I was walking to Newton Centre with my four youngest kids, on a mission to make cupcakes. There’s a place there where you can make your own!  Plus they sell a buncha cupcake paraphernalia that Supermom just loves. I’ve loved cupcakes–the visual, not so much the taste–for as long as I can remember.  It’s a super happy thing for me. My kids n I draw em often.

It’s a 30 minute walk each way and I was pushing the twins in a double stroller. Sagey, age 7, was pushing Phoenix, age 4.

My kids are good sports so I was surprised to hear Sagey begin to complain.  “I’m tired. It’s hot,” etc. On and on it went. I kept focusing on the positive–the sky, the grass, the cupcake decorating coming soon–when Phoenix, being pushed in the stroller, said, “I not tired at all!”

Sagey and I laughed so hard that she forgot that she was tired.

Laughter is the great distracter and healer. And it’s free and available to you 24/7. Go get you some.

Funniest Quotes so far from The 5 Wells Kids:

January 9, 2011:

It’s Super-mom’s last day of the Prana Cleanse.  She’s very hungry since she’s had only green juice for four days and is nursing the twins. Sagey says, “If I were doing the Cleanse, I would take two sips.  That would be MY cleanse.”

January 5, 2011:

Philippe is dropping Sage off for her first young illustrators’ class, with all the other first graders.  Phoenix wants to go in, and he tells him it’s not for him.  Phoenix asks, “Is it just for old people?”

January 5, 2011:

Philippe is walking past the bathroom, and Phoenix is inside, telling his stories: “I not Big Bird.”

December 28, 2010:

Supermom at Target with Madison, Sagey, and Phoenix shopping the 50% off Christmas decoration stuff aisle for next year.  She gets quite a few large ornaments for the trees in the yard and when she wheels the cart up to Madison and Sagey who were in the Juniors Department checking out clothes, both Madison and Sagey’s mouths drop open. Sagey says, “I was like, my Mom is a minimalist.  She doesn’t like to shop.  She doesn’t buy stuff.  What is THAT?  Did she change her personality?”

December 28, 2010:  Phoenix and Sagey are up late on the computer when they should have been in bed.  Philippe says, “Sage, you should know better.”  Phoenix asks, “Is I know better?”

December 24, 2010:  Phoenix is opening Madison’s present and says, “But it can’t be a book.”

November 30, 2010:  Phoenix:  “I’m going to play catch … and I so good at it.”

November 27 2010:  Sagey said, “Mommy, there are too many presents!” (Under the Christmas tree)

November 25, 2010:

Thanksgiving.  Phoenix:  “I thankful for everything . . . and the yoga.”

November 24, 2010:  Phoenix was cutting paper with scissors and Super-mom said to be mindful and careful.  Phoenix responded, “Ya, because if I cut my fingers, I’ll have to get new ones, right?”

November 5, 2010 P:  Phoenix playing with his cars.  The cars are saying this to each other:  ”Whatever….” (You know you’re living with a teenager when.)

October 28, 2010:  Phoenix about ghosting:  “Is I weird?”

October 27, 2010:  I asked Phoenix to brush his teeth and put his jammies on.  He said (as he was bouncing on his bed), “I busy.”

October 22, 2010:  Sage wants to write a book like Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  She says her book will be:  “Diary of a Happy Kid.”

October 20, 2010:  Phoenix said (after I told him I was 3), “You not three, you twenty-one.”

October 16, 2010:  Phoenix asked where he was when Sagey was little.  I said he was still out in the Universe.  Phoenix said, “I love the Universe.”

October 16, 2010:  Phoenix asked me what I am going to be for Halloween.  I said Spiderman (he’s going to be that).  He said, “No, what is you going to be, Taxi Driver?”

September 30, 2010:  Phoenix:  “One day ago, I is getting married.” (One day before our niece Chelsea’s wedding).

September 29, 2010:  Phoenix used the word frashile for the first time today.  He wanted to take the Eiffel tower (actually the Sankaty lighthouse) upstairs.  I told him to be careful.  He said, “Why?  Because it frashile?”

