Strollerderby : Halloween

Do You Still Have Halloween Candy In Your House?

JeanneSager — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:02:00 GMT

I was one of those cranky parents who refused to buy Halloween candy this year. I stocked up on the foodless treats instead - the plastic teeth and rubber bangle bracelets that I left for my husband to hand out to the sugared-up masses. So why do I still have a closet full of miniature candy bars and orange one-serving baggies of cookies? Thanksgiving is a week away people.

Still think I'm a crank for not stocking up before the goblins made their rounds? I thought I was conservative even with our tromping around on Halloween night. We treated just enough doorbells with incessant ringing before my three-year-old elephant and her companions the kitty cat, cop and UPS deliveryman tired of walking and started begging to be carried. I wasn't knocking down the neighborhood for a plastic pumpkin's worth of candy.

And I didn't hold out on her either. I let her skip dinner for just one night in favor of a gut stuffed chock full of chocolate. I've let her have a piece after dinner or slipped in the lunchbox for weeks.

But still it sits, the orange globe with its blacked out eyes and teeth staring me down every time I open the cabinet door. My willpower is wavering. What's one mini KitKat or three, a mini Three Musketeers or two, just one bag of Teddy Grahams? No, I can't. I won't. I have to leave room for the pumpkin pie.

Image: Mars

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Why Do People Still Hand Out Unwrapped Halloween Treats?

Brett Singer — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

With this whole election thing, Halloween kind of got pushed to the side. That's not a bad thing. But now that November 4th has come and gone, we can get back to some of the other things in life that matter.

Things like candy.

Now. On October 31st, my children wandered around knocking on doors and requesting sweets. They were given large quantities of them. Most were pretty standard: miniature Kit Kats, Nestle Crunch and other chocolate-based products. A few individual bags of candy corns. The occasional oddball, such as chewy Swee-tarts (mmm... chewy Swee-tarts...).

The real surprise, though, was that in this day and age, some people still give out non-factory sealed Halloween treats.

There was one lazy person who just opened a bag of marshmallows for all of the kids to stick their hands into. Their unwashed, germy hands.

Some people at least meant well. One enterprising young couple had melted different colored chocolates onto mini-pretzels and put them into little bags. When I discovered this clever concoction in my guys' trick or treat haul, I threw them out. I felt bad about it for about two seconds but I just didn't feel comfortable letting my kids eat them.

The reason for this goes back to my own childhood. Some nutjob was putting razor blades in apples (along with other weirdness). Therefore, no candy that wasn't all wrapped up. In a factory. And sealed.

Am I being too uptight? Or do you do the same thing? And if I may go all Jerry Seinfeld on you for a moment, who are these people handing out unwrapped candy on Halloween?

image: dancepartymassacre.com

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Woman Swings Crowbar At Trick Or Treaters

Brett Singer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

I admit that trick or treating isn't for everyone. But a 20 year old Florida woman might have taken things a bit too far.

Lee County sheriff’s deputies have arrested a woman who allegedly swung a crowbar at a group of trick-or-treaters in a North Fort Myers neighborhood Friday night, striking a parent in the process.
Doniell Daugherty, 20, of Poe Avenue in North Fort Myers was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Witnesses told them a Hyundai had driven through a crowd of parents and children, coming close to hitting one of the children.
When one of the parents yelled at Daugherty to slow down, she got out of the vehicle with a three-foot long crowbar and began swinging at the group, striking a parent, who had told her to stop, on the forehead, deputies said.
The parent was cut and suffered a concussion. She was treated at a hospital and released.

When I first read the headline I kind of expected it to be someone a little older. To be that angry at age 20 seems pretty extreme.

Source: news-press.com

image from here

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Crystal Meth Found in Kid's Halloween Bag

Madeline Holler — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:30:00 GMT

I hate running out of Halloween candy too. I mean, who wants to be known as the house on the block that didn't buy enough to go around. Still, I think as a good-neighbor policy, people shouldn't go dipping into the drug stash just make the kids happy.

Something like that happened to a 7-year-old boy in Minnesota.

Among the Snickers and Laughy Taffy was a $200 bag of crystal meth and $85 in cash. While the boy was out trick-or-treating with his 9-year-old sister, some teen ran by, asked him if he wanted some candy, and dropped it in the kid's Halloween pumpkin.

The parents suspected it was meth and called police. They think the teen may have been fleeing the police after an assault had been reported in the area.

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What Do You Do When Your Kid is an Extreme Partisan?

Photo: today.com

What Do You Do When Your Kid is an Extreme Partisan?

