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Cheap Kids Halloween Costumes Ideas

September 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Costumes Under $10.00
One of the things kids like most about Halloween, besides the candy, is the chance to dress up.  If your family is on a budget, you may not want to spend much for a costume your child will only wear once.  Here are some Halloween costumes for under $10.00 that your child, and your budget, might like.

If you have a good idea what size your child will wear next year, hitting the costume sales at the end of the season is a great way to pay less than $10.00 for a ready-made Halloween costume.  Of course, you’ll have a limited selection to choose from, but you will probably be able to buy several for the same amount and could actually mix and match them to create an entirely new costume.[ad]

You can also find costumes or elements of costumes – capes, masks, or make-up – online at various costume vendors.  You may even be able to find the perfect costume for a very reasonable price, including shipping charges.  Check around online and see what you can find in your price range.

Knights are always a costume of choice among little boys.  Head over to your local dollar store and you’ll probably be able to find a shield, sword, or a hook.  You may also be able to find items so your child can dress up like a cowboy. 

Dollar stores will have dress-up clothes for your little girls, too.  High-heeled shoes, party purses, and dresses are items your little princess will enjoy.  Include a touch of make-up to make her feel special.

Is there a costume store near you?  If there is, they may have great costumes that you can rent for $10.00 or under.  If you can’t find what you want, you may be able to get some ideas for costumes you can make that will keep you within your budget.

Dress your favorite boy in a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a life jacket to let the world know he’s a little fisherman.  Have him don a floppy hat with lures attached, and create a cardboard fish that you can put on a fishing pole.  He’ll have fun and you probably have everything you need at home.

Hannah Montana is so big right now with little girls.  While you might be able to dress up your daughter to look like Hannah, it would probably cost more than $10.00.  Instead of Hannah, you can still dress her like a rock star.  Use tights with sequins, a blue jean skirt, high heels, and spiky hair.

Halloween costumes aren’t usually used more than once, so spending much on them is frustrating.  But, you can find costumes under $10.00 if you look around.  Take some time now to start planning and you may find the perfect costume without breaking your budget.

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Filed Under: Family Life Tagged With:

My Scrap Passion Turned Into Profit

September 9, 2008 By 4 Comments

Do you have a passion for scrapbooking?   Would you rather scrapbook than do almost anything else in the world?  If this describes you, you may be wondering how to turn your scrap passion into a profitable business.  Here are some ideas that may take you from crafter to business owner.

You’ve probably heard of the big scrapbooking companies.  It’s nice to know that they didn’t start out at the level they are now.  They had to begin someplace and build up to the point where they are nationally recognized.  You may not even want the level of success of these types of businesses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run a successful scrapbooking business.

Perhaps you would like to begin your scrapbooking business by becoming a consultant for one of the well-known scrapbook companies.  These companies operate on a direct sales basis.  You purchase a kit from them, receive training, and then conduct workshops or home parties.  Since so many people are interested in scrapbooking, you may find this route to be a great start.

If doing direct sales doesn’t appeal to you, but you still want to help others, you may consider offering your services at family reunions, birthday parties, or other functions.  Let your friends, family, and others know how much you love to scrapbook and see if they would like you to do a scrapbook for them.  This is a great way for someone who isn’t interested in learning to scrapbook to still have a beautiful, professional-looking book to share.

Offer to teach your child’s class to create a scrapbook page.  This would give you a chance to show off your skills to your child’s teacher, who may be willing to recommend you for other teachers.  You can also check with arts and crafts stores or with community education centers to see if they would be interested in your teaching a class.  Have all of your instructions well planned and give your students handouts to help them remember what you taught.

Consider opening a scrapbooking store if you know that this is something you’d enjoy.  Before opening a store, you need to decide if you have the commitment level to make it succeed.  If a brick-and-mortar store isn’t for you, you might want to think about opening a virtual store on the internet.

[ad]If you’re brimming with ideas for scrapbook pages and love to share, why not create a scrapbooking newsletter?  You can go the traditional route by printing and mailing them out, but it is so much easier to create them and deliver them through email to subscribers.  Online is also much cheaper in postage costs.  You earn money by getting advertisements for your newsletter.

Scrapbooking is such a great way to help keep memories alive.  If you’d like to share your love of the craft, as well as make some money in the process, try using these ideas for turning your passion into profit.

 

Filed Under: Working From Home Tagged With: ,

I Don’t Like My Child’s New Teacher

September 3, 2008 By 2 Comments

It’s bound to happen at least once during your child’s school years.  You’ll have a great teacher one year and the next year you think, “I don’t like my child’s new teacher.”  What can and should you do to make the year a good one?

One thing you need to remember is that teachers are people, too.  Sometimes there are just personality conflicts that are neither the teacher’s nor the parent’s fault.  You can have a respectful relationship even if you don’t particularly care for one another.[ad]

You may also need to realize that the one time you met your child’s new teacher they may not have been having a good day.  Don’t give up on the teacher based on one meeting.  Here are some tips to help you get along with your child’s teacher for the benefit of your child.

* Be positive.  Don’t belittle your child’s teacher in front of your child.  No matter how you feel about the teacher, only speak positively about them. 

* Meet with the teacher often.  If you have concerns, go directly to the teacher.  Stay focused on your child and their relationship with their teacher while you’re talking.  This will help you avoid accusing the teacher of doing wrong and help them maintain a good relationship with your child.

* Remember they want what’s best for your child just like you do.  They do have a vested interest in your child’s educational success, even if you don’t care for them.

* Do you dislike your child’s teacher because of personal experience or because of something you’ve heard?  Listen to what others have to say about the teacher to a certain degree.  If you haven’t had the same situation that has caused their concerns, give the teacher the benefit of the doubt.  There may be a personality conflict or the situation may have been blown totally out of proportion.

* Try to work out any differences with the teacher rather than going over their heads to the principal.  However, if the teacher refuses to listen to you, is antagonistic, or belligerent, then you may feel free to approach the principal.

* Schedule a time where you, the principal, and the teacher can meet to discuss options.  Don’t attack the teacher; calmly address the items that concern you.  Maybe the principal will be able to explain things to you in a way that you can understand and avoid any further problems.

* As a last resort, if you honestly think your child will receive poor grades because of your relationship with the teacher, ask if it would be possible for your child to change rooms.  This isn’t the best situation, and it teaches your child that working out a problem isn’t important.  However, it may be the only solution to the problem.

What do you do when you realize, “I don’t like my child’s new teacher?”  Follow the above suggestions to try to resolve any problems.  Do what’s best for your child.  If they aren’t having problems with the teacher, leave things alone unless you think they’ll be hurt in some way.  Chances are they’ll have another new teacher the next year.

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