Costumes

It’s Halloween, so costumes are a must! When you create your invitation, be sure to mention that your child expects each guest to attend the party wearing a costume. Make your child’s Halloween party even more unique by asking guests to pick costumes that fits a certain theme. Some ideas include kids dressing as their favorite book characters, wearing a costume from a Disney movie or dressing up as their favorite foods.

Menu

Although the kids may prefer to eat treats the whole time, you need a menu. Buy hot dogs and refrigerated crescent rolls to create cheese mummy wrapped hot dogs. These are easy-to-eat and absolutely kid-approved. No Halloween birthday party is complete without punch, so combine a 100% juice, such as fruit punch, with ginger ale and add a frozen floating hand. Make your floating hand by filling an unused, unpowered surgical glove with water and freezing it. After it’s frozen, remove the glove and put the hand in the punch.

Games

If games such as bobbing for apples or Halloween word searches aren’t your kid’s idea of fun, get creative. Instead of playing pin the tail on the donkey, play a game of pin the fangs on Dracula. Find a poster of Dracula, then use construction paper to cut out fangs for the game. Get a Halloween-themed bandana to serve as a blindfold. Give each kid a quick spin (or five), and watch each of them try and pin the fangs in the correct pace. Play musical chairs with the “Monster Mash” song playing, as kids try to land seats. Fill a clear jar with old “bones” (white chocolate covered pretzel rods) and have each kid guess how many old bones are in the jar.  Gift the winner with the jar of bones.

Goody Bags

Fill your Halloween-themed party goody bags with items such as creepy crawler glow-in-the dark bugs, fake teeth or fangs, candy corn and chocolate pumpkins. And do the parents a favor, add a fun tooth brush or some floss to the goody bag. After eating tons of treats at your party and devouring the candy from their trick-or-treat bags, dental hygiene is a major priority!

Gift-Giving

Guests may be tempted to bring your little birthday ghoul Halloween-themed gifts, since his birthday is on, or around, the holiday. Make sure your little guy or little lady is gifted with presents he really wants by creating a wish list. Ask your child what types of toys, clothing etc. he wants for his birthday, then add these items to a wish list you can share with your parents, brothers and sisters and any parents who plan to bring their kids to the party.

Happy Planning!

If you’re planning a Halloween party or a Halloween-themed birthday party, share your tips in the comments.

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your baby’s first birthday or Christmas is a wonderful and joyous celebration for your family and friends.  It is a time for fun, reflection and pride.

You of course want your child to have a good time opening their gifts and being the center of attention.  You also want to entertain your guests and show them a good time as well.  These are important things to achieve in your celebration.  But, the one thing that trumps all these is being sure you maintain the safety of your child during and after the celebration.  While you are happily planning your party and listing all your gift wishes for your infant on wish list 4 kids, there are a few things to keep in mind.  Not all infant toys are safe, no matter what the packaging says.

There are constant choking and other hazards out there that could be a danger to your child.  No one ever wants to be the person that unknowingly gives your baby or toddler a dangerous gift, and you certainly don’t want to ever be that person who unwittingly asks for one.  This is just one of the many reason why it is not only convenient to use wish list 4 kids, but it is very important as well.  We have put together some infant wish list do’s and don’ts so you can be sure your party stays full of wonderful memories.

In doing some research we have discovered a few key rules to live by when creating your child’s wish list.

#1. When picking any fabrics for your child whether it be clothing, bedding or even any stuffed animals, make sure they are flame retardant. Also, make sure all your stuffed animals are washable.  It is incredibly disturbing to discover how much bacteria can grow on a stuffed toy.  If they are washable you can keep that bacteria at bay.

#2. Make sure all paints and any art supplies are lead free and labeled non toxic.  Also be sure that they have been tested by the American Society for Testing Materials.  Of course, always beware of any toy that has small parts your child could swallow.  It is a fact of life, kids put things in their mouth.  Keep those small objects away from them as much as possible.

We are all humans and of course can not control everything our children come in contact with.  What we can do is our research and pass on a safe wish list to friends and family.

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.

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So with all the competition, how can you get kids to include books on their wishlist?

#1.  Visit a bookstore.

There is something about all the shiny new covers, beautiful colors, and the smell of books that stimulates all the senses. While shopping online for books is fun, and makes it easy to read parent and expert reviews and compare prices, there is still no substitute for visiting an actual store every now and again. Your child can look at a large variety of books and will perhaps identify ones that really capture their attention. Make a note of the ones that they especially enjoyed to add to their list. Need to set a date? How about Take Your Child To A Bookstore Day on December 3, when bookstores around the country will be having special events to make it even more interesting.
#2. Get your child a library card.

I know that the idea of late fines and ruined books might be scary, but giving your child a life-long love of reading will be well worth the cost. Plus, getting books at the library gives your child a chance to try a wonderful array of books and find what appeals to them most.

