Home And Family

Halloween is just around the corner and people are in a big rush to get hold of the coolest costumes. One of the most popular costumes and is almost selling out on stores is the sexy witch Halloween costume, this has to be the most amazing costume to be wearing this coming Halloween. One aspect that makes the sexy witch Halloween costume amazing other than being a major turn on is that it also can give people a hint of what you really are deep inside when give the chance, we all know you can cast that spell to make yourself become irresistible.

I have done my home work to know that most stores that sell costumes have run out of cool and amazing costumes and there is no reason as to why you should waste your fuel searching of a costume thats just a click of a mouse away, yes. Doing your halloween shopping online can save you lots of money and time, plus you can also get good prices for the costumes,

Since most cool costumes have sold out, some people have resulted into making the costumes all by themselves, although its a neat idea, think about it Halloween is just days from now, will you be able to gather all the raw materials needed to make a sexy witch Halloween costume in time for Halloween?

All in all nothing beats a delivery package right at your door step inside is a full sexy witch Halloween costume.

Halloween is a time for all to enjoy regardless of your age color nationality and size, make the most out of it.

What exactly is Halloween? For many, it is merely a reason to dress up and be someone else for a night. For kids, it’s a chance to collect loads of free candies and chocolates. For business people, it’s an annual money-making machine. In truth, Halloween is basically a holiday so mixed up with historical facts that people perceive it as a night when you wear a costume and be whoever you want to be. This is rather fitting, considering that historically, this holiday has had a similar identity crisis. Below are four important things you most likely didn’t know about Halloween.

Halloween was New Year’s Eve for the ancient Celtics

Instead of January 1, the New Year began on November 1 for the Celts. For them, it began at the end of summer harvest and the onset of winter. The Celts believed that the eve of November 1 was the time dead and evil spirits roamed the earth to cause enormous problems including destroying crops and taking out lives. The presence of these spirits enabled the Celtic priests to make predictions about the coming winter months and the future of the tribe’s people. This resulted to people wearing costumes in an effort to hide their true selves from the evil spirits.

The practice of trick-or-treating originated from poor people begging

Begging is a lowly thing to do, while trick-or-treating is fun and kids love doing it. While both are essentially the same, the only real difference between them is the latter is sanctioned, hence the nationwide popularity of this practice. However in some US states, Halloween is called the “Beggars’ Night”. In fact, some groups have campaigned against trick-or-treating, labeling it as extortion and a senseless tradition. Historically, trick-or-treating really is a form of extortion. The practice originated from a practice once performed by the extremely poor people in the British Isles around November 1. Often called “souling”, these people would go door to door begging for food and clothing, and they would offer to pray for the souls of the dead in exchange.

The light in a jack-o’-lantern is provided by Satan

According to legend, a man named Stingy Jack played tricks with the devil and cut deals with him. The last of these deals was that Satan would not take Jack’s soul when he died. Upon his death, Jack was unaccepted in Heaven because of his evil ways when he was still a mortal. He then decided to stay in hell but Satan kept his end of their deal and denied him entrance. Instead, Jack was forced to wander endlessly in the darkness between heaven and hell, using a lantern he made from turnip which was lit up with the fires of hell provided by the devil himself, Satan.

In America, Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday

Second to Christmas, an estimated $7 billion is spent annually on decorations, candy, costumes, and more, in preparation for one night of Halloween madness. However, this holiday had more modest beginnings. Decades before, the holiday was celebrated by only a few communities and states with fortune-telling and games played in the streets. It was only during the 19th century when immigrants started wearing costumes and the concept of trick-or-treating was invented. It soon gained popularity across America and by the 20th century, the holiday had lost many of its religious themes and began to take shape as a commercial holiday that we all know today. GP

The Christmas tree has a very rich and varied history. In 1510, the first written record of a decorated Christmas tree comes from Riga, Latvia. Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it as a form of celebration. It was later in the 1800s, that German settlers introduced the Christmas tree in the United States, where the tradition rapidly took hold. The types of trees chosen for display rapidly grew from tabletop size to floor-to-ceiling. In 1851, Christmas Trees started to sell commercially in the United States, where it quickly became an annual tradition to choose a tree for the home. Today approximately twenty-five to thirty million real Christmas trees sell each year in the United States and most come from Christmas tree plantations. For every live tree harvested, up to three seedlings are planted in its place the following spring. There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of eighteen people. There are about 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the U.S. and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry

As early as the Egyptians, there has been a long line of cultures that treasured and worshiped evergreens; when the winter solstice arrives, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life’s triumph over death. On the other hand, the Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one’s journey through life. The Christmas tree is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings into our lives a pleasant aroma of the forest.

