Extreme Halloween Donates 3,101 Meals to Needy Families in South Florida

Right before the Thanksgiving weekend, Extreme Halloween Network announced a Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. Many shoppers took advantage of the sales, and Extreme Halloween Network was able to raise over $500 for the Daily Bread Food Bank, which equals to approximately 3,101 meals to needy families in South Florida.

A big thanks to all the shoppers that participated in the event!

10 Things to Do with All that Halloween Candy

According to an article at parenthood.com, here are 10 things to do with all that Halloween candy:

Every family has its own methods of getting through the post-Halloween mounds of joy. Some let their kids gorge themselves for a day or two. Others dole it out a little at a time. Some parents even ban the candy bars altogether. For some nutritionists (and dentists!), Halloween candy is downright scary.

Whatever candy camp your family falls in –– there’s more to do with candy than eat it. If your Halloween candy is still sticking around, check out these ideas of what to do with leftovers:

1. Recycle it. Practice instant recycling. Screen the candy your kids bring home. After throwing away any unwrapped goodies, take out any candy your children don’t like or you don’t want them to have and then send that candy back out the door with other trick-or-treaters.

2. Freeze it. Put the chocolate bars right in the freezer to save them for later. Frozen chocolate takes longer to eat, so children can’t wolf it down so quickly.

3. Bake it. You don’t have to freeze the candy to keep it fresh. Kept in an airtight container, it will last long after Halloween. Later, you can bake surprise cupcakes. Push a soft candy into the middle of the batter in each cup before baking. Decorate the icing with more candies. You can also substitute bits of chocolate bars in your favorite chocolate-chip cookie recipe.

4. Melt it. Save chocolate to bring a taste of summer into your home long after you’ve put away the sunscreen. Melt chocolate for s’mores any time of year. Place a chocolate bar and a marshmallow between two graham crackers on top of a paper towel. Microwave for about 20 seconds.

5. Stuff it. Gather the leftover goodies and stuff them into a (homemade or store-bought) piñata. Crack the piñata open at Christmas or wait until your child’s birthday.

6. Create it. Professional artists create sculptures from candy, why not kids? Make mosaics with hard candy. Cover sturdy cardboard with wax paper, aluminum foil or paper. Then instead of tiles, use candy to create a design and “grout” it with stiff icing. To make sculptures, stick soft candy, apples and marshmallows together with toothpicks.

7. House it. After Halloween, kids can’t wait for Christmas. Save Halloween candy for gingerbread houses.

8. Wear it. Make a candy necklace. You’ll need an assortment of lollipops and colorful candies with twist-wrap ends to make this idea from the National Confectioners Association. Cut a 14-inch strand of thin twine or fabric ribbon. Tie one end of a wrapper of candy or lollipop stick tightly to one end of ribbon or twine (leave about two inches of ribbon free for tying at the end). Attach candy by knotting the ribbon around the wrapper ends or lollipop sticks until the necklace is complete. Leave two inches at the end. Tie the ends together and wear the latest in edible jewelry!

9. Decorate it. Create Christmas ornaments from candy. To make a train, take a long pack of gum and glue on round candy for wheels, a square piece for a smokestack, and something round for the bell on top. Attach a loop of gold thread or ribbon for hanging. Look at simple geometric illustrations (such as are in coloring books) for other ideas. Coat your ornament with an acrylic sealer so it won’t deteriorate and you don’t draw bugs.

10. Share it. Take your leftover candy to the office. Even if your co-workers who are parents are sick of the stuff, chances are your younger colleagues will relish childhood memories as they reach for another Mary Jane or Butterfinger. Or better yet, fill a coffee can with candy and bring it to your local nursing home, homeless shelter or a charity for the staff to enjoy. Add a note that says, “Thanks for all the good work you do.”

Take a Break from Online Holiday Shopping with a Free Christmas Game

Don't let online holiday shopping stress you out! Go to SantaSuits.com and check out their wacky holiday game, Santa Dress Up. The free online Christmas game lets players dress up old St. Nick as wacky characters for the holidays with such styles as "Sumo Santa", "Elvis Claus", "Super Santa" and more. Just drag and drop a variety of shirts, pants, shoes, hair and accessories onto Father Christmas to create a unique Santa of your own on this fun holiday site.

