superdumb supervillain: halloween
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Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Halloweeners




Halloween Family Fun with NCircle DVDs

Halloween is fun for everyone but sometimes it can get a bit too spooky for little ones. Help them prepare for trick or treating with holiday-themed DVDs featuring some of their favorite PBS characters. Roo thought she was too mature for these videos – over the hill at eight!– but she still couldn't resist them. Jasper pretty much lives and breathes Halloween, plus he's just starting to read, so they were right up his alley.


Sid the Science Kid Sid's Spooky Halloween (new!)
It’s Halloween! Join Sid and his friends as they discover how bats catch mosquitoes, why spiders are expert engineer web builders, and how skeletons make up the foundation of our bodies. The kids dress up to celebrate Halloween at school, and Teacher Suzie leads them in a special Halloween parade song to show off their costumes! With Sid the Science Kid, Halloween can be spooky and scientific!



WordWorld Kooky Spooky Halloween
The WordFriends get their share of scares the night before Halloween, when Pig sleep walks and everyone thinks he's a ghost! Then, Sheep is making herself a super special fairy costume to wear for the big Halloween party. But what will she do when her WordFriends need pieces of her costume for their own use?



The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! Tricks and Treats
A new spooky adventure this DVD brings, with The Cat, Nick and Sally, Fish and the Things. Meet the eeriest critters you have ever seen, arrived just in time for this Halloween! There'll be lots of tricks and, of course lots of treats, to share with the animal friends you will meet! There's a coconut crab, spider monkeys and bats, and plenty more fun with The Cat in the Hat!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received the DVDs shown to facilitate this review. No additional compensation has been received and, as usual, all opinions are my own.



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Stop Zombie Mouth This Halloween! (Free PvZ Game Download!)

My whole family is obsessed with Plants vs. Zombies. It started out innocently enough, with Bob and I playing on the iPad after the kids went to bed but eventually they got hooked, too. Jasper wants to be a bucket head zombie for Halloween this year and Roo's going to be a sunflower. Yeah, we've got it bad.


That's why I was so thrilled to hear about the collaboration between PopCap Games, the makers of PvZ, and the American Dental Association (ADA). The campaign is called Stop Zombie Mouth, and its goal is to redefine Halloween treats by giving away PvZ trading cards and free game codes instead of sugary, tooth-rotting candy. We gave away card packs along with plastic fangs as favors at our neighborhood Halloween party, hopefully without scarring any kindergartners.


If you'd like to give away PopCap’s hit Plants vs. Zombies instead of sweets for Halloween this year, you can download free game coupons at http://stopzombiemouth.com. The free codes are redeemable for the full PC/Mac edition of Plants vs. Zombies (a $19.95 value!) between October 30th and November 10th at the same website.

Tweet to Stop Zombie Mouth:

Hashtag: #StopZombieMouth
@PlantsvsZombies
@PopCap
@ADAMouthHealthy

Meet the Putrid Posse, who loooove Zombie Mouth… 



About the American Dental Association (ADA)

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. For more oral health information, visit the ADA’s website at www.MouthHealthy.org.

About PopCap

PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and has a worldwide staff of more than 400 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap’s games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 50 million units.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received PvZ trading cards to give away. No additional compensation has been received and, as usual, all opinions are my own.




Monday, October 29, 2012

Live A Little - Embrace the Old Fashioned

Technology keeps updating at a dizzying pace. Personal computers were just starting to be introduced when I was little but in the eight years since Roo was born, iPods and all their Apple-y brethren have completely reshaped not only the computer industry but also music and telecommunications. We live in an increasingly smart and interconnected world, although sometimes it's easy to feel disconnected from other people when mass media is encroaching on all fronts.

On occasion, it's nice to step away from all the progress. Do something simple and time-consuming with your family. Unplug and focus on what's right in front of you instead of what's all around you.

This weekend, we co-hosted a Halloween party at our neighbors' house. We invited kids from school and the neighborhood. They bobbed for apples and sat around a campfire and jumped in a rented bouncy house. (I can't claim any credit for that; the neighbors procured it- it was the biggest one I ever saw!) To prepare, we gathered up all of our Halloween accoutrements and carted them down the street. Bob painted some panels to make bean bag toss games and sewed a zillion bean bags.


I baked several dozen cupcakes, using homemade pumpkin butter instead of oil and eggs. I made cream cheese frosting from scratch. We dipped marshmallow pops in tinted white chocolate and the kids decorated them.




I'm not usually the sort of mom who goes overboard on holiday decorating. I didn't grow up with that stuff and the cynic in me still thinks it's a little silly. But how awesome is it to celebrate the everyday stuff? Roo and Jasper had so much fun putting sprinkles and icing on the treats. They don't look quite as adorable as something on Pinterest but they're still pretty cute. 