The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees. The first glass ornaments were kugels, a kind of glass ball intended to protect houses against evil spirits. The shape of kugels and other Christmas balls remind us of the red apples, which decorate the tree of Paradise. For a long time Germany headed the list of major producers of Christmas ornaments. From 1875 to the beginning of the Second World War, Germany provided a goodly share of the decorations for Canadian fir trees. Other producers included Austria, the United States, Japan, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Canada.

The top selling Christmas trees are: balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine in the United States and Canada, but there are many other types used and species of firs and pines used. Many of these trees are available in both fresh cut and synthetic styles. Of course, the fresh cut trees have to be watered and cared for during the duration of the display. Many of these trees have wonderful scents that are very memorable and add greatly to the holiday celebrations.

The mystique of the Christmas tree, why people love a beautifully a decorated tree it reminds them of the warmth of home and families, of special religious observations.Gifts placed under the tree reflect the giving nature of the holidays, which children of all ages just love. And the use of personalized ornaments, beads, crystal, glass, toys, wood and even food as decorations for the branches passed down thorough generations.

It was a typical Christmas day in Jamaica back in those days. The loud intermittent bursts of firecrackers accompanied by the joyous shouts of 揅HRIS’MUS?disturbed the otherwise serene evening. “Chris’mus is in the air!”

“Well mek we grab it and tek it back to da groun’ so we all can enjoy it” Came the sly remark as laughter once again filled the skies and tall glasses filled with ice and sorrel heavily laced with white rum clink together to celebrate the joyous season. Dominoes were banging everywhere. “Yu double six dead bwai. Get up from roun’ da table. Next patient same treatment.”

A new pair sits at the table in an attempt to dethrone the domino champions while the losers fix themselves another round of white rum and milk. Teenage boys sip their beers slowly, willing it to last as long as the night. The last presents had long been opened and all the other formalities dispensed with. The material of the day was calico, and women were draping themselves in their newly made calico dress. The men, the epitome of GQ, were stylishly clad in their black suits with a white or red handkerchief protruding from their left breast pocket. The black felt hat tilted to one side of the head and the cane or black umbrella swinging from the right hand as they walked gaily down the street, their patent leather shoes reflecting the evening sun. They were headed to stage shows, dance halls, downtown to the Ward theatre to watch the pantomime, or to Cross Roads to tek in a picture show. Children still dressed in their Sunday best, lips and tongues reddened by the strawberry syrup they were sucking from snowcones they bought at the fair earlier that day were blowing fifis and horns and the lucky ones showing off their newest toys or bragging about the nice shoes or pretty dress they got for Christmas. All were dancing and prancing around imitating the John Canoe dancers they had been watching.

My mother had just finished her dinner. It was her favorite dish. A large helping of rice and beans, fricassee chicken, fried plantain with lettuce and tomatoes and a tall glass of sour sop juice. She was getting ready for a stage show when she felt some feign cramps in her stomach. The baby wasn’t ready to come, she thought to herself. Plus she was looking forward to the stage show and nothing was going to keep her away. She was about to find out however, that this time around there was something different about these feign cramps that had been teasing her for a week. Before long the cramps became more forceful and frequent. An alarm was raised, neighbors summoned. Miss Hall, Miss Madlyn, Miss vie, Auntie Emily, all older more experienced women rushed to her aid. A cab was hailed and shortly thereafter I was delivered at the Victoria Jubilee hospital. The celebrations could no longer continue without me.

That was forty years ago this Christmas. Oftentimes when people would say 揙h you are a Christmas Baby!?I would joking reply ?Yes, all my life I抳e been deprived. I only get one present every year? That抯 one way to look at my birth. I could also take the point of view that I was the best Christmas present my mother ever got or that life was the best Christmas present I ever got. The truth is that there are far worst things that could have happened to me that being born on Christmas day.

The lesson here for all of us is that through out our lives many unwelcome, unfavorable things will happen to us. We will face challenges and circumstances that are truly difficult. But we need to be truly thankful. Now I am not suggesting that we walk around grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat happy that we have problems. That would make no sense at all but no matter what problems we face there are dozens if not hundreds of good things that are happening or have happened in our lives an it would be fool hardy to allow this one thing as difficult as it may be suck the joy form the rest of your life.