Kelly Mills — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:25:00 GMT

This has been the most emotionally charged election I can remember since, well, ever, and it makes sense that the kids would pick up on that. But Slate's Emily Bazelon asks, what do you do when your children's political allegiances are extreme? She covers a Halloween experiment in which kids chose candy from either side of a porch: The Obama side--marked with a large sign and life-size cutout--and the McCain side, with corresponding signage and cutout. The blue neighborhood kids gave Obama 78 percent of the vote.

But when offered two pieces of candy at the Obama side versus four at the McCain side, support for Obama only dropped by ten percent. The kids were pretty fixed in their political ways, even though their vote obviously didn't "count" (hmm, like the electoral college.) And Bazelon notes that her sweet kids threw around the word "traitor" to candy defectors. And, she observes, with kids who are reared on lots of lessons in tolerance, it may be that McCain is one of the few people they can clearly think of as a bad guy.

It makes me just slightly uncomfortable to see children actively campaigning, if only because you know that until a certain age, the opinions they express are not likely their own. Then again, isn't it our job to pass on our values, political or otherwise? And I've seen this "death and destruction to candidate so-and-so" in my area too, from young children who just seem to want to be able to freely bash a clear villain. What about your kids? Does it bother you?

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Witch Tricks Obama Kids on Halloween

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:12:00 GMT

Yes, yes, half of us have already moved on to turkey, but there's still room for one more Halloween tale -- this one from Michigan, where an old hag refused to dole out candy to kids who supported Obama or kids whose parents supported Obama.

Nice.

At least she didn't hand out candy apples stuffed with razor blades -- but maybe she's just waiting for next year. I can only imagine the joy it's going to be to live on this woman's block. Her response to leaving kids in tears?

"Oh well."

Sadly, this appears to be a case of mistaken holidays. She apparently thought the Grinch comes out at Halloween.

Obama With Daughter on Halloween!

SunnyChanel — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:07:00 GMT

That’s a pretty cool Dad who takes a break in the last days of one of the most important, if not the most important, political campaigns in our lifetime to hang out with his kids on Halloween. Presidential candidate Barack Obama did just that. Yesterday, he flew to Chicago and was snapped taking his seven-year-old daughter Sasha out to a Halloween party.

Press friendly Obama did get visibly annoyed with the press as the oodles of photographers, reporters and a video crew followed them. He told the photographers “You got a shot…leave us alone. Come on, guys.” Most complied and boarded the press bus and respected his wishes for some time with his daughter. But one video cameraman, who wasn’t part of the press corp, continued to follow them. Obama and daugter Sasha began to jog and even had to run to escape him. But they got to their destination, a Halloween party at a friend's house.

So what was Sasha dressed as? A corpse bride! In Jeanne’s piece “Trick or Treating with the Obamas: Scary or Cute?” she said that “Malia and Sasha Obama were trying to scare their dad when they dressed up as an "evil fairy" and corpse bride. Too bad the presidential candidate thought they were just too cute to be scary.”

Photos: via Huffington Post

Trick or Treating With the Obamas: Scary or Too Cute?

JeanneSager — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Malia and Sasha Obama were trying to scare their dad when they dressed up as an "evil fairy" and corpse bride. Too bad the presidential candidate thought they were just too cute to be scary. It's a story Michelle Obama shared in a post to the largely female population of bloggers at BlogHer this week.

The Democratic candidate's wife highlighted a tale that could have happened in any house in America this week (I was wrapped in a hug by a friend's son who quickly turned and "grrrred" at me and asked, "are you scared?"). And she did so to introduce some snippets of campaign life that have driven home the greatest point we all need to remember come Wednesday morning.

As polarizing as the issues have been, as dedicated as we may have become to our separate causes, as passionate as we may always (and should always) be, come Wednesday morning, the vote is over. What will be left is a country full of people with the same basic goals in mind: food, shelter, clothing. Every parent, particularly, has a singular thought day in and day out: to give our children the best life possible. The ways we go about doing that, what that "best life" entails are all different. There's no getting around that, and only a fool would expect that to change on Wednesday morning.

But the little girls bouncing around a presidential candidate's home this week, tromping from door-to-door on Friday like millions of kids, wearing costumes worn by thousands of other little girls in America, are a reminder that no matter where we are and what we think, when life gets scary, we look at our kids. Cheesy? Yes. Sappy? You're darn tootin'. But our kids haven't been screwed up by all the adult ideas and mistakes yet. They're still just too cute to scare us.

