Adult Halloween Activities for a Scary Good Time

Once you have your Halloween party foods and decorations all planned and ready, you will also need to plan some creepy, scary Halloween activities. The activities are what the party guests will best remember, so you will want to plan some really cool things to do. There are many really fun, yet scary activities that adults can do at a Halloween party. Here are a few Halloween activities that your guest will rave about.

The Haunted House
Most of your adult Halloween guests will admit that they have not been to a haunted house in many years. Therefore, you can turn your home into a haunted house that they can walk through and get the scare of their lives. You can even set up a Halloween walk through in the woods near your home or through your backyard. Having some form of haunted house or a haunted walk through will leave your Halloween guests talking about your party for a long time.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Set up a Halloween scavenger hunt for your guests. Divide all of the guests up into teams and give them a list of creepy, gross or scary things that they have to find around your home, or even around town. Give them a specific time limit to meet back at the starting point. The team who finds the most things on their list will win some really cool prizes.

Costume Contest
All adults love to dress up for Halloween, so why not host a costume party? Choose a few friends to be the judges. Next, create a poster with all of the categories the costumes will be judged on. For example, you can have the scariest, the most unusual, the most original, the cutest and the ugliest costumes. Make sure you have some prizes ready for all of your winners.

Paranormal Party
Many adults do not believe in ghosts. However, you can prove them wrong by hosting your own séance. Have everyone sit around a table holding hands and closing their eyes. You or someone else can say a few chants or poems. In the background, have another hidden person making sound effects to make it seem real. You may even want to contact a professional séance person to come and do this activity for your group.

Theses are just a few adult activities that are sure to be a hit at your next Halloween party. When planning the activities, don’t forget to get prizes or participation prizes for all of your guests. Get prizes that are appealing to adults such as gift certificates, CDs or DVDs. The cooler your prizes are, the more participants you will have in your Halloween party activities.

More importantly, do not over plan. It is good to have four to five really good Halloween activities for a four to five hour party. Always have a few back up activities on hand just in case one fails. Do not try to cram in all of the activities. Do them casually, one after another and remember to have fun!

Halloween Games for the Classroom

If you ask children what their favorite holiday is, the most likely response from most of them will be Christmas, with Halloween coming in a close second. Some children will choose Halloween as their favorite simply because of all the candy. But this holiday, with all its goblins and ghouls, likely makes the top two favorite holidays on most children's' lists. To that end, then, it's always fun to have a raucous Halloween class party. With lots of fun games and activities, and plenty of candy for prizes, it's sure to be a hit with kids of all school ages.

Pumpkin Bowling

For younger children how about a game of pumpkin bowling? Find some of those inexpensive plastic pumpkin treat buckets and stack them up on a hard floor. You can stack them as high as you like, but you have to start with at least three buckets. If you get many buckets, you can make a pyramid out of them. Find some lightweight plastic balls - plastic bowling balls are excellent for this. And let the kids go bowling! The kids love knocking over the pumpkin heads and all the kids who play should get a prize for this game. Beware this game might get a little rowdy so be careful where you play! 

Mummies

Kids of all ages enjoy making mummies out of themselves and their friends. Bring in toilet paper, lots and lots of toilet paper. Divide the kids into teams of 2. When you begin timing the kids, they must wrap their friend up in the toilet paper, mummy style. The first team who gets all wrapped up wins. The child who's wrapped up like a mummy can then break out of the toilet paper wrap with a scary "roar" and the game begins again so another child can also be wrapped. Be sure to play some spooky Halloween music while this game is being played to add to the atmosphere.

Storytelling Telephone

Circle time! Have all the kids get in a circle and begin a spooky story. The story can begin with the classic, "It was a dark and spooky night..." and then the person next in the circle continues the story. Each child adds something to the story as it moves around the circle. If the children are young, you can keep the story on the straight and narrow by indicating no gruesome elements will be allowed. If the kids are older, you can decide how scary the story can be. Be aware that children in higher elementary grades will not only like their stories fairly scary and gruesome, but some might even add "booger" and "snot" and "throw up" elements to their story. You can set the rules ahead of time to prepare for this type of storytelling.

Halloween Musical Chairs

No game has held onto children's interests for more years than the classic "musical chairs". This version includes playing Halloween music (think "Monster Mash" or "Thriller" by Michael Jackson) and asking the kids to act as spooky and scary as they can while they race around the chairs. You can up the rules depending on the ages of the children. For example, for children in the lower grades you can tell them to just walk around the chairs until the music stops. As they get older, you can add challenging elements, such as make scary faces as you walk around the chairs, do the monster mash (whatever that means to the individual kid) and other things like that. You're sure to get some creative responses.

Halloween Cakewalk

Kids love cakewalks, but they aren't practical in the classroom. You could, however, have a treat walk. Save enough space in the classroom for this one. Again, play some Halloween-themed music and have the kids walk around in a circle as they do for cakewalks during other school events. Instead of having them walk onto number squares or circles, however, you can have them walking onto cardboard discs that include pictures of ghosts, monsters and the like. The person running the cakewalk will stop the music and pull a matching picture out of a pumpkin head. Instead of calling "#14", for example, as the winner of the cakewalk, it will be "ghost head" or "monster mouth".

Halloween is such a fun holiday for children of all ages that it won't be difficult to get them in the mood to play games. Wearing costumes to school that day would make any of these games more exciting and give these children one day they are sure to remember!

Scary Halloween Stories and Tall Tales

During the month of October, some people will say or do just about anything to get a scared reaction from someone. As Halloween approaches, scary stories and movies become even more effective than they normal. Though scary stories can be told just about any time of the year, they are most prevalent around Halloween. When the mood is right on Halloween night, scary storytellers leap at the chance to cause a fright!

Spooks and Scares on the Screen

On the big screen and television alike, scary movies dominate during the month of October.  Certainly horror movies are released throughout the year, but more films are released during the month of October in the theatre. In the past, horror films are even re-released in theaters so more people can see the gore on the big screen.

Television certainly does not let anyone ignore the fact that Halloween is right around the corner. Scary Halloween stories are just as prevalent on tv as they are at the movie theatre. Horror movies dating back until the 1950s can be watched over and over again during the month of October. For anyone looking to get scared out of their wits with a scary Halloween story, television and movie theatres provide the perfect opportunity.

A Personal Approach to Fright

Though movies and television can result in scary moments, scary Halloween stories are most effective when they are told in person. One of the most exciting activities around Halloween is to sit around in a group, perhaps even around a campfire, and tell scary Halloween stories.

In order to achieve the desired effect, it is important to tell scary Halloween stories with the lights out. A flashlight might come in handy. Some people like to get creative, and they employ assistants to create sound effects and props. Halloween is a great opportunity to try out your best scare tactics.

All in Good Fun

Halloween is a fun time of year, because almost everyone is in the mood to be scared.  Whether you tell scary Halloween stories or go see a horror film, it is easy enough to achieve this goal. It is important to have fun, but also not to take the fun too far.  Everyone starts out being a good sport, but not all people stay that way. After all, some people can only stand to be scared for so long so you should definitely be familiar with your audience.

Christmas Decorations On A Budget

 

It is cooling down outside and the favorite time of year for many is fast approaching. Yes many love getting together for Thanksgiving and spending time with family and friends. But right after that is when the best month of the year gets here for many. I am talking about Christmas time of course!

Although it is the best time of the year, it is also one of the most stressful times of the year. This year is likely to be very stressful as peoples budgets are shot and available credit is gone or very limited for many. Maybe this will push people to return to more simple times where materialism is out of favor. It will have to for many as people simply will not be able to buy things like they used to.

