There was a time in my life when midnight on a Saturday was greeted in a wideawake state - either outand-about and having fun, or on the couch awaiting the time-honoured tradition of enjoying some Saturday Night Live.
SNL went through some rough years in my early adulthood - there were countless cringe-worthy skits that drew more awkward laughter than genuine belly laughs. One such skit has, for some reason, been emblazoned in my memory: Crazy Spoon Head Man. Adam Sandler did this bit where he came on to the news segment and offered up costume ideas for kids. Crazy Spoon Head Man involved a spoon, balanced on his head, while he shouted in a goofy voice: "Look at me, I'm crazy spoon head man, now give me some candy!"
As ridiculous as the skit was, I think Sandler had a point: Costumes should be simple, fun and silly - and they shouldn't cost an arm and a leg.
With the store shelves already lined with Halloween candy, that annual half-fun-half-frantic search for costume ideas has begun, and most searches will end at a store with a packaged costume that costs way more than it should.
I'm a fan of the make-it-yourself or the second-hand costume. (Two caveats here, before anyone starts penning hate mail: No, I'm not talking about Martha Stewartesque hand-sewn outfits worthy of a Broadway stage; and yes, I realize my children are young enough that Mommy still has a whole lot more say in the matter than I might in the future.)
My son's second Halloween, we dressed him up as a fisherman: we used an old Sou'wester hat that had been a tourist gift from Newfoundland, gum boots, ragged jeans, and a little plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off as his jacket. We tied a string to a stick, and then attached a stuffed Nemo toy to the string, for a "fishing pole."
The whole thing was free - just using what we had around the house.
This year, our costume plan revolves around a recently received hand-medown red cape. Options so far include Harry Potter (I'm not sure Harry even had a red cape, but my son seems to think so), Super Grover or "red-capesuper-hero guy." Sounds good to me. My daughter is going to be in a costume I picked up for under $10 at a kids swap. She can't speak yet, so she doesn't get a vote.
When I was a kid, we loved digging through my parents' closet for pieces that could be used for hobo or hippie costumes - cheap, unique and easy.
So look around the house, check out the thrift store, and dig up a creative, bargain-worthy alternative.
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