September 29, 2010:  I’m trying on fancy dresses I borrowed from Jene to wear to our niece’s wedding.  Sagey says excitedly, “Mom is the most beautiful, the most beautiful, the most beautiful, she’s ever been!”

It was a big day today. Our twins started preschool.

I remember when Madison, now 14, started at JAMS, the toddler preschool in Waban, Mass where we’ve sent all 5 of our kiddos.  It really seems like yesterday.  I’ve heard it said that the days are long but the years are short…but my days fly by too, so wow, yeah, enjoy it Supermoms.  All of it. Even the seemingly mundane moments.  Like the sixty minutes Philippe and I spent filling out paperwork at JAMS this morning.  I’m actually not exaggerating.  It was an hour, and we were writing the whole time.

As I was filling out the same questions over and over again on page after page I was mindful to be aware of my breath and on every inhale I inhaled golden white light.  On every exhale I exhaled stuck energy.  I let my thoughts wander to Madison and Sagey and Phoenix’s first days at jams. To my labor with the twins. To the present moment, their first day of school.

Last night at bedtime as we surrounded the twins with golden white light in their crib and called in the reiki, Madison asked, “Mom, are you sad that after tomorrow the twins will go to school forever?”  (LOL)

“Nope,” I responded.  “I’m grateful and joyful that they are healthy and happy and strong and developing beautifully.”

Notice where you are resisting today and shift your mind to something positive.  It’s a discipline, a practice.  It’s there if ya look for it.  Make it your dominant intention that all day today you will look for things that make you feel good.

Even if it’s the fact that Philippe spent an hour doing preschool paper work.  Perhaps the first man in history to do so.

A reader wrote this:

“Hi Taylor – Loving the latest posts, both on Best Life Ever and Super Mom!  Two questions – has Philippe also relinquished the raw vegan approach?  I ask because my partner and I have vastly different eating habits – I’m a salad/veggie/tofu kind of girl and he’s a steak bomb with extra mayo kind of guy.  I sometimes find it tough to make different meals and once in a while (okay, a little more often than that), find myself eating something that doesn’t really feel right to me.  Second question -not sure how to phrase this, so I’ll just put it out there.  Does trading in such a restrictive lifestyle ever make you feel “less special?”  I suffered from anorexia for about 6 years when I was younger – when I finally gave it up, I felt a lot of the things you described, “free”!  I can eat a slice of pizza and it’s okay.  There were a lot of good feelings, but also a sense of loss.  The restrictive eating had become part of my identity, even though I knew that it wasn’t necessarily healthy, it made me feel stronger and lighter.  I know you described the raw vegan lifestyle as having some of those same benefits, even though you approached it from a place of health and light, not darkness as in my case.  But you must have had some moments – like at Disneyworld – when you thought that you were “better” than other people for having the strength and discipline to make the sacrifices that a raw vegan lifestyle required.  I don’t mean that in a critical or negative way, it’s just the most honest way that I can think to put it!”

Thanks for the comment and excellent question.

I have actually felt “special” and “different” for as long as I can remember, but not in a narcissistic (LOL) way, but just as a matter of fact. Not good or bad or better or worse.  Just it is what it is.

I now understand this from a metaphysical and spiritual place like this. Everyone feels “special” and “different” at birth. That’s why every baby takes your breath away and even the angriest “hater” will crack a smile when in the presence of a little “popper,” as we’ve all nicknamed our babies and all babies (LOL).

But with time and life and socialization, kids begin to forget. To forget that they are indeed special and different. Yet totally connected to all as well.

So why didn’t this happen to me?  My theory is that the “socialization” that happened in our house was so off, so not me, that I totally and completely rejected it. I said to myself over and over again, “that is not me. I am light. I know who I am. And one day I’ll be outta here and free.”

Concurrent with feelings of difference, I’ve always felt incredibly connected with others and super social and loved being with people and helping them if they so asked, and girl they always have. I joked on my masters and doctoral program apps that I’d been a shrink my whole life, I’d just never had the “official degrees” so I wanted to seal the deal.

