Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Well, It’s Official, Christmas is Finally Coming

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Found on CAPL
Found on CAPL

As far as my kids are concerned, it’s not Christmas until the tree is setup and decorated.  I feel the same way but for a different reason.  I love the smell of it, the way it looks and the spirit of the holiday that it creates.  My kids on the other hand, can’t wait for the tree to go up because they know once we are done decorating it, I will finally setup the train that we put under it.   My oldest son, Harrison, starts asking in March whether Christmas is coming soon and if we will be able to setup the train again.  He is only 4 but doesn’t miss a thing and is quite persistent.   He waits all year for it!

As his father, it’s a pretty fun and special day for me when I finally get to setup the train, grab some drinks and snacks, sit on the floor with my two boys and play with the train.   The process will be repeated just about every night from now until we take the tree down.  It takes real effort for me to keep up my enthusiasm for it, especially after a long day of work. There are days where I just want to go home, eat dinner and relax but then I walk through the door to see two very excited boys, yelling hello over their shoulder as they run in the opposite direction  to get the trains ready for me that makes me feel like a kid again and re-energizes me for the task at hand.

Has the Christmas season started in your house yet? What traditions do you use to start the season?

Money Saving Tips for Christmas Shopping

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save money when buying Christmas presents
Image from Christmasstockimages.com

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing and expressing love and gratitude and being with family. Yes, it is. But all this love and sharing can also lead to a lot of over-spending. According to CBS moneywatch.com:

According to this year’s National Retail Federation holiday survey, the average American will spend close to $700 this season on gifts, cards, decorations, and the like.

If I convert this to my currency (Philippine Peso), that equates to around 30k PHP. WOW! That is a big, big, big amount to spend to feel the Christmas spirit. Now, I love Christmas and I am all for the gift-giving and the shopping. I love all the Christmas decor that comes up for the season. I love the window displays and the twinkling lights and all the multi-colored trees. But I make a conscious effort not to spend too much on Christmas, regardless of whether I have 30k or not. Here are some money saving tips that work. I know this because I’ve tried them.

1. Planning is the root of all saving.

Yes, I am a firm believer in planning. Ask anyone who knows me relatively well and they will tell you that I have a list for everything, I worship MS Excel, and my organizer is a perenial brick in my bag. I’ve found though that listing down the poeple you want to give gifts to, the gift you want to give (if you know this already), and your budget, all work to set your expectations and to keep to workable numbers.

2. Stick to the Plan.

Ok, you didn’t just go through all that effort of listing people and thnking about who would be on the list this year given your budget and who would just get some warm wishes on a pretty card, only to not follow it. As hard as it may appear, and as tough it may be to fight off the urge to get that perfect thing for your friend whom you haven’t seen or talked to in almost a year, RESIST!

3. Start Early.

In Manila, folks start Christmas shopping as early as September and October. I can see the collective eyebrows rising. There is a practical reason behind this over-exuberance. Items almost always become more expensive from November to the end of the year. This is true for most stores. We do have sales but these sales are often for items that aren’t as nice or as good or as up-to-date as others. You have to start shopping early on the first day of a sale in a shop to get the good stuff with slashed prices. Otherwise, you will be competing with a crush of people for so-so items. Usually, things that are non-perishable and aren’t dependent on size (like books, appliances, etc.) are still priced low or normal compared to Christmas prizes. You can also find a lot of variety in the months before the Holiday season. We aren’t limited by season so a lot of items are applicable all year round. You can also find a lot of bargain items in the bazaars that start springing up end of September onwards. These bazaars are different from stores in that they have often homemade items, rare items, unbranded but really good stuff and they compete with brand stores in price and try to beat them by offering good stuff at even lower prices, earlier. Shopping early can mean you are done with this way before the Christmas crush, still have a lot to choose from and not just the left-overs after the buying posse, and get items at normal or low prices.

4. Use discounts and gift cheques.

Discounts from stores you frequent or vendors you regulary go to, and using gift checques you’ve been given is one way to cut expenses. You aren’t actually spending at least the full amount here.

