Halloween || Halloween days!

Traditional Games Of Halloween Parties

2008-11-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

There are several variety of games associated traditionally with Halloween parties. The most common and well liked is dooking or bobbing for apples; in this game apples float in the tub or a large basin of water, the people who are participating need to their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. Another variant involves kneeling on to a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork on to an apple. Another very common game carries hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these should be eaten without using any hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably rule to a very sticky face.

Some of the games played traditionally at Halloween are types of divination. In Puicini (otherwise pronounced as “poocheeny”), it is a game played in Ireland, a blindfolded person is seated in from of a table on that different saucers are placed. The saucers are then shuffled and the seated person chooses one by touch. The outcomes of the saucer decide the person’s life for the following year. It is believed that a saucer containing earth means someone known to the player would be dying during the next year, if in case a saucer contains water it predicts emigration, a ring means marriage, a set of Rosary beads states that person would take Holy Orders (becoming a nun or a priest), if one gets coin that means new wealth, a bean states poverty and it goes on.

During 19-century Ireland, young girl placed slugs in saucers scattered with flour, the wriggling of the slugs and the varieties consequently left behind on the saucers were believed to portray the faces of that girls future spouses. An Irish and Scottish type of divining one’s future spouse is to engrave an apple in one long strip, and then toss the peel over one’s shoulder. The peel is to be believed to land in the figure of the first letter of the future spouse’s name. This tradition has also lived among Irish and Scottish immigrants in the rural United States.

Telling the ghost stories and viewing of horror films are few other common fixtures of Halloween parties. Television specials with a Halloween theme, normally aimed at children, those are commonly aired on or before the holiday while new horror films are often released theatrically before the vacation to take advantage of the atmosphere. Visiting a haunted house or a dark attraction are other traditions of Halloween parties. One of the biggest Halloween attractions in U.S.A is Knott’s Scary Farm in California, which features re-themed fun park rides and a dozen different walkthrough mazes, with hundreds of costumed roving performers.

Halloween Party Ideas For Children

2008-10-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

For many years now, children have followed the tradition of trick or treating whenever Halloween night comes up. That is, they go from house to house in the scariest or cutest costumes they can think of and ask for candy from their neighbors to put into their jack o lantern of goodies. Every year, children look forward to this event.

Times have evolved since, and while trick or treating has not escaped the vocabulary of today's children, fewer and fewer of them are going out on the streets to ask for candy the old way. Also, because of the risky times, parents are now opting to hold Halloween parties, instead, so they can keep a closer watch on their children.

Halloween parties are just like any other parties, only that the kids are in scary costumes and the food is served in an equally scary way. In short, a Halloween party is a themed party - and everyone is required to be in the freakiest best. Trick or treating is not passe just yet, but it might just as well be in the near future because of the rise of children's Halloween parties.

Of course, as with any other children's party, children's Halloween parties will not be complete without the fun entertainment and games. You can modify traditional party games and rename them to sound scary and you already have fun games for your Halloween party.

For instance, the Bean Bag Toss can be modified to use liver (use beef liver that is thawed and washed thoroughly because it is easier to handle) and you can name it Liver Toss. Just turn a simlpe mixing bowl into a 'witch's cauldron' and accompany with scary background music to get that dark feel.

Another cool children's Halloween party game idea is the Treats 'N Guts game. Place sweets and little toys inside a ziplock bag and bury under a pile of spaghetti (or guts). Have the kids dig for the prizes with the lights turned off. You'll all have a blast laughing at each other when the lights are turned on once again.

One interesting way to serve food at your child's Halloween party is to decorate and rename name to resemble dead-like objects. For example, you can mold cookies and little cupcakes to look like bloody eyeballs (all you need is some food coloring), or you can give traditional party treats like spaghetti and meatballs a new name, like "guts and intestines".

Children are not usually squeamish with names and will even find your food offerings extra interesting if you give them unusual names.

In sum, all you need to pull off a successful children's Halloween party is a lot of creativity and ingenuity. Consult your child for probable game and food names so he or she will feel that he or she has a big contribution to the event. Of course, don't forget to tell your guests to come in costumes. Have fun!

Where To Find The Best Selection Of Halloween Costumes

2008-10-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Anytime you're looking for a great costume, be it Halloween or some other event, where is it you go? Larger cities often have specialize costume shops, but not everyone has one close. Plus, they can be pretty expensive, even if you're just renting your outfit. Fortunately, as with so many other things, the internet has made a much larger selection available to anyone.

All the top costume shops have websites these days. You can view their full selection online and they will ship them to anywhere in the country, if not the entire world.

Ordering your costume from one of the online costume websites ensure you'll get both quality and selection. Some of them will even do things like altering the costume to fit, but not all so if this is something you need, make sure you check before you order.

Most costume websites not only offer costumes, but any accessories that you might want to go along with them. One of the best ways to make a truly unique costume is to add your own little touches to a standard design. Ordering online makes this easy - some websites will even let you substitute certain accessories for alternative options.

These online costume shops generally offer excellent customer service and are more than happy to offer advice on putting your costume together. This could include ideas for adult costumes or even themes for group-oriented costumes.

And best of all, they offer fast shipping and return guarantees, so as long as you order a couple of weeks before Halloween, you'll be able to get a replacement for anything that doesn't fit or is damaged in shipping.

If you're anything like me, you dread heading out to the mall during busy seasons like Halloween. The internet once again comes to your rescue!

Sexy Halloween Gangster Costumes

2008-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

This costume is ideal for Halloween parties and people to dress dangerously! Gangsters carry a certain connotation of danger and excitement, so it is not so hard to believe that even a lady might like to dress up in a sexy gangster costume. If that is what you would like to try, you do not have to wait for Halloween. These days, surprising your man with something different for his birthday or your anniversary is quite all right. Women find the hint of danger of gangster pretty sexy too. Also, some people like to throw costume parties. So, the need for a costume can come at any time of the year.

Well, after you decide that a sexy gangster costume is what you want, what next? Okay, you truck on down to your local costume store; easily done, if you have one. But, what if you live in a small town; or the nearest costume shop is miles away? When you consider the price of gas these days, you may want to re-think that plan. Fortunately, our modern high-tech world has the perfect solution: the Internet. Go online; pick out any of one of the more useful search engines, and type in the parameters you are looking for. You’ll get a list of good companies that have just what you are looking for, some of them have a full line of great sexy gangster costumes.

If you want an outfit that is appropriate for just about any party, the Glamour Gangster features a long skirt and crop top. While a bit risqué, it is still quite modest. On the other hand, if something a bit… friskier - is what you desire, they have several fine costumes. The Miss Mafia, the Gangster Girl Garter, Sexy Gangsta Girl, Bugsy’s Babe, and Bootleg Beauty Sexy all feature a very short skirt; some have crop tops, and most come with an appropriate hat. If your man decides to go as a cop, you can always have a game of “cops and robbers” after the party – or instead of going at all! If, guys, you want to be the gangster too, you have it easy – black shirt, white tie and pinstripe suit and you’re good to go, especially if you team the outfit with a gangster hat at a jaunty angle. Think of Al Capone in his heyday.

When it comes to making your purchase, these online costume shops has got a secure shopping system; so there is no need to worry about your credit card information getting stolen. Shipping can be had for as little as $4.99, or – if you need your sexy gangster costume quickly, for $17.99 you can have it in two to four days.

Now, if you decide to try the homemade approach, a gangster costume is not that hard to put together. Go to just about any old clothes store, Goodwill or thrift store. What you want to look for is a man’s old suit. Then it is just a question of what sort of outfit you want. Take it in, making it snug, and presto – a sexy gangster costume. If something wilder is what you crave, clip the pants short and do not bother with the jacket; just get a white shirt and cut the sleeves off. A nice fedora, a purse and toy gun, and your ensemble is complete. So, whether store bought, found online, or done on your own, you can get the sexy gangster costume you want!

13 Halloween Party Themes

2008-10-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween is quickly becoming a favorite holiday for both children and adults. Halloween parties are a lovely way to celebrate the season, and there is a party for every style and group of people.

1. Night Garden Party – If you have a patio or deck, you can set up a party for after dark with lanterns or strung outdoor lights. This is great for any number of people.

2. Ouija Seance - Contact the dead and spirits from the beyond with a small group of friends.

3. Scary Movie Marathon - Choose several favorite scary movies to share with each other. Prepare the viewing room for atmosphere and comfortable viewing.

4. Murder Mystery Dinner - Boxed games are available for parties of eight to ten adults. Each person comes in character and you spend the evening detecting "who done it" over a pleasant dinner.

5. Paranormal Party - Set up experiments for your guests to test their paranormal abilities and E. S. P.

6. Monster Bash / Costume Party - What better way to have fun on Halloween than to ask people to come in costumes for dancing and fun.

7. Bonfire and Ghost Stories - Good for all ages. Ask each of your guests or families to come with one ghost story to tell. If someone plays a guitar, ask them to bring it, too.

8. Witches Night - Celebrate the night with magic spells. Ask your friends to bring items they wish to burn.

9. Harvest Party - Have an elegant sit down feast for eight to twelve to celebrate good foods of the season and good conversation.

10. Scavenger Hunt - For adults or children, roaming near or far, for small groups or large ones, scavenger hunts are fun.

11. Haunted House - Get your whole household involved in spookifying your home for guests and playing the roles of vampires, headless murderers, and ghosts.

12. Pumpkin Carving Party - This is a fun activity for families to come together and enjoy.

13. Film a Horror - Have fun with amateur cinematography. If you feel creative, write a short script or borrow loosely from a film you like. Make even shy guests be extras in the film.

Halloween Party Games For Children

2008-10-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a wonderfully fun time for kids. Between trick or treating and attending various Halloween parties, this holiday is something a lot of children look forward to. This year, if your child is planning to hold his or her own party, keep the kids occupied with some simple, but entertaining games.

All of the games mentioned below are easy and simple to put together and children usually have a lot of fun playing them. However, as with any game where there is often only one winner, many children can quickly become unhappy and refuse to play. To avoid tears and hurt feelings, I would suggest that you provide one larger prize for the winner, and give out cheap "runner-up" prizes to all the other children. Some small prize ideas would be: a Halloween themed balloon, a lollipop, bubble gum, plastic spider ring, etc. You can usually pick up packages of really cheap toys at most department stores... and then all the children at the party will feel as if they've "won."

Moaning Musical Ghost Chairs

A twist on a classic children's game, start off by cover the backs of several chairs with white sheets. Pin some black cardboard eyes and a ghostly mouth to the backs of the sheets and line the chairs up (back-to-back) with one less chair as there are children. Play spooky Halloween music as the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, each child tries to sit down on a chair. The one who doesn’t get a chair is out of the game. Remove a chair and repeat until there is one winner left. Give a larger prize to the winner and small runner-up prizes to the rest of the kids.

