Sweets & Treats

Halloween: It's all about the candy.

OK, not entirely true. It's about dressing up, having fun, carving pumpkins, getting scared (in a fun way), hanging out with friends, and (in the Midwest anyway) having one last hurrah before winter comes in and puts the kibosh on fall fun.

But the treats are where it's really at.

If you were big into trick-or-treating like yours truly, you usually had some kind of game plan. You knew which houses to avoid (like the dentist who always gave out those plastic vampire teeth and - not even kidding - toothbrushes) and which to hit early in the night (the awesome couple who gave out full or king size candy bars every year). To ensure maximum candy collection, you might have decided ahead of time who would ring the doorbell at each house or might have gotten the largest pillowcase you could find in hopes of filling it to the top (a goal that I sadly never reached). No matter what, the highlight of Halloween was checking out the loot at the end of the night.

Being a particularly quirky kid, I didn't settle for pouring out my candy and eating it right then and there. No, I had other plans. I would pour out the candy, grab a pen and paper, and tally up all the goods. I'd make piles of each brand and mark them down as I went. By the end, I knew exactly how many Reeses cups or Twizzlers I had and knew the overall candy count from the night's haul. 

Why? Two reasons. First is that I'm just OCD. I love making lists and taking inventory. Seriously. Second reason was for trading purposes. If someone had something I wanted, I knew how many of which candies I had to barter with. Say someone had a delicious 100 Grand bar. I could check my list and see that I had plenty of Kit-Kats to spare (which, while tasty, are not among my favorites). Likewise, if someone wanted my Nestle Crunch and I only had 2, I knew that trading wasn't an option (love me some Crunch!).

My parents never had to worry about me eating candy while out and about that night because it would have thrown off my overall count, and I couldn't have that. (How did my parents not realize I was OCD??) So whenever those stories came out about kids eating candy that had needles in them, my parents got to relax, knowing they would be able to check my stash before any of it was consumed.

That having been said, today I will share with you my top 5 tips for successful trick-or-treating. You might be "too old" to go for yourself, but you can pass these along to any kids or teens who may want the inside scoop from a seasoned veteran.

1) Start early, stay late. This comes with a few caveats. Don't start before it's dark; that's when the little guys and gals get their turns. Likewise, if you know a family has little ones, they might not be home when you first start, so plan accordingly. And don't go too late. Remember the golden rule of trick-or-treating: If the lights are on, you're good to go; if the lights are gone, the answer's no. My best advice is to head out just after it gets dark (use whatever gauge you want; I like to use the street lights as my guide) and go no later than 9. Most houses will be done closer to 8, but any that are still going after that are likely to give you more candy since the night is winding down.

2) Keep your group smaller. I know, you have a huge group of friends and you all want to go together. That's fine, but it may slow you down. Slow = less candy. If you have a big group, consider breaking into two smaller groups as you go down the street. One group can start on one side and the other on the opposite side. When you're at the end, switch and meet back up at the other end. You don't have to keep the same groups every street, and you can typically move faster when there are fewer people to get through the process at each house.

3) Be polite. It doesn't sound like much, but think about it. If there's a group of younger kids heading to the same house as you, and you rush up to beat them, do you really think you're going to get more candy? No way. Let the little ones go first. They usually don't take much candy (so they're probably not going to run out before they get to you) AND the treat-givers are more likely to be generous if they see that you let the others go first. This is especially important the older (or taller) you are. Some people are weird about older kids on Halloween, so being nice and polite will give you the best odds at candy collection. Oh, and remember to thank people for candy. They don't have to give it to you.

4) Be enthusiastic! Seriously. If you show up at my door and mumble, "Trick or treat" or just stand there and look at me while holding your bag out or grabbing at the bowl in my hands, I'm not going to be inclined to shower you with candy. Same if you show up with little to no costume on (a scary mask while you're wearing a sweatshirt and jeans is not a costume). Put some effort into the night; it's a holiday for crying out loud! It's almost as much for the candy givers as the candy takers. I didn't realize that until I was an adult, but it's true. I love to see the creativity that comes along on Halloween, and I get a kick out of kids who are beyond thrilled to be at my door just for a few pieces of chocolate. 

5) Strategy. In most cases time is money; on Halloween, time is candy. Like I said earlier, knowing who is going to ring the bell BEFORE you get to the door helps you be more efficient. I'm not saying you should have a set schedule, but sharing the responsibility makes it more fun (who doesn't love to ring a doorbell?) and saves time in the long run. And knowing which houses you can skip will also save you some time (and some disappointment). Also, I suggest taking a bag/container with handles. Pillowcases are fun and I admire the goal of filling them, but they aren't that easy to carry around, especially as the night goes on. Handles give you a better grip, and a smaller bag will make it seem like you got more candy. Use some common sense; if a house is swamped when you get to it, head across the street instead. By the time you're done there, the crowd will probably have subsided.

