Halloween has always been the night for witches, monsters and things that go bump in the night, and every year things seem to get just a little scarier. In the last couple decades Hollywood makeup artists and clothes designers have opened up new frontiers in horror, and Halloween costumers have followed their lead. The scariest villains from the silver screen are now seen dancing at the hottest parties in town and going door to door on trick or treat night. When you add state of the art make up and realistic looking masks, amazingly frightening characters can come to life.

Of course, the traditional villains are still popular. You can still find lots of witches, vampires, and monsters, but these old favorites have improved with time. The witches are sexier and the fiends are more frightening. Women and girls can find haunted costumes which are also stylish and beautiful. Men and boys can enjoy realistic masks and features which are frighteningly believable. Some costumes even have built in special effects.

When I started looking for scary costumes I had no idea just how many outfit options were out there. I was delighted to find some very affordable and fun costumes. Still, there are so many choices, it might be difficult to pick, so I narrowed it down to my top 6 scary costume ideas.

Scary Costume Idea 1: The Grim Reaper

The personification of death may be the very scariest of all costumes. The Grim Reaper Child Robe costume features the infamous classic black cloak with a covered black face for the ultra spooky affect. At only $24.99, your wallet won’t take a slashing.

Scary Costume Idea 2: Sexy Zombie Nurse

She’s back from the grave and death is wearing pretty well on her. This scanty and scary women’s nurse zombie costume comes complete with the nurse cap and syringe. Only $29.97.

Scary Costume Idea 3: Big Bad Wolf Costume

Watch out little red riding hood, here comes the big bad wolf. This adult mens scary costume is a unique twist on the werewolf. It features lots of fur and a cool tattered jacket with big cufflinks. At only $34.97 it’s a howl of a good deal!

Scary Costume Idea 4: Gothic Rag Doll

Rag dolls are simply creepy, topped only by ventriloquist dummies on the doll creepometer. This scary costume will bring Raggedy Ann to life this Halloween. At $22.99 you can afford to spot for the rag doll wig and makeup to complete the dollish look.

Scary Costume Idea 5: The Joker from the Dark Knight

Comic book fiends are some of the most horrifying villans active imaginations have ever conjured. Today’s masks can easily make any man into a monster. The Batman Dark Knight Adult Joker ¾ Vinyl Mask will create instant terror. Check out the other Batman masks and costumes and share the Bat horror with someone you love.

Scary Costume Idea 6: Vampire Dog Costume

When it comes to horror on Halloween, even the dog can get in on the fun. The Deluxe Vampire Pet Costume lets Spot sink his teeth into the haunted happenings. He’ll feel like Count Cujo in his dapper vampire attire.

Happy fright night! Muhahahaha!

Halloween has come a long way baby! Unlike most of the boring and homemade Halloween costumes of yesteryear, today’s costume designs are funny, flashy, and super sexy. Women can let their imaginations go and their wildest fantasies take flight. There are so many choices, you are sure to find the costume of your dreams.

Costumes can reveal hidden aspects of our personalities. If you have a wicked side, why not sport a sexy witch costume or dress up in a devilish outfit? If you have a seductress hidden within, you can slowly reveal her one scarf at a time when you dress as a belly dancer. If you are more in the mood for a sassy character, Betty Boop or Marilyn Monroe will fit just right.

Some of these costumes are so hot, you might just decide to make dress up a weekly event. Many of the dresses are made with soft touchable fabrics. They feel so good, you may not want to take them off, but to be sure you can find a volunteer to assist you..

This year women can enjoy some very special tricks and treats in some of the hottest costumes available today. You could invite the man in your life to pick out his favorite and you both can enjoy a special kind of dress up experience. If you need an idea or two take a look at my list of the 10 sassiest and sexiest Halloween costumes currently in store. Use one of these sexy costume ideas for women to add some spice to your Halloween night and please your pumpkin.

Sexy Costume Idea 1: Hot Devil Woman

If you’re very, very good at being very, very bad you can be show your true colors and be dead sexy this Halloween in the Hollywood Devil Adult Costume. This long sexy red & black sequin dress will light some fires this Halloween. It’s also a wickedly good deal at only $34.99.

Sexy Costume Idea 2: Glamorous Hollywood Starlet

No one could light up the silver screen quite like Marilyn Monroe. Why not bring some of that super sexy Hollywood glamour back this Halloween with the Marilyn Monroe Ballerina Costume. Soft yet sexy, this feminine costume find is now only $29.99.

Sexy Costume Idea 3: Maid My Day

Est parliez vous francias? Be a mischievous mademoiselle this Halloween holiday with the sexy Maid My Day french maid costume. This flirty french outfit won’t clean out your wallet at only $34.99.

Sexy Costume Idea 4: Dance Queen

Elvis Presley might have taught the world how to move our hips, but there’s always room for improvement. Why not practice some of those hot hip gyrations in the tight black Sandy Grease Costume and make those moves electrifyin’? This classic good girl gone bad costume is priced cheap at only $23.19.

Sexy Costume Idea 5: Sultry Arabian Seductress

It is time to show off of results of all that time you spent in the gym. The Sexy Arabian Sultress Costume gives you a great excuse to flaunt those fabulous abs while you shimmy and shake it all night long. This new sexy women’s costume is only $30.39.

Sexy Costume Idea 6: Groove Sister

The disco ball inspired Disco Ball Diva Costume is a sparkly showstopper on the dance floor. Put on this sexy dress and go hop on the good foot and do the bad thing. For only $29.99 you can hold onto your money and your mojo.

Sexy Costume Idea 7: Magical Mistress

Halloween is the perfect time to whip up a little love potion and cast your own spell. Costumes like the Playboy Sparkle Witch Adult Costume will make that potion a little more potent. Priced at only $29.99 with no additional black magic required.

Sexy Costume Idea 8: Lusty Little Mermaid

It’s much hotter under the water with the Mesmerizing Sexy Mermaid Costume. This midriff baring shiny costume ensemble is sure to make a big splash this Halloween. This sexy costume idea is a flipping steal at only $23.99!

Sexy Costume Idea 9: Buccaneer Babe

Set sail in sexy swashbucklin’ threads this Halloween. The Sexy Buccaneer Costume is fitted in all the right places to make you look like a fine seafaring lass and at only $29.99 you’ll have plenty of booty left over for the party.

Sexy Costume Idea 10: Queen of Darkness

Halloween just wouldn’t be complete without the queen of darkness herself. Let the low cut form-fitting sexy Morticia Adams costume bring out the spooky, sexy seductress in you. The price won’t creep you out at only $29.97.

Have a hot and happy Halloween!

If I had to pick my favorite category of costumes, I’d have to pick the funny ones. Sure, I like to wear the beautiful costumes, what woman doesn’t? I’ve also been known to fuss over some of the cute kid characters, but most of all I love to laugh. Thank goodness most of the funniest costumes belong to the men. They get to wear the wild and weird costumes that give us all a good chuckle.

There are different categories of mens funny costumes. There are the gag costumes. Many of the gags are based on inanimate objects or weird themes. My favorites are the ones that demand a double or triple look. Then there are the amazing performance costumes. Some of these are interactive; others make a trick or great feat possible. I love those. The last comedic category would have to be the funny characters from books and movies. If the guy can produce a funny voice, I’m a goner for sure.

If you asked me what my favorite funny mens costume was, I don’t think I could give you an answer – however I have narrowed it down to just a few. Here are my 6 cheap and funny mens Halloween costume ideas to bring some hilarity to this Halloween 2011.

Mens Funny Costume Idea 1: The Trickster

I’m a sucker for magicians and illusionists. I’m like an overgrown kid when it comes to magic. The Billy Bulls Eye Adult Costume is a great example of a trick costume. Billy is blindfolded but he never misses. (Here’s the secret, he can see through the blindfold.)

Mens Funny Costume Idea 2: Moon Man

He’s not exactly Neil Armstrong.. The Moon Man mens funny astronaut costume is sure to be a show stopping jaw dropper this Halloween 2011. Great sense of humor and no sense of shame required to pull this one off.

Mens Funny Costume Idea 3: Party Guy

You’ve got to admire a grown man courageous enough to wear a toga. The Animal House Toga Plus Size Adult Costume even includes a gold laurel leaf headpiece. Now wearing that takes courage!

Mens Funny Costume Idea 4: The Games Man

When the party starts slowing down, it’s nice to have a game player in the crowd. It’s even nicer if he is the game. The Beer Pong Adult Costume includes the cups, balls and wooden door. Beer not included.

