You can find a large variety of halloween costumes available at stores in your neighborhood. However, when you consider the cost and lack of originality, homemade costumes are a more fun and oftentimes more cost-effective option. Plus, if you involve your children in creating the homemade costumes, the results will be worth more than any store-bought costume in any store.

Here are some inexpensive, homemade Halloween costume ideas that will cost little money and show lots of imagination.

Scarecrow: An over-sized flannel shirt, some straw, and faded jeans with patches will make a great scarecrow. Stuff the jeans and shirt with plastic grocery bags and leave a little straw hanging out of the shirt and jeans. A little makeup will complete your scarecrow costume.

Ghost: Ghosts are an old stand-by that never goes out of style. Use an old white sheet with holes cut for the eyes and sew a simple treat bag out of a scrap of material or a worn out pillow case. You can dress your ghost up a bit by making lips out of red lipstick and a few false eyelashes. Or you could color a beard and moustache with markers. You may want to create a colorful ghost by using a sheet covered with polka dots or one that is brightly colored.

Clown: You can create a great clown with sweat clothes that are a bit to large decorated with fabric paint or markers. Sew on some pom poms, use an inexpensive wig with a large, colorful hat, and you could even stuff the clothing with tissue (although the tissue will be a problem if the need for a restroom break arises).

Hippy: You can become a hippy from the 1960s with a tie-dye shirt and faded jeans with holes in the knees. Combine this with a headband, a ponytail wig, and a jacket or vest covered in fringe and you will have the most authentic looking hippy costume of all time.

Nerd: Halloween is the time to dress like something completely out of character. You can dress your child as a typical nerd, complete with white shirt, pocket protectors, pants that are too short, horn-rimmed glasses, while socks and black dress shoes. Don't forget to tape one corner of the glasses for a true nerd appearance. Make sure you use plenty of hair gel to slick back the hair and a few overly large fake teeth will be a great addition.

Soda Can: Find an inexpensive plastic barrel and cut a hole in the bottom. Paint the entire barrel the colors and design of your favorite brand of soda in a can. With holes for arms and your head, a simple barrel can transform your child into a soda can.

Your child can be the hit of your block or at the neighborhood Halloween party if you use a little imagination and create special homemade costumes out of inexpensive, household items.

Like the commercials say "The memory of your child in a costume you made together"... priceless.

Are you planning on hosting a Halloween party? If you are, then ask yourself if you know what kind of party it’s going to be. You might consider throwing a Halloween party for adults. It’s easy to plan, and a fun way to spend some quality time with your friends and family. In fact, it’s easier to plan a Halloween party aimed at adults than it is to set one up for kids, or for people of all ages. That said, there is a quite a bit of preparation and planning involved, and you’ll have to start early. The sooner you do, the sooner you can begin the festivities and enjoy yourself.

Invitations are an important thing, as with any other party. You should probably even invite people before you begin planning the rest of the party. Holiday seasons are always busy, and you’ll want to give people breathing space by making the invitations early, ideally a month beforehand. Make clear on your invitations that your party is for adults, as your guests may well end up bringing their kids otherwise.

Once the invitations, or at a minimum, your guest list, has been taken care of, you should begin arranging the rest. First of all, figure out what kinds of refreshments you’ll be offering. Naturally, since you’ll be catering to adults, you should have a well-stocked bar. It’s not obligatory to have alcohol at a Halloween party, of course, but it’s nice to have it on hand for those who want. Think also about what kind of other food and drink you’ll need. Will you serve dinner at your party? If you don’t plan to, then get a good assortment of snacks.

Games aren’t just for kids. It’s also lots of fun for adults to play party games. They’re a great way to keep your guests entertained. You can find a good variety of games geared towards adults online by doing a simple search. You can also go to your local retail store. The games don’t necessarily have to relate to Halloween. Just choose something fun.

Decide also where exactly your party will be held in your home. It’s pretty common for people to throw parties that will extend into several rooms, but it’s ultimately your call. It’s possible to have one in the dining room, living room, kitchen, rec room, den, and so on. It depends on how big your party will be and what you have planned. As well as cleaning and beautifying the rooms you’ll be using, you should figure out what kinds of decorations you’ll be using to contribute to your Halloween theme. There’s no point having a Halloween party without throwing in some scary-looking decorations, after all. They will really fill the air with a holiday spirit and give your party character.

Hosting a Halloween party for adults is a major undertaking, but it will be lots of fun to plan. If you start out early, get everything set up right, and make sure your family and friends are able to come, you can be sure your party will be a success before it even begins.

So you've decked the house out in creepy accessories, and picked out the perfect costume. The candy is ready to go for the trick-or-treaters and the music for your Halloween party is downloading into your MP3 player. What else could you possibly do for the holiday? Why not come up with some fun Halloween items for lunch or dinner? Here are some fun ideas to get your creative juices flowing while you are planning your menus.

Ghost sandwiches

The best way to make these is with all white ingredients – think of things like turkey, swiss cheese, white bread, miracle whip, etc. Make the sandwich like you normally would, and then use a large, ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut it into a ghost shape or cut the sandwich with a knife. You could even use a small amount of ketchup or other condiment to draw eyes and a mouth on your ghost.

Bat and Cat cookies

The easiest way to do these is to buy a tube of your favorite sugar cookie dough from your local store. Roll out the dough, and use a cookie cutter to cut them into bat and cat shapes. Bake the cookies like you would normally. While the cookies are baking, melt some dark chocolate. When the cookies are cooled, brush the chocolate over the top to create “black” cats and bats. If you are feeling very creative, consider using red or green candies or sprinkles to give your animals creepy looking eyes. Allow the chocolate to harden, and keep cookies in a cool place to prevent them from melting.