I'm going to have to drop perfection and futuristic for some homespun fun this season. Get back to basics a little bit. Live a Little by living in the moment instead of trying to stay ahead.

How do you embrace the old fashioned?

Join us!

Participate in the weekly Live a Little blog hop! Write a blog post how you “live a little,” what’s your small way of living life to the fullest and add your blog post to the InLinkz widget above. Rules: Link to bit.ly/livelittle, and if you want, add the get the InLinkz code for your post. If you post the widget in your blog post, please add these rules as well.




You can also use the image below by getting the code, and link to our Pinterest board. If you would like to contribute to our Live a Little board on Pinterest, let me know and we'll add you.



Monday, October 01, 2012

Live A Little - Refresh for Fall

Fall is my favorite season. I grew up in Hawaii, where there is no overt change of seasons, so the crispening of the air and the leaves starting to Fall has always seemed very romantic to me. Not to mention that it's back to school and Fall fashion in all the magazines and the onslaught of the holiday season. And Halloween. Oh, how I love Halloween!


Our next door neighbor started selling Scentsy and I bought this Whoot Owl Warmer as a harbinger of Fall. 
Isn't it the cutest? I've got a mix of Pink PeppercornRio Beach and Weathered Leather bars melting.

Our neighborhood is full of big lots, most are 3 acres or so. It's great for keeping your distance and having kind of a country feeling smack dab in the middle of the city, but it kind of sucks for one thing: trick or treating. Since the driveways are so long and the distances between houses so vast, we don't get a lot of trick or treaters. We usually rectify this by going to a friend's house in a easily walkable neighborhood but it's so well-trafficked due to huge and ornate yard displays that there are huge lines and a strict one piece of candy per kid limit. We like seeing how everyone outdoes themselves year to year but the crowds are a pain. I miss the trick or treating of my youth, when there were block parties and cakewalks and costume contests.

This year, we're trying to give our kids a taste of that. We're co-hosting a Halloween party with our neighbors down the block whose older daughter is smack dab between Roo and Jasper at school. We'll have games, treats, a costume contest… maybe even a cakewalk if kids can be coerced into such a thing these days. An easy way to Live a Little. I'm really looking forward to refreshing our Fall traditions, starting with Halloween. 

How do you freshen up for Fall?

Join us!

Participate in the weekly Live a Little blog hop! Write a blog post how you “live a little,” what’s your small way of living life to the fullest and add your blog post to the InLinkz widget above. Rules: Link to bit.ly/livelittle, and if you want, add the get the InLinkz code for your post. If you post the widget in your blog post, please add these rules as well.



You can also use the image below by getting the code, and link to our Pinterest board. If you would like to contribute to our Live a Little board on Pinterest, let me know and we'll add you.



Saturday, September 29, 2012

Highlands Halloween with Flannery O'Kafka for Toto Knits

Glaswegian blogger/photographer/craftista Flannery O'Kafka and Kenyan fair trade purveyors Toto Knits have produced another stellar Fall must have for the well dressed child. The collaborators have come up with subtle, stylish Halloween sweaters that will last far beyond trick or treating.

The Glasgow Goblin is a charming green confection, more sweet than scary. I love the pointy ears, "teeth" and ridgeback with teensy tail.



The Skeleton Sweater is, umm, a skeleton sweater. The hood features a face only a mummy could love… or maybe Jack Skellington. If this was available in my size, I would own it already.



Both sweaters retail for $47.50 and are available in sizes 3 months- 8 years. They are hand knit to order in Toto Knits' Kenyan workshop, so jump on it if you want to order for Halloween– it takes about a week for each sweater to be made and then another two weeks to ship to the states. Shipping is free if you use the coupon code BOO!




Thursday, September 06, 2012

Frankenweenie Monstrous Sweepstakes

Oh, I am so excited for Frankenweenie. I am imagining it as Tim Burton directing a Castle Films version of Pet Sematary. The Vampire Cat is adorable! I mean, spooky. Very spooky!


If you love Halloween and Disney (and, seriously, who doesn't?), you'll want to enter the Frankenweenie Monstrous Sweepstakes. You could win a trip for four to experience the spookiest time of the year at Disneyland Resort, including The Art of Frankenweenie exhibit at the newly expanded Disney California Adventure theme park. For a limited time, Disney guests will be treated to a special 4D extended preview of the film at the Muppets Vision 3D Theater before Frankenweenie comes to theaters in 3D October 5th!

