Well, the first thing to know is that this isn't that tough. Every year hundreds if not thousands of home-made genies parade the streets on Halloween nights, just waiting to grant some wishes and get some candy! The first thing to decide is exactly what kind of Genie you or your child wishes to be. Is it the popular "I Dream of Jeanie" version from the television series of the same name, or if a boy, perhaps the genie from the movie "Aladdin". Whichever you choose, we'll look at ways here to accomplish a great look and grant your young one's wishes as well!

Let's examine how to come up with the female version of Barbara Eden's "I Dream of Jeanie" in a simple and inexpensive way. Firstly, you need to know that you can buy a very nice version of this costume online or off for not very much money, usually somewhere in the neighborhood of $15-$35. That said, and you still want to make your own, you can do it for less than that and also toss in some creative ideas all your own!

Some of the essentials will be satin PJ bottoms, preferably oversized and flowing. Red, is good, and so is purple or pink. (Shades of pink were the prominent colors in Eden's costumes.) A bikini top or midriff bare halter with matching hat with long veil would be best, in the appropriate color schemes. If you're not trying to match the TV genie exactly, (and 99% of kids today probably haven't seen it!) then your choices regarding colors, materials and extras are opened up considerably. Other accessories you might consider could include a genie bottle, or a genie bottle actually attached to the bottom of your costume, as if you're emerging from it. (Take care to make sure the Genie can walk easily!), tassels and some costume jewelry.

If you and your young boy genie are into an Aladdin style theme, then of course you'll want to follow the Genie in the movie carefully. These Genie costumes are available online and in the store for around $35, for a fully muscled, blue masked version of the movie genie. If you'd like to attempt this one yourself, get lots of blue material, newspaper for muscle stuffing, and if you don't want to buy a mask then face painting your child blue and spiking their hair into a point may prove a challenge, as well as a lot of fun! Give yourself plenty of time, and be sure to do a dry run on the makeup and hair on a night prior to Halloween. You want to make sure you can do this. Again, accessories like genie bottles and perhaps some sort of genie smoke might be fun.

Whichever way you choose to go, just know that constructing your own genie costumes for Halloween are not only doable, but a lot of fun as well.  Just make sure one of your wishes is for lots of fun this Halloween!

Now remember, these are just ideas, ripped from today's headlines and while they may or may not make sense when the big day finally arrives, (my guess is they will be!) at least they'll get you thinking along these lines and help you come up with a truly unique and topical Halloween costume this year! Some of these may seem a little insensitive, so forgive me for that up front, but everything is fair game on Halloween!

How about Michael Vick, leading (one of) his dead dogs behind him on a leash? (Fake dog, of course!) This one will be around awhile. And if he's not back playing football by then, he'll definitely be looking for new work which is another angle to play on!

How about Lindsay Lohan's rehab counselor, carrying around Lindsay's mugshot, looking for her? This looks like it will be in the news awhile too.

How about Hilary Clinton, stumping for grass-roots support, or possibly looking for Bill?

Nicole Richie in prison pregnancy garb.

You get the idea. Be topical, be timely and above all don't be afraid to poke a little fun. If they are a very recognizable celebrity, you might even want to don that Hilary or W mask, available at almost any Halloween shop or online. Just remember the key idea here is to have fun! What are some of your ideas you'd like to share?

If you've ever wanted to make an entrance at your favorite Halloween party dressed as an authentic Japanese Sumo wrestler (and WHO hasn't !) I have some good news for you. Not only is it now very simple to achieve this long-cherished goal, but you can do it quickly and inexpensively too!

The simplest way by far is if you happen to be near 300+ pounds, and have a spare loincloth hanging around, you can simply don your best Sumo wrestler hairdo (black, tied back in a ponytail) and head out into the night, trying not to frighten the wee ones too much.

Since the aforementioned scenario won't work for most of us, let's look at the available alternatives. If you'd like to make your own Sumo outfit, here's an easy way. First get some tights or sweats. A larger size of tights that you can ruin, preferably flesh colored, will do nicely. Then stuff the empty Sumo suit with newspaper to achieve the desired fullness of character. Why newspaper, you ask? Well, crumpled newspaper is light, and not nearly as hot as foam, cloth, batting or any other filler material you can think of. You don't want a sweaty Sumo, do you? (nor does anyone else!) Then affix a loincloth to the appointed area, and find some suitable footwear, either black loafers, ballet shoes, or even flip-flops. Tie your hair back, or if you wear a wig, fashion it to the proper Sumo wrestler look, that signature black, ponytail look. Perhaps a little eye makeup and you're out the door, ready for a few takedowns!

If you have a little money to spend, you might consider purchasing a ready-made Sumo wrestler Halloween costume. They range from about $29 to $60, and are available online and at more extensive Halloween retail shops. The advantage here is that they are cooler, and have the whole stuffing thing already taken care of.  Some of them range from somewhat realistic to Incredible Hulkish, with severely defined musculature. You'll need to decide just how real or unreal you wish to be. The advantages to shopping online like this are many. There are many choices for both adults and children in this area, and you can have your costumes shipped to you fast. It might be difficult to find a Sumo wrestler Halloween costume in a local shop, so I'd take the online route.

Part of the fun of this kind of Halloween costume is the play-acting that goes along with it. Your Sumo wrestler could be a fearsome giant, a gentle oaf, or a scared neophyte wrestler full of insecurities. You decide, and play it to the hilt! Be very careful about actually wrestling with anyone, though you may be asked to. Not only could it mess up your pretty costume, someone could get hurt!

A Japanese Sumo wrestler Halloween costume is not that hard to come by, and can make for a fun and unique evening!