That does not mean this Christmas needs to be gloomy, just that better planning will be needed to get everything you need. This includes decorations as the décor of your house and outside decorations help set the mood. So getting those right can help boost things up.

Christmas first and foremost should be more about spending quality time with loved ones then about what gifts you bought someone or what gifts you received. If you are honest with yourself things have gotten so materialistic over the years it has really taken away from the holiday spirit for many. Maybe you could find it by watching a feel good movie but then when you get back into your real life maybe you felt pressured that you needed to spend more money to buy more material items to make you and others happy. That is simply not the case. In the long run when you look back you will probably be happier when the focus is changed to quality time spent with family and friends then the stresses of a materialistic Christmas holiday.

With that in mind the need to save money and watch every penny is key this year for the majority of people. That is one reasons why sites about discount Christmas ornaments are going to be booming this season. People want to save money on everything from an 2008 Christmas Ornaments to gifts they will be buying. It will be interesting to watch if people are really happier this year because there will be less pressure (on everyone) to not buy too much or spend too much money.

Halloween Party Food: Fun and Sophisticated

Halloween party food can be really fun to make and even more entertaining to serve. It’s that time of year when you can make your food look absolutely unappetizing and people will still want to eat it. Children love the thrill of eating what they think is dismembered body parts and ordinary food that has been dyed fun colors.

If you don’t want your Halloween party food to be silly or look disgusting then you can still have a sophisticated menu that has touches of this scary holiday. Whichever direction you choose to go in, here are some Halloween party food recipes and ideas to help inspire you.

Silly Foods for Children

With children’s Halloween party food you can indulge your inner child and crank up the scare factor. Make scary ice cubes for the punch by freezing gummy worms into ice cubes. Gummy worms are a great addition to party food at this time of year and another way to use them is in ‘rotten apples’. Take regular apples and cut a hole in the apple that is deep enough for you to stick a gummy worm into.

For a more substantial impact, make hard boiled eggs and cut them into halves after peeling. Take the yolks out and then fill the hole with cream cheese. Then press olives with pimentos, pimento side up, into the cream cheese and voila! You have an eyeball. To add to the effect you can draw blood vessels by dragging a toothpick that’s been dipped in red food dye through the ‘white’ of your new eyeball.

Mature Foods for Adults

For adult Halloween party food stick to using seasonal ingredients and rely on keeping the theme black and orange. Pumpkin soup with a scary ornament at the bottom of the soup bowl is a wonderful starter. A salad that includes roasted sweet potato chips is also another way to inject a little seasonal color into your menu. For your dessert you can’t go wrong with a bittersweet chocolate tart or perhaps black velvet cake with touches of orange in the frosting.

If you want to have a buffet style party, keep the food simple and concentrate on the décor instead. Use spider webs and black velvet for tablecloths, candles in wine bottles and simple hanging decorations to create the effect of a dining room in a haunted mansion. Use appropriate Halloween centerpieces such as a candy dish filled with eyeballs or dark flowers.

Halloween can open up all kinds of creative portals in your cooking or create opportunity for children to cook. Remember, if you stick to traditional orange and black Halloween colors and scary decorations, your food can be ordinary party food. The décor is enough to create the atmosphere and you can always have fun with that!

Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The Controversial Question

Halloween has been around for thousands of years, taking one form or another. In the ancient times, it was a very serious series of festivals and rituals that were vital to the cultures of the time. Today, it is a silly and seemingly harmless holiday about candy and costumes that young children love to celebrate. So why is it that some people do not want to celebrate Halloween? This is just one side of the great debate over the Halloween holiday.

Only for Heathens?

Other people have problems with the reasons for celebrating Halloween. Those that usually have a problem with the holiday tend to have religious concerns. According to some, Halloween is a pagan holiday that contradicts Christianity. Others call it the holiday of the devil. While it is easy to see why Halloween has gotten such a reputation, people who do not like why we celebrate Halloween for religious reasons are disregarding some very important facts.

A Religious Component

Whether you know it or not, Halloween does, in fact, have a religious component. It is the night before All Saint’s Day, and it was long believed that the dead returned to the earth on October 31. Many of the symbols commonly associated with Halloween have religious origins: a black cat, for example, was long thought to be reincarnated people with the ability to see into the future. While the religious aspect might not be why we celebrate Halloween today, it is certainly something that should not be forgotten.

A Happy, Harmless Holiday

One side of the issue says it doesn’t matter why we celebrate Halloween — it is a fun holiday, and children love having the opportunity to dress up and get lots and lots of candy. Though Halloween might have once had pagan origins, it is primarily a commercial holiday in this day and age. People spend $6.9 billion dollars on Halloween every year, whether it is on candy or decorations. It is a wonderful way to get spooked and have some fun!

What Is the Verdict?

Regardless of the Christian component of Halloween, the debate over why we celebrate Halloween is likely to continue. Some children will ring doorbells once a year seeking treats and others will be required by their parents to not leave the house on this evening. Whether or not a child goes trick or treating is a personal decision and the reasons that we celebrate Halloween today will remain a personal opinion.

Choosing the Perfect Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes are all part of the fun; it’s the one-day of the year that you get to let down your hair and reveal your secret personalities. Whether that’s parading around in a Superman costume or vamping it up as a sexy nurse; Halloween lets you be the wild child that you secretly long to be.

This is more or less what children love about Halloween too. They get to be a superhero that saves the day or pretty princesses all dolled up. Halloween costumes don’t have to be scary; in fact many are not scary at all. However, choosing a costume can be difficult with all the variety we have today.

Adult Costumes

Adult Halloween costumes tend to be a little on the risqué side with plenty of low cut and mini costumes out there for the ladies. If you are attending a party with close friends then let loose and wear whatever you want. It is always fun to shock your friends with a new you! 

Remember that if it’s an office party you might want to think twice about what costume you are wearing. If you're working in a conservative company then steer away from sexy costumes. You still want to be taken seriously when the party’s over.

Children’s Costumes

When choosing children’s Halloween costumes there are plenty of things to think about. The first is what is the weather going to be like on Halloween? If you live somewhere cold then warm costumes are a must. If your child is prone to tripping and falling then avoid costumes that constrict movement or vision.

Budget is also another consideration when choosing a child’s Halloween costume. You might feel some competition with other parents to have your child outfitted in the best Halloween costumes, but don’t cave to the pressure. Remember that this costume is only going to be worn once, twice at most. You don’t want to spend a fortune on it if you can help it.

You may have the perfect idea for your children’s Halloween costumes but let them have a say in it too. Halloween is no fun for your child if they don't get to pick the outfit that they want. Set some guidelines if there are some costumes that you absolutely want to avoid. Tell your child well in advance about any limitations and give clear reasons why you have set these restrictions. 

Try on Halloween costumes early so you can make alterations or a last minute run for accessories and makeup if needed. Test out makeup with your costume a few days before and take pictures so you have a reference on the day itself. It will make things less hectic for you on the big day.

Staying Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a fun holiday for everyone but there are still some dangers to avoid. Sadly, accidents can happen at anytime; and it can be a particularly dangerous night when so many children are out past their bedtimes. In all the fun and excitement, we relax when we should be extra careful.

Both children and adults should be aware of Halloween safety tips that everyone should practice while out trick or treating or scaring their friends. No one wants his or her Halloween to turn into a horror movie. Simple things can save lives, avoid injuries and allow Halloween to remain a fun holiday.

Costume Safety

Costumes are all part of Halloween but the wrong kind can be dangerous. Masks need to have eyeholes that are large enough for children to have peripheral vision. Otherwise your little one will have trouble walking without bumping into things and may even have trouble crossing the road. You also don’t want your child decked out in something flammable; so make sure the costume is fire proof.

