Saturday, October 23, 2010

How to get more mileage out of the Halloween costume


Weather you purchase your child's costume, make it yourself, or have it made, we all want to see them wear that costume more than once. But how to you get them to wear it again without making them wear it to the grocery store? Here are my tips:

1. Pumpkin Patch. Have your child wear their costume to the pumpkin patch when you go to choose your pumpkins. Make sure to dress in rain boots so that the costume doesn't get muddy. It's also a good time for a photo op.

2. Pictures. Have a photo session with your favorite photographer or studio or your own camera! You can choose fun fall backgrounds, or go to your favorite park that has colourful leaves all over the ground.

3. Halloween at the Mall. Take your child to your local mall on Halloween afternoon. Most malls will have trick or treating from 1-4 (check your local mall's website). It's a warm up to the night time event, but still fun for little ones to practice saying trick or treat.

4. Party! Have a halloween party with the young kids in your child's class, or with the kids in your neighborhood a week or so before Halloween. Costumes mandatory!

5. Get the costume a size too big. If you get the costume a touch big, they can wear it for dress up during the year, or if they decide to be the same thing next year, no problem!

Remember to enjoy the Halloween season. Dress up, be a bit goofy, carve magnificent pumpkins, and remember to be safe out in the dark, and to check the candy before letting your kids eat any of it. Most younger families will start trick or treating around 5:30 or 6:00pm to end before 8:00.

Boo!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Push Presents

Something a ot of you may not know about is the "Push Present". This is a gift new dads will get for new moms to show their appreciation for carrying their baby for the last 10 months and going through the x number of hours of labour she just went through. Hard work doesn't really seem to cover it, does it? I orginally heard about it through hollywood gossip when Britney Spears got a $10,000 something present from K-Fed for having baby number 1. I thought, "wouldn't that be nice?" But then I realized that this doesn't have to be a thing only for the Uber rich. Anyone can do this!

A push present is not about money, it is about thought and adoration. It could be anything from a $10,000 ring to a potted plant. It can signify a thank you, or something to grow or stay with your child. It could be a gift certificate for a pedicure so mom can just get away for 30 - 60 minutes, or it could be an in-home massage. My husband got me a cute locket after our second son was born and he put a picture of each of my boys in it. It was thoughtful and inexpensive. That is the point of a push present. It is to let her know that you appreciate what she just went thought, and what she is about to go through by being a full time mom (even if you work, you are still a mom first), and thanking her for her role in the creation of your new child. *bonus to the men who admit they could never do it themselves!*

For 10 months all focus is on the pregnant woman, once the baby comes out, everyone forgets about the woman they were admiring, and focus on the new baby. Take time to love her too because you might be the only one who notices how tired, frazzled, or overwhelmed she is.

Easy gift ideas: You don't have to go anywhere, and they ship direct. http://www.ice.com/ and http://www.spafinder.com

*Let us know what your husband/partner got for you to express their gratitude for the baby you produced!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Autumn is here!

Autumn has finally arrived. And not only because September 21st has passed. Most people think of autumn as cold weather and the lead up into the dark, cold, stay-indoors winter season. But for your children, it can be a world of wonder and amazement!

The changing colours of the leaves are a chance to teach kids about the seasons. Making a big pile of leaves and jumping in them, or gathering leaves and throwing them up in the air and dancing under them are just two great ways to enjoy the fall season! You can also take some leaves home for a cool art project! Here are just a few:
  • Gather some leaves of different shapes and sizes. Take them home and put the leaf between two pieces of paper (make sure they are dry first). With a crayon or pencil crayon, rub the color over the page where the leaf is. This will make a leaf imprint on your page.
  • Draw or print out the trunk of a tree with a few branches. With some finger paints, or some real leaves, put leaves on the tree. This can be a really big messy project, or a simply clean one. Use your imagination. Children's hands are the perfect size to create leaves for the tree branches.
Autumn is also the time that families start thinking about Halloween costumes. Luckily, if you purchase your costume from a mainstream store, they are all on sale by now. Costumes come out in early September, and go on sale at least 25% a few weeks after that. You should not have to pay full price for a Halloween costume ever!

Pumpkin patches are the biggest thing since sliced bread when it comes to Autumn, especially in October. There are three main pumpkin patches that I've heard good things about in and around the lower mainland. Richmond's Country Farms, Apple Barn in Abbotsford, and Alder Acres in Langley. All of the pumpkin farms have pretty much the same thing. Hay ride, pumpkins, a field, petting zoo, etc. Decide where you want to go, and thoroughly enjoy it! I recommend to wear rubber boots and old jeans. It is not necessary to wear a muddy buddy, but if you have rain pants, that might be useful! Bring a garbage bag to line the bottom of your trunk, or a crate/basket for the pumpkins to go into. Also, remember to bring your camera, it is the perfect place to get that once a year photo surrounded by pumpkins!

Teaching your kids the importance of being grateful, and giving thanks around Thanksgiving is an important lesson they can learn early. "We are not raising Children, we are raising adults" Teaching your kids the fundamentals of being an adult, like giving, being thankful, being respectful, responsible, and polite are important foundations of being a positive society member. Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to do that. So, let me start with "Thank you for everyone who has read my blog, made a comment, or has passed the website onto their friends. I hope to make this a really useful tool for families".

There are a lot of great things about autumn. Make some warm soup, snuggle under some blankets, have a family movie night (The Nightmare Before Christmas for older kids), or go examine the wonder of the season! Remember that autumn is not only the lead up to winter, it has it's own magic too.

Enjoy!

ps. My tip: start buying Christmas gifts now!! Many many things will be on sale this month and they will not go on sale again closer to Christmas. I recommend starting early, just remember what you've bought so that you don't end up with a million presents for one child!