Halloween Costume Safety Tips That You Need To Follow

 Halloween is a favorite holiday for kids of all ages. From free candy to wearing a cool costume, it is a great time for kids. Along with the fun comes concerns about safety. Keep reading for tips to make Halloween safe for kids.

 If you ask kids to name their favorite holiday, most would say Christmas with Halloween being a tie. What is not to love about Halloween. Kids get to dress up as their favorite character from a movie or show and then they get to collect tons of free candy as they trick or treat around the neighborhood. Even parents love Halloween as they get to help their kids eat the candy.

With the fun of this spooky holiday also comes some safety issues that parents need to know about. With some pre-planning and precautions, parents will be able to keep their kids safe and happy. Keep reading for the tips you need to know to keep kids safe on Halloween.

Selecting A Safe Costume for Halloween

 Parents need to help their kids select a safe costume to wear while candy collecting. When selecting the Halloween costume, keep several things in mind. 

~ Will my child stay warm in their dress-up costume? Nothing spoils the fun for children than having to wear a coat over their costume. So select a costume that keeps them warm on a cold night or can be worn over a long sleeve shirt and sweat pants.

~ Can my child see and breathe through the mask? Masks can sometimes restrict a child's vision or be difficult to breathe through. So choose one wisely or opt for face makeup.

~ Are the costume accessories safe to carry? If the child is going as a pirate or something that requires a sword or something that is pointy or made of hard plastic, made sure it can not harm other trick-or-treaters. Better yet, leave those items at home as kids will get tired of carrying them and it will be your job to lug them around along with their candy bag.

~ Can they run in their costume? The excitement of trick-or-treating will have kids running from house to house. So select an outfit that will allow kids to run and not trip and fall.

~ Place a Contact Label inside their Halloween costume Keep your kids safe on this dark Halloween night with a custom Contact Label that is placed inside their Halloween outfit. That way if your child gets lost, they can show someone the clothing label to have that person call you. Keep reading for information on what to place on the contact label and to discover the best washable clothing labels to keep your child safe on Halloween.

Kids’ Contact Labels for Halloween

 Keep your kids safe on Halloween with the best contact labels from Name Bubbles. While you do your best to keep your child safe while trick-or-treating, it is best to be prepared on what to do if your child gets separated from you. With so many other people walking around the neighborhood, kids may get lost. So make a plan on what to do and then discuss the plan with your child. Things to consider just in case your child gets separated from you.

~ Teach the child your full name and to yell it instead of mom. 

~ Instruct the child to find another mom and to show them the contact label that is inside their Halloween costume. That way that parent can call you right away.

~ Information to have on the contact label ~ The child's name ~ Your name ~ your cell phone number

 Name Bubbles Contact Labels take labeling one step further and can help in the event your child is separated from you. These durable labels are washable and stay put on clothing. The labels include three lines so you can include anything from names to phone numbers and home addresses. The labels have many other uses beyond Halloween night. From labeling clothes to items like water bottles, backpacks, shoes, and more, these labels will help lost items be returned to you. The contact labels are great for school, camp, daycare, and more. 

 The contact labels can be customized with many colors and styles. The labels from Name Bubbles are durable, dishwasher safe, and even stay on in the laundry. So, protect your child this Halloween with the best contact labels.

Chocolate Jack-O-Lanterns With Lavash

 Simple and delicious, these two-ingredient spooktacular treats will be the hit of any Halloween gathering.

 I discover a healthy Halloween treat that is so simple to make, yet so delicious. These chocolate pumpkin treats are so fun to make and so easy. You can make them ahead of time for a Halloween party or whip them up for a special Halloween breakfast. Your kids will think these are the best afterschool snack on Halloween. They are healthy afterschool snacks that kids will eat. These Halloween treats can also be turned into a fun Halloween activity. All you need are two simple ingredients to make these adorable Jack-O-Lantern treats.

 I discovered this Halloween recipe from Atoria's Family Bakery and once I saw the photo of the chocolate Halloween treats, I knew that I had to make them. I knew that they would be a hit with my boys. I really loved how simple these fall snacks were to make. The dairy-free recipe called for 2 ingredients. I already had the dairy-free chocolate spread, so I just had to buy a package of flatbread. I ran to the store and purchased my favorite flatbread or traditional lavash from Atoria's. This flatbread is perfect for sandwiches and more.

Fun to make & fun to eat

 I am all for simple recipes and I have been busy with many home projects and traveling. I also love recipes that my boys can make, especially ones that don't make a mess in the kitchen. This healthy Jack-O-Lantern Lavash can be whipped up in minutes or with just a flick of your wand. The best part is little kids can join in the fun of making the chocolate flatbread treats. So grab a package of Atoria's lavash and a container of chocolate spread and have fun making a healthy snack with your kids.