Knives, scythes and other weapons are often part of Halloween costumes. Although these props are plastic and never sharp there is still a danger of a child tripping and falling on his or her prop. If it’s a hard plastic prop, it could still injure a child. Make sure such props are pliable and soft to avoid unnecessary bumps and scratches.

Parental Guidance

If you are not out with your children trick or treating then make sure you know the route they are taking. You should also make sure that children have at least a teenaged brother or sister accompanying them if not an adult. All sorts of things can happen when children are out on their own even in a big group and before it gets dark. Avoid unnecessary danger by having someone responsible with trick or treating youngsters.

Curfews are important on a night when many children want to be out as late as possible collecting as much candy as they can. Make sure that you tell your children well in advance when they have to be home and why they have to be home on time. It’s never a good idea to have your children out too late even with an adult around.

Halloween is about fun, and fun does not include vandalism. Tell your children that egging people’s houses and other such activities are absolutely intolerable. Make sure they know they will be cleaning up their own mess if they choose to break those rules.

Holidays like Halloween can be as good or as bad as we make them. Remembering these simple safety tips can keep your family and neighborhood happy and create a fun a pleasurable environment for your children.

Holiday Craft Project: Creating an Advent Wreath

 Candles and religion have gone hand in hand for centuries.  Even after the invention of light bulb, churches around the world still light candles for the services.  Candles have for centuries been used to mark special occasions and Advent is no different. 

 In fact, Advent is so connected with candles that the Advent wreath has 4 candles and some have a fifth candle in the center.  Each candle has a special meaning and each one needs to be lit on a certain day. 

 Advent is known as the season when the King is coming. For this reason, purple has been the traditional color that is used for the Advent wreath since purple is considered the color of royalty.  On an interesting note, purple was chosen as a royal color simply because the dye was one of the most expensive dies available. 

 But back to the Advent wreath, which has 3 purple candles and one rose colored candle.  Each candle represents a countdown to the coming of the King and it also has a symbolic meaning.  The first purple candle means Hope.The purple candle means Love.  The third candle that you light is the rose colored candle and it means Joy.  And finally, the fourth candle and third purple one means peace.  The candle that rests in the center of the Advent wreath should be white and it represents Christmas Day.  The fifth candle is completely optional.

 Okay, you are probably sick of this little history lesson, or would that be religious lesson and you probably want to get to the main focus of this article, to make an Advent Wreath of your own.  Like all my crafts, this candle craft can be very easy to do and requires very little know how before you begin.

What you need:

• Three Purple Taper Candles

• One Rose (pink) Taper Candle

• One White Pillar Candle (optional)

• A candle holder ring (the wire frame type that is used for floral arrangements)

• A ring of evergreens that will fit the ring (you can use fresh or fake)

• Floral Wire

o Optional:  You can make the evergreen ring yourself but you will need

 Fresh Evergreen branches

 Floral Wire

Directions:

1. Take out the candle holder ring and remove any of the tags from the store. 

2. Pop on the ring of evergreens and secure it with floral wire for safety.

3. Place the four candles in each holder.

4. Place the white pillar candle in the center of the ring.

And there you have an Advent wreath.  See, I wasn’t lying when I said that it was fast and simple.  Of course, if you decide to make your own evergreen ring there are a few steps that you need to do, which I have gone over below.

1. Take out the candle holder ring and remove any of the tags from the store. 

2. Arrange the evergreen branches around the holder.  Make sure that they cover it completely and you like the design.

3. Take the floral wire and attach the evergreens to the candle ring.  The best way to do this is to find a start point for each sprig of evergreen.  So at the first candle holder, tie on the end of the evergreen sprig.  Leave that sprig and move onto the next holder, tying on another sprig of evergreen to the next holder and so on until you have four sprigs hanging out from each of the holders.

4. Next, secure one of the evergreen sprigs in the middle between two holders, move to the next sprig and repeat until you have secured them all.

5. Lastly, secure as close to the tip as you can while still maintaining a nice look to the ring. Repeat until all the sprigs are attached.

6. Add more sprigs of evergreens to spots that need them.

7. Place the four candles in each holder.

8. Place the white pillar candle in the center of the ring.

When you use your Advent wreath, you will light a purple candle on the first Sunday of Advent, the second Sunday of Advent you will light two purple candles; the one you already lit the week before and the second one.  The third Sunday of Advent, you will light the two previous candles as well as the rose candle, and on the fourth Sunday, you will light all the candles except the white one.  The candle in the center represents Christmas so you don’t light it until Christmas Day.

Now you have an Advent wreath that everyone will want and you will find yourself making some last minute Advent wreaths for gifts.

 

Fun Halloween Games for Kids

Halloween games are great fun for children at a party. Besides the usual bobbing for apples or creepy ingredients, you can really get creative. Depending on the age of the kids involved, you can have a variety of things going on in your own home. Vary the complexity of the game depending on the ages of the children.

You can change normal party games for Halloween by adding a spooky twist. Even a haunted house can be constructed with some ingenuity. Remember that most kids will be happy if the games involve running around. You can start with outdoor games and slowly move indoors as time goes on and it gets later in the evening. Pace the games out so that the high energy games are done first.

Relay Games

Relay games are great to play outdoors but can be done indoors if you don’t have enough yard space. Halloween games can be very simple like an eyeball relay race. Use ping-pong balls or bouncy balls that have been painted to look like eyes and plastic spoons for this game. Have the children divided into teams and let them take turns carrying the "eye" ball from one end to another in a marked course. You can spice it up by having spooky Halloween decorations or covering the spoon in slime or even have something jump out and try to scare the kids while they walk (remaining age-appropriate of course).

A mummy race is another one of the easy Halloween relay games you can play. This one might need willing adults or older siblings to work. Each child is given some tissue paper and divided into teams. At one end is an adult who must be wrapped in the tissue to form a mummy. The team that does this first wins. You can add to the challenge by forcing a creative element to the mummy building by saying the best looking mummy wins. Have some candy or treats available to use as decorations on your mummy.

Balloon Treats

Put treats in balloons and then blow them up. Let the balloons loose in an area and tell the children how many balloons they can pop by sitting or rolling on. There are no winners in this game; the challenge is in trying to get the treats inside the balloon. Put one to two treats in each balloon. You can use cheap rings, plastic toys, stickers or key chains that come in fun Halloween shapes. All the fun is in popping the balloons; the kids might not even notice what’s inside once it is popped.

Pin the Scarecrow Nose

A Halloween variation of the classic party game. Simply draw a scarecrow or cut one out and make a nose seperately. Blindfold children and tell them to try and pin the nose to the scarecrow. Make it harder by spinning kids around before they try and pin the nose on. Of course, the possibilities are endless with this one - pin the scar on the zombie, pin the broom on the witch, pin the fang on Dracula...the list could go on. 

Halloween games for kids are simply variations of the same games children usually play at parties. The fun of Halloween is being able to dress it up, make it scary and silly and, of course, messy. Children of all ages can still enjoy the games we play on Halloween!

7 Frugal Halloween Tips for The Family on a Budget

Frugal Halloween Tips

How do you celebrate Halloween when there is little cash in your wallet?

The frugal Halloween way, of course!

Even though Halloween is the second highest spending season, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to give your family a fun and memorable Halloween.

Here are a few frugal tips from frugal moms.

1. Trade Costumes – Organize a costume swap party with friends and neighbors.  Most certainly, they all have costumes that their children have either outgrown or aren’t interested in any longer.  Make a pact to yourself that you are not going to spend money on costumes this year.

