Read these books to get into the Halloween Spirit!

October is a great time to pick up a book and read. Days are getting shorter, nights longer and that means you have more time to read. One of my favorite activities, but something that I rarely get to do anymore.

Nothing is better than falling into a good book to take you away from your reality! Especially at this time of year, Vampire books are great to pick up.

I remember loving The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and it seems she changed the 'rules' for vampires. Then Stephanie Meyers comes along and writes a beautiful love story series that captures almost every woman's heart.






This has opened the floodgates for the next wave of authors who are writing about the Vampire culture. Each has put their own twist on things. A favorite of mine is Charlaine Harris' Sookie series which deals not only with Vamps, but also the Shapeshifters & Fairies.

You can read even more about Vampire books on this blog - Best Vampire Books.

Planning a Halloween Classroom Party

No matter what age kids are, they love classroom parties, and Halloween Classroom Parties are usually the first of the school year. This party really sets the tone for how the rest of the year will go. All it takes is some planning ahead of time.

Ask your parent helpers to bring in a snack for the class, select 2-3 Halloween Party Games, and play some Halloween Party Music in the background. Depending on the length of time allowed for your party, you may even want to plan a Halloween craft. It can be as easy as buying pre-made foam craft buckets, or as complicated as you would like it to be.
 










It is an important social activity that your child will look back on and remember, so go ahead, volunteer to plan a classroom Halloween Party. Your kids will thank you!

2010 Halloween Movies - Saw 3D, Paranormal Activity, Hatchet II

If you like nothing better than a Haunted House and a scary movie to get you in the mood for Halloween, I've got 3 movies in theaters that you will want to see.

Saw 3D : Opens October 29th

The Saw series continues with this seventh entry, spearheaded by returning Saw VI director Kevin Greutert. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton also are back to pen the script, which details the exploits of serial killer Jigsaw's surviving victims, who seek counseling from a self-help mentor (Sean Patrick Flanery) whose past as a previous victim figures directly into each one's fate. Cary Elwes returns to the franchise for the first time since his character survived Jigsaw's first cinematic outing in 2004. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Paranormal Activity 2 : Opens October 22nd

Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

 Hatchet II : Opens October 1st

With even more action, carnage, gore and fun than the irreverent original, director Adam Green’s follow-up to 2006’s HATCHET will solidify the nightmarish film and its characters as a franchise. The sequel picks up where the original leaves off, with heroine Marybeth escaping the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling killer Victor Crowley. Marybeth returns to the Louisiana bayou along with an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her family… and exact her revenge.

 Of course, you've got the classics that just have to be watched again:

         

Halloween Countdown - 18 days - Halloween at the Office

Depending on where you work, Halloween at your office could be a tamed down affair. Something like bringing in snacks (what office doesn't love to celebrate with a pot luck or snacks!). Maybe a few people will go all out and wear a Halloween costume, but most might just opt to wear some Halloween jewelry or a Halloween inspired shirt. You can also celebrate the spirit of the season by wearing a Pumpkin pin or Bat earrings before Halloween.

Halloween is all about dressing up and wearing Halloween jewelry is a big part of it. Wearing Halloween jewelry is fun because you can wear it before the actual holiday. Wearing a Halloween pin, necklace or earrings helps you & those around you get into the spirit of Halloween fun. Nurses, teachers, and other caretakers love to wear Halloween jewlery because of this. Lots of Halloween jewelry can light up for more exciting Halloween fun.

      










Once you've got your fun Halloween jewelry, all you need to do is bring in a yummy Halloween inspired snack. Take that extra time to make a child smile or even an adult - it makes all the difference. Even simple food like burgers or pudding can be given a Halloween touch to it by adding a bit of food coloring or molding it into different shapes. These are some simple and fun ways with food to make a Happy Halloween memory. This year, have some Halloween fun with Halloween food!

      

Lagoona Blue Homemade Costume

Lagoona Blue of the Monster High characters did not have an official Halloween costume manufactured this year. This video shows the creative skills of one little girl who made her own homemade Lagoona Costume.





I love her creative idea to carry the fishbowl for candy that displays Lagoona Blue's pet Piranha, Nirvana.

Tell us your creative ideas for Monster High Halloween Costumes!

PTO Halloween Party Planning Ideas for the Classroom

Kids love those special days a few times a year when they get to have a classroom party. PTO Mom's & Dad's are usually the ones responsible for planning them. Here are a few tips for planning your child's Classroom Halloween Party:

• Plan your time wisely. Too many activities will leave you and the kids frazzled, and too few activities will have you searching for something to fill time. Always take some Halloween Music that you can play or Halloween books to read just in case. 
• Ask other parents to chip in - this can be asking for supplies, snacks, or even ideas. Some parents who are not able to attend may want to help out by sending in a craft or game to play. 
• Bring plastic sandwich bags for leftover or uneaten treats. These are also good to send home craft projects that aren't quite dry yet. Or pieces of an unfinished craft project. 

  
Do you have any tips you would like to share? Leave them in the comments section below! 

Halloween Countdown - 19 days - Harry Potter Costume Ideas

Harry Potter costumes are ever popular and fun to wear. There is a good variety of the cast to choose from for males. Not too many female characters were in the movie, so that leaves the girls with only one or two options. The most popular Harry Potter costumes are

• Harry Potter (of course)
• Lord Voldemort
• Hagrid 

  

For Harry, the key is the glasses and wand. Lord Voldemort is usually depicted in a Halloween costume with a long black dresslike cape. You can even buy a Lord Voldemort mask. Hagrid really requires a fake beard & wig for most people.