Scarecrow Dress-up Game

Divide the children into teams of 3 or 4 players per team. Provide each team with "scarecrow clothes" in a box (jeans or overalls, plaid shirt, boots, straw hat, gloves). Each team should pick one child from their group to be the "scarecrow." At the word GO the teams hurry to dress the scarecrow (who has to stand still and not help). The first team who gets their scarecrow dressed, wins.

Mummy Wrap

This one is always a favorite and brings out many giggles. Divide the children into teams of two. One is the "mummy" and the other child needs to wrap up the first child with toilet paper. The first team done wins.

Pumpkin Ghost Bowling

Spray paint 15 large empty plastic pop bottles with white paint. Using a black marker, create ghost faces near the top of each bottle. Add about 1 cup of sand or gravel to each bottle to give them stability. Using small miniature pumpkins, kids take turns bowling over the ghosts. Each child has 3 tries per turn. Don’t forget to keep score!

Pin The Nose On The Pumpkin

Draw and paint a large pumpkin on cardboard. Paint in the eyes and mouth. Cut out the pumpkin and tape to a wall. Cut out a triangular nose and paint yellow. Add some double-sided tape to the back. While blindfolded, each child tries to pin the nose on the pumpkin.

Candy Corn Toss

Carve out a couple of pumpkins or use small tin buckets. Place the containers several feet across the room. Kids line up behind a line (use masking tape on the floor) and are given 5 candy corns. Each tries to toss their candy corns into the container. The one who gets most of their candy corns into the container wins.

Halloween Cakes – Centerpiece And Dessert

2008-10-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

A Halloween cake is not only the perfect dessert for any Halloween party and a must have for someone with a birthday on or around October 31st, but also makes a great center piece for your food table if you are throwing any type of Halloween party. Here are two simple, yet impressive Halloween cakes that you can try this year.

Pumpkin Cake

No, we are not taking about a pumpkin flavored cake, but a light colored cake that looks like a pumpkin when you’re finished decorating it.

You will need 3 box mixes of white or yellow cake mix along with the additional ingredients like oil and eggs the box calls for. Prepare the batter as directed. Pour it into two bunt pans and bake according to the package directions. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine two to three cans of vanilla frosting in a bowl. You can probably make do with two cans, but if you prefer being able to work out any unevenness, or fix fingerprints made in there by little hands (what child can resist tasting frosting?), go with three cans.

Add enough red and yellow food coloring to the frosting mixture to turn it bright orange. Spread some of the frosting only on the flat side one of the cooled bunt cakes. Set the other one on top of it flat side down. You have a pumpkin shape. Use the rest of frosting mixture to frost the entire cake.

Use black icing to draw a carved pumpkin design on the cake. Some triangular shapes for the eyes and nose, as well as a large half moon shape will do the trick.

Spider Cake

Start with a boxed mix of devil’s food cake (or your favorite chocolate cake mix). Prepare the batter and bake it in two round pans according to the package instructions. Let it cool on a rack.

Scoop 2 cans of vanilla frosting into a large bowl and add enough green and yellow food coloring to turn it into a nice spooky green color. Spread a layer of frosting in between the two cake rounds. Use the rest to frost the entire outside of the cake.

Use black icing to draw a spider web on the top of the cake. Start by drawing lines across the top. Imagine the top of the cake is a clock. Draw a line from 12 to 6, then one from 9 to 3. Fill in the spaces with two more lines each. Then start working on the circles starting in the center of the cake and working your way out toward the edges of the cake.

Take a chocolate muffin, cut off the bottom and frost the entire top of it with chocolate frosting. Roll it frosted side down in chocolate sprinkles and place it in the center of the spider web on the cake. Add four pieces of black licorice to each side as legs.

Now all you’ll need is a spooky costume and you will be ready for an impressive Halloween party.

Halloween Family Tips And Advice

2008-10-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Adults, parents and their children cherish Halloween so much that some of them even devote their energy a couple months in advance just to make sure they get the most popular costumes, and to organize the best parties.

Halloween is set in the Gregorian calendar every October 31 and is one of the most anticipated holidays for children in which they can get their favorite appetizer: candy. During Halloween, children wear costumes and go door-to-door in their neighborhood, knocking on doors or ringing doorbells while yelling "trick or treat!" The inhabitants of the house, some times dressed up in scary costumes, will then hand out small candies, miniature chocolate bars or other treats.

That reminds me of an episode of the mysterious but still funny detective TV show Monk when his new assistant was closing in on a murderer who tried to poison his wife through a Halloween chocolate bar, creating confusion as they thought some were given the poisoned chocolate bar during their trick or treating.

People enjoying Halloween forget sometimes, like in any other festivity, to party safely and therefore the number of accidents increase this time of year. But on the other hand, it is my pleasure to recognize that there have been increasing interests on safety manners to apply during the Halloween trick-or-treating.

Having said that, I will give you my short Halloween family tips and advice:

- Plan your route and make sure an adult knows where you are going.
- Have an adult accompany you for trick or treating.
- Never go alone, go with a parent or treat in groups.
- Wear reflective clothing so that you can be seen at night.
- Use make-up instead of a mask so that you can see well.
- Take a flashlight.
- Stick to well lit streets.
- Try to finish your trick or treating at 8 p.m.
- Do not enter into a stranger's house nor go to home where front lights are not turned on.
- Always say please and thank you.
- Do not run into the streets.
- Cross streets only at corners, never from between parked cars.
- Do have an adult check your candy before you eat any of it.
- Do not eat candy if the wrapper is partially open or is taped.

Most of all, be safe and have fun!

A Parenting Tip For Halloween; How Old Is Too Old?

2008-10-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Every year the same phenomenon occurs at my front door. Late on Halloween night, usually long after the trail of adorable preschoolers and costumed elementary-age children have come and gone, a group of teens or pre-teens knocks on my door and loudly regales me with "trick-or-treat".

Sometimes in costumes. Most of the time not.

And I have to ask, from a parenting standpoint...what's the point?

Over the years of raising four children, I've seen a lot of cute kids at my door. But I decided early on that the best parenting tip I could give myself during the annual Halloween craze is to put a limit on how old my kids could be and still go trick-or-treating.

Let me assure you, this was not a popular decision in my home! However, I know that as a parent, it's not my job to win popularity contests. I am to lead them into responsible adulthood.

For me, letting my teens and preteens roam the streets on Halloween night just never fit into that job description.

In our home, we decided that sixth grade was the limit. Dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door, begging for candy is for little kids. Period. However, dressing up in costumes is fun, no matter what the age, so my kids were encouraged to find safe alternatives to trick-or-treating. Harvest parties at churches became popular and we took advantage of many of them. Over time, parties cropped up at schools, too, as well as individual friends' homes. We hosted one or two Halloween parties ourselves and they were great fun!

My parenting tip for Halloween has stood the test of time and my kids were never without enjoyable activities. I have taken some slack for this approach, however. Mainly from other parents.

I've listened to the "it's all harmless fun" discussion. "After all" the reasoning goes, "what's wrong with a group of kids hanging out together on a holiday night? Why do you make the assumption they'll get into trouble?"

Good questions. I've known a lot of kids over the years as my children have progressed from tweens to teens. Great kids, mostly. Kids who came from terrific families whose parents were hanging close, guiding and caring.

And isn't the point to keep them that way? Why put great kids in the situation where they have to make difficult decisions concerning their behavior when it's just not necessary? (Don't get me wrong, I know our kids have to learn how to make difficult decisions. It's the appropriateness of this particular setting that I'm questioning. For example, we don't teach our kids to be responsible drinkers by taking them to the local bar and getting them drunk.)

What is there about hanging out in the streets with a group of friends in the dark that is helpful? Or even fun? What behaviors are we edifying in this scenario? Especially when there are excellent alternatives where those same kids can have plenty of fun, hang with their friends and probably still get a ton of candy!

Even setting aside religious and historical issues concerning Halloween, roaming the streets can be dangerous. The smaller children have parents watching over them, but the older kids are relying on themselves. Let's be frank here. They're focusing on each other, not the cars (that can't see them in the dark anyway) or even the other people on the street.

All in all, letting older kids go door-to-door just doesn't add up for me. I think I'll stick with the original parenting tip I listened to all those years ago when I was just starting out. And I offer it to you as food for thought this Halloween season.

After all, the main thing is we do what's right for our kids.

Halloween Costumes For Pets

2008-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dressing up for Halloween is a tradition that everyone looks forward to. As the holiday approaches, the question “What are you going to be for Halloween?” begins to ring in the air at home, at school, and even in the workplace. Everyone enjoys dressing up for Halloween and now you can include a costume for your pet dog or cat.

Dressing up a pet dog or cat has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Often, for security purposes, families will have their pet dog with them while trick-or-treating. So, why not dress him up for Halloween also? Dressing up for Halloween can now be for the whole family!

Collars, hats, and capes can be put on your pet dog or cat in a variety of characters. Some of the more popular costumes include Dracula, the devil, and witch apparel. These come complete with capes and headgear. Also popular are the skeleton costumes, which is a full “body” suit for your pet.

Your pet dog or cat could dress-up as a super-hero. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman are among the most popular. Other fun costumes include Star Wars characters, Raggedy Ann, and Zorro.

For those who only want to dress up their pet a little bit and do not want a full costume, there are a variety of head-dresses from which you can choose. There are trick-or-treat bandanas, Santa hats, and even pig-tails. Your pet could be Uncle Sam, or a Christmas elf with just a hat.

With such a variety, you and your pet could have matching or complimentary costumes. Since it is becoming more popular, some local stores will carry Halloween costumes for pets. You can also find pet Halloween costumes on the internet.

Halloween can be a whole new experience when your family and your family pet dress up for Halloween. I guess you could say Halloween “has gone to the dogs.”

Halloween Costumes For Men

2008-10-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it; Halloween was much simpler when we were just kids. I mean, you could just dress up as a clown or a ghost, and won’t have to worry about other people laughing at you. Now, it’s a whole different idea. You have to find a costume that would look sexy, scary, or funny enough without making you look stupid, especially when you’re with the ladies.

When Halloween comes around and you need a costume for a party, for the office, or for the kids who will be sure to come trick-or-treating, just follow these great costume ideas for men, and you’ll be sure to get noticed without being laughed at.

Men in Uniform – It’s not a big secret that women can go nuts over a man in uniform. Just ask the several other guys you meet who are wearing firemen, police, and soldier costumes. Dressing up in uniform is a great way to appear attractive and masculine. Uniforms always make great costumes, whether you’re dressing up as a fireman, policeman, soldier, fighter pilot, sailor, etc. But just one caveat, though. If you’re planning on attending a Halloween party with a group of other guys, make sure you’re not going to appear as The Village People.

