If you are trying to decide on the perfect homemade costume, turn your little one into a sweet M&M. MOM Magazine reader Evonne Walls provides a a tutorial that is simple to follow, even if sewing isn't your strong suit.

M&M Costume

Materials

• Fabric (felt or cotton blend is fine) in the color of M&M you want to be. Two yards for a toddler and up to three yards for an older child
• One to two yards of batting to make the M&M a little poufy
• Small remnant or quilter's square of white or brown fabric to make the M on the front of the costume
• White thermal underwear (one or two piece)
• Velcro strips

Instructions

1. Use a piece of cardboard to cut out a pattern. Cut a large circle to the size you need your costume to be, keep in mind its better for the costume to be a little big than too small. (Cut an oval pattern for a peanut M&M.)
2. Cut out four circles from the fabric and two circles from the batting using the cardboard pattern.
3. Cut a large M (Search for M&M under Google images for to print out a template) out of white material, then glue it to the front or use Wonder Under to iron the M onto the one of the circles. Appliqué the edges of the M. This circle will be the front of the front M&M piece.
4. Select two circle pieces and sew two strips (6"-7" each) of Velcro across each piece, one about one-third away from the top and the other one-third away from the bottom of the circle. You will then sew the other side of those Velcro pieces onto the back and stomach/chest region of the thermal underwear.
5. Now you will take one circle with the Velcro and the circle with the M and place them on top of the each other so the M and the Velcro are facing each other. You will repeat this step with the other two pieces except you just need to make sure the one circle that is blank has the right side (finished side) of it facing the Velcro strips.
6. Sew around the edges of each pair of circles leaving about 4" open at the top so you can turn the circles right side out so the raw seams are on the inside of the costume .
7. Stuff the batting inside the circles through the opening so it lays flat inside.
8. Once you have stuffed the batting inside you can close the opening by folding in the edges and hand stitching it closed or sewing it on your sewing machine.
9. You're done. Have your child put on the thermal underwear and then attach the circles.

Variations

Instead of affixing the M&M with Velcro you can sew straps or strings into the shoulder area and on the sides so you can tie the costume on.

Still trying to figure out Halloween costumes for the kiddos? Think outside the box - a cardboard box, that is. Check out all the great costume ideas using cardboard here, like Mia's American Doll costume.

So, if you read my editorial in the Mid-Valley MOM Magazine you know that I have 3 kids.  And once again I had one that wanted a store bought costume (Mimi is going as an adorable pink and black spoted kitty) one that wanted a home made costume (McKenna now has a black and pink poodle skirt) and one that waited until yesterday at 3pm  and then decided he wanted to be Picachu from Pokemon'. 

I figured finding a gold/yellow sweatsuit shouldn't be to hard.  (We are OSU Beavers at heart but there is quite a bit of Duck stuff around).  But, wouldn't you know it......(insert explitive here)  The Ducks went the green and black route this year and not a gold color sweatshirt to be found...

Last ditch effort I ran to good old Target. I found a half zip gold color fleece jacket but no pants.  So around the corner to JoAnn's Fabrics I went.  I grabbed a pajama pattern to make the matching pants and then found fleece that pretty well matched the jacket.  Of course according to the pattern I didn't have enough material left on the bolt to get the pants and a hood made for the jacket (picachu's head).  So I took what they had and then they literally locked the dorrs behind me.  Although I didn't feel to bad because they were really busy between 8pm and 9pm last night...guess I am not the only one with a last minute kid!

By the time I got home, got the kids to bed, saw my husband for 15 minutes, etc, etc.  It was now 11:30pm and I still had to make the darn thing.  I cut with lightning speed with the mini size dull scissors I found in the drawer (remember we just moved and my sewing stuff is buried in the garage).  I sewed the pants...made the hood, added the ears...crafted the tail and cut out the face....then I went to bed at 2:00am but was so wired after the Coke I drank I couldn't sleep until 3:00am.

My son awoke to me hollering..."get out here and get this thing on so I can get the elastic in your pants...and your tail in the right spot"!  In the mean time I was helping both daughters with spelling words and a math assignment about how many pockets our family has on.....AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I finished with 3 minutes to spare..just enough time to pull on some jeans and run a brush through my hair and one over my teeth.  And off to school we went!

But, my story doesn't end there....I offered to do the crafts for the girls classes today during their Halloween parties.  Mimi's is finished and individually bagged so the kids can get right to work...McKenna's were another story. 

