Whoo boy -- it's the last day of the month! I know that things like birthdays and inspiring work events make for great months, but October really and truly was a lovely one on all counts. Enjoy your Halloween festivities with your families today, and when you're ready to kick back some time over the weekend, enjoy some delightful backreading with this Best of October 2014 roundup.

Family Issues

• Lessons learned: getting over the homeschool stigma
• 5 tips that make saving for college not scary

Halloween

• 10 cute Halloween printables make it easy to create a festive home
• 10 clever Halloween costumes, no sewing required
• On the fly no sew M&M costume
  
• Dear Boston Mamas: how to handle the Halloween candy craze

Home

• How to create a gorgeous gallery wall
• Eat seasonal: 12 apple recipes
• Eat seasonal: 11 pear recipes
• Eat seasonal: 12 pumpkin recipes

Fashion

• Friday Find: New Balance zoo kicks are WILD
• 5 favorites from fashionABLE

Miscellaneous

• Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome

Image credit: peanut butter cup blondie via Pinterest

Today’s Dear Boston Mamas query comes from reader Jenn:

"Christine, how did you handle Halloween with Laurel and Violet? Specifically, when did you allow them to start going door to door and how did you curb their candy intake? My husband thinks Halloween candy is the gateway to disaster and serious addictions to junk food/candy afterwards."

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Dear Jenn,

Thanks for writing in! My view on candy is like many things: in moderation and with some general guidelines it is totally fine. I think the real problem comes when you restrict completely. I've seen this happen with other families and also am speaking from personal experience...my parents were super restrictive with sweets and I became a lunatic driven to shoplifting Swedish fish. I truly wish the convenience store from which I procured my Swedish fish was still there so I could pay them back.

First, regarding age, babies obviously won't collect/eat candy. Laurel wasn't interested in going door to door until she was 3 but last Halloween Violet (at 2 years old) wanted to go out with her sister and it was more about the acquisition than anything else. In fact, last week we discovered her pumpkin bucket in the closet, still full of candy!

Now, here are my 8 tips for handling the Halloween candy craze. Both Laurel and Violet love sweet treats, but we have been able to establish a decent balance by keeping to the below guidelines.

1. Real food first. A good rule of thumb is that real food consumption – ideally including fruits and vegetables – must precede sugar. The whole, “everyone who eats a good dinner can have a treat afterwards” thing does work.

2. Teach moderation. Kids do naturally self-regulate, but as they get older (and their eyes get bigger than their stomach) you may need to remind them about moderation. We’ve always encouraged the girls to listen to their stomachs and in the face of something richer than usual, offer a reminder such as, "Is your tummy starting to hurt? Don't eat until you get sick." (If your kid had an experience in the past where they ate treats until they got a stomach ache, this is a good time to remind them of that feeling.) This approach has worked really well.

3. Set firm limits. Decide on a fixed limit for consumption. For example, allow 1-2 pieces of candy after a meal, no negotiations.

4. Be consistent. Whatever rule you set up in #3, BE CONSISTENT. This is the key to almost everything with parenting. The less consistent you are, the more your (clever) children will realize they can beg and whine until you cave in. Less begging and whining = good! BE CONSISTENT!

5. Limit the drama. Kids feed off our emotions. Like 100% restriction, the bigger a deal you make of it, the more they will want it. Just be matter of fact about your decisions and limit the drama.

6. Make teeth brushing contingent on eating candy. It’s amazing how the nuisance of teeth brushing (not at the typical teeth brushing times) will kill the desire for eating candy. But even if it doesn’t, it’s a good thing to follow candy consumption with teeth brushing.

7. Teach about consequences. If candy consumption really becomes a difficult issue, teach your kids about consequences. Give it away via a local buy back or donation to the troops. Trust me, they will remember next year.

8. Change the giving rules in your home. If you want to model less candy, try passing out Halloween candy alternatives. It will show them that there can be other ways to celebrate.

Do you have other effective ways to handle the Halloween candy crazy at home? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Image credit: candy corns via Pixabay.com

OK you guys. After posting that roundup of no-sew Halloween costumes, I said to myself, man, if someone can make a no-sew UNICORN, surely I can handle Laurel's request to be an M & M! So on Friday I decided to give it a try since we were heading to Boo at the Zoo Saturday. This was the first time in craft history that I made up a project on the fly that turned out just as easy as I had hoped in my mind! Here's the DIY:

For supplies, you will need:

• Craft paper
• Two yards of felt (M & M color), for a max 36" diameter M & M
• One 8.5 x 11 sheet of white felt
• Fabric scissors
• Glue gun + glue sticks
• Pins
• Batting (totally optional)

1. Make paper templates. For the M & M, I taped together two large sheets of craft paper (I have a big roll in my office) and had Laurel lie down so I could figure out a size that would have impact but not be overwhelming; for Laurel's 10-year old body this was about 32 inches. I measured out a circle old school style, by taping a string to two pens, holding one pen in the center, and tracing out the circle with the other pen. Then I cut out the circle. While I was doing this, Laurel freehand drew the "M" and cut out that paper template.

