Hocus pocus

Hi there! A note about October: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. For many of us, myself included, this is a time for reflection and remembrance. All feelings are welcome. We at FamilyMade share in your grief and hope, and as always, we celebrate your strength. 💜

It’s tough to believe October is almost over! How is it almost Halloween? Whether you’re high-tailing it to Spirit Halloween this weekend or you’ve had your spiderwebs and pumpkins on display since August, Halloween is simply the most fun for revelers of all ages. So…are your costumes ready? Is your candy bowl filled? Are you nervous about allowing your toddler free rein of their trick-or-treat earnings? We cover it all in today’s Q&A. 👻

—Lindsay

Our answer: Around here, we’re partial to building your own Halloween costume from things you already have at home. If you can sew (okay, fine, we’ll admit we’re jealous), now is your time to shine. Go scavenging for old clothes in the back of the closet and transform dad’s billowy ’90s button-downs into the perfect pirate get-up. Shawn shared that as a kid, she used to make her own costumes, too!

If you can’t sew…you’re in good company. Plus? “There are awesome options on Amazon for a reasonable price,” Shawn said. “Or use Pinterest to grab DIY ideas. You don’t need to go to the big Halloween stores to have a great costume.”

And DIY-ing it can even make for a more creative experience—which Shawn and Andrew love. They let the kids choose their own costumes by showing them some pictures of ideas that might interest them. We can’t wait to see the pics of Drew as a princess this year. 👸

We love a good Halloween costume swap, too. Get together with friends and family and bring your lightly-used costumes from Halloween's past. Trade pieces to customize your look!

Our answer: Embrace the sugar rush. It’s inevitable, and it’s part of childhood! For one night of the year, it’s not going to hurt anything to let your kids indulge (within reason.)

Let kids be kids,” Shawn said. “Even if they have too much and end up with a belly ache, they’ll learn from it. I also think it helps form a healthy relationship with candy.

Letting kids enjoy themselves on this special holiday is a chance to build a foundation for self-regulation…and to have fun in the moment! According to Dr. Ben Levinson, primary care pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, so long as 1) the candy’s safe to eat (aka the wrappers are intact) and 2) it’s a special Halloween thing and not an everyday thing…your family is all good to go all out.

Submit a question to be featured in a future Q&A here.

Scary and sweet. For your weekend enjoyment leading up to the big day Monday, an awesome list of Halloween scavenger hunts, games, and printables for all ages.

Ghoul for the whole family. A comprehensive list of Halloween movies ranging from creepy to cute, and where to find them streaming! Pop that popcorn and snuggle close.

The reason for the season? Candy. But a close second is seeing what celebrities dress up as come Halloween. From last year, our top contenders were Ashley Benson as Cher from Clueless, Harry Styles as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and Lizzo as Baby Yoda. Who of the rich and famous do you think will own this Halloween?

Halloween prep, complete. All that’s left for you to do is enjoy it. Take pictures. Watch the magic unfold. We’ll see you back here on ALL HALLOW’S EVE!