5. Do NOT use your Credit Card.

It may seem odd. It may be throwing a major kink in your Christmas budget plans. But using your Credit Card for shopping might just be the way to put you in debt for the next 12 months. I did this for one gift last year. I bought my son a big boy bike. I got in on installment, 6 months to pay. My goodness. I was still paying it off even after I had to get its flat wheel and busted breaks fixed. Never again.

6. Go for the Envelope Approach instead.

What is this? Well, it is simply putting your budget, in cash, in an envelope, ready for the days of shopping. You can allocate certain amounts for certain people as well. I like separating amount by indicating the person in colorful post-its and then separating by using paper clips. This way, you prepare your budget for the people you want to give gifts to this year; you aren’t in danger of over-spending on one person and not having enough for the rest; you do not go into credit debt.

7. Go Wholesale and/or Homemade.

If you have people in your list you feel have to be there, like groups of officemates, or your boss, doctor, dentist, etc. try going for wholesale products. What I do is I get 1 item for all my female officemates, like a pretty notebook, and 1 item for all my male officemates, like a nice money clip. This way you aren’t stressed out about having to think of forty unique, small gifts; you won’t be stressed over offending someone by maybe giving something “nicer” to someone else; you can get small stuff cheaper if you buy by bulk. Ok, maybe you can make an exception for your boss here.

On that note, what person wouldn’t like receiving something unique and from the heart? Seriously. So, instead of giving your boss a uniform gift, why not bake him a cake or your speciality pastry? Or you can give him something he can use like a hommade desk organizer. These are things that will cost you less than store-bought gifts because the individual ingredients or parts required cost a lot less put together. Plus, if it’s simple enough, not dangerous at all, and relatively fun to do, you can get your kids in on the action!

8. Finally, Be Prudent. If you really can’t afford a Santa sack this year, forego it. They will understand. Trust me.

Hey, times are hard for everyone. Sometimes, there are pressing matters that just require more attention and more of your resources. I’ve had a Christmas where I gave all my family and friends a nice photo calendar of myself and the kids with some warm holiday greetings instead of gifts becuase I just needed to allocate a Christmas budget for something else. I try to make sure my kids and god kids always have gifts, even small ones but I know the adults will understand.

So, I hope you all have fun and reasonable shopping trips over the next few days!

Cheers,

Vicki

Christmas as a Catalyst for Money Talk

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Christmas is a good time to teach kids about moneyChristmas is a season most often related to parties and gift-giving. This is especially true for the little ones. If you have kids, and young kids like I do, you will hear a non-stop stream of Santa wishes the moment you put your tree up. I was thinking about this as I was decorating my tree with my son and daughter and I thought now would be as good a time as any to start teaching them about money.

To be honest, this was a tough one for me There are so many schools of thought about how to go about doing this. When should you give your child an allowance, how much should this be, should you tie this to chores or not, and the list of questions goes on and on. I did some research and decided to try to combine a lot of what I thought made sense to me and I could actually apply.

Teach Your Child The Money Basics

Carol Wilson, a financial adviser from Salt Lake City, says that children learn about money the moment you start taking them to the store.

Your toddler begins learning about money from what she observes during visits to the store. When she reaches age 3 or 4, you should be explaining some of your shopping decisions: ‘We’re buying peaches today because they’re on sale,” or “We’re using coupons from the newspaper to help pay for our cereal.”

I found this to be so true. I’ve been taking my kids to the stores with me as soon as they were allowed by their pediatrician to venture out into the world and I must say my 5-year old knows all about buying food items, our grocery schedule, the fact that when I say “we have to buy more bread”, he knows that means a trip to the grocery store to pick out a loaf which will be paid for at the cashier. And my 3-year old is not far behind.

Now, I know that they know what money is and that it gets us goods and services (ok, services is stretching it, but you get the drift), I’ve decided to start teaching about the value of money. Ok, I’m going to do my best. This is not the easiest topic to teach.

Tips in Learning About the Value of Money:

Here are some tips I think are constructive and realistic when teaching your kids about money

Identifying money. Make sure that she knows the difference between a nickel and quarter.

