Halloween Fun on the Cheap

Halloween is such a fun night of the year… adults get to act like kids, kids get to eat a ton of candy and there’s a silly, jovial atmosphere that can’t be beat!

 Halloween is especially fun because of the opportunity to make amazing crafts with your kids. Instead of dropping a bucketful of cash on store-bought decorations and Halloween-themed food, why not get creative, save a bit of cash, and make your own? There are so many amazing ideas to try – especially the creative jack o’lantern stencils to carve the BEST pumpkin on the block!! Check out some awesome ideas listed for you below…

1. Shrunken heads - http://www.marthastewart.com/268080/shrunken-apple-heads

 2. Pickled brains - http://www.marthastewart.com/318853/pickled-brains

3. Creepy old fingers, bones and more - http://inspiringpretty.com/2012/09/20/cute-and-spooky-halloween-foods-for-kids/ 

4. Ghosts, candy corn banner, jack o’lantern masks and more - http://www.bhg.com/halloween/indoor-decorating/easy-halloween-decorations/ 

5. Roasted pumpkin seeds - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-pumpkin-seeds/

6. Jack o’lantern carving stencils
 - http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm
 - http://www.marthastewart.com/357874/easy-pumpkin-templates
 - http://www.nickjr.com/printables/nickjr-pumpkin-stencils.jhtml?path=/printables/all-shows/seasonal_halloween/all-ages/index.jhtml 
- http://www.celebrating-halloween.com/pumpkincarving/index.shtml

Remember to put safety first - try to wear light colors, or ensure there's reflective tape on dark-colored costumes. And, if you're taking little ones out for the big night, consider using our Safety Wristbands for a little extra peace of mind.

Enjoy your Halloween! And, keep your eyes peeled for a fantastic Halloween promotion starting next week!!

Take Care and Be Aware

We're delighted to have Jody - wife, Mom of two and writer of How One Practical Woman Sees It... - as our guest blogger this week. Here, she shares her thoughts, feelings and perspective on sending her nut-allergic son to school for the first time.

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It's back to school time and so off I send my 4-year-old son to his preschool class three times a week. I read all the school handouts we are given, and attend the information night and I hope everyone else was listening as closely as I did.

Did you hear the teachers?

Did you see what the rules/regulations handout said?

There are kids in the classroom with allergies. Take note: there are no nuts allowed, there will be no sharing of food, and the school can not hand out food to the class brought by parents (i.e. birthday cupcakes).

Really it's not that big of a deal; it's only for a few hours. Your kids can eat nuts in the car or at home. Your kids can eat the snacks you provided them and you don't have to worry they only ate gummy bears from their classmate's lunch box. You can bring pencils or bubbles as a birthday treat. Or if you really want you can make cupcakes, individually wrap them, tag on an ingredient list, and hand them out at the end of school so each parent can make their own decision.

As I send my child off to school it's my hope that you all listened and took it to heart. It is HIS allergy but he's only 4 so he still needs adult assistance to make sure he doesn't come in contact with the items he's allergic to. Please listen and abide by the rules; it will help watch out for him until he old enough to assume responsibility for his own allergies.

Jody labels her son's backpack and other
items to help remind teachers and caregivers
of his allergies

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Many thanks to Jody for sharing her experience. Have a question? Leave a comment!

Have a story you want to share? Email us at social (at) oliverslabels (dot) com, with "Guest Post" in the subject line.

Connect with Jody on...
Her blog
Twitter

The Whirlwind

I don't know about you, but this time of year is such a whirlwind for parents... and for Oliver's Labels! Not only is it back-to-school time for the little (and not-so-little) ones, but it's one of our busiest times of year here at Oliver's Labels HQ.

Picture Santa's elves in the workshop at the North Pole, working away like busy bees to ensure no child is without a toy on the big day. Well, that's kind of what it's like here - only without the festive music and crazy costumes! From the moment your order is placed, our team is hard at work ensuring it arrives on time and looking great. From the technical team who makes sure the website is up and running at all times (and who have made the ordering process as easy as can be), to the production department who checks each product and ships it out in a flash, there is a lot of love and hard work that goes into each order. We also can't forget our amazing customer service department who does a great job responding to all of our customers' inquiries via phone, live internet chat and email. Without each important cog in our wheel, so to speak, orders couldn't be processed in such a speedy manner.

We hope your children had a wonderful first day back to school and want to thank you for letting us be a part of this special time, each and every year. We are constantly striving to offer products that you will find useful, so check out our newest additions - Room-eez™ Growth Charts (U.S. / CAN) and new Allergy Labels.

Feedback is important to us, so if you have any suggestions for new products or just want to say Hi, please email us at social (at) oliverslabels (dot) com.