As you hold the flashlight beneath your chin, eerily illuminating your face, you glance around the semi-circle of kids holding onto marshmallows and sticks over the camp fire, and some are intently staring at you with wide eyes, others looking around at their friends for support. Telling ghost stories is one of the oldest pastimes in the world; a way of exorcising our anxieties and deepest fears through a cathartic tale. If you’re looking for another ghost story to tell around a campfire, then here are some suggestions for all different ages and scare levels.

If you have little ones, then you’ll want to get them in the mood for Halloween fun, yet you don’t want to scare them silly with stories about ghosts. Theatrical storyteller Mary Jo Maichack plays guitar and fiddle on her audio CD, while combining folklore and “howlarious” Halloween jokes.

She’ll offer kids a variety of voices, from a Hungarian ghost to a goofy vampire to comprise a funny version of Halloween. The “Ghosthunters series,” by Cornelia Funke, combines humor, illustrations and gross stuff for seven-to-nine-year-olds to enjoy.

“Fungus the Bogeyman,” by Raymond Briggs, is a good picture book stuffed with puns and illustrations that’ll have your little ones roaring with laughter as they follow a monster through his daily routine. “It’s Halloween!,” by Jack Prelutsky, includes thirteen separate poems about Halloween and isn’t really a ghost story, but will certainly gets the kids in the mood. There is also a great collection of audio books and stories at “Surfnetkids Audiobooks Short Stories” that may be suitable for your children.

Tweens in the chapter-book age especially love ghostly stories. If you want an innocuous chapter book to get your child in the mood of Halloween, then try James Howe’s “Bunnicula,” which is a funny story about a little rabbit who sucks the life out of carrots with his fangs.

“Truly Scary Stories For Fearless Kids” will introduce your child to timeless classic stories of the ghosts described by Bram Stoker’s “Dracula’s Guest”, Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and E. Nesbit’s “Wedding,” to name a few. Esteemed author Roald Dah who wrote”The Witches” and “James and the Giant Peach” has sifted through 749 creepy tales before selecting the best for his collection, “Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories,” which provides a collection of stories that’ll “give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts.”

“Halloween Night” by R.L. Stine is a good pick for kids who are well into chapter books. The “Fear Street” series is a bit scarier than the popular “Goosebumps” books, but all offer good writing and carefully unraveled creepy plots that’ll keep your kids turning the pages.

For some people, ghostly stories aren’t enough. Now there is a whole cultural phenomenon surrounding the idea of ghost hunters, as seen on the TV show by the same name. Some avid paranormal enthusiasts use books of ghost stories as launching points for ghost hunting expeditions of their own. They’ll visit Alcatraz, Amityville, The Winchester House, Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, the Lemp Mansion, the Viscilla Ax Murder House, the Old Slave House on Hickory Hill, Bobby Mackey’s Music World, Myrtles Plantation and Gettysburg.

Are you planning a halloween party. Mike Selvon’s portal has more information about ghost stories. Visit our portal and leave a comment at our halloween monsters blog.

Congratulations, you have a new addition to your family that will be celebrating the Christmas holiday season with you. The Christmas magic never seems to be as strong if there is no child to share it. Babies bring magic moments that are memorable and everlasting.

As you assess the perfection of your bundle of joy, and desire to spoil this child beyond belief you might wonder: What on earth should I give my little miracle those first precious holidays? No doubt grandparents, friends, aunts, uncles and baby showers in addition to your own preparations have left this child with little in the way of need. You also fully appreciate that there will be no memory of this Christmas to influence your child’s future Christmas dreams or recollections.

This does not mean you should skimp or stick to gifts that are purely functional, unless of course you really want to! To make that first Christmas fun for you and memorable for your baby establish a holiday tradition of keepsake gifts.

This can be anything. Some parents choose ornaments that the child will then take with them to decorate their own homes as they leave the nest. The giving of an ornament each year will establish a collection of objects where the magic and memory of your family Christmases will reside for your children.

Other ideas include the traditional pewter cup, a pair of bronzed baby booties or vintage toys that really aren’t meant for play, but display. Those are gifts more for the parents and other toys can be given that the baby - soon to be toddler - will enjoy, such as books, educational toys, stuffed animals, puzzles, dolls, trucks, balls and other age-appropriate play things.

Another idea is to start and maintain a scrapbook, which you will add to each Christmas. This photo album can include journaling of significant achievements of the previous year along with photos and love notes from mom, dad and grandparents. It can be a tangible expression of love. You might want to add photos of your toddler sitting on his or her first ride on toys: http://www.simplyuniquebabygifts.com/baby-toys.html These are fun moments that can be captured and entered into keepsake books and photo albums.

Baby and keepsake books and photo albums are not difficult to find. The cost is reasonable. There are two things to bear in mind with this gift however. First: this gift will endure for years to come unless you plan to fill the entire book each year choose a book that will grow with your child’s maturing tastes. A teenager will be less than thrilled with Winnie the Pooh, no matter how cute it is. A simple way of having the book grow with the child is to select a basic book that will allow you to add pages as the years roll on.

No matter what you choose, your baby will be set up for years of holiday memories that will span the toddler to teenage years. In the end, your baby will thank you for your efforts. Happy Holidays and enjoy the magic of your baby and the season.

Edie Mindell is the writer for SimplyUniqueBabyGifts.com. Parents, grandparents and other “Santa’s” will love the large selections, in stock, ready for the holiday season. From pedal trains to tricycles and other ride on toys, they are ready to make your holiday shopping easy. Visit their online catalog at Simply Unique Baby Gifts and enjoy free shipping (lower 48 states).

Looking For Cute Halloween Costumes

There are some that would never dream of wearing anything but scary costumes for Halloween. However, that does not mean there are not plenty of them out there. Little girls in particular are always on the lookout for cute, even if they go in another direction on that particular year. Women like cute, and they may want cute Halloween costumes for their youngest children regardless of what sex they may be. These are fun to buy, and can be made with little effort in the home if you know where to buy the right pieces.

Cute Halloween costumes do not have to be the things that you would associate with the word cute. What you may not know is that you can find cute versions of just about any common Halloween costume of which you can think. The witch was meant to be scary, but you can find more benign versions of these costumes for your little girl to wear if that is what she wants. You can also find cute Halloween costumes that feature ghosts, cats, and even scarecrows. Those are all staple ideas for Halloween, and are all great ideas for youngsters. You could try a Indiana Jones Costume

If you want to make cute Halloween costumes, you can see what you can do with paint and some other items. At times, you only have to have some paint that will be used to make up a face, and then the rest of the costume should come to you. Just make sure the paint is not going to irritate your child’s face. You can always just go with a hoodie if you wish, or you can find other things like slippers that might complete the costumes. Cute is everywhere if you take the time to look. You can even find what you want in your own closets.

These Cute Halloween costumes are found everywhere. You can find them in your local department store, or you can even find used ones if you go to a thrift store. There are many great sites online that can give you the things you need to build your own, or you can shop for complete sets that are just what you want. No matter what you use, be sure each is safe for the age group, and be sure that you know you are getting one big enough for your kid. Shop early for the best selection of cute Halloween costumes.

Why not take a look at probably the hottest costume of 2008 the Harry Potter Halloween Costume

The ultimate goal of anyone who loves to decorate their yard for Christmas is to set up a full light show that includes music. These shows can be difficult to set up, but they are spectacular to see and are well worth the effort.

Here are some steps to get you started on creating your own show:

Do your Research.

Before going any further, be aware that setting up a Christmas lightshow as part of your outside Christmas decorations take a lot of time and patience. It can be a great hobby, but it’s not as easy as plugging some lights in flipping a switch. So, if you are ready, keep reading.

You are going to need a few items to make this work:

1. A computer to do the programming.

2. A light controller with multiple channels. This is what controls the lights.

3. A software program to program the light controller. This will define when the lights turn on and off in relation to the music.

4. An FM transmitter to broadcast your music. Another option is a pair of speakers on your front porch, but it is unlikely that the neighbors appreciate the same song playing over and over again.

5. The lights! For a complete effect, this should include not just regular lights, but icicle lights, net lights and yard displays.

Organize and Plan.

Now you are getting down to the fun part. To make the show work, you will need to sit down with pencil and paper and design your system. Decide what music you want to play (preferably something that has to do with Christmas), and where the decorations will be. Your plan should include a drawing of your front yard, with sketches and notes on how the show will work.

Buy Your Equipment and Decorations

Now that you have your plan, you are ready to buy your decorations. This can get expensive fast, so do some research to make sure you aren’t overpaying. I suggest going through the internet for the software and control box for the lights. A search in Google or Yahoo should yield several results and allow you to compare several options.

Test, Test, and Test!

It’s important enough to say again: Test, Test, and Test! The first thing you should do is set up your controller for a single set of lights and make sure you can get it to turn on and off. Then get it to turn on and off to music. Then add a second set of lights and make sure you can get that one to turn on and off. See why this takes so long? It can be tedious, but the results are well worth it.

Set It All Up

After everything is programmed, it’s just a matter of setting it up. Hang the lights, set up the displays, and plug it in.

Now, all you have left to do is sip hot cocoa and watch your neighbors scramble to get their decorations looking half as good as yours!

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!

Ryan Harris has celebrated 30 Christmases and has loved every one! He currently has a blog of tips and how-to advice for Christmas decorations at Outside Christmas Decorations.

Sorry folks but this is an ad for Christmas images. Skip this if you don’t like ads.

I wouldn’t normally do this so blatantly but it IMHO is a great deal so couldn’t pass it up.

The package is huge — 150 meg and the cost is only $27.00.

Great variety of images including clip art, vintage angels, Santas, Christmas tree ornaments, animals, candles, elves, gift tags etc. etc.

Not only great for scrapping but I would think for 101 other ideas even I haven’t thought of.

Take advantage of a great deal!
http://scrapncrafts.com/xmas.htm

Image via WikipediaFive quick easy Halloween Costumes you can whip up in an afternoon!

Life sometimes puts way more on our plates than we can manage. Just as you’re recovering from back to school frenzy and are reintegrating driving kids here and there for after school activities, Halloween is upon you before you know it. If you’ve got a few kids to costume up, it can run into some money. If you’re short on time, money or both, here are five quick easy Halloween Costumes you can make yourself in just a couple of hours. A trip to the dollar store for a few nifty accessories and you’ve got some happy trick or treaters. These costumes are a hit with young children.

The quintessential costume is the ghost. Yes, the plain white sheet is the main part of this costume, but your ghost needn’t be a plain Jane or Joe. This is a styled out ghost, cool as can be. Arrange the sheet over the child so that it’s evenly distributed by length and width. Ask the child to point to each eye – they think this is silly and it adds to the fun. Take a marker and draw circles, big enough for clear viewing. Trim the hem as necessary. Pin armhole openings, loose enough to allow easy movement. Remove the sheet. With a glue gun, attach sequins or beads around the eye holes and day-glow stickers everywhere. Stitch the armhole openings. You’re done!

Your little princess will feel like a real Princess in this Halloween Costume. You can find the basic dress at a thrift shop. Look for a special occasion dress. Let your child do the choosing of color and style. A stop at the fabric shop will yield all the trims, lace, appliques and satin flowers you’ll need to make this dress truly special. A rhinestone tiara completes the picture perfect Princess costume.

Little girls invariably want to be an angel at least once! Again, it’s easy to find a white, special occasion dress at thrift shops. The fabric shop supplies more adornments. Use a spray adhesive to make sprinkles of glitter stick, as desired.

SpongeBob Square Pants(TM) is a funny looking guy popular with boys. All you need is a rectangular cardboard box and some acrylic paint. For authenticity, Google an image of this character. Mark the eye and mouth openings and paint away. This quick easy Halloween costume goes faster when your child participates in the painting, which he’ll want to do!

A pair of jeans, a plaid shirt and a few dollar store accessories are all you need for the cowboy or cowgirl costume. With a hat, six-shooter belt and inexpensive boots, your kid is ready to rustle up some treats!

No matter which of these quick easy Halloween costumes you choose, attach reflective, glittery or glow-in-the-dark doo-dads for safety’s sake. A little imagination and a few hours is all you need for a Happy Halloween!

A lot of people think that you can’t teach your toddler how to craft because they are so young, but there are all sorts of free and easy toddler Halloween crafts that you and your little one can do together. You will be teaching your child about all sorts of things when you take the time to craft together. Plus, you are spending time together which is irreplaceable when it comes to your child’s well-being. We were able to find all kinds of free and easy toddler Halloween crafts. Here are a couple you may want to try.

You can make a cute bat from your child’s handprint for a fun and cute keepsake. First, get a paper plate and pour in washable black craft paint. Put your child’s hand in the paint making sure to fully cover the whole hand. On a piece of construction paper or another paper plate, press your child’s hand onto one side with fingers splayed. Turn the paper around, re-coat the child’s hand and press the hand to the paper again with the heels of the hand matching up. Use white paint to make eyes or buy some googly eyes and glue down. Punch a hole in the top and put a string through to hang.

Finally, you can make cute Halloween ornaments from fun foam - our favorite craft supply that we feel everyone should have on hand! Get a few pieces of fun foam in typical Halloween colors - orange, black, white, and green. Draw circles and ovals onto the fun foam and let your toddler practice his or her cutting skills cutting out the shapes with safety scissors, of course! While he or she is doing that, you can cut out shapes from the rest of the fun foam. You can get patterns online for scary cats, witches, ghosts, bats, and much more. Cut out several different ones and then let your toddler glue the figures onto the shapes. Punch a hole in the top and put a string through so you can hang your toddler’s Halloween ornaments all over the house!

Free and easy toddler Halloween crafts can be found in many places on the Internet. There are many web sites dedicated to crafts that are easy for children of all ages, so you will have a lot of different and fun projects to choose from. Remember when you are looking for free and easy toddler Halloween crafts for you and your child to make that the important thing is spending time with your child - that is what counts in the long run!

To find out more about Halloween crafts and arts for the whole family , please visit http://www.halloweeneasycrafts.com