In keeping with our tradition at Pinks & Blues, where we recommend “trendy and ultra-hip family picks” daily, our 2007 Pinks & BOOs Halloween Guide features mostly “indie” designers and sites… entrepreneurs who, like us, love what they do, love what they create, but don’t have a Wal-Mart sized budget to get the word out.

So while you’re busy working, dropping the kids off at school, food shopping, making the beds, coaching a soccer league, cooking dinner, taking the dog for a walk, arranging play dates and trying to squeeze in a shower, let the Pinks & Blues Girls handle everything Halloween for you and your family (including deals and discounts). You deserve a break, mama!

• And of course, we put together a fabulous 2007 Pinks & BOOs Halloween Guide Giveaway for the occasion, so be sure to enter!

Some years you have the kids’ costumes planned out months in advance. Other years… not so much. Seriously, how many sheets can you poke two eye-holes in before you cry uncle on the ghost costume!? So whether you want to go super creative, super traditional, super cute or super straightforward this year, at least you’ll definitely be one thing: prepared! Here are the best sites we found for Baby and Kid Costumes.

• If the costumes at Sweet Noelle had cheeks (facial, that is), we would just have to squeeze ‘em. These too-cute-for-words baby costumes (all one size up to 25 lbs.) will be the hit of your ‘hood. Our faves are the Baby Fireman Costume and the Baby Lobster Costume (shown above).

• Just wait until you see the selection of styles (from newborn to 3T) at babystyle. You will be wishing you had ten more kids (sans the labor experience and midnight feedings) just so you could have an excuse to buy more costumes! We just about melted at the Little Webmaster Spider Costume for babies and toddlers, and the Silly Legs Caterpillar Bunting Costume for newborns.

• At Baby Ultimate you can shop by price (in ascending or descending order), age (from 3 months to 12 years), brand (Disney, LeTop and Mullins Square, to name a few) or sex (we think you can crack this one on your own). Our picks? The Mullins Square Puppy Costume for babies and the Poodle Skirt Costume for girls.

• We fell in love with the fabulous costumes at Cradle To Kindergarten and we’re sure you will too. They have a selection that ranges from newborn to age 12. We just can’t get over the Red Hot Chili Pepper Costume (the actual pepper, not Anthony Kiedis and co.) for newborns and infants, and the Karate/Ninja Costume for infants and toddlers.

• Some costumes are so cute that we just want to eat ‘em up. And that’s exactly how we feel – literally! – about the Hershey Kiss Costume (for infants or toddlers) from Leaps and Bounds. And if your little girl dreams of someday cheering for your alma mater, she can practice now with the authentic College Cheerleading Uniform Costumes, available in sizes 4-8, for teams such as UNC, Notre Dame or Texas.

• Just a word of advice: if your aim is to scare people, you probably aren’t going to have that effect with the costumes at Take A Stroll. People are much more likely to scream, “Awww!” than “Ahhh!” at your child dressed in one of their adorable costumes (one size up to 25 lbs.), like the Monkey or Lamb Costumes.

• If your kid is set on dressing like a favorite character, try Oriental Trading Company. They’ve got great costumes, from Backyardigans (size 2T) to Doodlebops (sizes 3T-4T) to Diego (sizes 3T-4T & 4T-6T) to Dora (sizes 3T-4T & 4T-6T) and beyond!

• We also found faves in the Baby Chick and Infant Flower Costumes from My Miracle Baby, One of a Kind Kid’s fabulous Fish Costume, the Butterfly Baby Costume from Invitation Box, Little Fashion Boutique’s tu-tu cute Bumble Bee Costume and the Julie Tennant Kids Hen Costume from Best Dressed Kids.

*Remember to check out the Discounts, Coupon Codes & Specials before you shop!*

Even though the all-you-can-eat candy frenzy is one night only (boo!), your kids can rock their Halloween style all October long (yay!). But we’re not talking tacky Halloween gear that they’ll want to take off the moment they’re out of your sight. We mean wickedly cool designs that they won’t want to put away come November 1st (you can fight that battle when the time comes). We’ve carved out the best sites with the most fabulous Baby and Kid Apparel.

