Spring Break
Mon shares tips for Halloween
Monica Graziosi
Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Halloween is my favorite holiday, a night I look forward to all year long. Over the years, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I will now pass on to you, dear reader, in the hopes that you will have a wicked Halloween.
1. If you're going to carve pumpkins, put down $5 to get a little carving kit. You can re-use it every year, and they are WAY easier to use than the steak knives in your kitchen.
2. After carving you can wash, dry, salt and then bake the pumpkin seeds for a yummy protein-rich snack. But be careful how many you eat, because they're also full of fiber.
3. Ladies, while it's commonly acceptable to dress more provocatively on Halloween than you ordinarily would, if you can't bend over, reach up or sit down without flashing everybody, you may want to look for a new costume.
4. Only bob for apples if you can be the first person to do it. You don't want to stick your face into a cesspool of your friends' saliva with your mouth open. It's flu season!
5. Whether your preferred Halloween treat is Budweiser or Butterfinger, make sure you drink plenty of water. Both alcohol and sugar can cause hangover symptoms if you overdo it, and staying hydrated can help combat headache and nausea.
6. Don't be afraid to go all out when you dress up. The concept of "less is more" doesn't apply here. Take your costume to the next level with accessories, makeup, wigs or even theatrical contact lenses.
7. If getting dressed up and going out isn't your idea of a great time, don't let yourself feel pressured to party. You can have a few friends over to tell ghost stories and play games, or you could watch a movie. "Paranormal Activity" is a great scary film in theatres now, or you could watch a creepy classic like "Night of the Living Dead" or "Psycho" at home. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a cult classic if you like your movies more musical than macabre.
8. Pranks are a fun part of the mischief and mayhem of the holiday, but remember to never take part in any tricks that involve the destruction of property or have the potential to hurt someone.
9. Don't go trick-or-treating unless you're chaperoning a younger sibling. I'm all for staying in touch with your inner child but seriously, you're too old. Buy your own candy instead of taking what's supposed to be for the kids.
10. Even if you still don't have a costume, there's no need to fret. It's simply time to get creative. Do you look like a celebrity or character? If so, there's your costume. You could fashion cat or dog ears out of fabric scraps, glue and a headband. Or dress in raggedy clothes with smudgy brown makeup and a cardboard sign and go as a hobo. If you have access to makeup you can zombify yourself, making fake blood out of corn syrup and red food coloring. Really pressed for time? Just wrap yourself in toilet paper (or ask your roommate to help you) and go as a mummy.
Happy Halloween!
Mon
1. If you're going to carve pumpkins, put down $5 to get a little carving kit. You can re-use it every year, and they are WAY easier to use than the steak knives in your kitchen.
2. After carving you can wash, dry, salt and then bake the pumpkin seeds for a yummy protein-rich snack. But be careful how many you eat, because they're also full of fiber.
3. Ladies, while it's commonly acceptable to dress more provocatively on Halloween than you ordinarily would, if you can't bend over, reach up or sit down without flashing everybody, you may want to look for a new costume.
4. Only bob for apples if you can be the first person to do it. You don't want to stick your face into a cesspool of your friends' saliva with your mouth open. It's flu season!
5. Whether your preferred Halloween treat is Budweiser or Butterfinger, make sure you drink plenty of water. Both alcohol and sugar can cause hangover symptoms if you overdo it, and staying hydrated can help combat headache and nausea.
6. Don't be afraid to go all out when you dress up. The concept of "less is more" doesn't apply here. Take your costume to the next level with accessories, makeup, wigs or even theatrical contact lenses.
7. If getting dressed up and going out isn't your idea of a great time, don't let yourself feel pressured to party. You can have a few friends over to tell ghost stories and play games, or you could watch a movie. "Paranormal Activity" is a great scary film in theatres now, or you could watch a creepy classic like "Night of the Living Dead" or "Psycho" at home. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a cult classic if you like your movies more musical than macabre.
8. Pranks are a fun part of the mischief and mayhem of the holiday, but remember to never take part in any tricks that involve the destruction of property or have the potential to hurt someone.
9. Don't go trick-or-treating unless you're chaperoning a younger sibling. I'm all for staying in touch with your inner child but seriously, you're too old. Buy your own candy instead of taking what's supposed to be for the kids.
10. Even if you still don't have a costume, there's no need to fret. It's simply time to get creative. Do you look like a celebrity or character? If so, there's your costume. You could fashion cat or dog ears out of fabric scraps, glue and a headband. Or dress in raggedy clothes with smudgy brown makeup and a cardboard sign and go as a hobo. If you have access to makeup you can zombify yourself, making fake blood out of corn syrup and red food coloring. Really pressed for time? Just wrap yourself in toilet paper (or ask your roommate to help you) and go as a mummy.
Happy Halloween!
Mon
Be the first to comment on this story