Pumpkin Wraps

Take a tortilla and spread it with your favorite orange ingredients – pimento or cheddar cheese, slices of ham, orange peppers, etc. all work well. Roll the tortilla tightly to create a wrap, and then cut into half inch slices (you may need to use a toothpick to hold the wrap slices together, consider getting the decorative ones in green to be the “stem”). Lay slices on their sides, and using small pieces of veggies or cheese to create the eyes, nose and mouth on your pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pizza

Spread your favorite pizza dough or ready-made crust with sauce and cheese. Then, using pepper slices and pepperonis, create the ridges of the pumpkin and the face of the jack-o-lantern. Bake as usual and serve.

Graveyard Dirt

You can make this dessert in one large pan or individual cups, depending on the size of decorative tombstones you can find. Start by crushing an entire package of chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos) and layering a portion of them in the bottom of the cup/pan. Combine ½ cup of butter, 8 oz of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups of milk with 2 – 3.5 ounce packages of instant pudding (your choice vanilla or chocolate). Fold in 1 12 oz tub of Cool Whip (again, your choice regular or chocolate). Then fold together the two mixtures. Layer a portion on your cookie layer, then continue layering pudding mix and cookies until all have been used. While you are creating your layers, you can consider hiding in some gummy worms or plastic skeletons so that bits and pieces poke at the top. Garnish the finished product with a couple of decorative tombstones and you have a creepy Halloween dessert.

Use these and your own ideas to create some fun and creepy Halloween meals!

Check out CheckYou Can Find the Right Halloween Mermaid Costume
One of the most fascinating fictional characters that have captured the imagination of millions of people around the world is that of mystical human like creatures that live under water. What separates them from the human race is the fact that instead of having legs, they have a fishtail instead that is used to propel them effortlessly through the water. One particular mermaid that is easily recognizable among children is Ariel from the Little Mermaid animated movie from Disney.
Since then, there has much been much interest in these fictional characters as the idea of an underwater world inhabited by a unique race is fascinating. With Halloween just around the corner, you too can dress up as a mermaid. The best part too is that these outfits are available for children and even adults so do not think that there is some sort of age limit as it simply does not exist. With that said, here are some of the costumes that are readily available for purchase.
Ariel Prestige Toddler Halloween costume
This particular outfit features a beautiful dress that has the signature fishtail glittered in bright colors. It even comes with the character cameo along with the headband as well. Your child will absolutely love this outfit but be sure to purchase extra accessories like the shoes and wand to make the outfit even more realistic. The extra additions will definitely make it much more worth it.
The Little Mermaid Ariel Infant Halloween costume
If you have a baby, then they too can dress up as a mermaid as well with this costume that can easily be purchased online for low prices. While your infant may not be able to swim just yet, this outfit is sure to give the impression to others that your baby is an expert swimmer. Like the toddler costume, it comes with a beautifully colored dress along with a character cameo.
Mermaid Plus Sized Adult Costume for Halloween
While the mermaid character may be more popular among children, adults can also join in on the fun. This particular outfit is sure to draw some attention with its luscious design that features a fishtail looking bottom portion along with a shimmering halter top. To really get a more realistic feel to the costume, be sure to also purchase a wig and jewelry. To get some further ideas to decorate your outfit, be sure to look at mermaid pictures online.
Buy Online For The Best Prices
It should be no secret that if you want to buy Halloween costumes for low prices, then it is highly recommended that you do so online. Getting the best price is simple as you can instantly compare costs so you know you are getting the best deals. Every year Halloween becomes more and more popular so you can bet that some of the most popular outfits are going to sell out or the good sizes will be gone. To prevent this from happening, buy a Halloween mermaid costume online today so you do not have to wait in long lines later on.

Check Out This Selection Of Mermaid Costumes

More Halloween Mermaid Costumes to choose from here http://halloweenmermaidcostume.com

Planning a Halloween party can be a very fun thing to do. Whether you will be hosting adults, children, or a mix of both, Halloween parties are fun and exciting to have and to attend.

To help plan your Halloween party, and have it be the event of the year, here are some ideas to get you started in your planning:

Halloween Party Idea #1 – The first thing you need to do is to decide on a budget for your party and if you will be having adults, children, or both in attendance. Once you have made these decisions then it is time to start planning your event.

Halloween Party Idea #2 – Food and drinks are always a big part of any Halloween party. Here you can be very creative with items such as “scabs” other wise known as dried cranberries. Items such as bleeding cupcakes or things which look like eyeballs are generally a hit. Or you can go with a more traditional fare of cookies and candy.

Halloween Party Idea #3 – For beverages for your party you can make a great slimy punch out of lemonade, sugar, meringue powder, and seltzer water. To this add some green food coloring and stir. The mix will be slimy and frothy.

Halloween Party Idea #4 – Always a fun idea at Halloween parties is the addition of dry ice to beverages. This will make them send off fog and is always a hit with both adults and children.

Halloween Party Idea #5 – Decoration for Halloween is fun. You can make tombstones in the yard with simple Styrofoam cutouts and even hang lights and ghosts in your trees. Inside your home you can decorate with spider webs and other spooky items which you can purchase at any local store during the Halloween season.

Halloween Party Idea #6 – For a Halloween party you want your home to be dimly lit but not too dark so that people are tripping over things. Also a fog machine or cauldrons with dry ice in them can give a great effect.