So, there you have it. Do I miss trick-or-treating? You're damn right I do. But I'm all for helping kids get more out of their Halloween experience. :)

Happy Halloween!

Ahhh, it's here at last!  The wonderful day where you can dress up as whomever or whatever you want (although, hopefully within some bounds of reason), gorge yourself on candy (Pixy Stix are my addiction this year), and delight in a magical mixture of spooky and silly.  Yes, my darlings, this is Halloween!

As previously mentioned, our backwards little city held its "official" trick-or-treating yesterday afternoon.  It started out slow, just as it has in years past.  In the first hour we got about 3 groups of kids (so, MAYBE 8-10 children).  Hubby and I had decided to stop the show we were watching, in case things picked up.  They didn't.  In fact, it started to rain around 2 or 2:30.  Ugh.

So we decided to start carving our pumpkins, a tradition that I don't think I'll ever grow too old for (people might deny me candy if I tried trick-or-treating, but I'll be damned if a store is going to reject my money and deny me a pumpkin to carve).  About 10 minutes or so into carving, the doorbell rang.  Some kids were braving the rain to get their candy.  In fact, we seemed to get MORE trick-or-treaters in the rain!  That, my friends, is something I can respect, and to those kids, I tip my hat.

When we finished pumpkin-carving, we finished our show (American Horror Story pilot episode - perfect for Halloween).  Then it was time to choose one of my annual Halloween movies to watch.  We decided on "Young Frankenstein" (because Mel Brooks is always a good choice) and made a delicious chuck roast for dinner (which had been marinating since 8 PM the night before).  We watched a bit of 'Punkin Chunkin' to wrap things up before Hubby headed to the garage and I headed to my computer.

Today, I am sadly sans costume.  I was going to paint my face black and white, put on my panda ears and frown a lot (get it?  I was going to be a sad panda!), but it just seemed like a lot of effort when I don't plan on going anywhere.  Instead, I'm just calling myself either a stressed college student or a disgruntled employee, no costume required.

Alas, I will NOT let my lack of costume or the grey, cloudy day ruin my Halloween!  Tonight, we shall watch another of my Halloween movies (possibly 'Repo! The Genetic Opera') and toast some pumpkin seeds.  And in the meantime, there's plenty of awesome Halloween music waiting to be heard!  Need a few examples to get you started?

1) "Thriller" by Michael Jackson - Probably the most epic music video ever, "Thriller" is a perfect Halloween anthem.  Werewolves, zombies, and kick-ass choreography; what more could you need?  Of course, if you're looking for something a little different (or don't have time for the almost 14-minute long video), Glee's mash-up of "Thriller" and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" is also a ton of fun. 

2) "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley - If you didn't grow up listening to the radio around Halloween, then there's a tiny chance you aren't familiar with this song.  Fix that.  Now.

3) "Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett - A staple of any good Halloween event.  I'm still not exactly sure how to do the monster mash, but I'm pretty sure any kind of movement will suffice as long as you're having fun. 

4) "Calling All the Monsters" by China McClain - If you have kids, or if you just love the Disney channel, then you're most likely torn between hating this song for being overplayed and loving it for being so damn catchy.

5) "This is Halloween" from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (written by Danny Elfman, my hero) - Boys and girls of every age should love this song AND this movie.  If you don't, no sweat.  I'll just judge silently from afar.

Now go get your ghostly groove on and have a happy Halloween!

This is Halloween...

OK, so the Brewers aren't in the World Series.  Sad, but, I'm still happy and proud of them for taking it as far as they did.  Too bad we'll likely never see Prince Fielder in a Brewers jersey again, but, it happens.

Anywhoozles, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Halloween is my favorite freakin' holiday.  I love Fall.  I love candy.  I love dressing up.  So what's not to love?

Last year on Facebook, I posted my favorite non-scary Halloween movies.  Here's the list:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (also good for Christmastime!)

Corpse Bride

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (I guess this depends on your definition of 'scary' ^_^)

Repo! The Genetic Opera  (OK, this one's a bit gory, but definitely not a horror movie or anything)

Hocus Pocus

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Edward Scissorhands

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (yes, the MOVIE...  Epic.)