2 ingredients are all you need

+ Atoria's Lavash traditional flatbread

+ Container of Chocolate spread ~ Feel free to use peanut butter, almond butter, or homemade sunflower seed butter 

 This delicious healthy recipe is a plant-based recipe that only needs two ingredients. The ingredients are flatbread and chocolate spread. I used a dairy-free chocolate spread.  If you like you can substitute peanut butter or any other nut butter. You can even use cream cheese if you don't have a dairy allergy. If you are looking for a delicious plant-based cream cheese recipe, you need to check out this Allergy-Friendly Dairy-Free Sunflower Seed Cream Cheese that is so easy to make. This is a creamy spread that looks and tastes like cream cheese but is safe for those who avoid dairy and nuts. This recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and perhaps even keto-friendly.

 I discovered an amazing vegan chocolate spread at the online nourished festival. This is an event that showcases allergy-friendly food. 

Chocolate Jack-O-Lanterns With Lavash is:

+ Healthy

+Plant-based

+ Dairy-free

+ Vegan

+ Fun to make

+Fun to eat

+ Perfect for Halloween parties

+ Perfect for snacks

+ A delicious dessert

+ Add fruit for a healthy breakfast treat

These spooky treats are perfect for your Halloween get-together or for a ghostly afterschool snack. These scary chocolate pumpkins can even be served for a healthy breakfast. To make the lavash chocolate pumpkins even healthier add some sliced strawberries or frozen blueberries. You can even make the eyes and mouth of the pumpkin with sliced fruits. Some slice fruit suggestions would be bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or even dried fruit like raisins or dried cranberries.

The below recipe calls for a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter but if you don't have that type of cookie-cutter, just use a drinking glass. Since I don't have a pumpkin cookie-cutter in my Christmas sugar cookie recipe supplies, I simply used a drinking glass. I placed the glass on the Lavash flatbread and then used a sharp knife to trace out a pumpkin, making sure to cut out a stem for the pumpkin shape.

 I thought that the strawberries tasted so good with the chocolate spread. So I had to make a bigger chocolate flatbread treat with the flatbread. I simply took my container of chocolate spread and slathered it on the flatbread. Then I thawed out some frozen strawberries and cut them into slices. It was simple to place the strawberry slices on top of the chocolate spread and roll it up. I chose to cut my chocolate flatbread roll into several pieces but you can serve it as a chocolate fruit burrito. 

Chocolate Jack-O-Lanterns With Lavash

Ingredients

 1 sheet Traditional Lavash

2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread (or other plant-based spread)

 Directions

 Press a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter all over the Lavash. Use the scraps to cut triangles for the eyes and nose. Make half circles and cut out a square for the toothless smiles. Spread each pumpkin with nut butter and arrange the eyes, nose, and mouths.

 Optional: Bake on a lined baking tray at 350F. for 6-8 minutes to get them crispy.

Want more healthy Halloween recipes?

Check out these delicious recipes for Dairy Free Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and easy roasted pumpkin seeds.

https://www.momknowsbest.net/2019/07/dairy-free-soft-pumpkin-chocolate-chip.html

https://www.momknowsbest.net/2018/10/easy-stovetop-pumpkin-seeds.html

These chocolate jack-o-lanterns were so fun to make and so delicious. I loved how easy they were to create. 

 

The Best Place For Unique Halloween Costumes

The most fun day of the year is almost here!

 I received a sample from TV Store Online to facilitate this post

 It may be the end of September but my boys have been thinking about Halloween for the past two weeks. It might be due to the fact that the stores are stocked with everything that you need for Halloween or that it is fall. It also might be due to a costume party that they had at church. I am not sure but I do know that my boys have been planning what they want to be on the best night of the year, that is according to two tween boys who love scary things and collecting way too much candy. My boys also love dressing up. When my boys start dreaming of the Halloween costume, they always want a unique costume that will wow their friends.



The winning costume
 I think this year my youngest son will win the most unique costume award, if there was one. My son was looking at costumes at TVStoreOnline and he found the Inflatable Chub Suit® Teen Costume. He knew that this was what he wanted to be for Halloween. So, I went ahead and ordered the inflatable blue suit for him. I selected the teen size for him as he is 11 years old but this blue Chub Man suit comes in adult sizes too. It even comes in a lot of other colors.

Costumes are great year-round
 My boys were originally thinking about Halloween and trick or treating when they selected the costume that reminds me of Violet from Willy Wonka but once the costume arrived in the mail, they knew that this dress-up clothing would be perfect for their church youth group event. The youth group had divided the kids into teams by color and each week they were having competitions. My boys were in the blue group and the next competition was a dress-up event. The team who had the best costume would win lots of points. So when my boys tried on the inflatable blue suit, they knew that they had to wear it to youth group.