2. Make Your Costume At Home – Look around your house for old clothes, hats, accessories and craft supplies and make your own homemade Halloween costumes.

3. Plan Ahead! – Halloween candy and treats start appearing on store shelves around the first of September.  By keeping an eye out for sales during the months of September and October, you’ll avoid that last minute panic of not having Halloween treats and paying full price.

4. Buy In Bulk - …. But be realistic about the quantity of treats you really need.  If you only have ten or twenty kids ringing your doorbell every year, consider splitting a large, bulk package of goodies with a friend or neighbor.

5. Think Outside The Candy Box – There is no law that says you have to give candy to the trick-or-treaters on Halloween.  In fact, many kids love to see something different in their bags when they get home.  Plastic spider rings, pencils, mini microwave popcorn packs, mini pretzel bags, sticks of gum are all great, economical and healthy treats to give away.

6. Try Pennies And Stickers – Kids love stickers and stickers are a terrific popular, but frugal, treat to give away. Tattoos can also be a huge hit!  It sounds strange, but a bowl full of pennies will make any kid’s eyes light up.  Decide what you can afford to give to each child before your doorbell rings for the first time.

7.  Make The Decision Now – Decide right now that you’re not going to spend a lot of money this year during Halloween.  Keep your resolve as you walk through the discount stores and see the multitude of Halloween decorations beaming at you.  By keeping it simple, you will provide a memorable and cost-effective Halloween for your family.

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Gone to the Dogs: Halloween Costumes for Canines

by Sirena Van Schaik It wasn't that long ago that I remember picking up a discounted Halloween costume. It was cute with a little hat that fit over the ears, the black jumper and a black cape. No one was going to be a cuter Darth Vader than my little one.

Of course, my little one wasn't any of my kids. It was actually my black Labrador Retriever, Petey. He looked very cute as I bundled him up, my husband sitting there shaking his head, muttering under his breath, "What are you doing to my dog," while he gave Petey the stare that meant he had to stay put.

Thinking back to it, Petey was definitely not impressed. He hates having things on him and he sat there through all the fittings with a pained expression on his face. His eyes had gone large and batty, almost like he was ready for a fight or flight situation and when I turned my back, his head, set perfectly in a "hold" position, would slowly start to droop towards the floor until the dreaded Darth Vader hat had tumbled off.

Eventually I sighed in resignation and decided that Petey was just not the costume type of dog and I gave up. Petey would be enjoying Halloween sans the costume but he would be enjoying Halloween.

Over the years, even before the wardrobe malfunctions that Petey had, I have noticed an increase in the number of dogs that go out and enjoy Halloween. Walking down the street, you come across a large family, their kids dressed up as ghouls, princesses and the occasional cartoon character, their dog happily padding along.

It has become even more apparent that Halloween isn't just for kids anymore. It seems to have gone to the dogs and dog owners around North America have joined in on the festivities. Now, you can purchase the perfect Halloween costumes from Darth Vader to Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. You can add a treat bag for your furry companion and you can even pick up a few Halloween dog treats to hand out.

There is a huge market now for the Great Canine Halloween and it seems that everyone is eating up all the excellent supplies that are available. Dogs are enjoying the spookiest night of the year, and why shouldn't they?

Let's face it, as many times as you here, "Oh, that costume is so cute," said to the multitudes of kids, they are nothing when compared to the amount of "awws," a properly attired canine receives on the night. It becomes a night filled with treats and praise and any dog worth his own weight in gold would take advantage of it.

However; there are a few things to remember if you are taking your canine friend out for a Halloween night on the neighbourhood. First, line those pockets with treats. This will give him something to munch on and there is less chance that he will snuffle up a chocolate bar on the walk.

Second, make sure that you dog does well in public settings. Halloween can be a bit unsettling for anyone, and even more for a dog. Children are running from home to home, yelling, screaming and a dog can become frightened pretty quickly. Also, there will be other dogs on the streets too so if your dog does not get along with other animals or does not like kids, it's better to keep her home for the night. She will appreciate it much more than any of the treats and hugs that she will receive if she went out.

Lastly, keep your dog on his leash and make sure he minds his manners while he is out. No jumping and to keep him safe and comfortable, purchase a costume that doesn't drag or choke him.

After that, just enjoy the night and the fact that Halloween is not quite going to the dogs but is definitely being shared with them.

The Friendly Neighbor: Creating a Safe Halloween Environment

By Sirena Van Schaik

There are hundreds of facts out there for parents on Halloween night.  We need to be aware of the costumes we put on our kids, the amount of light we provide them with and the candy that they bring home has to be checked as vigilantly as a drill sergeant does during inspection.  We hardly ever think about our own homes and the many decorations that we have up for the season’s festivities.

Let’s face it, accidents do happen and when you have 10 kids, even 2 kids, racing for your door, there is a potential for those accidents to take on a whole new level of occurrence.  As homeowner’s and decorators, we love to create a scary scene that will have the kids’ ohing and awing over it. 

But regardless of how nice a house looks, we need to figure out ways to create a safe environment for the little spooks that will be joining us on Halloween.  Below, I have listed a few tips to being a good neighbour and keeping your yard a safe place for trick and treater’s to visit.

1.  Candles:

There is something about Halloween that really draws the need for candles.  Nothing is spookier than a handful of black candles lighting the way up to a haunted doorstep but it’s not the safest Halloween decoration around.

If you are all for candles, it is important to arrange them in a way where there won’t be any accidents.  Place them off the walkways and nestle them in any flowerbeds along your house.  Using garden spikes designed for candles is one of the best choices since they won’t tip over.  Try to use candles in holders so the flame does not reach the top of the glass.  Lastly, make sure that the candles are not placed in spots where kids will walk over top of them; this can pose a serious fire hazard with all the long cloaks and costumes.

2.  Pumpkins:

Another hazard that you need to be aware of, not just when you are carving them, are the pumpkins.  Place them in areas where people are less likely to tread to avoid tripping.  For safety precautions use a glow stick or a flashlight to illuminate the inside of the pumpkin.  This will prevent any fires from occurring.

3.  Keep everything Lit:

Make sure you keep your area illuminated.  This can be done with pathway lights or by keeping your outside light turned on.  If you are going for a spooky effect, complete with a black light, make sure to use other means of lighting as well.  Turn on the light over the garage or keep your door open to allow light to spill outside.

4.  Remove the Clutter:

Sometimes we can go a little overboard when it comes to decorating.  Props, and other items can make a space really cluttered and accidents can happen from tripping over the items.  Keep walkways clear and just scare up the area around them.  Make sure there are no strings or police lines where people are going to walk.

5.  Make your dog Halloween Friendly:

Some people are terrified of dogs, even small ones, and it is important for both your pet and your little Halloween visitors that you keep your dogs away from the door, especially if your dog is prone to barking and jumping.  Putting a dog in his crate or simply keeping him leashed in the living room will leave everyone happy and you won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt or scared, especially your beloved pet.

6.  Give out store bought candy only:

This is just a suggestion to remaining a friendly neighbour.  Even though there is a very personalized touch to the Halloween treats when you provide homemade items, parents are always told to dispose of these items.  To save you the money and the parents’ the concern, buy pre-packaged items to give out on Halloween and save the home baked treats for the kids of your friends.

It is very simple to keep your yard safe and inviting for all to enjoy on Halloween Night, all it takes is a little attention to the details.

Easy Homemade Halloween Crafts

Halloween is a great time to get creative with homemade Halloween crafts. It’s also a fun time to involve the children and have them create their own scary creations. Making homemade Halloween crafts is a great way to decorate the home inexpensively. The best part is that you don’t usually need to go out and buy anything special because everything is already at home.