Pop Culture – Pop culture has recently given us a lot more choices for great costumes. You can opt to go dressed as a Survivor castaway, with some dirt smeared on your face, sandals, and swimming trunks. This is probably one of the easiest costumes you can assemble. You can also go dressed as Austin Powers, who seems never to go out of style. All you need is a velvet suit, ruffled shirt, pointy leather boots or shoes, and lots of colorful accessories to make an appearance as the shaggadelic man of Mystery. The Man of Steel is also back in business as one of the preferred costumes, with the recent return of the latest installment in the series.

Sports – Another good costume idea is to go and dress up as your favorite athlete. Don’t worry if you don’t really know how to play the game; that’s not the point here. Whether it’s baseball, football, basketball, or any other favorite sport, you can choose from lots of favorite sports icons to imitate. It would be a sure-fire hit, especially if some of the women arrive dressed up in one of those sexy tennis outfits or cheerleader uniforms. And don’t forget wrestling. You can have fun dressed up as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, or any other well-known wrestler. It would be more fun if you can also imitate the way they talk and move.

Construction Worker – believe it or not, a lot of women go for those muscular, sweaty men they walk by everyday in building sites, even if they won’t admit it. Wearing a tight pair of jeans, a white tank top or t-shirt, a construction hat and a tool belt will complete your get-up.

There are lots more of great costume ideas for men. You can either go out and visit costume shops, or you can browse the Internet. The latter is particularly convenient and practical. Lots of great costume shops online have a wide selection of costumes and accessories at very affordable prices.

Tips For A Terrifying Halloween

2008-10-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a fun and spooky holiday for kids and adults. It is a holiday that is based around embracing scary things, particularly those involving death, the undead, evil magic, and mythical monsters. It is always fun to dress up and decorate the whole house whether for trick-or-treating or throwing a Halloween party. Here are some tips for getting ready for the festivities.

Halloween Crafts

Crafts are terrific ways to decorate the house and entertain kids. Here is a fun Halloween crafts for kids of all ages:

Colored Play Dough

You will need:

- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tsp. cream of tartar
- Food coloring

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Heat and stir constantly until a ball forms.

Knead until smooth. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Use half the recipe only and use different food coloring to make two different colors if you are want to create dough for children’s activities.

Decorations and Sound Effects

No Halloween is complete without spooky decoration and eerie sound effects. Here are some ideas for inside and outside the house.

Haunted Portraits

Paintings and portraits, framed in gold, with black backgrounds, look excellent in your Haunted House.

Download some haunted pictures from the internet and print them in black and white toner. Glue them to black cardboard. Put them in any old frame. If you don’t have a gold frame, spray paint one gold.
Gold spray paint at Walmart was $1.00.

These look excellent in low light conditions. For an added effect, for storytelling, have someone tell tales involving the portraits. If you want a spookier effect, white out the eyes.

Graveyard Tombstones

Tombstones are easy. You can use Styrofoam or cut them from old wood.

Crosses are easier. Two boards nailed together. Paint them white and put a name on them. Stick them into the ground. The face is an old toy.

Make the headstone from a very old piece of Styrofoam and put a toy rat, spider web and stuffed animal on it. For the "haunted fence" around your graveyard, use some garden gate... available from Walmart, Kmart, or any garden shop. You can spray paint it black and add some webbing.

Sound Effects

You can record several scary sounds and play it back during the festivities.

A very large sheet of poster board or sheet metal makes great thunder.

Uncooked rice poured onto a cookie sheet sounds like rain. Crinkle a handful of cellophane for a roaring fire.

To get a good scream you can, well - scream. Snap carrots in half for the sound of breaking bones. Flap a plastic bag in front of the microphone for the sound of bats. Slowly blow bubbles with a straw into a bowl for that bog sound.

Halloween Treats:

Yummy, festive treats are always a Halloween favorite, and with the kids helping, making them can be half the fun.

Gelatin Eyeballs

- 3 oz lemon gelatin
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 8-0z. pkg cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
- 1 cup mayonnaise

Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup water in double boiler, add marshmallows and stir to melt. Remove from heat. Add pineapple juice and cream cheese. Beat until well blended. Cool slightly. Fold in whipped cream and mayo. Chill until thickened or firm for scooping into eyeballs.
Using a melon baller, scoop full balls of the mixture and set aside for decoration. To decorate, use food coloring and an old paintbrush and get creative. You will need black food coloring for the pupils. Also, if you are in a hurry, instead of painting the colored irises, you can dip the ball in a small pool of food coloring to approximate the iris, but still paint on the pupils.

Edible Spiders

These cute little snacks are very fragile. Use a decorating tube to pipe the icing into spider shapes on waxed paper. They are made from Royal Icing, which needs to be used right away since it hardens to a rocklike texture very quickly!

Royal Icing Mixture

You will need:

- 16 oz powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Beat until peaks firmly hold their shape, and the more you beat it, the firmer it gets.

Pumpkin Carving

The custom of using jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween actually came from the Irish who carved out turnips or beets to use as lanterns. When the Irish immigrated to America, they found that turnips were scarce but pumpkins were abundant. Pumpkins have been a part of Halloween celebrations ever since. Carving a jack-o’-lantern can be as simple or complex as you like-it depends on the design you want to create.

Wicked Witchy Pumpkin

Conjure up this green-faced witch for a haunting porch decoration.

You will need:

- Pumpkin
- Green spray paint
- Tempera paint and brushes
- Carving knife
- Marbles
- Glue
- Small nails
- Black wig
- Cape
- Witch hat

Here’s how:

Step 1: Begin by coating the pumpkin with green spray paint.
Step 2: Add facial features with tempera paint.
Step 3: Next, carve out eye sockets and lodge the marbles inside to form her beady eyes. Break off the top stem and reattach it to the pumpkin with glue for the witch’s nose.
Step 4: To finish, fix the black wig in place with small nails and add the cape and hat. My...pretty!

Halloween Payday Loans

2008-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, is a tradition that may be fraught with horrifying expenses. A person will need money for costumes, parties, and Halloween gifts.

Halloween costumes don’t come cheap. Making these costumes has grown into a thriving business because people demand that the costumes appear as authentic as possible. And to make the elaborate costumes appear like the real thing, expensive materials are utilized. Thus, the finish products are expensive. Perhaps a woman has friends who suddenly decided to come to a party as a coven of witches. To save money, this woman may decide to simply wear a long black dress and a pointy hat. But, two days before the Halloween, she finds out that her friends are actually dressing up as modern witches wearing metallic and black leather accessories. The woman realizes that her own chosen costume will make her look out of place. She needs money to buy a costume that will make her fit in.

Perhaps the adult has outgrown his need to wear a costume during the Halloween. But his children want to dress up. The father or mother couldn’t very well tell the children to let the Halloween pass by just like any ordinary day, especially if the children’s friends have decided to dress up as the heroes of the Justice League. Buying an acceptable Batman costume is expensive. But a boy couldn’t be happy wearing a costume that has a too-short cape. Teasing friends won’t let him get away with it.

Throwing a party is one of the most enjoyable activities during Halloween. The venue should be decorated accordingly. There should be authentic looking cobwebs, strange picture frames, dark thick curtains, and ancient-looking chandeliers. Acquiring or renting all these will need extra money. And then, the food should also fit the occasion. While ice cream is always welcome, it is not particularly Halloween-ish. This is why special Halloween foods are sold. And these are certainly more expensive than ordinary take-out Chinese food.

Even if a person does not throw a party or wear a costume, his house should have at least one jack-o-lantern. There will also be children forever ringing the doorbell and chirping “trick or treat”. In other words, everyone could use some extra money for the Halloween.

Fortunately, there are a few lenders who can grant a Halloween payday loan. Obtaining this type of loan is similar to obtaining any other regular payday loan. A person may fill-up an online application form and then wait for either a call or an email from a representative of the lender. Then, the next day, he may use the loaned amount. Some lenders even offer a free payday loan for the Halloween. That is, the finance charges are waived when the client pays the full amount on due date.

How Did Halloween Begin?

2008-10-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

It is believed that Halloween originated from a Celtic holiday known as Samhain, which was celebrated in Ireland and Scotland at harvest time for well over a thousand years. Samhain was the time of year (October 31st) when harvesting was completed and animals were brought from summer pastures to shelter for the winter months. At Samhain a large festival was celebrated, and fruits, vegetables, grain, and animals, were burned as gifts to the gods in huge bonfires in hope of a successful new year. It was believed that during the night of Samhain, that the dead could walk among the living, and that the living could ask the dead questions about the future year. Because they believed some of these spirits were evil, they wore costumes with animal heads to scare the spirits and protect themselves.

Christianity spread to the Celtic lands, and in the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV declared November 1st to be All Saints Day, otherwise known as "All Hallow’s Day," hallow referring to sainted ones. All Saint’s Day was to celebrate the holy saints and martyrs of Christianity. It is generally believed that this was an attempt to Christianize the popular Celtic holiday and diminish the importance of the Celtic ritual and the influence of their spiritual leaders, the druids. This is also how the day became known as All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween. All Soul’s Day was similarly added in Christianity a couple hundred years later to celebrate the dead.

Carving out turnips and lighting them goes back hundreds of years with the holiday. An Irish legend tells of a man named Jack who tricks the devil to turn into a coin and keeps him from changing back by placing the coin next to a cross. A year later, Jack dies, but is neither allowed into heaven, or hell, so he must roam the earth. The 1800's brought Halloween to the United States with the Irish immigrants. Pumpkins were carved rather than turnips because they were large and more plentiful.

Be A Celebreality Star For Halloween!

2008-10-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Be Your Favorite Celebreality Star for your Next Halloween Party:

1. Flavor Flav - Craft a large clock face out of cut cardboard, hang it on a long chain or string and wear it around your neck. Carry a marker and some paper so when you meet potential "contestants" at your halloween party you can christen them with their new "names" - remember, spelling does not count, in fact, creative spelling is encouraged.

2. Paris Hilton - A pair of high heels, a short dress, and a tiny canine of your choosing. Don't forget to hold your right arm up and tight against your body while gently waving with only the slightest flap-down of the fingers. Begin the answer to any question with "Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of..."

3. Tommy Lee - hope you're not allergic to fake tatoos. you'll require a full body spread for this one. Add on a pair of low low low and just a little lower black pleather pants and chain accessorized black vest and you're rocker ready.

4. Howie Mandel- Put on your best suit, grab 20 of your closest female friends, an equal number of suitcases and you've got yourself a deal of a costume! Fake board game money will seal the deal.

5. Simon Cowell - This costume's great for guys who hate dressing up (but it will require exposing your man boobs). Toss on a pair of jeans, a tight t-shirt, hold a pencil and a can of coke and you're off.

6. Taylor Hicks - A harmonica and a salt and pepper wig are all that's required here.

7. Kelly Pickler - one word: Calamari. - eat it, wear it, carry a tray of it - it's really the only halloween prop you'll need.

8. Laura from Project Runway - Make like you're pregnant with a pillow under your shirt. Put on a red wig. Carry 10 yards of fabric, a sketchbook and some thread.

9. Dilana - you can really turn any goth costume into a Dilana costume. For an added twist you could carry a pair of crutches.

