Target – Clearance 90% Off! I Found Some Great Deals!

The Halloween items at Target were marked down to 90% off this morning!

I was there bright and early (10:30 is early, right?) to see what was on the shelves!  Our local Target had just one aisle, but there was a great selection!

 I ended up getting all of this for $30.00!

There are 5 costumes in the bunch (some priced at $30 each), one skirt (priced at $15 each), 20 boxes of macaroni & cheese (regular $1.19 each), 2 wigs, 4 t-shirts, and lots of other accessories/games/food kits.
This is a black skirt that my daughter will get for a reward or even a Christmas gift.  They also had them in pink and purple.

Our store had lots of t-shirts left!  Can you tell I like the “Mommy” shirts?  These were $0.50-$0.99 each.)
The Kraft Macaroni & Cheese rang up at $0.11/box and is with the regular pasta.  (For the record:  I do not feed my children Macaroni & Cheese as a meal.  I never have, and never will – though I may start.  ;)   (And nothing is wrong with that, if you do.)  We fix Mac & Cheese as a side on occasion.  Be sure to check the expiration on the box.  These do not expire until June of 2012.  I can also donate some boxes to the needy for Thanksgiving….this is cheaper than can goods!)
The cupcake kit has cake mix, frosting, eyes and gel inside.  Great price for $0.69. 
Look for the Halloween Marshmallows, with the regular marshmallows.  They should ring up $0.15/bag.
Think outside of Halloween when looking at Clearance.  Your children can use these costumes for next year’s Trick or Treating, or for everyday pretend play.  The orange stockings will go great with a brown shirt for Thanksgiving.  Or to wear under other clothes on a cold day.

Halloween Candy Buy Back Program!

Don’t toss that candy just yet!
Many businesses will buy your candy, and send it to the military!  (Love that!)

Click here to find a business near you!

 - even if your local Dentist is not on the list, call to see if they participate. 
A local dentist in my area does the Buy Back program, but they are not on the list.  They will even trade a bag of candy for an exam and x-rays. 

FREE Things To Do This Weekend!

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Kooky Spooky Bear Bash

Friday, October 28 – Monday, October 31
Stop by in costume for FREEvirtual gifts and samples of a Quaker Chewy Smashbar!
 (No purchase necessary. While quantities last.)

Michaels -

Saturday, October 29, 11:00 AM-2:00PM
    Schedule as follows:
                 Duck Tape Pail or Tote      11am – Noon (Must purchase pail or tote.)
                 Face Painting      Noon – 1:30pm (While supplies last.)
                 Halloween Parade     1:30pm – 2pm.

Sunday, October 30, 1:00PM-3:00PM
Halloween Crayola® Pumpkin Patch Event Celebrate Crayola® style! FREE Make-It Take-It.

Toys R Us
Saturday October 29th, 12PM-3PM
Join Geoffrey’s Halloween Parade led by Geoffrey every half hour and receive a Free SpongeBob Halloween bag as well as other Free Giveaways!
*I also heard the Halloween items were 50% off.  Not sure if this is at all stores or not.

Bass Pro ShopsSaturday and Sunday October 29th & 30th
* Free 4×6 Photo with the Great Pumpkin 11am – 5pm
* Color a Wood Pumpkin Craft 1-4pm

Monday October 31st
* Free Trick or Treating 4-7pm
* Free Peanuts Trick or Treat Bag Craft 5-7pm
* Free 4×6 Photo with the Great Pumpkin 5-8pm

Haunts & Hounds in Highland Village
Saturday, October 29, 3:00PM
FREE Family Hallooween Event benefiting Southern Denton County Neighbor to Neighbor

* Family and Canines Costume Contest at 3pm (Register between 2-3pm)

Child Categories include:  Best Child Costume (12 and under), Most Creative Child Costume (12 and under)

Dog Categories include:  Best Canine Costume, Best Canine/Owner Costume Combo

*There will be fun children’s activities to keep the little one’s entertained leading up to the contest!

Treat Street In The Fort Worth Stockyards
Monday, October 31st, 2011      6:00 p.m.

Join Stockyards Station and RADIO DISNEY for a safe, family-friendly Halloween Party in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards that’s FREE and FUN!

-Trick or Treat at Stockyards Station shops
-Free Hayrides
-Costume Contest, Pumpkin Decorating, Games, Prizes and More

Halloween Celebration at Grapevine Mills
Monday, October 31, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Take a trip to Grapevine Mills for a fun and safe way to enjoy Halloween. Kids are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat indoors.  (FREE)

Burleson Boo Bash!  (Burleson, TX)
Saturday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Children, birth to 12 years can trick-or-treat in Old Town Burleson!  Come out for candy, games, entertainment and more!

There will also be a Haunted House from 6 p.m.-10p.m.  Admission is $3 per person.

Looking for another Haunted House in the DFW area?  Click here for great deals!

Daily Deals in Dallas/Fort Worth! (Texas) – Haunted House Deals, Too!

$15 for a general admission ticket to the The Tom Thumb Texas Stampede – November 11th & 12th ($30 value)

$10 for $20 worth of American fare at Big Papa’s in Rowlett

$35 one-hour Swedish Massage with a foot scrub from Recuperate Massage (Plano)

$3 admission to the Celina Balloon Festival and Family Fun Day – November 4th and 5th

$10 combo ticket to Chaos Haunted House and Havoc’s Interactive Hayride at The Texas Scaregrounds

$15 for a Fast Pass combination ticket – both attractions for The Parker House in Denton

$30 for a relaxing one-hour massage -combination of Swedish and deep tissue

$10 Speed Pass admission to Moxley Manor Haunted House in Bedford

$23 for an hour of premium Lounge-Style Bowling and Shoes for four at Shenaniganz

Terrorplex Screampark Ticket in Mansfield for $13

$10 Fast Pass Admission to Zombie Manor

Slaughterhouse VIP Admission- Takes you directly to the front of the line for $15 ($30 value)

$10 for $20 worth of food to Tom Yum Thai

FREE Trick-or-Treating at Grapevine Mills! (DFW, Texas)

This Monday (10/31), take a trip to Grapevine Mills for a fun and safe way to enjoy Halloween. Kids are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat indoors from 6-8 pm.

