another word on the subject.

I asked her again a week later and she promptly said, “Mom you already know! Scooby Doo!”

There was a time when Layah was interested in Scooby Doo, but that was maybe a year ago, so this request really did seem random to me. And yet, she was quite decided about her choice! So I found a Scooby Doo costume at Costume Super Center and I was really pleased to see the price point (currently $23.99 AND an additional 20% off with a coupon code!). Last year Layah wanted to be Jasmine, which was just as random. I paid $50 for that costume, which she wore on Halloween night, but has NEVER worn since (despite the fact that my girls play dress up all the time). I’ve been down this road before, so I was really happy to see that her choice this year wouldn’t be nearly as expensive.

scooby doo costume 1

The costume is not one I would expect to endure constant play for too many months, which I think you can expect based on the price. I was a little disappointed to see that the entire back is open. Layah will need to wear some sort of brown shirt underneath, but it’s a very hard color to match, so we’ll also be safety pinning her into the costume.

scooby doo costume 2

We will also have to do a little safety pinning to help the Scooby Doo mask stay in the correct position. Both of these fixes are totally workable, but I wanted to point them out just in case you are looking for something that doesn’t need any adjustments.

Layah seems quite happy with the costume, and unlike last year’s costume, she’s asking to get to dress up in it frequently. I’m not allowing too much play with it, though, until after Halloween to ensure that we don’t find ourselves with a stained or torn Scooby Doo costume before the big night.

scooby doo costume 3

If you want to get more information (and learn about deals) from Costume Super Center, like them on Facebook. And if you have a little Scooby Doo in your house and you want to dress up, too, know that the Costumer Super Center also has Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred costumes!

Why We Dance Every Day: Girls Dancewear Find

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Special thanks to CostumeSuperCenter.com for providing the dance costume for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own, as always. 

Every single parent has experienced the tension between playing with your kids and getting some much-needed housework done. I’m not talking about general upkeep stuff. I’m talking about, “If I don’t get these dishes washed we won’t have anything to eat on for dinner” or “If I don’t do a load of laundry, the kids will be wearing their birthday suits to school tomorrow.”

When I find myself in that situation (pretty much daily), I almost always turn on some really fun music (like my Disney Pandora channel) and let the girls start singing and dancing. I will join them for a few dance moves, and then dance back over to whatever chore I’m working on. It feels more seamless to the girls for me to be singing along even if I’m not right next to them, and to have me there every few minutes dancing beside them. It also gives me a little boost of energy and seems to help me work faster.

dance costume toddler 1

Putting on some music is nearly effortless for me, and the girls just love it. There are many great benefits to dancing, and I feel good about the exercise they are getting by running around in circles and leaping through the air (or hopping, in Layah’s case). Dancing also seems to be the activity that causes the least amount of frustration between the two girls; they play beautifully together when they are dancing!

I do keep a rather full costume box so that the girls can play dress up during their dancing sessions. Layah has been having to make do with her sister’s costumes that are too big for her, but now she has her own dance costume. And she adores it! While it doesn’t look a thing like Elsa’s outfit from Frozen, she still believes that she is Elsa when she puts it on, and she sings, “Let it Go!” at the top of her lungs while she twirls around. She even does the “throw off your crown” move!

dancing to let it go

So what about you? Do you ever think to just turn on some music and let the kids sing and dance around the house for a little while? And do your kids like to play dress up any time they are putting on a show? We run the gamut here, from Pink Swan Princess to super hero, and sometimes both at the same time. All set to music. And I always take a moment to look up from my chores and watch my girls loving life and just being kids. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of my day.

toddler dance costume