Making your own Halloween costume is the whole fun of Halloween as far as I'm concerned. But if you think you need to get all Martha in order to make Halloween costumes for the kids, think again. We found these great Halloween costume ideas that involve no sewing. Find out how to transform your child into an adorable gnome, a Wild Thing Max, or how to make fake blood, boils warts, and wounds mostly out of things you already have in the house.

Last year I took the time to count how many calories were in my daughter's Halloween candy haul. It was eye opening and mind-blowing. So this year I'm looking for alternatives to candy that don't suck. That is something to give away for trick or treaters besides apples or pencils and other things that kids don't want and don't make them want to toilet paper your face.

Since I've been doing some Spring cleaning around the house (yeah I'm a little behind) I had a symbiotic dilemma of what to do with all the little plastic goodie bag toys we seem to collect all year long. Bingo.

Just some tid bits to share here from a sale on Halloween costumes from Amazon to a helpful phone app for navigating the city with a baby, a special event at the Guggenheim for families, and then there's little Girl in the Kitchen, which is just great for so many reasons. Check it out:

Do you have your costumes? Lined up all your Halloween parties and events? Know where you're trick or treating?

Halloween is one of the most fun times for kids in New York CIty. It's when the city turns itself over to the children and it seems like there's a Halloween happening just about in every corner. Our Halloween Guide helps you make the most of creepy and the kooky fun. Check out the Mommy Poppins Halloween Guide for the best Halloween events, parades, trick or treating and more.

While I've got your attention, there's a couple other things I want to let you know:

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Yup, Halloween Events and Fall Harvest Festivals are taking over the city. Our event calendar is packed full of them and so is this weekend. Of course, the weather may not be playing nice so you maybe looking for some indoor activities. See them all in the calendar, but here are our selects for festivals, plus some other cool events you'll like (we've noted any festivals that will be going on rain or shine):

This weekend is also Diwali, find out about the events for kids to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights.

Picked your apples? Trudged through the pumpkin patch? Readied your costumes? Don’t think you’ve done it all for October yet! New Jersey boasts a variety of fests focused on everything from horses to cranberries, and garlic to pumpkin catapulting. Launch!

This Fall there are lots of new, wonderful art exhibits in the NYC museums. Natasha Schlesinger from ArtKids has offered to share some of the best ones, along with tips for enjoying them with children. So take a break from the same old kid venues and head out for some real art experiences. We've even including some of the museum family programs to make it more kid friendly.

Everyone's going crazy for Where the Wild Things Are movie coming out later this week. And New york City is so excited they've dedicated the entire week to the movie launch. This week you can hear the story read by the actors from the movie, get your picture taken in a scene from the film and see, or even buy, original illustrations from the book. Check out these fun, and free, events celebrating Where the Wild Things Are.