Refined or processed sugar and foods containing refined sugars such as cookies, candies and some breads and pastas have numerous negative effects on both children. When children regularly consume refined sugars, they are at an increased risk for developing conditions such as tooth decay, obesity and behavioral issues.  Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/495114-negative-effects-of-refined-sugar-in-children/#ixzz29TcQTyeU

With Halloween approaching it will become very difficult to steer children away from consuming sugar, even moderate amounts of sugar.  But when it comes to the holiday of “TRICK or TREAT” – moderation is key! Providing healthy alternatives to the typical candy that is given away when kids come to your door, is a great first step in being part of the solution.  Actions such as this will set a good example for your own children, plus you can offer up any leftover giveaways to your kids as a trade for the sugar filled candy they may get in their own Halloween bag.  Below is a list of great alternatives to the sugar filled Halloween candy…

TRICK GOODIES

• Halloween Themed – stickers, pencils, coloring books, crayons
• Halloween Tattoos
• Play Dough
• Glow Sticks
• Bubbles
• Plastic Jewelry
• Vampire Teeth

TREAT GOODIES

• Granola Bars
• Fruit Chews
• Dried Fruit Packs
• Chocolate Covered Pretzles
• Raisins / Chocolate Covered Raisins
• Fruit Leathers
• Trail Mix
• Popcorn / Cracker Jacks

Shop the Stockn’Go Halloween section for costumes, makeup and more!!

The fall is officially here…and Halloween is just around the corner! You don’t want to find yourself waiting until last minute to pick out a costume and be forced to scour half empty store shelves for not only a costume that you or your child likes but for a costume that fits!  Make this Halloween less stressful by selecting any needed costumes now and addressing other trick-or-treat issues that might come up.

To help you be prepared, Stockn’Go has put together a few questions for you to think about…

• Do you have time to make your child’s costume or do you plan to purchase one?
• Do you plan to put any constraints on your child’s costume selection?
• Does your child have a bag to carry the candy? Flashlights and comfortable shoes?
• Depending on how old your children are, should they be trick-or-treating WITH or WITHOUT adult supervision?
• How do you plan to disburse the candy once Trick or Treat is over? Will you put a limit on consumption?
• Have you made a plan to go over safety tips with any children going off on their own? Stay tuned for an upcoming Stockn’Go post that will highlight some important safety tips for you and your children to know!

Stockn’Go can help you cross an item off that list with our huge selection of Halloween Costumes.  We even offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $39.00!

Haunted Houses make great Halloween parties. Not only are they a lot of fun, they can be tailored to your interests.

Like witches? Do a creepy witch themed haunted house, with lots of cauldrons around as signs that witches must be near. Set a few of them around the house, and fill them with dry ice. The smoke and fog will make your party exceptional. Put a few witch’s brooms around, and ramp up the atmosphere.

Your haunted house can range from elaborate to simple. Haunted houses are always fun for Halloween. Make your party creepy – and the place to hang out – this Halloween with these fun tips.

Here are a few things to add to your haunted house to make it suitably creepy:

Bats, of course. Bats and Halloween go together like peanut butter and jelly. Nothing spookier than bats hanging from the ceiling. Unless of course, it is:

Skulls – set a few skulls around to scare your guests and set the atmosphere.

Creepy music is a must. Screams and ghostly moans are perfect for Halloween parties.

Flickering lights – you can buy bulbs that flicker throughout use. It adds a creepy tone to the whole party.

Tombstones – how scary is a Halloween party without graves and tombstones? Cemetery lawn signs are a nice touch.

Ghosts are nearly mandatory. You can make your own from sheets, or buy them pre-made and already ultra-spooky.

Spiders and spider webs placed around the house. Drape them over doorways, chairs, and tables.

Halloween food can be part of the Halloween party fun. Jack-o-lantern cupcakes, spider cookies, and other spooky foods are great for parties.

Costume contest – do a different sort of Halloween contest and give out prizes for sexy costumes, for the best TV character, or have a video game character contest. If you’re looking for Halloween costumes, make sure to buy from us by the 24th for guaranteed delivery by Halloween! And you can save 15% with promo code SPOOK15 at checkout.

Are you having a Halloween party or Haunted House this Halloween? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment here on the blog.