They will also learn the responsibility of caring for the books and being aware of due dates – something everyone should learn young! If you see them checking out the same book again and again, this is a good choice for the Wishlist.

#3.  Read together.

Especially for young children, there is no substitute to reading together. Bonding, learning, listening – all in one sitting! Even as children get older, reading aloud can help expose them to literature that would be beyond the reach of their reading level and comprehension on their own.

Set aside time each day for reading. Make it a fun time and you will never have to ask your child twice to snuggle up for a book.

#4.  Read by yourself.

Parenting is all about example and reading is no exception. If your children see you forcing them to read while you avoid it like the plague they will get the not so subtle message. If you have never been much of a reader there has never been a better time to start. Try a variety of genres and style until you find the right fit. Who knows, you may just discover your next favorite activity!

#5.  Talk about books as a family.

Just reading by itself is not enough. In order for books to really get a place in your home and life you need to draw out the material from the books into the rest of life. Do activities with your young children based on the picture book you just read, discuss what your older child got out of the book, and share some of what you are reading around the dinner table. The time spent doing this will help your child connect importance to books, and want to read more so that they have something new and fun to share too!
Helping children think of books as a top item on their wishlist may take a little effort and commitment. But you can know that you are setting them up for a life of success by doing so. Long after the batteries have died, the technology has been replaced by the next new thing, and the gizmos have broken, you will still have books and the memories they helped your family to create.

Rivka Kawano is a mom to three boys who ask for more books than she can keep up with. Read all her book reviews and get ideas for discussion and activities at www.BeautifulBooksforChildren.com

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

However, there is a downside to serving even the most delicious cake. Cutting a cake is messy and time consuming.  That is why serving cupcakes has become a very popular trend for kids birthday parties.  There is no wasted time cutting the cake and you don’t even need to use plates if you chooses not to. That is a plus for clean up and the environment!  You can go about serving the cupcakes in a few different ways.

The first way is simple.
Arrange the cupcakes on a tray close together so they resemble one whole cake. Place the appropriate amount of candles in the cupcakes and present them to the birthday boy or girl.  After you sing “Happy Birthday”, hand them out as you would slices of cake.  That is the most traditional and easy way to do birthday party cupcakes.

You can also purchase a cupcake stand and arrange the cupcakes as if they were a tiered birthday cake.

Both of these serving methods are quick and easy, while still looking great.  There is also a way to work the cup cake making in to the party itself.  If you are struggling with party craft or activity ideas you can save yourself time and money by making the cup cake decorating the kids job.  All you have do do is bake the cupcakes ahead of time.  Then take all the decorating supplies and split them in to individual portions so each child has their own cake decorating kit.  You can let them go at it, or you can demonstrate step by step to make a specific design.  Any way you slice it (or not) cupcakes are an easy, fun and inexpensive way to create something special.

Here are a couple of recipes and designs to get you started:

Clown Cupcakes
Monkey Cupcakes
Baseball Cupcakes
Classic Fairy Cupcakes
Ice Cream Cone Treats

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.

Image: YaiSirichai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#1. Buy Parenting Books

Decide on your parenting style first and then ask your obstetrician to suggest 1 or 2 suitable titles.  Don’t grab 10 random books from the aisle; you might get confused by sometimes contradicting instructions.

#2. Make Time For Yourselves

Parenting is stressful; a new baby can turn your life upside down. You might think it selfish to take time off for yourself with a new baby at home, but know this – you cannot be an efficient parent when your senses are stressed all the time.

#3. Join A Parenting Support Forum

Join a good parenting support online forum, for the much-needed emotional support during this phase. Get advice, support, and links to resources and most importantly, make friends who can bail you out by babysitting.

#4. Respect Your Instincts

If you feel there’s something wrong with your child, even if the doctor indicates there might be nothing wrong, get a second opinion. Catalog your baby’s reactions to food and medicines and follow your gut instincts when it comes to care.

#5. Don’t Become Paranoid

Don’t drive yourself crazy with imagined illnesses in your baby. Don’t anticipate disasters, as this will only stress you out and compromise your care.

#6. Establish A Support System

If you have family or friends nearby, set up some kind of a support system to back you up for when you’re busy or unwell. Assign responsibilities to grandparents and cousins, such as shopping, babysitting and so on.

#7. Enjoy The Journey Of Parenthood

Being the parent of a young child is never easy; there’ll be more downs than up on some days. Still, it’s the most rewarding experience around. So don’t forget to sit back enjoy the parenting process now and then.

#8. Be Health-Wise

Your family’s health depends on your health. More than ever, now you need to step up in the personal healthcare department.  If you’re the mother, follow up on issues that were discovered during your pregnancy such as diabetes or blood pressure. If you’re the father, get your general health and stress levels checked out.