"Everyone gets so stressed and wacky during the holidays that we wanted to create a free online Christmas game to let people have fun with our holiday site," said Shari McConahay, marketing director for SantaSuits.com and the Extreme Halloween network. "We hope our customers have so much fun playing "Santa Dress Up" that they'll want to dress up as Santa this year themselves!"

If you're inspired to dress up like Santa Claus yourself, go to SantaSuits.com and select a santa suit of your choice.

Christmas Celebrations 2007

This fun website on Christmas Celebrations is just for those of you who love Christmas and the favorite customs that are honored, year after year. They have all kinds of fun stuff and goodies to help you make some very merry memories, including articles on office Christmas parties, history of Christmas cards, Christmas party activities and more. There’s even an article on regifting etiquette!

And if you’re having your own Christmas celebration, don’t forget to have Santa make a guest appearance! Check out a full selection of Santa suits at www.santasuits.com.

Spread Goodwill and Charity by Shopping on the Extreme Halloween Network

From November 23 - 26, shoppers on the Extreme Halloween Network can buy anything from unique kids costumes to Santa Claus suits, and a portion of the sales will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Can you think of a better way to give back to the community?

"It's important to everyone at Extreme Halloween to give to those less fortunate," said Shari McConahay, marketing director of the Extreme Halloween network. "We hope when customers are thinking about purchasing their unique kid costumes, Santa Claus costumes and other holiday dress-up items they'll think of visiting Extreme Halloween, knowing that a percentage of their purchase will go to such a good cause."

Last month as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Extreme Halloween Network raised more than $1,500 for Susan G Komen Foundation with our "Think Pink" costume promotion. So mark your calendars and help Extreme Halloween meet or beat that amount during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.

After Halloween Sale Extended!

Our After Halloween Sale has been extended until November 21, 2007, so while you are getting ready for Thanksgiving, you can take advantage of the sale before the Christmas holiday shopping rush that ensues the day after Thanksgiving!

Here are some ideas:

• The obvious: SAVE BIG on next year's Halloween costumes, accessories and decorations.
• Increase your Thanksgiving celebration by having dinner in costume! Make a fun new tradition out of it: reinact the Pilgrims and Native American Indians Feast or maybe just some silly Turkey Hats for some holiday fun!
• Get a jump start on the holiday with our Santa Suits and holiday costumes.
• Pick our some early holiday gifts: many children ask Santa to be a princess or a super hero for Christmas (HINT HINT!!)
• Magic makes a great holiday gift whether the recipient is a novice magician just starting out or a seasoned professional, Wizards Apprentice Magic has magicians supplies for any age or level magician.

Digital Picture Contests for Best Santas

SantaSuits.com is sponsoring digital picture contests for the best adult Santa suits, funniest Santa suits and even the best pet Santa.

Categories for the digital picture contests include "Santa of the Year," "Most Original Santa," "Funniest Santa," "Jr. Santa," and "Pet Santa." The Grand prize "Santa of the Year" winner receives $500 in Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificates that can be used at any of the networks 11 websites.

For more information on SantaSuit.com's digital photo contests, visit http://santasuits.com/entryform.htm for official rules and entry information.

After Halloween Costume Sale!

Our biggest sale of the year! 20% OFF

After Halloween Sale Details

Featured Baby Costumes on Sale

Featured Boy's Costumes on Sale

Featured Girl's Costumes on Sale

Featured Women's Costumes on Sale

Featured Men's Costumes on Sale

What to do with all that Halloween Candy??

So Halloween night is over and your sugar rush is still on high speed! Here's an awesome idea for using up some of your Halloween candy and still keeping the Halloween spirit and celebration going strong:

Make a chocolate and candy Haunted House centerpiece for your Halloween party this weekend!

• Chocolate Hershey bars made great walls and roof.



• Nonpareils make great shingles on your roof.



• Line up a Candy Corn fence



• Jelly Beans create a stone pathway effect.



• "Fun Size" candy bars like Snickers and Baby Ruth make great coffins in the graveyard.



• Orange slices can be the headstones.



• Pumpkin and Ghost Marshmallow Peeps and gummy worms are a haunted addition to the graveyard.



