So, Your Kid Loves Deadpool

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest. All photos are my own, taken in my real house, with no crazy staging or photoboxes- there are no filters, wild edits, or photoshopping done. They have been (size) cropped to fit into the post. This is real life- you know, how it is when you actually use things- because authenticity matters.

deadpool costume

How did that happen?  I’m not really sure how it happened here in my house, other then daddy is a comic book nerd.  Like a good parent, I said he needed to wait until he was older to read Deadpool.  Like a typical daddy, he went ahead a read it to him anyway, although he “modifies” certain words and phrases, since Deadpool is WAY not for kids. And now, my kid loves Deadpool.  It’s his very favorite.

It’s really hard to find anything about Deadpool in his size- t-shirts, costumes, really anything at all.  I’m not so very crafty or great at sewing, so that doesn’t help matters.  Since he already told me he wants to be Deadpool for Halloween this year, I have been looking for Halloween Costumes 2015. I knew it would be a tough one to find, and I was right.

superhero costume

Apparently, comfy enough to lounge in. (He wouldn’t take it off, he was watching TV.)

 

Luckily for me, I found a Deadpool costume at Wholesale Costume Club, even if it was in an adult only size.  There are no kid sized ones anywhere, and trust me, I’ve looked.  I’m not skilled enough to make him one, but I sure can hem up his sleeves and pant legs, and he will be good to go.  Bonus?  He can wear it again in a few years if he wants to, so that’s pretty cool.

He loves his Deadpool costume, and since we are also having a Deadpool themed birthday party for him this year, he will already get quite a bit of use out of it.  My son loves costumes, and we let him wear them as often as he wants, as long as it’s not too hot.

You can like and follow Wholesale Costume Club on Facebook to see what’s new and for deals.

I know it’s early for Halloween, but it’s never too early to start looking when you know what they want is going to be difficult to find.  Plus, dress up is always in fashion  🙂

Awesome DIY Halloween Costume!

pinterest halloween costume

Halloween Themed Cocktails

Halloween is approaching, and it would only be appropriate to get in on all the festivities with some fun, seasonally-themed cocktails that are spooky and delicious.

Below please find cocktail recipes for both the Vampire Delight, utilizing one of SMIRNOFF’s newest flavors SMIRNOFF Wild Honey Flavored Vodka, and the Blood Orange Bloody Mary, featuring SMIRNOFF Citrus Flavored Vodka. They will be the best trick or treat goodies you’ve tasted in a while!

Haloween cocktails

Vampire Delight

Serves 1

Are You Ready For Halloween?

With Halloween right around the corner, do you have all your ducks (or pumpkins, as it were) in a row?

No?  No worries.  Here are some Halloween goodies that can help you get your spooky on- in a kid-friendly way.

carve pumpkins

What’s Halloween without carved pumpkins?  Pumpkin Masters has the kits and accessories that you and your kids will love to use to decorate that perfect pumpkin.   Choose from carving kits, patterns, tools, jack-o-lantern lights and flashing strobe lights, and more.  Looking for spooky, cute, or something in between?  How about mom,dad, or older kids- do they want to create a real work of art (that’s maybe a little more complicated)?  Got you covered. America’s favorite go-to tools  are easy to find and come with all that is needed to have a safe, creative, affordable and of course a fun decorating experience.   Our new favorite? The Surface Carving Kit– this is a really fun and interesting way to shave your pumpkin into some amazing designs, and play with the lighting as well.  It comes with three interchangeable carving tips, 12 patterns, one tool and pounce wheel.  For more, visit http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/

pumpkin carving

Another fun pumpkin option is the Hallmark Pumpkin Talker.  Available in Batman, Cinderella, and Scooby Doo, you use the template to carve a pumpkin that looks like your image of choice. When you’re done, put the Pumpkin Talker device into your carved jack-o-lantern to hear it talk in the character’s voice when it senses that someone is near.  We tried Scooby Doo, a favorite of my son’s.  It sounds just like the lovable dog from the show, and the template was very easy to use.
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Keeping Your Kids Safe While Trick Or Treating

Halloween brings with it scary ghosts, jack o lanterns, and all sorts of ghouls and goblins, both in the forms of dressed up merry makers and in the supernatural activity perceived in our all-to-willing minds. So how do we be still our overactive adrenal glands? Following some simple safety tips, and being aware of your surroundings will take you far.

 trick or treat safety

According to the Vanished Children’s Alliance, “most potential abductors grab their victims on the street or try to lure them into their vehicles.” Child abductions and attempted abductions are on average 5% higher on Halloween then on an average day in the USA, so it pays to be vigilant.

1- Safety in Numbers.

Travel in groups of 4 or more, and if your child is young, always have at least one parent present. By present, I not only mean physically there, I also mean “present”. The times when your kids are running up to strangers doors, crossing busy streets, trying to sneak pounds of candy, and on a day with creeps out starting at the wee ones is not the best time to be checking out that new app or tweeting. You can do that later. I know, it’s hard, but you can do it!

halloween safety

 2- Make Sure Costumes Fit Well.