Image: MSNBC

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The Candy That Time Forgot

Brett Singer — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:45:00 GMT

I stumbled onto a list of candies that we are unlikely to encounter in our children's treat bags tonight. One of them (Bit O'Honey) was on my Babble List, but the rest weren't. Let's look at a few entries from the Island of Discarded Sweets:

Bubble Gum Cigarettes

To my recollection, these tasted really gross, but they blew sugary "smoke" and were therefore "cool" – or should that be "Kool"? I can't imagine seeing them today.

Candy Buttons

Nothing wrong with these, I guess – that is, they're not a candy that mimics a horrible unhealthy habit. But they do encourage the eating of paper, since it's impossible to get the stupid buttons off the backing without ingesting a little mashed up dead tree substance.

Wax Bottles

I have to be honest here. I've never tasted one of these. Whenever I encountered one, I avoided it like booger-flavored jellybeans. I guess it's some sort of sugary liquid encased in wax – is that right? Anyone want to enlighten me?

Sixlets

These were a rare treat. So good. Like M&M's but somehow fancier.

Toffifay

These always offended me a little bit. I can't remember if “It’s Too Good For Kids!” was the actual slogan but that was definitely the attitude. This and Toberlone – if these somehow ended up in my trick or treat bag, some dopey grown-up would liberate them from my possession. NO CANDY IS TOO GOOD FOR ME!

Pop Rocks

Man, do I not miss these things. They did not, I believe, actually kill Mikey. But they're so gross it's believable.

There's more, read the rest of the list here. Any old-time candy that you miss, or don't miss?

Source: MightyJunior

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Five Most Annoying Things About Trick or Treaters

SunnyChanel — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:16:00 GMT

I love Halloween. But as I dole out hundreds of sugary treats to corrupt the dental wellbeing of oodles of little strangers, I start getting a little mad. It is true that I am generally smitten with the cuteness of the kids in their costumes, but I have become increasingly annoyed by a variety of Halloween faux pauxs. Here are my five most annoying things about Trick or Treaters.

1.   The Kids Who Are Too Old.
Yeah, we all like candy and we all like free stuff. But there comes a time when you are just too old for trick or treating. What age is that? I think everyone has their own age limit but if a “kid” can drive, vote or buy their own booze, I really think it’s time to buy their own candy too.

2.   The Kids Who Are Too Young.
Every year, without fail, we get a parent bringing their newborn or young infant to our doorstep. With the baby in one arm and a plastic pumpkin in other they utter the “trick or treat!” for their not-yet-talking baby. When we give our patented “are you kidding me” glare, they inevidably say “oh it’s for them!” pointing to their child. Yeah, right. They’re either lying or they are truly clueless parents. Either way, not so good.

3.   When the Kids Don’t Say “Trick or Treat”.
I’m a big softy. I love to see a little kid dressed in their Halloween finest. And when those sweet little eyes look up at me and utter those three words? Well it can thaw the cockles of my cold cold heart in an instant. But I can’t tell you the number of kids who come to my door and just stick out their greedy little hands. No “hi”, or “how are you”, let alone “trick or treat”. You know what I do, I just stand there with my hand in my candy trove, stare them down and wait until they say it. This is usually met with an eye roll, a shrug of their shoulders and occasionally a muttering of some intelligible curse.

4.   Putting Absolutely No Effort into Attempting a Costume.
Halloween is a social contract. You come to my door in a costume, say the magic words and then I give you candy. But we get a pretty healthy percentage of kids who make no attempt at a costume. Yes, I do understand that there many families have budget restrictions but can’t the kids at least do something like wear their PJs (“I’m cute and comfy”), tape on some cardboard (“I’m a box”) or a white sheet as a ghost (I’m so old school). Really, any sort of costume will do, I’m not picky!

5.   Dissin’ my candy choice.
We generally opt for the popular Hershey’s mix. Butterfingers, Snickers, M&Ms, etc.. Chocolate! Sugar! Corn Syrup! How can you go wrong, right? Every year we get a handful of kids who don’t want the piece we gave them and would rather “shop” our candy bin to make their own choice. Occasionally they’ll just ask point blank “do you have any Three Musketeers?”. Listen beggars can’t be choosers. Take the piece I give you and enjoy it.

And on that note, happy Halloween everybody!

Also check out Amy's Post "Don't Neighborhood Hop for Trick or Treating"

How To Carve a Pumpkin (Video)

Brett Singer — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

If anyone hasn't gotten around to slicing and dicing their yearly Jack O'Lantern (me), or just wants a few tips on how to do it better (me), here is Chris Gould (not me) to show you how. Apparently it's all about etching rather than carving. In the spirit of the holiday, we'll forgive the Red Sox t-shirt.