• The onesie and t-shirt designs (sizes 0-6 month to 6T) at Roslyn’s Closet are simple, clean and classic. And we like that. And the messages are straight-to-the-point, like the fabulous “Boo!” (shown above) or the fun “no tricks, just treats” designs.

• At Janie and Jack the words whimsical and sweet describe the collection of girls’ (that would be Janie) and boys’ (yes, Jack) Halloween apparel. For girls we especially love the dainty Little Pumpkin Applique Top (3-6 monts to size 8); for boys the playful Jack-o’-Lanterns Tee (3-6 months to 4T).

• B. Swanky lets you personalize your kids’ Halloween attire as a cool little treat. There’s the long-sleeved Halloween Ghost Tee (size 2T to 5/6) with a spook-tacular ghost applique, and the Halloween Spider Tee (2T to size 5/6) with wiggly eyes to add even more fun to the festive frock.

• If you’re looking for super playful and fun Halloween attire, look no further than ODOD Boutique. Their clothes just scream “Happy Halloween!” We love, love, love the Boo-liscious Ribbon Jeans Set (sizes 12 months to 8 ) by Bug n’ Belle for girls, and the Lil Punkin Overalls (sizes 12-18 months to 5T) by Little Britches for boys.

• The little gingham dresses, pant sets and longalls at Royalty Closet (baby sizes to 4T) are fiendishly fun, with boo-tiful Halloween appliques and bows. Our faves? The Spider Top and Pant Set and the Ghost Dress. Monogram the outfits for an added touch! *These were so fabulous that Royalty Closet sold out! But be sure to check out their other fabulous items!*

• You’ll find seriously sweet lil’ Halloween rompers (one size up to 6 months) for your lil’ ones at So Sweet Boutique. And you can personalize them with your baby’s photo! There are three designs, all equally adorable – Little Lion, Little Devil and Sweet Little Pumpkin.

• Pink Taffey Designs will get your kids’ Halloween messages out loud and clear. Why not do it with a little bling with a Pumpkin Princess onesie/tee (3-6 months to 5T)? Or have one sibling be the Trick and the other the Treat with complementary Trick and Treat shirts (3-6 months to 12 years).

• We also found faves in the exquisite Halloween Embroidered Shirt & Tutu Set from Taylor’s Baby, Little Fashions Boutique’s delightful Jack-O-Lantern Top & Candy Corn Skirt Set, the 100% Organic Happy Halloween shirt from My Retro Baby, Bella Boutique’s absolutely edible Halloween Tutu Set and the Mulberribush Bats Rollneck Sweater from Best Dressed Kids.

*Remember to check out the Discounts, Coupon Codes & Specials before you shop!*

No Halloween costume or outfit is complete without the right accessories. Bows, Bags and Bibs (oh, my!) must be used to tie the festive look together. From sweet to sassy, simple to swanky, we’ve found everything you need to head into the Halloween season in style. So don’t be scared to add fun to your Halloween fashion. We’re spelling it out with the best sites for all your Halloween Accessories.

• Lil’ Sugarplum always has the most adorable hair accessories, and they continue to delight us with their Things That Go Boo Baby Hair Clips (shown above). Seeing these in a baby’s hair would melt even the coldest witch’s heart!

• Want your little girl to be a show-stopper? Have her sport a bow, clip or headband from Bow Dazzle, and trust us, she will be! We just love the Candy Corn Flower Clippies, the Funky Pumpkin Headband and the October Princess Bow.

• The Bows Arts Halloween Pinch Clip and Hair Bows at Little Fashions Boutique are simply fabulous, and are all adorned with a fun, festive shape in the middle. They would make even a goblin gleeful!

• For some all-out pizzazz, stop by Royalty Closet for their beautiful, handmade Custom Halloween Hairbows and Monogrammed Halloween Hairbows. They’re so frightfully fetching that they’ll make you scream – with delight!