• Mix and match from whatever candy you have leftover- be creative and have fun!
  

For more details, see the full recipe and instructions on the FoodNetwork.com

Clinton vs. Giuliani, Halloween Matchup

In a fun article on Halloween costumes, Americans were polled on the leading presidential candidates:

The Associated Press and Ipsos asked Americans to pick which candidates would make the scariest Halloween costumes. Naturally, frontrunners Senator Hillary Clinton and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani won in their respective political parties (there were separate polls for the two parties). Clinton led Democrats with 37% while Giuliani had 14%, and no other candidates broke 6%, giving them resounding wins. And we found this interesting: "While a predictable two-thirds of Republicans picked [Clinton], she also was the choice of 18 percent of Democrats. Among members of her own party, that made her second only to Giuliani as the scariest costume."

Take the poll yourself here.

Moviefone's Best Horror Movies Countdown

Picture from www.best-horror-movies.com

The Movie Fone Website has been running a countdown all October of the 31 scariest movies of all time. Their #1 was just announced yesterday and here is a countdown of their top 10 scariest horror movies of all time:

10. 28 Days Later (2002)
9. The Haunting (1963)
8. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
7. The Thing (1982)
6. The Sixth Sense (1999)
5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
4. The Shining (1980)
3. Psycho (1960)
2. The Exorcist (1973)

and the #1 Best Horror Movie of all Time:

1. Halloween (1978)
Oft-emulated but never equaled, John Carpenter's moody masterpiece is as terrifying today as it was 29 years ago. Vacant-eyed Michael Myers is soulless evil personified, the score bone-chilling, the cinematography eerily sublime and the overall impression unshakeable. Put simply, it is horror perfection.

See MovieFone's entire list of the Best Horror Movies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We wish you a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

From our Extreme Halloween Family to yours, a SAFE and Very Happy Halloween!

Vincent Price Inducted into the Halloween Hall of Fame

That's right folks, Vincent Price has been inducted into the Halloween Hall of Fame this week. The Halloween Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to honoring people who have contributed to the popularity and the history behind Halloween, Halloween costuming and other related fields. After the board selects a group of nominees, they open it up to the public to select who gets to be in the Halloween Hall of Fame. This year, Vincent Price was the 2007 winner with 58.8% of the votes, beating the other nominees by a landslide.

Next year's list of nominees include Halloween greats such as:

• Jamie Lee Curtis - Curtis' film debut was in the classic 1978 horror film Halloween, playing the role of Laurie Strode. Curtis was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her the title of a "scream queen".


• Ed Wood - Wood is known as the "worst director of all time." He went down in Halloween history with recognition in the Michael Medved book The Golden Turkey Awards.


• Mary Shelley - Shelley wrote the novel "Frankenstein".


• Rick Baker - Baker was the very first recipient of the Oscar for Best Make-Up for "An American Werewolf in London" in 1981.


• Wes Craven - Craven has secured a place in Halloween history as the "king of horror." The director and writer is best known as the creator of many horror films.


• Tim Burton - Burton is an Academy Award-nominated film director, writer and designer known for the quirky and gothic atmosphere of his films.


• Sam Rami - Raimi came onto the radar of film fans with his low-budget, dark humor horror film The Evil Dead (1981), and has since entertained horror audiences with subsequent Evil Dead movies.


• Vlad III The Impaler - Vlad was a Romanian ruler best known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign and for serving as the primary inspiration for the vampire main character in Bram Stoker's popular Dracula novel.


• Fred Gwynne - Gwynne is best known in Halloween history for his character in "The Munsters" (1964) as the Frankenstein-like patriarch Herman Munster.


• John Carpenter - Carpenter is considered one of the most accomplished and influential horror and science fiction directors in Hollywood. Some of the classic and most famous horror films he has directed: Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), The Thing (1982), Christine (1983).

Vote for your favorite nominee at http://www.halloweenhalloffame.org/halloween-nominees.html

Its Not Too Late! You Can Still Get Your Costume in Time for Halloween!

Did you wait til the last minute? Just get invited to a Halloween party you didn't know about? No worries!

Delivery on October 30th in time for Halloween is no problem!

