I hit the jackpot the other day. It was only the second week of October, and Michael's already had some of their Halloween stuff marked down. I bought two boxes of these Halloween foam photo frames for less than $4 each. That's a cheap way to give treats to my boys' classmates without the headache of navigating allergy-proof food, school junk food rules, and baking craziness during the busy days of Halloween.

1 minute later in parent time; 5 minutes in kid time...and you've got...

Then I got all fancy and glued a fridge magnet to the back.

I'll put the finished Halloween foam photo frames in little cello bags to give out to the classmates. The green glitter pumpkin won't be affixed so the kids' parents can add a picture before sticking that final pumpkin onto the frame.

Easy? Yep. That's how we celebrate holiday fun with 30 roughneck kids who won't remember who gave them what anyway. Just kidding. Their parents will know who gave them that useful frame. Congratulations, you're now the thoughtful parent who didn't contribute to cavities and national obesity. Wow, Halloween just got political.

The Mama’s Guide to Halloween

Halloween can be busy. Halloween can be fun. Halloween can be extremely stressful. The costumes, the decorations, crafts, activities, school parties, trick or treating, kids safety, food, recipes,...we get it. You’re most likely feeling overwhelmed with this spooky holiday. We’ve been there before too. Halloween is meant to be fun for everyone, not wear you down with all the minutiae of the holiday festivities! We’re here to help! Here’s what every Mama needs to know about Halloween. The Mama’s Guide to Halloween provides Halloween tips, tricks, resources, recipes, activities, costume ideas, and more!