The best costume ever
  All their friends loved the inflatable blue man suit and the boys won the contest. My youngest son loved how comfortable and quiet the costume was. The blue suit is inflated by a small fan that is whisper quiet. My son told me that he did not feel hot inside the suit, which can be a good thing. Last year it was 70 degrees n Halloween. If it is cold this year, then my son can wear sweats under the blue suit and it does not matter what he wears under the costume as the blue inflatable suit is not see-through.

One of the largest online retailers on the internet
    I am glad that I discover a retailer on the internet that had a big selection of unique costumes for kids, teens, and adults. TVStoreOnline has costumes that are available in many sizes. I was amazed at the selection and how unique the selection was. When you take your kids trick or treating they will not be wearing a costume that looks like all the other costumes. That is what my boys liked about this store as they want their Holloween dress-up outfit to be different from their friends. I liked that I did not have to leave the house and drive way too many miles to a store that sells Halloween costumes. That way I would not be tempted to buy Halloween candy or Halloween decorations. I ordered the costume from my comfy chair and it arrived in a couple of days.

Halloween is right around the corner, have you bought your costumes?

How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds On The Stove

Tired of pumpkin seeds that are hard to chew? Learn how to roast your pumpkin seeds so that they can be enjoyed. This is an easy stove-top recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds. 

 I love carving pumpkins with my boys, as it means I get lots of yummy pumpkin seeds to eat. I have a simple recipe to toast those seeds.  I toast my pumpkin seeds on the stovetop instead of the oven. The seeds only take 5 minutes to toast and are so crispy and easy to chew. 

 So carve your pumpkin and save those seeds.  After scooping out the goop and seeds from the pumpkin, all you have to do is remove the big pieces of goop from the seeds. Then wash the seeds and drain them. There is no need to soak the seeds or thoroughly dry them like the oven method requires. Don't worry if a little orange goop remains on the seeds; it will cook off.

I love carving pumpkins so I can toast the seeds!

 Pumpkins are plentiful in the fall, and the prices of these orange pumpkins are good. I know my kids think the big pumpkins make the best decorations for Halloween night. Most people select their pumpkins based on how they are going to carve their jack-o-lantern for Halloween, but I buy my pumpkin with the intent of roasting pumpkin seeds. 

All pumpkins have seeds in them, so let your child select their favorite shape and size of pumpkin. My question is ~ does the size of the pumpkin a bigger pumpkin mean more seeds? I might just have to buy a small and a large pumpkin to find out the answer.

Pumpkin Seeds Are

~ Healthy

~ Full of Fiber

~ Loaded with Protein

~ Delicious

~ Contain Magnesium and Iron

~ Crunchy

The size and shape of the pumpkin are important for pumpkin carving. So plan out the pumpkin carving design before you head to the pumpkin patch. 

 If you are selecting a pumpkin to enjoy the pumpkin flesh for baking pies, make sure to select the smaller pumpkins that are labeled for pies. While the big pumpkins may have more orange flesh inside, they are not suitable for baking pies as they lack flavor. 

 I love using the smaller pumpkin for baking pumpkin pie and making Dairy-Free Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I admit that most of the time, I will just buy a can of cooked pumpkin for my pumpkin recipes. I once cooked a pumpkin to make a pie, and it was a lot of work. It really is not that difficult to cook a pumpkin, but it is time-consuming.

 Read about how to cook a pumpkin here. If you don't have the time to cook a pumpkin, no worries, as the stuff in the can is just as good. I always buy several cans of pumpkin in the fall so I can use it in all my pumpkin recipes.

Roasting the pumpkin seeds in a pan is so easy

  Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Place the washed pumpkin seeds into the pan and add some salt. Salt makes the pumpkin seeds taste so delicious! Stir the seeds with a spatula for about 5 minutes or until toasted. The pumpkin seeds will start to pop, and that is ok. They are toasted when they are lightly browned. Taste one to see if they are crunchy. If the pumpkin seed is hard to chew, cook it some more.

Toast until light brown

I love the pan-toasted method as it is so easy and quick. I love not having to turn on the oven either. If you want a sweeter pumpkin seed, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead of the salt while you are toasting them in the pan. You can also add salt to make a sweet and salty seed version of pumpkin seeds. So don't toss those pumpkin seeds and enjoy eating them. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, fiber, and magnesium.

Stovetop Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

Pumpkin seeds

salt

Stainless steel pan

Instructions

Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin. Then, remove large pieces of the orange goop. Wash the seeds and remove any large, stringy pumpkin pieces. Place the pumpkin seeds in a strainer to remove excess water. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the seeds and salt to taste. Stir the seeds in the pan for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Taste one to see if they are to your desired crunch. Remove from heat and enjoy.

The best part of carving is eating the pumpkin seeds.