2. Cut fabric. With your M & M color felt folded in two, lay paper template on top and cut out circles. If you use a sharp pair of fabric scissors you'll have no problem cutting both pieces at the same time. Do the same for the "M" (lay paper template on top and cut out).

3. Pin glue zones. Pin areas shown be red marks in the below image to guide your glue zones. You want the head, arm, and leg holes to be big enough to get in and out of easily while being closed enough so the M & M holds it's circle shape.

4. Glue pieces. Glue "M" to front of circle. Remove pins (I just in pins to mark the end of each zone to help guide me, then removed) and glue seams shut. Wait for glue to cool then test fit on your kid and glue openings a little more shut if necessary. Again, the more you can close the seams, the better the M & M will hold shape.

And you are DONE! This took about a half hour! I did buy batting thinking we might need to stuff the M & M, but we didn't need it. And no stuffing made the costume easier for Laurel to negotiate (and easier to fold up and put in my bag!). If you want, you can have your kid wear white pants, shirt, and gloves but we didn't have any of that. And it didn't matter -- based on the number of comments and excited squeals Laurel received at the zoo from other parents and kids, the costume clearly translated! 

The only hitch with this costume (which Laurel and I discussed before starting) is that it's obviously not comfortable to have your arms sticking straight out the sides. So, she had her arms inside the costume, holding her treat bag, and she'd just reach a free hand to get a treat when it was time. If you want to avoid this problem, you could make a peanut M & M, which is a more oval shape. If Violet had been interested, it would have been cute to make her a peanut M & M companion for Laurel!

Images: Christine Koh

As I said last week in my roundup of adorable free Halloween printables, I am so, ridiculously grateful for the creative people online who share their how-to's. Case in point, though I do own a sewing machine, it is, in fact, another piece of gear and another step if you're trying to DIY a costume. Today I wanted to share a roundup of 10 clever no-sew costumes, where your primary tools generally will be scissors and a glue gun. AWESOME.

I'm feeling less intimidated now to riff and attempt Laurel's desired M & M costume! Click through on each of the below links for the full tutorials. And thank you, fellow bloggers, for being so awesome!

1. Use adorable pajamas as a Halloween costume base (that they can then go right to sleep in....WIN).

2. Turn baby into a popcorn box with felt and a glue gun.

3. Literally. Time to make the donuts.

4. You won’t be saying Let it Go to this easy no-sew Elsa costume.

5. Is it weird that I want to make myself a pair of these mermaid leggings?

6. OMG family of Care Bears!

7. Create a unicorn in under an hour.

8. Every dreamer needs a jet pack.

9. Get spooky in a hurry with these easy bat wings.

10. Take your pick of any of these adorable super hero costumes.

Image credits: all images via linked sources above; click through full the full DIYs!

The internet is overflowing with Halloween adorableness right now and as someone who loves holidays but is short on bandwidth for from-scratch projects, I'm immensely grateful to the awesome and clever people who make it easy for busy parents to make the house festive in a matter of minutes. So, fire up your color printer, go visit these amazing creatives to download a free printable (or 10!), and get your home Halloween ready in a snap.

1. How cute (and tasty) is this Halloween bingo game?

2. Build in a little learning with this Halloween scavenger hunt.

3. There's still plenty of time to countdown to Halloween.

4. Inspire spooky play with these Halloween shadow puppets.

5. Everyone will love these adorable (and yummy) mummy bars. (These remind me of the DIY mummy minion door!)

6. Even fingers need costumes.

7. Be the ghost and BOO! your neighbors.

8. Enjoy instant costumed cuteness thanks to these mask printables.

9. You'll be sure to have the most charming treats on the block with these treat bags.

10. Inspire a few lunch time laughs with these Halloween lunch box jokes.

Image credits: all images per linked sites above

Per my previous post, welcome to this new series, in which I'll share everything from events to bargain alerts to other ideas and tips that spring to mind as useful and/or fun for the week. After considerable mulling, I decided to call the series Weekly Blueprint, because I think the name conveys a creative presentation of ideas and plans that are, ultimately, posed for your consideration (vs. including the term "to do," which suggests that I think you must do whatever it is I'm suggesting!). Enjoy, and please do drop me a line if you have suggestions for a future Weekly Blueprint!
October 31: Figure out how to sneak extra layers under your kids' Halloween costumes (long underwear! leggings!). Also, buy candy or other Halloween favors if you have procrastinated as I have.