Focus on what you want

Yes I know that I am beginning to sound like a broken record but it true, thoughts are things and since we tend to move in the direction of our dominant thoughts, lo and behold they get more of the very things they want to rid their lives of. Stop focusing so much on the 10% of your life that isn抰 working. Work on resolving the issues but never loose sight of the 90% that IS working.

What good can come of this?

Growing up in Jamaica I always heard the adage 揟he donkey says the world is level? If I could translate it a second time in plain old English..life isn抰 fair. From my experience life has never been neither will it ever be fair. Somebody else will always have a nicer house, better clothes, have more fulfilled relationships, take better vacations…the list goes on. I didn抰 think it was fair when from time to time I had to attend elementary school barefooted. It wasn抰 fair that in high school I started my athletic career barefooted. But I am certainly thankful that I had an opportunity to get a good education and those bar feet, bow legged and all had the opportunity to run on ice at the Olympic Games. Someone once said that every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. For me life抯 early uneven handedness made me more focused and determined to succeed.

Adopt a positive attitude

As Richard Paul Evans said “It is in the darkest night that the brightest stars are seen. Adopt a positive attitude and you will see your set backs as opportunities, your stumbling blocks as stepping stones, your challenges as wings to soar.”

Over Thanksgiving my family and I went to Jamaica for our vacation and with so many people trying to escape the North American cold to enjoy the languid waves and the white sands of Negril we had few challenges with booking the hotel rooms. I had legitimate reasons to gripe and moan but I know that would have made everybody miserable so I chose to adopt a positive attitude and we ended up having a wonderful time.

An attitude of gratitude doesn抰 suggest that we ignore reality and our problems but rather that we take charge of our emotions, subdue our frustrations, resolve the issues and avoid the vicious circle of whining and complaining. So, for the next forty years whenever someone say 揙h you抮e a Christmas Baby?I抣l say 揧es, and that first Christmas, I got the best present of all… Life?/p>

Keep On Pushing!

Just as Christmas is a time for people to catch up with their loved ones, indulge in good food and relax after a hard year’s work, it is also a period which causes many to suffer from undue stress and anxiety. And, for all the individuals who believe spending the holiday period with family is a top priority, there are those who can think of nothing better than to flee the festivities.

Indeed, thoughts of impenetrable crowds desperately seeking those last minute gifts, coupled with the annual supermarket dash for food and wine, is enough to put even the most laid back person into a state of panic. Add some feuding family members to the mix, and it is easy to see why people yearn to get away from it all!

According to one study, around 17 million Britons would like to escape the Christmas season, either by simply ignoring it, or going away. Additional research also found that one in ten of the respondents interviewed stated they would be likely to spend Christmas away from home, with one in four believing this would relieve the strain it brought upon from it.

Festive breaks, whether long or short, can be viewed as the ideal solution. Whether you want to escape from the routine of Christmas shopping in your home town or you want to retreat to somewhere different for the entire holiday period, there are a range of interesting options to choose from.

For example, why not escape from it all, with a European city break? Not only do you get to experience Christmas in new place, but you can also take the opportunity to stock up on some more unusual gifts. And, from Germany, Austria and France to Finland or Denmark, there are some amazing places to visit.

Not only that, but each comes with their own take on Christmas. As a result, you can spend your time wandering around the unique Christmas markets, frolicking in snow-filled mountains or simply relaxing on a horse drawn carriage, whilst you soak up the city sights.

For something a bit closer to home, there are also a number of enticing Christmas breaks that can be found around the UK. For instance, you can travel to London and partake in the huge array of entertainment on offer, or go ice skating in Edinburgh. Alternatively, Cardiff offers up some great festive activities to do.

Furthermore, the great benefit of going away is that you don’t have to worry about cooking the Christmas dinner, tidying up after relatives or fighting over what to watch on television. So, if you’re dreading the festive season this year, why not do something about it and book yourself an indulgent Christmas short break? You never know, it may just be the solution to all of your stresses!

The Wizard of Oz is a movie that children and adults alike loved. And so now, even 70 years after the movie was made, people still love to dress up in an adult Wizard of Oz costume for Halloween. Fortunately, there are several options for men and women who want to show their love of the Wizard of Oz at Halloween.

The Wicked Witch
For women, the Wicked Witch of the West is the most popular adult Wizard of Oz costume. She is the main villain in the story, and since she’s a witch, she’s a popular choice for Halloween. The Wicked Witch wears a black dress and pointed hat, and her skin is green. She carries a broom.

Dorothy
Another popular female adult Wizard of Oz costume is Dorothy. She wears a blue gingham jumper over a white short-sleeved blouse. Her hair is in braided pigtails and she carries a hand basket. And, of course, you can’t forget her famous ruby slippers!

