Halloween Risks: Cars, Sports (not Tainted Candy) - Be Safe

Hey mom and dad: Halloween's not really all that scary — except when it comes to traffic safety.

Despite warnings about tainted candy, candle fires and even child abductions, real Halloween headlines are rarely about any of those things. Instead, tragedies related to the holiday typically involve trick-or-treaters hit by cars. Fortunately even those accidents are relatively few in number.

And here's something that might surprise you. A study published in 2010 in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the most emergency room visits involving children around Halloween are related to sports.

The report stated nearly 18 percent of injuries on Halloween were to the finger and hand, and a third of those were lacerations, with some likely resulting from pumpkin-carving. But the report added that "a much higher proportion of injuries that occurred on Halloween were associated with sports, including football and basketball, than with knives."

Which is not to say parents should spend Oct. 31 relaxing. (Are parents ever allowed to relax?) Obviously, you need to know where kids are, monitor candy hauls, and make sure they can see out of their masks and won't trip on their costumes. But here are some statistics to provide a reality check on what's really scary about Halloween.

TAINTED CANDY: URBAN LEGEND VS. REALITY
Of course you should examine goodies and make sure kids avoid treats that aren't sealed.
But know this: "There isn't any case of a child killed or injured from a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick or treating," according to Joel Best, a professor at the University of Delaware who has extensively researched the subject.

Best says there have been more than 100 reports of tainted treats going back to 1958, but they include a father who poisoned his child to collect insurance money, incidents where someone gave out booby-trapped goodies but nobody was injured, and cases where kids had food allergies.

CAR ACCIDENTS
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in four out of six years between 2006 and 2010, more pedestrians under the age of 21 were killed by cars on Oct. 31 than on Oct. 30 or Nov. 1.
The numbers are small: A total of 16 deaths took place on Oct. 31 during those five years, compared to 11 on Oct. 30 and 10 on Nov. 1.

But a quick survey of news stories from 2011 suggests that traffic safety on Halloween is one area where parental vigilance is warranted. Last year, children and teenagers trick-or-treating or heading to Halloween parties were injured or killed in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Port Bolivar, Texas, Lower Allen Township, Pa., and Colorado Springs, Colo. Most cases involved pedestrians hit while crossing streets or walking along roads; one case resulted in a drunk driving arrest. In another case, parents were injured along with their child.

One way to increase pedestrian visibility on Halloween: Have kids carry a flashlight or glowstick, or add glow-in-the-dark necklaces or reflective tape to costumes.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE?
Statistically it's rare for children to be kidnapped by strangers, but it seems like there's always a case in the news. In the last few weeks, a girl was found murdered in Colorado and another child was abducted, then found, in Wyoming. So it's understandable that Halloween makes parents nervous, with kids out after dark, sometimes unaccompanied by parents, often approaching strangers to ask for candy.

Obviously parents should keep track of kids, stay in touch by cell phone with teens, and make sure younger children have adult supervision. But perhaps you'll find this reassuring: There is no data to suggest an increase in reports of missing children on Halloween, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

FIRE AND DEVIL'S NIGHT
Candles are often used for spooky decor and to light pumpkins. Be mindful if kids in billowy costumes are nearby. But the fact is, according to Dr. John Hall, division director of the National Fire Protection Association, "there is no localized spike in reported fire injuries around Halloween."

In past years, there has been a phenomenon called "Devil's Night," especially in the Detroit area, of arson at abandoned properties. A 2005 report from the U.S. Fire Administration noted that "on Halloween, and the night before, incendiary and suspicious structure fires are about 60 percent more frequent than on an average day." But the number of fires has been decreasing thanks to community and police patrols and other efforts. In 1984, more than 800 fires were started in Detroit during the Halloween period, compared to 169 in 2010 and 94 last year.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/halloween-risks-cars-sports-tainted-candy-17493192#.UH31tMXDsWc

The Best Halloween Costume Ideas Ever!

The best Halloween costume ideas ever are different to each person. That's because which Halloween costume you like best is a matter of personal taste. You may like the Gothic Vampire best, while I like the Fairy. There are some costume themes that are popular every year, and some styles come and go depending on the blockbuster movies or cartoon characters that happen to be popular right now. Let's take a look at some of the classic costume styles that are popular year after year.

