Baby Charlie Brown
Halloween might just be my favorite holiday.
Sure, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the turkey and presents and family time and all. But Halloween is something special. When else are you actually encouraged to wear a crazy get-up, eat a bunch of candy, stay up late and try to scare the you-know-what out of your nearest and dearest?
I love Halloween so much that even when I was pregnant, I was dreaming up costumes for my kid—which is something, considering I’m much more crafty in my head than I am in real life.
Benjamin was five months old on his very first Halloween. He’d lost his jet-black mohawk of newborn hair, so his head was pretty much bald, save a teeny bit of fine blond fuzz. I found a plain yellow t-shirt, cut out a zigzag of black felt, added black pants and voilá—instant Charlie Brown.
The next year, Benjamin was the lucky recipient of not one but two Halloween costumes—one of which was an adorable lion costume from my mother-in-law. I’d planned to have him go as “Super B” and wear the awesome superhero cape I’d bought for him on Etsy, but after I saw that lion costume, there was no question. Super B could wait to fly another year.
What makes a great Halloween costume?
Something that’s fun, that takes people by surprise, makes them laugh or is just crazy-cute. Something that’s either very timely or truly timeless. A little bit spooky is OK, like a classic monster or ghost costume, but gruesome just isn’t my thing, especially for kids.
A kids’ costume idea I love is to dress up as characters from favorite children’s books. It’s sweet, fun and unexpected, yet still familiar—and your child will stand out in the sea of Harry Potter, Cars and Toy Story costumes this year.
Madeline costumes are for sale online, but you could easily pull one together for your little girl by finding a blue coat or dress, a red tie, black Mary Janes with white socks, and a yellow hat. Siblings (especially twins!) can go as Thing One and Thing Two from the Dr. Seuss classic The Cat in the Hat by wearing a long-sleeve red tee, red sweats, and blue wig. (Here’s a video tutorial from YouTube.) Adventurous types can tap into their inner “wild things” by going as Max from Where the Wild Things Are. (There’s even an adult version of the costume for sale on Etsy.) Hit your bookshelves for more inspiration from nursery rhymes, fairy tales and other popular stories.
I must say, though, that this DIY owl costume from Alphamom.com is one of the cutest costumes I’ve ever seen. Benjamin is on an owl kick lately following a visit to ZooAmerica (and probably because his mommy loves them so), so this is a definite contender for this year’s costume. Animals, in general, are always a good bet, like the fun lobster costume my friend Molly sewed for her son, Henry.
Halloween decor, eats & drinks
I love the cool weather and warm, earthy tones and textures of autumn, so I tend to really go for it in terms of decorating my house. I’m not big on fake spider webs and ooky stuff like that, but I do love me some pumpkins. They’re actually pretty versatile and come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Pile them into a fireplace. Scoop out the insides and fill them with flowers for a centerpiece. Drill holes into them and add a strand of white lights inside. And don’t forget to toast the seeds!
Here are a few more stylish Halloween ideas from around the web that will sure to bring out everyone’s inner child come October 31:
Another Lunch: Kids have to eat something more nutritious than a handful of gummy worms and miniature Kit Kats, even if it is Halloween. I love the idea of“Halloweening” everyday foodsand making a muffin tin “bento box” full of fun, spooky little bites, like a banana and string-cheese ghosts, hot-dog mummies (AKA pigs in a blanket), and — my favorite — a kiwi Frankenstein.
• Martha Stewart’s Halloween Central: Martha really knows how to do Halloween. Her site offers instructions for carving classic jack-o-lanterns, as well as intricate, artistic designs into your pumpkins, such as gingko leaves and Celtic knots. MSHC also offers how-to’s on costume-making, decorating, and making Halloween crafts. Not only that, but the site provides tons of crowd-pleasing recipes, party ideas and activities (squash bowling!).
• Woman’s Day.com: Does anyone really like to eat candy corn? I don’t, but it looks cool. The popular magazine’s website shares seven easy tips for using the triangle-shaped treats in ways other than their intended purpose, including in place of stones in the bottom of a glass candle holder or glued together in a front-door wreath.
• Design*Sponge: OK, this recipe for a pumpkin martini is strictly for grown-ups. But, hey, after all the costume-making, pumpkin-carving, apple-bobbing and heaven knows what else, you’ll probably need a drink. (Note: This particular recipe requires you to make your own pumpkin-infused vodka two weeks ahead. I’m pretty sure it’s worth the effort.)
Or take the easy route and make my favorite gingery cocktail: Philly’s own SNAP organic gingersnap liqueur and ginger beer. It’s perfect for fall—and tastes like a cookie in a glass.
Cheers, and happy Halloween!
Stephanie Anderson Witmer is a professor in the Communication/Journalism Department at Shippensburg University, a freelance journalist, and the mom of a rambunctious toddler. She writes more about parenting, cooking and style at www.smittenblog.com.
