After the pretty awesome costume party I attended on Saturday, I have Halloween and costumes on the brain. There were so many fabulous costumes that people wore, some bought and some craftily designed at home. Since it was a dance party, I knew I wanted to wear a costume that was comfortable and perfect for getting jiggy with it. I threw on some sweats, slapped a label on my tank top, and voilà! My very own Zumba teacher costume! Okay, so it wasn't the best costume in the house but boy, did I work the dance floor. Oh, and I got to pose with NKOTB's Jordan Knight, too!

Traditionally, my mother made pretty much every costume we wore. In fact, I don't think we ever bought a costume. I recall dressing up as a princess for a couple of years, maybe even a clown, and then that's where my memory fails me. However, I do recall getting a little creative with my own costumes as an adult. One that I've used a lot simply required a clown wig and nose from a party store and large shades which I found at a dollar store. I'm pretty frugal when it comes to buying things for myself. Then I turned to my wardrobe. What could I use as a clown dress? Well, I turned to my maternity wear and used a black stretchy gown which is so comfy, I still wear it till this day. Then I used some coloured electrical tape from the dollar store and cut squares using a variety of colours. They stuck to the fabric quite well. I used a white bow hair clip that my little daughter had at the time and added some plastic lei as accessories and wore my black boots. I even found a cute bicycle horn at the dollar store for the final touch. What do you think?

Over the years, I have added costume pieces such as clown socks and shoes as well as a large bow that shoots water. Alternatively, I have raided my daughter's wardrobe for costume ideas. Last year, we had to dress up at school as one of our favourite children's book characters. Using my daughter's pink tutu, her pink flower clip and her headband with a pair of makeshift mouse ears attached, I had an Angela Ballerina costume that cost me zero dollars. (Her ballet slippers didn't fit.)


Here are a few Halloween costume tips I thought I would share with you:

1. Go through all old clothing, whether it's yours, your husband's or your kid's, and pull out pieces that are either interesting and unique or leave room for creativity.
2. Head out to a second-hand store. I once found a really cool top and a long skirt that I wore as a Flamenco dancer last year.
3. Check out online classified ads in your area. I managed to find a really cute Winnie the Pooh kids costume, an infant fireman costume and a warm furry monkey costume all from one mother who was getting rid of costumes that no longer fit. I love one-stop shopping!
4. Host a costume exchange at your child's school.

Photo Credit: CL Buchanan Photography

 This month, Disney Junior is all about Dress-Up Mondays. They are inviting you to have a picture of your kids in costume featured on Disney Junior and DisneyJunior.ca.

Phase 1: Upload a photo of your little one all dressed up on DisneyJunior.ca between October 10th and 17th
Phase 2: Tune into Disney Junior on Mondays in October (17th, 24th, and 31st) and you could see your child on the big screen. Check out the spooky gallery on DisneyJunior.ca for even more goolishly delightful little creatures.

Also, each Dress Up Monday Disney Junior will be showcasing brand new Halloween themed shows. Here’s the line up:

October 10 – Special Agent Oso *new episode*
October 17 – Jake and The Never Land Pirates *new episode*, and Stella and Sam *new episode*
October 24 – Jungle Junction *new episode*
October 31 – FULL DAY OF HALLOWEEN THEMED EPISODES!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.