Source: how2heroes.com

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Doling Out Halloween Candy to Over-Sugared Tots

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:26:00 GMT

My first inclination when confronted with a pillow sack full of candy is to steal it -- steal the whole thing, hide it away high on a bookshelf and spend the next 30 nap times lazily eating on miniature Mars bars and those delicious Smarties.

Then I imagine my daughter bursting into tears after such a heinous breach of parental trust and I relent.

"One piece," that's what I'm sure I'll tell her tonight, "You've may have one piece of your bounty tonight and then some more tomorrow."

She's 2 and a half. A sack full of candy so late at night would doom us all. But again, 2. That's pretty easy to handle.

How about you parents with older kids -- just how much do you allow them to eat tonight? Some people fall into the whole bag side of the debate -- let them eat the whole damn thing and they'll be so sick they'll never do it again. Others go for the one piece side of the equation. Lots of good points on both sides.

So how do you dole out that candy tonight?

Fifth Grader Saves Halloween

Jen Chaney — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:02:00 GMT

Today marks a very special Halloween for the people of Oil City, Pa. This is the first time in 16 years that trick-or-treating after dark will be permitted in the town. And it's all thanks to a 10-year-old girl who took the initiative to bring back All Hallow's Eve.

A ban on trick-or-treating after sundown was issued after the disturbing kidnapping and murder of a young girl shortly before Halloween in 1992. Parents were concerned that a killer might be on the loose and wanted to keep their children as safe as possible. That abundance of caution continued for more than a decade, with trick-or-treating permitted only during afternoon hours, between 2 and 4 p.m.

But a couple of months ago, as ABCnews.com reports, young Elizabeth Roess circulated a petition that lobbied for the ban to be lifted. She presented the petition and an essay to the City Council. Among Elizabeth's arguments: Halloween decorations are prettier at night; more people are home to give out candy in the evening; and she wanted to be able to trick-or-night at the traditional time in her own neighborhood.

The City Council saw the error of their ways and dropped the ban. So this year, the kids get to see the flickering lights of jack o'lanterns again. And as Elizabeth told NPR, her success with the City Council has inspired an interest in politics. Or, as she calls it, stuff that's "politishal."

Happy Halloween, Oil City. Hope it's safe and happy for everyone, this year and for many years to come.

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Photo: AP

15 Things Overheard at the Preschool Halloween Parade

editors — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:45:00 GMT

Ed. note: Today's list is brought to us by Babble contributor Tammy La Gorce.

Sometimes, the world according to Peanuts makes the most sense. An example: If the fall calendar at Lucy, Linus and Charlie Brown’s preschool included marching in a Halloween parade, the parents wouldn’t have shown -- Snoopy would have heckled Charlie Brown from the sidelines while a crowd of large-headed children and a few adults speaking the language of “woh” looked beatifically on. By the time the whole thing wrapped and special snack was served, everyone would have dispersed to talk a little philosophy over candy corn and caramel apples.

Life, of course, is way messier than Charles Schulz prepared us for. Which is why you should count on not only attending the preschool Halloween parade, but also on fellow parents moaning every step of the way.

Herewith, 15 things that parents bitched about at last year’s parade. Will anything other than an intervention by the Great Pumpkin himself make this year’s any different? -- Tammy La Gorce

1)“If Aidan’s mom had told me he was going to go as Iron Man, I would have sent Matias in something different.”

2) “I’m trying to get a decent shot of my daughter but the princess hat on the girl in front of her is blocking everything.”

3)“I told Mrs. Daggett to check the Velcro on that puppy costume. Look at it -- it’s going to fall off him by the time they round the corner.”

4)“Did you find someplace to park? I parked three blocks away. Barely made it. There’s way too many grandparents in the parking lot.”

5)“It’s freezing out here. Couldn’t they have moved it to the auditorium this year?”

6) “It’s such a nice fall day. Why do they have to do it inside where we can’t see anything?”

7)“The class mother in Miss Sarah’s group brought Dunkin’ Donut holes. I thought that wasn’t allowed.”

8)“Why do they have to start at 10:30? Do they think nobody works?”

9)“They should let the kids stay in their costumes all day -- Sydney’s going to scream holy hell when they try to take her Abby Cadabby headband away.”

10)“Isn’t she a little young to be watching ‘Hannah Montana’?”

11) “I wish they wouldn’t give them snack right after the parade. Do they really expect them to eat their lunch in an hour?”

12) “There’s your son’s pumpkin painting on the wall, right there at eye level. I can never find my kids’ -- they always hang them too high.”

13)“The guy they bring in to film these things has the shakes, did you notice?”

14) “Look at all the Indiana Joneses, Doras and Pikachus. What ever happened
to being a ghost?”

15) “If they invite us into the classroom when it’s done, there is no way my kid is going to let me leave."

