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!
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:
- 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!
As 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.
Just because you can’t find a Lady Gaga Costume doesn’t mean you can’t be Lady Gaga for Halloween. All sorts of costumes are possible when you think outside the box and use a bit of creativity.
Lady Gaga defines unique, unusual and creative. She has a style all her own with an anything goes, over the top attitude. Here are two ways to transform yourself into Lady Gaga with some easy to find costumes and accessories.
Crazy over the top al la MTV awards Lady Gaga
- 1. An ornate feather mask - Any crazy feather mask can be used. You can choose a mask that covers both eyes and that would be fine but you can also modify a mask so it covers only one eye, similar to the masks she wore at the MTV Awards.
- 2. Glam outfit – I would go for elegance a la Hollywood Starlet. A red gown or black gown can be accessorized any way you want it. The perfect gown will have a high side slit.
- 3. Feather boa – just because they’re so much fun! Wear it long or wrap it around your neck right up to your ears to frame your face in feathery fluff.
- 4. A gorgeous blonde bombshell wig, big and full of body.
- 5. Shoes – a glam gown with sexy thigh high boots or the biggest, baddest 6 inch platforms you can find.
Crazy, sleek and sexy Poker Face Lady Gaga
- 1. A sexy black cat suit - if its tight and shiny it will work.
- 2. Thigh high patent leather boots, preferably with platform heels
- 3. A platinum straight blonde wig with bold bangs
- 4. Black make-up – use the makeup to draw a bold lightening bolt over one eye with bold shadow on your eyelids.
Ideally, I’d go for a bustier that shoots pyrotechnics from the nipples but that would be dangerous so don’t try that at home!
Now you have to practice your dance moves and learn all the words to Poker Face, if you don’t already know them. You’ll score big points for originality and have a winning Halloween costume.
The internet has gazillions of pictures of Lady Ga Ga to work from in creating your own unique costume and everything you need is easily found. Have fun.
At Halloween, people of all ages like to dress up. Kids do it for the love of candy but grown ups for the love of parties.
Photo courtesy of Joonbug.com. Joonbug nightlife rocks!
So you’ve found your ideal costume and now you need to find a party. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a house party. Great! But maybe you’re looking for something more interesting, more exotic and more exciting. Someplace you can go with your friends, meet new people and have an amazing time. You can even take it a step further and organize your own event at a hot club or trendy bar. Thanks to the web, searching and planning for the best Halloween ever is easier than you think.
Party organizing, promoting and networking sites like Joonbug can help you find a venue that suits your style in over 45 cities throughout the US. Joonbug will give you the scoops on all things Halloween “with information on Halloween parties, restaurants, clubs, nightclubs, bars, lounges, costume shops, Halloween tickets and promotions, discounts and blogs; this Halloween 2009 events guide truly is the ultimate and only guide to the best Halloween night of your life.”
Enjoy all the nightlife Halloween has to offer. No matter what you do or where you go, have fun, look great, be safe and be seen.
Zombies are hot this Halloween. The only way to truly become a zombie is to be eaten by a zombie. Short of that, you will need a costume, makeup and attitude. Here are the 5 tips you need to master being the best zombie you can be:
- The right clothes or costume – Tattered and torn clothing seems to be the look of choice but don’t limit yourself – you can be zombie Marilyn Monroe or zombie Elvis. And how about zombie Michael Jackson a la Thriller? Whatever you choose, don’t be afraid to get it a bit bloody.
- The right makeup – The great thing about being a zombie are the endless possibilities when it comes to make up. A zombie looks something between the grim reaper and a person who has been mauled by a bear then left to rot in the sun. So think hanging, rotting flesh, exposed bone, bulging eye sockets, maggots, pale skin and the like. Here is an awesome link to the annual Zombie Pub Crawl in Minneapolis that gives great make up tips among other important Zombie FAQs.