10. The Bachelor or The Bachelorette - wear a suit or an evening gown and carry a rose.

In closing, next time you go trick-or-treating or prepare for the next big halloween party look no further than reality tv for unique halloween costume ideas. It's a vast sea of untapped costume ideas just waiting for you to turn into the next laugh out loud hit on halloween night. So be a survivor on halloween and don't let the runway get you down, if you can't text vote your next halloween costume the least you can do is make a deal to bring it and bring it in style when the bell rings, you know what time it is!

Halloween Gift Baskets

2008-10-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about something unusual for Halloween, then what could be better than Halloween gift baskets. These gifts are specially put together for purchase at this time of year. You can even make your own Halloween gift baskets. Both younger and older children will simply love them.

A lot of people may think that Halloween gift baskets would be a very large arrangement and that this type of gift is most commonly used as a present. You may be surprised to know that Halloween gift baskets come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can make really small ones for the children in your local neighbourhood or a large Halloween gift basket for the whole family to enjoy.

Some people I know do not celebrate Halloween, although I can't think of a good reason why one should not enjoy this time of year to the full. Some people spend their time playing games or going out instead. As my children became more interested in the festivities that surround Halloween, I thought it would be a good idea to make them some Halloween gift baskets.

When making Halloween gift baskets I had to approach this with caution as some parents may be opposed to some of the themes surrounding Halloween celebrations. So, instead of opting for the more traditional black and orange colours for my Halloween gift baskets, I decided to use red and white as the main colours. These were designed to be themed.

I decided to make movie based Halloween baskets, with items such as popcorn balls arranged in holders, along with some of their favourite drinks as a special treat. I thought it would be a nice touch for the girls to have autumnal pajamas at the bottom of the gift baskets.

What better gift to include in a Halloween gift basket than a movie. Each basket contained a different Halloween movie so that the children could swap them with each other or loan them out to watch.

The other children in the neighbourhood were given more traditional Halloween gift baskets with ghoulish treats which they enjoyed immensely. For more ideas on gift baskets, costumes and Halloween stuff please visit our site.

Yummy Halloween Treats

2008-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Other than dressing up in costumes, Halloween is all about yummy treats. Of course you are not limited to just candy when it comes to Halloween food. Here are some great snack and meal ideas. These are perfect for a Halloween party, or as a way to enjoy the excitement as you count down to the big day.

Ghostly Sandwiches

Fix your favorite sandwich on white bread. One of our favorites for these ghostly sandwiches is a turkey and cheese sandwich with just a touch of mayonnaise (all white ingredients for a spooky white ghost). Fix the sandwich as usual, then use a ghost cookie cutter to cut it into ghost shapes. If you don’t have a ghost cookie cutter, you can cut the ghost freehand or make a simple pattern out of cardboard or wax paper to use as a guide.

Bat Cookies

Make a batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough, or use a pack of refrigerated dough from your grocery store. Roll out the dough and cut out bat shapes. Use a bat-shaped cookie cutter, or cut them freehand.

Melt some dark chocolate and brush it on the bat cookie. Of course you could also dip one side of the cookie in the melted chocolate and set the cookies on some wax paper until the chocolate has a chance to harden. After that they are ready to eat or store in an airtight container.

Jack-O-Lantern Tortilla Wraps

Start with a plain flour tortilla. Spread some pimento cheese on it, or layer some sliced ham and shredded cheddar cheese on there. Anything orange works well. Wrap the tortilla tightly, then cut it in ½ inch slices. Lay each of the slices on its side and use some nuts, raisins or small pieces of veggies (like yellow or red peppers) to make the eyes and mouth of your little Jack-O-Lantern tortilla Wrap.

Pumpkin Pizza

Start with your favorite pizza dough or a ready-made crust. Top it with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. Add a layer of cheddar cheese on top. Then use slices of green pepper to make the ridges of the pumpkin – you’ll arrange them in ( ) shapes around the pizza pan. Use pepperoni slices or red and yellow pepper slices to form the jack-o-lantern’s face. Bake as usual.

Halloween Safety

2008-10-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Between the Harvest Festivals, Halloween parties and social gatherings, this Halloween season could be very busy for you and your family. This is why all parents should make safety the number one priority while having fun. It also never hurts to be reminded of the precautions all Halloweeners should take while gathering candy.

Before leaving the house, every person going out to Trick-or-Treat should be dressed appropriately. Begin by making sure attire is weather appropriate. The cooler the temperature, the more layers needed to keep warm. These layers should be easily removed as not to interfere with the costume if it gets too warm. Any masks being worn should fit so that vision is not obscured in any way.

Children can't be expected to be completely safe if surroundings can't be seen easily. Batman and Darth Vader costumes are popular this year, and their dark cloaks can make seeing trick-or-treaters almost impossible after the sun has set. Take the ultimate safety precaution by purchasing reflective tape and place it on the back of the costume, which can be done without changing the appearance or effect of the costume. It also helps to add reflective tape to the side of shoes to add extra reflective surfaces. If a car approaches your child from any direction, enough reflective tape will give your child shape and the driver will be able to see the children. Glow sticks and other accessories are also great ways to make sure you and your child can be seen in the dark.

When moving from house to house, children should refrain from walking in-between parked cars and ideally, should only cross the street at crosswalks. Some neighborhoods are easier to navigate than others, but it is always better to visit houses on one side of the street at a time. Keeping on sidewalks and driveways and refraining from grass and other soft areas will help prevents slips, trips, and falls. Holes and dips in the ground are hard to see in covered areas. Blacktop and concrete surfaces should be used for navigation as much as possible.

Only visit houses that are inviting. Houses without a light at the door or front porch, or without any light from jack-o-lanterns or other means or decoration should not be included in the list of houses to visit. Not only is it not safe, but obviously the tenants do not want visitors.

Although neighborhoods with larger houses in prominent areas are more appealing, it can be tiresome for smaller children. These houses take longer to go from door to door, ultimately causing small children to tire more quickly. If you drive to a neighborhood to visit, try to pick one with houses that are closer together to make the trip more productive with less walking.

Some of the best places to trick-or-treat isn't necessarily in a neighborhood going from door to door. Churches, malls and shopping center strip-malls often offer treats to those who stop by. Churches often offer forms of entertainment like "Trunk-or-Treating," where the parking lot of the Church is filled with vehicles where drivers give out candy from their decked-out truck beds and lawn chairs next to their cars. These are wonderful places to take children because the people giving candy may already be a friend, therefore giving parents a more trusted source of treats. Parents are also able to socialize and have some fun themselves, too!

We all know of the importance of screening the candy our children receive during Trick-or-Treating. Some communities offer free screenings with X-ray devices, which is an ideal way to make sure the stereotypical metal object hasn't been inserted into your child's candy. In addition to screenings, parents should check each piece of candy thoroughly before consumption. All candy should be wrapped or packaged well without any tears or punctures. Make sure the wrapper on the candy is still secure and bags are free of puncture marks or tears. If candy looks like it has been tampered with in any way, be sure to discard immediately.

Whether you decide to stay home and give out candy, or take a stroll or drive to your favorite haunts, be sure safety is first, no matter what! Enjoy your Halloween!

Halloween Howler

2008-10-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

Halloween Howler

1. What rock star worked as a gravedigger before starting his musical career?
A. Roy Orbison
B. Billy Joel
C. Mick Jaggar
D. Rod Stewart

1. What famous rock star worked as a gravedigger before starting his musical career?
D. Rod Stewart
TBD: That wasn't The QuizQueen's guess either, but that's what the research says!

2. Which tradition was NOT a precursor to Halloween?
A. The Celtic tradition of giving thanks at the close of the harvest season?
B. The European tradition of lighting candles and masquerading in costume to scare evil spirits away.
C. The celebration of the birth of Marilyn Manson.
D. The Irish custom where wealthy landowners would give food to the poor in hopes that the ghosts would look favorably on them and spare them from mischief.

2. Which tradition was NOT a precursor to Halloween?
C. The celebration of the birth of Marilyn Manson.
TBD: Gosh The QuizQueen sure hopes you got that right. Although who knows what historians in the next Millenium will conclude after studying the effluvium we leave behind.

3. Which phobia is the fear of Halloween?
A. Caspariophobia
B. Samhainophobia
C. Demonophobia
D. Boophobia

3. Which phobia is the fear of Halloween?
B. Samhainophobia
TBD: Personally, The QuizQueen has always been more frightened of Caspar than Celts, but you can't quibble with the facts.

4. Where does the name "Halloween" come from?
A. In Scotland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hallowe'en."
B. In Ireland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hollow Eve."
C. The Druids held a ritual on that night honoring the leader of their sect. His name was Hal Ween.
D. The Roman ceremony of burying a hollow casket to trap evil spirits beneath the ground.

4. Where does the name "Halloween" come from?
A. In Scotland, the Celtic Feast of the Sun, which marked the end of summer was known as "Hallowe'en."
TBD: The QuizQueen really hopes you didn't answer "C" here.

5. What is the purpose of a witch's familiar?
A. Hey, everybody has to have a friend, even Broomhilda.
B. The stooge she sends out to lure innocent victims to her lair.
C. An animal, such as a black cat, that amplifies her power.
D. Every witch is required to have a black cat, according to coven code, so it has become tradition to see the "familiar" black cat at a witch's side.

5. What is the purpose of a witch's familiar?
C. An animal, such as a black cat, that amplifies her power.
TBD: While "A" might be true, this is the real answer.

6. Lycanthropy is a term derived from Greek. What does it mean?
A. A psychiatric state in which the patient believes he or she is a wolf.
B. A person with a deadly fear of wearing Lycra (which is used in the making of some Halloween costumes).
C. A devotee of Lycos, the ancient Roman god whose feast was originally held on Halloween.
D. An inductee of the cult of Zeus which held a yearly gathering on Mt. Lycaeus.

6. Lycanthropy is a term derived from Greek. What does it mean?
A. A psychiatric state in which the patient believes he or she is a wolf.
TBD: The QuizQueen has always wondered what they call someone with a deadly fear of Lycra…

7. How did the "jack-o-lantern" get that name?
A. An old man named Jack who was too mean even to get into hell. The Devil gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack used a turnip to hold the burning coal and serve as a lantern.
B. The Devil's favorite dish is pumpkin pie and a clever man named Jack carved all the pumpkins in town into lanterns to drive the Devil away with a blaze of bright light and of course deprive him of his treat.
C. In ancient times, when children went trick-or-treating, they were guided by a man who carried a lantern. The guide was called a "Jack."
D. The man who first cultivated the potato and carved it into a lantern was named Jack.

7. How did the "jack-o-lantern" get that name?
A. A mean old man named Jack who was too mean even to get into hell. The Devil gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack used a turnip to hold the burning coal and serve as a lantern.
TBD: You should deduct points if you guessed any of The QuizQueen's creative answers!