Thank the Gods: Candynalia Is Finally Here!

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:10:00 GMT

Halloween. I meant Halloween -- that ancient, pagan ode to miniature boxes of Nerds and cellophane wrapped lollipops.

Today is a big day in my world. And I am celebrating mightily. Which leads me over to FoodGal, who remembers what it was like to receive a See's Candy box as a child and still has a fascination today:

"As a child, I sometimes got scolded by my Dad for pinching the corners of all the candies in the box to see what fillings they held inside. As an adult, I was in awe of my friend Lori, who had the uncanny ability to discern what each piece of candy was, just by looking at it."

FoodGal offers a wonderful tour of See's Candy factory and it's worth a moment of your time, if you're as big of a candy freak as I am. Honestly, I haven't seen so much butter since that one time in Paris.

Happy Trick or Treating tonight!

Incredibly Good Homemade Halloween Costumes

Brett Singer — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

When it comes to Halloween costumes, we're not very crafty at my house. The kids want to be characters from movies and TV, and I'm fine with that. It's much easier to buy an Iron Man costume than it is to make one. Admittedly, I have the artistic ability of a three year old, and that's being generous.

Some people, however, have the talent and are not afraid to use it. Check out this gallery of homemade costumes from the Kansas City Star.

Optimus Prime

This is, frankly, much better than anything you could buy. It wasn't cheap or easy, though – 40 hours and 50 bucks worth of materials, such as " rubber doorstops, PVC, football shoulder pads and 'lots and lots of duct tape'" according to Eric Collins, who made the lead Autobot costume for his son Cameron. The final touch was "custom vinyl decals." Way over my head. But nice job, dude.

Homemade Hippies

These two are more the kind of thing I might be able to do, except for the whole "making the clothes" part. (I can sew on a button, but that's about it.) Less impressive than Optimus Prime, but still cute. I guess that means the younger generation still knows what hippies were.

For a few more, click here.

When Halloween rolls around, do you buy costumes or make your own?

Source: kansascity.com

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Where Does Halloween Rank on Your Family's Holiday-O-Meter?

JeanneSager — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:31:00 GMT

We've never been the people who hid in the back of the house with just the flicker of a TV for light on Halloween night, but before our daughter came along, my husband and I weren't the biggest fans. Even now, it's up to me to take our daughter trick-or-treating, while Dad stays home to hand out treats.

In our house, it just isn't that big a deal. I mean, sure, we do the costume and the trick or treating. We make the rounds of the community kid parties - two this year packed into one sugar-filled day. But there's no real desire to find a sitter and head out to a costume party ourselves or do up the path to our front door with faux cemetery markers and skulls. Nor is there ever a kumbaya, "one big happy family" kind of vibe to Halloween.

In all fairness to my husband, he attended both community parties this year. While I snapped pictures for the local paper at the first, he walked our daughter to each booth and helped her chuck rubber spiders, paint pumpkins and toss beanbags. We were co-parenting the party with the best of them. But come Friday night, he'll be more than happy to stay home with a black cat full of Play-Doh, plastic teeth and rubber bangle bracelets while I walk the walk with a bunch of girlfriends and their costume-clad tots. I wouldn't expect him to come along even if I plied him with Lemonheads and Sweetarts (so I know his weakness, we're still not going to hold hands and frolick together).

I felt a tad guilty reading Sports Illustrated writer Joe Posnanski's column this week about the strain an elongated world series puts on a dad who really wants to be home with his kids on Halloween, but I'm holding firm. Halloween is for the kids. Christmas for us is for the family.

How about you? Do you do it up family style for Halloween? Or is All Hallow's Eve the red-headed stepchild in your holiday hoe downs?

Image: FrugalLawStudent

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Grave Robbers Steal Baby's Remains

Jen Chaney — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:28:00 GMT

The following story sounds like a creepy Halloween-ish tale straight out of an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." But it actually happened earlier this week at a cemetery in Wisconsin.

According to this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the remains of an infant buried back in 1925 were dug up and removed from the Bandli Park Cemetery in the middle of the night on Sunday. No other graves were disturbed and nothing else was stolen or damaged. Police are currently investigating the incident and believe it may have been a freaky, random Halloween prank. But I have another theory...

The inscription on the tombstone read simply "Baby Locke." When I saw that, the first thought that popped into my brain was: Whoever dug up this grave is clearly a fan of "Lost." Locke is a crucial character on the ABC series, one who allegedly had special gifts since childhood. And in last season's finale -- spoiler alert ahead for those of you slackers who still haven't gotten around to watching it -- Locke was revealed to be the man in the mysterious coffin shown in the finale of season three.