If it’s too long, hem it (not with pins, those will just poke the kiddo’s as soon as they trip), and make sure if the child is wearing a mask, he or she can see properly and breathe well (you may need to modify it). If your kids are small, you may also want to consider how easily getting to the bathroom will be. It’s not something you want to consider when you really have to consider it, plan ahead for smooth sailing.
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Sesame Place #Spooktacular @SesamePlace

Halloween themed destinations often fall into two categories- scary/non-kid friendly, or family friendly to the point of boredom for adults. As always, Sesame Place has made a wonderful middle ground with “The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular”. The Spooktacular event transforms Sesame Place from the summer amusement park destination for kids of all ages to a Halloween themed wonderland of Sesame Street proportions.


The Spooktacular starts with an already cool park (but now without water rides), then adds Trick or Treating and special Spooktacular rides, decorations, and attractions. These include an Un-Haunted Castle maze, which is adorable to roam through, and without a single scare is great for kids of all ages with tons of interactive discoveries (and buttons to push) and fun learning experiences.

There is also Abby Cadabby’s Magical Halloween Maze, which is a fun hay-bale maze full of sparkle-riffic fun for kids. The story behind the attraction is that you and your kids must help find Abby’s missing wand and of course, experience the hijinks that occur in the process.

There is also a wonderful family themed hay ride with a Sesame Street character in their own costume as well. When we went we had Bert dressed as a farmer. During the ride there was singing and stories and laughing [Read more…]

Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo


Boo at the Zoo Returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo

Boo at the Zoo Bronx Zoo

Celebrate a New York Halloween tradition at WCS’s Bronx Zoo

Safe, family-friendly activities include:

The Haunted Habitat Mansion

Creepy Hollows Hayride

Costume Parade

Music, Magic, and MORE

Master Carver Pumpkin carving demonstrations

kids haunted hayride

 

Boo at the Zoo festivities run FIVE weekends beginning this Saturday, Sept. 29!

Sept. 29-30; Oct. 6-8, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28

Boo at the Zoo returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo for five full weekends of Halloween-themed family entertainment and activities. Attractions and activities embrace the spirit of the season while highlighting wildlife and conservation.

Annual favorites including a haunted walk-through adventure – The Haunting at Habitat Mansion – and the spooky Hayride through Creepy Hollows headline the festivities and have been enhanced for this year’s Boo at the Zoo. Visitors will enjoy magic shows, musical performances, and costume parades in addition to traditional guest favorites including the hay maze, haunted extinct graveyard and special seasonal craft workshops.

Children 12 and under wearing a Halloween costume will receive free general admission with one paid adult general admission. All Boo at the Zoo activities are included with the price of general admission with the exception of the hayride and haunted mansion.. The Creepy Hollows Hayride and the Haunting at Habitat Mansion walk-through adventure are included with the purchase of a Total Experience Ticket.

From Monday, Sept. 17, guests that purchase four or more Total Experience Tickets online will receive a plush snake hat created in the spirit of Boo at the Zoo. Offer is good while supplies last.

Guests are encouraged to visit www.bronxzoo.com for a complete schedule of keeper chats, animal enrichment sessions, and family activities.

Boo at the Zoo activities include:

The Haunting at Habitat Mansion

The Habitat Mansion, once owned by wildlife conservationist Dr. Benton Broome, is said to be the most haunted landmark in the Bronx Zoo. Dr. Broome left his legacy of preserving animal wildlife, habitats and conserving the earth’s precious ecological resources to his son, Dusty. But Dusty is not up for the challenge and the ghost of his father wants to ensure the memory of all endangered species is not forgotten. In the Haunted Habitat mansion, ghosts of the past, visions of extinct animals, and the messages of Dr. Broome’s ghostly house servants encourage guests to remember the importance of protecting wildlife from the threat of extinction. Mansion admission is included with Total Experience Tickets.

Location; By Somba Village

Time; 11:00am- 5:00pm

Creepy Hollows Hayride

Enjoy a thrilling hay ride beneath a canopy of beautiful fall foliage past the Birds of Prey exhibit and through the animated town of “Creepy [Read more…]

Hallmark Halloween Decor Review and W!N @HallmarkPR

Happy Halloween boils and ghouls!

How can you throw a wonderful Halloween get together without scaring the pants off your more sensitive, smaller guests as well as adult ones? How about by having Hallmark help with the decorating and Halloween shopping? Hallmark are the greeting card experts and have been for years. Halloween cards are great for any occasion, with bright colors, meaningful words, or and silly phrases. Some cards are even decorations as well, these large cards can open up and be put out for display. Hallmark is also known for their holiday decorations including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and of course Halloween. Their Halloween line is ever-expanding and constantly getting spooky, playful decorations and this year is no different. Here are a few highlights:

My Pet Ghost is a little jar that holds your choice of 3 ghosts, each with their own personalities including Genevieve Ruffles, Julian Hijinks, and Maxwell McSpooky. When the top of the jar is pressed the ghost lights up inside and give you some spooky insight into the ‘life’ of a ghost in a silly fun way. Little Man really liked this little pet, he was endlessly amused by it/her. He took it to his room to scare off any rouge monsters that may creep up in the night. Hey, whatever works.

Another spooky decoration is the new Witch’s Hat Door Decor. The hat hangs on the door and is motion activated. All you have to do is walk in front of it and it [Read more…]