Costume SuperCenter.com
Super Halloween Costume Selections at Super Low Prices!
Blog Home

Ask the Children, “If You Were a Pilgrim, What Would You be Most Thankful For?”

November 19, 2009 in Historical Costumes by Lara Burke

piilgrim-kids

Thanksgiving is always a fun time of year to experience through a child’s eyes. Schools across America are involved in projects to celebrate the Thanksgiving season. There are reenactments of the first Thanksgiving dinner where children dress in pilgrim and Native American costumes and give thanks. Down the school hallways, turkey and cornucopia art projects are displayed along side essays on what each student is most thankful for.

 

Usually part of the school celebration includes each student bringing in a dish and having their own Thanksgiving feast. The teachers discuss how the pilgrims celebrated in order to thank God for their safe journey across the Atlantic and their new life in America where they coexist peacefully with the Natives. We know this is not completely accurate but it’s what they learn year after year. Perhaps our children would be more thankful for what they have if they had a better understanding of the hardships faced by the settlers - the cold weather, sickness, dwindling supplies and deaths. It’s a great way to show kids that even though their DS is great they should be most thankful for the simple things they take for granted such as food, health and a warm, comfortable place to sleep.

 

Most kids will say they are thankful for their parents or their dog. Some youngsters will get patriotic and say they are thankful to be an American but do they really understand what that means? But still many others will say they are most thankful for material things. These things are nice but ask the child, if they had no material things then what would they be most thankful for?

 

Teach them the real story of the pilgrims then ask, if you were a pilgrim child, what would you be most thankful for? The answers may surprise you, and in them you will see the real meaning of Thanksgiving.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

To Regift or Not to Regift, That is the Question

November 16, 2009 in Uncategorized by Lara Burke

regifter

This is the age old question: To regift of not to regift. The jury is still out on this one. Some say never but I say why not?  It’s a great way to save some money this Christmas while not letting perfectly good gifts go to waste.

 

Over the weekend I opened the box of gifts we received last year that remain unused. Among them, a beautiful Yankee Candle Christmas set that I just never got around to opening; a Disney Sing It for Wii - already have one but I’ll figure out who doesn’t; a Lenox picture frame - very pretty; a Christmas snow globe - I actually know someone who collects these so hooray for that; a really nice set of pasta bowls; and lastly, a Santa suit for my dog. I’m not into dressing up my dog but I know a few too many people who are. You see, none of these items are garbage that no one would want. They are simply items that we had no real need for.

 

Some people sell unwanted gifts on e-bay or Craigslist but my philosophy is that if the item was a gift you should not profit from it. Giving it away is the right thing to do. Therefore, I’ve written the following guide to regifting etiquette.

 

  1. Know who gave the gift to you. The biggest faux pas you can make is regifting to the original giver or any of their friends or family members. The key to successful regifting is not getting caught. 
  2. Make sure it is not monogrammed or personalized in any way. Last year a former co-worker gave her father’s girlfriend our corporate gift, a Tiffany crystal bowl, hoping she would not notice the faintly etched company logo at the bottom of the bowl. Bad, bad, bad! 
  3. Check the packaging carefully. The item should be in the original box and the box must be free of blemishes such as warping, stains or tears from previous gift wrap tape. 
  4. Never regift food - i.e. - the proverbial fruitcake. As a matter of fact, never give fruitcake under any circumstances, ever! 
  5. Know what people like before you give them a gift. Be sure that it is something that the person would want. I’m not a fan of Amaretto but I was able to regift a beautiful di Sarrono gift set to a friend who loves it. 
  6. Make sure it is a timely item. Don’t you dare regift a VHS tape even if it looks brand new. Regifted video games and toys are a dead giveaway. Kids know what’s hot and what’s not. If your kid didn’t play with Mighty Beans five years ago, don’t think my kid will want them now. 
  7. Avoid regifting clothes. Last years styles will be obvious to a savvy shopper and heaven forbid they try to return the item. You’ll be caught regifting and that would not be good. 
  8. Never regift something that NO ONE would want. If you received a gift that was so hideously ugly that you would be caught dead wearing it or displaying it in your home then why on Earth would you want to give it to someone else?   
  9. Be sure that the item you regift will not be missed by the giver. The last thing you want is for someone to ask why you are not displaying the tchotchke they gave you last Christmas. 
  10. Never regift a used item. I once received a cordless phone as a gift from my boss that had a voicemail message from his teenage son asking to be picked up from a party because he had too much to drink. Obviously it was used and even worse, it contained something he would not have wanted me to hear.

