10/31/2011
Costumes

• Avoid potential burn injuries: Look for flame-resistant materials for costumes and be particularly aware of open flames in Jack O' Lanterns
• Choose costumes that do not have sharp objects attached to masks or itself
• Beware of costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big baggy sleeves or billowing skirts
• Make sure masks allow for full vision
• If your child wears a hat or scarf, make sure it fits securely and provides adequate ventilation
• Apply non-toxic face paint or cosmetics as an alternative to masks
• Make sure children wear properly fitting shoes
• Plan costumes of highly visible colors
• Adhere reflective tape or stickers to costumes or treat bags or have the child wear a reflective bracelet
• Attach each child's name, address and phone number to their clothes in case they become separated from adults

Trick-or-treating The most important thing to remember is to make children visible to automobile drivers. A child is four times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other time.

• Give kids flashlights to carry
• Accompany children under age 10
• Allow children to travel only in familiar areas
• Remind children to follow rules of crossing streets - look both ways and cross only at intersections and crosswalks
• For people who are giving out treats, healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn
• Non-food treats may include plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers and coins
• Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame. If adults who are passing out treats do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.

Candy

• Feed kids a good meal before trick-or-treating so they don't get cranky or hungry half-way through
• Do not allow children to eat any treats until they've been sorted and checked by an adult at home
• Throw candy away if it appears to have been unwrapped and re-wrapped, or appears suspicious in any way
• Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use

11/06/2011
I remember the first Thanksgiving meal I prepared alone for my family. First I would just like to state that I think it is all women's right of passage to at least make a few mistakes during this feast we wait for all year long. We want it to be perfect and just as delicious as what Mom made. The weeks leading up to this long awaited event I think I was my own worse enemy. I made list after list to make sure I didn't forget anything. I made paper diagrams as where who was going to sit where. I spent so many hours before hand trying to figure out that perfect centerpiece to compliment my ambiance. Too make a long story short my purpose of this blog is to give you some of those tips that I learned, let's just say "The Hard Way".

If sticking your hand inside the largest bird cavity any regular person will ever see to stuff 'ol Tom doesn't side track you too much, try to remember inside that cold wet bird is a bag that holds dear 'ol Tom's liver, neck, and heart. Turns out that puppy is pretty deep in there, and is quite embarrassing when the hubby is carving your piece de résistance and the juices flow right onto papery bag. I'm pretty sure a few appetites were lost during that part. Which I'm sure was ok considering my next tip.

We will eat at 2 o'clock I tell my guests, so come early. When it is 12:00 and your birdie is still frozen, this is not a good sign. Make sure to completely thaw that beast a day before hand, or you will for sure be eating an over cooked dry bird at 2 o'clock the next day! Oh and no matter how many you open the oven to heck on him, it does NOT speed up the cooking process. Make sure you have a plan of what needs cooked and for how long. Nobody likes cold mashed potatoes and warm J-ello salad!

Next aluminum foil is your best friend, not only for covering up those left over midnight nummy nums but it turns out that magical foil prevents MANY things from burning. Tom likes to be covered up for most of his baking process. You remove the foil that last hour of cooking to get that beautiful scrumptious brown we all look forward to. Just a FYI if you don't cover him your guest will be dunking their bird in the water goblets to get some sort of moister after your carve off the black spots. Also if you cover the edges of your piecrust with foil this also prevents scorched dessert syndrome, a very common mistake for us rookies.

Creating the "perfect" Thanksgiving feast is it just is not possible without help. Don't think you are some sort of super hero of the holidays. It is too stressful to do it alone. If your family traditions don't include two or more helpers in the kitchen it's time to change it doll. They always say the more the merrier. In this case I firmly believe that is true. There are always those family tips and tricks that are the secret to Granny's pecan pie that are not on the recipe card. Besides if I would not have shoved my mom out of the kitchen we may have actually had an editable meal that year.