Labyrinth

So I Married An Axe Murderer

Young Frankenstein

Donnie Darko (again - depends on what you find scary)

Clue (Really, this movie works ANY time of year)

Beetlejuice

Casper (Yes, I know I'm 27.  I don't care.)

The Addams Family

I know there are TONS of others.  Really, any Tim Burton movie works this time of year (especially 'Frankenweenie').  There are movies like 'Coraline' (no, it wasn't a Tim Burton movie, look it up) and 'Ghostbusters' that you could totally watch, too.  Lists like this one include flicks like 'Practical Magic' and 'Idle Hands' as viable choices.  The Harry Potter movies certainly have a halloweeny feel to them, too.  And, of course, Disney has a plethora of made-for-television or straight-to-DVD Halloween movies to choose from (I won't lie, I've watched 'Halloweentown' a few times...).

Everyone has special things that make their favorite holidays special to them.  Mine is watching my favorite non-scary Halloween movies, and I plan to start this weekend.  

Are there any awesome (but not terrifying) Halloween movies I've missed that are on your must-watch list?  Let me know and I'll try to check them out! :)

 

A Simpler Time

So, things have gotten a bit stressful these past few weeks, with no intention of letting up until next month.  Oof.  Between a mandatory work meeting, an upcoming trip to visit my 80-year old grandpa in Mississippi and tons of work for my classes (including a paper, an exam, and several chapters of reading), I'm ready to go back to being a kid for awhile.  

You know what I'm talking about, right?  The hardest decision of the day would be shoes with laces or velcro.  Dinner would be on the table, already made and tasty to boot.  Homework would take 15 minutes (tops) and going outside was the fun part of the day.  I'm badly wishing I could do a reverse Big.

Since that's not an option (there's not a Zoltar machine in view), the only thing I can do is listen to music that takes me back to a simpler time.  Without further ado, here are 5 songs from my iTunes library that always make me feel like a kid again:

1) 4 Non Blondes - "What's Up?" I can clearly remember this song being played at every single middle school dance that I attended.  Whenever I hear it, I just find myself swaying back and forth and singing as loud as I can, "And I say heeeeeey-yaaaaay-yaaaaay-yaa-haaaay, heeeeeeey-yaaaaaay-yaaaaay.  I say hey, what's going on?"  (As a side note, this song also reminds me of my one night at Karaoke Kid...  someone did this song and the whole bar burst into song at the chorus; it was magical.)

2) Carole King - "You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)" As my dad once told a boyfriend of mine (after a few drinks), "Picture this: 3-year-old Erika.  Flat-chested as a boy.  Belting out 'You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)' in her carseat!"  Embarrassing as that moment was for me, it's all true.  Anytime I hear this song, I almost feel like I'm back in the car with my mom on the way home from one of dad's softball games trying not to fall asleep before we pull into the garage. 

3) The Jackson 5 - "I'll Be There"  When I was younger, there were only two movies in my life: Now & Then and Clueless (and yes, I have the soundtracks for both).  My best friend and I used to sing along to virtually every song in Now & Then, but we always had a thing for this song in particular.  "Just call my naaaaame-buh, and I'll be there."  No, I'm not sure why we added a 'B' sound to the end of name.  That's just how we rolled.

4) The Beatles - "Michelle"  This probably sounds like a strange one, but it makes sense to me.  Remember those Saturday morning classes that some of your parents probably made you take?  Well, when I was 8, my parents wanted me to sign up, so I picked French.  We really didn't learn much except the very basics, but it was fun.  One day I was listening to my dad's Beatles tapes and "Michelle" came on.  I recognized the phrase, "très bien" since this was something our teacher said to us when we got something right (it means "very good").  So I asked my mom (who had taken French in high school) what the rest of the line was.  Once I learned a whole sentence in French, I was on top of the world.  I still feel pretty cool when I sing along today.

5) Big Bird & Waylon Jennings - "Ain't No Road Too Long"  This one is classic.  I grew up on Follow That Bird (this has been brought up in the past, and will no doubt appear in later posts).  My sisters* (including my best friend) all baby sat for me at one point or another, and all were subjected to this movie multiple times.  I hear this song, and I can picture being in the basement at my parents' house, piling pillows and blankets on the floor to bounce on while singing along with Big Bird.  If that's not bliss, I'm not sure what is.

So what songs remind you of being a kid?

Hope everyone has a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!  :-)    

*Technically, I'm an only child.  But if you ask me, I have 3 awesome big sisters (who are all actually sisters) that I grew up with.  We might not be blood-related, but we're definitely family. 

