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When it comes to Halloween costumes, everybody spends a different amount of time, money and effort on their kids. I usually put together various items from all different shops (online and otherwise) to create something original, even if it isn’t necessarily handmade.

Since I end up buying so many random things, I use my Amex EveryDay Credit Card because it rewards you for all your purchases, big & small, from that plastic pair of fangs to the LED ghost display in your yard – all for no annual fee. You also earn 2x the points at US grocery stores, so make sure to put that Halloween candy on your card too!

Let’s take a look back at all the Halloween costumes my kids have worn over the years, shall we?

When Mazzy was one, I went the handmade route. But I can’t sew and I’m not that crafty, so I opted for something really simple. Mazzy was a piece of sushi. Tuna sushi to be exact.

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It seemed super clever at the time but this was way before parents started competing for repins on Pinterest. Now I know Mazzy’s sushi costume was scraping the bottom of the barrel. I mean it’s not like she was a massive robot with actual mechanics or anything.

I used a plain white onesie and white tights already found in her drawer. Then I made a red pillow out of felt, stuffed it with cotton balls and fastened it to her waist with a piece of black felt as a belt. I gave her a chartreuse hat to stand in for a glob of wasabi.

A lot of people do the sushi on the front of the costume but my way suited Mazzy better because she was a professional crawler at the time.

Look at my Tuna sushi go!

When Mazzy was two, I made her a Corduroy costume. And by “made,” I mean I found a woman who sews corduroy overalls on Etsy and asked her to make mine in green with a purple pocket. “Can you leave off the top button please?”

Once she realized what I was doing, she offered to throw in overalls for Mazzy’s bear. That bear has dressed as Corduroy ever since.

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Every proper Corduroy needs ears and I found these brilliant crocheted clip ears on Etsy as well. Unfortunately, that seller no longer exists or else I would buy them again. Mazzy wore them for the next few years, no bear costume necessary.

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When Mazzy was three, I continued with the storybook theme and made her an Olivia costume. As I mentioned, I can’t really sew so I bought a red dress at Old Navy and then made the collar with the stars on it, using glue instead of sewing needles.

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Mazzy already owned black and white striped leggings and I purchased handmade Olivia ears on Etsy which she wore for the length of time it took to take these photos and then never again.

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Unfortunately, that outfit never really got used because Halloween was canceled that year due to Hurricane Sandy.

I should mention that Hurricane Sandy also left us without any heat, so Mazzy put a pink pig costume to good use and wore it to bed that year.

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I just sat here for a half hour trying desperately to remember what Mazzy and Harlow were for Halloween in October 2013. I couldn’t find it on the blog so I had to search back two years on Instagram to determine they were Superbaby and Tinkerbell.

Oh yes, that’s right. HOW CRAZY THAT I COULD NOT REMEMBER!

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I guess that was the year I put the least amount of thought into their costumes. Opting for store bought over handmade.

Actually, I believe Mazzy’s costume was store bought while Harlow’s costume was found in her closet. A random gift given to us by my sister. You can either call me lazy or super resourceful.

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Now that I remember, a shop called The Wishing Elephant sent us a bunch of costume onesies. I got to dress Harlow as R2D2 among other things, but when it came to venturing outdoors, those costumes didn’t really work.

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Last year, Mazzy went as Flower Girl (her made-up superhero that can spray water out of her hands to grow flowers) and Harlow went as Audrey Hepburn.

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For Mazzy’s outfit, I bought a pink satin cape and superglued hand-cut felt flowers, ruining our dining room table in the process. I made a headband with felt and elastic. And lastly, I found shiny pink pants at American Apparel which completed the look nicely.

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Super Mazzy

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Harlow wore a dress we already owned (she wore it to a wedding) and then I found all the accessories on random online shops. I remember it being a bit of a panic whether they would all arrive on time— they did.

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But really, Harlow’s serious expression is what sold the outfit. It even earned her a feature on Humans of New York.

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Somehow adding a coat made it even more perfect.

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Of course, Mazzy ended up abandoning her costume and going as Anna from Frozen on the actual day. Glad I ruined my dining room table for a store bought princess costume.

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We had an awesome Halloween last year though. That was the year I discovered trick or treating in Manhattan is pretty great.

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This year, we are going the store bought route as well. Mazzy has had her heart set on being Disgust from Inside Out, ever since she saw the movie this summer.

Following suit, Harlow wants to be Joy.

Unfortunately, every child on earth also wants to be Joy and Disgust and by the time I went to purchase their costumes, they were sold out everywhere. (It was the beginning of October! I thought I was early this year!)

I finally found one seller on Amazon who apparently makes it his business to buy all the popular costumes that year and then sell them to desperate parents for ridiculous prices. I will not tell you how much I paid.

He also lied on his seller page and said the costume didn’t include the wig so I bought a separate wig (from the same seller), only to realize I had two once the package arrived. Luckily, I was able to return one. But if they had made it difficult, the Amex EveryDay comes with Return Protection, which refunds the entire purchase price (up to $300 per item) if you try to return within 90 days from the date of purchase, even if the merchant tries to tell you he won’t take it back.

The Joy costume starts at size four which is way too big for Harlow so I ended up ordering the blue wig (still waiting for it, FYI) and my plan is create her yellow dress myself.

Did I mention how AWFUL the Disgust costume is? I mean— WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS WIG??

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No matter, because Mazzy loves it.

If Harlow’s Joy costume fails, I’ve got an Anna Wintour costume in my back pocket. Which is basically just Harlow in sunglasses.

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This post was sponsored by the Amex EveryDay Credit Card which rewards multi-tasking parents so we can take a step back and appreciate the #EveryDayMoments that make the holidays so special.