Halloween Party Idea #7 – Music is always nice for a Halloween party. However, rather than have it playing in the room your guests will be in, try setting your tunes in a near-by room so that people can still talk and enjoy themselves. If you have a adult party use scarier music than if you are hosting children.

Halloween Party Idea #8 - Playing games is always a hit at any party. A fun game for adults is charades using scary movies and themes. For children, bobbing for apples can be fun if the weather and space allow for it. Also, contests for the best costume always go over well. (Let your guests know this on your invitations.

Halloween Party Idea #9 – If you want to amaze your friends, you can write secret messages on your drinking glasses. To do this, take a mixture of dish soap and water and write messages with it, using your finger, on the outside of some drinking glasses. Once you are finished place them in the freezer to frost over. As your guests drink, and the glasses warm, your messages will come into view. This is always something people will be amazed at and talk about for a long time to come.

Halloween Party Idea #10 – One of the best things you can do while you are planning any party, especially one for Halloween, is to go online and search for creative ideas. You will find a wealth of creativity to help you make the most of your party experience.

It is always a wonderful experience when you walk into a home where someone has just baked a pumpkin pie—all those intoxicating smells of nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, and crisp piecrust. This piece is dedicated to all you pie-lovers out there, as well as all you non-bakers. I’ve put together some recommendations for where you can get delicious pumpkin pies. These pies are perfect for family get-togethers, Halloween costume parties, or as gifts to your friends and loved ones. In no particular order, here are five places where you can get fabulous pumpkin pie.

1. Try out Achatz Handmade Pie Company. The company makes two superb pumpkin pies, perfect for Halloween costume parties or for anytime of the year! There is the traditional pumpkin pie, with freshly made crust and filling with only the highest quality ingredients. But my personal favorite is their Pumpkin Crumb Pie. It’s almost like Crumb Cake mixed with Pumpkin Pie, and the flavors are amazing together. The Pumpkin Crumb Pie is essentially the traditional pumpkin pie with a layer of Achatz’ secret recipe crumb topping. This is great for a fancier Halloween costume party.

2. Bonerts Slice of Pie Company also has two delicious pumpkin pies. Like Achatz, Bonerts has a classic pumpkin pie and then a specialty pumpkin pie. Next time you’re planning a Halloween costume party, don’t forget to order a few of Bonerts’ Pumpkin Cream Cheese pies. It’s a great take on a classic pie, and the cream cheese gives the pie a rich, velvety texture that is incredible with the pumpkin flavor. Your Halloween costume party guests will be singing its praises!

3. In the spirit of the ghoulish Halloween, why not buy a Black Raspberry Pie from Garden Harvest Supply? The black, gooey filling and the flaky crust provide a nice alternative to pumpkin pie. With the Black Raspberry Pie, you can add creepy-crawly decorations like fake spiders, gummy worms, or plastic eyeballs. The deep, red-black color of the pie is a great addition to any Halloween costume party or Halloween costume get-together.

4. I can’t help mentioning Ms. Hill’s Pies. She’s a nice lady in Iowa who has been making delicious, handmade pies for over 30 years. That’s a lot of pies! For a nice “bloody” pie, why not buy the Cherry Pie? It tastes incredible, and it’s a great texture and color for Halloween costume parties and haunted houses. You could even hand out slices of pie to your trick-or-treaters in their Halloween costumes.

5. And last but not least, there are the delectable gourmet pies at Underhill Farms Gourmet & Specialty Pies. As the company states, “Each pie is made to order from the freshest ingredients, back to perfection, and delivered to your door.” Try the Single Crust Pumpkin Pie. They also sell a Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie, which is perfect if any of your Halloween costume party guests have trouble processing sugar. Plus, with all that Halloween candy, all that extra sugar in a pie is a bit unnecessary!

Scary Halloween Classroom Games

Most children love all things Halloween. As adults, we assume it's because Halloween means candy and children generally love candy. But many children love more than just the abundance of candy at Halloween time. They really get into the ghoulish aspect of the holiday and delight in the displays of goopy brains and squishy body parts.

Halloween games, therefore, can be really fun and goopy, if you wish. The kids will go with it, don't worry.

First up, a brain game. There's a fun game on store shelves where you pick through a rubber "brain" to figure out what's in it. You can create this easily yourself. Make some jello and fill it with a variety of items, like gummy worms and other gummy candies, some small candy and trinkets and other items. Tell the children to root around in the bowl of jello (call it a "brain" if this will get the kids more interested) to figure out what's in it. It's goopy and messy and kids love it. Best yet, color the jello black so it's too dark to see what's inside and it looks more like goopy brain matter (the way kids see it, anyway).

In that same, or similar vein, kids love the spaghetti game. Be sure they are wearing a smock over their clothes or are wearing play clothes before playing this game. Make a big bowl of spaghetti and fill it with all kinds of items, like plastic bugs, gummy worms and other items that might feel a bit strange. Make the children feel around in the bowl of spaghetti and identify the items they feel. Once they are done and cleaned up, have them list as many items as they can remember. Whoever gets the most items listed (and right) gets a prize. Spaghetti, anyone?

Another similar game that's always popular is to take a cardboard box and paint it black, both the inside and outside. Carve a small hole in the top, really just large enough for the children to get their hands into, and fill the box with a variety of items. They can be related to Halloween (like a small pumpkin) or not (wrapped Tootsie rolls or a tiny toy Hummer car). Have the children guess what's inside the box and award the box itself to the child who guesses the most number of items correctly. To make this goopy and silly, be sure to include some items that might feel like body parts or brain matter.

