If you've ever frozen lime Kool-Aid in a rubber glove to float in a bowl of punch, eaten all of your Halloween candy before the trick-or-treaters arrived or brought your own fog machine to the school party, this month is for you.

Consumers are expected to spend about $3.5 billion on Halloween costumes, parties, decorations and candy, according to the National Retail Federation. Halloween has become the second most-decorated holiday of the year - and a month-long fright fest for many families.

Party America in Rapid City has been busy all month with Halloween shoppers, according to Jack Wellman, owner/manager.

Rubber skeletons, coffins and fog machines are big sellers, Wellman said. Also lining the shelves are plenty of peel-and-stick wounds and warts, a self-adhesive hairy chest and a full complement of plastic weapons, including glow-in-the-dark machetes.

Parents seem to be shopping a little earlier for their children's costumes. "People buy all month long, even the end of September. But typically, our busiest period is the last two weeks of October," he said.

Tanya Kokesh has no need to go to a store to get her yearly dose of Halloween cheer. Her father-in-law, Ed Kokesh of Wagner, grows pumpkins and delivers a truckload of them to her front lawn every October. He has been making the trip to bring pumpkins to grandchildren in Sioux Falls, Yankton and Rapid City for at least 10 years. This year, however, another relative completed the pumpkin run.

"There are probably 70 to 90 pumpkins on the lawn," Kokesh said. "They're spread out all over the porch and the yard."

Her children, 10-year-old Samantha, 7-year-old Cameron and 4-year-old Jordyn, like to bring pumpkins to school to share with friends. They also plan to do plenty of carving.

Samantha has become something of an expert at carving pumpkins. "You can make them happy, sad, anything," she said. "Last year, I kind of got creative and carved a ghost in a pumpkin."

Jane Pfeifle has found a way to make Halloween magic last through Christmas. She creates keepsake Christmas ornaments, including the skeleton pictured here, out of remnants from her children's homemade Halloween costumes.

"I saw something similar to it in a magazine" about six or seven years ago, she said. "Now, the kids get an ornament every year. They were so tickled about it, and they are still so tickled about it that I can't stop doing it. It's a highly awaited event."

The ornaments are made from bits of fabric, pipe cleaners and little wooden beads for the heads. They are sewn or glued together and often include miniature accessories, such as a broom or tools.

Even as the children become too old to trick-or-treat, she's not planning to stop making ornaments. This year, one of her ornaments will be a mini replica of her daughter's very first costume: Pebbles from "The Flintstones."

Looking for family-friendly ideas for your own Halloween? Here is a roundup of tips and tidbits, culled from the Journal's wire reports and local sources:

Costumes for adults

Not ready or willing to make your own costume? Black Hills Community Theatre's Costume Shop will be open for Halloween costume rentals beginning Thursday, Oct. 18, through Wednesday, Oct. 31. Hours are from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The costume shop is at the Arts Resource Center, 1202 E. St. Francis St. Most of the 300 offerings are period costumes from the theater's shows, so be prepared to look around to find the right outfit, said Chris Lee. For more information, call 394-6091 or go to www.bhct.org.

Homemade makeup

Some costumes may require a little embellishment. Here are some cheap tricks from Tawra Kellam, author of "Halloween on a Dime."

· Fake blood - Mix 2/3 cup white corn syrup, 1 teaspoon red food coloring, 2 to 3 drops blue food coloring to darken and 1 squirt dish soap.

· Wrinkled skin - Cover face with baby powder. Draw dark lines on your skin for wrinkles. Smooth edges to blend. Cover again with baby powder. Add baby powder to your hair to create gray hair.

· Face paint - Mix 1 teaspoon corn starch, 1/2 teaspoon water, 1/2 teaspoon cold cream and food coloring in a muffin pan.

Scarecrow contest

Feeling competitive or just want to appreciate the art of the scarecrow? Your family or group may want to enter (or just enjoy) the pumpkin decorating and scarecrow contests as part of the Oktoberfest With Scarecrows, a new event to be held this Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center's LaCroix Hall (scarecrows will be on display in Memorial Park). Hurry, though. Entry forms must be turned in by Wednesday, Oct. 17. The event begins at 11 a.m. with free kids activities, entertainment and German food; a dance begins at 6 p.m. Go to www.visitrapidcity.com for form information.

Pumpkin-carving tips

· Before carving a face on a pumpkin, draw your design on a sheet of paper and tape it to the pumpkin as a template. Score the design with pins or nails.

· After carving, coat the cut edges with petroleum jelly. This will slow the pumpkin's dehydration process.

· Use metal Halloween-shaped cookie cutters for easy carving. It's like a pumpkin puzzle.

- Scripps Howard News Service

Take a great photo

Here are five tips for great Halloween photos from the photo Web site Shutterfly:

· It's hard to get a natural look when you tell children to "say cheese." Instead, try talking to them while snapping away.

· Get down on one knee when you're photographing little children.

· Stay close to the action: The closer you stand to people mobbing a neighbor for candy, the less shaky your camera work is, and that translates to a better quality photo.

· Keep the cameras rolling: Don't stop shooting after the costumes come off. Grandparents love anything having to do with the grandkids, even photos of them chowing down on candy.

· The Golden Rule: Nothing is more precious than a row of babies in their Halloween best. Prop up the pumpkins, teddy bears and little ones on a couch and get clicking.

- The Associated Press

Halloween alternatives

What are parents to do if they don't want their family to celebrate Halloween in the standard ghosts-and-goblins way? Here are some strategies:

· Discuss your objections with your kids and share your experiences with them.

· Put the focus on giving rather than getting. Collect canned food for a food bank or tell kids they can trick-or-treat, but they must share their haul with others.

· Want the fun without the fear? Plan your own celebration that doesn't include the horror factor.

· If opting out of Halloween is a new decision, give the kids some warning. "It's very bad to make the decision on Halloween night," one expert warns.

- The Associated Press

Contact Deanna Darr at 394-8416 or deanna.darr@rapidcityjournal.com