Last Satuday was our first Halloween Costume Party. Remeber how excited I was, I even shared a preview of Mila's costumes? Well, I was an epic fail! It was supposed to be a kissing booth. Something like this:
Our Pinterest inspiration
We had been practicing walking the "runway" for a few days. Mila loved it. Until it's party time. A few hours before we left to go to Fun Ranch for the Mommy Bloggers Philippines' Halloween Party, Mila was cranky and would not do the final dress rehearsal (yup, I'm a stage mom in the making). Mommy foresight kicked in and I decided to do a quick run for a backup outfit. Boy did that pay out!
During one of our rehearsals
Just missing the kiss marks
We ended up with Plan B - The Cutest Playboy Bunny. We had the tuxedo swimsuit for a while. I just threw it in with black leggings and the hot off the store bunny ears, bows, and furry tail. Tadaa! Instant costume. Not the most creative but Mila had fun and that's really all that matters.
The Cute Bunny lookinh all smug on stage like she's the biggest kid there.
Off she goes running
So as a newbie costume-party goer, here's a few lessons I've learned and my Tips on Choosing a Costume For Your Toddler:
1. Dress age appropriately. The Kissing Booth costume may be better suited for older kids, maybe 5 or 6. Younger kids should not have anything that will pose as choking hazard. It's better if they know their character so they can relate with it.
2. Dress for comfort and movement. I'm still not used to Mila being so active and social. I thought she will just be standing around or holding my hands walking. Na-ah. She needed to run around and roam around the whole venue to say hi to all the kids. Only her Playboy Bunny costume allowed her free movement.
3. Have a backup plan. As with anything these days, there should always be plans A to Z. One minute, she'd like to be Elsa. Maybe a Monster an hour later. There could also be "accidents" even before the costume parade judging. Stinky Skunks are no fun. (Side story: Mila peed on the table as I took off her diapers to change. Just that few seconds gap and she couldn't wait. It's lucky there's table cloth. Otherwise, Mommy Glaiza whom we shared our table with might be drenched in pee too. Oh, and Dad panicked and used the table napkins to wipe Mila dry.)
4. Costumes do not need to cost a lot. Do-it-yourself costumes can cut on the cost. Gives you control on materials too. You can also source existing items in the closet to repurpose. Just needs a lot of imagination. Don't forget to accessorize.
5. Have fun. You and your baby should have the best time dressing up. Again, that's all that matters.
We got 2 more parties to go. I need to go back on the drawing board. In the meantime, here's one more inspiration from Miss Mila.
Just add some accessories and she can be a rocker or a biker chic.
Please share your Toddler's Halloween costume too. 😉