Enter online at www.disney.com/frankenweeniesweeps or text EDGAR to DISNEY (347639) to enter for a chance to win. *Msg and data rates may apply. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first.*

Embarrassingly, I have never even been to DCA. I spent my summers in Orange County until I was about 15 and went to Disneyland pretty frequently but my kids have only been to Disney World. Bad mommy. You should enter but I hope we win! 



Thursday, October 27, 2011

Last Minute Halloween: Angry Birds Costumes

My first exposure to the world of advertising came at a very young age. Our neighbor in Maunawili was a Dutch guy who worked for an agency, I think as a creative director. They always had cool stuff at their house, in retrospect perhaps because they had no kids and a great deal of pakalolo. Lots of artsy types, designer furniture and magazines. It was fun to hang out over there and I think they liked having me around for my childlike wonder or some such, which is funny because I was a freakishly intellectual little kid. Don't laugh, I think it wore off as I grew up.

At the time, I was mildly obsessed with the Ed Emberly doodle books and showed them to Nick, who promptly lifted the concept and turned it into the "Zippy Doodles" campaign for a local restaurant chain. I was in the TV ads, drawing on the iconic orange Zippy's square with a marker. My payment was the Donny and Marie TV show playset. Obviously, I was born to be a marketing muse. But I digress…

Why was this relevant? Well, fast-forward a couple of decades, to about this time last year when I was at eBay for their holiday campaign. The entire trip was a whirlwind of awesomeness but I was particularly thrilled to meet Dennis Goedegebuure, who is one of the few people I've ever encountered who can make analytics remotely interesting to me. We ran into each other again at EVO last summer and apparently like to give each other grief. So, yeah, he's a Dutch marketing guy and that's how my train of though works. Now you know, lucky ducks.

Anyhow, Dennis is busy testing a new concept and we're going to help because it involves the ever-popular Angry Birds. Jasper was delighted that they released a Halloween upgrade and word on the streets is that Angry Birds Costumes are among the most coveted this year, for kids and adults alike. To that end, Dennis has agreed to pose for me in a very fetching Yellow Angry Bird Costume:


Cute, right? Well, it gets even better. On Halloween, he will be wandering the streets of San Francisco dressed up in the golden glory of the Yellow Angry Bird Costume, with matching yellow ensemble underneath. I wish I could see that in person!

I kind of think the Black Angry Birds Costume would look great modified into a minidress. Although I'd be afraid someone would try to pick me up and throw me up into the air… Which Angry Birds character would you most likely dress up as?



Sunday, November 07, 2010

Halloween 2010






Yes, that is Jasper in his Dinosaur Train costume. No, he didn't actually wear it trick or treating. Instead, he wore street clothes and a name label that said "Darth Jasper." Yes, Roo did look like an actual veterinary assistant in velour track pants and sensible shoes. And Stella's costume was too small to fit over her snout but it was totally hilarious and it did glow in the dark. (I have been lusting after that costume since I saw it at the Martha Stewart Blogger's Night Out party and finally bought it at Petsmart.)


Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween Tricks or Treats from Babeland

The following review/giveaway is for adult eyes only because it involves sex. Mommy and daddy sex. (Everyone under 18 just clicked away, right?) No super explicit stuff here but the links might contain NSFW content. Consider yourself warned.







Trick or Treating isn't just for kids! Get a free Candy Vibrator with any purchase made today (Halloween) at Babeland.com. If you're lucky enough to live by one of Babeland's retail stores, stop by between 6-9pm tonight and say "trick or treat" to get your free Candy Vibe.



Maybe you would like to try the Flower Balm, a tingling massage lotion that smells like minty citrus and warms wherever you rub it in, be it achy shoulders or engorged nethers. (Bear in mind it should not be used with latex products.) If you're not feeling very frisky, I also find it makes a pretty spectacular cuticle creme…

Disclosure: I received a tin of Flower Balm to review and if you click on any of the links and buy something, I will earn a commission on the sale. Feel free to spend away… (The Sasi is on my holiday wish list!)


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wubbzy Goes Boo (Giveaway)

***WINNERS PICKED 10/19 WITH RANDOM.ORG***
***CONGRATULATIONS!!!***

#13 Rebecca N (also wins a Wubbzy beanie since she was drawn first!)
#7 Alice H (non-blogger)
#30 Tina Reynolds
#9 CanCan



I've written before about how much my kids love Wow Wow Wubbzy!, so it should come as no surprise that when we were asked to review the new Wubbzy Goes Boo DVD, we had already bought a copy and watched it about a zillion times. Not only does it feature the little yellow bouncy guy, but it does so with a Halloween theme… our favorite holiday!



