Summer Camp Activities – Kids Activities In

A couple years ago a some great jack-o-lantern carvings showed up on the world wide web. A finely carved pumpkin but nothing too had to do. Two eyes, a nose, and a wide, gaping mouth that was in most ways unextraordinary.

What made this the best pumpkin carving was that whoever did it took the scooped out innards of the pumpkin and arranged them in a way that made it seem that the jack-o-lantern was caught in mid-vomit. Some times too much punch from a holiday party can make one feel this way. Every time I see this image in my head I have to laugh out loud.

Another of the best pumpkin carving ideas I can remember is in the same vein. Cut your jack-o-lantern with a scary looking face. He should have pointed fangs in his large mouth, to go with angry slim eyes.,. Then, in one side of the mouth stick a smaller pumpkin with a frightened, horrified look on its face. Done properly this should look like the larger jack-o-lantern is eating the smaller one, a bit of malicious delight on All Hallow’s Eve.

And it’s important to note that jack-o-lanterns are an important part of the Halloween tradition, and have been for centuries. According to wikipedia, the origin of the jack-o-lantern is as follows:

Another version of the myth says that Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen, when he met the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (the Devil could take on any shape he wanted); later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. This seemed like a good plan to the Devil. The devil changed into a coin of silver and leaped into Jacks open wallet. It happened so fast he did not see the cross also in the wallet. The devil was trapped and his powers gone, once the wallet with the cross inside, closed. In both myths, Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees never to take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven; however, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from hell as well. With no home, where was Jack to go. From the flames of hell, the Devil gave Jack an ever glowing ember to light his way. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favourite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. From then on he was known as Jack-o’-Lantern – Jack of the Lantern.

So don’t forget that when looking for the best pumpkin carving ideas, either!

Halloween is just around the corner, so get going on your party plans. Need some creative ideas to spark your imagination? If you are looking for ways to host a grown up party, we’ve got ideas ranging from casual to formal. parties needn’t be big bashes, you can choose a more intimate way to celebrate with a small group of friends. Let your personal sense of style dictate what type of celebration works best. Whether your Halloween celebration will be spent mixing up groovy cocktails for friends or doing fun arts and crafts projects with the family, we have some fun filled ideas to get your party started.

Halloween Dinner Party – A grown up dinner party is perfect for an intimate gathering. Choose a theme such as Gothic, old horror films (Dracula, Frankenstein) etc. Send out handmade spooky invitations, asking your guests to come in costumes that relate to the theme. Intimate gatherings are a very grown up way to still enjoy Halloween with style. You could also have a theme for your party, such as Wizard of Oz, and invite each guest to come as their favorite character. There’s a brand new line of costumes from the land of Oz this year, including a Flying Monkey Costume that is very scary looking.

Halloween Cocktail Party – If you don’t want to do a formal dinner or a big blow out costume party, why not have a cocktail party? If you aren’t interested in getting dressed up and going out to a huge bash, you can make some festive treats and drinks and spend. Schedule your party as the first event of the evening for guests that do. Come up with a fun signature drink that you can make up in a batch before the party. Don’t forget to test it out before serving!

Halloween Tea – A Halloween afternoon tea is perfect if you are looking for something a little more on the formal side. Use black tablecloths, candelabras with black or orange candles, spider webs and dead flowers as the centerpiece. Serve some Halloween themed food items such as pumpkin cookies, or cupcakes, witches finger sandwiches, etc. For a striking table, order all black plates and napkins to create a very Gothic mood.

Halloween Scrap Booking Party – Purchase Halloween themed scrapbooking supplies and invite your crafty friends over for a crop. This is a great way to have a low key get together, and accomplish something at the same time. This party is great for both experienced scrapbookers as well as friends who are new to the idea. You can ask guests to bring their potluck supplies and you provide the Halloween themed goods. Bring out some treats and wine, and you’ve got yourself a fun crop party!

Seance – This is great for an older teen sleepover or an adult dinner party. Decorate with lots of candles and set up a spooky graveyard scene with Styrofoam tombstones. A Ouija board should definitely make an appearance at this party. Keep the focus lighthearted by only calling on the famously dearly departed such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Elvis etc. Super spooky or fall off your chair hilarious, it all depends on the group of people (and how many bottles of wine are involved).