Of course, even if "Lost" has something to do with this, that doesn't mean this wasn't some sort of crazy prank. But maybe police can start questioning their suspects by asking things like, "Does the term 'Flight Oceanic 815' mean anything to you?" and "Who's hotter, Jack or Sawyer?" If some of the interrogated parties have immediate, passionate answers to those questions, they just might be the ones responsible.

All "Lost" theories aside, I do hope the body is quickly returned to its rightful place so that poor infant can again rest in peace. I feel terrible for any relatives of that baby. The idea of having a loved one's remains disturbed is, well, pretty disturbing.

Why Are The Grown Up Costumes For Women So Slutty?

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

When I asked the question "do you dress up for Halloween", I received a couple of unexpected answers. From the comments:

Manjari: They don't sell costumes for adult women that aren't bedroom wear.

Alice: …the costumes are all too trashy these days. Sexy Ragdoll? 70's Afroqueen? Gimme a break.

Looking at most of the costume pictures I found – I didn't do extensive research but still – I think we're on to something. Look at these:

This one is listed under "Women – Occupational":

2 Piece Black Fire Woman Costume

What's her occupation, stripper? This looks like, um...what's the word? Porn. Plus that is OBVIOUSLY a white lady (I know, bad joke).

This is under "Women – Period":

3 Piece Indian Girl Costume W/ Tomahawk

Again – this looks like something from "Zack and Miri Make a Porno". "Poke-Her-Hontas", anyone? Plus the proper term is "native American", everyone knows that.

Even the pic I used on the "do you dress up for Halloween" is clearly meant to be suggestive, although the costume covers far more skin. Compared to some of the Fire Lady and the Tomahawk Queen, it's practically a burka.

The men's costumes from the same store (Ricky's in NYC) are much less revealing.

After an admittedly quick perusal I found only one semi-nekkid costume:
Borat Mankini Green Lycra

The others are mostly clothed -- police officer, etc.

Now, as a guy, sure, I find the porno lady costumes pleasant to look at. And I'm not going all moral majority on you. But who is buying these things? Am I off base here? And when did this trend start?

Plus, won't those women be chilly? It is October, after all.

Source: Ricky's Halloween, Babble commenters

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Trick or Treating for Fair Trade

Amy Kuras — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:02:00 GMT

While kids in America will be happily running the streets Friday night, hitting up neighbors for candy, a few will be instead handing their neighbors a piece of fair trade chocolate and a card detailing some of the abusive practices of the chocolate industry. It's a "reverse trick or treating" program through Global Exhange.

According to this post on Chow, the card reads, in part, “Like Halloween, chocolate should be a source of joy for all children, including those in countries where cocoa is grown. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Despite six years of promises from major chocolate manufacturers little has been done to tackle the documented problem of forced child labor on many farms that supply their cocoa. Moreover, low cocoa prices have left cocoa farmers in poverty year after year.”

I’ll admit this right now –I haven’t gone all fair trade with my chocolate purchases, and we’ll probably be handing out regular old chocolate this year. But I like this idea – it’s a way to educate kids a little bit about global trade and where their treats come from. More importantly, it’s a way to bring attention to the issue of fair trade without being Debbie Downer and offers some real, clear ways to make a difference. Too often we’re told of these horrible injustices in the world but not told any way that we can possibly help. And for me, that just makes me want to hide under the bed. But “here’s some chocolate and here’s a simple way to make life better for the kids that harvested it?” That’s pretty cool.

Babble Talk: How Do We Know When We Are Scaring Our Kids?

Jen Chaney — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:28:00 GMT

Perhaps you saw this essay called "Creep Show," written by Kevin Keck, about a six-year-old who is fascinated by zombies, Freddy Krueger and assorted other horror-rific things. (You'd remember if you saw it; it's the essay accompanied by the image of a kid who looks a hell of a lot like Robert Smith from The Cure.)

Keck writes about his stepson Gavyn's obsessions with an appropriate mixture of acceptance and concern. He knows his boy is a gentle, good kid. But he also wants to shield him from some of the scarier movies and TV shows in which Gavyn has a keen interest. He's allowed to watch "Shaun of the Dead" and even "Scream," but not, under any circumstances, "Saw." All of which raises a question that strikes me as particularly pertinent at Halloween: How do we know when we're exposing our kids to something too frightening for them to handle?

I have seen examples at both ends of the "freaking out the kids" spectrum. On the exposing-them-to-too-much side, I once sat in a movie theater behind parents who brought their five-year-old daughter to see "Saving Private Ryan." The pigtailed little girl was curled up into a trembling, petrified ball after 30 seconds of the opening battle scene at Normandy, and I don't blame her. It was too intense for most of the adults in the multiplex, let alone a child. And in that case, mom and dad didn't have the luxury of saying, "It's just a movie." War is real and even the film version of it is no place for a kindergartner to visit.