They accepted me.

I totally get what you’re saying about the specialness and subsequent judgment because I worked with clients with eating disorders for years when working clinically, and they described this often.

I didn’t at all think you sounded harsh or critical by the way sister.

While at places like Disneyworld by the way I would usually feel triumphant that I could finesse both worlds concurrently, that was my focus, as well as its a small world.

So the letting go of the label for me has just been a huge sense of relief and freedom and confidence that this is the right thing for my family and me.  And yes, Philippe also let go of the label, so supermom ain’t makin more than one meal per mealtime for our party of seven. . But I hear ya sister because when I was married to Madison’s dad, I made three meals for the three of us.  So I been there!

I received this sweet email from a reader:

“Taylor,

We haven’t met, but this thanksgiving I am thankful for you!  I am a regular reader of Supermom (best part of a Monday) and now your “best life ever” blog on the herald site. I am a mother of 2 sweet little boys (ages 3 and 2) who remind me every day to be present   and live in the moment. The other “stuff” (cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying bills, etc) will get done too, but what really matters is enjoying the company of those you love and not taking a single minute for granted. I am so grateful for my health and the health and happiness of those I love. Some days are easier than others, but thanks to your writing, when I need a little “mommy time out” you are always there with a positive uplifting message. As you have said (I think it was u!) feeling peaceful is a skill and I am able to practice that skill by reading your words every day. So thank you for being you and spreading your light. It is much appreciated by people like me who have never met u but feel like we know u because we connect with your message. Keep it coming sista!

Lots of love to u and ur “plus 5″

Namaste!”

First off, I gotta say that reading this email brought tears to my eyes, because THIS is why I write.  Period.

So much gratitude to and for you, Sister, and your thoughtful and heart-felt words.

Next, I gotta say, if I may so bold to do so (and you KNOW I am and will be—LOL), that it’s OK and so normal and on the path of a SUPERMOM to sometimes look the other way when your adorable and perfect and wonderful and amazing and legendary in every way toddler or wee one is doing something and wants you to look and be present, but ya just gotta get something done in that moment (gasp!).

Oh girl, yeah, it’s not only OK…it’s actually good!  (I’m sayin “girl” to all of you reading this–not just the reader who wrote me).

I now have five kids, spanning ages 1-14 and so I can SEE with my own two eyes that my 14-year-old don’t remember all the moments that I hadda get something done but didn’t (and stayed up late that night after she went to sleep to do so instead) because I had to be the “perfect” Mom (as many a Supermom gasps because because she knows there ain’t no such thing.)

I tried so hard to do it all “right” and be “perfect” for my little girl, and so I wanna help some of you first time Supermoms out there to not be so damn hard on yo-selves, as I was on myself.

Your kiddo will be just FINE, if you take that call, cook that meal, do that load of laundry, type that email, sit down for a sec and rest yo weary feet.

IN FACT, I will argue that your child will be even happier and more grounded and better suited to do his or her thang in this big world of ours, learning that he or she needs to wait sometimes.  That it ain’t ALWAYS 100% totally and completely about him or her.     We can all be do and have whatever we want, but there’s a path, and sometimes it don’t happen in EXACTLY the way we wanted it to and/or envisioned it.  And that’s OK.

Now I DIDN’T teach this to my first-born, until her little sister Sagey was born (and my first-born was then six and a half).  At that point I was nursing or changing a diap or whatever and just COULDN’T play princesses with her at that very moment.  It’s just the way it was.  When I could, I was absolutely present with her and enjoyed her amazing presence, and am to this day—with all of my plus 5.  But there are times when it just ain’t the path.  It just ain’t possible.  This is real life.  This is the path.  And it’s OK.