I had good intentions of making these adorable "Witch Hands" with clear plastic gloves, candy corn finger nails, filled with popcorn and then topped off with plastic spider rings.  I borrowed an air popper from a girlfriend after an SOS was sent out on Facebook.  Candy corn..check,  ring....check,  rubber band...check....gloves...OH NO...I forgot the gloves. 

How hard could they be to find....hahahahahahaha!  (Never ask yourself that question the morning of the event).  All I could find were the latex type gloves...so I finally called my local Fred Meyer and they said no...I "needed a restaurant supply that has gloves like in our deli section...."   ding ding ding...we have an idea... "Can I buy gloves from your deli section?"  and we were off and running.  Thomas the Asst, Grocery Mgr was very helpful and said to come on down and they would help me out!  (Thank goodness for Thomas!)  So, away I drove and now I am a happy camper with gloves in hand! 

I just have to finish popping the popcorn, get a shower, find my costumes,  write this blog, get a few other work related things done...get to the parties...(I think I will stop there and just hope I get that far).  Thanks for listening to me...I really just had to tell someone...anyone??? 

I totally forgot!  the Freddy's in Albany has all sorts of Halloween stuff going on Saturday:

Cake & Cupcake Decorating 11am-4pm  (you buy the cakes and they provide the decorations)

Cake Walk  Noon-130pm

Costume Contest  2pm  for a chance to win at $25 gift card to Fred Meyer  (open to kids 10 and under)

I am sure the Fred Meyer in your neck of the woods has stuff going on too!  Just give them a call.........gotta go...the popcorn popper is blowing and I need to put more popcorn in it!  Happy Halloween Everyone!  I will get picture of the costumes up soon! 

Did you know that MOM Magazine has a Flickr Group? We'd love for you to share your photos with us, and also use it as a place for inspiration.

Let's start out by sharing pictures of your carved pumpkins. New to Flickr?

Here is what you need to do:

• If you have a Yahoo account, you can sign in with that. If you do not, you'll need to create an account by following the prompts.
• Once you have an account, you can upload pictures.
• Click 'Upload' from the menu items in blue at the top.
• Click 'Choose photos and videos'. A box will pop up where you can browse for your pictures on your computer to upload.

***Photo sharing tip*** I use Picasa (not the web version, the one you download) on my computer to organize my photos. From Picasa, I go through my photos and "star" the ones I'm going to share/upload to the web (for Facebook, blog, Flickr, etc.). I then select only my "starred" photos and export them in a smaller, web-friendly size to a separate folder I have just for the purpose of web-sharing. So when I go to upload photos to Flickr, I just need to search for my folder I just exported to, select all the photos, and click upload. It's easier for me because I can get just the photos I want, and they are already resized to the size they need to be.

• Once you've selected your photos, click the pink "Upload photos and videos" button.
• Next, click on "add a description" and you'll have the chance to write a caption and tags. Tags are really important, especially if you are going to submit your photos to the MOM Magazine group. If you are sharing pumpkin carving photos, tag them with: MOM Magazine, Halloween, pumpkin, and pumpkin carving.
• After you've filled out title, description, and tags for your photos, click "Save"
• Next, Click on "Groups" at the top. Search for MOM Magazine. Once you click into MOM Magazine, there should be a place where you can 'join this group.' I've already joined so I am not seeing exactly what that looks like. Once you've joined, you can add something to the group.
• Click on "Add something?" and it will bring up your photos you just uploaded. You can select which ones you want to add to the MOM Magazine stream. Select your photos and Voila!

Here is a list of fun Halloween activities that you can participate in her in the Mid-Valley!  Some may not be for young kids and others are for the whole family.  Have a great time and a safe Halloween!!!  If you know of other events please let us know!

Muddy Creek Maze  http://www.muddycreekmaze.com/

 Pumpkin Patch~Straw Pyramid
New Scarecrow Slide~Photo Cutouts~Straw Fort
Corn Box~Picnic area
Moo Train~Hayrides

 Trolley of Terror
Hear the ghost stories that haunt Albany's three historic districts on the Trolley of Terror. A fundraiser for the Monteith Historical Society, the Trolley of Terror rides three nights a year after dark. This year, take the tour on October 23, 29, and 30. Tours run every hour from 6 to 9 p.m. (starting at 7 p.m. on the 23rd) and cost $10 for adults, $5 for children. Group rates are available. Reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, call (541) 928-0911.