8. Can you pick out Halloween's former name?
A. All Hallow's Eve
B. All Hallow's Day
C. All Hallowmass
D. All Soul's Day

8. Can you pick out Halloween's former name?
A. All Hallow's Eve
TBD: The important thing to remember is that it was the NIGHT before!

9. The word warlock is a derivation of the Saxon-English term "war-loek" which means what?
A. Man with the magic hands
B. Oath breaker
C. Witch's husband
D. Doomed one

9. The word warlock is a derivation of the saxon-english term "war-loek" which means what?
B. Oath breaker.
TBD: Did you sing along with "A"?

10. The Celtics would carry a lantern when they walked on the eve of October 31st. These first "jack-o-lanterns" were carved with faces to scare evil spirits away. What vegetable was originally used to make a "jack-o-lantern?"
A. Turnip
B. Potato
C. Pumpkin
D. Watermelon

The Halloween Spirit

2008-10-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a great party occasion, a truly unique chance for everyone to unload some stress and go back to a time when everything was much more simple, and dressing up in costumes made everything funny and great. This is one day you will want to celebrate, if not for the fun of it – simply for the relaxation and happiness it brings.

Halloween has its roots in past times, it has been celebrated for many years in many different ways, but the true idea of Halloween remains the same throughout times, it is about clearing all rational thought and having some plain old fashion fun for a few hours, spending time with the kids and thinking about treats and tricks.

In preparation for Halloween you will find yourself spending time on costume choosing and then costume finding, most of the original costumes are a combination of many different things put together, sometimes it does not even have to cost a fortune to combine some clothes into a spectacular Halloween costume.

The true benefit of Halloween for us adults is the opportunity to have fun and relax for a while, live in the children fantasy world, and concentrate our thoughts on candy and the funniest tricks we can think of, if practiced well Halloween can be a nice break from the every day routine and business schedule, it can be a nice chance to spend quality time with the family, and enjoy the spirit of this special day.

Once you decide on a costume you should also start thinking of the tricks and gadgets you will want to have on you once you meet those people you will ask the candy from, although you should consider the other people safety you should also think about what can make the biggest effect on them, and what will also stay in their memories of this Halloween, a good Halloween joke can survive many years.

Treat yourself and your family to lots of candy and a nice Halloween gift basket, make sure you got all the things you want to have to hand out to those nice kids who will be knocking on your door very soon, and try not to think about costs of dental clinic visits too much on this day, after all one day will not make the difference between healthy or damaged teeth.

For one day we have a chance to go back to childhood and do crazy things, this is also a very good way to leave some stress and anxiety behind and let go for a few hours, spend some nice moments with your family and behave like you were eight years old once again, you will feel a whole lot better after this day, and your family will love that new side of you too.

Healthy Halloween!

2008-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Healthy Halloween! These two words don’t traditionally go together. Boo! Trick or Treat! Those are the usual words we'll be hearing on Halloween, as our little witches, superheroes, and vampires knock on the neighbor’s doors for treats. Treats are a part of the tradition, but for many parents the most frightening thing about Halloween is how to deal with the avalanche of candy that comes into the home on Halloween.

Here are some simple strategies to use before and after trick-or-treating.

- Make sure children eat a meal or snack before going trick-or-treating so they won’t be tempted to dig into their bag of goodies before they get home.

- When children get home, check the treats and keep only the treats that are in their original wrappers.

- Eat trick-or-treat candy over several days as a substitute for dessert or a few pieces along with a healthy snack.

- Keep holiday candy until the next holiday, such as Thanksgiving.

- Ration the amount of Halloween candy a child eats at one time.

- Place a small amount of candy in a plastic bag for a special treat.

- Freeze the chocolate bars to save them for later. Frozen chocolate takes longer to eat, so children can't eat them so quickly.

- Trade candy bars or certain amount of candy for small trinkets, Halloween toys and novelties, Barrettes, hair bows, ribbons, jewelry, Action figures, or for a movie or video.

- Make an art project with your Halloween candy. Paint sturdy paper plate and use glue and leftover candy to decorate the plate. This makes a great art piece. Visit www.kidssoup.com for more ideas.

- For small children - Leave it for the Great Jack-O 'Lantern. Tell a story of the Great Jack-O 'Lantern and pour all the excess and unwanted candy in a special Jack-O 'Lantern and leave it outside for the Great Jack-O 'Lantern to take and share with all the poor children that didn't get candy on Halloween.

What has been a nutritional and dental nightmare can, with a little creativity and planning, remain one of the favorite celebrations of children and parents alike. Have a Healthy Happy Halloween! I’ll trade you a tootsie roll for a periwinkle barrette.

Easy Halloween Recipes: What's on Your Halloween Menu?

2008-10-10T03:43:00.001-07:00

Planning a Halloween feast? There is nothing more fun to have on hand than easy Halloween recipes. It’s great to watch partygoers partake in halloween treats such as brains, eyeballs, and toes. It not only makes the party fun, but it makes it memorable as well.

Here’s one of my favorite Halloween recipes – Yummy Brains.

What you'll need:

2 3 oz. packages Berry Blue flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 16 oz. package frozen mixed berries
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
1 teaspoon black gel food coloring
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
2 brain molds (try WalMart)

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stirring until no sugar crystals appear.

Place the berries in a food processor and pulse until the berries are very fine. Stir in the pineapple and mix with the gelatin. Stir in the black food coloring and place in the refrigerator (or the freezer if you're in a hurry) until syrupy and beginning to set. Fold in the whipped cream. Spray the inside of the mold or bowl with non-stick spray and pour the gelatin mixture into the molds. Refrigerate 3-4 hours until set.

To unmold, place the molds in a bowl of hot water; let sit a minute or two, then place a plate on top of the mold and invert. The brains will fall onto the plate and will be ready to serve. MMMM!

You'll need a supporting cast for the brains. So how about trying out some deviled eyeballs? Basically, these are deviled eggs with a green or black olive in the middle. In the event you do not know how to make deviled eggs, here’s what you'll need:

12 eggs, hard-cooked, cooled and peeled
24 green or black olives stuffed with pimientos
Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
Mustard
Red food coloring
Tabasco (optional)

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter to mash yolks well. Add Mustard and Miracle Whip in a 2-1 ratio to create a paste. Add drops of Tabasco to your heat comfort level, then a few more. Fill egg white halves with yolk mixture, rounding and smoothing the top of each.

Push a whole pimiento-stuffed green or black olive into the center of each yolk well, stuffed side up. Use a toothpick dipped into red food coloring to draw tiny wiggly red lines on whites, to simulate capillaries. You now have some eyeballs ready to eat!

Another of my favorite Halloween recipes is Monster Toes. This easy Halloween recipe should cover your table from head to toe.

You’ll first need cocktail wieners. Cut a wedge into the end of each wiener to make a place for the toenail. Cut flour tortillas into 4 inch long by ¾ inch wide strips. Roll each wiener into a tortilla strip. Secure with a toothpick and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes. After removing from oven, fill the toenail with ketchup and serve. Ewww, but yummy – all at the same time!

Halloween recipes are fun to make and even more fun to eat. There are a lot of creative ways to make easy Halloween recipes – just use your imagination and then enjoy watching your guests eat their scary treats!

www.halloweenfunfactory.com

Halloween Craft: Make Halloween Masks With Paper Mache

2008-10-10T03:41:00.001-07:00

You'll need just a few things to make just about any mask you can imagine. Those items include balloons, newspaper, wallpaper glue and some acrylic paint. A pair of sharp scissors comes in handy to cut out eyes and mouth. Wear old clothing, or put an apron on both you and your child. Making the mask can get a bit messy.

Cover your work area in plenty of newspaper to protect it from glue and paint. Next, cut several newspapers into strips. Blow up a balloon so it is slightly larger than your child's head. Now dip a newspaper strip completely in the glue and stick it on the balloon. Continue doing this back and forth until you have the entire balloon covered in several layers of newspaper. Work out any wrinkles as you go along. The more layers of newspaper you have, the sturdier the mask will be.

Finally add any features specific to the mask you are making. For example, if you are making a frog mask, sculpt two ball shapes at the top of the mask that you can later paint as eyes. If you are making a cat, dog, or monkey mask, form the snout and of course don't forget about ears. The only limit is your imagination.

Allow the mask to dry completely, preferably over night. Once it is completely hardened, start cutting into the mask to pop the balloon. Cut a large enough opening so your child can get his or her head inside the mask, then cut eye and mouth openings. For younger children, you may prefer to cut
the back of the mask out completely, and, instead, wrap a piece of ribbon or yarn around the back of the head to secure the mask to allow better air-passage.

Paint the mask in a solid color and allow it to dry completely. Then add details like eyes, nose and lips in different colors. Once that coat of paint is completely dry, it is ready to wear. For a longer lasting and shiny mask, cover the mask in several layers of hodge podge before using it.

www.ilovehalloweencostumes.com

Celebrating Halloween With Halloween Wigs And Costume Accessories

2008-10-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

Halloween is loved by children of all ages, both young and old. One of the most exciting decisions about Halloween is choosing just the right costume to express your holiday glee. Whether you choose to go as something that may slink out of a horror story or something as ethereal as skipping out of a fairytale, you are sure to find just what you need, as long as you give yourself enough time to choose what you want and make sure everything fits right before All Hallows Eve. Once you have your costume picked out, you should then go about choosing just the right Halloween accessories to emphasis your costume.

There is a vast array of Halloween accessories from which to choose, and the all depend upon the costume you will wear as well as the special effects you wish to obtain by adding accessories. For instance, there are many wigs to choose from such as afro wigs, beehive, Goth and evil sorceress, princess, chorus line and Bridezilla style Halloween wigs as well as many more, and they usually come in a great many different colors to chose from. However, you should not stop with just a Halloween wig for an accessory. You will also find wide selection of Halloween makeup and artificial tattoos as well as eye contacts that will add that something extra to your exciting Halloween ensemble.

For instance, perhaps this year you would like to go as a fairy or some other creature that would be adorned with magnificent wings, such as a butterfly, dragonfly or bumblebee. Then again, you have a wonderful choice of wings when showing up for the Halloween party dresses as one of the children of the night, as vampires, demons and devils can also use the accessory of wings when celebrating Halloween.

We cannot forget angels and fairies in the Halloween festivities. Many wings are made of lace, gauze, netting or even feathers, which come in a rainbow of colors to match any Halloween costume. These wings are usually complimented with the use of glitter and iridescent paints.

Remember to order any type of headgear that might accessorize your costume, as you will be able to find angel halos and devil horns as well. On the other hand, perhaps you fancy impersonating a dashing pirate and other such masquerading mascots.

While you at it, remember to pick out any other Halloween accessory props, so you are as authentic looking as possible while attending your costume parties or trick or treating door to door. While considering your Halloween costume, you can choose from crowns of royalty to the courts jester as well as a Viking, witch, Indian Chief or bride. Then again, you may be interested in a fairy wand, the staff of a wizard, the sword of a pirate or other type of fake weaponry to accentuate you Halloween costume.