Now I notice that my lovely fourteen year old (first-born child) sometimes STILL wants ALL the attention, even though we now have five kiddos, including twin 19 month olds.  This could be because she’s a teen or it could be, well, that I TRAINED her to be that way.    I joke with her about this sometimes.  I say, “Do you remember that time when I schlepped you to the Swan Boats when it was wicked hot out and we did the whole Boston thing and the Make Way for Ducklings thing and then got lunch and then ice cream and then played in the park?  “No Mom,” she replies quickly, “But can you drive me to the mall?”

So relax Supermoms.  Yes, what you do matters.  It does it does it does.  So much.  But don’t try to be perfect and don’t’ beat yo-selves up.  Please.  You gonna teach your brood so much more by bein real and honest and loving and kind and calm and patient and makin mistakes and beginning again and laughing and smiling and sometimes sayin, “Sorry hon, I can’t look right now or I can’t play right now or I can’t make you a snack this red hot minute… because I just have to do this.  Please wait your turn.”

And still your amazingly wonderful child will be just that, amazingly wonderful.

The photo from the first Prana Power Yoga Holiday card we sent out.

It’s that time of year again…holiday card time.

This year it’s gonna be different for us.  After all of the wisdom I’ve gleaned over the past six or so months.

I learned a lot by owning and selling a restaurant.  One thing I learned was that it’s really best to speak your mind because either people are going to like you, or they’re not.  It’s just that simple.  If you try to please everyone, #1 You won’t, it’s impossible, #2  You won’t feel balanced, and #3 You won’t, it’s impossible. 

For the last several years we sent Holiday cards to family, friends, and our Prana Power Yoga teachers, Studio Coordinators and Volunteers, and students—those who had given us their snail mail addresses (a small percentage of the total number of students who come one of the five Pranas).  Then after opening the restaurant, we sent Holiday cards to our restaurant staff and customers—again, those who had given us their snail mail addresses—a small percentage of the total number of people.  But those numbers added up and we sent out A LOT of Holiday cards.  Shutterfly loved us!  Let’s just say we got a discount because we ordered so many. 

The problem was, people who DIDN’T receive a card from Prana Power Yoga or the restaurant and heard that others did (only because we didn’t have their snail mail address), well, they got upset.  One server from our restaurant wrote me an angry email about it.  This of course had nothing to do with us not wanting to send the server a Holiday card; it had to do with his address not being on “the list,” which had nothing to do with Philippe and me.

So although our intention was to make people happy with a card, since it was impossible to make sure everyone received one because it was up to them to provide a snail mail address and very few people do that anymore…it ended up making some people hurt or angry.  Or both.  Not at all our intention!

So this year, we are only sending Holiday cards to very close friends and family.  Keeping it real simple.  Shutterfly will be bummed, but a lot of other people won’t be.

The lesson?  Dr. Suess said it well, “The people who matter don’t mind and the people who mind don’t matter.”

Please read Part 1 from last Monday before you read this.

So there’s discipline and there’s focus and there’s goals.

And then there’s expectations.

The difference is similar, I believe, to the difference between motivation and inspiration.  It can be subtle.  It’s energetic.  But so so important.

A wise teacher once told me, “Motivation the ability to force yourself to act.  Inspiration is the impulse to act.”

To be “inspired” means, quite literally, to be “in spirit,” or “with your spirit.”

So when you are inspired, you are “in the flow.”  Life flows through you and for you. Things don’t happen “to” you, things happen “for” you.

I used to live my live fueled mostly by motivation, and girl, that ain’t no way to live.

You’d never have known by looking at my resume.  I had “it all.”  The degrees, the accolades, the Ivy Leagues—you name it!  It was “mine.”  What was missing?

Joy. Love. Grace.  Freedom.  Inspiration.

My mind was checking everything off my list—one by one, my body was aching with pain from this or that ailment or illness, and my Spirit was suffocating.  Even my relationship with my partner at the time reflected this stagnant energy.

Then one day it all came to a screeching halt.  What opened my eyes?  My yoga practice.

As I breathed in and breathed out, moved through the poses passed down for over 5 centuries, and began to let go, my Spirit began to speak—and once it began, there was no stoppin’ it Sister.