Kids love creating silly fictional stories, often with absurd plotlines. Halloween is the optimum time to let them run wild with their imaginations. Have them spend a bit of time writing out the scariest story they can think of. Some children might need some direction not to make it ridiculously grotesque, so use caution with these children in your clarification of this assignment. Once the stories are written, have the children hand them in and then have a guest reader for each one of them. Each child will come to the front of the class and read the story with as much dramatization as they can muster. Once the story is read, everyone has to guess who wrote the story. The writer should play along, otherwise everyone will know it was their story! The winner is the child who wrote a story so intriguing and unusual that nobody knew it was his or hers!

Kids love the word find games when you give them a word or words relating to a holiday or something else and have them find words within those words. In this case, give them Halloween-related words and ask them to find as many scary words as they can. For example, you might give them the word "Halloween" and see how many scary words they can make from the letters. Or you could give them a series of words and let them rearrange the letters in all of the words to create scary words, or even create a story from the scary words. Put a time limit on this game and award a prize for the child who creates the most words in the least amount of time.

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Halloween is often a favorite holiday for kids. The costumes, the candy, and all of the festivities make it a favorite time of year for many. Part of that fun often includes a Halloween party. If it is your turn to play host this year, here is a look at some of the things to consider while you are planning. The better prepared you are, the more likely everything will go smoothly.

Who is coming?

Before you can really start the party planning, you need to know how big the party is going to be. Some parents will invite only their child's favorite friends, while others will make it an event for the entire class. How many you would like to invite is totally up to you, but it is helpful to have a number in mind before you start buying Halloween candy and favors.

Costume contest

A great way to pass some time during the party, as well as encourage everyone to come in costume, is to have a costume contest. If you are hosting a party for younger children, you will want to make sure that you have enough categories so that everyone wins a prize. Scariest costume, funniest costume, most creative costume, best animal costume, etc. can all be categories. If you have the time, you can have party goers nominate and vote for the different categories. Find some fun Halloween favors to hand out as prizes, or you can create your own medals or award ribbons.

Face painting

If you have a little artistic talent, face painting is another fun activity for a Halloween party. Brush up on drawing ghosts, pumpkins, black cats, and witches, and you will be good to go. This can be a great way for kids to participate if they didn't come in costume, or just a way to have fun. You might forewarn parents ahead of time that you are going to be doing face painting so that your little witches don't come in already coated in green face paint and warts.

Treat bag/bucket decorating

For a craft idea, you can have kids decorate their own bags or buckets to use that evening for trick-or-treating. You can purchase inexpensive bags or buckets for the kids to decorate with paints or by gluing Halloween decorations to them. Check your local craft store for inexpensive Halloween themed items to use.

Food, drink, and atmosphere

Food and drink are a part of any party, and Halloween is no exception. Of course, you will want to make things spooky. Consider decorating cookies or cupcakes with Halloween themes, serving punch with floating spiders, or trying out any other creepy Halloween recipes you have on file.

To set the mood, try dimming the lights. Orange and black streamers and balloons can give the room a festive air. Or you can hang fake spider webbing and put up tombstones if you want a creepier feel. Find some Halloween music to play in the background as well.

With a little creativity and planning, you can create a Halloween party that your kids will always remember.

BOO! That is one nifty little term that will never be played out. Say it on Halloween; say it while leaping out of the closet at your grandma; heck, say it to your boss when he least expects it. Ha, now that would be priceless. Scream it in his face like a true ghost would. Okay, you realize I'm only joking here, right? I don't really expect you to start shouting BOO in your supervisor's face. In fact, I don't think I would recommend it at all. Anyway, about those wonderful and classic halloween sound effects. Can you really do without these on Halloween any more? Of course not! They have become a contemporary imperative. Almost as crucial as the costume and the candy. Never forget that Halloween is about scaring kids.

I prefer to crank up the halloween sound effects each and every year so that the entire neighborhood can hear them. I want my whole block twitching and glancing about like paranoid nut-cases. I want the parents shaking in their boots and the children clenching their daddy's hand. Basically I want them to appreciate Halloween, but on a more twisted level. Okay, I'm starting to sound like a mad man. Don't get me wrong here. Halloween is an incomparable night when all is suddenly possible. Break out the Ouija boards and put on the halloween sound effects. It's time to conjure some horrifying spirits. Maybe we can get Manson on the line. Oops, there I go again. No, but really, this fun and exciting night is about candy, friendly gags, and frolicking with friends. It's a night where you can enjoy wearing someone or something else's skin. That's just so cool if you give it some thought. Pretend until your little heart is content. Gobble down chocolate until you bust. This is what it's all about!

So, have you gotten the house decorated yet and the halloween sound effects in place for the trick or treators? If your answer is no, then I highly suggest you get on the ball, my friend. All Hallows Eve is almost here. You want to be ready for when those little hands start rapping on your door. Give all those excited children a good show when they hit up your home for candy and treats. Get into the spirit of Halloween with scary decorations and halloween sound effects.

Ever wanted to spice up your look for Halloween, or to do something unique for parties? Have you ever considered contact lenses to alter the way other people perceive your eyes, or to add to a great costume? With cheap halloween contact lenses becoming more common than ever, this year is a great opportunity to do just that.

Contact lenses are simply discs, usually made out of plastic, that stay on your eye with the help of suction from the eyeball and tear fluid that attaches them to the surface. This is why blinking or eye drops often alleviate contact problems. They don't fall off and follow your eye movements, making them ideal for those with glasses.