Carve pumpkins
Enter your carved pumpkin in a contest at the Historic Carousel and Museum in Albany to win prizes and local gift certificates. This is the second year the Carousel will host this event. Drop off your carved pumpkins on October 29, and then come back before 3 p.m. on October 30 to view the top submissions. Children and adults will be judged separately. The Carousel is located at 503 1st Avenue in Albany. For more information call (541) 791-3340.

Harvest Party at the Mid-Willamette YMCA

Friday October 29th at the YMCA in Albany from 5pm-7pm. The cost is $8 for families or 5 cans of food. Or $3 per child or cans of food.

We have lots of games and prizes. A bounce house. Picture Booth, and Food; caramel apples; apple juice and cider; pumpkin pie; and chili and cornbread.

For more info contact the YMCA at www.ymcaalbany.org or 541.926.4488

Harvest carnival
Play games and win prizes at this FREE fall carnival sponsored by the Calvary Chapel on October 31 at the Benton County Fairgrounds from 4-8pm. Get up close with the animals at the petting zoo, or take a balloon animal home with you. Wear a costume and grab a hot chocolate or hot dog at this event which is free to the public. The carnival is geared for children ages 3-12 and their families. The Benton County Fairgrounds is located at 110 SW 53rd Street in Corvallis. Call (541) 752-2851 for more information.

Swim in the Dark
Wear a bathing suit instead of a costume to celebrate the season while swimming in the dark at the Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis on October 29. "Spooky" music and fake cobwebs will adorn the pool for this all ages event. The house lights will be turned down, but the pool will be lit from the bottom up, giving it a Halloween feel. Get a glow stick at the door, or bring your own! Don't forget a towel. The event runs 7 to 9 p.m. at 1940 NW Highland Dr. The cost is $4 for adult, $3.50 youth (7-17), $2.50 child (0-6). Contact (541) 766-7946.

Pet-o-Ween  Pet Costume Contest at Coastal Farm & Ranch

Sat Oct 30th with Judging starting at 6pm so show up around 5:30.  Dress up your pet...dog, cat, rabbit, chicken, horse, goat..or whatever pet you have.  Animals will be broken into categories by weight and judged accordingly.  There will also be an overall winner for the best costume.  Winners will receive prizes sponsored by Nutro.  $1 will be donated to the local pet shelter for every pet entered into the contest.    For more info contact Coastal Farm & Ranch at www.coastalfarm.com or 541.967.3450

Downtown Trick-or-Treat
Businesses in downtown Corvallis, Albany, and Lebanon invite families to trick-or-treat at shops and compete in Halloween-themed contests.

Come to Corvallis on October 29 from 2 to 6 p.m. Look for businesses with a "trick-or-treat here" sign in the window. Check the Downtown Corvallis Association website, downtowncorvallis.org, for more information about the costume contest.

In Albany, the costume contest will start at 10 a.m. on October 30. Infants and children up to the age of 12 can participate. The cutest and most original costume wins a prize in each age group. For trick-or-treats, look for businesses with the orange and black balloons from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. More than 50 businesses plan to participate.

Decorate pumpkins at the Lebanon Farmer's Market on October 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. The Farmer's Market is located at the corner of Grant and Main streets. Then on October 30, trick-or-treat at local businesses on Main Street from 3 to 5 p.m. These events are sponsored by Partners for Progress. For more information, contact Nancy Chlarson at (541) 259-4649.

Here is  great treat idea that is simple to make at home or for a school party. 

 

Black string licorice or straight pretzels

20  creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo has orange filled for Halloween)

1 can chocolate ready-to-spread frosting (I like to put this in an icing bag so it is easy for kids to squeeze.  If you don't have an icing bag you can use a plasic freezer bag that seals.  clip 1 end to squirt frosting.  It helps to use a rubber band at the top of the bag to keep the frosting from squeezing out the top.)

40 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces (green colored eyes are my favorite)

 

• With frosting, attach 2 miniature chocolate pieces to top of each cookie for eyes. If desired, pipe a design with frosting on back of each spider cookie. (piping looks really cool in white or colored icing...you can also add sprinkles, etc. if you want more decoration).

Have fun with this 8 legged treat! 

• 4 Black pipe cleaners for Legs
• Black tape or piece of pipe cleaner
• Large Black Pompom for Body
• Tacky glue
• 2 Wiggly eyes