Happy Halloween!

I have a skeleton to pick with whoever came up with the whole trick-or-treat concept. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for pumpkin-carving and adorable costumes and ghoulish, glow-in-the-dark decor. But the dimwit who decided it was wise to send our kids door-to-door amassing their weight in sugar in a single evening ought to be hog-tied and forced to spend thirteen back to back hours in a room full of the wound-up goblins. (Whatchamacallit Dude, I'm talking to you.)

My daughters may only be three and five, but they're smart. They take a mental inventory as the loot drops into their bottomless bags, so it's not like I can even sneak a bite-size Snickers out of the deal when they're not looking. "Mom! I had forty-six Tootsie Rolls and now there are only forty-five. Let me smell your breath." Little witches.

Back in her day, my well-intended grandmother attempted to sway the tide by opting to give out shiny new pennies in lieu of candy. (The woman actually pawed through her pennies to be sure they were indeed both shiny and new.) Trust me when I tell you there is nothing sadder than the sight of a seventy-seven year old woman leaping about her lawn and trying to remove ninety-two miles of toilet paper from her trees.

I mentioned to my friend Anne that I'd been fretting about how I was going to pry the sticky haul out of their grubby Halloween-stained hands. "You don't know about the Switch Witch?" she asked, aghast. I admitted I did not. "Oh, she rocks," Anne insisted. "Your kids get to pick out a toy that they want and the day after Halloween, they leave their candy sacks by their beds and the Switch Witch takes it away and trades it for the toy."

I feel bad for the poor Switch Witch's thighs, but I'll take a ginormous bag of candy over a blood-stained incisor any day of the year.

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Jenna McCarthy is the author of the newly released book The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to Highchairs and Potties. When she's not pinching candy from her children, she can be found online at jennamccarthy.com.

We played quite a few games looking for great "family game night" activities as well as for games our kids might be able to play on their own.  Our Friday night favorites include:

1. GiftTRAP - A fun party game deemed the 'Secret Santa of Board Games'.  A great way to teach your kids that giving is fun!
2. Leapfrog Tag Learning System - 4-8 year olds will love this system that helps build their love of reading and gives their confidence a boost.
3. The Game of Life Twists & Turns - A new twist on a classic that many of us played when we were kids. 
   
4. Xeko Mission: China - Recommended for ages 8+, this wonderful game combines online missions with a trading card game.
5. Skoodlez - An adorable plush animal your kids will love because they come with a special "Samoleez" coin printed with its own unique code that unlocks a world of possibilities online... kids build stories, work on their reading and have access to fun games with their special animal.
   

Click to find more great games!

We are thrilled to announce the release of Jenna McCarthy's new book for parents... The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to Highchairs and Potties. Jenna is an internationally published writer whose work has appeared in more than forty magazines and on dozens of websites including ParentClick.com.

1. The Parent Trip - Finally...A book that puts the humor into parenting! Moms of all ages will enjoy this trip back to the early years. Jenna has written a book that takes you back to the moment of trying to concieve through your first road trip with baby in tow. Dads will even enjoy the honest and fun approach. This mother of two shares her experiences from the moment of conception through pregnancy, labor, birth, and baby's first steps. Edgy and honest, this resource was written to amuse, enlighten, and help new and veteran parents find humor in one of life's wildest rides.
2. No More Meltdowns - This book gives a lot of practical advice and helps parents to re-think their approach. It encourages parents to look at how we react to situations and can learn to apply some of the same strategies to ourselves that we are trying to use for our children. The book gives direction on how to avoid power struggles with your child.

There are so many great reading choices. We have had our kid testers reading picture books, chapter books and books on CD so we could find out their favorites...

1. The Dangerous Book for Boys - This book gets kids back to the basics of how to have fun... The author has compiled information ranging from history lessons to how to perform cool tricks with coins. There is also the Daring Book For Girls. (Chapter book)
2. Where the Wild Things are ...and 5 More Stories - This story is a classic and this 54 minute DVD makes it fun for kids because they have a visual and reader to bring the stories to life. (DVD)
3. The Dopple Ganger Chronicles - Not one we expected to like and yet it turned out to be a favorite. This book was an interesting style because it was part chapter book and part comic. You could visualize the characters and it was scary, sad, and fun and hard to put down. (Chapter book)
4. Masterpiece - This is a book that is just about to be released... A fun easy read about a beetle named Marvin and a boy named James and their adventures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Chapter book)
   
5. We Are All Born Free - What a fantastic book for kids with beautiful illustrations by more than 30 artists. It makes for great discussion in a family and would be a wonderful gift for a classroom. It is a reminder that we all have rights to our opinions and our beliefs and should not be judged for these views. (Picture Book)
6. Pugwash Aloft - Every boy will enjoy this fun and lively adventure as they board the pirate ship. The book has a happy ending when Tom the cabin comes up with a plan to get rid of the rebels. The art work is fun and captivating. (Picture Book)
7. Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls - If your daughter loves music, then she will love this book. Great book for any tween and teen girls that enjoy music. They will be inspired to start their own band. It covers everything they would want to know and in a fun and hip style. They will learn everything from organizing their band to promoting it and even how to write their own songs.

Click to read all the reviews and find great ideas for holiday gifts for toddlers to teens.