Currency is different here in Manila but I get the gist of this point. My son knows the difference between all the bills and the coins but not the difference in values yet. Hmmmm….something to work on.

Making change. Make sure that she knows how to present enough money to cover a purchase and to count her change.

Ok, my son and daughter have very recently taken to buying a local tapioca and soy drink. A vendor passes by our house every morning and they come running to me for coins to make their purchase. This is a simple way to present covering a purchase and getting change. I’m happy about this.

Being responsible for money. If she loses the dollar that was in her pocket, she has to know that it’s her loss (you won’t replace it). This will teach her to be more careful in carrying money.

One morning last week, I gave my son some coins to buy his current favorite tapioca-soy drink. But the vendor didn’t come around that day and I didn’t get my coins back. The vendor did come the next day though and, like clockwork, both my kids came runing into the room to ask for change. So I asked my son where yesterday’s change was and he shrugged and said he dropped it. I told him that money was valuable and that he had to take care of it or he wouldn’t have any the next tiome he wanted to buy something. He didn’t get his drink that morning and seeing those big, fat tears almost made me cave. But he hasn’t misplaced his coins since. I’m hoping the lesson wasn’t too harsh.

Understanding that things cost money. From the candy she eyes at the supermarket checkout counter to the premium movie channels on TV, she must know that nothing comes free.

Well, the way I handle this is, every time we go out, I tell my kids that we can make 1 minor toy purchase only (if any). Antyhing they want after that has to go to the next trip becuase I only bring enough money for 1 toy each.

I also try to teach them about caring for their toys becuase these cost money and can’t easily be replaced. The verdict is still out on both attempts to teach my young ones about nothing being free.

Handling an allowance. Make sure that she learns to live with the allowance she’s given and to meet any expectations for it that you might set. For example, this may include a modest savings plan to pay for things she wants.

OK, I’m not sure about this part. I’m honestly not sure about how to introduce an allowance. So far, I’ve tried to connect chores to fun activities and rewards (rewards sometimes being the pride in a job well done). I’ve read that it is ok to connect chores to payment too as this will teach kids that they have to work for money. I am thinking that it might teach them that the only value in a job well done is its monetary equivalent. I haven’t decided. I do know I am going to give an allowance when they hit elementary but i’m still fuzzy on how to teach this. Suggestions anyone?

I hope I’ve listed down some helpful suggestions for getting started on the money lesson. I guess at the end of the day, I really want them to learn that they need to understand and value money, that it IS important, but there are other important things too like going for excellence, and being cautious, etc. This is a work-in-progress for me so any other tips are highly appreciated.

Have you explained money and value to your children? What prompted you to discuss it?

Thanksgiving is Over; Bring on Christmas!

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Out goes Thanksgiving and in comes Christmas
Image on Fotopedia

What a great time of year.  Despite the fact that I hate the cold and in turn, hate most of the Winter, I really love November and December.  They are the two most family focused months of the year and where our family’s traditions really come to life.   Thanksgiving and Christmas are without a doubt, my two favorite holidays.

I had a fantastic Thanksgiving with my family and am preparing for a month of Christmas celebration.  We started decorating this past weekend and we are going to finish it up this coming weekend.  Shopping has started and we have begun to rotate Christmas movies and shows into our rotation.  I am excited for a fun month and we hope to bring you tips, reviews and posts centered around the holiday spirit over the next couple of weeks so if you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to our feed and follow along with us.

It’s funny because the reality is, everything possible is fighting against my enjoyment of this holiday season.   I am an owner and main operations manager in a popular niche Ecommerce web site.  We do an INSANE amount of business in the last week of November through the month of December.  That means a lot of prep work before hand, and a lot of long hours during the season .  I really have to make an effort to find the time and energy to actually enjoy myself.  Additionally, as I have previously mentioned, my last business was a miserable failure and got me and my family into really poor financial shape.  We are climbing out of it but it’s always stressful trying to find the money to enjoy the holidays and find creative ways to give gifts without breaking the bank.  But in the end,, if I let either of these two things ruin my favorite holidays, holidays that are focused on family, then I lose a lot more than just the enjoyment of the season.  What is the point of any of it if you can’t enjoy family time?

