Trick-or-Treating with a Halloween posse

 by Brie I love Halloween. I loved dressing up as a kid and, after checking that my costume fit over my parka, wandering the dark streets with friends in search of candy. Now I love watching my own kids dress up and wander the dark streets with friends in search of candy.

The girl was only two months old her first Halloween. Still, I dressed her up in a little leopard outfit and touted her to the door every time kids yelled trick-or-treat! They might not have been very excited to see a baby leopard, but I was excited to show her off.

 For her second Halloween we invited some friends to come trick-or-treating and unintentionally started my new favorite holiday tradition: the Halloween posse. That year the girl ate pizza in her pig costume and then walked, okay was carried, the streets in our neighbourhood along with her little dressed-up friends.

When she was two the girl dressed up as a mouse and her brother wore the little leopard costume. We ate pizza and then the girl ran ahead with her dad while I carried the boy in a sling on the front of my chest. It was a full house of excited kids and parents that night, but the most memorable part for me was the fact that the boy had an unheard of two hour nap in the bassinet in the middle of the living room. Obvious the key to getting a baby to sleep is throwing a Halloween party!

When the girl was three she wore a Snow White costume handed down from my cousins and her brother was a pig. This night the girl and her friends managed their longest trek yet, hitting up houses on  both sides of the block. The boy was uncertain about what exactly to do, but he soon saw that his sister was getting candy if she went up to the door and so he followed her lead.

This year we will be hosting friends again. Some of the friends have joined us before, some will be new. We will have a potluck, take pictures of all the  kids sitting on the front steps and then wander the dark streets together looking for candy. Because while the candy and the costumes are all fun, the best part of Halloween is hanging with your posse.

What are your plans for Halloween? Will you be hanging with your Halloween posse?

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Trick or treating tips for the slightly less brave

By Vicky As a child I have good memories of trick or treating. I loved dressing up and even made my own costume a couple of times. I remember the streets being full of kids, dragging their packed pillow cases door to door for more candy. When I would get home, I would dump all of my candy on the floor and then sort it into categories: chocolate bars, rockets, kisses, chips, gum, etc. and write down an inventory of everything I got. What a thrill it was to find a whole candy bar or a can of pop among the spoils.

But not all kids love Halloween. For some kids there is no appeal to getting dressed up. For others who are scared easily, Halloween is one big terrifying experience.

When Joel was two years old, he asked for a pirate costume and seemed excited as Halloween approached. But when it arrived, he seemed reluctant. He put on his costume, we took some pictures and then headed out for some trick-or-treating. The first house we went to was the neighbour across the street. Joel eagerly rang the doorbell, and when she came to the door to hand out candy he backed away and started to cry. I coaxed him along to a couple more houses before giving up and heading home.

This is moments before the tears began.

Last year he asked for a police costume. I found an authentic looking one with handcuffs and a walkie-talkie, but on Halloween night he changed his tune and insisted he wanted to be Spiderman. He had some Spiderman pjs so I put them on top of his clothes and off we went.

Knowing what to expect this year, he was excited about trick-or-treating, and happily went along down the street. Until we got to the spooky Halloween house. Most neighborhoods have them, the house that goes over the top with the decorations. Spooky music, smoke machines, scary zombies hanging from trees, this house had it all, including a haunted walk through the backyard and into the garage. We took a few steps toward the gate and then Joel froze. He told me he was scared and didn't want to go any further. Yet Kiernan happily went through and continued to trick-or-treat long after we'd headed home.

Halloween can be scary, but it should be fun! If you have a child that seems nervous or afraid of Halloween, here are some things that might work for them:

-Celebrate Halloween during the day. Join the Kids in the Capital Halloween Party at Boston Pizza! With the lights on, there's less chance of being scared - Go with the flow. If they don't want to wear a costume, don't push it. It's not worth traumatizing them just to get a few pictures. -Talk about what to expect on Halloween night. The scary costumes and masks are just pretend, the zombies in the trees aren't real. It's all just for fun.| -Let your child lead . If there is a house that scares them for whatever reason, skip it. When they've had enough, head home. -Remind them that treats do not need to be enjoyed all at once, and that it's better to make them last to enjoy them longer (this is one we're working on too!)

This year Joel asked to be Woody, and his friend Kiernan is going as Buzz Lightyear. He may or may not chicken out at the last minute. But if he does, I'm ok with that. If anything, there will be less candy in the house to tempt me!

Vicky is the mom to 4 year old son named Joel and 1 year old daughter named Mieka. You can read her blog at blog Some Kind of Wondermom.

The People In Your Neighbourhood

by Erin We have great neighbours.

Did this happen by chance? Maybe, but we did put some thought into it when we were looking for our current home 2 years ago.

One Sunday Hubby and I were making our usual rounds of open houses when we found it...our new home (or so we thought). We were so excited! The price was right and the newly renovated kitchen was just the icing on the cake. As we drove home we discussed putting in an offer. In his excitement Hubby suggested that we get in the car after supper and drive over to "our new neighbourhood" to go for a walk.

As we set out on our walk that evening I knew almost immediately that this place was not for us. The look on Hubbys face told me that he felt the same way. It just didn't feel right, not to mention the groups of teenagers roaming the streets smoking and using not-so-nice language (at 6 pm!).