This is a FREE event!

Halloween Freebies, Deals and Event Information!

Halloween is in ONE WEEK!  It’s time to start carving those pumpkins, roasting those seeds and getting your costume (and candy) ready!

Below is a list of craft ideas, spooky snack recipes, Halloween in-store events and FREE pumpkin patterns!

Halloween Craft Ideas – click here

Still need a costume (or two)? - click here
Use the code:  SPIDER10 for $10 off $75 (before tax & shipping). Expires 10/31/2011.
Use the code:  SPIDER15 for $15 off $100 (before tax & shipping). Expires 10/31/2011.

Spooky Treats and Party Eats – click here

Special Events to celebrate Halloween:

Michael’s – On October 30, from 1:00-3:00 PM, bring your children to the store for a FREE Make-and-Take.  Celebrate Crayola Style!  *While supplies last.  *Contact your closest location to verify participation and times.

Chipotle – On October 31, dress up as the family farm (a farmer, crop, animal, or farm implement) and receive a burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos for $2 as part of Boorito 2011. Arrive between 6 pm and closing time to be eligible.  *Contact your closest location to verify participation.

Build-A-Bear Workshop stores nationwide are having a Kooky Spooky Bear Bash from 10/28 – 10/31!
 - Stop by in costume for FREEvirtual gifts and samples of a Quaker Chewy Smashbar!

Carving a pumpkin?
There are lots of patterns available to print here and here.  All are FREE.

Halloween Party & Customer Event at CVS!

From CVS:  Join us on Sunday, October 23 for our 2011 Halloween Party and Customer Event! We are offering a free gift pack to any child in costume on October 23, 2011 at all CVS/pharmacy locations, while supplies last. The gift pack includes $5 value of candy, toys, trick or treat safety items and $10 in coupons for additional Halloween products! The gift pack also includes a free 5X7 photo, supported by an in-store costume photo shoot.

Make CVS/pharmacy your destination for Halloween!

The Perfect Halloween Activity: Clues, Curses and Spells Scavenger Hunt!

I love Halloween and getting into the “spirit”.

Now that my children are getting older, we can do more “spooky yet fun” things leading to Halloween night.  A Halloween Scavenger Hunt sounds like the perfect activity!  MyPartyGamesPlus.com has a Clues, Curses, and Spells Scavenger Hunt.  Perfect for children (8 and up) and adults!  (I think teams of adults and children would be so fun!)

In this Halloween Scavenger Hunt, teams work together to search for clues, save others from curses and find information to rid the world of the evil witch.  The game is well planned, with detailed instructions and ideas!

The game is delivered as a pdf which can be printed from your home computer. 

Included in the game:
 - scavenger hunt clues
 - curse cards
 - reversal spells
 - magic ingredients
 - red tickets
 - money
 - awards

FREE Halloween Bowling Coupons!

Brunswick Bowling is giving away FREE bowling coupons, just in time for the holidays!

Click here to print a coupon sheet that can be used for treats at Halloween!
*Coupons are valid October 31st – November 23rd.

A Halloween Laboratory.

I love Fall.  (Have I mentioned that before?)  I love the sights, the smells, the gatherings and the decorations! 
Halloween is right around the corner.  (25 days away.)  We love decorating for Halloween, and getting into the spirit for my children.  We decorate in a fun, yet, not spooky kind of way.
While cleaning out my refrigerator during one of the last weeks of September, I began to toss the almost empty jars into the trash.  When I got to jar #3 of “why-did-we-keep-that-in-the-first-place” items, I thought about something to make with the jars:  a laboratory.

I quickly pulled the two previous jars from the trash, and searched for a few more in the refrigerator.  I emptied the remains of the jars into the trash, and soaked the jars in warm soapy water for about ten minutes.  After a quick wash, the product labels came off easily, and I was left with the beginning of the Halloween lab.  (Insert evil laugh.)

I rummaged through the gazillion toys in this house, and found a spider, a net, a snake, a bat and a brain eraser.  Perfect.

I added an item to each jar, to see which item would look good where.  (Keep in mind the item does not have to float or fit perfectly.  The snake looks great coiled up.  The perception of the spider would be totally different in a larger jar.)

I then took out each item, added water and a drop of food coloring to the jar, and put the item back in.  The jars are not sealed, because I’ll make a new one next year.  (And there is no telling what you will find inside the jars, should you keep it another 365+ days.  I guess there is a way to stop the fungus from growing?  Bleach?  Vinegar?)  I did take black paint to put on top of the jar lids.  So you didn’t see wording.  Some lids I wrapped with navy blue raffia, then swipped black paint on top of that.  Just for a little difference among them all.
I didn’t put labels on the jars, because I wanted my children to name the contents.   
Pictured from right to left, they came up with brains, blood, guts, a snake, intestines, a spider and a bat.
In all, the “Laboratory” cost nothing but excitement.  My children love it. 
For snack that day, we drank “Bat’s Blood” and ate “spider legs”….but that’s another story. 
If you make a laboratory – send me pictures!  I’d love to see!