Are you ready for the Christmas season yet? How was your Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving

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Just a real quick post to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Hopefully had a great time with family and loved ones and got to spend real quality time together.  The older I get the busier I seem to become and the less opportunity I have to spend quality time with family so I cherish it whenever the opportunity presents itself and today was one of those days.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

What are you thankful about this Thanksgiving?

Raising an Appreciative Child

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Teaching appreciation to kidsThanksgiving Day is almost here and it’s one of my favorite holidays. I guess that’s probably because it revolves around; family, food, and gratitude — three of my favorite things! It is really important to my husband and I, that our boys grow up to be grateful for all of the blessings that they have throughout their lives. I know that being thankful for everything they have – no matter how much or how little – will make them happier, more compassionate, well-rounded, people. In addition, having gratitude will help them through the rough patches of life.

So how does a parent go about instilling a sense of gratitude in their child? One thing you must keep in mind is children generally don’t gain a true sense of gratitude, until they are between the ages of 7-10 years old. If you haven’t noticed, little tikes tend to believe that the world revolves around them and that’s ok — it’s how they are wired. You just need to keep teaching and encouraging them and eventually it will click. Most kids learn to say “please” and “thank you” at very young ages; this is where they first start learning to express their gratitude to people.

Here are a few tips that help teach your children about gratitude:

Express it

Each and everyday set aside time where you come together as a family and say what you are thankful for. In our family, we usually do this at dinner time and it has worked very well. Our boys really look forward to this time of day. Of course we always note how thankful we are for the food we are about to enjoy, but we also like to include; our family and friends, our pets, everyone’s jobs, our home, etc.

Another thing you should – and probably already – do, is to express your thanks to your children. If your child does something without asking, be sure you let them know just how much you appreciate their help. I have been pleasantly surprised by my children when they have thanked me for things like; making dinner, finding a lost toy, or getting them a snack. Of course it doesn’t happen all the time but when it does – it warms my heart.

Also, when your children receive gifts, have them make handmade thank you notes. This really shows the gift giver just how much your child appreciates them and of course – who doesn’t love getting a handmade craft from a child? It also teaches your child the importance of acknowledging a gift.

Model it

Showing your gratitude for things other people do for you, is a great way to teach your children to be appreciative. If someone holds the door open for you, helps you with something or gives you a gift, of course you’ll want to let that person know that you are thankful, but use this as a teaching moment for your child as well. You could say “Wasn’t that nice of that lady to hold the door open for us?” or, “It was so thoughtful of Mrs. Wilkes to bring those cookies by! We should make her a thank-you card.”

Live it

Another way to express gratitude is to give to others. Be sure to include your children as much as you can when you volunteer or give to charities. Explain what you are doing and why it is important to always show you appreciate what you have, by sharing some of it with others. A few ways you can do this are:

  • Donate food to a food drive, homeless shelter, or food bank. Explain to your children that some adults and children don’t have enough food to eat and need help from other people. Take them to the store with you, and let them pick out foods they would like to donate.
  • When you clear out closets and toys boxes, let you kids know where you are taking the items they have out grown. Be sure they know that these items are going to other kids who need and appreciate them.
  • Think about what cause is closest to your heart; then get involved in some way. Donating your time can be just as important as a monetary donation. You can donate a little time or a lot of time but whatever you do, include your children whenever possible.
  • During the holidays there are a lot of “giving trees” with gift wishes for needy kids and families. If you can, have your child select a gift recipient and allow them pick out a gift. This teaches your child the importance of giving to others and makes them feel proud that they were able to help someone in need.

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”  -Margaret Cousins

Thank you for reading and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What have you done to teach appreciation to your children?

Christmas a la Manila

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Christmas is my personal favorite time of the year.  And there is nothing like a Filipino Christmas.  Let me try to illustrate what the season is like here in the Philippines.

