Three Adorable (and No-Sew) Toddler Halloween Costumes

I am not very crafty. I'll pause and wait while my sister and mother stop laughing...still waiting...still waiting...OK, now if you are still trying to figure out what to dress up your toddler as for Halloween, I have scavenged the internet and found some cute ideas. I will warn you that I have been looking for little boy Halloween costumes, but a couple of these would work for boy or girl. Enjoy!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Baby Frankenstein[/caption]

1. Baby Frankenstein - Instructions for this adorable Frankenstein can be found at www.parenting.com  Super easy! 

2. Pumpkin - This mom posted a sweet video of her son, with instructions on how to make this simple, no-sew pumpkin costume.

Source: halloweenmaskscostumes.com via Keri on Pinterest

3. “Up Costume” - This is the most adorable costume I found. Very simple, you can make it at home. Everyone would know what this is- which is important for a costume, in my opinion! 


And for those of you who are more crafty than I am (believe me, that will be most of you)- here is a cute idea that works for boys or girls. It does involve a bit of sewing, but not very much! Our office did this concept last year for Halloween, and I tried it on Baby Mayhem just for kicks. Pretty cute!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="227"] Garden Gnome costume[/caption]

BONUS COSTUME: Garden Gnome - This costume is pretty easy, you just have to make the hat. You can decorate it however you'd like- jeans and a plaid shirt work well for the outfit. Very inexpensive, and adorable!


 

Are you dressing up your toddler? Show me pictures! 

3 Office Appropriate Halloween Costume Ideas

It's Halloween season and I've enlisted my fashionable sister at I Have A Degree In This! to share some office appropriate costume ideas. Every year, our office goes all out for this holiday. If you don't wear a costume, you definitely stand out. It is a struggle nowadays to find 'work appropriate' costumes- especially for women!

Some general guidelines:

- Avoid controversial topics.
- Keep it classy.
- No alcohol references.
- Avoid weapons, masks, or armor. You don't want to sit in your office with that on all day.

Where to buy this costume idea:

Off shoulder shirt
alloy.com

High rise legging
topshop.com

Converse chuck taylor
jcpenney.com

Red hair accessory
etsy.com

Idea #1: 1950s retro. Get inspired by Sandy from Grease with poodle skirts and ice cream dates. This is a good decade to find demure style inspiration. Where an off the shoulder sweater for a more covered up version of Olivia Newton John's look. Red converse give you comfort but also still fit the retro look. Lastly, tie a bandana in your hair for the finish touch!

Katniss Halloween Costume

Melanie Black Drawstring Parka
boohoo.com

Eddie Bauer cargo pants
amazon.com

Leather booties
gojane.com

The Hunger Games | Pop Culture
hottopic.com

Idea #2: TV/Movie Character. Go as your favorite TV/movie character because dressing up as a character is what Halloween is all about. You can seem up-to-date on pop culture references without getting too controversial.

Where to buy this costume:

Quiksilver button shirt
quiksilver.com

Charlotte Russe ripped skinny jeans
charlotterusse.com

Charlotte russe boots
charlotterusse.com

Straw cowboy hat
windsorstore.com

Idea #3: Classic costumes. Witch, super hero, Wizard of Oz character, construction worker, etc. Sure they may be boring but classics work. Most likely you'll be able to find many of the pieces in your wardrobe so you'll save money as well.

What costume do you plan on wearing to your office's Halloween party?

Taking Time Out

It's been a hot summer in So Cal. We've all been complaining about the heat, and looking forward to Fall. Knowing that 'fall weather' here is anything under 72 degrees, or 'gasp' even potentially some RAIN! We haven't taken advantage of living 10 minutes away from the beach this summer. We've been busy, caught up, working, sick, you name it. There have been weekends where I felt trapped, unable to get out of the house at all.

This weekend, I told my husband that we should head to the beach. I said, "It will be good for our souls." I'm sure he thought I was crazy- but sometimes I just need to get out of the house! So we packed up the boys, and headed west. We spent the morning in Laguna Beach, playing in the sand and just enjoying being outside.