• Searching for bows that are full, fluffy and funky? Look no further than ODOD Boutique, where you’ll find lusciously ornate Halloween Funk Hairbows by Little Britches, made to include all the bright, spirited colors of the season.

• Bella Boutique has splendidly spooky (and sweet, very sweet) Felt Pumpkin Trick or Treat Bags for both boys and girls (shown at left). And they’re just the right size. Think about it – you don’t really want your kids to fill up an entire pillowcase with candy (hello, sugar high!), do you? Plus, these are just way more fun!

• How would your kids like to sport trick or treat bags created just for them? My Miracle Baby delivers with their eerie-sistable Personalized Halloween Tote Bags. They can choose from 12 different Halloween characters to have printed on their totes. And, of course, with their names right on their bags, no one else can trick them out of their hard-earned treats.

• Who says Halloween style can’t be chic? Surely they have not seen the selection of Halloween bags at Polka Dot Market. From Girl Initial Tote Bags and Girl Initial Bucket Bags to Boy Initial Tote Bags, whether you want dainty and darling or rough and tough, these bags will do the, well… trick!

• As if going door-to-door for candy isn’t exciting enough, Adriana Primadonna throws even more fun into the mix with trick or treat bags that light up and make noise. Can you take it!? Light up the night and make some noise with one of three different “Frighty-Night” designs by Gund – Halloween Jack-o’-Lantern, Boo and Frankenstein bags.

• Psst, mamas… while we have your attention, we think you deserve a little treat for yourself, too. All this Halloween planning is a lot of work, what with buying the costumes, apparel and accessories (even with all our help!). So pop on over to Pink Lemonade Boutique Bags and A Bow For All Seasons and pick out a few thoroughly thrilling bags for yourself (now there’s a novel idea!). We especially love the simply smashing Halloween Pumpkins Tote from Pink Lemonade and the dazzlingly delicious Candy Corn Handbag from A Bow For All Seasons.

• How Cute Is That! answers their own question (the answer: extremely!) with their exclusive Halloween mealtime bibs in Spooky Bats (shown at left), and ‘Fraidy Cat designs. Super cute and super functional!? They must be magic!

• Make sure your little bebe is spitting up in seasonal style with The Trendy Bebe’s adorable Baby’s 1st Halloween bib or too-cute-for-words (which is fitting, ’cause babies can’t really talk yet anyway) My Little Pumpkin bib.

• Taylor’s Baby kicks it up a notch with sweet bib and burp cloth gift sets. The personalized Halloween Tote and Pumpkin Bib & Burp Cloth sets make fantastic gifts (who doesn’t love things that are custom-made!?). And the BOO! Layette and BOO! Bib & Burp Cloth gift sets are (gotta say it!) just BOO-tiful.

*Remember to check out the Discounts, Coupon Codes & Specials before you shop!*

• Tired of plain ol’ run-of-the-mill photo cards? We are too. Ready to be wowed? Of course you are! Enter Mango Ink. You will fall for their stylish, modern Halloween designs (like the one shown above) in an instant. So now the pressure is on you to take a shockingly spooktacular photo.

• Sweetums sure knows how to make Halloween sweet (you know, besides the mounds of sugar in your candy). Totally cute and classic, their photo cards – including the Too Cute to Spook and Creepy Crawly designs – are sure to be a hit among your ghoulish group of friends.

• The Halloween photo card designs at inababycarriage, sold through Photo Affections, are fresh, fabulous and festive. And their monstrous selection will have you spellbound. If you dare, check out their Big Boo and Happy Haunting designs.

• Spread the word about your party to the whole gang of goblins with the Halloween themed invitations at Ringo Baby. You can play peek-a-boo (shown at left) or trick or treat to announce your spine-chilling soiree. And don’t forget the coordinating thank-you notes!

• Scare up some party fun with the hip, cool designs at Groovy Paper. Our faves are the modern, clean look of the Halloween BOO invitation, and the funky, cool style of the Trick or Treat invitation. And while we know these aren’t invitations, we absolutely love the Haunted Halloween personalized placemats!