Do not forget such Halloween accessories such as shoes, stockings and petticoats to compliment the Halloween fashions we wear, as they are also a great basic aid in pulling off a perfect Halloween masquerade.

www.costumecauldron.com

Quick Halloween Craft Idea - Witch's hands

2008-10-06T12:24:00.001-07:00

Quick Halloween Craft Idea - Witch's hands!

This is a handprint craft with a difference! You need only a few inexpensive supplies which you will probably have lying around the house. It is an easy craft to do with a crowd of children and the results are great for decorating the house or classroom. Best of all, you will end up with a fun memento to keep and look back on as the children grow.

You will need:

Green card or paper
Scraps of black, red or purple card, paper, felt, tissue paper etc
Pencils and pens
White glue

Instructions:

Draw around the children's hands onto the green card. Older children can pair up and draw round each other’s hands. Cut out carefully.

Use the scraps of paper or card to cut pointed oval shapes for long, spiky finger nails and stick them on - embellishing, if you like, with glitter or stickers.

Draw some spidery veins onto the hands, using your own hands as inspiration.

Why not add a wart or two? Make them by scrunching tissue paper into a tiny ball and sticking onto the hands with white glue.

Use the hands to decorate a notice-board, the fridge, or the Halloween table (place them on either side of a plate for a humorous effect). If you attach them to the edge of doors with sticky-tack it looks as if someone spooky could be hiding on the other side!

Alternatively, attach plain white paper to the back of the hands and use them as invitations!

Variations:

Children could create monster hands. Use cream or brown card and square off the fingers of the handprints before cutting out. Fingernails should be black or perhaps silver, and also square in shape. Use black pen to draw veins and lots of spiky black hair in the center of the hand and knuckles!

Ghostly hands can be made out of white card. Stretch your handprints out a little to give particularly long, thin fingers. Make fingernails out of grey or silver scraps and decorate with silver glitter. Use pencil or grey pen to draw on veins.

www.ActivityVillage.co.uk

Halloween Contact Lenses – Great For Halloween And Costume Parties

2008-10-06T02:42:00.001-07:00

Halloween contact lenses are special effect contact lenses that can be worn on Halloween, or on any other special occasion, such as costume parties. Such contact lenses have been used in the movie industry for ages to create a monster, or a character. Recent movies, such as Interview With The Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, X-Men, The Grinch, among others, have used special effect contact lenses to create a strong visual impact. They have also been used for years on television, theatre, and even rock concert stages.

You too can do the same on some special occasion. Halloween contact lenses could be perfect for bringing the character in your costume to life! There are various decorative contact lenses in a variety of styles. From the simple ones - that will convert you into a red eyed alien, or a green eyed reptile – to the more elaborate ones with zebra stripes or flowers, they are a great way to enhance your Halloween ensemble.

Buying Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are available from a variety of sources, including online sources. However, you should know of certain things before you buy a pair.

Nearly everyone can wear special effect contact lenses. If your vision is normal, you can go for plain lenses with no corrective power. Corrective contact lenses for special effects are also available, including toric contact lenses for those suffering from astigmatism.

Even if you are going for plain costume contact lenses, it is always advisable to consult your optometrist. When ordering these special effect lenses, always ensure you have your prescription ready, especially when buying from online sources. Halloween contact lenses, like ordinary every day use contact lenses need to be ‘fitted,’ hence the prescription. Decorative lenses, if improperly made, can cause eye injury, which could eventually become permanent.

These costume contact lenses are not dangerous, as long as you buy them from reputable contact lens manufacturers, or from well-known and trusted online sources. However, they must not be swapped with other people, as there is a danger of picking up an infection. They need to be cleaned properly, just as you would your normal contact lenses.

Even though costume contact lenses are totally opaque, your visibility is unhampered because of the center of the lens - which is clear. The exception is in the case of white lenses for blind eye effect – which are totally opaque. Anyway, these are worn one at a time only.

However, you may notice that your peripheral vision is slightly affected when wearing these decorative contact lenses. Though Halloween contact lenses are as good as daily use contacts, it is advisable not to use them continuously for more than 8 hours.

Caring For Your Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are like ordinary contact lenses that everyone uses. You need to remember one thing, though. You may be wearing such costume contact lenses for fun, and for a short time, but these are medical devices, and need to be cared for as such.

Caring for them is quite simple. A no-rub multipurpose solution, a pair of plastic tweezers, and a contact lens case, which are all available from any chemist shop, is all you need. There are no other ‘special’ solutions required, only make sure your multipurpose solution is labeled – ‘for soft contact lenses.’ If you have more than one costume contact lenses, arrange to have a separate case for each.

This is what you should do to care for your costume contact lenses:

Before handling your contact lenses, always wash your hands with soap.

Pick up your lens gently with tweezers, taking care not to tear it.

Place it on your fingertip and rinse it with a no-rub multipurpose contact lens solution.

Insert it in your eye.

Repeat the same for the lens of the other eye.

After use, take them out of your eyes, give them another rinse with the no-rub solution, and place them in the case with the fresh solution.

As is normal, you would be using your decorative contact lenses, once in a while, on special occasions. As there may be a gap of several weeks in between uses, it is advisable that you rinse the lenses, and change the solution, once a week. If you forget to do so, and your lenses have remained unattended in their cases, give them a double rinse, and soak them in a fresh solution for about a couple of hours, before wearing them.

In case you do not use corrective lenses or color contact lenses on a daily basis, the usage of costume contact lenses may cause a slight discomfort in the beginning. Do not rub your eyes, and instead use lubricant drops that are easily available from the corner chemist shops. To get used to the feeling, you can start by wearing them a couple of hours a day, every day, from a few days before the day of the party.

The Variety In Costume Contacts

There are endless varieties of decorative contact lenses available for all occasions, including Halloween. You can browse the Internet to pick up the ones that go with your costume. Some of the high quality, affordable Halloween contact lenses that are popular, and create great effects are:

Alien

Blackout and whiteout

Hypnotica

Cat eye

Ice fire

Red hot

Black, red and white spiral

Wolf

These are mass produced costume contact lenses. You can also have your contact lenses custom made, which are hand painted, and may be more expensive. Then there are the Scleral costume contact lenses, which are quite more expensive than the other costume contacts. These lenses, not only cover the pupil and the iris of the eyes, as other costume lenses, but the whole sclera – the visible area of the eyes.

Sclera Halloween contact lenses provide an absolutely magnificent effect and are quite comfortable to wear. These unique custom made contact lenses require a special prescription, as the optometrist has to measure your eye.

Make your choice of the Halloween contact lenses and have a great time at the party!

www.contact-lenses-online-guide.com

Fright Night Safety Tips: Play It Safe On Halloween

2008-10-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

Halloween is fun for all ages – but it can also present problems if you're not properly prepared. Follow these guidelines to help ensure everyone has a frightfully fun time this Halloween!

People of all ages look forward to Halloween, and all of its tricks and treats. But whether you're a trick-or-treater, parent or homeowner, there are some safety tips you should know in order to make sure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.

Walk. Running can be dangerous.
Stay on sidewalks.
Carry a flashlight.
Stay in neighborhoods you know.
Only approach houses that have a porch light on.
If you're wearing a mask, make sure you can properly see out of it.
Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground.
Don't eat candy until parents have checked it.
Stay away from animals you don't know.

Parents:

Accompany your young children.
If older children will be unaccompanied, make sure you know where they will be, who they will be with and what time they will be home.
If you purchase costumes for your children, make sure they fit properly and are flame retardant.
Tell your children to bring the candy home so you can inspect before they eat any of it.
Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.

Homeowners:

Make sure your yard and walkways are clear of any objects that young trick-or-treaters may trip over.
If you have pets, it may be a good idea to keep them briefly confined to one area, so they don't get frightened or injured. Pets get frightened on Halloween.
Try to use battery powered jack o'lantern candles rather than real candles to reduce the chances of fire.
If you do use candles, place the pumpkins well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing. Make sure any yard decorations won't be blown into the candle's flame.
Do not hand out homemade treats. If you wish to give healthy food alternatives, try packages of crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of microwave popcorn.
Non-food treats are also welcome. Plastic spider or skull rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, and even special Halloween straws are fun treats.

Halloween can be fun for all ages, and by following these simple safety tips, you can make sure it's also a safe occasion for one and all.

By: Heather L. Clark

Halloween Came From Where?

2008-10-05T10:29:00.001-07:00

Halloween Came From Where?

1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
2. SUMMER'S END
3. SPOOKY
4. THE COLD SHOULDER
5. HALLOW'S EVE
6. BOBBING FOR APPLES
7. TRICK
8. OR TREAT
9. JACK O' LANTERN
10.THE GREAT PUMPKIN

1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Of all the mainstay holidays that populate our year, Halloween is one of the oldest, dating back thousands of years. Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter and even Christmas are youngsters by comparison.

Follow me and I'll take you on a trail that follows it through the ages to the costume and candy nighttime promenade we celebrate today.

2. SUMMER'S END

Originally starting out as an ancient Celtic holiday, Druidic priests regarded the day as the end of the year and a celebration for the year's harvest. October 31 was the first day of a three-day celebration called Samhain, meaning "the end of summer". It marked the passage from the season of the sun to the season of darkness, but was also a festival for honoring the dead. The Celts believed the laws of space and time were suspended on this night, allowing the spirit world to crossover and intermingle with the living world.

3. SPOOKY

As the story goes, the disembodied spirits of all those who had passed away throughout the preceding year would come back on that night in search of living bodies to possess for the coming year. Apparently, it was their only hope for an afterlife. To protect themselves, the Celtic priests developed spells, charms and ritualistic burning sacrifices to appease the wandering spirits that roamed the night.

4. THE COLD SHOULDER

Of course, being alive you certainly didn't want to get possessed, so on the night of October 31st, people would put out the fires in their fireplaces and furnaces, to make their homes cold and undesirable to the wandering spirits. To complete the ritual, they would then dress in ghoulish costumes, parading around the neighborhoods causing ruckus and destruction in order to scare off the spirits looking for a warm body to inhabit.

5. HALLOW'S EVE

The word Halloween is a concoction. Samhain (pronounced sow-en, the sow rhymes with cow, that "en" part is important to remember) was combined with the November 1st Catholic holiday of "All Hallows Eve", otherwise known as "All Hallows Day "or "All Saints Day". The old English word "Hallow" meant to sanctify. It was the day for honoring the Catholic saints. By the 7th century AD it was adapted as "All Soul's Day" to honor all the dead and not just the saints. Over time, these two celebrations were combined into one mega-fest by the growing populations of Europe. And abracadabra, sow-en and Hallows Eve merged creating Halloween. In Ireland it is sometimes referred to as Hallow E'en and others still spell it, Hallowe'en, further emphasizing the marriage of terms and holidays.