Contact lenses are mostly corrective in nature; that is, usually worn by people with glasses. However, not everyone wears them to fix vision problems. There are lenses available to change the color of your eyes, to help you see better during athletic events, and for halloween costumes. The key word to look for when adding to your costume is cosmetic lenses or theatrical lenses. One popular brand is Wild Eyes by CIBA Vision, which also makes regular contact lenses.

When choosing lenses of this type, it is important that you are properly fitted for them by an optometrician. When you blink, the colored part of the contact lens may slide over your pupil, obscuring sight, a common occurrence that can easily be avoided. It is also important that you obtain a prescription for even decorative lenses, as it is required by the FDA. Also make sure you buy them in credible sources such as online sites that are secure or an optometrist's office.

One type of popular lens for Halloween is cat eyes, which make the pupil look larger than it really is by covering it in black and surrounding the white of the eye with yellow. Another cheap Halloween contact lens is Hypnotica. Hypnotica is another great choice for dressing up as a warlock or witch. It creates a swirl of black and white in your eye that will mesmerize bystanders. If you are going for the cartoon effect, go for knockout lenses, which "replace" your pupil with a black "X", as often seen in cartoon shows.

Other standout choices include red eyes, orange eyes, zebra patterns, spider webs, smileys, and stars. All of these are great choices to match with a variety of costumes. Just make sure the party you are attending isn't held in pitch-black conditions!

If you simply want to change the color of your eye to match your costume, tamer options are available. These lenses are also colored, but only so much as to change your eye color to other normal colors. There are several options with these: visibility tints, enhancement tints, and color tints.

All provide a different level of change, and will show differently. For example, if you naturally have brown eyes but would like to really stand out, changing your eyes to violet or green will make everyone notice.

As with all contact lens choices, even if you do not have vision problems, it is important to see an optometrist and explore your options, as well as seek advice about various colors of lenses that will work best for you. If you choose to wear lenses with your costume this Halloween, don't share them with anyone and keep them clean, so you don't wind up with a monster of an eye infection!

Live in another country and you’ll start to experience serious cultural differences. This is particularly true as I discovered with Halloween in Siberia.

Russian Holidays

I loved living in Russia and the primary reason was people. Russians love to celebrate and they are big into holidays. In Chita, Siberia, practically everyday was a holiday. During communism, Russia celebrated the worker with holidays such as bus driver day, teacher day and so on. When the fun loving Russians dropped communism from the menu, they decided to keep the holidays and add new ones for the new political bent. While Oligarchs’ Day isn’t yet a holiday, practically everything else is. With the approach of Halloween, I was ready to go nuts and show them a little of the American spirit.

At the time, I was teaching roughly 12 classes a week on law and business at Chita State Technical University. This gave me the opportunity to put together a wing dinger of a Halloween party since the students would generally follow directions without question. Accordingly, I announced to each class that we would be building a haunted house at my place and with roughly 150 students, it was going to be the haunted house of all houses. No student had any questions, but I should have noticed the blank stares.

The morning after making my announcements, the Dean of the University approached me. She had some rather pointed questions about Halloween. Nobody had ever heard of Halloween and no, children didn’t trick or treat. After all, what kind of person would trick a child? Americans do this? Every year? And they try to scare the children? Why?

The more we went back and forth, the more I started to wonder about Halloween. When I made the fatal mistake of bringing up the headless horseman, the gig was up. The Dean gave me that furrowed brow perfected by all administrators. There would be no haunted house on October 31st.

After all, October 31st was the guy who makes duplicate keys day!

Most of my advice about Halloween safety for kids revolves around trick-or-treating. First things first, know what your children are planning to do. If they are going to a party at someone’s house, talk to the parents and make sure you know who is going, what will happen at the party, who will be supervising, and what time to expect your kids to return home. If your children are planning to go trick-or-treating, you need to sit down with them beforehand and plan out what route they will take.

General trick-or treating advice: avoid dimly-lit streets and parks, always travel in a group, carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing to alert passing motorists, don’t enter a strange house or car. You may also want to talk with your child about his or her Halloween costume. Make sure the Halloween costume is comfortable to walk in for several hours, provides necessary warmth, and is safe to wear. Perhaps they can bring along an extra pair of shoes if those wrapped mummy Halloween costume sandals become uncomfortable!

Lastly, talk with your children about your expectations for the time they are out and about, whether they will be at a Halloween costume party or trick-or-treating in a Halloween costume. Warn against vandalism, animal cruelty, drug and alcohol use, cars, and other dangerous situations. Some parents even provide their children with a cell phone to use in case of an emergency.

Halloween Safety for Adults for Halloween costume Parties

Although the following advice may be common sense, I’ll share it with you, just to be on the safe side. Halloween costume parties can be a wonderful way to get all your friends together, dress up in ridiculous Halloween costumes, eat delicious food, and dance the night away. But parties can also end poorly, both for the hosts and for the guests. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

For Halloween costume party hosts, make sure that you have provided appropriate food and drinks for your guests. You need to be aware of any allergies or dietary restrictions, and take extra steps so that everyone has something fun and festive to munch or sip. Be sure to put your household pets in a separate room, away from the noise and energy of your Halloween costume party. Take down and put away any fragile or cherished items. Remember that a Halloween costume party can quickly become a high-spirited dance party, and you don’t want anything of yours to be accidentally knocked over or stepped on.