Representing your favorite television character at Halloween is always fun, especially for children. What’s more fun than dressing up as their favorite television character? If you’re going in a large group or dressing as a family, that’s even better. You’ll look cute as can be. I can hear the oohs and ahs already! Not to mention that costume prize you’re sure to win…

If you need some ideas for costume characters, here are a few for you:

Video Game Characters:

What would be cuter than a Kids Super Mario Costume and an Adult Super Mario Costume? Super Mario in miniature and large. Sounds like fun to me, especially for video game fans.

Cartoon Character Costumes:

If there are three of you, dress up with this Smurfette wig and make sure to carry a flower. Take along your significant other in a
Smurf Costume
and dress your child in a Kids Smurf Costume. You’ll draw looks and laughter, and you’ll have lots of fun.

Muppets and Sesame Street:

The Cookie Monster Costume – Hide those cookies, because the cookie monster is on the way! The fuzzy, plush suit will make your child look darling, and will keep him warm this Halloween.

Wear a Bert costume or an Ernie costume – and don’t forget the rubber ducky! Snickering optional.

This Kermit the Frog costume is adorable. Who doesn’t love the green Muppet?

This Giggling Elmo Infant Costume will make your little cutie even cuter this Halloween.

Would a collection of Sesame Street costumes be complete without a Big Bird Costume? I don’t think so. Everyone loves the giant yellow bird. And how cute is this Kids Frilly Big Bird Costume? And not only is that cute, look at the Sassy Big Bird Costume for grown up girls. Family costumes, anyone?

Muppet costumes, kid’s TV shows or cartoon character costumes, whatever you decide on, you’re sure to be a hit at the Halloween party. You’ll have fun, too, and isn’t that what Halloween is all about?

What are you wearing this Halloween? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a message here on the blog.

Do you dress your pet up for Halloween? Dressing your pet up for Halloween isn’t as weird or as uncommon as it may sound. Or maybe it is…I can’t get past the cute factor long enough to tell. What could be cuter than a Bad Dog Prisoner costume?

See what I mean? Isn’t that adorable?

If you do decide to dress your pet, there are some basic rules you should follow. You don’t want to overheat your pet, or stress them unnecessarily.

If your pet is agitated by his/her costume, only leave it on for a little while. If you want them to wear it while ‘helping’ you give out candy to the little trick or treat-ers, get them used to it gradually. Start in 15 minute increments, until they are totally unfazed by the costume. If they are extra nervous, you might even want to start by putting the costume out first, so they can smell it.

Make sure that the costume doesn’t bind or feel too tight. Are there at least two fingers worth of room between the costume and your pet when you stretch it out? There should be.

Your pet can’t tell you in words when something is bothering him, but if you pay attention, you can tell. Is he rolling around, trying to get the costume off? Is he whining, or panting excessively? These can all be signs that he is too hot, or the costume is uncomfortable. Check it, or take it off at this point.

Are you going to dress your pet for Halloween? Have any pictures from last Halloween? Send them to me on twitter or Facebook, or point me their way here on the blog.

When you think of Halloween, eco-friendly is probably not the first thing that pops into your head. As holidays go, Halloween might seem that it’s a hard one to ‘green’, but with these few, easy tips it’s easier than you might think.

Use a cloth bag or recycled plastic bag to hold candy when your kids are trick or treating. Alternatively, use the same hard plastic bucket year after year. You’ll save money, and you’ll be cutting down on the amount of waste that goes into landfills.

Go trick or treating in your own neighborhood, if possible. Walking around your own neighborhood will use no fuel, and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint. Your kids won’t mind – they might even find it fun to walk.

Do a costume swap. How many Halloween costumes do you have in your closet? Use the same Halloween costume accessories year after year, in different costumes.

Have a green costume party. You can send out e-vites, saving paper and creating less waste. Make the Halloween party focus on fun, rather than stuff. Kids love crafts, so you could make a scarecrow together out of old clothes, or you can make Halloween hats or masks out of recycled paper. Make sure to recycle any paper or other waste you have left over from the party. Even paper that is food soiled can sometimes be put in with yard clippings to be picked up. Check with your local government to see if this is the case.

Flesh out your Halloween decorations with natural things such as pumpkins and gourds, cutting down on your use of paper. You can make ghosts out of old sheets, or use beeswax candles in your jack-o-lanterns.

