Designing your child’s, or for that matter your own pirate Halloween costume this year is neither difficult not time consuming, only requiring a healthy dose of imagination and a little time scrounging up all the raw materials. Most of the items you’ll need you probably already have around the house and what you don’t is easily obtained. Let’s take a look into just how to recreate Black Beard, Long John Silver, Jack Sparrow, or whichever bloodthirsty cutthroat you are fond of!

The basic pieces of this pirate Halloween costume are a pair of old black pants that are of no use any longer, and a colorful blouse, preferably gold or red (something flashy). The pants we’ll be cutting a bit, sort of making the bottoms shorter as well as fringing them up a tad. A colorful scarf can serve as a belt that any self-respecting high seas marauder would be proud of!

For the blouse, if you happen to have an old one in your closet that is very colorful, shiny and a bit oversized for your fledgling pirate, then you won’t have to go hunting for one. The key here is to have flowing blousy sleeves and something flashy and easy to move in. If you don’t happen to have any old pirate blouses hanging in your closet, or something close to that, then hit the thrift stores. The ladies sales racks have many, many possibilities in this area, especially in shiny, loud colors.

If your pirate is fortunate enough to be the captain of this heinous bunch of high seas bandits, then you’ll have to come up with a hat of some sort. Felt and cardboard can do wonders with a makeshift pirate’s hat, and if your pirate is simply a common cutthroat, then a flashy, (probably red) bandana will do just fine.

You can also fashion a hook for a hand with cardboard and some craft paints, and you can also come up with various weaponry this way. Be careful to make your broadswords non-lethal. Tin foil over stiff cardboard should do the trick nicely with a few added painted touches.

No self-respecting pirate would be caught dead without some pirate booty; Preferably gold. Any old, gaudy costume jewelry will work just fine, and if you don’t happen to have any lying around the thrift stores will. A well-placed earring is a nice touch, as well.

An eye patch is easily fashioned with some elastic and black material, and a little face makeup can add some dramatic touches as well. Perhaps blacking out a tooth or a black beard is called for. You can even add a fake bird toy your outfit if you happen to have one around. Be sure and affix the bird securely to the shoulder.

Coming up with a fantastic pirate Halloween costume doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Scour your closets and you’ll find most of what you need, with the rest available for only a few dollars.

Coming up with the perfect Halloween costume for Fluffy or Rover this year is something you’ll want to give a bit of thought to.  There are several potential safety and health hazards you’ll want to be aware of so that all of you come home safe and sound this year.

Firstly, you’ll want to make sure that your pet is up for this. Some dogs or cats really get into being dressed up and others just don’t. You can discern their preference pretty quick. If they are instantly trying to extricate themselves from this strange garb almost as soon as you’ve got it on them, that’s a clue! Not only do they need to be able to move freely for safety’s sake, they need to be happy doing it. Imagine your night if you have to spend half of it constantly readjusting and re-affixing your pet’s Halloween costume! Not fun!

If you do have a compliant pet and want to dress them up, there are many commercial costumes available online and off for very reasonable prices starting about $5 and up. Do a little shopping online first to get some ideas. For a pet that’s not altogether sure about this, you might want to go the minimalist route, and settle for a cape or something similarly simple. You can also produce your own for very little money. One thing to make sure of is that there is nothing that hinders your pet from moving normally, makes them unable to see well (masks are difficult) or is flammable.

If your dog or cat is toting their own trick or treat bag, take care to monitor what goes in and what comes out. Chocolate is very toxic to dogs and cats and will kill some, so beware of what your pet eats this night. Might be a good idea to either pre-fill their bag with appropriate dog or cat treats, or supply them at each house you visit.

Make sure there are no little doodads that could be ingested off of their spiffy new pet costume. The last thing you want to remember this night is a pet’s bowel obstruction gotten from devouring those cute little items you attached to their costumes. (And you thought they just fell off into the street!)

Another note on masks and that is that Halloween is a night full of strange sights, smells and sounds, and your pet will have plenty to deal with just deciphering all of this. Don’t make it doubly difficult for them by limiting their field of vision. A frightened animal will behave in ways they don’t normally, and you don’t want your dog biting anyone, (or you!) this night.

Halloween can be a fun night for the whole family. Let’s take care to make sure that your dog, cat, pig or whatever pet you choose to participate with you is not only thought about, but looked after well, and all will have a great time!

Picking a Halloween costume isn’t that hard. You’ll have lots of help. Trust me, lots, and lots of help. Kids can’t wait to tell you what they, ’simply have to be’ for Halloween this year.  They are bound and determined for you to use their idea, probably just as much as you are not to let this get out of hand. The good news is that with a few ground rules that you can agree on beforehand, the two of you can come to a mutual agreement and both be happy when Halloween finally shows up.

First decide on a budget for your Halloween costumes and hold the child to this. They may want the coolest, most expensive thing to come down the pike, but ultimately you end up paying the bill for this outfit that will likely only have a few days life in your child’s wardrobe. Once you decide how much you want to spend, try and give as many choices therein as you can. This is a fun thing, after all. If you have concerns about subject matter or age appropriateness, then you need to direct them in this.

Depending on age of your child, make sure you look at the applicable safety concerns. Will this costume trip them up, choke them or suffocate them? Will they be able to see where they are walking? Will it be too hot? Too cold? Too exposed? Many times costumes are marketed to the parents and the result is little Samantha ends up looking like someone off of late night TV. If you and your child are ready for that, fine. If not, consider what this will look like on your 6 year old!

