Halloween is no longer just one night; it now goes on for days — if not a week. There are neighborhood costume parties, school celebrations and other fun to be had in the days leading up to Halloween. Their costumes will be in tatters by the time they’ve finished trick-or-treating, but my boys will have lots of happy memories and lots of candy. What could be better?

Along Came a Spider, My Mommy’s Place
When her oldest daughter declared that she wanted to be a spider for Halloween, blogger Leslie began her quest for the perfect costume. She soon realized that she’d have to make the costume. “It is made from one of my old sweatshirts, a snow hat, some stuffing and felt,” she writes. “I’m rather proud of it, if I’m being honest.”

I’m contrary by nature. If someone tells me I can’t do something I want to do it just to prove them wrong. When the good people at Acura told me their new crossover, the 2010 ZDX, wasn’t designed for families, my response was, “Oh, yeah?! Watch me put kids in there!” I mean, the ZDX is a pretty-looking, sporty crossover, and there’s no way I’m going to be excluded from the party. So there (I never said I was mature).

The ZDX sports a 3.7-liter V-6 engine and standard all-wheel drive. Add in the 7.9 inches of ground clearance and you have a vehicle that can deal with nearly any situation.
During my brief test drive, the ZDX was comfortable, quiet and oh-so fun on curvy roads. A dual-setting suspension package lets you to select a sportier or more relaxed ride.

If you use a Mia Moda Viva or Viva Supreme infant-safety seat, check it immediately.

Child-safety seat manufacturer Lerado is recalling 5,540 Mia Moda Viva and Viva Supreme infant-safety seats and bases because of a problem with the harness splitter plate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall affects model Nos. 5000 (seat), 5001 (base), 5050 (seat), 5051 (base), 5070 (seat), 5071 (base), 5080 (seat) and 5081 (base). If you have one of these models, stop using it immediately.

Lincoln has designed a car specifically for us and they’ve done a bang-up job. The 2010 Lincoln MKT was designed with “Susan,” an accomplished, professional female Gen Xer in mind, according to Carl Widmann, Ford’s vehicle dynamics manager. Just like today’s modern moms, the MKT is no wall flower.

With its flowing design and toothy chrome grille, the MKT certainly makes a statement. It looks like a speedy, aggressive wagon.

I recently wrote an article about an influx of moms driving under the influence, and the trend has caught talk-show host Oprah Winfrey’s attention, too.

Today, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” looks at moms who drive while drunk or high and focuses on Diane Schuler’s story. This summer, Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York and crashed into an oncoming SUV, killing the three adults inside it. Schuler, her 3-year-old daughter and her three nieces were also killed. Toxicology tests found that Schuler had both alcohol and marijuana in her system.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that nearly the entire Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups will be replaced in five years by Fiat vehicles, including Alfa Romeos. Fiat’s plans for Chrysler were revealed a week before the Italian automaker planned to meet with analysts and the media to unveil its plan.

The return of Alfa to the U.S. market could be a tough sell for those Americans who remember the brand; Fiat pulled out of the U.S. market in 1981. However, many buyers won’t know the automaker’s history and could welcome the Italian luxury product with its Ferrari ties. At MotherProof.com, we’ve been looking forward to the return of the Alfa lineup and its sporty elegance. Here’s what could be coming to the U.S.

Nissan has issued a recall for 163,659 Rogue vehicles from the 2008-2009 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall is due to a screw in the steering gear housing cover that could loosen over time and fall out.

If the screw falls out, the steering response may be compromised and affect the driver’s ability to steer. A loss of steering control could lead to an accident.

Dealers will inspect the screw on the steering gear housing cover and tighten or replace it if necessary. They may also install a cover plate to prevent the screw from coming out. Both fixes are free. Owners may contact Nissan dealers at 800-647-7261 or the NHTSA hotline at 888-327-4236.

Birthdays are a big deal. While a lot of adults want to forget them, most kids want to celebrate them with over-the-top pageantry. My 6-year-old’s birthday is in December, but he’s been talking about his birthday party for months now. We’re currently in negotiations over his birthday party (he wants it at home, which I’m for) and the number of guests (he’d like to invite the whole world). While we work that out, I’ve been trying figure out at what age we can end the parties. Is 8 too early?

The Big Birthday Countdown; MommyTracked.com
Blogger Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is running out of time — and possibly money — to plan her daughter’s birthday party. “Elby, rather than just being happy she had a birthday party at all last year, is actually expecting us to step it up a notch,” she writes. “She wants My Gym or The Jump Around or a princess party with a real live princess who comes over to hang out with her and her friends and put glitter in their hair. Yeah. The kid is 4-years-old going on delusional if she thinks I’m dropping that kind of money on her fifth birthday.”