As for Halloween costume party guests, remember that you are a guest in someone else’s home. Be respectful of their furniture, pets, knickknacks, and everything else. Also, be careful how much food and alcohol you consume. No one wants to be remembered as the Wicked Witch who danced the fox trot on the dining room table at the neighborhood Halloween costume party!

Holidays bring great cheer to the lives of many individuals and even the retail managers are cheering very loudly. Halloween is one of the best days of the year for a retail establishment to show great sales figures. Some managers are truly delighted when Halloween time rolls around because they truly enjoy stocking shelves with costumes and masks that are positively hideous.

Customers seem to like these kind of adornments during the Halloween season. The children might spend a lot of time looking through the costumes that were hung on a certain aisle of the store. No costume will be missed as the children converse their feelings about the selections they see and the retailer knows that the children will not leave the store until they have a full costume.

Retailers love the sales totals during Halloween time for many reasons. They know that parents need to buy a costume for every child they lives at home. The store manager will usually be very friendly to families with six or more children in the party because that family is going to make the sales totals of the store really skyrocket. Most managers might even offer these families a room where the costumes can be examined while worn.

The variety of face paints alone that are centered on Halloween will make Halloween sales start to climb. Many face paints are water-soluble though so the parents will feel more inclined to buy them and go on to finding costumes or anything else the child wants for this special night on the town. Some costumes come with face painting kits included and parents like this option because they can get their Halloween shopping finished much faster than usual.

The retailer took notice of which costumes were selling out first because they wanted to make sure these moneymakers were restocked as soon as possible. The retail sales for Halloween evolve from parents buying costumes, facial decorations and an abundant assortment of candies and novelties that do not cost too much. These Halloween items will be continually monitored by the manager to make sure that they are available when people come to buy them.

The sales total will be extremely high during Halloween if the retailer makes sure that customers know what hours the store will be open. Some parents need to replenish candies that they have run short on and while they are at the store, they will most likely want to select a few items to drink. All of these items focus on Halloween and the retailer simply loves retail sales total during this holiday.

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.

Halloween is a fun holiday for both kids and adults. It gives them to chance to dress up as a favorite character and eat tons of sweets. Plus, thanks to the commercialization of all holidays, there is always a variety of things to do during the month of October. Here is a look at some of the fun ways that you can celebrate the holiday.

Trick or treating

Perhaps one of the most time-honored tradition of Halloween, trick or treating can be fun for many children. What could be more exciting than dressing in a great Halloween costume and getting candy for it? Adults should always accompany the youngsters when they go out, and everyone should carry flashlights and stay in well-lit areas. Adults should also inspect the candy before allowing kids to eat it.

Due to safety concerns, some neighborhoods are setting assigned hours for trick or treating – or even doing it on Halloween afternoon instead of after dark. Sometimes local shopping centers will do trick or treating events at their stores as well for parents who prefer a public locale.

Haunted locations

For older children and adults, haunted houses can be a great source of fun for Halloween night. Some places will even have toned-down attractions for the younger ones. Call ahead to find out hours and pricing, as well as the age of admission for scarier attractions.

Some churches will have Halloween alternative activities planned that are open to the community. Often kid will wear costumes, and there may be other activities like face painting, apple bobbing, hayrides, costume contests, and more for a more family-friendly celebration of the holiday.

If you are lucky enough to live near an amusement park, you can find out whether or not they have any Halloween activities. Some will have special evening hours where you can come in costume, ride the rides, and hang out with various spooks and characters. There may also be stations set up where you can play games or receive treats. In general, these events are designed to be more silly than spooky.

Staying at home

There are also plenty of alternatives that you can do at home to celebrate Halloween. For instance, you could create your own haunted house and invite the neighborhood to stop by for a visit. Or, throw your own Halloween bash. Some party planners will choose a special theme for the evening, while others will simply go with the traditional Halloween icons. Costumes are a must, of course, and you can have your own games and activities tailored to the specific age group attending.

If you would rather just spend a quiet evening at home, you could consider renting some of your favorite Halloween flicks. A bowl of popcorn and your favorite Halloween candy and you are set for a quiet evening at home.

There are plenty of ways that you can choose to celebrate the Halloween holiday. A costume, some candy, and a little holiday magic and you are all set for a “spooktacularly” good time.

If you are trying to avoid sugary sweets, either to lose weight or simply to have a healthier Halloween, this can be a frightful challenge. No other night of the year can compare to the amount of sugary temptations that are available, in fact, most Halloween activities center around candy. Before you run screaming this Halloween, here are some suggestions for limiting the sugar overload.

Choose healthier choices

Instead of putting all of the focus on the candy that is received at Halloween, why not put some of the focus on healthier alternatives? For example; have a costume party, create Halloween crafts, have a spooky scavenger hunt, or attend one of the Halloween alternative parties or festivals that are often offered by churches. This gives kids fun things to do on Halloween night instead of going trick-or-treating.

If you want to keep trick-or-treating in your routine, but are worried about the sugar, why not pass out goodies that are not candy? Often, children will be just as happy with a toy or other item given in lieu of candy – stickers, pencils, or even single serving snacks can be healthier alternatives to candy.

Limit the intake

Chances are, even if you aim for a healthier Halloween in your own home, somewhere along the line your child is going to come home with candy anyways. There are several strategies that you can use to dispose of it. Some parents will set a limit as to how many pieces a day can be eaten. Others will offer a trade of the candy for a toy or other item that the child has been desiring. You can also buy the candy back for a few dollars. These alternatives will help you get the candy out of sight and out of mind of your children.