Things began to fall away naturally—toxic things that didn’t belong in my life and weren’t serving me.  Friendships that had long ended moved on and new friendships brimming with joy and love and promise began.  Clothes found their way into bags to be given to charity.  Various “things” in my home that weren’t me and cluttered my mind and my life found other homes.  Even my body changed—effortlessly and quickly.

With every single practice, I became lighter–body and mind–and I began to feel joy and peace.  Peace!  I had had no idea what this was at the time. No idea.

Back in the day, I recall my therapist asked me to visualize a place that I felt “peaceful,” and this caused me even more anxiety as I attempted to figure out what she “wanted” me to say, because I had no idea what that would be or even look like.  Let’s just say peace wasn’t my every step—or any of my steps. 

I was a “doer,” and do I did; however, peace and joy were not part of the package.
So yes, I was “motivated”—motivated by fear, really.  Fear of not being enough.  Motivated by EXPECTATIONS.  Of others, yes, but more importantly, my own.  Fear of the anxiety that would pervade me if I weren’t always doing something, achieving something, moving “forward”—whatever that meant.

But now, after committing to a regular yoga practice, I have found inspiration and let go of expectations.  And this is a whole different way to live, thank The Universe.

Being inspired means following your intuition—what feels right?  Instead of being glued to that list of things to do and EXPECTING to get them done, listening to what your heart wants to do right now.  This takes courage.  And your yoga practice will give you the courage.

By breathing away fear on your mat regularly, you open up/create the space for anything that you want.  You create the potential—your pure potential—which has always been there…it’s just been hiding behind fear.

“Motivation,” admired by so many, is actually fueled by fear.  So yes, you’ll “go far” fueled by motivation; but only so far, and there will be relatively little joy and peace, if any.

Inspiration, on the other hand, is the gateway to pure potentiality.  You can literally be, do, and have anything that you want.  If you follow your Spirit, follow your heart, and believe.

So when people ask me, “How do you DO all that you do with 5 kids?” I tell them that it’s easy, if I do my daily yoga practice and live by these 11 words:  Only do what your Spirit loves and let go of expectations.

Because when you only do what your Spirit loves, you are inspired (in-spirit), and your main vibration is joy and appreciation—and from there, anything and everything is possible, the “pressure of time” slips away, everything lines up easily, you are always at the right place at the right time meeting the right people and being offered the right opportunities, and everything feels and is easy.

Why?  Because it’s all about vibration, Sisters.  What you put out comes back to you—always.  This is The Law of Attraction.

If what I’m saying is resonating with you but you just don’t know how to get started on this path, write the following quotes on note cards and read them daily:

*Only do what your Spirit loves.

*Have faith.

*Breathe.

*Try easy.  Everything is easy for me.

*Respect your path.

*If you weren’t afraid, what would you do?

*Hold your vision.  See it!  And trust the process.

*My main vibration is appreciation.

*To avoid criticism:  say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

*Think out of the box.

*Relax and let the Law of Attraction do the organization, the managing, and then you spend your time doing the things that please you.

*I’m creating the essence of whatever I’m thinking.

*Focus:  where will you expend your energy, time, and talent?

*Being overwhelmed is about you not being up to speed with what you told the Universe that you want.

*Clear your aura.  Simplify.

*Paddle downstream.

*At the moment of commitment, The Universe conspires to assist you.

*It should be easy and flow.  It should flow beautifully and easily.

*Relax and have fun.

*My job is to relax, appreciate and enjoy.

