We've been pretty obsessed with Halloween here at Parenting.com these last few weeks: Oohing and ahhing over your amazing Homemade Costume Contest entries, salivating at the thought of all of the treats we'll be making, lusting after all these incredible Etsy homemade costumes...

But yesterday, when talk at our morning meeting turned to "So what's everyone going to be for Halloween this year?", there was a lot of hemming and hawing. Almost no one, it seemed, had actually had time to think about their own costumes yet.

For once, I've avoided the last-minute costume scramble: I decided last week I was going to be Punky Brewster, and found all of my 80's costume elements pretty easily at American Apparel, H&M, and Strawberry. The finishing touch was a set of buttons from M&J Trimming, which I attached to my pigtails with thread.

How about you -- are you dressing up this year? Or is getting your little trick-or-treater outfitted and out the door enough of challenge?

Use It in the Kitchen:

Freeze it. Throughout the year, add it to milkshakes, sundaes, ice cream, and plain cookie dough. (For a quick milkshake, add mini Butterfinger or Snickers bars to ice cream or frozen yogurt and milk. Bonus: add a banana.)

Bake it into cakes. Try peanut butter cup cookies or brownies with fun sized candy bars inside. Or just put it on top of cakes and cupcakes, or stir it into icing. (For great recipes see recipegoldmine.com/candybar.)

Make it a (sort of) healthy snack. Fill celery stalks with cream cheese and top with Peanut M&Ms.

DIY trail mix. Open bags of little candies like M&Ms and make your own trail mix by adding pretzels, nuts, and dried fruit.

Bring it to the Thanksgiving table. Remember how your mom used to make yams with marshmallows? Try using leftover candy corn.

Adults Only:

Our in-house gear goddess (we just call her "Christina") was on the Today show this morning, showcasing some of the great Halloween costumes featured in the October issue of Parenting, as well as a ton of other fun options.

Watch the segment and if you want what you see, the list below can tell you where to get it.

Weather

Head to Land's End for the raincoat ($49.40) and rainboots ($42) used to create "Raining Cats & Dogs"

Gymboree has the shirt ($9.99), tights ($5.49), and shoes ($11.99) for "Here Comes the Sun" and the shirt ($5.99) for "Puffy Blue Cloud"

The Wizard of Oz

To be Dorothy, visit Halloween Express.com for the blue gingham dress ($32.99) and Toto-in-a-basket ($14.99). Ruby slippers can be found at Amazon.com ($14.74).

Everything you need for Glinda the Good Witch can be found at Halloween Express.com -- the dress (with belt and crown) ($31.99), and the wand ($2.99).

Get your Scarecrow costume at Amazon.com ($39.99), and don't forget the hay (Michael's, $4.99).

Amazon.com has your Lil Lion costume ($53.99) and Wizard of Oz badge of courage ($4.99).

The Tin Man has a lot of accessories, but you can get them all at Halloween Express.com: The jumpsuit and hat ($45.99), woodman’s axe ($7.49), clock heart ($6), nose ($4.99), chin ($4.99), silver gloves ($13), and silver makeup ($2.99).

Family Movie Night

Amazon.com has everything you need for this group costume: the adult-sized popcorn costume ($59.99), the infant Junior Mints costume ($32.99), the infant Tootsie Roll costume ($16.95), and the infant M&M Candy costume, in yellow ($16.99).

Rock, Paper, Scissors

How clever is this? Dress your little one up as Elvis ("rock") -- $29.99 at Amazon.com.

To be a 1930's Paper Boy just get a pageboy hat (Payless.com, $10.99), shirt (Walmart.com, $10), pants ($21.99) and vest ($26.99) from Target.com, and these socks from Macy's ($9.99).

And Edward Scissorhands completes the theme. You can get the wig, jacket, and gloves at Halloween Express.com ($39.00), as well as the makeup kit ($7.49).

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Amazon.com has everything you need to pull off this kid-fave: an adult peanut costume ($29.75), an adult purple grapes costume ($99), and a baby Wonder Bread costume ($16.99). Sweet!

The POTUS & his Secret Service

Janie and Jack can outfit your kids in suits, ties, and shoes for $19-$98. Then Wild Planet ties it all together with walkie talkies ($19.95) and ear pieces ($14.95).

Need more ideas?

Visit Halloween Central for hundreds of costume ideas!

Enter our Homemade Halloween Costume Contest for a chance to win $500!

You know those adorable DIY glossy brag books you can order online? Well, imagine all your kid's treasured Art projects in one, professionally produced, coffee-table-style book.

Just clear all those paintings off your 'fridge, scan the art, save the files on your computer, upload the images at MyPublisher.com, customize your book, and that's it!

What a cute idea for Father's Day. (Or any day! What grandparent wouldn't love one of these?) And they have a short turnaround time for shipping – just 4 days – so it's a great solution for last minute shoppers!

Countdown to Mother’s Day: 4 days. Looking for something totally unique? These Chic Mom Jewelry Pieces are definitely for Mom, but they don’t scream “#1 MOM!” like other yawn-worthy Mother’s Day gifts. This stuff screams cool – it’s just plain pretty with sweet, customizable touches to remind Mom of her kids and let her be glamorous at the same time.

Plus:
20 Mother's Day Gifts $25 and Under
30+ Ways to Pamper Yourself
Giveaway-a-Day