It turns out that we are a two costume family, and not because we have two children. Each child apparently gets two costumes.

Alexis as Mini Mouse (her daycare costume)

It all started two years ago when Nicki was super girl. Her not-costume, costume was a big hit and school. Since it was basically just a dress, it was convenient for diaper changes. It also lacked some of the bulk of traditional toddler costumes, making it easy to play in without getting uncomfortably hot. Her teachers loved the practically of it. I loved that my child was happy all day.

The following year, Nicki was a monster. The week before her class’s costume party I began to fret about her losing the fur cuffs at school, or ripping the tulle skirt. I loved her monster costume, but it just didn’t seem practical for a day of playing at school. I thought back to the previous year, and how much her teachers appreciated the non-costume costume. We opted to save the monster costume and got her a pair of cat ears and tail to pair with a black shirt and pants for the party instead.

The costume that’s comfortable for all day play is not necessarily the costume that’s comfortable when trick or treating at night. I’ve come to accept that fact, and that we are a two costume family.

Still, the thought of being one of those parents who spends $100 on costumes gives my inner cheap skate heart palpitations. I’m on the hunt for good, cheap costumes which can double for pretend play after Halloween. I want to get the most bang for my buck.

So far most of my daycare costume finds have come from the kid’s clothing section at Target. That’s where I got Alexis’ mini mouse dress, and Nicole’s super girl dress (Not quite the same one, but very similar.) They hold up well enough that Alexis was able to re-wear the super girl dress for Super Hero Day at school. Target seems to always have those not-quite-costume clothes, especially the super hero and frozen variety. I’ve also seen some at Babies R Us, but we don’t have one close by so I don’t shop there as often.

I’m also a huge fan of the costume accessories. The cat ears and tail cost under $5. (We got a similar bunny set for pretend play which can double as a daycare costume if we need it.) Add a $1 mask and now she’s a cat burger. Or pair the mask with a tutu and cape (already owned) and now she’s a crime fighter. Every year we check out the accessories to see if there’s anything good for pretend play.

The other place I like to shop is online. Once Nicole picked out her costume, I used the reverse image search on the stock photo. Most retailers use the same the stock photo created by the manufacture. By doing a reverse image search on the stock photo I can find all the websites where the photo is shown, i.e. all the retailers selling the same item. From there it’s a simple process to find the one with the best price.

This year I spent $33.12 in total on Nicole’s costumes, and $34.97 on Alexis’. That’s only $5-7 up from the $27.85 average, and each girl get’s two! I’ll take that!

Material costs for the above photo
Mini Mouse Dress – $18 (Target)
Bow – $1 (Walmart)
Backdrop – $12 (JoAnns – not purchased for this photo session, but I thought I should include it anyway)
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Total cost – $31

Posted in Family Life | Tags: Halloween, Traditions