Two readers posted these comments:

“Taylor, 
I read your blog post this morning (called “Expectations”) at a time when I was feeling bad that I didn’t get as far in my Tax homework as I would have liked. After reading your post, I looked at my calendar. It is filled with expectations. I contemplated deleting the daily requirements for myself to finish this section of work or that, but held off. I then spoke with a friend over lunch, as something about all this was just irking me and I couldn’t figure out what it was. 
My friend listened to me recount your post and to my subsequent reaction. She then went on to say, “While that is all well and good, there is a flip side.” She told me about how she and her sister had set a goal to run a 10k at an 8min/mile pace. To do so, they had to train over the winter, which was really tough. But, they did it! They achieved their goal and my friend said it felt amazing. I’ve experienced a similar feeling when I completed a bike marathon a few years back. Today, I continuously strive for that satisfying sentiment. It feels so good to set a goal and accomplish it. No matter how big or small. 
So, I just think that it is important to highlight the tension between expectations and goals. I’m not sure I know exactly where the line is and would love to hear your thoughts on the distinction. In any event, I just hope that readers identify whether they have an expectations or a goal. If someone discards the latter unwittingly, they may forgo the opportunity for well-deserved satisfaction in an attempt to evade disappointment.”

AND

“That’s a topic I want to dig into too. I think that if I focus so much on an expectation in place of doing the work for the goal/expectation, then that goal/expectation either does not happen or, if it does, it lasts for less time, or I struggle to achieve it. Perhaps the frequent downside of expectation is that we spend too many present moments expecting instead of being in that present moment. An expectation can pull you out of the present moment, whereas a goal can remind you why you need to refocus or have discipline or put work in. This is really more of a question than a statement! 
If I relate this to how I run, I find that it is very helpful for me to remind myself of a goal, for example, you want to run there as fast as you can, or keep working hard so you can reach this time (for the broader goal of whatever it is I like about running long and fast), but once I’ve reminded my body and mind of what I want, I focus on other things – my work – freeing my mind, feeling the ground, moving my feet with courage with each step etc. …. 
Here I am talking too much –  -but I think this also holds true for less clearly trackable goals such as – giving love – being vulnerable – connecting…. If I am stuck repeating and checking for the goal and expectation – I can’t really by actually doing the work for that goal – which in this case is kind of an end in and of itself, but also connects to broader life goals. So my final point is, I like goals. And, the work in the present moment is kind of always the important bit. 
I’m interested in the topic of expectations…I like this quote ‘I would rather have a mind open with wonder than closed with belief’….”

Wonderful posts.  Amazing and important questions!

First of all, I’m clearly a person who has goals, yes?    So yeah, I hear ya!  I am absolutely not sayin don’t have goals.  There is a big difference between goals, focus, and discipline and…expectations.  A huge energetic difference.

Sisters, hear this.    There is many a morning when Supermom don’t wanna get on her mat.  Don’t wanna get up at 4am to do so before my plus 5 awakens.  Don’t wanna get on the computer to answer emails so that our five Prana Power Yoga studios (Brooklyn opens this weekend!) run smoothly and the best ever.  That’s when I use discipline.  Just as the reader’s friend used it to get out there and train for the 10K when it was way burrrrrr outside.

I learned discipline early on.  I figure skated every morning at 5am before kindergarten, training for the Olympics.  So it was set into the Jell-O mold early, so to speak.

I then lived at my tennis coach’s home in Sarasota Florida at age 13 to train to go pro.  Not common experiences.  I’m aware of that.    And if you’re thinking, “Oh, I didn’t have those kind of early formative experiences Taylor so I don’t have much or any discipline,” I’m here to tell ya that if a person feels they have “no discipline whatsoever,” there is hope!  There’s always hope!  You can always begin again in this moment.  You can set an intention and start telling a new story.  Something like, “I am so disciplined!  It’s easy for me to (fill in the blank) even when I don’t feel like it!”  Fake it till you make it Sisters.  The Universe don’t know if what you’re imagining is real or well, your imagination.  It will simply send you the manifestation to match the vibration.

This is similar to the mantra I made up when I noticed I was always a few minutes “behind” schedule with the bazillion drop offs and pick-ups with my five kiddos.  We’d make it on time but there was always that oops goin on, with me wishin we had left a few minutes earlier (as Supermoms out there smile in unison since they totally relate).

The moment I noticed this, I began saying, “I’m always seven minutes early.”  To my amazement, after only one day of saying it, when I looked at the clock after finishing my morning yoga practice, I was, in fact, SEVEN MINUTES EARLY.  I giggled and thanked the Universe. 

