Mummy Monday

 

 

Wrap up some mummies and put them on your plate. Surprise the kiddos with the hot dog tucked inside. This how-to is found at Family Fun

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for a no brainer? This Mummy has no brain, just unwrap it and you will find Halloween Playdough and un-candy treat. Another recipe from the Idea Room.

_____________________________

Mummified Oreos could be your next surprise treat.

You can ask How She Does It, she will show you how to do it too.

_______________________

 

 

 

Mummy? No, it’s a baby silly!

Well… maybe a baby Mummy.

Babble claims all it takes is a roll of gauze. But of course you will need a very cute baby and presto change-o – you’ll have your own baby Mummy.

All you Mummys and Daddys have fun with your babies on Halloween.

Mummy Monday

Wrap up some mummies then serve them up on a plate. Surprise the kiddos, there’s a hot dog inside. This how to is found at Family Fun.

________________________________

Looking for a no brainer and easy Halloween gift? This Mummy has no brain, just unwrap it and you will find Halloween Playdough. Another recipe from the Idea Room.

_____________________________

Mummified Oreos could be your treat and not much of a trick to make.

Go ask How She Does It, and she will show you how to too.

_______________________

Mummy? No silly, it’s a baby, well okay, maybe a baby Mummy.

Babble claims all it takes is roll of gauze plus a cute baby and you’ll have your own baby Mummy.

All you Mummys and Daddys too, have some family fun on Halloween.

Mummy Monday

Wrap up some mummies then serve them up on a plate. Surprise the kiddos, there’s a hot dog inside. This how to is found at Family Fun.

________________________________

Looking for a no brainer and easy Halloween gift? This Mummy has no brain, just unwrap it and you will find Halloween Playdough. Another recipe from the Idea Room.

_____________________________

Mummified Oreos could be your treat and not much of a trick to make.

Go ask How She Does It, and she will show you how to too.

_______________________

Mummy? No silly, it’s a baby, well okay, maybe a baby Mummy.

Babble claims all it takes is roll of gauze plus a cute baby and you’ll have your own baby Mummy.

All you Mummys and Daddys too, have some family fun on Halloween.

Words for Wednesday

National Costume Swap Day 2013

Our very own Spider-Woman Ana weaves her spooky webs in preparation for the National Costume Swap Day Party 2013.

Hop on your brooms and fly in Saturday, October 12th for our annual National Costume Swap Day Party.

Bring in gently used child size costumes and go home with a new-to-you costume.  Exchanging costumes is a creative and eco-friendly way to get kids excited about recycling.
Join us for tricks, treats, fun games, and prizes.

Families are encouraged to bring in multiple costumes.  Any left over costumes will be donated to St. Joseph’s Home for Children, a charity that provides basic needs and emergency shelter for children.  Totally Kids fun furniture & toys and St. Joseph’s have successfully partnered in the past.  Last year Totally Kids was able to donate a carload of Halloween costumes to children.  Our goal for this year is to at least double that amount.

That’s a beautiful orange chandelier, but someone is trying to drive us batty. There will be a count the bats contest  where all kids will win a FREE prize.

Welcome Fall

Here in Minnesota we know it’s the beginning of fall when the air feels a little crisper, the leaves begin to change color, Halloween costumes and candy start appearing in stores everywhere.  And the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, right?

Do you know when fall officially arrives this year?

You are correct if you said today.  Welcome Fall!

The Autumnal Equinox falls on September 22nd 2013 marking the transition from summer to fall.  The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night.”  The days will now be getting shorter and there will be more hours of nighttime darkness.

Have you seen the Harvest Moon this year?  The “Harvest Moon” is the full moon closest to autumnal equinox.  It has been positively spectacular here in the Northland.  Tonight’s moon, shown above, is a little less full, but absolutely beautiful. Photo credit T.H.

Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. You can have an educational Moon in My Room every night and learn all about its phases..

Everyone is always wowed with these falling leaves tortilla chips that are easy to make if you have a little time.  Pop on over to Kitchen Witch to learn just how to make these leaves.  Have a Happy Fall!

The Autumn equinox and the spring equinox are the two days in the year when the hours of daylight and darkness are exactly equal. – See more at: http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/glossary/deffallequin.htm#sthash.BHktrTRX.dpuf

The Autumn equinox and the spring equinox are the two days in the year when the hours of daylight and darkness are exactly equal. – See more at: http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/glossary/deffallequin.htm#sthash.BHktrTRX.dpuf

Free Halloween Costume Swap Today

Celebrate Halloween EEK-O-Nomically

Join us Saturday, October 13th

from 1P.M. – 3P.M.

Hop on your brooms and fly in for

fun games, prizes, hot cider and treats.

Register to win a eco-friendly car!

All children 8 years old and younger dressed in a costume

will receive a FREE prize!

Bring in a child size Halloween costume to swap

and take home a “new to you” one.

Start bringing in your costumes now and receive

10% OFF*

your purchase.

Any left over costumes will be donated to St. Joseph’s Home for Children.

Bonus: now through October 31st

all Melissa & Doug Toys are 20% OFF*.
*Not valid on prior purchases, with gift cards or other offers.

According to the nonprofit Green Halloween®, families, swapping the costumes of only half of the children who celebrate Halloween would reduce the nation’s annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equivalent to the weight of 2,500 mid-size cars.
Here’s how the Costume Swap works:
Drop off your swap-able costumes now.
In exchange for each complete, clean, gently-worn costume, donors will receive 10% OFF their purchase that day.