Superhero and Villain Halloween Costume Ideas

Superheroes and their worst Villains are always a popular costume idea for Halloween parties and trick or treating. This year Batman is popular again, and so are some of his most famous villains...The Joker, The Scarecrow, Cat Woman and Poison Ivy. Logan, of the X-Men is also pretty hot this season...we know him as Wolverine. Transformers have been a popular kids costume theme for years, but thanks to the release of their new movie, Revenge of the Fallen, they are super hot this year. Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Megatron are the three most popular Autobot costumes for boys.

For girls and women there is Supergirl and Wonder Women to turn each of us into crime fighters with special powers that make us Super! Spider Girl costumes are also pretty popular with the ladies year after year. The really super thing about these superhero costumes is that they work for both male and female costume ideas. It's just fun to have these extra special powers and crime fighting abilities, even if it is only for one day. And it's fun to be one of those very bad guys...just for a day too.

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Celebrity Halloween Costume Ideas

If your not going to be a Superhero, you might want to dress up like a Celebrity. A celebrity like Hannah Montana are all fun dress up costumes to wear. Movie and TV stars are as close as you can get to Superheroes without actually being one. For boys there are beloved characters like Ben 10 or Dan Kuso of Bakugan are a close relative to superheroes.

For teens and adults there are some real oldies, but goodies costume ideas out there. Be nostalgic and get dressed up as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis from any of his hit movies...or from his music. There's Michael Jackson costumes with his outfits from Thriller, Bad...and the beautiful sparkling Billie Jean outfit. For the ladies, how about that beautiful and funny lady from I Love Lucy...Lucille Ball, that famous comedian from old time TV.

Then there are some adult funny costumes based on characters like the Flintstones...yep, Fred and Wilma, Barney and Betty and even Bam Bam and Pebbles are popular adult and teen costumes.

Gothic Halloween Costume Ideas

Sometimes, it's the make up possibilities that attract us to a particular character we can dress up as. The Gothic theme is always a popular one, but this year the gothic costumes for teenagers and adults are really moving out of the stores quickly. The Renaissance goth costumes, and the cooler punkier ones, like the Gothic Fairy, the Corpse Bride and Groom or the Gothic Mummy are fun, not only to wear, but to get made up for. Very light foundation and very dark, smokey eyes are part of the gothic make up charm. Add some black nail polish, a little gray blush and some dark blood red lipstick and you've achieved the gothic Halloween look.

Sexy Halloween Costume Ideas

Fever Devilicious Costume

Of course, if you happen to be an adult, sexy is always a hit. You can take one of those Marilyn outfits or get a Greek Goddess Venus or Aphrodite. There's a really cute lady Cop uniform and some naughty, but nice Angel and Fairy costumes. For the men, there are the classics, the Vampire and the Roman Guard and of course, the Cop if you like a man in uniform.

Fantasy and Fairy Tale Halloween Costume Ideas

The Disney Princesses, Tinkerbell, Fairy and Mermaid costumes are always big crowd pleaser for the girls and the boys, well, they have Prince Caspian, a Knight, Peter Pan and the Dragon Slayer to choose from.
The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland open up lots of costume ideas too.

Easy Costumes For Halloween

Easy costumes are always big hits with all age groups. Togas, Scrubs or a White Lab Coat are very popular because of the ease of making them. You don't have to buy or sew to turn yourself into a Toga wearing Greek, or a Doctor or Nurse costume. Just get a sheet or a large rectangular piece of material to make your own toga or borrow some scrubs and a stethoscope from someone in the medical field.

What ever Halloween costume ideas you decide on, whether its a toga or Marilyn, or The Gothic Fairy for the ladies, and a Transformer or Indiana Jones costume for the guys, enjoy the chance to dress up and go out and have some fun.

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Adult Halloween Costume Ideas That Are Sure To Please

Smiffys Sexy Black Cat Dress Outfit Adult Halloween Costume

Do you love to dress up during Halloween when you were a kid? Well, I sure did and I always made sure that my costumes would be a hit whether I was dressed up as a pirate, a spaceman, a knight in shining armor, or a vampire. When I was young, I always claim that I made my costumes myself, but that was only partly true. My mother always assisted me with the sewing, the design, the glue and sequins. If I did get something quite right, my friends were so impressed with me for sewing it.