Consider this - You can re-use your Harry Potter costume when you visit the Universal Harry Potter Experience!

Halloween Countdown - 20 days - Halloween Inflateables Outside, Halloween Wall Sticker Inside

I am sort of a Halloween junkie, so my Halloween decorations are already up, but I have noticed that my neighbors have begun to put out their Halloween inflatables this weekend. My kids have always loved these giant displays of Halloween. They used to like the pumpkins, but as they got older they like the ones that are a little bit creepy or the inflateables that move. Like the vampire rising out of the coffin, or giant animated skull.
   









One giant Halloween inflatable will take care of your outdoor decor! For the inside, the newest kind of Halloween decor on the market are these Halloween Wall Stickers. They may remind you of window clings, but they are for your walls. Creepy scenes like rats on the ceiling are easily created by hanging these on your wall. Even though they look painted on the wall, they are super easy to remove after Halloween!

 

Halloween Humor - Funny Pet Costumes

If you are a pet lover, you may like to dress your babies up for Halloween in a Pet Costume. This video shows some of the most creative costumes I've ever seen for pets. My favorite is the three headed dog!




Do you dress your pets up for Halloween? Leave a response in the comments!

Halloween Countdown - 21 days

Wow, only 3 weeks until the Monster Mash! If you haven't found your Halloween costume yet, this is the time to do so. Finding a kids Halloween costume that you both can agree on can be tough. It never fails, that every time you finally agree on something, the store is out of stock in the size you need. Avoid this by buying yours early!

Something that your kids probably won't fight with you over is hosting a Kids Halloween Party.  Invites will need to be sent out in the next week or so. Look for more info on great Halloween Party Food, and Halloween Party Games tomorrow!

     

Turn Your Apothocary Jars Into Halloween Decorations - Free!

A favorite store - ZGallerie - has designed and offered up for free, these cool printable templates to make Halloween labels.

Of course, their glass apothecary jars can be used to hold Halloween candy, fake eyeballs, 'spider webs', 'crushed bones', and all kinds of other ingredients found in a freaky pharmacy.

   

Halloween Countdown - 22 days

Have you been asked to organize a Halloween party for your child's classroom? This can be a daunting task if you have never done it before. Organization beforehand is key to having a fun kids Halloween party.

If you have other parent helpers, you have many more options when it comes to planning the Halloween craft ideas and games. You can ask parents that are unable to attend to send in a snack or supplies for a Halloween game.

Depending on the age group and the time allowed for the party, you may not want to plan both a craft and a game. This guide has many more helpful tips for planning a classroom Halloween Party.

Snookie How-to Video Tutorial

Awesome Snookie tutorial!!! She walks through step by step how to recreate Snookie's fake tan, smokey eye, hair & rhinestone glasses.




Wonder what The Situation would say??!!?!
                                      

Halloween Countdown - 23 days

Only two more full weekends before Halloween is here. This year you can celebrate two, even three times! Since Halloween is on a Sunday - Friday & Saturday nights will be popular nights for parties.

If you can get yourself invited to an Adult Halloween Party, perhaps you need a Sexy Halloween Costume?? This list of Sexy Halloween Costumes just about sums up the best ideas out there. Which one do you favor the Pirate Wench or the Queen of Hearts??

 









 










No invitation yet? Plan your own Halloween Costume Party! From the invites to the activities this guide will give you the run down on hosting a costume party this Halloween.



 

Halloween Countdown - 24 days

Have you decorated your house for Halloween yet? If you have never decorated with Halloween lights before, there is no better time than now! The selection of orange, purple, and black lights is plentiful.

Not only that, but you can buy some really unique Halloween Light Sets. Traditional pumpkin string lights to the goth like string of Gargoyle Lights.

         


















Add some creepy fun Halloween Decorations to these lights and your house will be the kids favorite house on the block!
My favorite is the inflateable Vampire in a coffin with a lid that opens and closes. These electric blowup figures are another easy way to decorate your house for Halloween.

Other decorations like scarecrows, spiderwebs, and ghosts are easy to create from things you already have in your home!

Tip: Use old clothing for the scarecrow and stuff him with plastic shopping bags instead of straw.

Only 24 days left until Halloween!

Searching High & Low for a Monster High Costume?

Monster High Costumes are at a premium right now. Demand has far exceeded the supply that costume maker Party City anticipated. Almost all versions - Frankie Stein, Draculaura, and Clawdeen Wolf (there was never an official Lagoona Blue Costume) are currently sold out - a month before Halloween!

Of course, there are some enterprising geniuses out there who are selling them for about $100!  Don't have $100 to spend? Don't fret, my pet! Check out this Do It Yourself Monster High Halloween Costume Guide! A nice way to use your own wardrobe or alter another costume be these fun characters for Halloween.


       

Halloween Countdown - 25 days

Our daily Halloween countdown will feature Halloween Party ideas.

Halloween parties are fun because they allow so much creative expression. For kids, it is perfectly acceptable to dress up in fun costumes, but most adults can only do it once a year.

Check out one of the most popular : Lady Gaga Halloween Costume!