- The walk – remember your undead. Don’t walk like you just woke up from a restful nap. Consider dragging a leg, stammering or walking stiff-legged with your arms out in front of you. A jerk or twitch adds character too. Put your own style on it.
- The talk or should we say the moan – Think low, guttural moans with occasional growls. Remember, zombies are mindless and devoid of rationalization. Here’s your chance to stop thinking and just go with it.
- The company you keep – Zombies have power in numbers. Get all of your friends to dress in zombie costumes too. You can have your own “night of the dead, ” Zombie Ball or Thriller Party. It’s a great theme for Halloween parties, college parties and just because zombies are cool. Just ask Woody Harrelson from the blockbuster hit movie Zombieland.
We hope these tips are useful. If you have any great zombie tips or facts, please share them with us.
It just so happens that this mask was all over the news this morning as the hottest costume mask this Halloween. It’s the Mr. Ponzi Mask a.k.a. Bernie Madoff.
It’s a full, over the head latex mask that looks remarkably accurate. As you know, Madoff became infamous for operating a Ponzi scheme that turned out to be the biggest investment Fraud in Wall Street history. His victims included the wealthy, the rich and famous and regular working families who invested their life savings with this man to the tune of about $65 Million. Oy vey!
The great thing about human nature is how we have an uncanny way of finding humor in bad things. The Bernie Madoff, Mr. Ponzi Mask does the trick. So serve up some humor while Madoff serves his time – his 150 years of time! A busines suit will complete the costume but my suggestion is to make a custom tee shirt that says, “I’m Bernie and I Madoff With All Your Money! Ha Ha 
As neighbors and homeowners there are many things we can do to ensure that trick or treaters are kept safe this Halloween. Following these safety tips will not only protect them but you as well. The last thing you would ever want is someone getting injured on your property.
Here are the key tips for homeowners to remember this Halloween:
- Put your pets in a secure place away from trick or treaters. Pet can be very frightening, especially to young children. Likewise, scary Halloween costumes, big crowds and unusual smell can be very frightening to your pet and can cause them to act in unexpected ways.
- Clear your yard of any possible hazards such as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots, chairs, or any debris on the ground that kids may not see should they run across your lawn in the dark. Cover or fill holes.
- Battery powered jack o’lantern candles are preferable to a real flame. Halloween costumes with tattered material can pose a fire threat when candles are near by. If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
- Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won’t be blown into a flaming candle.
- Make sure your home is well lit. Your walkway and front door should be visible from the street.
- Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later.
- Consider peanut-free or non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins. You’d be surprised how many kids have diabetes or allergies.
- When it gets close to curfew, remind kids of the time in case they need time to get home.
We hope this three part series on Halloween Safety was helpful. If you have kids, please review Parts I & II of this blog for kid’s and parent’s safety tips.
As parents, we need to make sure our kids have a great Halloween but do it in the safest way possible. With a little bit of thought and planning, your Halloween will be even more enjoyable because you’ll know you did everything possible to prepare your kids for safe trick or treating.
Here are some key safety tips to remember:
- Make your kids eat dinner before setting out. This way they have energy to trick or treat and are not tempted to eat uninspected candy from their bags.
- Send your child out with a cell phone or have them trick or treat with someone who has a cell phone.
- Have your child trick or treat with a group and know who the children are and where they live.
- Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
- Discourage your older children from trick or treating alone.
- Make sure they have a flashlight.
- If you buy a Halloween costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
- Older children should know when their curfew is and consequenses for disobeying curfew.
- You should know where they’re going; know their route.
- Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything.
- Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.
- Remind your children with allergies to ask if candy has nuts before accepting a treat. If necessary, have them carry an epi-pen and a cell phone.
These are your rules and you should stand by them! Make sure your kids have their safety tips outlined in Part I of this blog. Stay Tuned for tomorrow’s blog: Halloween Safety Tips Part II: Homeowner and Neighbor tips.
