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Halloween Costumes: To Make, or Not to Make, That is the Question

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This post brought to you by MrCostumes. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

Can we talk about kids’ Halloween costumes for a minute? By this point, you’ve either got yours all ready to go, or you are scrambling to put something together. And some of you are burning the midnight oil to make the perfect creation.

Sound Off

So I want to hear from you: have you ever made a cute kid’s costume? And if not, is that something you would be willing to consider doing in the future? I don’t want this to turn into any sort of judgement over whether or not OTHER people should or shouldn’t make their kids’ costumes. Lord knows we all deal with enough judgement or perceived judgement from others every day of the year (sort of goes with the title of “parent”, unfortunately).

not homemade costume owl

So I’m happy to share my own thoughts with you since I’m asking for yours. I have ZERO sewing skills, and on a scale of 1-10 for how interested I am in learning how to sew, I’d give it a 3. Which means IF I ever learn to sew, it probably won’t happen until my kids are too old for Halloween costumes!

not homemade Cinderella costume

Now, when you combine the fact that I don’t have BASIC sewing skills with the reality that to make a rockin’ Halloween costume, you likely need ADVANCED sewing skills, well, then the odds of me ever making a Halloween costume for my children went from highly unlikely all the way down to “better odds of winning the lottery than of sewing up something fabulous.” Which reminds me…I should play the lottery!

For me, it just doesn’t make sense to sew a costume for my kids because the learning curb is so steep. It does, however, mean that the options for Halloween costumes for my kids aren’t limitless. They get to choose from what is available for purchase online. But with the popularity of Etsy, and the AMAZING skills you can find there, I could even order a handmade costume in most any design my kids desired, if the budget allowed for it (which it pretty much doesn’t, but I digress).

Acts of Service and Love

And I’ll tell you truthfully, I used to think that parents who poured dozens of hours into making costumes for their kids were kind of ridiculous. Because it didn’t make sense for me, I assumed it couldn’t make sense for anyone. But I’ve matured quite a bit when it comes to that view, thankfully. What I have come to realize, is that for some people, that creative process is therapeutic and relaxing (sounds crazy, I know, but it honestly is true!). And it is a true joy to get to do something like this for their little ones. An act of service and love, if you will.

And don’t we all have those? I certainly have spent an unnecessary amount of time turning meatloaf into a mummy in order to see that sparkle in my daughters’ eyes. And I choose to cloth diaper, which for me is an act of love for my kids, the environment and for my budget. But for some, that’s just straight-up crazy! I get it, I really do.  I don’t think it is the right choice for every family just because it is the right choice for mine.

 Your Turn

So you tell me: where do you fall on the question of whether or not to do DIY Halloween costumes? I’d love to hear how you have come to the decision you have made. Also, feel free to share any other areas where you make choices for your kids that are an act of love and service, even though other people may not fully understand the choice. We all have them, so dish!

 

107 Days Until I Transform Into a Greek Goddess: Halloween Prep!

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Halloween is in 107 days. That probably still sounds like plenty of time to decide what you’d like to be for Halloween.

That’s right, I’m talking about YOU. Not your kids.

Are you wondering why on earth you should be dressing up for Halloween? I’ll tell you why: because IT IS FUN! And your kids will absolutely LOVE that mom wore a costume when taking them trick or treating, or to the local harvest carnival.

I will tell you truthfully that last year I didn’t dress up to take Darah trick or treating. I was in the throes of morning sickness and it was an accomplishment for me just to get out of the house. But Tim dressed up as Harry Potter, and Darah LOVED that her daddy was in costume.

So I’ll be joining the ranks this year. And I decided to go with the same type of costume that was my all-time favorite from all my childhood years of trick or treating: Greek goddess.

That probably sounds like an unusual choice for a child! In the third grade my class did a unit on Greek mythology and I loved it so much that I asked to be Aphrodite for Halloween that year. From the Greek titans all the way down to the half god/half mortal beings, I found the entire concept of Greek mythology to be completely fascinating. I still do, in fact! So it seemed like a great choice to go with.

I chose a goddess costume from Anytime Costumes. I can’t show you a picture of me in it, because to be 100% honest, it doesn’t yet fit. And I did that on purpose. This costume is part of my inspiration for fitness. I’ve got a goal to participate in a 5K in mid-November, and I’ve already started my slow, but steady training to be ready.

One of the benefits of getting my body in shape to do a 5k will be a bit of weight loss. I believe that with 15 pounds shaved off my body, this costume will fit beautifully, and might just make me feel immortal, if only for a few hours!

I have taken a closer look at the costume, and while the quality isn’t something akin to what you’d find in the formal section of a department store, I still think this costume will hold up pretty well for several years of use.

There are 3 1/2 months until Halloween. I want to first encourage you to dress up with your kids this year. It will be a great family memory. And next, I want to encourage you to think about what you want to look like at Halloween. There’s still time between now and then to make some lifestyle changes if you would love to look like a goddess!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.


Dress Up Time! Costumes for Any Time of Year!

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Ever since we visited Darah’s cousin Livy in North Carolina this past December, getting dressed up has been something she is REALLY into. Livy had a dress up trunk, and Darah definitely thought that was an awesome idea. When we got back home, we actually decided to turn her trunk, which was just a generic toy bin, into her dress up area. It has been a huge hit! We have tutus and various out-of-season but oh-so-fun-to-wear dresses in there, as well as hats and necklaces and scarves.