Christmas in Manilla, Phillipenes

Trivia to ‘Set the Scene’:

  • The Philippines has the longest Christmas celebration in the world.  As soon as September hits (known here as the start of the ‘ber months’), you can already smell the season of giving.
  • Philippine fiestas are legendary. This no-holds barred party is a reason for the poor man to celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry, all wrapped up together with song and religion.
  • Filipinos LOVE TO EAT. Ask anyone who has visited the country and they will tell you that a staple in any Filipinos welcome package is a large meal. Many large meals.
  • Filipinos LOVE TO SING!  Think Charice, Lea Salonga, Jamie Rivera, Monique Wilson, Billy Crawford, among some of the artists who have gone on to world fame.  You will find a sing-along machine (karaoke) around every corner. Seriously.
  • Filipinos have always been family-centered- a big factor in the strong yet gentle, kind, giving, and hospitable nature the Filipino is known for. Case in point, Manny Pacquiao.

These are all facts you need to know to understand what a Filipino Christmas is like.

Fun, Fiesta, and Family

Philippine history is peppered with influence from Spain and the United States. After 300 years of Spanish colonization, Christianity was firmly rooted in Philippine soil mixing with an already strong belief in a higher being.  The 50 or so years of American rule in the 19th-20th century left lasting imprints that are clear in our language, style of dress, educational system, and some traditional symbols.

Christmas Ambiance

You will definitely see a mix of the Western and the traditional in the Philippines.  You will see Christmas trees, of varying heights and color. Yes, color. I don’t know about the US but in Manila we have pink trees, blue trees, white trees, silver tress, and the typical green tree.  This will decorated with lights and ornaments as is the Western tradition and is topped alternatively with a lit star or an angel.

In addition to the Christmas tree, we have beautiful lit lanterns known as ‘parols’.  These are typically made of capiz shell, white or of varying color, with lights inside.  A parol of some size and design is usually found hanging outside the house.  This lantern symbolizes the star the three kings followed to the barn where the baby Jesus was born.  So, in addition to the Christmas tree and the lantern, you will often see a nativity, or statues of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, as home decor as well during Christmas.

You can find instructions on making one of these yourself on our Making a Parol post

Christmas Spending

You will start seeing bazaar after bazzar spring up in village club houses and church halls starting in October and these bazaars will showcase any kind of gift under the sun from the native item to food to clothes, etc.  All at slashed prices making it impossible for anyone to stick to a reasonable budget.  No where else will you see a financally struggling populace spend with abandon as some Filipinos do during Christmas.

There is a reason for this spending though.  In the Philippines we also have the adopted Santa Claus. So parents save months in advance to be both Santa and mom and dad. Frenzied shopping with a purpose is perhaps an apt way to describe the buying of the season.  There really is nothing like seeing the joy on your child’s face upon waking up to find Santa visited and was generous. I know this for a fact.

Eating and Making Merry for the Season

Christmas in the Philippines will showcase some of the country’s best native food.  There is the roast pig (lechon),  sweet meat loaf (embotido), smoked ham, fruit salad, quezo de bola (a round, aged cheese) and delicacies like puto bumbong. This purple colored dessert is made of sweet rice cooked in a hollow bamboo tube.  Once cooked they are removed from the bamboo tube and served with spread butter, sugar, and coconut.  This dessert, and most of the dishes I mentioned, are only served during Christmas making them eagerly anticipated and all the more special.

Of course, food always goes with song in the Philippines and starting the end of November calendars are filled with party after party, all of which have some form of singing to live bands, sing alongs, and Christmas caroling.

The Religion of Christmas

And again there is the religious aspect.  Starting December 16 there is a 9 day novena which most people attend. A novena is a Roman Catholic period of prayer lasting 9 days.  So a person attends 9 consecutive masses, praying for a special intention at the same time.  The novelty of this novena is that the masses are said in the wee hours of the morning, from 4 am to 6 am.  You will see flocks of people, young adults, working folks, etc all attending mass in the early morning.  This mass is capped off by an early morning breakfast of hot chocolate, coffee, and Philippine native delicacies.  A main mass is celebrated on Christmas day to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. Have I mentioned how Christianity is firmly rooted in the Philippines?