 

So there you have it. These simple rules can lead to big savings on your holiday spending and make someone else very happy in the process. Remember, regifting is not a bad thing. It’s how you regift that makes all the difference

Be Thankful for a Christmas Spending Budget

November 13, 2009 in Special Occasions by Lara Burke

kids

It’s hard to think about Christmas when Thanksgiving is still more than two weeks away.  Enjoy this time of year to be thankful for your family, your health and the gift of friendship.  The holidays should never be about Christmas lists and spending money but more about spending time together. Since that is easier said than done we can use this time of year to save our money and create a holiday spending budget. You’ll be thankful you did. Here are some tips to help curb your holiday spending without looking like a cheapskate.

 

Family grab bag or Secret Santa - opting for the family grab bag or Secret Santa will enable you to get one nice gift for someone rather than many “it’s the thought that counts” type gifts for the whole family. A grab bag is when everyone brings a generic gift and you exchange gifts either by picking them out of a bag or assigning a number to a gift then picking numbers from a hat. A Secret Santa is when you pick a name out of a hat in advance and buy a gift specifically for that person.

 

Discount stores - you’d be surprised by the big name brands you can find at discount stores such as Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory and others. Last year I bought my husband a gorgeous $275 Tommy Bahama watch for $29.99 (and yes, it works). No one needs to know where you bought it and they’ll think you spent big.

 

Don’t wait to the last minute - Nothing drives overspending like panic. Waiting until the last minute causes you to overspend for two main reasons: 1. you are in a hurry to get your hands on anything and price comparing is no longer an option and 2. you wind up spending more than you planned because the item you wanted to purchase was no longer available in the size, color or platform you needed.

 

Keep the credit cards at home - set a budget, bring cash and spend wisely - Credit cards lead to a nasty case of “the might-as-wells” as in I might as well spend more than my budget because I’m too lazy to be a frugal shopper.  Using cash makes you very aware of your spending and it’s a good habit to get into all year round.

 

Consider a family gift rather than individual gifts for each family member. Some examples include an ice cream maker and a set of ice cream bowls; a DVD rental gift card and a gift basket with a popcorn bowl, candies, 3-D glasses, etc.

 

Make an agreement with your extended family to only buy for the kids. Everyone is having a rough time these days. For us parents, the real gift is seeing the joy of Christmas through our children’s eyes. Do we really need another cheap sweater or smelly bath set from Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol? Someone needs to speak up. Suggest to the family that if you have kids you should be scratched off the gift list. I’m sure many family members will be glad you spoke up. Christmas isn’t all about getting presents, especially ones you never use.

 

Do spend some money on an item you can use year after year. My fondest Christmas memories were the annual visits from Santa. Every Christmas Eve, Santa would show up after dinner and bring “cannolis from the North Pole.”  He would give everyone a treat and tell us to save one for him because he’d be back later. That Santa suit has been passed from my uncle to my cousins to my brother and was an investment that brings joy and tradition for generations in our family.

 

I hope these tips are useful. Please feel free to share your own holiday spending and saving suggestions.