What are you doing this Halloween? Do you have any green ideas for the holiday? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a comment here on the blog.

Just by following a few Halloween safety tips, you’ll make sure that your child stays safe, healthy, and happy on Halloween. Halloween and trick or treating should be fun for your kids. Following these few safety tips can keep accidents and scary things away.

1. Get a light, white, or brightly colored costume for your child, so that he can be seen more clearly in the dark. One with bright or white colors is perfect, like this Smurf costume, or a Ghostbusters costume.

2. If their costume is dark, use reflective tape to make them more visible to cars and others.

3. Have your child wear a glow-in-the-dark or light up necklace, bracelet, or shoes for even more visibility. Even a Green Lantern light up ring will help keep them more visible. How about a light up tutu?

4. Make sure that the little trick or treater’s shoes fit properly. The last thing you want is blisters and sore feet on Halloween night.

5. Only go trick or treating in neighborhoods you know well.

6. Make sure that your child can take off his Halloween costume easily. There’s nothing worse than a child who has to go to the bathroom who can’t get his costume off in a hurry. If you have little trick or treaters and you’re going to be out for a while, scout out a place that you can stop to let them use the bathroom.

7. Take a flashlight along. It’s safer if all the children in the party have a flashlight, but have at least one good one that gives off a strong light.

8. Don’t let your children eat their candy until you inspect it. Throw away unwrapped candies. Don’t eat homemade candy unless you know the person who gave it to you, and know them well.

Just these few tips can keep your little ones safe this Halloween. What are you going to do this Halloween night? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a message here on the blog.

Accessories can make your costume stand out from the crowd. Where would Harry Potter be without his wand? The right accessory can help make you a costume contest winner. Best of all, these accessories can be re-used every year, in vastly different costumes. Think outside the box, and build your costume around your accessories, not the other way around.

• Lady Gaga Wig – This year, use it with your Lady Gaga costume. Next year, you can use it to accentuate a 60′s costume, or even wear it when you’re dressed as a Rock Star. Trick or treat as Alice in Wonderland. The possibilities are nearly endless.

• Thigh High Boots can be worn with a sexy pirate wench costume, and Vampire Queen costumes. There are tons of ways and costumes that you can use these with.

• A Black Velvet Hooded Cape can be worn over a vampire costume, a Harry Potter costume, or over a period costume. A good quality cape will last you a long time, and you can use it year after year.

• Rhinestone Cat Eye Glasses have multiple uses. Rock Stars wear them. Pair your cat eye rhinestone glitter glasses with the Lady Gaga wig in a bouncy pony tail and a poodle skirt and go as a 50′s girl.

You can build your Halloween costume around a single great accessory. The right accessory can be used over and over again, in a multitude of ways.

What are you going to be for Halloween? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a message here on the blog.

Halloween is a fun holiday. It’s great for kids – but it can be dangerous, too. Most accidents, statistically, are costume related. Use the following tips to make sure your child’s Halloween costume is as safe as possible.

When picking out a Halloween costume, let your child help. They might want to wear a Green Lantern costume for children, a children’s Snow White costume, or even a Police costume for children. Whichever one you choose, make it a safe Halloween costume for children.

Halloween Ideas for Safe Costumes

• Make sure the costume fits. You don’t want it too tight. They must be able to move freely. You don’t want it too loose, however, so that it catches on things and causes accidents.

• Make sure that the hems of robes or dresses are at least ankle high so that kids won’t trip over them.

• Avoid heavy costumes so that your child isn’t overly tired at the end of the night.

• Make sure that the Halloween costume is made from fire-resistant or fire-retardant material.

• Watch for fire hazards while trick or treating (for example, candles and jack-o-lanterns) and make sure your kids know to do the same.

• Make sure that any mask your child is wearing fits properly and that they can breathe easily.

• Read labels on makeup and do a spot test on your child’s skin at least 24 hours before using it on the whole face.

• Only use materials intended for use on skin. If you use things like food coloring, you’re going to dye the skin and they’re going to stay that color for a while. Other chemicals could lead to nasty burns.

Have fun, but make Halloween a safe day this year for you and your child. What is your child wearing for Halloween this year? Let me know on twitter, Facebook, or leave me a message here on the blog.