Here's a synopsis: Wow Wow Wubbzy! and his friends are back in an all-new DVD collection just in time for the fall season! Watch as Wubbzy, Widget and Walden clean up a crazy mess with Moo Moo’s magic wand, pick the perfect pumpkin and create the spookiest Halloween costume of all. There’s singing, dancing, trick or treating and kickity-kick ball too, plus plenty of positive values like creativity, patience and responsibility. It’s all here in the Emmy winning Nick Jr./Noggin hit that’s so much fun it’s scary!

Roo particularly enjoys the "scary" episode called "March of the Pumpkins" while Jasper's favorite is "Monster Madness" because he loves the mashup machine. It's an easy introduction to trick or treating with more silly than scary.

Check out the trailer:



To enter and win one of four Wubbzy Goes Boo DVDs, please comment on this post with your favorite Wubbzy moment. One extra-lucky winner will also receive a Ty® Wow Wow Wubbzy! Beanie Baby! (We bought two-one for each kid!- and they are super cuddly and cute.)


Entries will be accepted through October 14th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.



Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Click here to access a free Wubbzy Halloween coloring page!


Saturday, August 15, 2009

ValHalla-ween

So I mentioned Chasing Fireflies has dog costumes. Did I mention their unbelievably gorgeous and vast selection of costumes for humans, Wishcraft? No? They have really detailed (and accordingly pricey) costumes that can make your kid into Marie Antoinette, Robin Hood, the Statue of Liberty, you name it. And they have adult costumes, too. Bestill, my heart. My hands-down favorite: the complete Viking family. If I had a couple hundred dollars to allocate for our Halloween attire, I would totally go for that. I think we'd look charming, don't you?



I can see Roo and Jasper garnering tons of treats as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, too…



I love Halloween.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Awesome or Awful?



I am torn. Thoughts?

Princess Leia dog costume, $18 at Chasing Fireflies the boutique that sends out catalogs that make me salivate. Like a dog. (But a royal, Alderonian dog, at least.)


Saturday, October 11, 2008

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Holy moly! Another Grosgrain giveaway, and this one's a doozy!

Shenandoah Costume


Roo hasn't selected her Halloween costume but the Grosgrain Shenandoah costume would be a no-brainer, for sure. Cross your fingers that we win!


Shenandoah Costume


Pretty as a princess, green as a Ninja Turtle… really, it's the best of both worlds. Like Roo.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Fright Night Flor

***WINNER PICKED 10/23 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, clynsg (non-blogger)!!!***

her comment...
I think I like the Velvet Plush styles--they sound comfortable! As to the skull rug, it would most likely end up in a grandchild's room--the only problem would be, which one!




I am generally not one for holiday decorating but I must admit that I absolutely LOVE Halloween. As a matter of fact, I would keep Halloween stuff up all year 'round if it didn't make me feel like a goth poseur.

Imagine my delight when I saw the new offering from Flor, the monochromatic and slightly macabre Skully carpet tiles! These could go subtle or spooky, depending on how you combine them with other Flor tiles.



Skully can ordered as part of a pre-made Flor rug if you don't trust your own mix and match sensibilities. The Funny Bones Rug is made up of nine Skully tiles with a pre-cut quarter-tile striped border. It measures approximately 4' x 6'.



Super cool, even to little skatepunks who don't usually notice the decor…

To enter and win a Funny Bones Rug (a $130 value!), please comment on this post with your favorite Flor pattern. Halloween stories are welcome, too!


Entries will be accepted through October 22nd and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog or subscribe via email or reader and leave an extra comment letting me know.



Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***



Friday, June 01, 2007

Dress-up Time!

The costumes from Aeromax's Get Real Gear line are pretty cool. No princessy fluff or glitter here, just sturdy, hard-working dress up gear– pilots, fireman, doctors, GIs, etc. Perfect for kids who already know what they want to be when they grow up! Or whose relatives want to gently, uh, prod them in a certain direction. I am surprised my mom didn't go out and buy the Jr. Armed Forces Pilot costume as soon as she found out I was expecting a boy…


My personal favorites are the Jr. Ninja (of course) and the Jr. S.W.A.T., which comes complete with helmet and police baton.




Aeromax also has Get Real Gear in adult sizes for several of the costume styles, so you can coordinate a family crew. No adult sizes in the furry Kid's Safari costume division, thankfully. I think I saw a CSI episode about that once. I'm still sad there's no adult Ninja outfit, though! What a stealthy family that would be…

Roo, of course, still wants to be She-Ra, but we're about 20 years late for that costume opportunity. Anybody have a spare She-Ra costume in size 2-4 laying around ?