Santa Clause is Coming Again

November 12, 2009 in Special Occasions by Lara Burke

santa

 

Does anyone else out there realize that Christmas is still over a month and a half away?  Its one thing to see the stores setting up their Christmas displays and toy retailers mailing out their big catalogs but you must admit it still doesn’t feel like Christmas.  I thought about whatit is that makes it feel like Christmas. Is it the cold weather? Only in parts of the country where is gets cold. Is it putting up your tree? No, toomany other things happen before you get to tree trimming.  After some thought and consideration I have narrowed it down.  The holiday season doesn’t become completely official until you reach these 4 specific criteria:

 

  1. You hear Christmas music on the radio
  2. Santa appears at the mall
  3. Live trees go on sale
  4. You see men on ladders hanging lights

 

Once these four things happen there is no turning back. No matter where in the world you live, if you celebrate Christmas these 4 things need to happen to reach the point of no return. Then the season will be upon us.

 

But time it going fast. I already heard my first Christmas song on the radio and the fountain in the middle of the mall has been emptied in order to set up Santa’s workshop. Before you know it, thousands of Santa’s Helpers will don their Santa Suits and get their laps ready so they can here the Christmas wishes of millions of excited children. And soon, on your drive home from work, empty patches of land and parking lots will become roadside Christmas tree stands and the smell of pine will fill the air. And weekends will be dedicated to untangling Christmas lights, setting up the ladder and loading the staple gun. Then and only then will it become the season to be jolly.

 

For now, there is still time. Time to enjoy the remaining days of autumn; time to plan for Thanksgiving, play football and save a few more dollars to put toward Christmas shopping. So, ho ho ho and fa la la la la, here we go again!

Let’s Talk Turkey

November 9, 2009 in Special Occasions by Lara Burke

turkey

Several years ago, our cousins showed up to our house on Thanksgiving Day with an enormous hand painted lawn ornament of a turkey in a pilgrim’s hat holding a sign that says, “Eat Ham.” We are all about having a sense of humor but displaying this in our front yard is not quite our cup of tea. I may as well have my husband wear a turkey costume and stand by the mailbox with a sign that says, “HELP ME. I JUST FOUND OUT WERE THEY WANT TO PUT THE STUFFING!”

 

I love turkey. Turkey and Thanksgiving go hand-in-hand. Thanksgiving without turkey is like Christmas without a tree.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll have ham too but turkey is the guest of honor.  Since there is still plenty of time to plan for Turkey Day, I thought you’d be thankful to see these links to the best turkey and trimming recipes EVER!

 

Wegman’s Honey Brined Turkey - a juicy, tender and flavorful turkey. Once you brine a turkey you will never, ever cook a dry boring turkey again. It comes out even juicier than deep frying and you won’t set your house on fire.

 

Cook’s Illustrated Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing. This is “Oh My God” good. This trick here is to bake the cornbread yourself. The link in the recipe gives you several of the best rate boxed mixes to choose from or you can make it from scratch. The key here is not to use those pre-made stuffing cubes. You’ll realize why when you taste it.

 

Typically, I’m all about presentation but it you are not planning on carving the turkey at the table here is a trick that will make the stuffing even better and cut your turkey cooking time almost in half. Instead of cooking the bird whole, butterfly it and remove the backbone and flatten the breasts so that you have a big, flat turkey. Place a slotted top of your boiler pan over the stuffing pan and lay the flattened turkey on top. The juices from the turkey will drip into the stuffing as it bakes making the stuffing more flavorful and allowing the turkey to cook faster. Yum. For the detailed recipe you need to subscribe to the free 14 day trial at America’s Test Kitchen but you’ll be so glad you did. The specific recipe is called Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Turkey with Sausage Dressing. Look it up - you can thank me later.

 

As for all other trimmings its best to make your traditional family favorites. You know how upset grandma will be if you don’t use her turkey recipe. At least she’ll know you can’t live without her famous mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

 

And as for that lawn ornament Cousin Bennie made - it “mysteriously” disappeared.

Sesame Street is Over the Hill but Young at Heart

November 6, 2009 in Uncategorized by Lara Burke

sesame-gang

Sesame Street is turning 40 next week.  Like so many others, I literally grew up with Sesame Street, having been born the same year.  I loved everyone in the neighborhood, puppet and human alike.  I wanted to live on Sesame Street. Even then, I recognized it as a perfect little society.