Family is Everything

All the decoration, masses, gift buying, eating, drinking, and signing are geared towards one thing- being with the family at this special time of the year.  Yes, the birth of Jesus is the reason for the season but it is also the one and only time that family is expected to set aside all things, all worries, all animosity just to be together.  No other occasion or holiday matches Christmas in that objective.  So if you are visiting the Philippines during the season, you will not miss a celebration that has some relation to family.

Perhaps Christmas in the Philippines is no different from Christmas anywhere else.  I guess you have to be here from the beginning to the end of the season to understand and feel the full flavor of what I’ve tried to do justice to with words and pictures.  Come and visit next year and really see what it’s like.  I assure you, you will have a great time!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to you all from Manila!

What are the Christmas traditions for your country?

Great Weekend and a Start to the Holiday Season

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Christmas starts for us with picking out our Christmas tree
Found on Christmasstockimages.com

I love this time of year, my two favorite holidays one right after the other.  For my family, the start of our Thanksgiving and Christmas starts with tagging our tree.   I love Thanksgiving and wish people would decorate and celebrate the coming of Thanksgiving more than they do.  It annoys me that the celebration and marketing of Christmas starts well before Thanksgiving.  With that said, it’s funny that for me, the start of the Thanksgiving holiday is getting together with my family to go and tag our Christmas tree.  It may be hypocritical but meh, I love it just the same.  Trust me, we are all in Thanksgiving mode until December hits.

Our beginning of Christmas Tradition

The four of us (me, my wife and my kids) met up with my sister and her family as well as my parents and drove out to the same Christmas tree farm we have been going to for the last couple of years.  It’s a great little family owned farm with many charms of it’s own.  The tagging is self service, you grab a tag, find a tree that you like and tag it as yours.  You don’t have to pay for the tree until you come back and pick it up.  When you do decide to go back and claim your tree, they cut it fresh, shake the loose needles off of it, wrap it up and help you load it into your car.  All for about $35 – $50 depending on the tree you pick and the size.  It’s a little more than we would pay if we went down to one of local pre-cut parking lot stands but the tradition of going and picking out our tree means much more to me than the extra $5 we spend.

After we tag our tree, we had over to a restaurant called Snuzzles.  It’s in the middle of nowhere, doesn’t even have a sign on the outside but the food, atmosphere and price is great.  At first it seems a little out of place as the whole thing looks like something you would find at a ski resort but the people are friendly and the food can’t be beat for the price.

It’s a day I look forward to every year and this year it did not disappoint.  I am part owner of an Ecommerce company and the next 4 – 6 weeks are going to be insane.  As our business grows, it’s tougher and tougher for me to enjoy the holidays.  I think that is why I cherish days like today more than I ever had before.

How do you kick off the christmas season? Where do you get your tree?

Easy-Peasy Homemade Halloween Decorations

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Halloween CraftsHalloween is that time of the year when kids can dress up in their spookiest outfits.  This is when I think about how to prepare my house for the visiting little goblins and witches.

Of course, budget is never far from anyone’s mind these days.  This year, I decided to go the route of homemade Halloween decorations.  I decided to make it fun by taking on little “projects” that my son could help me out with.

Outside Spookiness

1.  The classic jack-o’-lantern

Take some Terra-cotta pots (make sure they are clean and dry), and invert them.  Cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth from some yellow-orange craft paper.  Get some all-in-one glue and spread it over the surface of your pot, stick on your jack-o’-lantern’s face, and seal it with another coat of glue. Place an old tree branch in the center for the stem of the pumpkin.  Line the pots on the sides your porch steps or on a flower pot ledge. This is an easy, kid-friendly, and cheap way to decorate the entrance of your home for Halloween.

2. Wolf path

Take some sponges and download some templates of wolves paws that fit the size of your sponges.  Use the templates to cut and create your own paw-sponge.  Get some washable glow-in-the-dark paint, dip them in, and place on the ground- maybe in your garden, or leading to the entrance of your house.  Your kids will love doing this! You’ve got a neat, washable, cheap and enticing trick to get the kiddies excited over the treats you have inside.

