Halloween 2011

Well we survived!! The costumes and the trick or treating that is, tomorrow will tell if we've actually survived the day after. With Halloween falling on Monday this year it's any one's guess how the kids will actually hold up in school tomorrow. I would hate to be a teacher on the day after the biggest candy binge fest of the year. Just Saying.

I have to brag for about 10 seconds....this year I spent around $10 TOTAL on costumes for 6 kids, plus myself!! Hooray! I felt pretty dang great about that actually. Not only did I not spend a ton of money on costumes, my kids looked GREAT and we got a lot of compliments. Let's just say it pays to have a dress up box sometimes.

So now on to some pics...cause that's the only reason you're reading right?! Either that or you haven't read a word I've written and you already glanced at the pics and are on to the next blog already....(although I truly hope that's not the case, please say it ain't so)

So NOW on to some pics...

This year Ashlynne decided to be a "BABY DOLL" She went trick or treating with some friends so I only got a couple of shots of her before she left but I was really pleased with the way her costume came out. (made the apron & hair bows $2.50, and bought the tights $3. We had the pettiskirt and white shirt)



Brinton decided to be a NINJA, just like pretty much every other boy in our area! LOL! We saw so many ninjas this year it was incredible. UNLIKE all those other ninjas however I purchased this costume at an after Halloween sale at Walmart last year for roughly $1.50. I saved it for this year a long with a couple of other costumes so that he had a choice when it came to it. Luckily, he still liked the idea and go figure the ninja was more popular this year than last!


When I asked Elise what she wanted to be this year I was actually pretty surprised when she said Princess Leia. I wasn't really sure how I was gonna pull that one off except that she has super long hair so I knew the famous Leia buns could be recreated without a problem. I poured over pictures of Princess Leia's costume, looked for easy costume patterns online and tried to figure out how I was going to make her look like Princess Leia without breaking the bank. While looking at costume ideas at FamilyFun.com (seriously LOVE that magazine/website) I found an idea for a No-Sew Greek Statue that I thought I could perfectly work into Elise's costume. I purchased about 2 yards of white costume satin for a little over $4. I cut a hole in the top for her head and then added a white turtleneck top, some pink leggings (she wanted a little color) and some boots. I had this perfect gold/silver metallic looking ribbon for her belt and VOILA! Princess Leia. I seriously love how cute and easy this was, I especially LOVED how her hair came out and she got the most compliments out of the bunch!!!


Julianna is usually pretty indecisive, she wants to be everything girly, everything princess, everything sparkly. This year she actually surprised me when she said, "Mom, can I wear my dance costume for Halloween?" I jumped on that, "Um, heck ya!" 2 years ago she did this adorable little birdy dance to a song from Sesame Street called "For the Birds." Her costume was a feathery, sparkly, red bird. I didn't realize this at first but I guess she had started to play the free Angry Birds app on my phone and had maybe heard about Angry Bird costumes or something....I'm really not sure how it all happened but she decided that she was going to be a "Fancy Angry Bird" BUT then with the Cardinals winning the World Series her costume worked for that too soooooo....she was a red bird, a cardinal and a Fancy Angry Bird. Either way her costume was FREE.


Liam and Aidan were also free AND quite possibly the cutest and easiest costumes by far. I dressed them in some plaid shirts, bib overalls, added some bandannas, cowboy boots and we had the cutest two little farmers that ever walked the planet. (In my humble opinion)Trick or Treating was especially fun when we were bumping up and down in our little red wagon.


Lastly, there was me. At the very, very last second (as in 1 hour before we left to go trick or treating) the kids decided that I needed to dress up too. First, I went for Pageant Queen but couldn't find the tiara anywhere, then I thought I'd do go-go dancer but I wore that costume 2 years ago and I wasn't feeling it, then I thought about Hawaiian girl but I wasn't really feeling that either, so I settled on wearing my husband's old pirate costume from a couple of years ago with a few minor adjustments for fit. Price? Free, once again. YAY!


And just so I don't leave him out here is a picture of Jeremiah handing out candy.


HOPE YOUR FAMILY HAD A HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011!! UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!