Glenda, the Good Witch of the North
Many women also choose to dress as Glenda, the Good Witch of the North. She looks like a beautiful fairy queen in a pale pink ball gown, a tall crown, and she carries a wand.

The Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man
In the story, Dorothy has three friends: the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man. All three are male, giving men a variety of choices for an adult Wizard of Oz costume, as well. If none of these appeal to you, there is also the Wizard of Oz, who appears at the end of the story, who can be a fun choice for men, as well.

The Munchkins
These are the main characters in the story, but the first creatures Dorothy meets in the story are the Munchkins. Since there are so many, the Munchkins offer nearly endless possibilities for an adult Wizard of Oz costume.

Back to childhood
The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic, both in book and movie form. The characters are fun and whimsical, and everyone remembers the first time they saw the movie. By choosing an adult Wizard of Oz costume for Halloween, you’ll be able to transport yourself back to your own childhood, and anyone who sees you will be transported back to their childhood, as well.

Business travel can be a headache before you even deal with fussy clients. Just fighting your way through an airport can cause the business traveler to miss a meeting. There are certain tips and tricks that will help make your business travel that much more successful.

When navigating airports, there are many ways to avoid the pitfalls of a bad travel experience. First, try to check in for your flight the night prior on-line. Most major airlines will allow you to check in and print your boarding pass at home or work the night before your trip. Checking in this early will often get you into the early boarding sequence on a flight. This will help guarantee you a seat on major airlines.

Another time saver is to pack light. Not checking baggage will allow you to travel with all your items and helps you avoid lag time spent at the luggage carousel at your destination. It also avoids any lost luggage along the way. Nothing can ruin a business overnight more than a missing suit or presentation in a lost bag. If you do have to check a bag, make sure you take the essential items with you in your carry on. Remember that hotels will give complementary toiletries to you if they are lost, but you can’t replace that presentation or your laptop if you check it.

Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to make it through security at the airport. Arriving two to three hours before your flight leaves is highly recommended. While this isn’t always an option due to business commitments, it makes travel that much easier. Wireless connections in airport terminals help you stay productive on your laptop when not at the office.

Before you land, getting familiar with your destination airport terminal can help save you time and ensure you are not late for your meeting. The airline magazine provided to each passenger usually has a layout of the airport in the back portion of it. Knowing what gate you are arriving at and where to go when you get off the aircraft is a very good time saver.

Knowing these and other simple tricks can help the business traveler get to his or her meeting on time. Not only will you be able to do your job, you’ll avoid travel headaches at the same time. If you are traveling to a new place, make sure you pick up a regional map at the rental car station or at the airport so you will be able to find your hotel, business center, and other places you may need to travel to when on business. Being late for a meeting because you couldn’t find the building is no excuse. If possible, take a trial run the night before in order to get better acquainted with the area. You will appreciate knowing where everything is before your big meeting. Business travel is stressful enough without having to worry about finding your way.

What young girl does not pretend to be the princess? Dressing up is what girls do best and when Halloween time rolls around playing the part of Barbie is a very popular wish among the young girls. Barbie Halloween costumes have been a favorite among many young girls for decades. Since the introduction of Barbie over 50 years ago, girls have fashioned their dreams around this enchanting, elegant and timeless doll. Although Barbie’s first appearance was as a shapely blonde haired girl, the years have seen changes and additions to her outward characteristics. At times, she has been portrayed as a number of television characters.

Therefore, for the young girl looking to go as Barbie this Halloween, there are a multitude of versions of this ever popular doll. Barbie Thumbelina is just one of many. This adorable little fairy with her pink dress, wings and hair ribbon will exude excitement as she flutters around enjoying her own little world. In addition, one of the new Barbie Halloween costumes for this year is the Mermaid Barbie dress. Donning this multicolored form fitting mermaid dress will transform your little one to the mermaid who lives in the sea. It comes with a matching head piece creating the most beautiful mermaid in the land.

There are also the Barbie cheerleaders, Genie Barbie and Barbie Mariposa, just to name a few other versions. However, if your little princess wishes to stay with the more traditional version of Barbie Halloween costumes there are those regal renditions that are also available. These are usually the expected pink gowns that are both glorious, majestic and dignified looking. Additionally, to complete the package she can wear her tiara, shoes and her wand.