6. BOBBING FOR APPLES

Eventually the traditional Roman celebration on November 1st honoring Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, was absorbed into the Halloween punch bowl. Bringing its own traits with it, Pomona's symbol was an apple, which most likely inspired the party activity of bobbing for apples.

7. TRICK...

Celebration of Halloween came to America with early Irish and Scottish immigrants. The belief in spirit possession had subsided compared to the early days and the act of dressing as ghouls, goblins, ghosts and witches was more like today's ceremonious fun.

However, the anarchy still remained from the early Celtic days. Favorite tricks of the time were knocking over outhouses, especially with someone inside and unhinging fence gates, freeing farm animals and the like.

8. ...OR TREAT
The treat part of trick-or-treating originated with a 9th century European custom called "souling". On "All Souls Day", early Christians would walk door-to-door begging for "soul cakes", little squares of bread made with currants (yummy). You see, at the time, it was believed that the souls of the dead remained in limbo on earth and that prayers would speed the soul's passage to heaven. The more soul cakes the beggars would get, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the givers.

9. JACK O' LANTERN

An Irish folklore tells the tale of a lazy trickster named Jack. In his whole life he never made a single enemy, nor a single friend, never did an honest day's work or performed a single selfless act for anyone. But despite his sloth and constant state of inebriation, he was able to foil the Devil's attempt at taking his soul.

One Halloween Jack's number was up and the Devil arrived to do his deed. Jake was of course having a pint at the pub and asked the Devil for permission to finish his ale. The Devil agreed and Jack struck up a conversation. He asked, "If you really have any power, you could transform yourself into anything, right? Even a shilling." The Devil took it as challenge and transformed himself into a silver coin. Jack snatched up the coin and scratched a cross-shaped scar into the face. The power of the cross, being like kryptonite to Superman, made the Devil powerless and held him captive.

Jack bartered with Satan, he would free him if he would grant Jack another year of life so that he would have time to repent. Having little choice, the Devil made it so. A year passed, Jack being Jack, never got around to getting off his bar stool to repent.

Again it was Halloween, but Satan was a no show. Suddenly Jack knew why, presto-change-o, Jack was dead and standing at the pearly gates. He was getting to go to heaven. Ah, but before admittance he had to get the okay from St. Peter. Checking his records, St. Peter gave Jack the thumbs down, boo-hoo, for Jack had never performed a single selfless act. Off to hell Jack would go.

However, Satan wasn't having any of it either. He was still ticked for getting tricked. Having nowhere else to go, the Devil gave Jack a single burning ember in a hollowed out turnip. With only this simple lantern to light his path, rejected from heaven and hell, poor Jack was doomed to wander in the darkness forever.

The Irish originally used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns". But in America, pumpkins were far easier to come by than turnips. Pumpkins also pulled a double duty, symbolizing the giant full moon of harvest. So, the man-in-the-moon and trickster Jack combined to form the carved face pumpkins of our Jack O' Lanterns.

10. THE GREAT PUMPKIN

There you have it ghouls and goblins, the who's and boos of why Halloween is one of our favorite times of year! Jokes and candy to all ye this Hallow's Eve!

After Halloween what is a vampire's favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving!

www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com/halloween.htm

Not All Halloween Costumes Are Necessarily For Halloween

2008-10-05T01:22:00.001-07:00

If you were to take a poll as to what season of the year Halloween costumes should be worn you probably won't find too many people interested in taking the poll. This is because they may assume the question to be so silly that it is not worth answering! After all, why would anyone wear a Halloween costume at anytime during the year other than Halloween? Well, what about the World Cup Soccer tournament season? This is not held during Halloween yet many people enjoy wearing Halloween adult costumes that represent team mascots or folk heroes from their team's country of origin. So, would this not be a good time of the year to purchase a "Halloween" costume?

Yes, often, the term Halloween costume is used because it is a convenient name. In reality, these costumes can be worn any time of the year where their use would be valuable. In fact, there are a multitude of seasons where the need for Halloween adult costumes is apparent. The Christmas season, for example, is often touted as a time of the year when costumes are in high demand.

No, that was not a hyperbolic statement. Christmas time is a "boom" period for costume sales because there are so many iconic Christmas characters that people will dress as for office parties, family gatherings, church events, or even promotional in-store appearances. Really, you do not think all those folks wearing the Santa Claus getups made those costumes themselves, do you? And, of course, Santa Claus is not the only popular yuletide costumes that are popular. There is also Mrs. Claus, elves of various shapes and sizes, and even "sexy Santa's Helpers" Halloween adult costumes which are popular sellers. So, if you want to really get into the Christmas spirit then you may wish to invest in a holiday "Halloween" costume.

What about Thanksgiving and St. Valentine's Day? These are holidays that have a number of ""Halloween" adult costumes associated with them as well. Yes, you can attend a Thanksgiving dinner dressed as a Pilgrim or you could spend February 14th decked out in Cupid attire. Really, there is no limit to seasonal holiday themed costume ideas. That is why so many catalogues are filled with all sorts of varieties of costume ideas.

Of course, there are also seasonal "Halloween" adult costumes that are inherent to specific regions of the world. Specific American holidays which rely on "Halloween" costumes include the Fourth of July and President's Day. Costumes that mimic the classic image of "Uncle Sam" are perennially popular when July 4 rolls around as are female variations of this patriotic costume. President's Day has long since spawned a number of masks that mimic some of the great (and some of the not so great) leaders of the past. Do any former commanders in chief receive residuals on these masks? Probably not; being a public figure does have its disadvantages as well!

So, no matter what season of the year it is one can always celebrate Halloween. After all, costuming is truly a year round activity!

Nikki is co-owner along with her business partner Phillip Lloyd of a number of highly recognisable UK based online brands including Halloween Costumes UK. http://halloweencostumesuk.co.uk If you would like to learn more about Halloween Adult Costumes then visit: www.halloweencostumesuk.co.uk

Halloween Decorating

2008-10-04T11:11:00.001-07:00

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st. Generally, Halloween is related to the scarier aspects of life such as like death, magic, and mythical creatures. Ghosts, ghouls, black cats, spiders, gnomes, skeletons, demons, monsters, and the famous Dracula are among the more famous Halloween personalities.

Halloween traditional colors are black and orange. Purple, green, and red are recent additions. Pumpkins and scarecrows are the symbols of Halloween.

One of the elements used in order to make Halloween a uniquely memorable occasion is make-ups and costumes. Pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns are one of the symbols of Halloween, so use a large number of carved pumpkins to decorate your Halloween party. Stenciled pumpkins will give the visitors to your party a scary feeling, as will creepy decorations.

Hang Halloween magic mirrors at the entrance of your home. Watching people get scared looking at their own terrifying reflections will be quite comic. Use dark decorations like a Halloween beacon with a pumpkin, Halloween clocks, Halloween candle holders, and Halloween wreaths for creepy Halloween parties. Use Halloween flags and banners in front of the party hall.

Decorate your car with Halloween stickers, posters, and symbols. Display all spooky Halloween toys in a table. Glue all the scary Halloween photographs in a frame, and hang it in the centre of the party hall. Decorate and light up your party with Halloween lights. Play Halloween music and videos that give off a spooky effect.

Arrange Halloween games like 'Finding a Monster', 'Make a Mummy', 'Halloween Pictionary,' and 'Build a Monster' for kids and adults to boost the enthusiasm of the participants and to enhance the enjoyment at the party.

The Internet has an incredible number of Halloween decorating ideas. A number of websites offer useful and unique decorating ideas for your Halloween party.

Nicely decorated Halloween parties will make the experience memorable not only for your visitors, but for you as well.

decorating-web.com provides detailed information on Decorating, Home Decorating, Bedroom Decorating, Bathroom Decorating and more. Decorating is affiliated with design-ontheweb.com.

Halloween Wallpapers: Enjoy All The Year

2008-10-04T11:09:00.001-07:00

Halloween brings great fun and festivity. Every popular holiday does that, but Halloween is different. During Halloween, your mood is totally different. Your heart is full of joy and your mind is full of ideas. There are no stresses and no body thinks about work. Its only fun and joy. Halloween changes every mind and heart. There is joy all around. Halloween Desktop wallpapers help you enjoy that mood all through the year. Let me tell you more.

Halloween is a festival for people of all the age groups and all the people love the fear and the fun. What about bearing the joy of Halloween on your desktop all the year? You can do that with Halloween Desktop wallpapers. You can download and enjoy the wallpapers, share them with your friends and enjoy. Getting good wallpapers for Halloween is a matter of good search. Some websites offer downloads with malicious attachments; therefore search for a site of good reputation.

Halloween is to be enjoyed. One should forget work for that day and have fun. Looking at Halloween Wallpapers you can fight with your stress and enjoy a new freshness. Halloween is one such festival. Wallpapers for Halloween will not only scare you but also others who dare to watch the wallpaper.

Desktop wallpapers for Halloween are a great treat for the eyes all through the day. These wallpapers add color and festive spirit not only to the computer screen but also your mind and heart. Whenever you will look at the wallpaper, you will feel joyous, because it will remind of the fun during Halloween. Download few good Halloween Wallpapers and keep them on your screen all through the year. Enjoy with Halloween wallpapers. Have fun and have joy.

CD Mohatta writes text for Free Desktop wallpapers. You can download as many as you wish at no cost. They are all free for you. Please select from - Free Halloween Wallpapers from http://www.screene.com/ You can also play free online games at : yourfungames.com/games

Halloween Faq: Halloween Traditions Around The World

2008-10-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

* Was Halloween originally a pagan or a Christian holiday?

Like the celebration of Christmas day, originally Halloween was a pagan festival rather than a Christian holiday. It was only around 10th century that the Roman Catholic Church established this holy day. This was initiated for purifying the spirits of the dead.

* What is the origin of trick-or-treating?

Trick-or-treating, a major Halloween tradition, is related to the "soul cake day" of Christian people, with a belief that the treat pacifies a mischievous spirit. Formerly, children who were trick-or-treating would vandalize houses that did not give them treats. They roamed around the neighborhood soliciting candy or other kinds of treats. This was became popular up to the 20th century.

It was in the year 1970 that the trick-or-treating tradition started to wane because of several rumors that some households were handing out harmful or poisonous treats to children. Today many parents accompany their children while trick-or-treating or organize private Halloween parties.

* Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31st?

Halloween is celebrated on October 31st because the Celtic people believed that it is the end of "season of the sun" and the start of "season of darkness and cold" due to winter. They believe that it is the time when evil spirits are most likely to roam the earth.

* Is Halloween celebrated on the same day around the world?

No. Halloween in some parts of the world may not even occur on October 31st. A number of countries celebrate Halloween on November 1 or 2. Other prefers to celebrate it at some other time, mostly during the fall or summer season.

* What countries celebrate Halloween?

Halloween is one of the oldest traditions and is celebrated around the globe. While many countries commemorate Halloween it is in North America and Canada where Halloween is most popular. Other countries that join in the celebration are Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and Sweden.

