Halloween is not the same without a pumpkin just like Christmas is not the same without the tree. You can buy a carved one but if you want to do it yourself, here is how you do it.

You first have to go to the supermarket and get a pumpkin. You can make this a family activity with your kids by letting them choose it. Once this is brought home, both of you can decide what kind of face the pumpkin will have.  It can be happy, angry or something funny that your neighbors will find entertaining.

With a pen, they can outline the face so once everything inside the pumpkin is removed, you can easily cut holes for the eyes, nose and mouth.

But before you do that, put the pumpkin on a flat surface that is already covered with newspaper. Get a long serrated knife and then cut out a circle around the stem of the pumpkin and place this on top of the newspaper.

With the pumpkin open, it will be easy for you and your kids to put your hands inside and get the contents out. Since these are still edible put them in a container so you can use this later on to make a salad or a pumpkin pie. There will probably be a few things left inside so use a large spoon to get the remaining stuff.

Don’t forget to clean the lid of the pumpkin too. You should also put holes here so heat can escape when you this is placed back on top with a candle inside.

Now it is time to cut the marked areas for the face of the pumpkin. For this, you will once again use the serrated knife by cutting around the edges so you can easily push this out with your hand. After you done this, put a candle inside or a small electric light so people will be able to see your wonderful creation at night.

If you decide to use a candle, monitor it regularly since the wind could blow out the light. If you don’t want to do this, choose a small electric light instead since the light will only go out when you switch it off or unplug this from the socket.

Your experience in carving one pumpkin will make it easier to make a few more so you can put one outside and maybe a couple of them indoors. Since an open pumpkin does not that long, you have to prepare these the night before.

But there are ways to preserve the pumpkin so this will not rot overnight. Your first option will be to place it inside a bathtub of cold water and pouring in some picking powder which keeps keep the pumpkin from drying out and fresh. You can also preserve this by putting it inside the refrigerator when it is not being displayed.

Halloween happens once a year so a lot of people make the most of it by decorating the house and preparing the decorations. Some people recycle what they used last year while others buy new ones and one of them is the pumpkin. For the family to be able to help out in carving the pumpkin, the first thing you have to do is get it from the grocery, cut it open using a serrated knife, taking the contents out and then putting a candle or small light.

Now, have you purchased your Halloween costums yet? Well if you hurry on over to the Halloween Costums SuperStore you will probably just sneak in on time. They have the largest variety and selection of Halloween costumes online with thousands to choose from, but time is running out so hurry.

Have you ever thought about what makes Halloween so much fun? Are you jealous of the little ones because they get to have such a great time while all the adults are supposed to do is answer the door all night long?

Well, that is no longer the case. Halloween is no longer just for the kiddies. Halloween is a time for the grown-ups to have a howling good time as well, and one of the coolest ways to do that is to become a kid again. What better night is there for that than Halloween?

One of the greatest tools we adults have for making our own Halloween fun for our October celebration is the computer. If you are planning a Halloween party this year, why not make it a return-to-childhood Halloween theme? The computer offers all kinds of freebies that can make your Halloween childishly fantastic – from printable Halloween masks to coloring pages to great costume ideas to tips for decorating your house.

Before the big event, send out your invitations and make sure everyone knows you will be doing childlike things again as a part of this year’s Halloween fun. Here are things you can do:

Go online and get some printable Halloween masks. Give one to each party guest and have him or her color them in (if you choose the kind that need to be colored) and put them in a big box and let people pick their favorite to wear.

Or go online and get printable Halloween masks that don’t need to be colored in. Simply print them and follow the directions for applying some elastic and cutting out eyeholes. Then, as each person is greeted at your door, he hides his identity behind one of the printable Halloween masks. Everyone gets to be someone else for the night, and trust me, that’s one of the most fun things about Halloween.

You could even turn it into a guessing game if you like. The guests are required to arrive in costume – minus the mask. Then, each one gets one of the printable Halloween masks as they enter. The only one who knows who is who is the host; all the others have to guess who is behind the mask simply by observing the costume and the mannerisms of the hidden person.

Another option for a way to use printable Halloween masks is to tell everyone who is coming that they must arrive wearing a printable Halloween mask that they got off the Internet. That way, there is a little continuity and a theme is produced – the printable Halloween masks party.

When planning your adult get-together this Halloween, it can be so much fun and way cheap if you incorporate the use of your computer and use printable Halloween masks.

If you would prefer your mask ready-made you will find a great selection here in the Halloween Costume SuperStore. They also have the largest online selection of Halloween costums for you to choose from

Who says Halloween is just for kids? Halloween is, of course, a time for trick-or-treating, and mom and dad certainly can’t go out begging in the streets for candy, but the holiday can also be a great time for some adult fun.