Even very young children can get involved with the crafts and they really will love it. Choose crafts that are simple enough for them to handle yet remain creative and it should be fine. Just be ready to put down lots of newspaper and monitor closely to prevent any messes.

Egg Carton Bats

One of the easier homemade Halloween crafts is to make bats out of egg cartons. This is practically no cost depending on how fancy you want to get with the bats. Take an 18 count egg carton and cut off sections so that each piece has three egg holders to make one bat.

The two egg holders on the sides are supposed to be the wings. Cut a scalloped shape on the front and back of the side sections to create the wing shapes. Small children might need some help with the cutting but older children should have no problem doing this part. You could even use craft scissors to give a little more shape to your wings.

Make a hole in the center of the middle egg holder so that you can later hang it up. Now paint the egg holders black. After the paint has dried, stick on eyes or use two pieces of white paper with black dots to make eyes. The children can get creative by adding fangs, glittery wings and other personal touches to their bats. String up the bats from ceilings, fans, lamps and the inside of windows (or even outside in the trees).

Invitations

Having a Halloween party? Homemade Halloween crafts often include clever invitations. This is one of those easy homemade Halloween crafts that children always love to participate in. Trace around the children’s hands onto a piece of cardstock or construction paper. The card can be any color, brown or mustard yellow for monsters, or green for witches. Silver or white can be used for ghost hands.

Stick on fingernails with scrap cardstock or paper. Monster nails can be black or gray and square shaped. Witches nails can be more colorful and longer; and for the ghosts, silver or gray are the best colors to use. Decorate the hands however you think monster, witch or ghost hands should look like. You can add wrinkles, scars, cuts or even fake blood. Write your invitation on the reverse side, hand them out and they are sure to be a huge hit.

Between carving pumpkins, dressing in costumes, and creating decorations, Halloween has certainly become a great holiday for families to be creative and spend time together. Making homemade Halloween crafts is an exciting way to fill the holiday and ooze with Halloween spirit!

Halloween Activities are Fun For All Ages

One of the great things about Halloween is that you don’t have to be a certain age in order to enjoy it. You can never be too young or too old. You're also rarely under any social gift-giving obligations that are connected to holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day. Halloween is a time when you can really let your silly side out safely in society. This means that there are tons of fun Halloween activities for all ages.

Haunted Tours

More and more, haunted houses or haunted tours are being offered in big and small cities alike. This is a safe and fun Halloween activity, since you are among other people and not alone with any strangers in strange garb. National and local haunted houses are monitored closely to make sure they are safe and usually have age recommendations posted. Haunted houses sometimes spring up in aid of charities in October. They are usually manned by college kids to aid the charity being benefited.

Trick Or Treat

Despite scares of some evil pranksters in the late 1980's spiking Halloween give outs, trick or treating is still the most fun Halloween activity for everyone – whether giving the candy away or those receiving the candy. Kids think they have it easy for this fun Halloween activity – they dress up, get a pillowcase or some other sack and go fill it with treats. It is not uncommon today to find books, small games or puzzles and healthy snacks among all the candy in that bag.

But many adults who give treats away make those kids work for it. This is really the fun part for the older folks. They make their homes spooky with strobe lights, sudden blaring noises, distorting cobwebs and spooky costumes. Usually even the adult neighbors have to come check it out. This is one time where you are allowed to socially scare your neighbors.

Dressing Up

Another one of the most fun Halloween activities is just the act of getting into costume. Some employers will allow employees to wear costumes to work (as long as it doesn't interfere with their mobility or vision). Some will let you wear a discrete costume or even just a mask, black lipstick or silly pin. This is a great way to get to know your co-workers better and have at least one fun day at work a year.

Some restaurants, bars and clubs will also offer discounts if you come dressed in costume on Halloween night. Some will not offer a discount, but will allow you to dine or dance in full regalia. It's fun for you and for the employees, who may also be dressed in costume, at the club or restaurant. It's a way to safely show a hidden side to your personality.

Halloween has always been the one holiday where you can step outside yourself and be a completely different personality. That excitement is the main reason Halloween will always be fun for all ages!

ON SPENDING HOLIDAYS

Any discussion of spending holidays must take into account the distinction between week-end holidays and long-term holidays like the vacation.

Week-end holidays are meant for rest and recreation. They are devised as a break from five or six days of work. Since we are not machines, we cannot work continuously without such a break. Even machines cannot work continuously without intervals of stoppage during which they cool down and are oiled and supplied fuel or power. Similarly we too need intervals of rest and relaxation for our body and mind to enable us to be fresh and fit for the next week's work. On week-end days we can get up at ease, skip some daily routines, have a leisurely breakfast, have a game or two of our liking, enjoy an afternoon nap, chat with family members, visit friends and relatives, glance over our favourite magazine or story-book or watch TV or a movie. We may also complete the unfinished portion of homework or household work. At times we can enjoy small picnics in the company of family members, friends or classmates.

But a vacation is not the period to be wasted in idleness or gossiping. It is the time when we are free from routine work and can pursue some hobby or activity of our liking. We can go out on long-term tours, visit our relatives living in far-off places, play our favourite indoor and outdoor games, or take on activities like swimming, cycling, riding or gardening. We can also devote ourselves to activities like reading, painting, cooking, stamp-collecting, etc. We can visit the nearby slums or villages, make friends with the residents therein and study their problems. Youngsters with constructive bent of mind may, under the guidance of elders, organize part-time or full-time camps for boys and girls wherein they can live in groups and carry on a number of physical and cultural activities. Choice of activities to be carried on in the vacation would depend upon the circumstances and availability of resources, co-operation and help. But we will have to make plans beforehand for spending our holidays fruitfully.

Our body and mind will rust if we idle away our long-term holidays. If we utilise our holidays fruitfully, our mind and body will develop and we will be able to work with renewed vigour in the subsequent term. Each vacation will add something to our personality, making our progress in life easier and faster.

Christmas Decorating While On A Budget

Christmas trees

Do you enjoy celebrating Christmas? The majority of people, when asked, find Christmas to be their favorite holiday.  If you love to celebrate Christmas, there is a good chance that you may be interested in decorating your Christmas shop.  Unfortunately, as you likely already know, decorating your place can get quite expensive. However, if you want to decorate for Christmas, but you do not have an unlimited amount of money to do so, there are a number of ways that you can go about decorating for Christmas while on a budget. 

Perhaps, the best ways to save money on Christmas directions is to decide ahead of time what you need.Usually, shoppers have a hard time with impulse purchases. Impulse buying is when shoppers purchase an item as soon as they see it, an item that they may not have intended on purchasing.  If you are shopping for Christmas decorations and you are on a limited budget, you are advised to not give into your impulse buying urges. It is best to decide what you are going to buy ahead of time.  If you are unsure exactly what you would like to buy, that is fine, but you may want to focus on which rooms that you want to decorate for Christmas and which rooms you do not.  This will also make it easier for you eliminate unnecessary purchases. 

Once you have decided which type of Christmas decorations that you would like to buy, you can then start shopping; however, it is important to remember your goal of saving money.  Christmas decorations are nice, but you will not want to spend more money on decorations than you have.  The less money you spend on Christmas decorations, the more money you will have to put towards a nice Christmas dinner or Christmas gifts.Also consider the store where shop and when you will be going there. 

If you are shopping for Christmas decorations on a budget, one of your first stops should be your local dollar store. While many individuals assume that the items sold within dollar stores are poor in quality, they aren’t always. In fact, around Christmastime, you could get some really nice Christmas decorations for a dollar or less. Depending on the dollar store you choose to shop at, you should be able to walk away with Christmas pictures, Christmas wall hangings for kids, Christmas tree decorations, Christmas lights, and even Christmas potholders for your kitchen.Dollar store items for the most part is always a dollar or less. 