But I also think it's equally dangerous to be overly protective, too. I know parents who wouldn't let their kids read books like "Where the Wild Things Are," even when their sons and daughters were of elementary school age, because they thought such stories would scare them. Obviously we don't want to terrorize the little ones, but assuming they can't handle anything even vaguely dark also shields them from some of the most wonderful, imaginative movies and books ever created. Other parents won't even take kids trick-or-treating out of fear of potential fear. And that seems sad to me, too.

Ultimately, Moms and Dads know their children better than anyone and, in theory anyway, should know what's best for them. In most cases, I believe they do. At the same time, I think there are things we can all agree on.

1. You shouldn't take a kid to see "Saving Private Ryan" or "Saw."

2. It's OK to see "The Wizard of Oz" prior to the age of 16.

3. Even scary movies, stories or moments can immediately seem less terrifying if mom and dad are present and talking to their children about what they are seeing.

Keck pointed out that he doesn't let Gavyn watch anything creepy by himself. So while I might not let my own six-year-old see "Scream," I can tell that Keck is trying to be a responsible parent and look for cues from his child about what's too much. Sometimes that's the best and only thing one can do, especially when your son really, really wants to grow up to be a zombie slayer.

More Bad Halloween Costumes for Kids

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Shine has a list of some of the worst kiddie costumes. Mike covered a lot of these in his brilliant post The Return of the Halloween Baby Slut Costumes. (Sample: "Would anyone ever sell a Chippendale outfit for young boys? Would a parent ever buy one?") But there are a few more in the Shine list that are worthy of attention, and I found a couple of others I wanted to share.

Baby Whoopie Cushion Costume

I have to admit, I think this is hilarious. I mean, I wouldn't put this costume on my child. But it's a funny picture. The only way that a parent could get away with something like this is if they were some sort of a lovable doofus – think Joe Isuzu. (You either get that reference or you don't. Here's a video if you're curious.) Maybe if you own a novelty store – I can imagine Christopher Walken's character in 'Hairspray' putting this on an infant Tracy Turnblad. Of course, those are both fictional characters, which probably means that parents should avoid this outfit.

The Joker from The Dark Knight

The Joker was always a scary character. In the Batman comics, he's a guy with no powers that is feared by heroes and villains alike. Why? Because he's just that crazy. Even so, Heath Ledger's performance in 'The Dark Knight' took that madness to a new level. (“Want to see me make a pencil disappear?” If you saw the movie, you know what I'm talking about.) In the comic book, Joker's perma-grin is the result of a fall into a vat of mysterious chemical goo. In Ledger's interpretation, it's a scar. As in, cut with a knife. Ew. This one will probably be popular because the movie was monster hit, but I wonder how many little kids actually saw it (it really wasn't a kids' movie, but that doesn't always matter). Dressing up as Ledger's Joker would be OK for an older kid I suppose, but if a parent buys this costume for a little one they either didn't see the movie or are a weirdo. Or both.

Zombie Skate Punk Child Costume

This one is on sale. BIG surprise. What's weird about this costume is the shirt, which I guess is supposed to show scars and tattoos and other “punk” things. If you really wanted your kid to dress up as a “punk”, you could just get an old flannel shirt, rip it up, put a Black Flag t-shirt under it. Maybe some ripped jeans with safety pins. A heroin needle. You know, easy.

Batman Muscle Chest Costume

This isn't on Shine's list, but I'm going to add it because it annoys me. I wore a Batman costume for years, and I never thought, “Boy, I wish this had big fake muscles.” Do we really need to make kids feel bad about their bodies this early? There's plenty of time for them to be insecure when they get older, start losing their hair, many years from now... You know, when they hit 30.

Source: Yahoo Shine, mrcostumes.com

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Do You Dress Up for Halloween?

Brett Singer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Continuing with the Halloween theme (it's this Friday in case you forgot), I'm wondering if the grown-ups out there are planning to dress up.

I stopped wearing Halloween costumes my sophomore year of high school; I went to school as a made-up superhero called "Golden Boy" in a costume I sort of made myself. It was pretty lame and the whole thing was just… I don't know. It wasn't fun anymore. (I attended High School of Performing Arts, aka LaGuardia, and Halloween was a big deal there for the artsy kids.)

