Holiday Tip: Halloween Movies

During the week of Halloween I enjoy watching ABC Family's 13 Days of Halloween. It really gets me into the spirit of the holiday!

I also adore going to the haunted houses near our house and having our regular Halloween Party! We scope out the newest Haunted Houses because they're discounted and it help gets the word out. For the Halloween Party we add something new every year!

That being said instead of playing the traditional 'party' music we switch between Halloween Movies and eerie music!!!!

Below are some of my favorite ways to spruce up the Halloween Party and give it at the extra scary edge for this time of year!

Hocus Pocus I watch for the nostalgia. Every year since I was a kid we watched it. That's yet to change!

The Strangers scares the pants off me!!! This is one that the party plays after I'm gone! I don't like to be left with nightmares and this one gives me the heebie jeebies!!

Halloween is an old time favorite. Michael Meyers has given me nightmares since I first saw him as a young girl. This is the only costume off limits for the Halloween Party.

Last but not least is a new one added to our pile of goodies. INSIDIOUS. This one freaked the crap out of me so it'll now be added to the continuation of films on Old Hallows Eve.

What are the movies that make you jump? Any plans for the upcoming Holiday!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!!

Decorative Tip: Dressing up your front entrance for the seasons

I know not everyone owns a house, but first impressions are key when you first walk into someones home. Whether it be a house or an apartment. I love dressing up the front so when someone walks in they can see my personality!

If you have a great entrance with a table, coat hanger, and more you have any more to work with! If you're like me, and have just island from the kitchen in your tiny apartment, that's okay too. Each home can have a decorative spin and it doesn't have to be costly!

Here's a few tips on how to make your home a little more festive. Since Halloween is here I'll go with simple knick knacks to add a little flare!

First I love to check my local stores. Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Pier 1 Imports and Kirkland's are my go to places!

Simple ways to liven up your space for under $10

Holiday Candles - ($1-5): Buy mixed matched colors, different sizes, set up your own design with various shades of orange and different designs.

Ornaments & Tree - ($1-10): Hobby Lobby is known for carrying mini-trees all year long. Grab yourself one (paint black or green if necessary), buy little pumpkin, ghost, and bat ornaments to complete the theme.

Fun knick-knacks - ($1-10): Hobby Lobby (everything 50% off) has these adorable sparkly pumpkins (various colors), and holiday bears with witch hats, and graveyard scenes on their shirts. It's a festive and fun look to your home.

Table cloth - ($5-10): With either holiday table cloth or fabric that's own sale, this is a simple and very quick way to show your holiday spirit.

Halloween cards - ($1-10): Walmart has a fabulous $1 section where you can pick up several holiday cards. For a cheaper route they're also colored card stock to buy in bulk where you can decorate your own cards for a Halloween look on a budget.

For outside decor ranging from fall to christmas there is tons of variety!!!! Think wreaths, color, and pumpkins!!

Question: What would you do to add a little Halloween life in your home?

Friday: Travel Tips, For the Holidays (and all year round!)

Holiday Tip - Dressing up your pumpkin

With Halloween around the corner it's always great to start thinking of ideas early!

How are you going to play it this year?

Chic and stylish?
Scary and Gory?
Fun and festive?

When you're able to decide what theme you'd like around the house it makes it so much easier! You'll want to decide if you want real or fake pumpkins. I love real, but sometimes neighborhood teens have a tendency to play the pumpkin throwing game and that gets messy! Regardless of the pumpkin you choose the same rules still apply!

Chic and stylish:

1. Ribbon love. Grab those remnants of holiday ribbon and add double sided tape, and voila - a cute centerpiece!
2. Spray Paint or Craft Paint. Polka-dots, stripes, swirly designs. Get funky, these cute little pumpkins are easy as painting on a coat of your favorite color and dressing it up in style!
3. Tag Line Cutie. Leave cute little trick or treat quotes on scrapbook paper, use some halloweenish ribbon and leave these little gems all around the house! They're the cutest little addition for the holiday!
4. Crepe Paper Votives. These are one of my favorites! Crepe paper, glue, and baby food jars and you'll have the cutest pumpkins and ghosts in town! Check out the instructions!

Scary and Gory:

1. Pattern love. The online world is a fabulous one, find the perfect SCARY pattern to carve OR paint on your pumpkin!
2. Throw them up. So this one I always enjoy seeing, I personally wouldn't want to deal with the clean-up, but when you're going with gross this one's the real deal!
3. The more the merrier. If you're going for a wicked look I suggest several lit up pumpkins. The neighbors will think you've gone crazy, but you've just nailed the perfect look.
4. Angling for the best outcome. I find that placing the pumpkin in different positions often gives the pumpkin a new edge, character. Utilize all the space.

Fun and Festive:

1. Decortive. Utilize every day house items to spruce up the pieces out on your front porch, dining room table, etc. Shovels, rakes, silver - black - white or orange bowls to liven up the halloween spirit.
2. Team Spirit. Often times you'll see sports initials and mascots on pumpkins and that's the way people celebrate! If your little one loves princess or a wizard, find a pattern and use it as a way to make Halloween less scary in your household.
3. Pumpkin Decorating. Buy paints and let the kids go wild with their own versions of pumpkins. With pinks, blues, greens galore, everyone is sure to have a good time and want to show of their finished pieces.
4. Every color pumpkin. I love nothing more than visiting the pumpkin patch and picking out the odd colored ones, from green to white they add just a little more flare to your decorative feel.

Question: What theme are you thinking about this year?

Monday: Keeping the spice in your marriage!