 

Sesame Street was the platform for so much more than teaching young children the alphabet and arithmetic. We’ve learned that even though people (and creatures) may look different we are still one in the same. We love, laugh and cry the same. We’ve learned about life and death, hope and disappointment, success and failure, joy and sorrow while watching Sesame Street. We’ve learned to respect each other and treat others like we want to be treated ourselves. These lessons far surpass academics. They helped mold our characters and lead us to becoming conscientious adults. Of course not entirely by Big Bird and Oscars doing, but to some extent we have them to thank.

 

Everybody you ask has a particular segment that stands out to them, or at least a favorite character with whom they identify. I loved Snuffleupagus and always remember feeling bad for Big Bird because no one believed Snuffy was real.  I especially loved watching Sesame Street when my daughter was very young and seeing her excitment when she heard, “la la la la -  la la la la, Elmo’s World.”  My co-workers pointed out episodes with Linda, a deaf character, who taught them some sign language; laughing at how Ernie and Bert would bicker with one another; how Big Bird would always say Mr. Hooper’s name wrong; and how Oscar tried so hard to be a grouch but everyone knew that deep down inside he was a big softy.

 

The impact of Sesame Street remains with us always, however big or small. This is partly evidence by the fact that Sesame Street costumes come in adult sizes, but also because we are so eager to introduce the show to our own children. We will never be too old to appreciate the simplicity and honesty of these characters. And as we watch with our kids we enjoy it as much as we always did.

 

So we wish you happy 40th birthday Sesame Street and hello to Mr. Hooper, wherever you are.

If Halloween is Over, Why do You Need More Costumes?

November 5, 2009 in Costume Adventures by Lara Burke

 untitled-1

Oh, where do I begin?  Halloween is over and the candy is mostly eaten but that’s no reason to put the costumes away or to stop buying more. 

 

Here are some great reasons to continue to shop for costumes:

 

  • Take advantage of big price reductions and buy your costume for next year now when you can get it for a really low price.

 

  • Add your kids’ costumes to their toy chest so they can play dress up and pretend. Purchase a few more at after season prices. Children really love to create adventures with costumes. Princesses, superheroes and firemen are some favorites.

 

  • Spice things up behind closed doors. The weather is getting colder and costumes are a great way to heat things up in the bedroom.  There are many sexy role play costumes that will turn any day into a special occasion. A sexy French Maid, nurse or harem girl never gets old. Even something as simple as a sexy wig can add some excitement to your love life.

 

  •  School plays and Thanksgiving pagents are coming up. There is a large assortment of pilgram and indian costumes that parents and teachers can use to add life and excitement to a history lesson.

 

  • Get a jump on Christmas. Santa, elf and sexy Christmas costumes are on sale now. It’s not too early to think about Christmas, just look at your local supermarkets and department stores. The isles are already lined with Christmas trimmings.

 

Costumes are fun for young and old all year long. No matter what the holiday, occasion, or event, you will be able to find and wear the perfect costume.

Who Will be Knocking on Your Door Tomorrow?

October 30, 2009 in General Costumes, Special Occasions by Lara Burke

Tomorrow is Halloween. All of our costumes are shipped although some last minute shoppers are still ordering From Noon until 9 the endless parade of ghosts, ghouls, princesses, superheroes and pirates will be going from door to door in search of treats.

 

Every year I look forward to the new generation of trick or treaters. The babies and toddlers being wheeled in their strollers and red wagons are the cutest.  For them, it’s more fun to play with the candy than eat it. A favorite memory from last year was a family of three kids and a 1 year old in a wagon. The siblings were pouring their treats into the wagon and the baby was in her glory, sitting in a pool of colorfully wrapped candy.