My first year of college I was talked into wearing a costume that some girls put together for me. I dressed up as Eurotrash, with a big "L" pin. The tag line was, "Hi, I'm Lawrence. Like the L?" Again, very lame. Lost interest quickly. Didn't even get any, um, candy from the girls. After that, if I was invited to a Halloween party, I would show up in a sweater and say I was Hamlet in a modern-dress production. That didn't go over well, although it was more helpful in terms of dating.

In case you can't tell, I don't do anything now, but I know that some parents do. Do you? If so, what do you wear?

On a related note, does anyone else feel like Halloween is overshadowed by the election this year? Not that it matters, but I actually had to write myself a note to make sure I remembered that Friday was trick-or-treating time.

image source

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Morning News: Malia Obama Tells Dad 'Don't Mess With My TV'

Madeline Holler — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Michelle Obama was on the Tonight Show last night and she told Jay Leno how Malia, Barack Obama's 10-year-old daughter, isn't the least bit interested in Dad's campaign. Except when it interrupts her own life.

Michelle explains in the clip how their girl reacted when she heard her father would be airing a 30-minute broadcast on all the major networks.

BTW: Michelle is wearing J. Crew, an outfit she bought online with her own money. We can't tell whether she accessorizes to Elisabeth Hasselbeck's liking. Read more for a behind-the-scenes anniversary celebration and an update on Obama's ailing grandmother "Toot."

We're not sure where Cindy McCain got her above-the-knee bathrobe or who paid for it, but we're feeling naked for her. Why? (1) She's wearing it in several pictures on her daughter's fun but cautious blog and (2) Senator Lindsey Graham is also in the room. Then again, we're kind of a prude, so nevermind.

We have a short, and, truthfully, icky Daily Palin: The West Hollywood residents who hung an effigy of Sarah Palin by a noose won't be charged with a hate crime, though they have created quite an uproar with their violent Halloween decorations. We were looking forward to all the Palin family costumes this year (raise your hand if you're pregnant and going as Bristol!), but this seems like too much. Especially in light of neo-Nazi's getting busted for plotting to assassinate Barack Obama. And for someone shouting the racial epithet during a Sarah Palin rally. And all the Muslim bashing. And the pre-hysteria that seems to be simmering just under the surface of this long and weird election. Palin on a noose feels beneath humanity. What do you think?

Happy thoughts: call center workers in Indiana walked off the job, collectively refusing to read an "incendiary" McCain campaign script that said, among other things, Obama coddles criminals and is against protecting children.

A jury found Alaska Senator Ted Stevens guilty of all seven charges of lying on disclosure statements. It's a rare conviction of a sitting U.S. Senator (especially such a popular one). Stevens says he'll continue the battle to hold on to his Senate seat. Interestingly, as a felon he won't be able to vote for himself.

Take a look at these numbers and you have to wonder why Stevens just didn't buy his own massage chair. The collective wealth of Congress grew 13 percent last year. In fact, two of every three senators is a millionaire (including both presidential candidates).

Two of every three Americans are not millionaires. Or even comfortable financially right now. Apparently 92 percent of those surveyed are even losing sleep over this global financial crisis. What about you?

This is gross and alarming: Kids in the U.S. are being treated for kidney stones. It's no longer unusual to see a 5- or 6-year-old with them, doctors say. Why the increase? Salt, people, salt!

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Video: NBC.com

Pee Wee Partytime! Do You Overdo it?

SunnyChanel — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:37:00 GMT

Earlier today, fellow Stollerderby team member Jen confessed that she was a “plate-and-cups parent”. When given the choice for signing up for a Halloween party at her son’s daycare, she opted to provide the spoons and cups. Last weekend, I was met with the very same dilemma, the dreaded Halloween Party Potluck Sign-Up.

But me, I’m at the other end of the spectrum. Instead of opting for the time effective and easy, I try to find a way to make the task the most time consuming, complex and difficult as I can make it. And I always, without a doubt, regret it.

When signing up for the before mentioned party, what did I opt to make? Four dozen bat shaped polenta hors d’ouevres, some dyed a midnight hue of black, with homemade olive tapenade eyes. Yeah, I went there. Martha would have been proud. In the past, I’ve also made a series of one-of-a-kind handmade plush monsters as party favors for my daughter’s second birthday, made a historically accurate Marie Antoinette dress for her first Halloween, and hand pureed all her baby food. Yup, I’m one of those. Sadly, I’m so exhausted by the time I finish one of these projects, I have no chance to sit back and enjoy the moment. Next time, I’m going to join Jen and try to change my stripes to be a “paper and cups” parent.

Who am I kidding? I’ll just get myself into some crazy project pickle yet again. Who needs sleep or sanity? Any other project crazed parents out there, those who take on way too much than you can chew?