[caption id="attachment_937" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Laguna Beach, California - October 2012[/caption]

It was so nice to see them all smiling, and enjoying each other. It made me take a deep breath, and remember that THESE GUYS are what is important. How do you take 'time out' with your family?

How I Handled My Oldest Child Going to Preschool

Little J makes me so proud. He started preschool, and there were no tears… from him. I tried to take some of those classic ‘first day’ photos on our porch. Except, trying to explain the ‘look over your shoulder’ pose to a 4 year old turned out to be much more difficult than I had planned for.

[caption id="attachment_923" align="aligncenter" width="600"] sure, that works. not what I was thinking, but it works.[/caption]

Then, I loaded him into the car and spent the ride explaining how he was going to school and STAYING at school- and that I would see him later. He told me that you're not supposed to turn right on red (seriously). When we arrived, he marched into the classroom to take a look. He was a bit nervous at first, but then he folded right into the routine with the other kids. He was bubbling with excitement when he got home, so I asked him a few questions.

Me: Who was your favorite kid? J: All of them.

Me: What did you do today? J: Played with kids. Had a snack.

Me: Did you make anything? Or sing any songs? J: Yeah, we made fish. But they had glitter on them, so I didn’t bring it home ‘cuz it would be too messy.

Getting nowhere fast. Guess I’ll have to be content to hear it all second-hand. But he’s really enjoying his half-days at school. They celebrated his birthday, and he got a crown to wear for the day. He had ‘share day’, or ‘show and tell’ to children of the 80's. And he brought a T-Rex, of course.



It made me a little sad to leave him there. It’s a strange feeling, and I know many parents have to leave their children when they are much younger… but it was a first for me! I never cried before I had kids, and there I was crying in my minivan before leaving him at school for his first day! Children have destroyed me!

Have you cried more since you had kids?

Long on Love, Meet our Dachshund

Ms. Mollie comes with quite the stories. But I feel it’s only fair for her to share the spotlight. Kallie was our first family pet, and she’s my baby. If you have ever owned a dachshund, you know- they have ‘a person.’ I am her person. I grew up with a longhaired dachshund, who was arguably the worst dog on the planet. We loved him, perhaps too much. When I was 10, I begged and begged for a dog. Dad said, “Get straight A’s, and we’ll talk.” So I did. And Buster joined the family. But he is another story altogether.

When we first got married, my husband and I used to walk over to the movie theaters all the time. We would venture into the pet store (I know, I know!) and visit the puppies. Kallie was gorgeous. Itty bitty (2 lbs), curly black hair, and my weakness- a longhaired dachshund. Time after time, we would go in- and I would hold her. The last time, I couldn’t handle it anymore. “Can’t we just get her?” I asked my husband. “She’ll be no trouble, look how little and quiet she is?!”

He said it was up to me. So I called in my mother. My mother also fell for her, and the deal was done. I used to carry her outside before and after work for our walks, and snuggle with her on the couch. She wasn’t allowed in the bed, and never will be. But we spent a lot of time together, since I brought her everywhere. I dressed her up for Halloween and everything- she was my baby. Then we got Mollie. Having two of them made it harder to bring Kallie everywhere!

Kallie been a wonderful pet- loving and loyal. She’s had her health issues too. But she can’t help that. Recently, I told her that I hope she likes tutus because if we don’t have a girl- I’ll need to dress SOMEONE up!

I just felt that I needed to share some love with Kallie, since my scene-stealing Basset Hound seems to grab all the attention around here! Kallie's notable accomplishments include kicking some doxie butt at the Huntington Beach Oktoberfest Dachshund Races in 2010. One of the other doxie owners asked if I was interested in breeding her- because she was so beautiful. That was an awkward conversation! She's always in my shadow at home, following right behind me everywhere I go.  I know I can count on her for unconditional love.

[caption id="attachment_913" align="aligncenter" width="600"] She's much easier to see on light-colored surfaces. She blends in with our dark brown couch![/caption]