Hallo-Green 2012 FREE Costume Exchange

The recycling message is an important one to us at Totally Kids. Green Halloween, National Costume Swap Day  is a fun way of teaching our kids that they too can take a personal responsibility in helping save Mother Earth.

Bring in a child size Halloween costume to swap and take home a “new to you” one.

Hop on your brooms and fly in for fun and games, prizes, hot cider and treats. Start bringing your costumes in NOW!

Keep the GREEN going!

Before you visit us, check under your beds and back of closets for any gently used toys that the kiddos are no longer playing with or need. The toys for Autism collection is a GREEN project that is ongoing year long.

WANTED: GENTLY USED TOY DONATIONS
All parents in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area! Totally Kids
is accepting all toy donations to benefit the locally headquartered group “Parents United Against Autism”. We’ll take the donated gently used toys to local families in need. Aside from helping our friends and neighbors, this is an excellent opportunity to clear out your closets a little and keep those unused toys from ending up on a landfill for the next 100 years. Please bring whatever you can.

___________________________

Make an Egg-stra Special Recycled Bat at home. All Free Crafts will show you how.

____________________

Green Halloween food tip: Eat your leftovers! There is over 29 million tons of food waste each year, enough to fill the Rose Bowl every three days and the rotting food in landfills contributes to global warming.

_______________________

Recipe for Fun

Bring your Gingerbread Man cookie cutter back to life for Halloween.

These Chocolate Skeleton Cookies will disappear before your very eyes, so we suggest doubling this week’s Recipe for Fun.

The Taste of Home provides this spookily delicious recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For icing, in a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Cut a small hole in the corner of a resealable plastic bag; fill with icing. Pipe skeleton bones on cookies. Yield: 3 dozen.

For a twist, or to “kick” it up a notch, we’re going to make Ninjabread Men Skeleton Cookies this weekend.

You can dress Like a Ninja too.

Have a Doggone Fun Halloween

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I could have been your president…..

__________________________

Halloween Safety Tips For Dogs

1. Avoid chocolate and other candy.  Make sure to keep any candy that you are going to hand out safely hidden from your dog. Notify kids in the house to put their candy bags away. Chocolate is a big no-no for dogs as it contains theobromine, which their bodies cannot properly digest. The darker the chocolate, the worse it can be. Small amounts are typically not lethal, so if he does snag a bite don’t freak out. But also don’t let it happen.

Candy wrappers, tinfoil, and other dangers can be found in candy bags, so keep your dog safe by putting these away.

2. Put your dog in a safe place, either a separate room or his crate, when the trick-or-treaters are coming by. You should not let him be at the door to greet the kids. Costumes, commotion, and loud noises will stress him out and can cause problems ranging from stress to aggression.

3. Don’t leave your dog around kids without supervision. The erratic movements and loud, startling noises can really upset him. Add in a scary costume and you have a formula for disaster.

4. Be careful about placement of electrical cords for decorations. If your puppy or dog chews on these, trouble will follow. Arrange them for safety and use a bitter apple spray on the cord to keep pets at bay.

5. Don’t leave candles unattended. Carved pumpkins look great with a candle burning inside them, but they can be tipped over. They can also be investigated by curious pets which can lead to burns or worse.

6. Make sure that your dog’s costume is the right fit. Don’t put him in a costume that is too small or tight. Also check for loose ends that could be chewed on and swallowed or cause other problems. If your dog hates having the costume on be a friend to him and take the costume off.

7. Watch out when the door is open. If your dog is not secured in another room or in his crate then he might bolt out the door. With all the activity outside it may be even harder to get him back in.

8. Walk your dog before the festivities begin – all those costumes can be scary.

9. If the noise is bothering him, try adding background sounds (radio, TV) to distract him from the neighborhood hubbub.

10. Be careful when out walking your dog after Halloween – loose candy can be found and he may grab a big piece if he sees it before you do.

11. Think twice about taking him out with your family to trick or treat. There’s a lot of costumes and commotion which can put any dog on edge. He might be happier at home.

12. Tell kids the dangers of the treats and to not feed the dog any.

13. Be firm. Don’t let anybody who wants to greet your dog just to be polite. Be willing to say “no thanks” if your dog is feeling anxious or if the other person (perhaps an excited, sugar filled child) is approaching inappropriately.

14. If you take your dog with you, do not take him up to a stranger’s door – the resident dog may not take kindly to that and it could end up being a bummer. Someone should wait at the end of the driveway with the dog.

15. Do not leave your dog outside. There are plenty of rumors that dogs are taunted and teased, that gates are opened, and that candy is tossed in yards. It’s unlikely that lots of kids are running around causing harm to dogs on Halloween night, but the commotion is enough to unnerve your dog and it is conceivable that a youngster might toss a treat toward your dog with the best of intentions but bad results.

It may seem like a lot, but the truth is that Halloween is a fun time for parents and kids and can easily be fun for dogs too. Many dogs enjoy being the center of attention and will tolerate wearing a costume (which we get a huge kick out of!) to do so. Keep an eye out for the dangers of candy, keep your dog secure in your house, and be ready to ward off over excited kids and all will be well. Happy Halloween.