Happy Halloween! With Halloween on a Saturday this year, families will definitely be spending more time celebrating than usual.  Looking for Halloween events for your family? Visit our Events Calendar and look for the haunted house pictured on the left - it will let you know all of the great events coming up. And many of them are FREE so take advantage! If we're missing any, use our easy form to submit - we'll post them to our calendar almost immediately.

Halloween is a really fun time but we can't forget that there are also some dangers.  Here are some tips to ensure you and your family have a safe Halloween, provided by the Home Safety Council, dedicated to helping families stay safe in and around their homes.

• All children under age 12 should trick or treat with an adult since they may be walking at night and in unfamiliar territory. 
  
• Only purchase costumes and accessories labeled "flame retardant" or "flame resistant".
• Avoid purchasing costumes made of long, flowing material and accessories than can move or blow over open flames. 
  
• Choose costumes that are light, bright and clearly visible.  Apply reflective tape to the front and back of costumes to help motorists see your child.
• Visit our Halloween Tips to read more.

Parents, remember that Halloween isn't just for kids!  There are plenty of things to do around Long Island just for adults.  Visit our Events Calendar to find out more information on Haunted Houses, Trails of Terror and more fun things to do if you have a night out!

We asked around and came up with some great Halloween tips for you.  Feel free to submit your own or letting us know how these work for your family.

• Visit Mommysavers.com for easy to use information on cost cutting for Halloween such as costumes under $10, homemade costumes, craft and decorating ideas.
• BHG.com has launched its annual 100 Days of Holidays, a celebration of all things Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's related.  It is a great resource for finding instructions for creative Halloween pumpkins, craft projects and more.
• Find "green" ways to celebrate and "green" products to use for Halloween by visiting websites such as GreenHalloween.org and CelebrateGreen.net.

Head over to Family Favorites and post your (or your kids) favorite thing about Halloween. As you post your suggestions, others can share in your ideas and it's a great way to get ideas from others. Be sure to include a valid e-mail address - at the end of the week, we'll pick a few postings and send you tickets to Kidtoons movies at National Amusements Movie Theaters. LIParentSource.com is about sharing resources, so don't keep secrets!

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything.

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list.

Long Island Restaurant Week is Back!  For the fourth year in a row, local restaurants participating in Long Island Restaurant Week will offer amazing 3 course prix fixe meals for $24.95 every night (except Saturday when it will be offered only until 7pm)!  Starting November 1 and running through November 8, each participating restaurant will offer their own unique menu, giving Long Islanders amazing opportunities to experience their cuisine, décor and service at bargain prices.  Visit the official website of Long Island Restaurant Week, follow them on Twitter or become their fan on Facebook to see all of the amazing restaurants participating.

This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the United States. (Skin cancer is #1.) According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. Ladies, this is a friendly reminder to those of you who need mammograms to be sure to you schedule your screenings as indicated by your physician.

At the Long Island Children's Museum, October is All Around the Globe month.  Visit the museum this month as they spin the globe and zoom in for a closer look at the cultures and countries that surround us.  See what we all have in common and how we are different - grab your passport for some worldly adventures!  Visit our Events Calendar to stay up to date on where the LICM is traveling today, and don't forget to visit Parent Perks for a great discount on admission!Join Motherhood Later...Than Sooner (www.motherhoodlater.com) for an evening workshop on Tuesday, November 17th, 7 - 9:30pm. This is an opportunity for mothers age 35+ to enjoy mingling with mom peers and to gain valuable parenting insight. MotherhoodLater.com is an international resource/community dedicated to serving those parenting later in life, and there is no fee to join, at present. Chapters are nationwide and beyond, and the NY chapter has over 400 members and is growing steadily.

Motherhood Later...Than Sooner is holding an evening workshop on Tuesday, November 17th from 7 – 9:30pm in Manhasset focusing on How To Prepare Our Children For A Successful Future.  Janice Smestad, MS Ed, will address such topics as how we can effectively pass on our values to our child, current research regarding brain development, how to deal with a child who struggles, the types of activities children should be pursuing and more.  Visit our Events Calendar for more information, including how to register for this great workshop.