If you are planning a Halloween party for grown-ups, you will want to have some adult Halloween games on hand. It is all part of the fun.

Some great adult Halloween games include:

About the Town – This is a scavenger hunt. All you need to do is create a list of Halloween-related items, pass out the list to each team, and send them on their way to collect the items. Some great objects to put on the list include:

A Hangman’s noose
A black veil
An obituary

You get the idea. Just include items that have to do with being scared, ghosts, Halloween, or whatever.

You might try a variation on the hunt, too. One great one is to make the hunt a video scavenger hunt. Each team goes off with video camera in hand (or cell phone with a camera or whatever) and films the items rather than actually bringing the items back with them. This is really cool because you can make the list of items include really big stuff and potentially scary things like tombstones. For a further variation, you can have the list be only things like: Superman, a clown, a pirate, a fairy princess, a werewolf, a vampire, and so on. That would mean the adult Halloween games would include the kids via taking video of trick-or-treaters who are all dressed up.

Halloween Fortune Telling – In this game, your guests put their knowledge of one another to the test and get to know each other better.

Simply hand out slips of paper and a pencil to each guest. Each person then chooses a person at the party (maybe even himself or herself), but doesn’t tell anyone who it is. Then, everyone write a “fortune” for that person, folds it, and puts it into the fishbowl. You can have everyone write one or several; that’s up to you.

Then, each guest pulls out a slip of paper and reads the fortune. He then tries to guess which person wrote the fortune and which person the fortune is about.

Some examples of fortunes might be:

“This person will get caught doing something illegal and spend the night in jail.”
“This person will marry someone from a foreign country.”
”This person will quit his job and buy a Corvette when he turns fifty.”
“This person will adopt a child.”
“This person will become President of the PTA.”

You get the idea. Each person who correctly guesses wins a small prize, and this game is a delightful way to get conversations started at your Halloween bash.

A really cool variation of this game is to have each guest put their name on a piece of paper and drop into the bowl. Then have each guest draw a name from the bowl and have the one who drew the name make up a scary story about the name drawn. Then have the other guest guess who the scary story is about.

As you can see adult games can be a lot of fun and the types of games can be endless. It just takes a little planning to come up with adult Halloween games.

Now, to make this a memorable Halloween weekend don’t forget the most important part, your Halloween costums. To complete that Halloween event or party and make it one that you will never forget you really need a unique and stand out costume, and you are bound to find exactly what you are looking for here in the Halloween Costums SuperStore because they have thousands of costumes to choose from, in fact, the largest variety and selection of Halloween costumes online. You will have to hurry though as there isn’t much time left.

If your kid’s Halloween costums are ready the only thing they need now is a trick or treat bag. While you can buy this from the store, you can save money and be creative at the same time if you are able to make this on your own.

The first thing you have to do is look for an old shopping bag. This should be able to carry a lot of candy and should not break because of the weight. Ideally, this should be color orange as this is often associated with Halloween.

Since your kid can’t go around with a gift bag featuring the logo of the department store, it is time to decorate the trick or treat bag. For that, look at some templates online and then print it out.

Now trace the picture onto tracing paper using a pencil and then cut it out. Tape the cutout onto a sheet of black construction paper and center this in the middle of the bag. Push the construction paper down so it will stick well on the trick or treat bag and all air bubbles have been removed.

There are some designs that you can get that will require more than just pressing it on the bag. You may have to iron it into the fabric similar to what is done to a shirt that has no distinctive markings. When you do it, make sure there is a cardboard placed in between the two sides so the colors do not bleed from one side to the other.

You can also create a trick or treat bag by drawing the design and then pasting it. Some examples which are popular include the ghost, skill or pumpkin. You then cut it and then repeat the same procedures as the one mentioned before.

To make the trick or treat bag more decorative, add some Halloween stickers or sprinkle some glitters after mixing this with some glue. You can also use this to write their name so no one will get it by mistake.

Another way to make a treat or trick bag is to buy some fabric from the store and then sew it together. Since there is sure to be leftover material, use this to create handles and then label it using some thread or with craft paint sticks.

Before you let your kid walk out the door with it, test it to make sure that it won’t suddenly burst open once it becomes too heavy. You can do this by putting candy and then leaving it for an hour or so since this is about the same time that your child will be out. If nothing happens, then it can withstand the weight even if your kid is walking with this from house to house.

You don’t have to pay much for a trick or treat bag when you can make it at home. One of the benefits of doing it is to reduce the chance that someone in the neighborhood will have something similar to what your kid has.

