Crazy Last Minute Halloween Shopping

Crowds of people are swarming every store that has Halloween costumes, candy and/or accessories needed last minute before Halloween day. Pushing and shoving just to pick out the perfect costume or the best candy treats. This holiday season always seems to bring out the worst side of people when it comes to waiting for the last minute.

Shopping isles look like total disasters, everything is unorganized and put in hard to reach places.

There is hope for the everyday last minute shopper. You're not the only one!!

Busy working people that just don't have time because of hectic work schedules, or parents that stay home with their children and have no transportation and those of you who simply just wait until the payday just before Halloween.

Not just Halloween stores carry costumes like, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Party city, Ross, even your local grocery stores also carry them. You might want to even consider browsing a used clothing store like Twice as Nice, Savers, Buffalo Exchange and many more. Especially now through our harsh times, alot of clothing is being donated to these places and you can always get a good deal for you buck.

Throughout time our country has tried to make Halloween more affordable, funner and safer.

Check out your local newspaper for any ideas where you can take the kids, or just hang out with other single people in the area.

If you do have children, you might want to consider looking for places where families are going to be at like the Zoo, Mall, Baseball Park, Parks and Recreation as well.

If you do not have children, have no plans, or just don't feel like you want to be out in all the caos, rent some scary movies, and grab a huge bowl of candy to pass out for all the fabulous costume watching that goes on around your home.

Don't forget take the time to enjoy the fun of the holiday and always have a safe one!!

Scary Movie Ideas

ADULTS KIDS

Poltergeist

House on Haunted Hill

The Grudge

Chucky Halloween Town

Friday the 13th The Haunted Mansion

Nightmare on Elm Street

The Shining

Halloween

The God

It

Saw

The Ring

Hell Raiser

Carrie

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Hills Have Eyes

KIDS

Casper's Haunted Halloween

The Haunted Mansion

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Scooby Doo, Monster's Unleashed

Hocus Pocus

Casper Meets Wendy

Pooh's Heffalump Movie

Check out ABCFamily Channel for specials on too.

Halloween shopping is tough on a budget, here are a few ideas to help:

Black Cat

All you need for this is to wear all black clothes, buy a set of cat ears and tail, which you can even find at the dollar store. Paint on your face with black liner some long whiskers, add a cute little pink nose and your all set.

Bum

Have a very old pair of clothes in your closet? All you would need to buy would

be a black and grew make up set which an be under 5 dollars, to make your face look like you have been with out a shower in months.

Clown

Really baggy colorful clothes and colorful faces are all clowns really are. Find the cheapest

most colorful outfit which can be found for under 20 dollars at places like, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Ross Dress for Less and even some local grocery stores. Add makeup set, which can be bought at the dollar store. This is really all you would need to make this costume.

Ghost

Large white sheet, cut out holes for eyes..this is really all you would need.

Got Boxes?

You can be a robot, radio, spaceship, dollhouse, and I'm sure your imagination will take over and you will think of something.

Tourist

Hawaii shirt or any shirt with a pattern on it, slacks for me, shorts or long skirt for women. Handbag, Sun Glasses, and don't forget the camera!

Mummy

Have an old white or grey sheet? Tear it up and make several thin pieces of strapes. Wear the same color clothes underneath and start wrapping yourself up. You might need a little help. To hold all these pieces together, get you a packet of safety pins from the dollar store and pin them all around you.

Bunny

Dress any color of clothes you want, all you would need is a set of bunny ears and puffy tail.

Cheap and easy to make.

Serial Killer

Any old clothes you have, tear them up more! All you would need to buy is a makeup kit, fake blood and a scary long knife that you can get almost anywhere!

The fake blood is under 5 dollars at any costume store.

Make your own blood:

2 tablespoons shortening

4 tablespoons corn starch

red food coloring

Let your imagination take over and make your costumes fun!!

Important Safety Tips:

*Carry Flashlights

*Keep your eyes open, where you are walking or just around you (Parents, always keep your

eye out on your child and follow his/her every where abouts)

*Explain to your children how important it is to follow all safety rules

* Inspect all candy before eating

Always Make Time for YOU

It seems like the older we get, we can just never find enough time to pamper ourselves. Guy or Girl, Married, Have kids, or Single.

It is rejuvenating to take at least 10 minutes even out of your busy day and just take a deep breath and just relax.