#9. Get Some Sleep In Turns

Most new parents fall victim to chronic sleep deprivation and feel exhausted most of the time, unable to do justice to their parenting. If you’re not able to get a full night’s sleep, take turns on the sleep wagon by coordinating baby care with your partner or family.

#10. Ask For And Accept Help

If you have insufficient help in managing your life and the new baby, you may feel overwhelmed by the unrelenting chores of new parenthood. For a mother, this can increase postpartum depression risk and for the father, other stresses. So bend that ego and ask for help from different resources. Accept any help that’s offered to you.

#11. Don’t Give Up Your Social Life

An infant or toddler can take up all your focus. Don’t fall into the silo syndrome and ignore all other adults. Call your friends, make plans and go out socially from time to time. It’s a good idea to network with other parents to make the best of your socializing efforts.

#12. Spend Quality Time With Your Partner

Don’t ignore your partner when a new baby comes home. This can give rise to feelings of neglect and might even create a wedge between the two of you. Make time for your partner and share the joys of parenting with him or her.

#13. Don’t Listen To Random People

When a new baby comes to your home, you’ll find everyone from your office assistant to the grocery store clerk offering advice. From time to time, they’ll also share horror stories. Listen to advice only from your child’s pediatrician and do as they say.

#14. Don’t Care What Others Think

Does your neighbor think your parenting skills are not good enough? Do your folks think you’re too modern and they know better? Listen to people with respect but follow only what your gut says and what your pediatrician instructs. Listening to what people have to say will only confuse you and add to those unnamed fears you already have.

#15. Read Up

There’s no substitute for experience, but with the right knowledge, you can do a lot. Read as much you can about parenting, it’s highs, lows, what to watch out for and how to handle emergencies. Learn everything you can about infant mortality, infant ailments and so on.

Marina Chernyak online entrepreneur and SAHM of 2 kids and deals in specialty products like vanity mirror, corner etagere, wall clock and lot more.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#1. Fire alarms and extinguishers that work.  
This precaution seems simple enough. Most homea have alarms and fire extinguisher but the truth is that very few of them actually work.  Check to make sure that the alarms in your house work.  Batteries should be replaced every 3 to 6 months.  Fire extinguishers often need to be charged up as well.  Make an effort to ensure that these things in your home are working properly to ensure the safety of your children.

#2. Secured windows and doors.
This is especially important if you have small children.  Toddlers are notorious for finding ways to escape without parents knowing. If you live near a busy stress, it will be important that your windows and doors lock properly.  This can also keep intruders from entering your home.

#3. Free from pests, roaches, etc.
While these things may not seem like a big problem to you, they can actually be very harmful to your children.  To avoid illness, keep your house free from roaches, mice, and other pests that can cause harm.

#4. Carbon monoxide detectors. 
Take a stand against the “silent killer” by keeping carbon monoxide detectors placed throughout your home.  These are very easy to install and take very little effort to maintain but will make a huge difference in how safe your children are in your home.  

#5. Medications up high and out of reach.
Keep all medications out of the reach of children. Children like to explore and can sometimes mistake medication for candy. Keep medication locked in a medication cabinet or in a special location that your children are unaware of.

#6. Cleaning products in a secure location. 
Children are drawn to things that they know they aren’t supposed to play in. Cleaning products left underneath sinks will quickly draw their attention.  Just as with medication, keep cleaning products up high and out of the reach of children.  Explain to them the dangers of the products so that they know they will gain an awareness of them.

#7. Firearms unloaded, locked and secured. 
This one seems like a no brainer but many children die yearly from firearms left in their reach.  Be sure that guns are in a locked and secured cabinet.  Putting the guns up high may not be enough when it comes to the dangers of firearms.  If you do not have a cabinet that locks, consider hiding the gun where your child cannot find it.

#8. Outlet covers on all electrical sockets.
Toddlers love to try to stick thing in outlets or plug cords in the wall themselves. Protect your child from electrical shock by purchasing outlet covers. These lifesavers are very inexpensive and are available at your local hardware store.

#9. An emergency weather plan.
Do you children know what to do during bad weather?  Discuss a plan with your children and find a location to call the “safe place” in your home.  A hallways or large closest will help protect your children from weather dangers.

#10. Emergency numbers displayed near the phone.
If your children are old enough to know what to do during emergency situations, teach them how to use the phone. Keep phone numbers nearby so that they easily recall them.  You can even teach the child the numbers by heart. All kids need to know 911 and what to do during an emergency.

Keeping your children safe in your home should be your top priority. As a parent, there are several things that you can do to protect them.  Use the tips above as guidelines on creating the ultimate safety net in your home. While you can’t fully prevent accidents from happening, you can certainly make an effort to limit them in your home.