In addition to dollar stores, you may also want to check out your local discount stores. Discount tores, in most cases, are a cross between a convenient store and a department store. They tend to be somewhat small in size, but most dollar stores carry a wide variety of different products, including Christmas decorations.  While the prices at discount stores will vary, you should be able to find beautiful Christmas decorations for fewer than five dollars each.  Of course, there will always be items that cost more than five dollars, but you may be surprised with the selection of low-cost Christmas decorations that can be found at your local discount store.

Although there is a good chance that you may prefer to have brand new Christmas crafts, it might not always be possible.An online auction site would be a good place to search for Christmas decorations for low cost shopping. By carefully examining which items you choose to buy, you could walk away with Christmas decorations that are slightly used, but look new. 

As previously mentioned, it is also important that you keep when you are shopping in mind. Depending what you are looking for, if you want the best prices, wait until Christmas nears, if you want the largest selection of decorations, you will want to shop early.  In the days leading up to Christmas, some retail stores offer discounts on their Christmas supplies, including decorations. In fact, right after Christmas many of these discounts reach up to seventy-five or ninety percent off.  Although shopping right after Christmas won’t help you this year, but it may be able to help you decorate your home, at an affordable price, next year.

Christmas Present Ideas For Teens - Don't Have A Clue?

Having two teens, and shopping for all of them at Xmas is becoming very difficult. All the same, that job got much less of a hassle when I gave up running about and switched to the World Wide Web to locate web sites that promote a huge array of Christmas teenager gifts and for all teenagers on my Christmas list. I didn't think there would be Online websites committed to helping you to track down the precise item for those tough-to-please kids, but boy was I glad when I discovered those Online stores!

Honestly, being a parent with car loans and kids to look after, it can sometimes be impossible to keep up with what's trendy in today's teenage planet. Shopping for teenagers gets even more difficult as the electronics world becomes more impulsive and reorganized. Do you know the difference between PS2 and MP3? Can you name the top four video gaming gadgets? I definitely couldn't, which is really why I looked for help with teenagers Christmas presents!

The best thing with these web sites for Christmas present ideas for teenagers is that they help me to catch up with what's hip or not with teenagers in no time at all. While you know as to what all the must-haves for teenagers are, it gets a lot simplier to pick up some really classy Christmas items for your guys. I came across exceptional ideas for bags, videos, and even health packages that cater to this age group. For guys, there are many video game units and add-ons to please even the coolest teenager on any Christmas list. And it seems from all the Christmas gift ideas for teens I've looked into that football kits will almost always get you out of trouble - at least if you know the team your son worships.

One of the great things I found after I finished looking up Christmas teen ideas, is that, I can remain Online to do my gift shopping. With tons of website merchants to pick from, I grew much more confident picking the ideal Christmas teen present. I now feel at ease with the teen scene -- at least sure enough to take on my Christmas buying pickle. Finally I can source gifts that my guys truly love, while knowing they genuinely take pleasure in my Christmas presents because they will wear or use the gifts I give them.

If you have some tricky to please teens on your Christmas list, look up a few web sites that list Christmas teen gifts you are certain to become the present-giver of the year. Happy Online Christmas shopping!

Homemade Halloween Costumes are the Life of the Party

One of the most exciting parts of Halloween is choosing the perfect Halloween costume. Each year, people spend thousands of dollars creating the most unique Halloween costume for that special costume party. Usually one of the most popular costumes at any party is the homemade Halloween costumes. These costumes are unique; one-of-a-kind costumes designed and created by the person wearing it.

You can create a homemade Halloween costume using everyday household items or you can create your Halloween costume using some of the most expensive and elaborate materials available. Choice of materials and amount of time put into the homemade Halloween costume is completely up to the person designing it. Regardless of the time and money put into this Halloween costume, it is still going to be the hit of the party, simply because it is homemade.

To Create or Not to Create: That Is the Question

How do you know when you should create your own homemade Halloween costume or not? This is not a very hard question. Anyone having trouble finding the perfect costume in a retail store or a costume shop should consider making their own homemade Halloween costume. Anyone feeling the urge to be creative or who enjoys making things should create their own costume. That way, you can create it uniquely to fit your own needs and wants, and definitely in your size.

How to Create Your Homemade Halloween Costume

Creating a homemade Halloween costume is surprisingly not very hard. As a matter of fact, it is sometimes easier than purchasing a Halloween costume. You can create a costume out of old clothes, clothes bought from a second hand store, and other things lying around the house. Think about what type of costume you would like to create, and then get the things you need to create it. Look around your house or while you are traveling for the inspiration to your big project. 

Most of the time, it is actually cheaper to make your own homemade Halloween costume. Many costumes in retail stores and costume shops are seriously overpriced because of the high demand for them. When you create your own costume, you can generally create it for half the price you might pay for a similar costume in a store. Therefore, it is more beneficial financially to make your own costume.

Finally, if you really wants to have an unforgettable costume at your next Halloween party, you really should consider making your own homemade Halloween costume. Of course, it will take time and effort to make a homemade costume, but in the long run, it will be well worth it when you are the biggest hit of the next costume party.

Clans on Broadway - Valentine's Connection to Ireland and Scotland

Valentine's Connection to Ireland and Scotland

There were 3 saints named Valentine- a Roman priest, a Bishop in Terni, and a third who died in Africa. Although debated, most believe that it is the Roman priest who is the Patron Saint of Love.

Emperor Claudius II cancelled all engagements, marriages and made Christianity a capital crime. Valentine, a Christian priest, continued to marry young couples. Valentine was captured, beaten, and beheaded on February 14th, 269 AD. Before his death, Valentine gave a note to his Jailer's blind daughter. She opened the note and her sight was restored. The note said "From your Valentine".

In 1835, Father Spratt of Dublin visited Rome and preached to the community. Pope Gregory XVI was so impressed that he exhumed the remains of St. Valentine and sent them with Spratt to Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, where they remain today.

Although it is generally believed that the remains in Dublin are authentic, other places also claim to hold the remains of Valentine. Blessed St. John Duns Scotus in Glasgow, the Church of St. Praxedes in Rome, Roquemaure in France, and the Stephansdom in Vienna all hold relics, often just pieces or scrapings of bones. The Dublin remains are said to be several bones with some blood in a sealed container that has never been opened.

 

Here are a few interesting bits about how Valentines day has been celebrated in Scotland.

·        When sending valentines, the whole card would be filled with poem versus, romantic and funny. The card was never signed, as it was up to the receiver to guess who it was from.

·        In the middle ages, then men would pick ladies name from a ballot and then pin it to their shirt sleeve. The two would be partners for the day, and it sometimes lead to the marriage of the couple.

·        On February 14^th, 1565, Mary Queen of Scots met her future husband, Lord Darnley, for the first time. The couple married later that year in July.

 

Sincerely,

Rauncie Kinnaird

Clans Celts & Clover

Email: r.k@sasktel.net Phone: 306-382-4443 Website: http://www.clansceltsandclover.com and http:www.kinnairdbagpipes.com

Decorate Your Whole House this Halloween

Many people love to decorate their home for Halloween. They usually decorate both the inside and outside of the house with some really cool Halloween decorations. Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most decorated holiday of the year. Decorating your house is not hard and for this particular holiday, sometimes the tackier the decor, the better. Here are some really fun and easy Halloween decoration ideas for the entire house.