Inside your Haunted House

1.  Window treatment

Choose two window panels facing the front of the house (or any part where the trick-or-treaters are likely to pass).  Get some black cardboard and cut them out to fit exactly the shape and space of your windows.  Take note- mom’s and dad’s should do this part.  Then measure out pumpkins eyes, nose, and mouth and again cut them out. Make sure these holes can be seen from the outside.  Take orange tissue paper or bright orange cellophane and paste them to the holes.  From the outside, it will look like you have spooky windows.  My son loves this neat trick!

2. Kids corner:

This is one the kids will love to help you out with.  Collect an old hanger, some glue, yarn, neon paint or markers, and fiberfill and you’re set to go!  Download templates of bats and half moons and have your kids color them using neon markers or non-toxic, glow-in-the-dark paint.  When they’re done, cut them out, align the front and the back and glue together making sure to insert yarn in the top center part of the bat.  Take your yarn and tie them to the flat end of the hanger in varying lengths (think of those pretty hanging lights you may have in one of your corners).  Hot-glue the fiberfill to cover the entire hanger and then glue the half moon cut-outs in them.  Hang in your child’s room- let them pick out the corner!

Some Tips to Decorate Your Treat Table

Use some orange and black cloth to cover your table.  You can purchase a bit from your local store, just enough to be a runner. Fill old jars (remove labels and wash) with orange cellophane and candy for treats.  You can use jars of varying sizes, although wider ones would be advisable if you have them. Or you can use old tin cans, cover them with black craft paper, stick cut-out pumpkins eyes, nose, and mouth onto one side, and then fill with treats.

There are so many homemade Halloween decorations you can use to make your home Halloween-ready without too much fuss, money, and time required.  What’s most important is making it fun for your kids and their friends!

So, Happy Halloween! Trick or treat everyone!

How do you decorate your home for Halloween?

Cheap Costume Ideas For Kids

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Between the endless bags of candy we buy and the Halloween costume ideas that seem to get more elaborate every year, Halloween festivities can certainly get pricey! The good news is, dressing your child up in a great costume doesn’t have to break the bank. Fortunately, there are plenty of creative, easy and cheap costumes that you can make at home even if you are not a world-renowned artist or an expert seamstress.

Cheap Costume Ideas for Kids

Make Your Own

Think inside the box! It is amazing what you can do with a large cardboard box and some poster and face paint. Using a box that is big enough for your child to fit in, cut out holes for his or her head, arms and legs. A simple box can be transformed into a:

Robot…don’t forget the silver face paint and use a smaller box for the head.

Television…ditto with the silver face paint and then add a headband with antenna.

Aquarium…paste some plastic or Swedish candy fish onto the box and cover with a square of clear, blue plastic or plastic wrap.

Some other last-minute and inexpensive Halloween costume ideas include:

Witch or Wizard…dress your child in their own black clothes and add a simple witch or wizard hat and cape.

Monarch Butterfly…dress your child in black and make cardboard wings with a swirly pattern of orange and black.

Mummy…dress your child in white and wrap him or her in white fabric strips or gauze.

Ghost…this costume costs next to nothing if you can part with one of your white sheets, and never goes out of style!

Buy Secondhand

LIttle Girl Witch CostumeIf your child is older or has a specific character in mind that they simply have to have, then secondhand shops can offer an affordable solution. Many thrift stores have a children’s Halloween section every fall and carry an amazing assortment of sizes and styles. I was lucky enough to find my son’s first choice of costumes the last two years running at my local second hand store (Dracula and Ninja Turtle) for under $10.00 a piece! Not only is a secondhand store a great way to find cheap costumes, it is a green practice as well, as it is a classic example of “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Swap and Shop

If being green is important to you, consider organizing a costume swap at your home and invite a bunch of moms you know who have kids the same age as yours. Invite the kids to come along and make a Halloween play date out of it, complete with apple cider and cookies. Not only can you find a gently used costume this way, you can also explain to your child how swapping is a form of recycling, which helps the planet. If you do not want to host a swap yourself, there is even a website that lists local costume swapping events: www.greenhalloween.org/CostumeSwap.

Do you have other ideas for easy and cheap costumes?  If so, we’d love to hear from you…

Trick-or-Treat!

Where do you get your kids Halloween costumes?

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