• The lovely Posh Peacock Halloween invitations are just perfect when you’re looking for traditional elegance. Whether you’re announcing an arrival or organizing a get-together, Posh Peacock will get the word out with a delicate touch.

• It’s selection galore at Doriann’s Stationary Boutique. Whatever theme you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here. Our picks are the Pumpkin & Chocolate Square invitation (for its sophistication) and the Spider Web invitation (for its playfulness).

• You’d expect a lot of options from a company named Invitation Box, and boy, do they deliver. We’re fans of simplicity, so we were immediately drawn to the Witch Hat and Pumpkin invitations. But we also love the much-more-busy Orange Black Swirls with Twirls invitation. Decisions, decisions!

*Remember to check out the Discounts, Coupon Codes & Specials before you shop!*

Lest we forget the part our four-legged friends play in this season’s festivities (we wouldn’t dare!), we have fetched a few fantastic finds (cant. stop. the. alliteration) that you’re sure to dig. As for your pets? Well, it’s a good thing they don’t hold grudges. We found pet costumes, pet accessories and even some howlin’ good Halloween attire for dog lovers. So sit and stay awhile (sure, you can roll over, too) as we show you the best sites for Halloween Pet Products.

• There is a costume to fit every dog’s (and every owner’s) personality at Modern Tails. We just couldn’t get over the Mac Daddy (shown at left) or Hippie Dog costumes. But you can also find more traditional choices there, too, like the Clown and Princess costumes.

• If you know your dog will flat-out refuse to dress up in a costume, but you still want her to look festive, Glamour Dog has a great alternative – the Halloween Scrunchie. It will quickly and easily fit over your dog’s neck, giving her a fun and fast costume. How’s that for a compromise!?

• If your dog won’t mind being in a full-blown jumpsuit, you have to get him the Dogzilla costume from Foxy Paws. He will be the hit of the doggy parade!

• Farm Goods for Kids has a Moo Cow costume that is udderly (had to do it) adorable. And yes, it literally has udders at the belly of the costume. But sorry, no milk.

• You know how you’re always picking up after your dog? Fur on the carpet, mud tracks on the kitchen tile, and of course, well… you know what else. How would you like your dog to be your maid for the day? Well, it’s not gonna happen. The closest you’re going to get is dressing your dog up in the Maid costume from HandsNpaws. Hey, it’s a start!

• We’re pretty sure everyone agrees that Labradors are simply adorable, right? Well, 8 Paws Up really, really concurs, and they have a whole line of Labrador attire and accessories just for Halloween. From tank tops to greeting cards. Dog tees to pins. All with super sweet Labradors dressed for the season! Buy something for the Lab lover (or Lab!) in your life today!

*Remember to check out the Discounts, Coupon Codes & Specials before you shop!*

What’s in it for you?

Well, here at Pinks & Blues we are known for our giveaways, so it wouldn’t be right to trick you out of a treat, now, would it?

So we are giving away this Pinks & BOOs Halloween GIVEAWAY package (a total retail value of $217.00!):

* A Dooney & Bourke Small North/South Safari Canvas Tote with Leather trim (Black with Orange straps, of course!) – Retails at $195.00

* A pair of Victoria’s Secret Women’s Girly Boxer Undies, Size L (Halloween-inspired Orange with Purple dots) – Retails at $12.00

* An adorable BLACK CAT INN metal bucket, filled with 2 large bags (10 oz. each) of Toostie POPS (for Halloween giveaways or treats for yourself)! – Retails at $10.00

Here’s how to win:

1. Grab the code for this button and put it in your blog’s sidebar:

<br /><a href="http://pinksandblueshalloweenguide.wordpress.com"><img src="http://pinksandblueshalloweenguide.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/pbhalloweenguide.gif?w=510" border="0" /></a><br />

2. Sign Mr. Linky below once you’ve put the button on your blog

Congratulations to the winner of the Pinks & BOOs Halloween Guide Giveaway – Kailani from An Island Review!

*Thank you to Dawn at Coming To a Nursery Near You for creating this fabulously fun Pinks & Blues Halloween Guide button!*