Archive for October, 2009

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

October 30th, 2009

Hubble, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble, the chilly winds are blowing Halloween our way. The witching hour countdown is on and if you still have no fancy dress costumes to put the kids in, do not fear. Here are some simple, quick and cost-effective Halloween fancy dress ideas sure to scare even the most terrifying ghouls and gremlins.

ghost-costume1) Ghost

To create an effective ghost costume all you need is an old sheet that you don’t mind cutting a hole in, some black face paint and talcum powder. It take minutes to create and is perfect if time has really got the best of you this year.

All you have to do is cut a hole in the middle of the sheet big enough for your little one’s head to fit through and paint black circles around their eyes. Finish off the ghoulish look by putting talcum powder on their face and in their hair.

black-cat-costume2) Black Cat

A black cat is a really cool yet simple costume kids will love. Firstly, rummage through your child’s wardrobe to find some black clothing. Next, pop down to a fancy dress shop and buy a pair of cat ears and some black face paint (should cost under £5). You can make a really impressive tail by stuffing an old pair of tights with odd socks or cotton wool. Costume preparation complete.

On the night of the Halloween party or just before an evening of trick or treating, dress your child entirely in black and attach the tail with a few stitches or safety pins. Use the face paint to draw a nose and whiskers on your child’s face and pop on the ears. Your little cat is ready for a night of fun.

devil-costume3) Devil

You can create an excellent Devil costume in a very similar way to the cat costume above. If your child has any red clothes then this is perfect, however, a red and black combination would work fine, so long as the accessories are good. I would recommend buying red devil horns and a Devil’s fork and maybe some face paint if you want to get extra creative (all available from supermarkets for very little money). Create a tail as above, however, you may wish to buy some red material to wrap around if you have time.

zombie-costume4) Zombie

A Zombie costume is a great way to use clothes that your child has grown out of, so long as you don’t mind putting them in the fancy dress box once Halloween has passed.

Create a ragged effect by ripping/cutting holes in the clothes and these will form the main part of the costume. Get some face paint and fake blood and use creatively. Paint dark circles round the eyes, paint on a few nasty scars, drip fake blood from the mouth and there you have it. For an extra-scruffy zombie look, backcomb the hair.

kids-mummy-costume5) Mummy

My brother once rapped himself completely in bandages cutting spaces only for the eyes. It was super. However, if you do not want to use so much bandage, cut off longish pieces and attach them to white/light coloured clothes so it looks like you are becoming unravelled. You could even go wild and stick plasters on you face and hands. For extra effect cover your hair and face with talcum powder.

There you have it, five quick and easy last minute Halloween costumes that will keep you from pulling your hair out and your child happy. Crawl out from under your duvet and get creative if you’re brave enough. Happy Halloween.

Time for a holiday… and then another

October 5th, 2009

We have a new boy to introduce to the class today. Everybody, this is Ian and he runs the popular parenting blog Single Parent Dad.

Ian is dad to four-year-old Max and is Play and Stay’s latest guest blogger. We’re sure you’ll all get along wonderfully.

Everyone looks forward to their holidays.

Well, perhaps not everyone. If you are Judith Chalmers they probably become a bit of a chore, however, most people will look forward to their jaunts, and count down the days to when they begin.

Life can be a bit like that. Without getting too deep, having something on the horizon that you are looking forward to can make the perceived boring “now” much more bearable.

sandcastle

Over my lifetime I have taken many different holidays to many different places and that have lasted for many different durations. The way in which they have been organised, played-out and their purpose has altered massively too.

The holidays in my childhood were totally out of my hands, yet totally awesome as I had nothing to do with the organising or paying side. I would just get head-deep in all the fun that was going on, like digging sandcastles on the beach, or better still, knocking down the ones that my father had laboured over.

In my youth they became all about drinking and silliness, and once that was rid from my system they became more about a break from work, and relaxation of both body and mind.

Next was going on holiday as a couple, which became all about spending quality — and by that I mean uninterrupted — time together. This became, or was to become, even more important when two became a family, and there was a little one to pack stuff for (and remember to put in the car).

Since being widowed, holidays have been about many more things; environment changes, inspiration, exploration, peace, focus, challenging the norm, and taking myself out of my comfort zone. But all these holidays have had one thing in common.

When they are done, I really feel like I really need another so I can recover.

In the early days it was because my excesses had shattered me, and a return to the norm became even more exhausting than it was before I had left.

Then it was because I would discover that no one would have done my work while I was away, neither was there a magical elf on my doorstep to greet me and deal with the mountain of washing I had returned with. These days that mountain is no smaller, granted it is made of smaller clothes, yet the summit is still lofty.

Breaks with toddlers are also beautifully exhaustive; emotionally and physically. I love going away with my boy and experiencing new people and places with him. The joy on his face is totally infectious, and there are regular happy tears on our adventures. But we do both return shattered, me much more than my ever-ready powered four-year-old of course.

Over these last summer holidays I arranged a series of short breaks, segregated by equally brief stints at home. There was a purpose to my plan — to keep our holidays fun-packed, and to make the days at home really feel like a holiday too.

Our days at home were filled with visiting places, visiting people or even hosting friends, themselves in the middle of their own holidays.

There were also fabulous, and I mean fabulous, service stops. It was like we ran the summer on two sets of clothes. One current, one washed at home waiting to be ironed, and the two would switch over at our pit-stops. It made the perceived need for another holiday diminish a little, but not fade completely.

I really just need holiday, after holiday, after holiday. Thinking about it, maybe Judith doesn’t have it so bad after all.