Halloween Decorations for the Living Room

The living room is probably where the family and guests spend most of their time. Therefore, you should decorate this area using some Halloween hang ups around the walls, maybe some Halloween figurines on the tables, and some Halloween static stickers for the windows. Fake spider webs and gory pictures are also popular decorations for this room. A small Halloween candy dish on the coffee table is also a nice addition to the living room.

Halloween Decorations for the Kitchen

Similarly to the living room, you do not want to over-decorate the kitchen for Halloween. You can place some Halloween place mats on the table and use Halloween dish clothes around the kitchen. You can also hang some Halloween hang ups around the kitchen and on the windows. Try to find a cute Halloween center piece for the kitchen table and place a bowl of Halloween treats on the countertop for quick and easy snacking.

Halloween Decorations for the Rest of the House

Decorating bedrooms, bathrooms, and other parts of your home is up to you. It would be nice to set a few Halloween figurines in each room along with some nice Halloween hang-ups on the walls and in the windows. Guests may or may not see these decorations, so you will only need as many or as few as you feel like putting up there. Halloween toilet covers, bed sheets and towels are nice additions to these rooms of the house.

Halloween Decorations for the Front Yard

Decorating the front yard with Halloween decorations is probably the most exciting part because you can have a lot of fun with it. Hundreds of people will see your fabulous Halloween decorations as they drive or walk down the street. You can create a huge tarantula out of large black trash bags and old leaves. A stuffed mummy, pumpkins on the porch, spider webs in the bushes, and old grave stones scattered about the yard are just a few popular ideas. You can also include outdoor Halloween lights, a fog machine or some scary sound effects for added enjoyment.

Decorating the house with Halloween decorations is a fun and exciting thing to do each year. With a little bit of imagination and a lot of creativity, you can really decorate your home for the Halloween holiday. Your guests and family will simply love what you have done to the house and you might even be the talk of the neighborhood for a while!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

        The moment you gaze upon a Christmas Tree, you will instantly think about Christmas or the Yuletide season, festooned with glittering lights and beautiful decorations. Beneath the Christmas Tree are pretty gift-wrapped parcels, destined to be opened on Christmas Day itself.

 

          Have you ever decorated a Christmas Tree and wondered how this tradition came about? Similarly, how creative can you be when it comes to making tree decorations?

 

          Let’s take a look at ancient roots and modern-day offshoots.

 

Ancient Roots

 

        The traditional decorating of the Christmas Tree has its roots in rituals of Autumn and Winter of old Northern Europe. For the Teutons, Celts and Gauls, trees like pine, fir and spruce symbolized eternal life. For the Teutons, they would hang pieces of cloth, fruit and other gifts on these evergreen trees during the Winter Solstice. The people would ask for renewal of life and fertility at the tree.

 

          As Christianity became dominant, such pagan practices became subsumed under Christianized traditions. The Christians basically integrated existing beliefs into more acceptable norms of thinking. There is a German myth about St Winifred made a miraculous young fir tree appear with shining lights on its branches and the image of the baby Jesus above.

  

Evergreen Joy

 

        The Christmas Tree is predominantly an evergreen. So, you get to see live Douglas firs, pines and spruces for sale in major supermarkets during the Christmas season. Some people would opt for the paper and plastic tree options. But having a live tree itself is a special occasion.

 

          In North America, families would go to tree orchards and farms to chop their choice Christmas Tree. They would decorate their trees with shop-bought or home-made decorations, draping fairy lights on the branches. It is a time for families to get together and decorate the tree.

 

          For live evergreens, always remember to give them water, because they would ultimately wilt away after the end of the season. If you are an advocate of eco-friendly practices, do think of ways how to recycle your Christmas Tree. You can make wreaths out of the branches or chop the wood down for firewood. It is sad to see many trees discarded after Christmas. So, recycling them would be a good idea.

 

Decorations From Home

 

          There are some families who would make popcorn chains to decorate their Christmas trees. More creative families would dry fruits and hang them on the branches, making their trees uniquely theirs.

 

          If you are keen to make your Christmas tree decorations, why not take a look around your backyard or garden. If you have seed-pod producing trees, you can collect the seed-pods (if they have fallen from the tree) and use them as decoration material. Make sure the seed-pods are not poisonous! Clean them with a slightly wet cloth. You can start coating them with gold or silver paint (whatever color you desire). After they have dried, you can tie strings on the seed-pods. There you go – your very own tree decorations.

 

          If your taste leans towards the more edible, you can hang crystal-glazed grapes or berries. Get fine sugar and the berries of your choice. Coat the berries with egg white and dust the sugar gently on them. Tie durable string on the berries and tasty decorations are ready to be hung. Remember to take them quickly, because they are perishable!

 

Have Fun

 

        So, remember to have fun with your Christmas tree. May your Yuletide season be filled with festive joy!

Clans on Broadway - Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday, similar to Mother's Day, also called Mid-Lent Sunday, is observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent. The earliest predecessor to mothering Sunday can be traced back to Ancient Greece, when three days were set aside to honour the mother of all the gods and goddesses. Some say the ceremonies in honor of Cybele were adopted by the early church to venerate the Mother of Christ, Mary. Others believe the Mother Church was substituted for mother goddess and custom began to dictate that a person visit the church of his/her baptism on this day. People attended the mother church of their perish, laden with offerings.

In England in the 1600's, young men and women who were apprentices or servants returned home on Mothering Sunday, would bring small gifts like trinkets or a "mothering cake" to their mothers. This helped to add a festive touch to the day. Sometimes frumenty was served, which is wheat grains boiled in sweet milk, sugared and spiced.

In northern England and in Scotland, the preferred food was carlings - pancakes made of steeped Pease fried in butter, with pepper and salt.

Another kind of mothering cake was the simnel cake, a very rich fruit cake. It is boiled in water, then baked, and often finished with a marzipan. Simnel cake has now evolved to a lighter fruit cake, that has two layers of fruit cake separated by the marzipan or almond paste. The top of the cake has eleven marzipan balls, that are to represent the true disciples of Christ, Judas is emitted from this.

‘I’ll to thee a Simnell bring
‘Gainst thou go’st a mothering,
So that, when she blesseth thee,
Half that blessing thou’lt give to me.’
Robert Herrick 1648

This Sunday is known by many names, ranging from Simnel Sunday, Rose Sunday, and Refreshment Sunday.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Rauncie Kinnaird

Clans Celts & Clover

Email: r.k@sasktel.net Phone: 306-382-4443 Website: http://www.clansceltsandclover.com

The Fine Art of Halloween Decorations - How To Be Scary and Beautiful at the Same Time

If you have children, Halloween is a great excuse to have some family fun together. It's an opportunity to dress up the whole family in weird and frightening costumes; and to decorate your normally peaceful home in the out-of-this-world Halloween theme, turning it into a scary haunted house to the delight of your children.

Every year can be such family fun opening up the boxes of your stock of Halloween decorations. Children love getting out the hairy giant spiders and spider webs, spooky ghosts, witches on broomsticks, ghoulish outfits and costumes, vampire teeth, witches hats and noses and everything else that goes into making up Halloween. You would think it would frighten them, but children take great delight helping put up the the haunting and eerie decorations that go with Halloween.

Everyone goes about their Halloween celebration in a different way. Some are too busy or not interested. Many people just make their Halloween decoration simple, such as simply carving out a pumpkin face, putting a candle inside and placing it in a window facing the street.

Others like to put in an all-out effort in their front yard, with subdued and changing lighting, lightning flashes, cemetery tombstones, zombies, ghosts, vampires, bats, spider webs and even fog machines and sound effects. It's quite a wacky idea when you think about it, but all good fun. Yet other people concentrate on a Halloween decoration for their front door entry way, to offer a spooky welcome to trick or treaters.

It can be well worth loading up the family and friends in your car at dusk and driving around your neighborhood in the days leading up to Halloween, just to see and enjoy the amazing effort some people will put in to participate and share in the celebration. You can bet your children will be planning out their trick or treating when they know who is in the Halloween spirit and likely to welcome them with good fun, and a good stock of candies and sweet treats.

Occasionally you will find people who also decorate the inside of their homes, and perhaps have tours through their seasonally haunted house to show it off and to raise funds for a charity. Your family will take delight in the visit experience if you are fortunate to have one of these enthusiasts in your neighborhood.

Others like to decorate just a room or two in their homes as the theme for a Halloween costume dinner or party, and invite guests around for some Halloween fun.

Whatever your budget, there is a growing choice of Halloween decorations to choose from today. With better manufacturing methods and more imaginative designs, the quality of Halloween decorations on offer seems to get better every year. Even if you prefer to make your own decorations, or have accumulated a stock of decorations over the years, there will always be a few new additions to catch your eye in the shops leading up to Halloween.

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Warning - Read This Before You Purchase Halloween Contact Lens - Otherwise Your Celebration May Be Limited

If you are looking for a very striking effect to go with your Halloween costume this year, something that will make you stand out in the crowd, consider wearing Halloween theme contact lenses. Your appearance will have an amazing effect. Some people will not be able to take their eyes off your fascinating new look. One glance from you will have some people recoil in fright at your unexpected eyes. Whatever their reactions, you will be the center of everyone's attention.

For years, actors have been able to radically change their appearance with contact lenses. Now you can too, and you can have a lot of fun with the idea.

What will you look like wearing Halloween contact lenses?

The idea is to change not just the color of the iris of your eyes, but also the shape of your pupil. The center is kept clear so you can still see, but the rest of the contact lens has become like an artist's canvas, open to any imaginative design desired. This year you will have an astonishing range of contact lenses to choose from.

You can look like an animal, for example. A cat, wolf or a reptile look in your contact lens are three very popular halloween choices, with variations available for you to choose in the colors and shapes of the pupil that people will see. Cat eyes in green, yellow, or even red, are among the most in demand.

You can select alien looks, including contact lenses with movie character themes such as Dune and Vader, or become an out-of-this-world banshee, predator or slither.

Unexpected or unnatural color choices are favorites. For Halloween a red eye fits the theme closely. Plain opaque black or icy white eyes can send a chill down the spine of those you meet. There is a vast range of fun colors available now to give you a unique and distinctive appearance.

Designers have had a ball coming up with imaginative shapes and patterns. Logos, sports team themes, flags and patriotic themes like stars and stripes, smiley faces, hypnotic spirals, spider webs, computer chips and all manner of fun ideas have found their way onto contact lenses. Imagine your pupil in the shape of a star or a square instead of round.

If you have your own crazy ideas and are prepared to pay the extra cost, it is even possible to have a custom design made for your contact lens. Just make sure you allow enough time to get the work done for you before your Halloween party.

Most designer contact lenses are plano, or usable by anyone whatever their eyesight. If you need corrective lenses to see clearly, these days you can also have most designer lenses made up to your own prescription.

Contact lenses also come in size variations. The most common are round and fit over the middle of your eye. If you are prepared to pay more and take more time over fitting the lenses, you can choose sclero contact lenses that cover most of your eye. Imagine what you would look like with all of your eye glowing red or green at your Halloween party?



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Hints for Halloween Party Decorations

Your Halloween party decorations will probably include the standard range of items, but there are some simple little extra tricks you can easily add that will add a scary surprise, and give your guests a chilling fright and cause a few screams.

You will no doubt be planning plenty of carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns lit with candles placed around your party room, their ghoulish faces gleaming in the subdued lighting. Luminous images of ghosts and ghouls of all description can be bought and hung to glow in the low lighting around the walls of the room. Gossamer cloth or commercial imitation spider web quickly creates a haunted house atmosphere.

Suspending decoration items like bats, flying witches on broom sticks, large hairy spiders, balloons with ghostly faces, skeletons and the like from the ceiling, down to to face level, will have your guests dodging around among these horrors in the flickering candle light, and always on the lookout for their next fright. Distributing plastic spiders and other shocking surprises around where people sit, or on tables among the drinks and plates, will help to keep your guests on edge.

If you hang a number of thin threads from the ceiling in different parts of the room they will not be noticed in the subdued lighting, but will be felt unexpectedly as your guests move around. This can be a surprising sensation, and suggests a ghostly presence that will often get a shrieking reaction from your guests.

Frights come when unexpected things suddenly happen. You could set up a few lights on timers to occasionally briefly illuminate scary scenes or pictures in two or three otherwise dark corners of the room. The effect is increased if you are able to coordinate sound effects to draw attention when the light comes on. Depending on the age group of your guests, you could create a frightening three dimensional scene that is briefly revealed, such as a ghostly headless or hanging man.

Fog machines are readily available from party hire specialists. Used with lighting effects, they will immediately create a chilling and eerie atmosphere in the room as the fog floats across the floor of the room around the feet of your guests. If you can, set up an artificial tombstone or two to conceal the exact location of the machine.

With large screen televisions becoming more common, you could play a horror movie in the background, with the sound turned down, to help to set the scene.

Music plays a large part in creating the atmosphere. At least for the early part of the party, Halloween sound effects and music like the classic Monster Mash will heighten the sense of tension in the room. With the party in full swing later on, your guests will expect to hear their favorite dance music tracks. A compilation interspersing Halloween sound effects would help to maintain the atmosphere.

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How to Wear Halloween Costume Contact Lens

Have you thought of making costume contact lenses part of your Halloween costume this year? Theatrical costume designers have called on the use of contact lenses to transform the appearance of actors on stage and in movies for many years. The eyes are where most of us look first when we meet someone, and simply changing the appearance of the eyes can make an actor seem more handsome, beautiful, dangerous, magical, inhuman, or whatever the designer wishes.

Until recently most of us have not been able to afford or obtain designer contact lenses with these amazing transformational powers. Now we can.

How would you like to look at your Halloween party this year? You could become almost anyone or anything you want by just inserting tiny and perfectly safe contact lenses in your eyes.

There are two main types of designer contact lenses. The lowest cost, most common and easiest to use are small round discs that sit over the center of your eyes. You can still see through a clear center in almost all cases - one exception is an opaque lens you could wear over one eye to look blind in that eye. All the area around that clear center is available to designers to create all manner of colors and effects.

The second main type of contact lens is the sclero lens, that fits over the whole eye. With these lenses you can change the color and appearance of even the whites of your eyes. Eyes that are red or green all over, for example, can be a very scary and unnatural look, and perhaps exactly what you need for your Halloween party look this year. The striking impact of a designer sclero contact lens can blow you away with the design possibilities when you have such a large area to work with. However, these sclero lenses are more expensive and more difficult to fit, and much less widely used. Of course, this means if you do use them, you will stand out even more in the Halloween crowd.

Costume contact lenses are usually made plano, or ready and safe to be used by anybody whatever their eyesight. If you need prescription lenses, you can usually arrange for this to be done especially for you, but you should expect that there may be additional costs. If you are only wearing them for a few hours at a Halloween party it may not be worth the trouble unless your eyes need a lot of correction for you to see well enough.

Some contact lenses come as soft disposables, and some of these offer cosmetic color changes. However the kind of high visual impact costume contact lenses you will be looking for as part of a Halloween costume are more likely to be hard lenses, which give more scope for designers to add their variations. There are even expensive unique hand painted special effects designer lenses available. Hard contact lenses have a longer lifetime than disposables, at least a year if cared for properly as your optometrist will advise.

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