One of the best ways to create more reality for your Halloween costume is to accessorize the heck out of it! The right pieces added to an already good costume will make you stand out from the crowd, and possibly win you a contest! (if you entered one!) Here's some ideas to help with the task of completing your Halloween costume experience.

First, do all the obvious things. A Princess should have a tiara, a scarf, and maybe a scepter. A Pirate will come equipped with some sort of weapon, definitely some pirate booty, (unless he's very unsuccessful!) and maybe an eye patch or hook hand. A wizard will have a great hat, some potions, and maybe a spell book. (for the memory challenged Wizard)  You get the idea.

Once you have the conventional down, it's time to think outside the box a little bit. What about some great makeup? A little can go a long way. Another great idea is to have your own personal soundtrack. You can record anything you like and have it available on an iPod or some other electronic device concealed on your costume that can play your own spooky, topical or otherwise appropriate sounds announcing your entrance. A fireman with his radio calling him with fire details, or a ghost accompanied by their own spooky soundtrack is practically irresistible. 

What are some of your favorite Halloween accessory ideas? Leave a comment and share…

Halloween night, although exciting and fun, can be stressful and traumatic on toddlers who don’t yet understand the concept of the holiday.

Here are a few tips to help you keep Halloween simple and stress-free for the little guys.

Borrow A Costume – These kiddos are so little and chances are they have no idea what they are being dressed as or why.  Save the money and borrow a costume from another family whose toddler has outgrown the costume.

Another idea is to have the costume work double duty.  One mom purchased a winter coat for her one-year-old that was designed like “Blue” from “Blue’s Clue’s.”  The coat was furry and the hood had two ears.  The father who trick-or-treated with the toddler was dressed as Blue’s sidekick, “Steve.”  To make the “Steve” costume, the mom purchased scrap fabric in two shades of green.  She cut the fabric in strips and safety pinned the stripes onto one of her husband’s golf shirts.  He wore a khaki jacket over it and the only thing that shows were the “Steve” stripes.  The toddlers coat doubled as a warm winter coat AND a Halloween costume.

No Masks – They don’t stay on.  They are not safe as they block the child’s peripheral vision, which is, of course, unsafe when walking from house to house, and they are uncomfortable.  Consider light face painting instead.

Consider The Weather – If you live in a climate where on Halloween night the temperature could range from 40-degress F on up to 80-degrees F, take that into consideration when selecting your child’s costume. 

Don’t use the Blue’s Clue’s idea above if you live in a year-round warm weather climate and don’t make your child a belly dancer if there’s a chance that the weather will be cold and rainy. Consider the weather in advance to avoid disappointment.

Don’t Force Them To Tell Jokes – In some areas, telling a joke or riddle before being given a treat is customary.  Don’t force a two or three year old to tell a joke.  A simple “Trick Or Treat” will do.  And if they won’t talk, simply ask them to smile. Do encourage them to say “Thank you” at every house, but don’t stress out a shy toddler over this.

Don’t Take A Toddler To Houses Where They Are Unfamiliar With Those Who Live There – A toddler doesn’t need a bucket full of treats.  It can be confusing to tell your toddler “Don’t talk to Strangers” but then to send him door to door asking him to do just that.

Take the child to a handful of houses where he/she is familiar with the residents.  Or better yet, take the child to relative’s houses like grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  They will love to see the child dressed up and the child will experience no fear.

Find A Local Mall Or Community Center – In many cities, malls or community centers will hold ‘in house’ trick-or-treating activities.  These are great places for the little ones to get their feet wet to learning what Halloween is all about.

Here's another face painting video if you're looking for inspiration for a Halloween costume.

If you'd like to learn to do stuff like this, check out this Face Paint website.

Autumn and the Halloween season offer so many options for families to spend quality time together.  Here are just a few ideas.

Visit A Local Pumpkin Farm.  During the month of October, pumpkin farms usually have attractions like live music, hayrides, and crafts, not to mention the opportunity to hand select your very own pumpkin right off the vine.

Write A Halloween Story Together.  This is a great activity to make an annual family tradition.  The entire family gets to choose the characters, sometimes making inanimate objects like pumpkins and candy corn come alive. Once you create the characters, the setting and the story line, you’ll be surprised how much each family member wants to contribute to the story.

Save each year’s story in a scrapbook and read the stories from past seasons.  It’s a great memory maker.

Watch Halloween Movies Together.   Share an annual movie night together by renting “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Bednobs & Broomsticks,” “Monsters Inc.,” or “Nightmare Before Christmas.”  Make some popcorn with orange popcorn salt. Serve it with an orange drink. You could even put orange or black light bulbs in the lamps just for the special occasion.

Go On A Nature Walk.  Take a walk together through a hiking trail or park.  As you walk, collect leaves, rocks, pinecones and other bits of nature to bring home and display in a large glass bowl.  It makes a gorgeous and memorable centerpiece.

Have A Monster Mash Dance Party.  There are many Halloween-themed CDs available during this time of year.  Have an all-family Halloween Dance Party and dance to all the popular Halloween songs.  Your kids will watch you dance and think they have crazy parents, but maybe without admitting it, they’ll also have the time of their lives.

Play “Clue”.  Since Halloween is all about mystery, playing the game of Clue will reinforce the season and provide a lot of family fun at the same time. 

Paint Pumpkins.  Pumpkin Painting is the newest range in Halloween crafts.  Carving jack-o-lanterns is a Halloween tradition, but the process is messy, dangerous and the jack-o-lanterns only last a few days after Halloween night.  Painting Pumpkins is an activity everyone in the family can enjoy, even the littlest goblins. 

By having each family member paint their own pumpkin, you will have a fun and memorable family of pumpkins to proudly display in your home or on your front porch.