Christmas Countdown

Yes, kids, there are officially 15 days left until Christmas Day.  If you're anything like me, that both excites you and terrifies you.  So much shopping, crafting, wrapping and baking to be done!  

To avoid too much stress, what better way to relax than with some awesome seasonal movies?  We'll go for 15 so you have one for each day left!

1. The Muppet Christmas Carol - Love the muppets?  I do.  This movie is a must-see every season!  I'm pretty sure Michael Caine was actually born to play Scrooge.
2. John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together - Again, I love the muppets, AND I love John Denver.  Why wouldn't I love this movie?
3. A Muppet Family Christmas - I grew up watching this every year after my parents recorded it off TV and onto a Beta tape.  Man, I wish I still had it...  Quality stuff right here, kids.
4. Christmas Eve on Sesame Street - I think this was on the same Beta tape.  I LOVED this special growing up, and I'm pretty sure this movie is part of why I believed Santa was real for as long as I did.
5. Miracle on 34th Street - If you're going to watch this movie, do yourself a favor and watch the original.  I'm sure the remakes are fine, but the 1947 version is classic.
6. The Santa Clause - I won't lie, this movie still makes me laugh.  What can I say?  Tim Allen just cracks me up.
7. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Short and sweet, this is a true must-see.  I love to try to catch it when it's on TV.  I think it just feels more special when I know there are others out there enjoying it with me.
8. A Claymation Christmas Celebration - If you haven't seen this, go find it and watch it this season.  Claymation is one of the coolest things ever, and this special is hilarious (or, at least, I think it is)!
9. A Garfield Christmas Special - Another childhood favorite, I just love the scene with Garfield climbing up the tree to put the top ornament on.  Plus, how do you not love Odie?
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas - It's not just for Halloween my dears!  Tim Burton's masterpiece is great for Christmas, too!
11. It's A Wonderful Life - If you can believe it, I never saw this movie until I was probably 13 years old.  So for 13 years I missed out on a lovely movie that really captures the Christmas spirit.
12. Home Alone - Don't look at me like that.  You know you love it. 
13. How The Grinch Stole Christmas! - Not the blasphemous 2000 Jim Carrey version (no offense, Mr. Carrey), but the good old 1966 original cartoon. 
14. Holiday Inn - A true Christmas classic, this is a fantastic old movie well worth watching.  Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire... What more do you need?
15. A Christmas Story - Fa ra ra ra ra, ra-ra ra ra!!!

So there you have it - 15 fantastic films to get you through 'til Christmas!  Enjoy!  :-)

Did I miss your favorite Christmas movie?  Or do you hate my list?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Lazy, Lazy

I'm pretty sure I've done nothing productive today.  Wait, no, I take that back.  I might have been productive for about 20 minutes somewhere in there.  But, as it is, I could have been cleaning or doing laundry or exercising or something like that.  Instead, I watched America's Next Top Model re-runs and worked on a puzzle.  Awesome.

Ok, in all fairness, I did cut out pictures for our thank you cards.  And I picked up some dishes and stuff around the living room.  And I tried working on Christmas presents (which I just can't focus on because it's not even Thanksgiving yet, FCOL).  So I sort of tried!

I just can't do anything when Zach's not here.  I don't know if other couples function this way or not, but when he's not here, I just don't feel comfortable.  I get so bored doing things that I normally do.  If he were home, I could spend all day on my computer playing games and just being a dork.  But with him gone, I've spent maybe a total of an hour on the computer so far today.  I just don't know what to do with myself with an empty house!

On the plus side, I managed to get Maxine to sleep in bed with me all night, so that was nice.  I think she tried to wake me up a few times so I could pet her, but when I ignored her, she just curled back up and went back to sleep.  I really do love my dog.  

Tomorrow it's off to see my parents and stay overnight as I have a doctor's appointment on Monday morning (annual physical... joy).  The good thing about next week is that I only have two FULL days of work.  I'm off Monday morning for my appointment and I'm off Friday morning* for travel purposes, and of course I'm off on Thursday, so that leaves a full day on Tues and Wed!  Awesome!!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.  It's not my favorite holiday (that would be Halloween, of course), but I think it's the most relaxing for me.  I know most people get all up in a tizzy about Thanksgiving - stress from family and cooking and trying to be perfect - but it's never been like that for me.  

Growing up, Thanksgiving was normally my mom, my dad, and me.  Throw in my hubby for the past few years (though, this is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple), and the puppers this year, and you still have a pretty chill gathering.  