Get rid of it

If you are also tempted by Halloween candy, having it hidden at the back of the cupboard may work for your kids, but often not for you. If you cannot handle the temptation of having it sitting out, find a way to get rid of it. Freeze plain chocolate to be used in recipes. You can also save some of the mini candy bars to hide in lunch boxes for a fun surprise now and again. Chop up candy bars and create cookies to send to neighbors, senior citizens, or your child's teacher. Or use the candy to bribe some neighborhood teen into raking your leaves or watching the kids while you run to the store.

Make it a learning opportunity

Halloween can be a good time to talk about good nutrition and moderation of sweets. Explain to kids why you want to limit their sweet intake, but don't take it away entirely or dwell on the topic. Doing this will only tempt them to sneak the goodies when they think you are not watching. Keep it fun and show them how they can share the goods.

Halloween doesn't have to be all about candy if you take the time to get a little creative and make smart decisions.

Halloween is a festival of great popularity. People of all the age groups enjoy Halloween and every one loves it. Because it is fun and only fun.

During Halloween everyone wants to love the fear and the fun. How can those working on computers be away from that? Because during Halloween Internet offers many free goodies. You get ecards, Desktop wallpapers and Screensavers all free. Download and enjoy. Send, share and enjoy. Have fun, because it is Halloween.

Getting good screensavers for Halloween is a matter of good search. As most of the screensavers weigh a lot, downloading takes some time. If you do not like your selection, you have to download another. Therefore search for a site of good reputation. Choose few of them and download.

Now you can get Halloween screensavers with calendars on them. You cannot only watch the dates but the designs are equally mesmerizing. You will get a large collection of screensavers with calendars not only for Halloween but all major festivals. They are all in flash with video and the text is absolutely lovely.

Holidays are to be enjoyed. One should forget work for that day and rejuvenate oneself. The enjoyment fights with our stress and gives us a new freshness. Halloween is one such festival. Screensavers for Halloween will not only scare you but also those who pass by you and watch the screensaver.

Lets face it being a super hero can be soooo much fun and Batman is one of the top sellers year after year in the costume department. With the popularity of Dark Knight and the new look for the Joker, Batman is sure to be a hit yet again this year. Check out these Halloween Costumes Batman ideas for the whole family.
Let your little man shine with these Batman Halloween Outfits for Toddlers.





Let your pooch in on the fun with Batman Costumes for the dog
This is pretty fun Batman Costumes for the dog. You can go as Robin and the Dog can be Batman.





Find Batman Costumes For your Kids
Kids want to dress up as Batman and Joker as well, so don't disappoint the little ones. Here is a selection of Batman and Dark Knight outfits for the kids.










And let your man be your super hero with these batmen for men costumes

More info at http://halloweencostumesbatman.com

In the first two parts of this series we found out about the weight of the layout and color. In the second part we discussed about the color of the layout. Let us find out more about how to select color for the Halloween layouts?

We found out that the monitor settings of your visitors will decide how they view the layout. Some of us keep very bright settings while others choose very dull setting. So whatever we select it becomes difficult to find out how the viewer will find it. Best is to chose a layout that has a mix of colors. Mono colors layouts do not have a break and look very dull. While multi colored layouts will look more interesting. It also gives us bigger choice in selection of widgets. For example if you select a red colored Halloween Layout, all your widgets must match with red. But if you take a layout that has many colors you can ad d widgets of your choice.

It is important that despite adding all kinds of widgets the layout and the profile does not look crowded and mismatched. a symmetry must be maintained. The over all look should please the eyes. When you select a layout keep in mind the widgets you will be adding. Some layout designers do not leave area for some widgets. Not every layout has space for adding videos. So when you chose your layout, think about these factors.

So before you decide the layout take into account the factor of weight, color and widgets. It is recommended that you take a tour of other profiles. An observation of these profiles will show you what looks good and what looks bad and how the downloads are taking place. You can also find out about some layouts that you like and go and download them for your use.

Halloween is a festival of innocent joy and fun. Halloween has the spirit of enjoyment that is incomparable. Bring this spirit of Halloween on your boring desktop. Bring some joy in your life that gets hammered by deadlines, stress and relationship and financial issues all the time. Get out of the stress for sometime by downloading the best the net offers of Halloween wallpapers.

Halloween wallpapers- what to look for?

Look for real dark and threatening images. Look for images with connect with you in some way. Images that remind you of your earlier Halloween are the best bet. They will always make you feel nostalgic. Whenever you get bored banging your keyboard, watch the wallpapers and go back into time. You have aright to have fun and enjoyment. Claim it.

Halloween wallpapers- from which website

Every good website offers wallpapers on Halloween. You will have problem to decide about the website from where you should download. Here is a quick tip. Download one or two wallpapers and look at them. Are they good in design and layout? Will you feel happy keeping them on your desktop? If yes, go ahead and download more. Download as many as you want. JPG wallpapers do not weigh much. Keep on changing the wallpaper everyday and have fun.

Ghosts, goblins and other creepy creatures roam the eve of Halloween. From trick or treaters to Halloween parties, October is the month when children and adults transform themselves into other-wordly beings. But not everyone enjoys going out during this autumn holiday. Some people enjoy turning the lights down low and passing the time watching mystery and horror flicks in front of the TV. So to set the mood, here are some Halloween movie rental ideas featuring haunted houses for those that prefer a good ghost-like mystery rather than a continuous stream of blood and gore.