* How did Halloween get started in the U.S.?

The first-ever recorded Halloween celebration in the United States occurred in Anoka, Minnesota, in 1921. That was the start of trick-or-treat, Halloween costume parties, and a series of activities depicting the essence of the celebration.

* Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween?

Carving of pumpkins is descended from earliest Irish tradition. Originally a turnip was used instead of a pumpkin. According to some stories, it was believed to ward off evil spirits.

When the Irish people began to immigrate to America, they realized that carved pumpkins were more realistic than turnips, as well as easier to carve.

Hanson Landgren is editor of Halloween Lab, the online guide to www.halloweenlab.com He also writes Halloween FAQ's for PrettyGreatAnswers.com.

Sexy Halloween Ideas For Your Halloween Costumes This Year

2008-10-04T00:41:00.001-07:00

Halloween has always been a very interesting and exciting time of the year, not only for children but for adults as well. Many adults love the idea of dressing up for Halloween. Whether it is for passing out candy, attending a Halloween Ball or any other sort of spooky activity, having the excellent costume really sets the stage for a fun and fantastic time. However, adults should be able to find just the right Halloween costume, even if they are older and bigger than children are. Actually, in the past 5 years costume stores have realized an increase in the requirements for adults costuming. Halloween and its origins seem to unnerve some individuals, however, this does not diminish its popularity since in the past few years, and adults have a wish to join in the merrymaking of Halloween fun, by donning their own sexy costumes.

Sexy Halloween costumes are so well loved they are becoming the new classic in Halloween attire. A few of the most fashionable sexy Halloween costumes for adults are costumes that feature a Middle and Far Eastern flair such as a belly dancer. These sexy Halloween for adults are quite charming as well as alluringly mischievous. Unbelievably, a wonderful choice of a Celtic fairy or gypsy costumes has the ability of offering just the right amount of mischief and a sexy flair to the quality to the female sense of fantastic fun while wearing a sexy adult Halloween costume.

Halloween has a lot to offer men as well when it comes to the perfect Halloween costume. As there have been many recent movies featuring the intriguing legends of piracy, this has created a rave review of men who wear sexy adult costumes, especially that of a dashing swash buckling pirate. Moreover, the classic of using a toga when portraying a sexy Greek or Roman God or Goddess is always a thrilling Halloween costume idea. However, we must remember that both men and women love to get in on the fun while attending a Halloween activity while dressed up as their favorite sexy superhero. Although, any adult should keep in mind while choosing their sexy Halloween costume that the custom is a good choice for them while it should be complimentary as well. For instance some women may prefer the fantasy of being a pirate, there are many others who will absolutely shine while dresses as a sexy fairy nymph for Halloween. Choosing the sexiest Halloween costume is about not only the type of costume, but also how well it compliments the wearer.

In some locations throughout the United States and beyond, sexy adult Halloween costumes are very hard to locate. Although there are a few areas that carry an excellent line of adult Halloween costumes, many do not always carry a selection large enough to fit the need, and they do not necessarily cater to the needs of special interest for an adult. For instance, a small woman may be able to get into a large costume of a child; however, there is not much interest and flair when showing up in a child size Roly Poly Ollie costume.

Halloween only comes one night of the year, and this gives many adults the opportunity to indulge their alter ego, publicly. It is an enchanting night set aside especially for play and fantasy. This is why adults chose to enjoy their night of an alter ego as they indulge with the greatest glee. Finding the best Halloween costume is part of acting out an alter ego. Whether a man wants to pretend to be Darth Vader or a sexy vampire or if a woman prefers to be a Goddess or a football player, sexy Halloween costuming offers them their opportunity to be childlike once more.

For some individuals a perfectly sexy adult Halloween costume may just be something totally different and unique. There are several interesting game costumes, such as a Twister costume as well as many other playful costumes such as gangster, flapper and scary ghoulish costumes. On the other hand, perhaps they may be attracted to such as cavemen, cavewomen, and even a condom package costumes. Many sexy adults Halloween costumes are available online. Many people are able to find their perfect costume by using the internet, which saves both time and money. Halloween is a very busy holiday so being able to order a stunning costume online is worthwhile and simple.

For those adults who are a bit shyer and have a high taste for the value of education, there is historical adult Halloween costumes, such as Marie Antoinette, George Washington Carver, Cleopatra or Abraham Lincoln come to mind. Since those born in the baby boomer, generation may have not been able to indulge in playing dress up for Halloween through their adult lifetime, historical costumes may ease the way into becoming comfortable with dressing up for the Halloween holiday. It seems that baby boomers did not often have the opportunity to pretend dress up of an alter ego very often if at all. However, today, things are more relaxed and everyone has the opportunity to let their hair down or even pin it up in the name of Halloween fun.

In these modern times both men and women are able to find the perfect sexy warrior costume to enact their fantasy of pent up aggressions to the world at large for at least one night of the year. Many work places feature dressing up for Halloween as this also gives a relief from the everyday working of a job while adding a bit of humor to the daily activities. Today adult Halloween costumes come in a wide assortment of choices from prehistoric to out of this world, no matter if you want to spice it up looking all hot and sexy or showing up as a mighty and strong outlaw, dressing up for Halloween offers this type of opportunity for everyone.

Halloween night is one of the best times for adults to dress up for the evening. Besides as adults we need a little fun and stress free time to keep us well balanced. The perfect adult Halloween costume is an aid in the process of role-playing while indulging the child inside us all to come out and play, even if for just one night.

Sue and Fred give Halloween costume purchasing advice and offers it freely for sexy Halloween costumes Go to http://www.costumecauldron.com for details.

Halloween Props: Three Things To Consider When Selecting The RightProps For Your Halloween Party

2008-10-03T08:06:00.001-07:00

With Halloween right around the corner, Halloween shopping is at getting to the peak frenzy as we would expect. The hunt for the best (and often, spookiest) costumes is well and truly on. While we can expect to see some of the all-time favorite costumes in demand as usual, there are always some new costume arrivals that always surprise and shock (two emotions that go well with Halloween, anyway!).

But are costumes without the right props to go with them and accentuate the desired effect? Choosing the right prop requires as much planning as one would expend on selecting an outfit. Of course, costume sellers like us do use our knowledge and experience to recommend the right combinations; however, as a person visiting or hosting a Halloween party, the customer is probably most well informed to make the right selection.

I list below some very simple points to consider when deciding on the props to use for your Halloween get together. Some of these might seem as no-brainers, but we have often seen how ignoring some of these simple aspects can take the fun out of a party.

Party theme:
This is obviously one of the most important considerations. Plan and decide the theme of the Halloween party. Once you have decided a particular theme, research into the various props that you will require to create the right ambiance for that theme. It is all about getting the setting right--- if your theme is of a spooky & scary party, then obviously you should ensure that the props are scary as well—whether it be in their look or the sounds they make. Props that are not in sync with the theme of a party are an absolute dampener. Make sure you avoid that mistake.

Props for all characters
Once you have the theme decided and created the appropriate setting for the party, it is also quite important to consider getting additional props for the individual characters who may be turning up for the party dressed in costumes befitting that particular theme. While visitors may bring their own props, it helps to plan for some additional (and may be even surprise) props. That is just bound to add to the excitement of the party.

Ensuring that the props work
If you really want your Halloween party to go the way you want it to, ensure that you have checked and tested all the props. They should be doing what they are supposed to- for example, may be a prop is designed to pop out something when someone touches a part of it. Test it before your party so that it doesn’t turn out to be a damp squib.

Props are as much a vital part of the Halloween party experience as anything else—so make sure you have planned for and bought all the right props.

Dave Fisher is President of Eastern Toys (http://www.easterntoys.com), a large specialist online retailer of Halloween props (easterntoys.com/halloween-dcorations-s/125.htm) and special occasion costumes. Eastern Toys offers one of the largest selections of costumes for both children and adults.

Halloween Is Coming, Are You Ready?

2008-10-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

Halloween bats :

They are everywhere this time of year. Halloween bats are seen on windows, doors, and sometimes hanging from porches. But here are a few facts about Halloween bats that you may not have known.

* Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

* There are over a thousand different types of bats.

Halloween cats :

Halloween is a time to be someone else. To have fun watching the kids go trick or treating, or to dance at costume parties what may not be known is that Halloween cats have more to do with this holiday than cursing you while it crosses your path.

These days Halloween cats are everywhere. There are plenty of Halloween cat graphics to put up as wallpaper on your computer, to stick on the glass of your windows, Halloween cat costumes and Halloween cat costumes for your cat.

Halloween Treats :

The Halloween season has many ways to celebrate. Often one that seems to fly lower than the plastic bats out on the front porch is the Halloween treats. All sorts of goodies can be found on the internet. This season have your family help make some gory and ghoulish Halloween treats.

Ever heard of kitty litter cake? Here the ingredients. This is a favorite Halloween treat for the kids, once they realize it is actually cake.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix

* 1 White Cake Mix

* 1 package White Sandwich Cookies

* 1 Large package Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

* Green food coloring

* 12 Small Tootsie Rolls

* 1 *NEW* kitty litter box

* 1 *NEW* kitty litter box plastic liner

* 1 *NEW* pooper scooper

Polina Alley raise 4 kids and has written several ebooks on Halloween. Those ebooks are free and You can get them on her Halloween Costumes Site : besthalloween-costumes.com

How Much Do You Know About Halloween?

2008-10-01T10:06:00.001-07:00

How much do you know about the spooky holiday of Halloween? As you probably know, Halloween is celebrated on the 31st October and the name Halloween descends from the old name Hallows Eve, the night of the dead. This is why children and adults alike dress up as spooky characters suck as ghosts, goblins, vampires, monsters, witches and anything that goes bump in the night.

It is also said that on this night dedicated to the dead, that there are more spiritual energies, making it a more receptive night to contact the dead, and for the dead to contact the living.

Halloween is often considered an American festivity, so it might surprise you to know that it originated in Ireland as the Pagan Celtic harvest festival Samhain. Halloween wasn't exported to America until the 19th century, when many Irish folk emigrated.

The Celts celebrated as their harvest festival because by the end of October all the hard work of harvesting the crops was over. They also saw Halloween as marking the time when the days would shorten and there would be darkness and coldness of the winter season.

Many Christians prefer to celebrate the following day, All saints day on 1st November (also know as 'All hallows' and 'All souls day') This is to avoid conflict with their religious beliefs. The word hallow means sanctify in old English, 'to free from sin'. All saints day is therefore considered to be a day of goodness.

Halloween and its festivities have now been spread to most of the western world. However, the old Halloween meaning has been lost and replaced. Nowadays Halloween is seen as a festive holiday of fun and spookiness. A time to dress up and have a fun time, maybe to go ‘trick or treating’ or to go to a spooky Halloween part. Halloween is a time to spook yourself, or maybe someone else, BOO!

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