When Halloween is all over, you can keep it and then use this again for next Halloween. But if your child wants something different, that is perfectly because they will most likely wear different Halloween costums next year and the trick or treat bag should always match the outfit.

It’s Halloween Costums Season! Watch some scary movies for inspiration. Here are several unique Halloween decorating ideas that are inexpensive and easy to do. You can choose a specific theme to decorate around, such as Gothic or Nightmare Before Christmas, or just use Halloween touches throughout your space. A few pumpkins on the porch and some spiderwebs in the living room are an easy, cost effective way to set the right mood

Gothic Chic - A Gothic look is easily achieved with a few simple pieces such as a black tablecloth, old candelabra with wax drippings, and a stuff black raven perched here and there on artwork and hung mirrors. Martha Stewart magazines or the website is a great resource for lots of Gothic decorating ideas. You can find all sorts of fun things at a thrift store for cheap. Look for black sheets, candelabras, and other items that inspire you.

Graveyard Scene - A graveyard set up in your front yard sets a great tone to your party as guests arrive. Make Styrofoam headstones, a cardboard coffin and a fog machine if you can get your hands on one. You can make your own gravestones with Styrofoam and spray paint from a craft store. You could also hang a stuffed body from a tree to add to the spooky effect.

Thrift Store Bargains - Head to your local thrift store to pick up lots of decorations on the cheap. 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 don’t want to store the items after the holiday, you can just donate back to the store!

Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas - The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite themes for Halloween. If you feel the characters are too limited, you could expand the concept and encourage your guests to come as their favorite Disney character. This idea works great for couples too, as there are lots of fun Disney couples to dress up as. Mickey & Minnie Mouse Costume, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, and of course Jack Skellington and Sally.

Use these ideas to spark your own imagination. Don’t forget the most important part, your Halloween costums. There isn’t much time left, so order your Mouse Costume, Minnie Mouse Costume or choose from thousands of others at the largest online Halloween store. Halloween’s coming, so be ready!

Aside from offering prayers to their loved ones, many people celebrate the Halloween season through parties! This is the time of the year that people enjoy scaring and being scared through Halloween costums and other decorations that fit the Halloween theme. Come Halloween season, some of the things that people look forward to are Halloween costumes, prepared foods, Halloween gifts and treats, and the games during the party.

Indeed, what good is a Halloween party if there are no games for the kids? Compared to adults, teenagers and the younger ones enjoy the thrill and feel of the Halloween not only because of the costume for the games as well. Why? Because these kids look forward to playing Halloween games, winning them, and bringing home lots of Halloween-themed goodies.

All night fun!

Some adults may deny it but everyone enjoys Halloween games? And why not? Aside from the thrill and excitement, people playing these games will definitely have one of the funniest days of their lives. For those who are planning to organize a Halloween party, they should be thinking of Halloween games as early as now. This is because it is one of those things that will ensure that success of party.

Aside from the costumes, the foods, the venue, and the decoration, people who are planning to hold or organize a Halloween party should be very well prepared to Halloween games because many people—regardless of age and gender—will be looking forward to these.

If you don’t have the time to make your own craft for the Halloween games, you can buy ready-made one in bookstores and specialty stores. But if you do, you can come up with variations—in terms of crafts—which will make your party the most popular “Halloween party of the Year”!

The following are just some of the popular Halloween games for the season, it is up to you to make variations for the props and in the mechanics of the games as well.

1. “Halloween Who Am I?” This is a simple and fun game suitable for everyone. For this game, you will be needing names or photos of various items, pieces of paper, pins, and your limitless imagination! In this game, the guests are asked to find out what or who they are by asking other guests in the party simple “yes” or “no” questions. Once a guest arrives, he or she will be pasted with a tag on his or her back and will asked to guess what the paper says before the party ends. When they answer correctly, a prize is waiting for them to bring home!

2. The “Spooky Walk”. This game is “musical chairs” type of game less the pushing and running around. Here, you will be needing picture cut outs, supplies for crafts, and music which can be spooky or fun. This game—which involves funny graphics, spooky walking and music—will be a surefire hit to all attendees. The good thing about this Halloween game is that you can play it as many times as you would want to. And since it involves movements, sights, and sounds, it will also save you and your guests from getting bored or from getting sleeping during wee hours of the night.

3. The “Pumpkin Bowling”. This is probably one of the funniest Halloween games there are because it involves messy and funny antics as the participants run and roll the pumpkins everywhere. Here, you will be needing small pumpkins, empty clear soda bottles, white spray paint, black marker, and a bag of pebbles that will be placed inside of each bottle.