But I digress.   And this is already too long, so Part 2 it is…next week.

A few tips for tonight:
1.  Don’t Frankenstein Your Lights

When purchasing electrical decorations, make sure to shop at a reputable retailer and look for the UL Mark.  Be sure to check the rating on your extension cords and do not plug in more than the recommended wattage.  Use special, heavy-duty extension cords for high wattage decorations such as fog machines and electrically powered inflatable decorations.

2.  Inspect Decorations with Fiendish Care

Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard. Replace damaged light strings with energy-efficient LED lights.  Look for a red UL Mark to indicate that lights are certified for both indoor and outdoor use. A green UL mark indicates certification for indoor use only.

3.  Beware of Candles

Candles, especially in a Jack O’Lantern, should be off the ground and out of children’s reach. Try battery-operated LED candles for an even safer option.

4.  Don’t Trip Up Your Goblins

Halloween costumes should allow full movement for your kids. Costumes that drag, constrict or drape pose a dangerous hazard, especially at night. Check to ensure that costumes don’t restrict your children’s vision, and instruct them to watch out for tripping hazards, such as cords.

5.  Say Boo to Unsafe Costumes

Be sure to purchase or make costumes out of flame-resistant materials such as nylon or polyester as these specially marked fabrics will resist burning and extinguish quickly.

6.  Be Safe and Bright

Choose costumes that are lighter in color and attach reflective materials to costumes. Make sure each child has a flashlight to help them see and be seen.

7.  HAVE THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!

Halloween’s just around the corner.  What’s the costume gonna be this year?

Last year we bought about a billion costumes at a yard sale that a Prana Power Yoga student was having, and of course, my plus 5 have no desire to wear any of those costumes this year (LOL).  Dakota and Montana have no say in the matter (they’re 18 months old) so I’ll squeeze em into the two pumpkin outfits fo sure because it don’t get any cuter than a 18 month old pair o pumpkin twins. 

So…what are your kiddos contemplating?  And helloooowww, what’s the deal with those catalogues espousing $40 costumes (don’t be embarrassed, I’ve partaken in em before, with my first child, Madison, two at the time).

Sagey, age 7, told me yesterday that she’s gonna be “a robber,” and described how she will do so, without needing a “real” costume.  I reminded her of the eight billion other costumes in the cedar closet and more importantly, of deliberate creation, and asked her if she really wanted to be a robber. 

Here’s what HALLOWEEN SEARCHES ON YAHOO came up with this year:

Baby Love. Babies are innocent and sweet, and most parents tend to make sure the costumes are a match for that innocence, and animal and flower costumes are usual favorites. Searches for “baby costumes” are up more than 3,700% this month. The 2011 trends? Angry Bird baby costume, cookie monster and Disney’s “Up”.

Top Searched Baby Halloween Costumes

Angry Bird

Cookie Monster

Butterfly

Dinosaur

Pumpkin

Top Searched Toddler Halloween Costumes

▪               Pirate

▪               Stay Puff Marshmallow

▪               Disney’s “Up”

▪               Elephant

▪               Brother/Sister costume ideas for toddlers

Top Searched Kids Halloween Costumes:

1.           Lava Girl

2.           Disney (Mickey, Minnie)

3.           Harry Potter

4.           Michael Jackson

5.           Nerd

Do it yourself?  Are the best costumes homemade costumes? Yahoo! searches for “homemade Halloween costume” are spiking 658% this month. Most likely, it’s not about the costume, but the fun with family and friends that goes into making the costume. Whether it’s a costume, caramel apples or pumpkin carving, Halloween is a time when holiday projects start capturing the attention of people across the country.

Top Searched DIY Searches:

1.           Halloween crafts

2.           Easy to make Halloween costumes

3.           How to make a mask?

4.           Haunted house ideas

5.           Create a haunted room

So what are you up to this Halloween Supermoms?   I’d love to hear.