I'm the type of person that is always busy but seem to find some time to be online so that I can post new blogs for everyone to read. Just expressing my inner feelings helps me stop, take a deep breath and let my mind run free.

Every once in a while, I fill up the bath warm hot water, surround myself with candles and fix me a glass of wine. Soaking my stress and tension away, I just lay there and relax.

What ever it is that makes you happy and calm, start doing it more.

Sometimes I go for a job around the neighborhood or Sing on my karaoke mic. This helps me drain out any negativeness that I have and clears my thoughts out.

I've also found that reading other people's blogs helps me see how different but familiar their lives are with mine and I don't feel alone with my thoughts.

Although harsh times are upon us and it's hard to come up with the money to do fun things to relieve stress, set aside a "ME" money stash for an emergency and make time for you!

Single Mom's of Today

Being a single mom myself at one point in my life, I realized that there is hope and help out there.

I struggled for many years of my life with only the loving support of my parents. I found myself pregnant at the age of 21 and all alone to raise a child. When I found out I was pregnant, so many thoughts of horror went through my mind. I had no money, no car, and no job. How was I going to be able to provide for an infant??

After talking with my family and very careful consideration. I decided to keep the baby and move back home with my parents help. I always was an independant person and I did not want to rely on anyone for help, Yes, I have to admit I was very stubborn.

But, the only way for me to get on my feet was to get help from the government.

I worked my whole life starting at the young age of 15. I saved up a little and was always a very responsible person. While speaking with some supportive staff at a local DES office, I signed up for as much help as possible. The father of my child was not about to help me out, so why not get help to get on my own.

If it weren't for help from the government, I would have never made it.

They offer:

Cash Assistance

Food Stamps

Job Opportunities

Medical

and much more.

Because I was pregnant, I was also given help at a place called WIC, for women, infants and children. They were able to help provide more food for myself and my unborn child.

I found myself at many shelters talking with other single mom's and they also made me realize just how much help is out there.

I was not alone! I had family, support and opportunity to gain more with the help that I received than to try and make it on my own.

If you are in this situation, Do not feel Alone! There is more help out there than you can imagine. Churches are willing to help if you attend. I was also given the chance at going back to college to get a degree. Fortunately my college offered child care while attending classes and this helped me out big time.

I am now, after many years of being single, married to the greatest man in the world. After everything that I went through, to the life I live now, I am able to be here as a friend and motivator for other single mom's. I am more than willing to be listen and give the best personal advice as I can in order to help make a positive difference in you're life.

From Single Mom to Single Mom, From Friend to Friend.

With Love,

Steph.

Google "Single Mom Help"

If this doens't help, let me know and i'll answer any questions that I can.

My Life of a House Wife

My Family 2008

So, not all housewives are as dramatic as you see in today's trending tv shows. I currently am a stay at home mom and housewife and its not as fun as they make it out to be.

My day consists of waking the kids up to get them ready for school. While they try to dress them selves, I make lunch for my husband and get him off to work with a kiss goodbye.

The girls eat breakfast then I drop them off at school by 9 o'clock.

As I enter my quiet, lonely home; I take a deep breath and start a load of laundry. Clean up the mess left behind from breakfast and start my daily cleaning the house process.

You would think I have the dirties house because I find myself cleaning it more than once a day. But, there is always something to pick up after my husband leaves his clothes on the floor after a shower, or bowl of half way eatin cereal on the coffee table. The same with my kids, their toothpaste mess in the bathroom, water all over the floor as if a thunder storm took over the bathroom.

I sweep and mop at least twice a day as well. We bought our girls a ginnie pig and I would say it was a huge mistake, but our girls are not picking up after it all the time the way I do. To make matters worse, whilst sweep around its cage for some reason he gets excited and thinks I am playing a game with him. So while he is whistling and jumping around making more of a mess for me to pick up, I sweep, sweep, then sweep some more around his cage.

After the floor is all clean, I load the diswasher, wipe the counters and this phase is done.

Heading off the the kids rooms I'd like to call "The dungeon of No return", I take down the blanket forts that they so kindly put up from one side of the room to the other. Almost making it impossible for me to even walk in. By noon, the rooms are picked up and look brand new. Too bad they will just look even worse when the kids get home.