Halloween happens once a year and this is the only time that you can get away with a few snacks that may sound gross but are great to fill anyone’s stomach. Here are a few examples.

1. The first is the Bat Sandwich. You will need some sharp cheddar cheese, soft chive and onion flavored cream cheese, drained diced pimiento, chopped toasted pecans and bread slices. After you mix the ingredients mentioned, put the spread onto one side of the bread and then put another one on top. Cut this to shape like a bat and then serve.

2. Something light you can also serve is Goblin’s Taco Chicken salad. You will need skinless chicken breasts, tomato based salsa, salad greens, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, green olives and sour cream.

Cut the chicken breasts into small strips. When you are finished, cook this with salsa at medium high for ten minutes until the chicken is cooked. Mix this with greens and cheese in a large bowl then add any remaining salsa together with the dressing. You can also put in tortilla chips and sour cream which helps make it crunchy.

3. Next is Brain Cell Delight. For this, you will need some jello, cottage cheese and blueberry soup. One you mix the jello with water, put this in a bowl and then let if chill in the refrigerator. Mix blueberry syrup with cottage cheese until it is well blended. To give it a graying color, add some food coloring. Now take out the jello, cut a slice so you can put this on the place then add the blended mixture.

4. Ever eaten a hotdog that was also a pizza? Well you can when you make the Halloween Mummy Dog. For this snack, you will need some pizza dough rolls, mozzarella cheese, non-stick spray, pizza sauce, assorted vegetables and hotdogs.

5. Halloween is not the same without the pumpkin. If you carved one, you can use the contents to make Pumpkin Pie. Aside from the pumpkin, you will also need sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground ginger, slat, eggs and evaporated milk.

Cook the contents of the pumpkin pie and then let it cool. Then get the rest of the ingredients and mix this all together before putting this into the pie bowl as this will form the pie’s crust. After heating this in the oven, it will harden. Now pour in the pumpkin filling and cover it up with the remainder of the crust on top and leave put into the oven for 45 minutes. When it’s finished, cool the pie in a rack and refrigerate.

6. One game that people get to play during Halloween is apple bobbing. Instead of playing with food, you can enjoy it by making Apples on Stick. After you rinse the apples and pat it dry, you remove the apple stem and insert a popsicle stick. Roll this in peanut butter then raisins, dried cranberries and shredded coconut then serve.

Guests who come over will enjoy the different Halloween snacks you prepared. What is even better is that these are all easy to make so the kitchen will not be that messy. So people will know what these snacks are, don’t forget to write the names of each one on a small card so if they really like it, you can give them the recipe.

Now it’s time to go get your Halloween costums and have a fun and happy Halloween.

For most trick-or-treaters the house that has their porch light out on Halloween is not a fun thing. It’s important for children to understand the meaning of lights out, thereby, bringing about respect for the people who choose not to give out treats or celebrate the festivities.

Possible reasons people do not choose to meet trick-or-treaters at the door.

Economy: In 2009, thousands of people have lost their jobs. People will more than likely be looking for an alternative for their children and to giving out candy. Out of your own experience, you may fully understand this and can explain to your child that the cutbacks may have dictated the amount of dark houses they may find this year.

Harvest or Fall Parties: Over the years, people have turned to having neighborhood parties. Parents form together and have a get together for the neighboring children. This is becoming popular for a lot of reasons. Sometimes these are held in back yards, churches and some are even held at pizza shops or restaurants that host parties. These neighborhoods may have a lot of dark houses.

Religious Beliefs: There are people who choose not to participate in Halloween at all. You may find that their porch lights are off and yet their inside lights are on. A porch light that is off is an indicator to those doing the trick or treating that particular house will not be participating.

Elderly: Oftentimes elderly people just don’t have the money or the time to participate in Halloween trick or treating activities. Sometimes their supper is at 4:00 and bedtime shortly after. Considering that they may have done trick or treating for years, possibly through their children and grandchildren, they may just be tired of it too. On the other hand some of the housing units catering to the elderly do like to participate. You will find these lights on and they are waiting for you. Some do not and their wishes need to be respected.

Many neighborhoods, townships and cities normally set their own trick-or-treat hours. Check your local newspaper or radio station to get your times. Daylight is obviously the best time for safety. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t have their porch lights on at that time. Be prepared for that as well.

Before dusk, you can often tell houses that are participating in trick or treating by the window decorations or the pumpkins that line the walkways or porches. Being respectful at Halloween is important. Inform your children of the dos and don’ts in order to make the night rewarding to everyone.