You might decide to shop online this year for your Halloween costumes, and if you do, you’ve probably made a wise decision. The choice online is many times greater, and by starting your shopping now you’ll be able to have the pick of the best available costumes this year. Many online sites have not only great selections, but fast shipping, low prices and incredibly creative ideas, available in all sizes.

Some of the most creative designs will be found online as opposed to the department stores and seasonal Halloween shops that spring up this time of year. Those stores have to market the latest, most popular costumes, as they can’t afford to take a flyer on a costume that may or may not sell. Online, that’s not the case. When you go to your local Target you might find Pirates, Princesses and Wizards this year, and not a whole lot else, in about two minutes of browsing online I found children’s costumes of a cell phone, a man-eating shark, a gumball machine, all the characters of The Wizard of Oz, Colonial boys and girls, the Statue of Liberty and much, much more! Take the time to find a truly unique costume this year!

Take your time, shop early and make this Halloween an event your child will remember!

If you’ve been tasked to try and find the perfect teenage Halloween costume for either yourself or your teen, then know first that this is not an impossible task. You can find exactly what you’re after with a combination of searching online or maybe a little store shopping.  With some added creativity on your part, before you know it, the perfect costume will be yours!

First you need to decide on a theme, in other words, what general category you would like to dress as this year. This just helps keep you from looking at everything that’s out there and help to focus the search a little.

Then you need to decide if you want to buy this outfit online or at a party store near your house. Both have their advantages, but just know that shopping online for your Halloween costume will afford the most choices, best availability, and probably also the best prices. There are many reputable companies doing business on the web and by simply Googling the term “Teenage Halloween Costumes” you will return thousands of results. Concentrate on the first few pages, as that is really all you need. If you have a really specific costume desire, you might go a bit more detailed in your search request, such as by searching for “teenage Marie Antoinette Halloween costume” and see if what you are looking for doesn’t appear. Play with this and you might surprise yourself!

If you’re on the lookout for more contemporary ideas, you might try using music stars, movie stars or sports stars. These people are in the public eye and you can really get creative and come up with some great ideas along these lines. Some ideas off the top of my head might include Paris Hilton in jailhouse garb; The Barack Obamma girl; Lindsay Lohan’s rehab counselor (out looking for Lindsay!) Michael Vick’s dog handler and perhaps Al Gore’s son.

The news is rife with ideas like these and some not quite so much capitalizing on their misfortunes. Try and make your costumes as clever as you can, incorporating as much detail and imagination as you can into them. Don’t settle for the store bought costume and leave it at that. Make sure to go the extra mile and do the makeup, appropriate props, and anything else that will help get your point across. Maybe Lindsay’s rehab counselor is showing Lindsay’s mug shot around, (found now on the internet) Michael Vick’s dog handler could be dragging a deceased dog behind him. (Fake of course!) You get the idea. Go the extra mile that others won’t and you’ll find yourself the hit of the party.

Make sure everything actually fits long before the big night. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to find out there’s more of you than there is costume, or vice versa. Take advantage of some of these tips and have yourself a happy Halloween!

Halloween is a fun time for most, but not necessarily so for animals. There are several things to consider for this holiday to keep your pets safe and healthy. I’m sure you’ve heard all the horror stories about the latest batch of Satanists or witches who find that Halloween is the perfect time to do a little sacrificial action. Unfortunately, this is all too true and every year some unsuspecting black cat is a victim of this kind of activity. Let’s look at some guidelines to help keep Fluffy out of harm’s way!

• If you have a black cat, keep him or her very secure in the house for the entire holiday, and preferably the days leading up to it. Many pet stores and animal shelters refuse to sell or deliver black cats during the month of October, much to their credit. Just to be on the safe side, it’s not just black cats that have been victimized. A word to the wise…
• Dogs also should be cooped up. If not allowed to be inside, at least keep them far away from the action, as they can easily become excited and run after trick-or-treaters, causing many scenarios you’d rather not deal with. Keep them away from the front yard fences, as kids in strange costumes will actually get them very agitated and may try and provoke them further.
• If you decide that your dog or cat (or other animal) is to be part of the proceedings, then keep in mind that some animals like to get dressed up; some don’t. You’ll know the difference very quickly. Also, remember that pets have tails that they don’t always monitor so well. These can get involved with any lit candles you have out or come across, so beware.
• Be very aware of the kids treats that your pets will want to ingest. Chocolate is very toxic to dogs and cats, and the wrapping they come in won’t do them any good either. No matter how nicely they sit up and beg, don’t give in!
• Make sure your animal has a current ID. If you open the door and he darts out into the night, it’ll make it easier on someone who finds him to give you a call.
• If you have a party at your home, make sure the pets aren’t invited. Put them in a secure room or some other place. All these strange sights will only cause them confusion, and someone may end up getting bitten. Better safe than sorry.
• If you choose not to heed the above, and someone tries to give your pet some holiday cheer, kindly ask them to leave the party. Alcohol and animals don’t mix well; it can kill them, so it’s altogether a better decision to lose a friend for the night than an animal forever.

Halloween can be a night of great fun, but not for pets. Make sure you do what you can to safeguard your pets for another day!