Marina Chernyak is co-owner of 1001Shops.com – one stop destination of retail specialty products like nesting dolls for kids, vanity mirrors, wall clock, Limoges and lot more.

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Prejudice around “gender-affiliated items and colors” are dominant motivators in the world of children’s gift buying.  What appears to have the most appealing display and price, what you liked when you were a child and what kids cry for the most, also help compose the decisions that commonly end up in gift purchases.  This is not to say that these selection methods are wrong- just because blue is no longer believed to ward off evil spirits does not mean that it’s not a great color on boys, and the fanciest displays at stores often do have high quality great-priced products- but one can still give themselves more time to craft rationales for purchasing.

The trouble is, even if this time is taken, there is no telling that the gifts bought will be liked by the child they have been bought for!  Even the most unique and certain idea for a gift can turn out to be one that is not accepted by its receiver- especially if that receiver is a child!   Wether it is the attitude of that day, (we all know children can be temperamental), a hidden expectation that was not met, or a plain dislike for the gift- this possibility must be prepared for…

It is not always the thought that counts!

So, if choosing gifts both with and without thought is not the answer, then what is?

The answer: a wish list.

A wish list can give the person who knows the child best a chance to craft an itemized list that will remove this burden of gift buying decisions from all who will attend the affair.  No matter what gift you choose from a wish list you can rest comfortable in knowing that no matter what the child’s reaction, it is not your fault.  The person(s) who created the list will have to deal with the result.

Now that is a thought that counts!

By Douglas Spiegel

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

At this particular age, your son is developing interest in things that at most times you cannot understand. He may now be realizing that he loves science or he is gotten so into video games that it is hard for you to see him when he is not having dinner. Therefore, base on their special interests being developed, it is advised that your gift ideas for him keep their personal interests and likes on mind.

Boys love spy gadgets!

If you have a little man that loves pretending and who is inquisitive, then your best gift ideas could be some spy gadgets. Once they figure out all the uses, most boys will play with these gifts for some time. There are quite a number of high-tech spy toys that you can get him and these gadgets will give you a little spy in the making. You can opt to get him a bionic ear that is available at a number of different websites. These ears normally cost only $40 and for such an affordable price, both you and your son will be happy.

Think about getting him a science gift if he is thinking of becoming a doctor or a scientist.

While he may be thinking he is too big for little boy toys and his on his way to becoming the next Einstein, your little man is exactly that, a little man and that means that he is still interested in gooey stuff that are gross, things that little girls would never go near. Therefore, for this little guy, you may want to consider getting him a science gift that makes it possible for creating his own slime and sculpt things. Thing about getting him a Sci-Fi Slime Kit and or a CSI: Forensic Facial Reconstruction Kit.

A video gaming system can be fun and education at the same time.

Boys anywhere between the ages of 6 and 10 generally love video games and parents can even make it educational. There are very few little boys that do not like to have a video game; therefore, if you know that your son likes games, a new Nintendo DS or Wii system is the ideal present; whether, for birthday, Christmas or anything else that you are buying the gift for. Plus there are a large variety of educational games to choose from and these can be given as additional gifts.

Boys are much harder to shop for than girls and whether you are looking baby gifts for boys or looking for gifts for pre-teen boys, just do a little research, infuse some education, and you will be able to find the best gift ideas for boys in your life.

For a complete archive of the most popular gifts, please visit http://www.giftideasformen.com

Plus, with the holidays and school parties quickly approaching, it’s time to start on their holiday wish list. So I sat my kids down at the computer for 10 minutes and quickly and easily created a Wish List!

With Wish List 4 Kids, I can tag any item of clothing or toy they want (including size and color), email the list to Grandma, Aunt Mary, the neighbor across the street who is always asking me what my kids need, whoever, and voila! One more to-do item off my list!

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.

Not only do these questions/conversations border on awkward and uncomfortable, but they’re a waste of time. So instead of pulling your hair out, sign-up with Wish List 4 Kids!

Wish List 4 Kids is a fast, easy, innovative way to create a gift wish list for your child’s special day!

Here’s how it works: Once a list is created, all you have to do is email the link to everyone invited to the event. (Each list has its unique, private URL so only the people you invite can see it; Lists are not public or searchable.)

No more duplicates! Each recipient can purchase any item from your wish list, which marks the item as “purchased” and lets everyone else know it’s already taken. Even if they don’t purchase an item from your list, they can get a good idea of what your child’s favorites are.

For each child you add to your account, you can include information about their clothing and shoe size, or just general instructions to guide the guest in your child’s preferences.

You can create as many wish lists as you want to cover any upcoming event, from birthdays to Christmas. Organizing a charity event? You can add as many children to each list as needed.

Create a wish list, share it with family and friends and have them buy gifts your child will love at Wish List 4 Kids.