Halloween is not just about wearing scary Halloween costums. You will also have to decorate your house and instead of buying these from the store, you can make some of these on your own. Here are a few of them. Thanks to Paparutzi for the photo

1. You might think that ketchup is the only thing around to make fake blood but you are wrong. You can also make some using a cup of corn syrup, a tablespoon of water, 2 tablespoons of red food coloring and tablespoon of yellow food coloring. Once you mix this all together, you will realize that it looks more realistic than ketchup.

2. If you want to make people think that there are wild animals in the bushes, you will need a string of Christmas lights and some 35mm film canisters. With the canisters facing you, drill two holes on each one so you can create the eyes. Now put the string of Christmas lights so that the light will come out of each hole. To make it stay in place, put a piece of tape over it.

Should you be using white lights, cut a small piece of red cellophane wrap and put this over the lights to create the impression that there are wolves behind the bushes.

3. In order to create tombstones, you will need some Styrofoam, a can or two of grey sprain paint and a marker. Cut the Styrofoam to the desired size and height, spray it over using the spray paint and then write down the name of the person on the gravestone. When you are finished, plant these on your porch.

4. To create some home made bats, you will again need some foam. Another option will be to use construction paper. When you have the materials, cut them out in the shape of bat. Paint these black and then stick this to you ceiling or plaster this on your window.

5. If you have a chandelier inside your home, go to the forest and see if you can pick up a few dead branches. When you bring them home, try to put these around your chandelier.

6. You can also create some Halloween décor using some old glass jars. Put in some plastic insects and body parts and then mix this up with food coloring and water. To make it look more authentic, put in ragged gauze or a waxed string then put this on the dining table.

7. Spiking the punch bowl is probably something you did back in college but for Halloween, people will surely laugh when they see a hand inside. For this, you will need a plastic glove and some ice. Put the ice inside the glove then close it so the ice will not go out and the glove will be able to float in the bowl.

8. Halloween is not the same without a pumpkin. You can’t make this so you have to buy one from the store. You can take out the contents inside then put a candle or just buy the already carved one and place this in front of your house.

There are other Halloween decorating ideas you can do inside and outside your home. All you need to do is browse for a few ideas online and then follow the instructions.

Instead of Halloween costums, let’s talk about pumpkin seeds and yummy snacks this time. Before you throw away those pumpkin seeds you carve out of your Jack-O-Lantern this year, think twice!! There is good dietary benefit in those seeds, not to mention a yummy snack that even the kids will love. Here’s how to prepare and cook your pumpkin seeds.

Prepping the Seeds

First, after you have scooped your pumpkin, put the seeds in a glass bowl. Next, separate the seeds from all the stringing pumpkin meat. You’ll need to do this fairly quickly because once you’ve let them sit and they’ve gotten too dry, they will be harder to clean.

Using a cold-water rinse, finish taking off what is left of the stringy meat (there will be some little bits left more than likely) off the seeds. Place a strainer in the sink so you don’t lose all that pumpkin goop in your sink drain.

Once your pumpkin seeds are completely clean, put them on a waxed paper cookie sheet to dry. You’ll leave them to dry overnight. Sorry, you can’t eat them until tomorrow.

Optional: If you like your seeds salty, you may want to let them sit in a bowl of salt water overnight. Be careful though and don’t over salt the water. Remove from bowl of water and dry as stated above.

Now that your pumpkin seeds are prepared, let’s get to the actual cooking of them. Here are both a microwave and oven baked recipe for you to choose from. Note: Preparation is the same for both of the following recipes.

Microwave Pumpkin Seed Recipe

Place salted butter in a microwavable rectangular baking dish and heat for about 30 seconds. Place seeds into pan and toss through the melted butter. Spread the seeds out evenly into one layer on the bottom of the dish. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until seeds are a light golden color. Make sure you stir the seeds every couple of minutes while in the microwave to prevent burning.

Oven Baked Pumpkin Seed Recipe

Spray your seeds with butter spray. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch for them to be lightly brown. When they are done, take them out and season with your favorite seasonings. Some popular seasonings include salt and garlic. Let them completely cool before enjoying.

Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are not the only seeds that can be eaten this way. The seeds from butternut and acorn squash can also be cooked just like pumpkin seeds. Give them a try too.

Leftover Storage

You can store any leftovers of your pumpkin seeds in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months. If you choose to refrigerate them, they will last for about a year in an air tight container.

Baked pumpkin seeds provide a great source of dietary fiber along with a nutty flavor. So, instead of popping that bag of popcorn tonight, grab your favorite Halloween movie, sit back with your toasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy.