Last 10 Submissions http://www.e-bookville.com Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:14:04 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.e-bookville.com/images/M_images/rss.png http://www.e-bookville.com Last 10 Submissions http://www.e-bookville.com/Keep-Your-Diet-in-Check-on-Halloween.html The biggest problem with these Halloween sweets is that they have plenty of calories per serving and little nutritional value. Plus, the smaller fun-size treats often fool dieters into thinking that they can eat multiple pieces without harming their diets. But t only takes 9 of these mini-candy bars to add a quarter of a pound of fat to your body. Beyond candy, Halloween is also filled with other indulgent treats. Whether it is pumpkin pie, gooey popcorn balls, or sweet candied apples, there is no shortage of calories during the month of October. What can you do? Obviously, there is no way that you can totally eliminate candy from Halloween with spoiling all of the fun. So here are some tips to help you stick to your diet, while still allowing yourself the occasional sweet indulgence. Walk when trick-or-treating. Not only is it a good idea to supervise your kids while they are out trick-or-treating, it will help you burn some extra calories while you do it, even if you are walking slowly. Store leftovers in the cupboard. If you leave the Halloween candy out in plain sight, you will be more likely to indulge in the occasional snack. Storing it in an unmarked container in the cupboard will help reduce the temptation to have a taste. Wait until Halloween to buy candy. Yes, it does mean a little bit of last minute shopping, but having candy in the house prior to Halloween is merely a temptation to eat it. If waiting until Halloween to shop is just not practical with your schedule, only buy candy that you personally don't care for. Provide candy alternatives. Whether it is treats for the trick-or-treaters or munchies for your Halloween party, thinking healthy when you shop can help keep diet damaging foods to the minimum. Consider handing out stickers or pencils to trick-or-treaters, and look for veggie trays with healthy dips and other low fat snacks for your party. Give Halloween candy a deadline. Choose a date when all Halloween candy needs to be out of the house or eaten by the kids. Any remaining candy on that day should be thrown out. Alternatively, divide up surplus candy into freezer bags and store in the freezer. This will help prevent the temptation to snack. Focus on other activities. If you can, consider skipping trick-or-treating altogether and focus on an activity that doesn't center around food. Hayrides, haunted houses, and bonfires can all be fun activities that the whole family can participate in. Of course, if you can't keep your Halloween temptations to a minimum, your other alternative is to spend some extra time at the gym working the pounds off. The choice is up to you. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Popular-Teen-Halloween-Costumes.html When it comes to tweens, particularly boys, choosing a Halloween costume will be as much about what is cool as it is about what they like. You can now find fancier and fancier costumes targeted for tweens for Halloween, in fact the choices are nearly endless, so be creative! The fact of it is, Halloween is becoming a holiday that can be enjoyed by the whole family not just the very young. However, there seems to be a gap between the sexy adult Halloween costumes and the Halloween costumes worn by children in preschool and elementary school. This gap is becoming filled by a set of costumes marketed directly by to this middle group. Superman and Supergirl/Superwoman The cartoons, movies, and comics have made these characters popular with all age groups. While a simple costume may seem childish, a few tweaks and it can be sexy and cool. Everyone loves a super hero, and you are sure to see a few of these flying about your town on Halloween night. Batman Another member in the superhero lineup, the darker side of Batman seems perfectly suited for Halloween, especially the version from Batman Returns. Like the Superman costume, this is a classic for all ages, though certain detailing will definitely differentiate and adult/teen costume from a child's costume. Soldier Due to the chaotic world events, the popularity of soldier costumes is increasing. Plus, this costume can be relatively easy to put together with all the camouflage clothing that is readily available. Some face paint and your look is complete. Parents should be aware, however, that this costume does offer low visibility to oncoming traffic at night. Ghosts and demons These costumes are also relatively easy to put together with the help of a mask and/or some face paint, making them a popular choice for young adults on the go. The Scream movie ghost is one popular addition to this category. Klownz Bad spelling aside, these clown costumes are marketed towards the young adult crowd. They have a more modern design look to them, and are not as scary as an adult costume might be but not as silly as a child's costume. Instead of the robes usually worn, these costumes often utilize jackets and jumpers, making them popular with teens. Fading light Phantoms For teens willing to spend a little extra money on their Halloween costume, these specialty masks can give a spooky effect after dark. Basically the mask includes mounted lights that are set to fade in and out, creating a creepy effect in the dark. Add to that they are easy to wear, and it is no wonder they are so popular with teens. Parents should keep in mind that many young adult costumes are not designed to be as visible to cars and other people as a child's costume might be. Because of this, some parents choose to attach reflective tape to the costume in some fashion, or have their children carry flashlights or glow sticks to make them more visible to oncoming traffic. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Keeping-Your-Halloween-Party-Budget-Friendly.html Halloween parties can be fun for all ages, but they can also become expensive quickly if you do not have a budget in mind. And while everyone wants to invite all of their friends, the more people, the more money the party costs. After all, you have to figure in the decorations, entertainment, food, and costumes. However, with the right planning you can create the perfect Halloween party on any budget. Make it a potluck Potlucks are a great idea for any party. For starters, you do not have the work and expense of creating multiple dishes yourself. You also get the advantage of trying new and different recipes. It is often easiest to make the main dish yourself, and assign dishes to different party goers (for instance, asking one family to bring a side dish, another dessert, another salad, etc.). You can also make your Halloween party snacks or desserts only. Plan ahead and shop on sale If you host an annual Halloween party, paper supplies and decorations can often be bought cheaply in November for the following year. If this is your first year hosting a Halloween party, start buying as soon as Halloween merchandise starts hitting the shelves so that you can take advantage of the lower prices and better selection. Look for items that can be used more than once If you can get two uses out of one item, you have saved money right there. Pumpkins that are painted or left natural (no carving) can be used to make baked goods after the guests have gone home. Fall decorations can work just as well in November as in October, provided that there is nothing specifically Halloween about them. Also look for Halloween decorations that can be reused from one year to the next. That way, if you do invest much money this year, you won't have to next year. Small and intimate beats large and loud While a large party involving the entire neighborhood may sound like fun, the amount of money that it will cost, let alone the amount of room that you will need, can make this a bit prohibitive. Consider making the party for adults only, or limit to only the families that you are closest with. Shop at warehouse stores Buying in bulk is often less expensive, especially when you need to buy a large amount of items. Candy, paper goods, and treats for the goodie bags can often be found for less than you would pay at the department stores. Chances are, if you spend more money on your Halloween party than you were intending, it is only going to stress you out. So by shopping smart and planning ahead, you can have just as much fun without the stress. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Halloween-Games-for-Kids.html While adults may be jumping on the Halloween bandwagon, first and foremost Halloween is a kid's holiday. Besides trick-or-treating and costumes, Halloween parties are one of the many activities that kids can look forward to each Halloween. If you are thinking of jumping in and hosting your own kid's party this year, one thing that you will need to think about is the games. When planning kid's party games, keep in mind that many games will only have one winner. So be sure to play enough games that every child can be a winner, or consider providing second and third place prizes to help avoid hurt feelings. If you don't want to use candy for prizes, Halloween party favors and small toys also make great prize ideas. Ghostly musical chairs Almost everyone is familiar with the game of musical chairs, so you probably won't need a detailed expression of the rules. All you need is one chair less than the number of kids attending the party (so 9 chairs for 10 kids, for example). Cover the chairs with white sheets and paint some eyes and mouths on them to make them look like ghosts. Line the chairs up or arrange them in a circle. To play the game, play some music while the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, the child left without a chair is out. Remove a chair, and keep playing until there is only one child left. Dress the scarecrow If you have some of dad's old clothing lying around the house, this is a fun game for kids. Divide the children into small teams, and give all teams some clothes for their scarecrow. Jeans or overalls, flannel shirts, boots, gloves, and a straw hat are typical, though you can use whatever you have on hand. One child in the team is the scarecrow, and has to stand still while the others of the team put the clothes on. The first team to complete a scarecrow is the winner. Meet my mummy For this one, you will again want to divide children into small teams and have one child volunteer to be the mummy (preferably a child who was not the scarecrow if you play both games). Give each team a roll of toilet paper, and have them wrap their mummy with it (you can also use rolls of streamers in Halloween colors if you would prefer). The first team done wins. Pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern Create a large pumpkin out of cardboard, or make one out of construction paper and pin it to a bulletin board. Paint or glue eyes and a mouth on the jack-o-lantern, leaving the area where the nose should be empty. Cut out several yellow triangles, writing the child's name on the front and placing a small piece of double-sided tape on the back. Blindfold children and have them attempt to pin the nose where it belongs. To make the game more difficult, spin the child in circles several times before having them pin the nose on. Almost any child's party game can be converted to a Halloween game with a little creativity. Of course, leave plenty of time for snacks and the ever-popular costume contest. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/The-10-Fun-Benefits-to-Halloween.html Many people see Halloween as a time of fun, costumes and candy. Others see it as a way to honor the dead relatives that have passed or celebrate the coming of fall and winter. No matter what you think of Halloween, there are some benefits that celebrating this holiday can offer you. Here is a look at just some of them. It's fun. Halloween is fun all around. People enjoy dressing up and decorating. Fun can help people of all ages reduce the amount of stress, improve depression, and bring balance to their lives. No dress code. For the majority of your life, someone has dictated what you wear. Whether it was your parents or a dress code imposed on you by the schools or workplace. Halloween is the one day a year where it is socially acceptable to get a little wild. Express yourself. You may have a going out personality that you share with your friends and coworkers, and a totally different hidden side that you keep to yourself. However, it can be quite therapeutic to express that side of you once in awhile, and Halloween is a great way to do it. For instance, if you normally dress in dark colored, conservative clothes, a bright and flashy Halloween costume can be a lot of fun. An excuse to socialize. Everyone loves a party, but with today's busy schedules it can be difficult to find the time to get out and socialize. The many Halloween events help you to create opportunities to go out with friends. Avoid being self conscious. If you are normally they shy person in the corner at parties, then a Halloween party is one of the times where you can actually be yourself and become a social butterfly. Hiding behind a mask and costume can give you more self confidence to go out and meet people. The gift of receiving. Receiving treats while trick-or-treating is a lot of fun for children. Plus, it can be a teachable moment for parents to remind kids to be polite, speak clearly, and say thank you for items received. The gift of giving. By the same token, children can also learn about giving graciously. Whether it is helping to hand out treats or donating their outgrown costumes to the needy, it can be a great teaching moment. Family moments. Halloween offers plenty of moments for family fun. Whether it is a journey to the pumpkin patch, cooking up Halloween treats, or planning your own costume party, families benefit from spending fun times together. Catching the spirit. Even if you personally do not want to dress up for Halloween, it can be fun to see what everyone else chooses to do. There are always some unique and interesting costumes out there that might inspire you for next year. Meet your neighbors. With everyone's busy schedules and the hesitancy of parents to send children out alone, you may not get the opportunity to meet those who live on the same street as you do. Trick-or-treating allows you to walk right up, knock, and say hello without anyone thinking twice about it. There are plenty of other benefits that come along with the Halloween holiday, these are just a few. So why not create some reasons of your own? Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/A-Finishing-Costume-Touch-Contacts-Lenses.html If you are looking for a way to make your Halloween costume complete and stand out above everyone else, you can consider special effect contact lenses. Here is a look at how these creepy contact lenses can help you complete the look. Will I be able to see? Most of the special effect contact lenses are designed so that you can see while wearing them, including the blackout styled ones. The center portion of the lens remains clear. The exception to this is the ones that are designed to make the entire eye look white, since they hide the pupils. As you will have limited vision, it is suggested that you wear these lenses in only one eye at a time. Can I still wear them if I wear prescription contacts? Halloween contact lenses come in styles for both those who need corrective lenses and those that do not. However, the selection of corrective powered lenses is more limited, and do not go higher than a -6 prescription. Some styles are only available as non-corrective lenses. Will they be comfortable to wear? If you go with a higher quality brand of contact lenses, they should be comfortable. However, if you do not wear contacts normally you will probably notice that they are there. You should also keep in mind that costume contacts do not allow as much air flow to the eye as your traditional lenses, and so can start to feel irritated sooner. Most costume contact manufacturers do not recommend wearing the lenses for longer than 8 hours at a time. Can I wear them more than once? The typical name brand Halloween contact lenses are designed to last for a year, just like your regular contacts would. With good care and only occasional wear the nicer brands can last up to 18 months. Some brands are designed for only temporary wear and will last about 30 days. Less expensive than the other styles, these can be a good option if you only plan on wearing your Halloween contact lenses once. Are there any risks? There are some FDA warnings about Halloween contact lenses, and most are associated with the proper wear. You should always see an optometrist before ordering contacts, and purchase them from a registered contact lens retailer. Never share your lenses with another person. Do not sleep in lenses or wear them for longer than 8 hours. Remember to carry a case and contact lens solution with you so that you can remove your lenses if they become uncomfortable. Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling contact lenses. How much will they cost me? Traditional Halloween contact lenses range in price from about $60-$80 a pair. Hand-painted Halloween contact lenses are much more expensive and can cost over $200 a pair. Where can I buy them? You can often purchase Halloween contact lenses from your regular optometrist as well as online retailers. Since they are often special ordered, make sure that you allow enough time for them to arrive and order early for Halloween orders. Halloween contact lenses can be a great way to add a finishing and unexpected touch to your Halloween costume. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Halloween-Crafts-for-Kids.html Many kids love Halloween. There are parties, costumes, and every kid's favorite candy. Trying to keep kids entertained until Halloween night can require the patience of Gandhi himself. Here are some easy Halloween crafts that you can use to keep the kids entertained. Puppets Ghost puppets are easy to make and can inspire hours of creative play. Get a white handkerchief, black marker, and a rubber band. Drape the handkerchief over your child's middle three fingers, secure with a rubber band, and draw on eyes and a mouth with the marker. You can also put the cardboard from a paper towel roll and stuff the head with cotton balls if you want a more permanent puppet. Lollipops If you are planning on handing out lollipops as part of your treats for trick-or-treating, you kids can help you decorate them. Cover the lollipop with a tissue, tying securely with a rubber band or piece of ribbon. Use a marker to draw eyes and mouth on your ghosts and they are ready for giving. Spider webs Take 3 craft sticks and glue them together so that they make a star shape. Taking white or black yarn, weave it over one craft stick and under the next, working your way outwards from the center. When it is finished, glue down the end and attach a plastic spider. Your creation is now ready for hanging. Candy Cauldrons Find an empty plastic container and paint it black. You will also need to paint three small wooden balls black as well. Once everything is completely dry, glue the balls to the bottom of the cauldron. Add a wire handle if you would like, and fill your cauldron with your favorite Halloween candies. Paint a pumpkin Pumpkin carving is a bit messy and difficult, and can be dangerous if you do not want small children handling the knife. Instead, get some permanent markers or acrylic paint your pumpkin to look like a monster, clown, or other Halloween character. For kids, the smaller pie pumpkins or even the mini-pumpkins will work perfectly for this craft. Paper plate masks While your child may not be able to dress up in their costume until the day or evening of Halloween, you can easily create your own masks. Help your child cut eyes and breathing holes out of a paper plate. Punch a hole on either side to attach a ribbon or string to tie the mask on. Then you can allow your child to decorate the mask with crayons, marker, paint, or by gluing items to it. Reusable treat bags Purchase some reusable cloth totes or shopping bags as well as some Halloween-colored fabric paint. You can also look for iron-on transfers and stencils to make decorating easier. Allow your kids to decorate their own bag. If you do this a few days before Halloween, it will be dry and ready to go along when trick-or-treating. A little creativity and you can come up with your own Halloween crafts for kids as you wait to celebrate this fall holiday. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Keep-Halloween-from-Breaking-the-Bank.html Halloween costumes are creative and they continue to evolve each year with new and innovative materials, ideas and technology. The price can also evolve, thus, if you are strapped for cash, but still want to have a memorable Halloween, here are some tips for you. Keep costumes traditional The majority of the budget is often spent on Halloween costumes. The selection of costumes varies every year, with the current trend in movies and TV often influencing what is popular. In fact, you may see more Spiderman and Hannah Montana costumes on Halloween night than your traditional Dracula and fairy princess. If you want to stretch your Halloween costume dollars, consider returning to the more traditional costumes and putting your own spin on them. You can often buy Halloween costume accessories, like clown noses, princess tiaras, and vampire teeth, inexpensively. You can then combine these other accessories such as capes, wands, and swords for an inexpensive, yet fun and creative costume. Buy treats in bulk Another big expense on Halloween night is in the purchasing of treats to hand out to the trick or treaters that will come ringing your bell. If you live in a neighborhood that sees a lot traffic on Halloween night, you can end up spending a small fortune in Halloween treats. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is to buy in bulk. Warehouse stores can offer you candy for much less than the grocery store and in big bags. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to the fun size candy bar, you can also look for bulk packaging of popular snack foods that are individually wrapped into single servings. Another alternative is to skip the food altogether and choose a treat alternative. Dollar stores, party supply stores, toy stores, and even teacher supply stores can be a great source of Halloween-themed items like toys, stickers, pencils, and novelties. These can be an inexpensive and fun alternative to the candy bar. Keep decorations simple A third expense for Halloween night is the decorations. Traditional jack-o-lanterns are cheap enough to create. However, if you want to create a spookier atmosphere, consider making decorations yourself. Cardboard tombstones, bed sheet ghosts, batting cobwebs, and other handmade decorations can be as spooky to young children as the electronic gizmos that are sold by retailers. Even a few well placed spot lights and candles can give your own home a creepy atmosphere. Of course, if you really want some of the fancier, high tech Halloween decorations, consider shopping the clearance sales in November. You can get this year's hottest decorations at a much lower cost and save them for future Halloweens. Saving money on Halloween is all about shopping smarter and planning ahead. With a little forethought and creativity, you can come up with other Halloween money savers that will allow your budget to go a lot further this year. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Halloween-Party-Games.html So you want to have a Halloween party, but are unsure how to keep the kids entertained while they are there. After all, there is only so much pizza and candy that a kid can take! If you are tired of the traditional games, like costume contests and bobbing for apples, here are a couple of alternatives that can help keep everyone entertained. Spooky Storytelling On a creepy night like Halloween, telling spooky stories can help set the mood. Before the party, you will want to take a small deck of index cards and write story-starting phrases. You will want at least one per party goer, and more if you want the game to continue longer. Keep them appropriate to your party's age group, but you can include things like: It was a dark and stormy night... The door creaked open and we saw... The witch cackled over her cauldron, stirring what looked like... I peaked under the bed and saw... There was a knocking at the window and... I heard a horrible scream and I knew... To play the game, sit everyone in a circle and dim the lights. Consider having a flashlight to pass to the person whose turn it is to tell the tale. Have everyone pick a card, and then someone starts the story. Set a timer for one or two minutes, and that person has to start the story with the phrase on their card. When the timer goes off, the flashlight gets passed to the next person, who then continues the tale with the phrase on their card. This continues at least until everyone has a turn, or longer if you have the time. Mummy Memory Get a large serving tray and fill it with small Halloween goodies. Toy spiders and bugs, stickers, pumpkins, and other Halloween party favors can be a good way to go (plus, you can recycle these items into the goodie bags to go home when you are done). Cover the tray with a cloth, and give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. Remove the cloth, giving everyone a minute or two to study the tray, and then recover. Everyone should then try to write down everything that they remembered, with the person remembering the most winning a prize. Terror Tag You need a larger, empty room for this game. Before the game starts, secretly assign each person to be a ghost or a mortal. An easy way to do this is to give each person a slip of paper with their designation on it but make sure they know it is to be a secret! You should always have a much higher ratio of mortals to ghosts, so most of the time one or two ghosts will be plenty. Then, turn down the lights so that it is dark in the room (or you could blindfold players). Have them go about the room, shaking hands with other players, and whispering to them if they are ghost or mortal. If you shake hands with a ghost, you must freeze in terror. This continues until there are only ghosts left. Halloween party games can be fun to play and help pass the time. If you need more ideas, consider giving any of your regular party favors a Halloween twist and using them. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100 http://www.e-bookville.com/Make-Sure-Your-Costume-Fits.html There is nothing more frustrating than finding the ideal costume and then once you get it home realizing it does not fit. So before you start shopping for your perfect Halloween costume, make sure that you have all the information that you need to ensure a proper fit. Measurements Before you go out costume shopping, get a tape measure out. A cloth or plastic tape measure found in craft stores is going to be a lot easier to use than a heavy construction-grade one, and you can usually find them in the same section as other sewing supplies. Take a full list of measurements, including arm, chest, hips, inseam, neck, and waist. You may need to ask for assistance if you are taking measurements on yourself. That way, when you are looking at the size charts for the particular brand of costumes, you can make sure the one that you are buying will fit. Sizing Notes When you are shopping you will often see sizing notes from the manufacturer. Take those to heart, and if it says an item runs big or runs small believe them. If there are no notes, you can usually assume that the costume runs true to size. Some people still choose to buy a size larger in some styles to allow them to wear layers underneath if the weather is cold. Remember that trick-or-treating and Halloween parties can go on for several hours, and an ill-fitting costume will not be comfortable for very long. Don't forget accessories Some accessories can also be dangerous if they do not fit properly. Make sure that masks do not slip down into your face and watch for any dangling accessories that could become tripping hazards. Shorten things that are too long Fitting kids for costumes, and even smaller adults, can be a bit of a challenge if a costume is designed to fit most people in that size range. Skirts, slacks, and long capes and robes can present a tripping hazard when you are out at the party or running from house to house while trick-or-treating. Long sleeves can catch on items and tear, or accidentally fall into candle flames and catch fire. Always wear these costumes with care, and if it is a child's costume consider hemming or pinning the costume to avoid accidents. A properly fitting Halloween costume will make your Halloween much more fun and memorable. By knowing how to fit the costume properly, you can guarantee that you will find the right costume the first time. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:37:24 +0100