• pick up the turkey and trimmings
• pick up my sister and her family at the airport
• pick up decorations
• pick up costumes

Now, that last “pick up” sounds a little more like a to do list for Halloween, but not at our house.  Every year the younger kids like to wear Thanksgiving costumes for our annual Thanksgiving dinner.  We’ve had the tradition in our family for years.  Even the older kids (from teens to adults) enjoy getting into the act sometimes!

It’s not uncommon to see my children and their cousins dressed as Pilgrims and Indians running around the house while we’re fixing Thanksgiving dinner.  I’m sure the kids like it maybe not so much for the meaning behind the costumes, but just for the fact that they can run around the house like the wild kids they are.   It’s so much fun for them and they look forward to it every year!

This year let your kids have fun while maybe even learning a little about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday.  HalloweenExpress.com has a huge selection of Thanksgiving Day costumes and accessories to make it easy and convenient for your family to start your own holiday tradition this year!

Fourth of July will be upon us in a couple weeks!  Summer is in full swing and the kids are having a blast being off for the summer.  Pool parties, concerts and graduation parties are marking everyone’s calendars making the weekends fly by.

One big universal party is coming up – July 4th!  Everyone loves the July 4th holiday with cookouts, parades and of course fireworks.  I’ve noticed the street side stands going up within the last couple days in our community.  The kids love to stop in and get the sparklers, bottle rockets and fire crakers. 

We always decorate the yard with a ton of those small plastic American flags plus one big one that we leave up year around.  The kids get to decorate with the flags any way they want to.  We ususally end up with flags everywhere and so do the neighbors.  My son Caden dresses up as Uncle Sam and waves at the parade as they go by.  Everyone in the parade gets a big kick out of seeing him in his Uncle Sam costume.  Of course the girls don’t want to be upstaged, so Sydney wears her Statue of Liberty costume (complete with torch) and Olivia runs around in her red, white and blue cheerleading outfit. 

Once the parade is over the family comes over for food and fun.  My husband and brother-in-law let off the most amazing firework display at the end of the night. 

If you want to add a little fun to your Fourth of July, dress up in a Patriotic costume from HalloweenExpress.com. 

Memorial Day weekend brings with it picnics, parades, festivals and something the kids all love – a day off school!  Sales are bigger than ever this weekend with everything from cars to clothing being reduced in price.  Great time to get out there and get those bathing suits and flip flops.

The weather is finally becoming hot here in Kentucky.  We’ve had enough rain the past month to float a battleship, but finally a few days of sun, sun and more sun.  It’s going to be a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.

Don’t forget with summer comes school closings and the kids will be looking to you for ways to keep them busy during the day.  Kids costumes are a great way to bring out their creative sides and put those imaginations to work.  Disney costumes are really popular and so are superhero costumes!  Create a fun and learning environment for your kids this summer simply by letting them open up their imaginations!

Memorial Day is this weekend and then a month after that is Fourth of July!  Show how proud you are of the good old U S of A by donning a patriotic costume. 

Parades, picnics and fireworks are a big part of both holidays.  With everything going on you’ll have quite a few chances to wear your costume and get everyone into the spirit of the holidays!

Costumes, flags, hats, pins, glasses, Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty are just some of the patriotic costumes and accessories you’ll find online at HalloweenExpress.com.  Don’t wait because I think everyone has the same idea this year to flaunt their red, white and blue and costumes are flying off the shelves.  Uncle Sam and Statue of Liberty costumes are really popular and a big hit with children and adults.   They come in all sizes too! 

To find the best costumes online with the best selection on adult costumes and kids costumes look no further than HalloweenExpress.com!

I can’t believe Memorial Day is only two weeks away!  To me that is the “unofficial” start to summer.  With the parades and families getting together for grill-outs, it’s always a great time to start the summer.  Don’t forget your red, white and blue decorations, accessories AND costumes!  At HalloweenExpress.com you’ll find patriotic costumes for every age. 

Kids Costumes

A great way to keep your little ones occupied over the summer is with costumes.  Playing dress-up is a fun and creative way for your child to play.  With kids costumes you can let your child’s imagination run wild!  They will play for hours as cowboys and Indians, superheroes that save the world, princesses and knights in shining armor.  Girls and boys will both have fun picking out costumes for their summer fun!

I always thought that May 5th or Cinco de Mayo was an important holiday in Mexico but it’s actually much more recognized and celebrated here in the United States.  It’s observed as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much the same as St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German and Chinese ancestry. 

My daughter’s school always has “Cinco de Mayo” day on May 5th where they get to bring in a Mexican dish, listen to mariachis and learn the Mexican hat dance.  I always volunteer that day because it’s so much fun!   Teachers are dressed in Mexican attire of Ponchos and colorful Serapes.    The senorita’s wear beautiful ribbons around their necks and many beaded bracelets.  There are sombrero’s of every shape, size and color everywhere you look! 

What a great idea to throw your own Cinco de Mayo party!  Invite all your family and friends and have them dress in Mexican fashion.  Have a Mariachi band playing and be sure to have plenty of delicious Mexican food. 

HalloweenExpress.com has everything you need to throw the best Cinco de Mayo fiesta ever!

Memorial Day and the official start of summer is right around the corner.  I can’t believe the kids only have a little over a month left of school.  My gosh, where has the time gone!  Memorial Day, formerly known as “Decoration Day” is observed on the last Monday in May.  It is a day of remembering all the U.S. men and women who lost their lives serving our country.  It has become both a national decoration day of family graves and a holiday that opens the summer season.  There are many parades,  backyard barbeques and family get togethers. 

Memorial Day is always a big deal around here with a pool party to celebrate the opening of our pool for summer, to welcome the end of the school year, but most importantly it’s a time to remember and honor all the service men and women.  Every year we decorate with a “Patriotic” theme of red, white and blue.  We enjoy watching the Memorial Day parade and waving our small American flags with everyone in our community.

It’s a great time to dress up in a Patriotic costume to show your support for the armed services and the good old U.S. of A.  HalloweenExpress.com has so many wonderful Patriotic costumes to choose from such as an Uncle Sam costume, Statue of Liberty and some great military costumes for adults and children of all ages.  What better way to say thank you and show your love of our American soldiers!

Well that’s the fun of living in the midwest!  You never know what Mother Nature has planned.  I’ve been to opening day games where it’s been absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the 70’s and plenty of sunshine and I’ve been where they had to stop for a few innings because they couldn’t see through the snowfall!  No matter what the weather, opening day here in Cincinnati, Ohio is always a blast.  With the parade, a brand new state-of-the-art scoreboard and the first pitch thrown out by Nick Lachey, what more could you ask for?  At least we’re playing the New York Mets and this weird weather won’t be new to them.  They always get what we get just a couple days later!

At least school spring breaks are still going on and families are heading to warmer climates such as Florida or out west.   A week of sunshine would be wonderful about now.  We’re one of those lucky families because not only do we get to head to a warmer climate, but we get to visit our much-missed family as well.  I’m looking forward to relaxing on the beach while watching the kids have a blast in the ocean with my husband.  Me, I’m fine just sitting on the beach!  As much as I love the beach, I don’t like the ocean at all!  I can’t stand not being able to see what I’m stepping on and the salt – well, that’s just got to go!

I am looking forward to spending Easter with everyone though!  Mass in the morning then a great day with a neighborhood Easter parade, our own family Easter egg hunt, lots of ham sandwiches, plenty of fatening desserts and a visit from the Easter Bunny!  The kids are going to love it!  The Easter Bunny costume that my sister’s neighbor is wearing is perfect!

If you haven’t got your Easter Bunny costume yet, there’s still time at HalloweenExpress.com!  Make this Easter one that the kids will always remember! 

Today is Friday, April 3rd and there’s only one more Friday (Good Friday) to go before Easter.  Spring is in the air and the tulips are in full bloom.  Another thing in the air is rain – lots of it!  I guess the old adage is true ”April showers bring May flowers”.  It started storming last night and is still raining outside now.  I do love to sleep in a good thunderstorm, though.  I do hate when the lights go out during storms but at night when you’re getting ready to go to bed it’s dark anyway, so I don’t mind if we lose electricity at night. 

Today is also the first day of live racing at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.  They only have live racing (actual horses running on the track) during April and November.  My nephew goes to the University of Kentucky and a big group of them are all heading over to see the horses and place their bets.  Going to Keeneland is a long running tradition at the University of Kentucky.  Live racing goes through April 24th so if you love horses, love the excitment of the race, and  want to see one of the most beautiful race tracks in the country you have to go to Keeneland!

You still have time to order that Easter Bunny costume I’ve been talking about for weeks to save yourself the headache of waiting in line at the mall for pictures with the Easter Bunny.  Have a family member or friend be your Easter Bunny this year with a great costume from HalloweenExpress.com.

There are so many fun things to do as a family during the Easter holiday and a lot of it has to do with eggs!  The annual Easter egg hunt at the local park, the annual Easter egg hunt for the family in the backyard and the coloring of Easter eggs are the three most important things on my kids Easter “to do ” list.

I love coloring Easter eggs and can remember doing it with my brothers and sisters when I was little.  It was a big deal then and still is today with my children.  I buy three dozen eggs (one for each child) and after boiling and cooling them, the fun begins.  I’m still pretty old fashioned when it comes to coloring eggs.  I like the tried-and-true Paas Easter Egg coloring kit where you drop a colored tab in a mixture of water and vinegar and use the bendable egg holder to drop it in and get it out when it’s done.  I love the wax crayon that comes with it so the kids can write their names on the eggs before dropping them into the color.  Today though there are so many different ways to color eggs.  We’ve tried them all, but my favorite is still Paas.

The city park always has a big Easter egg hunt every year and the kids love it.  It’s a lot of fun to go to but can be overwhelming for the little ones.  When they tear away the ribbon and all the kids take off it’s mayhem!  But the kids love it and the parents are all cheering them on from the sidelines (and of course telling them where the eggs are).  My favorite part is the Easter Bunny himself.  The same “Easter Bunny” has been doing it for years and he is wonderful with the children.  It’s the most amazing Easter Bunny costume and you’ll never believe where they got it??  Of course…HalloweenExpress.com! 

Another fun Easter egg hunt is the one we have for all my children, nieces and nephews at our house every Easter.  We have a big Easter party later on in the day so that all the kids have plenty of time to get their Easter baskets at home and have time to enjoy playing with their treats.  Also there’s always Easter mass on Easter morning to go to.  Once everyone is here the kids all go downstairs while the adults hide a ton of those plastic Easter eggs with different things in them all over the backyard.  For the little ones, it’s candy and for the older kids of course nothing would do but cold hard cash.  It’s all small amounts, some eggs with ten cents other eggs with $1 or $5.  It’s always so much fun watching them take off and find the eggs.  Each child gets the same amount of eggs so that we don’t hear, “That’s not fair!” 

So this Easter try a little “egg” fun!  Whether it’s coloring them or hiding them around the yard, the kids will really be glad you did!