 

The school aged kids are so enthusiastic, running from house to house.  And their costumes just keep getting better. They are more elaborate, have more props, better makeup and wigs. Long gone are the days of wearing what you had laying around the house. When we were kids we wore old ripped hobo clothes or we covered a large box in aluminum foil and cut out arm holes and said we were a robot. In a pinch, I’d put on my brothers Pop Warner uniform. I don’t think I know of a single kid wearing a homemade or improvised costume this year.

 

In the past few years I’ve also notice many older trick or treaters. The kids in the 12-16 year old range. There costumes are a bit more grotesque for the boys and a bit sexier for the girls. I know some neighbors who turn them away saying that Halloween is for kids but I happily give them a treat. You are only young once. You need to hang on to that for as long as possible. Besides, do you ever get too old for costumes and candy?

 

But regardless of what you wear or what your age, the idea remains the same: being out with friends in fresh fall air collecting candy and enjoying an awesome holiday tradition.

 

Wherever you are, Costume SuperCenter wants you to remember our safety tips, enjoy your costumes and have the greatest Halloween ever!

What’s Cuter than a Pet Dressed for Halloween?

October 28, 2009 in General Costumes by Lara Burke

If you are an animal lover you know that pets are considered our family, our best friends, and our confidants. They give us unconditional love and loyal companionship. That is why they are so willing to allow us to dress them up for Halloween. If it makes us happy, it makes them happy so grab a costume because, aside from babies, nothing is cuter than a dog in a Halloween costume.

 

Our pets deserve to be part of our celebrations and holidays.  These days the wide assortment of pet costumes enables you to dress your pet in a unique costume or one that matches the theme of your or your family’s costumes.

 

Here are some favorites:

 

beeprincessdoggie-elvisbatmandogprisonerdog

  • Honey Bee - As a cute little honey bee your pooch will be as sweet as can be.  You can add to the bug theme and dress like a ladybug.

 

  • Princess - Your dog will reign supreme as a pretty princess. Would you like to be her Prince Charming?

 

  • Prisoner - If you or your one of your kids plan to be a cop then this costume is a must have. Imagine how cute your dog would look sitting in his crate wearing a prisoner costume.

 

  • Elvis - the king has been reincarnated as your dog! You can’t help falling in love with this Elvis costume

 

  • Batman - For once you can let your dog be the superhero as opposed to the faithful sidekick. Be the Robin to his Batman and really show him you love him.

 

 Any costume will look cute on a dog.  Even a simple sweater is considered a costume for a dog who never typically gets dressed up.  Dressing our pets up for Halloween is another way that we can make them part of our families and show them we love them. Happy Halloween and WOOF!

Costume of the Week: Super Mario Brothers

October 26, 2009 in Costume Trends by Lara Burke

r883655As we wind down to Halloween one costume stands out as an oddball favorite. Superhero costumes are the usual favorites for Halloween but at the top of the list this year you will find an unlikely hero: an Italian-American plumber named Super Mario.

 

Before Mario hit the big time with is own game series he appeared as “Jumpman” in the 1981 classic game Donkey Kong. Nintendo Debuted Super Mario in 1983 and it has consistently been popular video game for over a quarter of a century. Millions of gamers from the age of 5 to 55 have lived in the virtual Mushroom Kingdom while embodying Mario in an effort to save Princess Toadstool (or in the newer games, Princess Peach). Combined, all the series of Mario games make it the best selling game of all time and Mario the most popular video game character in history. And as far as Halloween goes, Mario is the costume of the week, perhaps the boy’s costume of the year.

 

The Super Mario Brothers costume is a great likeness to the video character with his bright red shirt and blue overalls, big belly and oversized moustache. The costume features a hat, moustache, jumpsuit with attached shirt, gloves and inflatable belly. Costume SuperCenter retails it for $33.99.

 

What do you think of this Super Mario Brothers costume? Share your comments about the costume and the Super Mario Brothers video game series.

Older Posts »
Order Tracking | Contact Us | Return Policy | Shipping Policy
Affilliate Program | Privacy & Security | Site Map | Terms of Use