However, it can be more difficult to find the right adult Halloween costume. There are thousands of costumes for adults but the standards are so much more demanding when compared to children's Halloween costumes. It would not be enough of a successful adult Halloween costume idea to dress up as a simple knight in my circle of friends. Dressing up in a much more specific costume like being Sir Percival would be much more acceptable. Many of my friends handle their adult Halloween costume ideas by just renting or buying their costumes from stores, ready made, and then customizing them in order to survive under this kind of pressure. However, my approach is more innovative and I always have some of the best adult Halloween costume ideas.

I often buy parts of my Halloween costumes at thrift stores, even if I don't like the idea of buying a whole costume from a store. In my experience, this is a great way to get adult Halloween costume ideas. I simply visit a thrift store, find an idea that strikes my fancy, and then use it as the basis for a costume. This is a great way to get your creative juices flowing, unless you've come up with some particularly inspired adult Halloween costume ideas on your own. The best adult Halloween costume ideas are always the ones that come as a stroke of inspiration. Simple costumes may also work because Halloween costumes do not have to be complex to be effective.

One of my friends loves to wear military surplus clothing. She got one of her best adult Halloween costume ideas from her own wardrobe about two years ago. She put on camouflage from head to toe, and then painted her face with camouflage paint. She would say "I'm invisible" when people would ask her what she was. Her costume was by far the biggest hit, although there were more elaborate and expensive adult Halloween costume ideas on display at the party.

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Simple Halloween Costume Ideas

Beginning your costume search is an exciting adventure, the best spot to find your costume is online. There are several online stores out there, and you want to get it at a costume store which has a good reputation along with a huge choice of choices. The benefit of buying a Halloween costume online is definitely the price as well as choice as well as the ability to stream-line your search to simple Halloween costume ideas.

Nearby costume and novelty stores are a second way to help get any Halloween costume. They will not have the real choice as an internet store, however should have a good basic inventory of costumes, masks, as well as props. It's possible you'll feel much more comfortable getting a costume in your area, because it's easier to return compared to getting one from the internet.

Purchasing Your Own Costume Used

A second-hand costume is a good value for simple costume ideas, and if you're short on funds could be the best option. In the event you create simple Halloween costume ideas, making a list of all the things you'll want to complete your outfit. You could most likely find the items to make a complete costume using little effort. A good place to get used costumes are usually coworker's, close friends or even family members, flea markets, second-hand shops, yard sales, advertisements in the paper or even on the internet and also eBay.

Be sure to check the quality, of the costume, so if you're purchasing it online or an online auction, get plenty of detailed pictures as you possibly can, and try to get a money-back guarantee. Second-hand costumes are ideal for simple Halloween costume ideas since you may just be putting on the costume once.

Renting a Costume

Costume renting is an alternative you could have when preparing for a Halloween party. From the same spot where you might buy your costume locally, it is also possible they offer rentals.

Perhaps the store requires you to pay a deposit, plus the cost of renting your costume will depend on how much time you need to have it, and the time of the year. Throughout the Halloween party season, for instance, you will probably spend much more to get a costume compared to other times of the year.

With all the low-cost price ranges of costumes online, it's a good idea to simply buy one. You can resell it in the future in the event you never put it to use again, or perhaps give it to a friend and relatives. Renting a costume is definitely a choice.

Creating a Costume

If perhaps you're a hobbyist, or great at arts and crafts, you will love the time you spend making your own personal costume completely from scratch. Only takes some creativity, to make an authentic costume. You may have a costume planned, however, if not, here are some ideas when you are developing simple Halloween costume ideas.

Get a concept for your outfit first, and after that browse around the house to find out if you have all you need to make it. Have a list of supplies you need to purchased for your costume. This will likely save cash by sticking with a budget as well as system. When coming up with children costumes, be sure that they are actually safe for their age group, and make them visible at night. Aim for unique, your entire point of creating your Halloween costume is always to get noticeable and also be unique.

Halloween is drawing near and now is the best time to discover, Simple Halloween Costume Ideas, so you can be ready for Halloween night parties.