Illustrator Jen Goode of JGoode Designs, has put out another great color page for the upcoming holiday!  Halloween is Monday and before it’s time to trick or treat, you can color!  As well, a lot of meetings are on the weekend, so this can be a great last-minute activity for your meetings this weekend!

Download the coloring page here.

I’m going to guess that if you’re reading this site, you already know who Juliette Gordon Low is.  Today, aside from being Halloween, is her birthday.  This would be a great opportunity to teach your girls more about the history of Girl Scouting and the life of it’s founder, fondly known in her youth as “Daisy”.

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia.  On December 21, 1886, her parents’ 29th wedding anniversary, Juliette married William Mackay Low, a wealthy Englishman, at Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. Although the couple moved to England, Juliette continued her travels and divided her time between the British Isles and America.

Here’s a few cool facts about her:

• On July 3, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill authoring a stamp in honor of Juliette Gordon Low.  The stamp was one of the few dedicated to women.
• During World War II, she had a “Liberty Ship” named in her honor.
• In 1954, in Georgia, the city of Savannah honored her by naming a school for her.  A Juliette Low School also exists in Anaheim, CA.
• On October 28, 1979, Juliette Low was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
• On December 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill naming a new federal building in Savannah in honor of Juliette Low.  It was the second federal building in history to be named after a woman.
• In 1992, a Georgia non-profit honored Juliette Low as one of the first Georgia Women of Achievement.  A bust of Juliette Low is displayed in the State Capitol.  In 2000, The Deaf World in Wax, a traveling exhibit, featured her as a famous deaf American.
• On October 14, 2005, Juliette Low’s life work was immortalized in a commemorative, bronze-and-granite medallion as part of a new national monument in Washington, D.C.  The Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway pays tribute to great Americans who build their dreams into movements that have created enduring change in America.  The monument’s medallions, laid into sidewalks adjacent to the White House, form a one-mile walking path.

Halloween is one of my most favorite times of year. The weather is starting to cool off, leaves are falling, and I’m just a nut for costumes and parties and all things paranormal so I love it!

Anyone with children knows that it’s a fun time, but can be costly.  So I’ve looked around for some things to help you out.

Most people are familiar with the Spirit Halloween stores.  They pop up in otherwise vacant storefronts starting in late September.  Since Halloween is ALL they do, they’re good at it.  Most stores are well stocked and large enough to hold all the decorations and costumes you could ever ask for.  Of course, ordering online has the advantage of an even larger selection.  I stocked up on spooky decorations last year, but I know I’ll be taking advantage of this coupon code myself to beef up my arsenal of decor and replace some things that wind & rain took a toll on last year.

BuyCostumes.com is also a terrific site for costumes for all ages and sizes, even all species!  I’m a plus sized lady, so I’ve purchased quite a few costumes from the Plus Size Costumes section of their site.  They’re good quality and stand up over many wears, unlike some costumes that nearly disintegrate after one night on the town.  They have costumes for men, women, children, and dogs!  They also have a good selection of party decorations and other supplies.  This is a great deal if you’re buying costumes for the whole family.  Their selection is great, and their prices are pretty good too.

If there’s a specific pop culture themed costume you can’t find any BuyCostumes.com, you can try Hollywood Toys & Costumes.  They have a large selection of Halloween costumes that are specific to Hollywood and pop culture.  I haven’t personally bought costumes from there, so I can’t really comment on the quality of the costumes, though I’ve heard good things.  They have a lot of timely movie costumes, like Star Trek, GI Joe, and Harry Potter.

Of course, once you’re done with your Halloween fun, you’ll have pictures!  Lots and lots of them, if you’re anything like me!  I love Kodak Gallery to print my photos – they’re excellent quality and always a great price compared to taking them to a local shop.  They’ve recently adjusted their prices from 15 cents per print to just 9 cents per print for 4x6s, so you don’t even need a coupon to take advantage of the savings!

A friend of mine, illustrator Jen Goode of JGoode Designs, is hosting a great coloring contest!  It’s open to anyone, so a great filler meeting activity would be to print out the picture and let the girls color and submit them!

Download the coloring page here.

The directions to submit your colored page to the contest are very simple.

1. Scan your finished page or take a digital photo.
2. Upload the photo to Facebook or Flickr.
3. Tag the image “jgoode halloween coloring contest 2009″
4. Visit the Halloween coloring page at JGoode.com and leave a comment with the location (web address) of your finished masterpiece.

The contest ends on Halloween, October 31, 2009.  Winners will be announced November 6, 2009.  Print out the pages and enter today!

This is a super easy project for younger girls and just in time for Halloween.  The colors of yarn chosen can easily be changed to fit any holiday or theme, so feel free to adapt the colors!

Materials Needed:

• Black yarn
• Orange yarn
• Wire coat hanger
• Pliers
• 4″ wide cardboard
• Scissors
• 1½” wide ribbon
• Purchased Halloween decorations, assorted
• Fine wire
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks

Directions:

1. With pliers, shape hanger into circle, then bend hook for the hanging loop.
2. Wind yarn 20 times around the cardboard.  Slip these strands off the cardboard.  With a separate 8″ strand of yarn, tie strands together at center (see Figure 1); do not cut the yarn loops.
3. Using the ends of the 8″ strand, tie the bundle to the ring, positioning the bundle perpendicular to the wire (see Figure 2).  If necessary, trim off the ends of the 8″ strand.
4. Make another bundle and tie to the ring adjacent to the previous bundle.  Continue to make bundles and tie them to the wire in the same way, positioning each bundle against the previous bundle and working around the ring until the entire wire circle is filled.
5. Make a bow from the ribbon.  Wind yarn or fine wire through an area that can be hidden and tie or twist around wire ring.  With hot glue, attach smaller decorations.

Safety Tips!

1. Always supervise young girls when using the hot glue gun.

Here are the figures I referred to above:

Quick Shopping for This Project

• Natura One Pound Yarn- Orange
• Natura One Pound Yarn-Black
• Cables to Go 40 Watt Hot Glue Gun
• All-Temp Glue Sticks
• Long Nose Pliers 5”- Smooth Jaws
• Fiskars Creative Works Comfort Grip 7" Scissors
• Ackfeld Wire Hanger Hook/Open Center 7.5″ Bulk Gray
• Wired Arabesque 1-1/2″W 9Ft-Autumn Orange
• 26 Gauge Copper Wire – 15yd/Non-Tarnish Brass