Mens Funny Costume Idea 5:The Charmer

It’s showtime! The night is complete when Beetlejuice arrives. The Beetlejuice Adult Costume has that crazy zombie in a loud outfit and hair. This iconic mens costume is especially good if you can remember some of the lines from the movie.

Mens Funny Costume Idea 6: Stayin’ Alive

You won’t be missed in this loud disco inspired cheap mens Halloween costume this Halloween. Slip into this swingin’ gear and go get your groove on John Travolta style!

If you don’t want to come off the cash for a store bought Halloween costume this 2011, Adam Sandler has some great cheap Halloween costume ideas that you can sport without spending a dime.

Cheap Halloween Costumes by Adam Sandler by Capig

If you find these Halloween costume ideas don’t fit your fancy you can always just buy a costume at Affordable Halloween Costumes. Enjoy and Happy Halloween people!

I remember my oldest child’s first Halloween costume. It was a dinosaur. I had this great idea to make it from scratch. What a disaster! It took me 2 days to sew it and it ended up costing twice as much as I had estimated. When I put him into the costume, things just got worst. He kept tripping over the tail and after about 5 minutes, he refused to wear the head and hands; they were too hot and uncomfortable!

The following year I tried to collect pieces for a king’s costume from different stores. That ended up being disaster #2! The crown was too hard and he kept getting caught in his cape. After those two episodes I decided to buy Halloween costumes from the store from there on out and save myself the time and trauma.

Costumes have improved over the years. Children’s costumes now have the child in mind. Designers consider comfort and movement in each of their creations. Many costumes have removable features so kids can run and play without worrying about ruining their wings or tails. Costumes for younger children are often light and bright which helps with visibility on Halloween night. Older kids can dress like their favorite pop star or movie character. Boy’s costumes often have neat features which add to the excitement.

I’ve also wised up about buying costumes. Complete costumes often end up costing less then homemade creations and they save so much time. There are lots of choices and if you shop on line, it’s quick and easy. You can have your child look at costumes on the computer and avoid over stimulating your kid at the local costume store. To get you started on your Halloween costume hunt, I came up with 5 fun Halloween costume ideas for kids.

Super Hero Costumes

Comic book and movie super heroes have always been a Halloween favorite but today’s costumes are bolder and brighter then ever before. There are dozens of characters to choose from for boys and girls. I like the boys Transformers Optimus Prime Deluxe Costume for the vivid colors and cheap price.

Witch and Wizard Costumes

Boy wizards and singing witches have taken over literature, film and the Broadway stage. So, it’s no surprise that these magical costumes are still favorites. There are so many styles to choose from. The ever popular kids Harry Potter costume is an example of a fail-safe fun kids costume this Halloween.

Occupational Costumes

Kids spend a lot of time thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. Dress up gives them an opportunity to explore their choices as a top secret spy, a fearless pilot or pioneering astronaut. The Astronaut NASA Child Costume will make all the kids want to go into outer space and be the next Neil Armstrong.

Music Star Costumes

Today’s music super stars have created a new category for Halloween. Kids can dress as characters from High School Musical, American Idol or Hannah Montana. Outfits like the Hannah Montana Polka Dot Child Costume look great and are fun to wear.

Fairytale Characters

Princesses, fairies, pirates and mermaids will always be kids Halloween costume favorites. Today’s fantasy costumes are absolutely beautiful and affordable. The Pirates of the Caribbean costume below is a great choice for your little swashbuckler this Halloween.

That’s a wrap. Hope these ideas help you in your hunt for the perfect kids Halloween costume. Have a happy and safe 2011 Halloween!

 These adorable apple cupcakes have a donut surprise:
 Watch out for the worm in this apple:
 Love these jelly bean filled apples:
Happy Back To School Week!

Recently we hosted a baby shower for a dear friend. Since the baby was adopted from India, we thought it would be fun to incorporate a Bollywood theme, full of bright & cheerful colors. To make it even more fun, we had a menu of cookies and milk.

Last week I shared the Save the Date invitations for my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. Here are some pictures from the party (please ignore the hideous wallpaper, we are in a rental property while our new house is being built!).

I used white tablecloths on the tables with wrapping paper runners for the center (Target Dollar Spot roll wrapping paper is just the right width & price).