As tradition dictates (I'm HUGE on tradition - blame the OCD), I'll wake up early-ish to watch the Macy's parade with my mom while she starts cooking (because that is one parade you are never too old for!).  Then I'll get hubs up to watch some football with dad and me (and may make some Chex mix or some other snacky item).  

We'll probably do some family trivia after that (this is normally done via the numerous newspaper Super Quizzes my dad has saved up), then have Thanksgiving dinner (which, we actually have at dinner time, not in the afternoon).  Then it's time to make hand turkeys (a tradition just for me and Zach) and probably watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving special.  Dad normally has a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mom are often half asleep, enjoying its warmth.

And last, but NEVER least, comes dessert.  Pumpkin pie.  Or some variation thereof.  Sometimes mom gets a pecan pie for Dad, but nothing is quite like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  The BEST tradition of the year is when Dad and I make whipped cream together.  

Dad will have the bowl in the freezer for hours ahead of time, waiting for us whenever we're ready.  Then we get out the heavy whipping cream, the sugar, and the vanilla extract.  There's no recipe or measurements to be followed.  One of us will pour in the cream, while the other starts getting sugar ready.  Dad starts up the mixer, and tells me when to start (and stop) putting the sugar and vanilla in.  When we think it might be ready, we grab spoons and taste it.  If it's not to our liking, the solution is normally more sugar.  And eventually, it'll be just right.  It always is.

So I know there's some big thing about being against Thanksgiving because of what it stands for, etc, etc...  But I never think about the history involved.  Maybe that's naive of me, but I prefer just to think about what I'm thankful for and enjoy the day with the people I love the most.  

My advice?  Stop over-thinking holidays.  Have they been commercialized?  Sure.  Are the things they were founded on maybe less than happy/PC/whatever?  Sometimes, yeah.  But does that mean they have to be ruined and we should all be unhappy and stressed?  Hell no.  Make holidays what you want them to be.  They're much nicer that way.  :-)      

   

*Yes, I actually do have to work Friday after Thanksgiving.  In fact, the only reason I have that morning off is because I requested it almost 2 months in advance.  No, I'm not in retail (thankfully).  No, I don't get overtime or holiday pay.  Yes, it sucks.  

Trick or Treat

Growing up, Halloween was by FAR my favorite holiday.  When else do you get to dress up, run around with your friends for hours on end, and eat tons of candy?  With parent approval!!  Hell yes, this is the best holiday EVER!!!  

I went trick or treating EVERY YEAR until I was 19.  (Ok, so at 18, my attempt was rather futile - people on campus weren't very into it, and the surrounding houses looked at me like a lunatic for walking up to their houses alone, since my friends walked with me, but wouldn't take part - but I still went!)  All through middle school and high school, this was the one night of the year I truly looked forward to.  It was the best night ever!  

So why do some people believe that trick or treating should stop around age 12 or 13?  Because they're "too old" for it?  How the hell do you tell someone they're too old to have fun and eat candy?  Seriously?!

Here are several reasons kids should be not only allowed, but ENCOURAGED to trick or treat as long as possible:

1. Know what kids who aren't trick or treating do on Halloween night?  No, they don't sit at home and pass out candy.  That's lame.  They go out and look for things to do.  Things like egging and TPing houses, or going to Halloween parties with older kids.  Yeah, that's better than trick or treating... 
2. Trick or treating sparks creativity!  As you get older and more capable of picking and making your own costumes, your creativity can run free.  You now have MORE control over your costume, so you can make it to YOUR liking.   
3. What better way is there to encourage recycling and reusing, not to mention the concept of thrift?  With some imagination and an adhesive, you can turn old clothes or household items into costumes and accessories.  What was once a mop is now a pom pom or a wig.  That old shirt you never wear anymore can be turned into something special for Halloween.  You can even wear some of your family's old clothes as retro-inspired costumes!  The sky's the limit!
4. Exercise.  Seriously, how often can you get kids to run around outside for hours on end without complaints?  Um, the answer is pretty much once a year: Halloween.  Yeah, I know, they're eating candy and that kinda negates the whole point of exercise, but come on...  At least they're getting outside!

Essentially, think of it this way.  If teens are excited about trick or treating, and are willing to put in the effort to make/find a good costume and have a good attitude about it, why would you NOT want to reward that?  Teens are known for being so sullen and distant and wah, wah, wah...  So why take away something that lets them be the fun, playful kid they once were?

And to those of you who STILL think trick or treating should end at 12 or 13...  Be warned: Your houses will get egged.  And you really have no one to blame but yourselves.