After that Sunday we took a whole new approach to house hunting. When I would find something that looked promising I would drive around the area at different times of day (I was on mat leave so I had some time on my hands). I wanted to see if the people who lived in the surrounding homes had kids our age. I wanted to see if the people were talking to each other and if they were out in their yards in the evenings. When I was "researching" our current home I felt good about it, even before I saw the inside of the house.

We are so grateful we went for that Sunday evening walk.

Several evenings a week the kids will get together and play street hockey while parents either supervise or join in on the action. During the summer there were many impromptu barbeques and backyard playdates. If Hubby is away I know there will be someone to mow the lawn and keep an eye out for us. If we are away for the evening our neighbours will take care of our dog, and we do the same for them. We get some great hand-me-down toys and clothes too.

It is great to go outside your neighbourhood to find things to do, but it can also be pretty awesome to have a hockey tournament right outside your front door, a gourmet meal in a nearby backyard and a helping hand being offered before you even have to ask. 

If you don't know your neighbours - go meet them! I hope yours are as great as mine.

Erin is mom to 2 (almost 3) year old “Miss K” and 7 month old “Mister J”. You can read her blog at My Suburban Adventure

Sunday October 17th 10am- 3pm The Glebe Community Center 175 Third Ave @ Lyon St in The Glebe

Coping with Colds and Other Yucky Stuff

by Pam

Ah, fall. It is one of my favourite seasons with great vegetable harvests, gorgeous leaves and happy kids back to school. And then there is the downside – the return of the germs.

I’m home today with my youngest. Fever, cough and grumpiness seem to be on the menu today. Luckily I have been handling these bugs for a while now and have got some ideas on how to make the recovery more pleasant for everyone. Here are some of the handy hints I’ve learned. Maybe it will help with your kids when they're under the weather!

1. Be prepared. I am awesome at procrastinating but have learned not to put this one off. Get that medicine cabinet stocked with whatever you think you’ll need for sickness basics for your family. For us it is Tylenol and Motrin in both tablets and liquids (because sometimes they just can’t stomach the tablets), cold and/or cough medication, and anti-nausea and allergy medication. Make sure your thermometer is working and disinfecting wipes are handy. I keep a lined container and washcloth ready under the bathroom sink in case a delightful stomach bug suddenly visits. Better safe than sorry.
2. Keep up with the paperwork. Did I mention I procrastinate? Well, I’m learning. Keep your family doctor’s number, info on walk-in clinics, Telehealth (1-866-797-0000 in Ontario) and health cards in easy reach. Knowing the last time your child had the same illness or when he/she was last immunized may be important and you don’t want to be fishing around for this information while sleep deprived.
3. I LOVE warm therabags (bean bags) to help with sore tummies and general comfort. Crafty people could make one like this. We warm it up for a little over a minute in the microwave and the kids cuddle it for comfort. Hot water bottles are nice too with a little cover on them.
4. Layer up the bed. Yep, sick kids don’t always make it to the bathroom or bucket in time. No fun for anyone, but having a waterproof mattress pad layer between clean sheets makes clean up fast and hopefully all will be back to sleep in no time. Keeping beach towels handy for pillow covers helps too.
5. Keep that cupboard stocked too. You don’t want to have to run out to the store with a sick child in tow if you don’t have to. Soups, applesauce, Pedialyte, crackers, lollypops for sore throats and the like can be a great comfort to the little ones.

Hopefully any illnesses will be few and far between. Do add any ideas of your own to share. I’d love to hear what works for you.

Pam is Mom to Owen (9) and Laura (7) in Barrhaven.  They provide plenty of material for her blog, Easily Amused as she enjoys life with family and friends in beautiful Ottawa.

Costume Swapping for Halloween

by Laura October 9th is National Costume Swap Day in the United States.  This green event is promoted by Kiwi Magazine, Green Halloween, and Swap.com.  It is a simple idea to save money and the environment too.  Children are encouraged to swap costumes and keep old ones out of the landfill. 

Some children lose interest in dressing like Luke Skywalker or Cinderella.   My kids are happy to reuse costumes but this year they have both outgrown their outfits.  I am not handy with a sewing machine or a glue gun and have purchased costumes in the past.  Instead of spending money or trying to create something in the wee hours of October 30th, simply trade/borrow costumes with fellow trick-or-treaters.     According to the National Costume Swap website, “swapping half the costumes kids wear on Halloween would reduce the annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the weight of 2500 mid-sized cars”.   In addition, swapping reduces packaging, transportation, and manufacturing impacts too.     A costume swap can be as simple as sending an email to friends/classmates, or organizing something larger at a brownie/cubs meeting, local library or recreation facility.  I imagine that even folks with little interest in eco-friendly ideas might be keen to save a few dollars.  It is a win/win idea.    Why limit it to children’s costumes?  Adults attend Halloween parties and dress up to hand out treats at the door.  I wonder if my pal Kelly is growing tired of her pink pig costume and would like to dress this year as a defeated Leafs fan?  Perhaps our neighbour Steve wants to swap his vampire cape with my husband and dress as scary mask guy.   Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Although it is not a national event in Canada, a costume swap puts a fresh spin on an old tradition.   It is an opportunity to make a difference, save money and enjoy some holiday fun.   Happy Halloween!

Laura is a wife and Mother to beautiful 8 and 10 year old girls.  She describes herself as an eco-advocate and moderate neat freak with a recessive frugal gene.  Laura provides light-hearted commentary for every day, practical green living on her blog the Mindful Merchant.

Sunday October 17th 10am- 3pm The Glebe Community Center 175 Third Ave @ Lyon St in The Glebe