The savory buffet included sweet & sour meatballs, mini pigs in a blanket, pepperoni dip with bagel chips, holiday tortilla chips with hot queso dip and vegetable tray with ranch dressing. The dessert buffet included peppermint chocolate cupcakes, Oreo cheesecakes, mini eclairs, dipped Milano cookies, Rice Krispie Treats and Rolo pretzel turtles.


I am so excited to have 2011's Cookie Exchange at our new house!

For the past few years, I have hosted a Christmas Cookie Exchange for my friends and family. Even though the party is always on the 2nd Sunday of December, I still like to send out Save the Date invitations in late October.

The holidays can get so jam-packed with parties, decorating and shopping that I always look forward to a laid back afternoon with cookies and my girlfriends!

This year the Save the Date was a recipe card with a mini Christmas cookie cutter attached. I purchased the Wilton cookie cutters on clearance after Christmas last year 6 for 80¢. A magnet strip on the back makes it perfect to hang on the fridge. The recipe card reads:

Recipe for: Save the Date for a Cookie Exchange
From the Kitchen of: Brenda

Ingredients:
1 Calendar and pen
1 Refrigerator
3 tsp Holiday Excitement
5 cups Christmas Cheer
20 Great Friends
Lots of Cookie Recipes

Recipe Instructions:
1. Take pen and mark calendar for the 3rd annual Holiday Cookie Exchange on Sunday. December 12th at 2pm
2. Place this recipe card on your refrigerator as a reminder.
3. Stir together Christmas Cheer and Great Friends until Holiday Excitement bubbles to the top.
4. Search for the perfect cookie recipe and creative packaging.
5. Check email November 30th for Evite with party details.

Some might like it hot and spicy but others like it nice and sweet. I’m not talking about food, I’m taking about Halloween! Scary costumes will always be popular, but now there are 100′s of cute costumes for kids, teens and couples. The sweeter side of Halloween is a welcomed change for children. Very young children have often found dress up to be scary and unpleasant. Now kid costumes come in many familiar friendly choices. Your little girl can dress up as her favorite doll or a yummy sweet. Your little boy can make characters from his favorite book come to life. Teens can opt out of the Goth scene and choose fun period costumes from the 50′s and 60′s. If you’re a mom or big sister, you might want to choose from one of many women’s costumes that are cute and friendly, so everyone can have a happy Halloween. There are loads of sweet costumes to choose from and you won’t gain an ounce, but you’ll get a pound of pleasure. I looked at tons of costumes, and narrowed it down to half a dozen that are really great bargains in addition to being cute. Put your calorie counters away and enjoy the sweeter side of Halloween with my top six ideas for cute affordable Halloween costumes. 1. Halloween Sweet Treat Costume October conjures up images of colored leaves, giant pumpkins and candy corn. Girls can now become everybody’s favorite autumn sweet in the Fruity Licious Candi Korn Child Costume. This bright costume is sweet fall fun. 2. Tootsie Roll Costume I found some sweet chocolaty fun in this cute tootsie roll costume for infants, toddlers and kids. Everyone loves candy on Halloween and the tootsie roll is the classic trick-or-treating treat. This one is sure to hit the sweet spot! 3. Sock Hop Sweetie Costume How about after the dance we go down to Pops for burger and a malt? Women can boogie back a few decades in the 50′s Hop with Sock Hop Sweetie costume. You can take your pup for a walk in this throw back to the Happy Days of the 1950′s. 4. Burger King Costume Here’s one king who is just plain yummy. If daddy wants’ to wear a mask, it’s a good idea to pick a friendly, familiar character. The Burger King masks and costumes are great, but you just might have to treat everyone to a round of burgers and fries. 5. Living Doll Barbie Costumes Girls have been dreaming up Barbie adventures for generations. This year might be Barbie’s sweetest so far. Turn your little girl into a living doll this Halloween. She can pretend to be a dancer, a princess, a doll, a fairy and more in a cute Barbie costume! 6. Honey Bee Dog Costume Your dog has always been sweet, now you can show just how sweet your puppy is when you buy the Bee Pet Costume. The black and yellow dog outfit is a real honey of a costume. Elvira is a seasoned Halloween costume bargain hunter and lover of Halloween. She writes forAffordable Halloween Costumes an online costume store where all the costumes in stock are under $40 all the time. Buy your Halloween costume at AffordableHalloweenCostumes.com and save $ this Halloween!