How to win a Halloween Costume Contest

I am typically not very competitive but I love the idea of winning a Halloween Costume Contest. My parents won when my son, their first grandchild, was born. He was born a few days before Halloween so they wore baseball caps that said "I am a grandma" and "I am a grandpa" and then developed photos of my son on 16 x 20 foam board and wore them around their necks! They were so cute and everyone was impressed with their creativity! Here are few tips so that you can take home the prize:

• Before you begin planning your costume, find out how you are going to be judged and what the prize categories are. Also ask about the judges!
• Costumes that make people laugh or that are based on current events are always a hit.
• Do research on the web and find out what details could set your costume apart from the crowd.
• Know your strengths. If you can sew, then put that skill to use. If you are good with tools, then add on bells and whistles!
• Get into character. Have fun with your costume and act the part. Take on the voice, tone and personality of your costume. It isn't just what you wear but how you wear it!

Hallo-teen Costumes

Halloween is generally a fun time for all of us! But after scanning the selection of Halloween costumes for teenage girls, I found that it's nearly impossible to find an appropriate costume!  They seem to be too childish or simply too sexy. 

Jennifer, the mother to a 15 year old girl, wrote to me asking if I had any suggestions for her daughter's Halloween costume. The costume should be something much less than revealing but at the same time will allow her to avoid looking like a child. Here are some solutions that I came up with:

-Check online websites. Although these costumes look a bit risque in the pictured examples, if you try a size larger than your usual fit then the ensemble will stay appropriate and cute!  You could also put black leggings or a tee shirt underneath them if they are too short or low cut. www.BuyCostumes.com has an entire section devoted to Teens!  I like this sailor costume!

-It is always fun to dress-up with a friend or a whole group of people. If you can't find a costume in the store or online, think of a celebrity duo or the cast of your favorite show, then shop around and pull together your own costumes!

-Channel a fun-fashion era such as the 70's or 80's and find a costume using cool vintage finds.

-Humor is usually a good way to divert from all negativity. Be something silly or quirky and you're bound to get tons of positive attention. I found one high school sophomore who was Abigail Breslin's character from Little Miss Sunshine and another girl who was Madeline. These costume ideas were just so creative! Don't they inspire you to think out-of-the-box? Dressing as something silly instead of sexy will also exemplify confidence. A girl who is comfortable in her own skin doesn't need to be scantily clad to stand out!

-If you are crafty, check out Martha Stewart's Halloween Special Edition Magazine.  She has costume ideas for a Jelly Fish, a Mummy and a Leafy Sea Creature that are great inspirations.
Family Fun's Halloween Special Magazine also has great do-it-yourself ideas including an iPod Costume, a deck of cards costume or a spilt bowl of spaghetti.

Play Dress- up with just one zip

Every day can't be Halloween, although our kids would just love that! Girls can be princesses in school, at the movie theater, or on a play-date, wearing sweet, poofy dresses and pink plastic beads, but little boys can't be Batman three days in a row. That's just unheard of! This is why Carlee, the hands-on creative mother of two boys, designed the Zoodie. This silly word, "Zoodie," is, in fact, what it looks and sounds like. A Zoodie is a hoodie that allows your child to look like a zoo animal (or a dinosaur or a unicorn) while sparing you the disapproving looks from mothers surrounding you. You know that look that says, "You're really letting your kid wear that? Take some control!" So in an attempt to appease her boys while saving face in the Mom Community Carlee invented the most adorable sweatshirts that double as everyday costumes. Although this idea was inspired by her boys, Carlee couldn't bear to exclude any child from playing dress- up so thanks to the Zoodie, your little boy or girl can become any animal from a skunk to a ballerina mouse. Just ask her! She loves to take special requests for orders, and why wait? These playful hoodies start at just $36!