The Haunting (1963) – A true classic horror film. Here we find four guests arriving at a mansion with a terrifying reputation. The guests are determined to debunk the idea of a house being possessed and so set up for the night. Strange occurrences soon make themselves known from muffled wails to strange unexplainable noises. The guests encounter a door that appears to breathe, unexplained writing on the walls and many other supernatural phenomena. A new remake of the film is also available (The Haunting (1999)).

Haunted (1996) – Nanny Tess Webb (Anna Masey) has been seeing visions. Her three children, as well as the family doctor all insist that there is no haunting and that she is just hallucinating. She invites Professor David Ash (Aidan Quinn), who is skeptic of the supernatural, to investigate the paranormal goings-on at her country estate. After spending some time there himself, the Professor also begins to experience unexplainable visions, including the vision of his young sister who died in a drowning accident.

Haunted Castle (3-D) (2001) – After his mother dies, a young musician named Johnny is summoned to his mother’s castle according to the final wishes in her will. He soon discovers that not all seems as it appears and that the castle is not only haunted by ghosts, it appears to be alive. He is eventually lead to a Mr. D who makes Johnny the same tantalizing offer that he made his mother twenty years earlier… surrender your soul in exchange for fame and fortune.

The Others (2001) - Starring Nicole Kidman as Grace, this is one of those few, rare movies that will keep you guessing until the end. The story is set in 1945 toward the end of the war. Living on a fog-enshrouded island off the British coast we find that Grace's husband has presumably been lost in the war and she is living on her own with her two young children. The children are hypersensitive to light and so live in a musty manor with the curtains and shutters perpetually drawn closed. Needing some assistance, Grace writes up a request for domestic help, but before she can go to town to post it, three strangers suddenly arrive in response to her as yet un-posted request. This film will certainly leave you guessing with its twists and turns.

Stephen King's Rose Red (2002) - Another true story haunting and originally a mini-series, this movie is based on a researcher investigating the paranormal who takes a team of psychics into a haunted house. We soon learn of the building's gruesome past - women who have disappeared without any trace and men meeting gruesome deaths. Soon after entering, the psychics themselves begin to experience many paranormal activities, including disappearing team members.

Halloween probably has more parties than almost any other day, second perhaps to New Years. People of all ages love to dress up and pretend they're someone else for a night. Most people end up with more than one invitation to Halloween parties and have to choose one of them to attend.

If you're thinking of throwing a Halloween party, how do you convince people to choose yours over the others? A creative, unique theme is the first step.

Most people don't plan a theme beyond "wear a costume" at Halloween. Just giving your party a more specific theme will help it stand out from the crowd.

You can choose the traditional "spooky" type of Hallowen party and have everyone come as their favorite ghost, horror movie character or monster.

A spooky party will probably be one of the easiest to find party favors and decorations for, since that tends to be the most common theme for Halloween.

There are lots of other themes you can try, however. What about a famous couples party, where everyone comes as a famous couple? Or maybe a movie theme night, where everyone comes as their favorite Star Wars character for example.

Some other theme ideas include:

- crazy hat party - decade party (60's, 70's, 80's, etc) - murder mystery - favorite cartoon character - pirate party - "future" party (everyone comes as themselves in 25 years, for example)

When you're planning your party, one of the most important things is the menu. Food is always an important part of any party.

It could be a full meal or just finger foods, but be creative with what you serve. Try to work the food into the theme of the party.

For example, you could make some ladyfingers that actually look like severed fingers.

If you start to plan your party early, you'll leave yourself lots of time to get everything organized. Get some help from friends or family if you need it, and remember - planning the party is half the fun!

Almost everybody loves holiday parties. If you’re one of those many people, you’ll probably be interested in how to set up a Halloween party. Maybe you’ve started already, but if not, it could be the right time to get going. The sooner you start planning for the party, the faster you’ll be able to start inviting your guests.

If you’re wondering about how to send invitations to your guests, you should know that a whole host of options are available to you. It’s a matter of choosing one of them more than anything. Your invitations themselves reflect what kind of person you are, and what kind of party you’ll be throwing. You should take into account both the advantages and the disadvantages of the different invitation strategies.

Lots of people use official invitations for the parties they hold, Halloween parties included. These can be made at home using your computer or can be purchased at a party or department store. Using formal invitations is a good option if you want to keep a handle on your invite list and remember who they all are. Guests also prefer these kinds of invitations; it’s nice to get an invite by mail. The only real drawback to the formal kind of invitation is the cost involved. However, it’s not hard to find inexpensive types, or of course to create your own.

If you’re thinking of sending out personal invites, but are put off by the cost of doing so and aren’t keen on creating your own, quick notes are a good possibility. Just write down all the important information your guests need: time, place, and location. Formal invitations have their merits, but a brief personal message written by hand is also a nice way to invite people, and is inexpensive.

While the mailed invites are a good way to please your would-be guests, it’s possible that you won’t have the funds or time to send them out. However, you’re in luck, because it’s always possible to simply call all your invites and invite them personally to the party you’re throwing. It’s a great way to do things because it’s personal and warm, even more so than sending a letter. It does have one drawback, though, and that is the time it takes to phone up all your guests.

Another possibility these days is of course sending out e-mails to invite people to your Halloween party. This is especially easy if you happen to know all your guests’ e-mail addresses and can send out a group e-mail notifying all of them at once. Do this in the same way as you would with a more traditional invitation letter. Make sure you’ve told them when and where the party is taking place. You can also find online invitations that you can send at no cost. They’ll add a nice touch to party invitations you send by e-mail.

The method you use to invite guests isn’t the important thing. What’s important is that they get the invites and know everything they need to about your Halloween party. Do this in advance and you’ll have a great holiday bash.