November 1: Call someone you love and wish them a Happy November. Snap a photo of your kid(s).

By November 1: If this weekend's weather didn't already inspire you to action: procure winter gear. I ordered Laurel's snow bib, jacket, and boots from Lands' End last week and called in to get a priced adjustment when everything went on sale a couple of days ago. They're currently running a 30-50% off outerwear sale. Sweet!

November 1-6: Spread the Halloween wealth. Send candy to the troops (we've done this the past couple of years) or head to Magic Beans for their candy buy back (bring 1 pound+ of candy in exchange for 20% off one toy that day only...I highly recommend the Perplexus if they have it in stock!).

By November 3: Pick up easily lost items (I ordered gloves and hats yesterday) from Old Navy. They are running a 30% off sale until November 3 for cardholders.

November 4-6: Yowza, Christmas is on the horizon. The Christmas Festival at the Seaport World Trade Center runs Friday to Sunday and admittedly, mostly I want to see the gingerbread house creations!

November 4-6: Pottery Barn fans will swoon: the PBTeen pop up store arrives at the Natick Mall on Friday. Head over between November 4-6 for giveaways, design exploration, games, and a photo station.

By November 6: Buy one of these killer raffle tickets. Two dollars (or some multiple thereof) will do good + enter you to win a tote valued at $350.

By November 6: Remember that we fall back an hour on Sunday. Oh, darkness.

At your leisure: Browse the Mayor's Holiday Special website for discounted theatre tickets. I'm a big fan of experience-based, usable gifts at the holidays.

At your leisure: Score some off-season deals for yourself. I got some amazing deals at Anthropologie's sale section this weekend; not great for Boston right now, but perfect for my trip to Palm Springs next week.

At your leisure: If you haven't already, it's time to rotate your fast-growing children's clothing. If you have excess, swap with friends, or donate items to local charities such as Room to Grow or Cradles to Crayons. And/or list boxes online with thredUP (and score used gems for your kid).

At your leisure: If you're planning on getting flu shots for your family, book them now. (This reminder comes courtesy of the mom who forgot to take Violet to her flu shot appointment last week.)

Image credit: Lands' End

If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read Fairly Odd Mother's post about ways to put the candy to good use; namely, by donating the loot to troops overseas. Check out the leads Christina culled, as well as those by Cool Mom Picks. And if you're looking for local drop offs, bring your Halloween candy to Magic Beans (all 3 locations) through November 10 and trade it for 25% off a toy, or to Wellesley Dental Group where they'll buy back paper lunch bags full of candy for $1 then donate the candy to the troops (through November 13).
Laurel is totally on board with this plan and already has set aside candy for donation and made a card (pictured below) to include. I also offered to the other families in Laurel's kindergarten class to coordinate a shipment from the class, such that I'll be collecting candy and cards from families this week and will ship it all out over the weekend.

Image credits: 1 (Wellesley Dental Group); 2 (Christine Koh)

As a foodie, eco-geek, and mom of a kid apparently prone to cavities, Halloween causes me some angst. I don’t want to deprive Laurel and the neighborhood kids of candy but I don't like buying the preservative laden junk; I want to purchase good stuff (e.g., organic, fair trade) and candy alternatives without breaking the bank and/or getting my house toilet papered. I queried folks on Facebook and Twitter yesterday and got some great feedback. Below are some ideas from the community on alternatives to offer instead of – or in addition to – traditional candy. See also handy back editorial including Michelle’s tips for greening your Halloween and Tracy’s tips for promoting an allergy friendly Halloween.

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Alternative Snacks:

@prillyp: “No one ever knocks, but I always have something in case. This year: Annie's Bunny Gummies because I'm OK eating them if no one comes.”

@dcrmom: “I'm doing a small bag of pretzels AND a small candy bar. So it's not ALL bad.”

@mamacooldog: “Pretzels...and candy. I don't want to be the house every kid hates.”

Susan from Boston: “We hand out UTZ Halloween pretzels packages. My son is allergic to nuts, dairy and eggs so I try to be the "allergy-friendly" house. We have also handed out small containers of play dough in the past.”