I fold and put away the laundry by 1pm, after grabbing a small bite to eat for lunch and catching up on any recorded shows from the prior night.

Right now it's, So you think you can dance and Dancing with the Stars. Two shows about dancing and you'd think maybe I would have learned how to dance by now. LOL

Nope no time for a quick nap, its off to Starbucks to get my usual, Iced Non-Fat Caramel Machiatto with Extra Caramel add Whip.

As I sip pure satisfaction, I browse through the grocery store looking for a quick meal for dinner and If I have time, snacks and stuff for dinner through out the week.

I stop and get gas if need be and by the time I get home and put everything away trying to prepare for dinner, it's already 4pm.

Time for the girls to get home from school. As they run in the house shouting hysterically about their day, we sit at the kitchen table and work on homework while, at the same time, I start the preparations of dinner.

Some days this task gets exhausting because yes I have burned the pasta and have had all the smoke alarms go off, while calming the girls down and trying not to burn the house down at the same time.

For the most part, the days at dinner time go pretty smoothly. Homework is now finished and my husband is finally home to help me out. Or so I thought.

He jumps in the shower and lays on the couch watching his pre-recorded tv shows now.

While I push the girls to their rooms to read for 15 minutes, I finish making dinner and set the table.

I peek in on my husband and guess what he is doing???

SLEEPING!!!!

I want to scream at the top of my lungs for him to wake up and help me stop the girls from killing each other over who is taller than the other and "but mom, she has my lip gloss", but he looks so cute and peaceful.

I take the kids war into my own hands and while they are standing at the wall facing their nose and toes, I take a deep breath and think to myself.

I wouldn't want life any other way!!

My Life As A Mother

Ever feel like you never have enough time to sit down or even take a 5 minute nap? Being a parent is a tough job, but being a Mother is even harder. We as women have the motherly instinct to look after our children like hawks look after their prey. To not lose track of every second of where your child is at, every moment of their day. This is what we live for.

I, myself have two children. A 9 year old daughter and a 7 year old daughter. Ever since the day they were born I looked after their every move. As a mother you constantly worry, and wonder if your child will be ok and how they will grow up. We always want what is best for them and strive to offer the best no matter what. Even though there are books that you think will prepare you a little to be a parent, living as one from day to day is the only way to grow as one.

I had an incodent when my oldest daughter was an infant. I had just brought her home from the hospital and being a brand new mother, I placed her in her crib to sleep, not knowing it was the wrong way. When i went to get a quick drink, I checked on her before I went to bed and she was choking. I instantly went into panic mode, grabbed her and called 911. Ever since that first horrible experience, I would sleep with her right at my side while she was sleeping and I would lay my hand on her stomach to feel every breath she would take. It seemed like every second after that I would look upon her even during the day to make sure she was alright.

Of coarse it is impossible to look after a child every second of the day. A kid will be a kid and they will get hurt at some point in thier lives. But I tried as hard as I could to make sure that It would never happen.

The first few years of her life I would never let her out of my sight, while she played, ate, and slept. I over did my motherly nature and did not just let her be a kid. When she would fall, I would bath her right away so she was not dirty, I know I babied her alot. But as a mother, we hurt if our children get hurt. I just wanted to avoid the pain but in fact I was just causing myself way too much stress and anxioty worrying every second of every day of my daughter's life.

As she grew older, yes she got hurt and I did hurt for her to see her big alligator tears or to see her bleed. But she grew up a very happy little girl even after getting hurt. I drifted back on being a hawk and started just to be there when she needed me the most.

After my second daughter was born I had gained motherly experience and was able to learn and mature at being a mom. School functions, activities, homework, their friends, and now, attitudes; were coming into play. This all comes with the role of being a mother, just being there with them, to watch them grow and teach them right from wrong, good from bad and to understand them when they come to you for advice or just for you to listen.

Yes, it has been the toughest job in my life. It has good days and bad. I never have time for me to get my hair done, nails done, or even to take a 5 minute nap. But, for me, I believe that being a Mother is the greatest job a women could ever have.

To know that you are their shoulder to cry on, their helper with homework, help make them look and feel pretty, to be able to buy them things they want and see the biggest smiles on thier faces, and so much more, makes you feel like everything you do without having "You" time, is all worth being a MoM.

My girls with a few of their cousins 2008