There are thousands of costumes still in stock on http://www.anniescostumes.com/. Select "Delivery on Oct 30th" to receive your costumes in time for Halloween. On time delivery is guaranteed! The express shipping charge is just $20.00 for rush delivery if you order today. The Halloweem shipping information page will be updated with any shipping and price changes as it gets closer to Halloween.

You will be able to order all weekend and on Monday up until 6pm EST for Tuesday delivery and you can even order on Tuesday up until 6pm EST for delivery on Halloween day!

Happy Last Minute Costume Shopping and Happy Halloween!

Halloween Safety Tips for Your Pets

NO SCAREDY CATS THIS HALLOWEEN: TOP 10 SAFETY TIPS FOR PET PARENTS

Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to call your attention to these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are ingested.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe or bark. Keep a look out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not obstruct her vision in any way. Even the sweetest animals can get snappy when they can't see.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

Red Cross Halloween Safety Tips for Children & Adults

Safety Tips from the Red Cross

With witches, goblins, and super-heroes descending on neighborhoods across America, the American Red Cross offers parents some safety tips to help prepare their children for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat holiday. Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.

• Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street.


• Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and low-flying brooms.


• Cross the street only at corners.


• Don't hide or cross the street between parked cars.


• Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)


• Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult go with you.


• Carry a flashlight to light your way.
  
• Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flamable.)


• Visit homes that have the porch light on.


• Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger's house.


• Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes. [Or make sure that your mask eye holes are wide enough for visibility.]


• Be cautious of animals and strangers.


• Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating. And don't eat candy if the package is already opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
  

Free Pumpkin Stencil Maker

Design and print your own jack-o'-lantern patterns at Better Homes and Gardens website—FREE. Choose from thousands of possible faces or let them create one for you! In five minutes or less you’ll be ready to print out your pattern and carve a Jack-o-Lantern that’s truly one-of-a-kind. Click here to get started.

And for great Halloween costumes and accessories, remember to visit anniescostumes.com.

Get Into the Spirit of Halloween

It's almost time...Halloween is just less than 1 week away and if you're looking for ideas to get into the Halloween spirit, then visit Annie's Costumes. Over the past month, our ghouls and goblins have been working hard to expand our multimedia offerings by creating another Halloween-themed video and new online Halloween Movie Trivia quiz.

"At Annie's Costumes, we really do love Halloween. So, this year, we created a couple of fun videos and even a Halloween trivia quiz game," said Shari McConahay, Vice President of Marketing for Annie's Costumes. "The latest video, called "Meet the Couple", shows some of our funny and sexy costumes, which are great Halloween costume ideas for adults. The trivia quiz game, which focuses on classic scary movies, will stump even the most knowledgeable Halloween fan and can be passed on to friends via email."

We hope you enjoy all the Halloween fun. Do you have any additional ideas for Annie's Costumes? Send in your comments so we can add more ghoulish tricks and treats to next year's Halloween season.

Second Life Virtual Halloween Party Tonight!

You are cordially invitied to our Second Life Haunted Halloween Party!

It begins at 9:30PM EST (6:30PM Second Life Time) Tuesday, October 23, 2007 in http://www.secondlife.com/. There will be plenty of tricks and treats. In the virtual Haunted House you can experience trap doors, secret portals, catacombs, blood on the walls and all the other fun things you would experience in a real life Haunted House. Search for costumes or haunted house in world and you will find us!

While at the party, make sure to pick up a costume for your Second Life Avatar at Annies Costumes' Virtual Costume Store. There are many fun virtual costumes: vampires, pirates, wizards and princesses! Deck out your avatars for Halloween!

The third attraction in Second Life is the virtual museum for the Halloween Hall of Fame.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World

Looking for some Halloween fun for the little ones? Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL is just the Halloween Party for you!

Event Highlights:

• Mickey's "Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade!
  



• Trick-or-treating throughout Magic Kingdom® Park at numerous locations.
  



• Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular — where the Disney Villains go trick-or-treating in the sky!
  



• Characters decked out in their favorite costumes — so wear yours, too.
  



• Some of the most popular Magic Kingdom® attractions.

Buy tickets online* now or call (407) W-DISNEY (934-7639)†

See the Walt Disney website for details.