Ensure the success of your party with a little bit of advance thought and preparation. Determine the type of friends to invite and what works best for that group. A Halloween Afternoon Tea Party is a fun mother daughter event. Dinner parties are perfect for a smaller group of friends, and you can focus on pampering them with amazing handmade invitations and menu creations. Cocktail parties are ideal in big cities where your guests may have several social events to attend. Pick what works best for you. Most importantly, determine your costume and order it right now online. Visit the Monkey Costume site to see the Flying Monkey Costume or thousands of other costume choices. Happy Halloween!

Halloween is almost here! Watch some scary movies for inspiration. Here you’ll find some clever ideas that are cost effective and simple to do for your Halloween decorating. You can choose a specific theme to decorate around, such as Gothic or Nightmare Before Christmas, or just use Halloween touches throughout your space. Sometimes all it takes is a few pumpkins and spiderwebs here and there to create a festive environment

Dark and Lovely Gothic – A simple, chic way to create a Gothic look is by using a few key pieces such black tablecloths, some dead flowers in a vase, candelabras with wax drippings and black ravens perched on light fixtures or hung frames. Read your favorite family and decorating magazines for more tips and ideas on Gothic style decorating. You can pick up lots of items at a thrift store that will enhance your theme. Be on the lookout for things like black sheets and tablecloths, vases, candelabras and even Halloween decorations.

Spooky Graveyard – For a great entrance, create a spooky graveyard scene to greet your guests as they arrive. a fog machine, coffin and headstones are all you need to create a very spooky scene. You can make your own gravestones with Styrofoam and spray paint from a craft store. Having a stuffed body or ghost from a tree limb will add to the scary effect.

Thrift Store Delights – Head to a thrift store in October for lots of great deals on spooky finds. Black sheets, candelabras, and assorted items can be spray painted black to give it a spooky look. Many thrift stores have a wide range of Halloween props and decorations for your home. If you are short on storage space, just donate everything back to the thrift store after Halloween!

Disney’s Nightmare Before Christmas – The Nightmare Before Christmas is a popular theme for Halloween, and it works well for children and adults. You could also expand the theme to encompass Disney in general, and invite guests to come as their favorite Disney character. This concept is perfect for couples as there are many famous Disney couples to portray. Mickey & Minnie Mouse Costume, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, and of course Jack Skellington and Sally.

Use these tips as inspiration to get your own creative ideas flowing. Most importantly, don’t forget to plan your Halloween costume. You can order a Mouse Costume, Minnie Mouse Costume or choose from thousands of other costumes and party supplies online, but do it soon. Halloween is only days away!

If you are planning to attend a Halloween party this year, think about coordinating costumes with your significant other, office mates or even siblings. It’s much more fun to get dressed up when you have a theme, allowing you to play off of each other. Plan to arrive at the party at the same time to make a great group entrance. Here are some fun monkey costume ideas to get your creativity started:

Wizard of Oz – Flying Monkey & The Wicked Witch of the West – This is one of my favorite ideas for this year because the flying monkey costume is brand new for 2009. I’m really excited that the flying monkey costume is now available, as I’m a big Wizard of Oz fan! This idea easily expands to a group, using other favorite characters from the movie, including Dorothy, The Tin Man, Glenda the Good Witch, or your favorite character.

Michael Jackson and his Pet Monkey Bubbles – There is a lot of interest in Michael Jackson Costumes this year due to his passing earlier this year. You can turn that into a couples costume by adding Bubbles, his pet monkey. You could also dress up in two different Michael Jackson costumes. If you have a group you can go as the Jackson Five.

Monkey See and Monkey Do – A cute idea for a pair of kids. Use two identical kids Monkey Costume sets and make 2 signs for them to wear-one is Monkey See and the other sign should say Monkey Do. Your kids will have a great time hamming it up.

Barrel of Monkeys – A lot of fun for a group. The more monkeys the better, so any size group can be accomodated with this idea. Put the “adult” of the group into the “Barrel of Monkeys” costume, surrounded by everyone else in various monkey costumes. An Infant Monkey Costume with a cute little monkey tail is my favorite. This costume idea really brings a group together for a barrel of laughs all night long. Accessorize with some fun inflatable bananas!

Go with one of these ideas or use them to get your creativity started. If you are crafty you can take a stab at making your own costumes, or you can purchase them online. Either way you’ll have a barrel of fun this Halloween!