I’ve been to the dress up section of a few big box toy stores, and I have to say, I wasn’t all that impressed with the selection. Everything is some take on a ball gown (nothing wrong with that, but how about some variety?!). And the prices are sky high for the pitiful quality, in my humble opinion.

It then occurred to me that I was looking in the wrong place. Since I wanted something a little bit different, perhaps like the selection I could find closer to Halloween, why not shop online at a Halloween store? They are open all year, after all!

I went to Wholesale Halloween Costumes online and found an absolutely adorable mermaid costume. Before you tell me that this is just another princess costume, let me remind you that its a fish, and that really is quite different! Darah is absolutely bonkers about Ariel, and while I have my reservations about going nuts with the Disney princess stuff, Ariel happens to be my favorite Disney character, and I actually really enjoy our frequent games of, “under the sea” (hiding under the covers). We also love to go all over the house looking for treasures to take to Scuttle. She gets a big kick out of what Scuttle names each object and declares its purpose to be. I try to not spend much of our time talking about Prince Eric or getting married, but instead, focus on having great adventures under water. Our adventures have even prompted me to do a little research on the history of mermaids. Pretty fascinating stuff, really!

The costume, in my opinion, is quite good for the price. Is it the highest quality costume that you could possibly imagine? No. The sequins do start to come off after the dress has been worn a while, but that’s something easy to fix. It’s also long, which is great if you have a tall kid, but a little tough if your child is a shorty like mine. Darah has learned how to master hiking up her fins, though, so she doesn’t seem to mind. She asks to wear the costume all the time; it is definitely her current favorite dress up outfit!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes from wholesalehalloweencostumes.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.


You Don’t HAVE to Make Your Child’s Halloween Costume! Promise!

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Whether you are crafty or not, you probably feel at least some pressure to come up with something original, creative, super cute, and of course, inexpensive for your little one’s Halloween costume. Pinterest abounds with DIY ideas that just scream, “Best mom EVER made this!!!!”

But let me be the one to tell you that if the thought of making a costume gives you any sort of stress or anxiety, you hereby have permission to NOT do it. And you aren’t a bad mom if you buy a costume! Promise! I will be buying costumes every year until Darah outgrows Halloween. As much as I’d love to whip up something awesome for her, it just isn’t going to happen. I lack the skills, the time, and the mental strength to endure it. Just being honest!

This is why I’m glad that there are companies out there that offer great costume choices at affordable prices! It makes sense for me to spend $30 on something that my daughter will delight in and save myself so much headache (and subsequent guilt when the final product doesn’t look quite right!). JustKidCostumes.com is an EXCELLENT resource for those of us who need to make a purchase and then be done with it!

For just over $30, I was able to get a super cute princess costume with fiber optic lights in the skirt! Even if I COULD sew, I couldn’t make something this fun! What I like about this particular costume is that it is generic, so it isn’t any particular princess, which leaves more to the imagination. BUT…it also sparkles and shines! Darah is going to have an absolute blast with this when we take her trick-or-treating (this will be her first year to go! EEE!). I’m even feeling inspired to dress up, myself, and be part of the fun. Tim’s got his costume ready to go. Any ideas for me??? Remember, DIY is NOT my scene! 🙂

While JustKidCostumes.com might not be able to outfit me for Halloween, they can certainly outfit your child with something simple and cute or even something downright extravagant. They’ve got it all!

AND…I’ve got a coupon for you, to make shopping for your child’s costume that much more fun! Use code BLOGGER10 now through October 16th and score 10% off! Yay!!!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Where I Bought Tim’s Halloween Costume (It May Surprise You!): Yandy.com Review

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I’m not sure that Tim has ever had a “real” costume for Halloween since I have known him. By “real,” I mean something that didn’t look like a last minute Goodwill purchase.

It’s no secret that my man bears a striking resemblance to a certain popular young wizard, and for YEARS we have been saying that he needs to just give in and be Harry Potter for Halloween. We are thinking about hosting a family-friendly Halloween party this year, so I knew that it was now or never. I got him his Gyffindor robe, and he’s now well on his way to transforming into HP this year!

But where I made this purchase might cause you to raise an eyebrow or two! I bought it from Yandy.com. Let me just go ahead and tell you before you click over: Yandy.com is primarily a lingerie boutique, though they also have one of the most extensive collections of costumes you will find, especially if you are in the market for a sexy costume.

 

Now, that’s not really the season of life I find myself in, but if you are looking for something on the cheeky side, then this is the go-to spot. If Yandy.com doesn’t have it, it probably doesn’t exist!
But they aren’t limited to the risque in their collection, although that is their specialty. You can find some more modest options. They also have a really fun selection of costumes for men. I also picked up a pair of black pants for Tim (they are meant to wear with costumes) so that he doesn’t have to wear his dress slacks when he is dressed up in his costume. These pants will easily transform to a base for other costumes over the years, so I think they were a great find.

The point of all of this is that Yandy.com might not be the place you would think to look for a costume, but check them out; their collection is uncomparable and they just may have what you are looking for, after all! This company works very hard to keep their prices, on average, 10% lower than their competitors without compromising customer service. They are definitely worth a look!

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes through my participation with the Family Review Network. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.