@thriftymommy: "My aunt used to teach and she had a box of new kids meal toys left from her prize box. I'm giving those out as a kid-approved alternative to candy. I also have some fun size bags of Oreos, Teddy Grahams, and pretzels."

@FairlyOddMother: "I think it would be hilarious to do jello shots for the adults. Or maybe Dixie cups of hot cocoa and Baileys. Other than that, candy! But, I've also done Halloween-size packs of microwavable popcorn and that was a hit, especially among the tweens. I got them in bulk at Costco the year we did it."

Sara from Ireland: "We're definitely doing candy - but all that gummi bear stuff because I hate it...I know I would have felt seriously cheated if I was given non-candy as a kid. We ration it out here so it lasts nearly until Christmas...I grew up near a Frito Lay factory and Halloween was the only time I ever got to eat little bags of Fritos. Mmm...Fritos (goes into greasy salty snack reverie...). Eating candy is one of childhood's great pleasures."

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Crafts, Toys, & Trinkets:

Janelle from New Hampshire: “Both of my girls love crafts, so whenever we have a gathering, my gift bags are craft related... I've given necklace making kits, birdhouses to paint, puppets to make, etc. The kids love this idea as it's something different, and the mums love it because it's not candy, and not another plastic ring, yo-yo, etc., that ends up being immediately lost or tossed. While these ideas may sound extravagant, they really aren't. I am a huge AC Moore, Michael's, and Christmas Tree shopper...you can find all the ideas that I mentioned for under $1 a piece.”

@MoreThanMommy: “I thought about doing temporary tattoos, but we have too many older trick or treaters. Really they just want candy…[Also] I have given out glow necklaces in the past. Michael’s has 12 glow necklaces for a dollar."

@WhollyMothers: “Mini-playdoh is on sale at Target now.”

@the3Ts: “Halloween stickers for the young kids and sugar free gum for the older ones!”

@seaweedgirle: “Halloween-themed pencils, stickers, tattoos, and eraser puzzles.”

@beclarke: “We have a bowl of candy and a bowl of little toys (inexpensive goodie bag toys). Kids opt for the toys.”

Judi via Facebook fan page: “We hand out stickers, since we are gluten free (which, btw, pretzels are not). Oriental Trading all the way!”

Vanessa from Boston: “I'm doing plastic fangs.”

@rookiewhitney: "I bought non-candy stuff and my husband said ‘Don't hand that out.’ We live on a busy street and get very few trick or treaters, and will probably not be home for them anyway, so I will likely leave a bowl of the skull rings and plastic spiders I bought and not worry about it."

@rookieheather: "I bought candy but also pencils and superball-eyeballs. Rumor has it that sometimes kids pick the pencils. I will test that rumor."

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Bonus Points For Encouraging Good Deeds & Habits:

Susan from Vermont: “Don't forget change for UNICEF! Folks can still get boxes at Hallmark stores.”

@LizPW: “All the kids hate me…seed packets. They want candy, I want them to grow veggies.”

@WellesleyDental: “We're handing out toothbrushes and also collecting unwanted candy for troops Nov. 2 - 13 at our office.”

@pumpkinpetunias: "Always stickers for the little ones; also have done Halloween-themed yo-yos, toothbrushes (my fave), and glow sticks along with candy."

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Other advice:

Joan via Facebook fan page: “Have you heard of the Switch Witch? She's sort of like the tooth fairy. The idea is that a kid can leave all his/her candy on the doorstep when he/she goes to bed, and that night, the witch takes the candy and leaves a toy in its place. I'm thinking about trying that idea out on my kids.”

Kim from Boston: “Oh, if you're watching your girlish figure - do not buy any candy until the 31st AND buy the kind you do not like so you won't be tempted to indulge! So for me, I never buy chocolate - I buy Dots and Sweet Tarts that the kiddies like but I don't waste my time on!”

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Thanks everyone for these great ideas! Since we'll be out trolling the neighborhood so Laurel can show off her spectacular mermaid costume (generously sewn by her aunt Stephanie), I'll probably leave out a basket with a mix of organic candy, candy alternatives (e.g., pretzels), and small toy/craft items (e.g., stickers) and see what takes. Ultimately I'll buy things that I'm OK having around the house afterwards (so, yes to crafty items and no to tchotchke). We also will keep to our 1-2 piece of candy per day rule + brushing immediately following (due to aforementioned cavity issues). We've found that the nuisance of brushing often curbs Laurel's desire for sweets.

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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net