Whatever version your little girl desires, remember to complete the look with matching gloves, slippers, tiara and jewelry. No matter her dream or expectation, Barbie Halloween costumes can meet her wants and desires. Because there are many wonderful costumes fashioned around this everlasting pervasive character, each child that wears her Barbie costume will have the precious prize of her dreams. Moreover, this costume can become one of her favorite dress-up outfits for those rainy days during the rest of the year when she is looking for something special to wear.

Additionally, your princess can continue having fun with Barbie all year long by going online. There are websites she can find by doing a Google or Yahoo search using the word Barbie for the search term. She will be able to engage in various Barbie games and activities, watch videos, play with a toy factory as well as being able to shop with Barbie, see the Barbie catalog, join the Barbie fan club, create online characters, design her own room, chat with her friends and more.

So have a great time with your princess celebrating Barbies 50th anniversary with her favorite Barbie Halloween costume and then encourage her to continue having fun all year long being engaged in the many fun games and activities that are available for Barbie both online and in the real world.

Birthdays are a time for great celebration. When we are younger we set important time frames on different years of age. All children go through the terrible two’s, that age when they just seem to get into everything as they satisfy the urge of curiosity. Then there is the age of 5 when children embark on the journey of educational success. For some children the age of 10 becomes important because they have reached age in double figures. Then there is the age of 13 that special birthday when you become a teenager. Soon after that is that magical age of sweet 16. Before you know it you have reached the legal age of 18. Now you are an adult.

Once you have reached the age of 18 you are off to college or the start of your chosen career. Then your 21st birthday arrives. This seems to be one of those most special birthdays. This is the last of those young milestones that we are so anxious to reach. From there the new birthday milestones begin to take us to another level. The next birthday on the list seems to be the age of 30. When you are 16 the age of 30 seems like it is over the hill. Once you reach the age of 30 the landmark birthdays begin to arrive in decades like 40, then 50 and then 60 and so on. The age of 40 seems to be one of the most emotional birthdays. For many it is the age where you have reached the top and are heading down the other side of the mountain.

There is no doubt that the older you become the more you value your birthdays. You may not celebrate it with a cake and ice cream but you are glad to see another. It is a fact that when we are younger we are in a rush to reach certain age milestones and that when we reach a certain age our wisdom seems to change and we want it all to slow down. Once we reach the age of 40 we begin to evaluate our position in life. What have we done? Have we left our mark on the world? The age of reflection begins. We begin to examine our lives through a microscope.

There are so many special birthdays in our lives. We celebrate our own and then we celebrate those of our family and friends. Birthdays should be important to us. It is the one day of the year that belongs to us individually. It is our day. The emotions of this day are often shared in the form of poetry. Say Happy Birthday to someone you love with a special poem today.

With the popularity of Halloween growing many families are starting their own holiday traditions. I wanted to share with you a tradition that one of my neighbors started in our neighborhood a few years ago that I’m sure has been around for years. It’s called “Ghosting” and believe me your children will have a blast doing it! It usually starts the first week in October giving plenty of time for the whole neighborhood to be “ghosted”. Depending on the size of your neighborhood you can either ghost one family or two. Since our neighborhood is small, I’m giving you directions for “ghosting” one house; however just double it if you live in a neighborhood with many homes.

Here’s what you do:

On a plain white piece of paper (8 ? x 11″) draw a big outline of a ghost in black permanent marker. Then fill a goodie bag or brown paper sack with Halloween treats (candy, brownies, cookies, etc…). Print the following poem on a piece of paper and staple it to the picture of your ghost. Don’t put your name on anything because no one knows who ghosts who!

You’ve Been Ghosted!

Late last night, we left you a treat, the tradition is fun, one we hope you’ll repeat.

Take the ghost and pin it on your door, to let others know, you need ghosted no more.

Now it’s your duty to pass on the surprise, to another family, we must advise.

Gather some treats and deliver them soon, within two nights, under the light of the moon.

Include a ghost with each package you give, along with this poem for the tradition to live.

Deliver the treat bag, poem and ghost after dark to your target family by putting it on your neighbor’s porch, ringing the doorbell and running. Don’t get caught! Remember it’s a surprise and you don’t want them to know who “ghosted” them. Then they in return “ghost” another family and so on and so on and so on. Don’t be afraid to be the first person within your family, friends or neighbors to start a new yearly tradition. They have to get started somewhere right? Why not you? In five, ten, even twenty years down the road when you see someone you love passing down that same tradition to their loved ones it will all be worth it.

Anna Bradford is an author and blogger for Halloween Express where you’ll find the absolute largest selection of Halloween costumes and costume accessories available anywhere including the latest Kids Costumes and Teen Costumes.