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Decorate your computer…

By Hillary McNabb | Monday, October 13, 2008, 05:32 PM

I’ve already showed you how to make your Firefox browser display a spooky theme, but now you can manipulate your Windows operating system to be spooky as well.

For $19.95 stardock.com’s MyColors Halloween theme will download to your machine and change most apsects of your computer display from buttons to the desktop and even your gadgets if you have Vista.

My only complaint is that it only works for PCs.

If you aren’t up for paying 20 bucks, you can always just grab a free Halloween wallpaper here.

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Have your own Haunted House…

By Hillary McNabb | Monday, October 13, 2008, 01:46 PM

To let your neighbors know your home is on the haunted side, why not get a personalized banner to hang outside?

Photo from ftd.com.com

The Personalized Haunted House Banner from FTD.com is $29.99 and can be personalized with a last name up to 12 characters.

According to the site, the banner will arrive by Oct. 27.

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What are you going to be for Halloween?

By Hillary McNabb | Thursday, October 9, 2008, 06:06 PM

It’s a question you hear a lot this time of year and it’s a big decision for some folks. There are a lot of factors to consider: Homemade costume or bought costume? How complicated will it be? If you’re buying yours, how much can you afford to spend (some costumes are over $100 if there’s a lot to them)? Do you do something really unique and catchy or something typical or generic?

Endless questions and lots of possible answers are out there, but one thing’s certain, whether you are making it or buying it (or even renting it - give Foy’s a call if you are!) you better get on it now. If you buy it (or rent), the options dwindle as it gets closer to the big day (although you could always try to get a deal at the last minute if you aren’t particular) and if you’re making it remember these things often take more time than you anticipate them taking (you don’t want to be sewing or gluing pieces together as the trick-or-treaters start ringing doorbells).

And if you found yourself behind the curve this year, get a head start for next fall. In the days just before and after Halloween, specialty shops like Spirit, Halloween USA and Halloween Express often discount their merchandise as they plan to pack up for next year. Go then to get next year’s costume, decorations or accessories.

If you need some advice for this year’s costume, check out this video of Ken-Yon Party Hardy at Foy’s Costume Shop. It’s a riot even if you know what you want to be!

So what are you going to be? Something scary, funny or othewise? Vote in the poll and share your costume plans below!

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Get spooked on your cell this weekend

By Hillary McNabb | Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 08:01 AM

From Columbus to Cincinnati and everywhere (and we do mean everywhere!) in between there are oodles of haunted houses, trails, mazes and hayrides. Some are amateur and put together in a random field, garage or barn and others are full scale productions that only get better and more complex year after year like Middletown’s Land of Illusion or the Wilmington Haunted Hollow Ride.

No matter your style or choice, you don’t want to be stuck out in the boonies without a map or the faintest idea what the address is for the “Terror Haunted TrailMaze in the Woods” or whatever ghoulish attraction you’ve decided to scare yourself senseless at this year. But if you’re tech savvy enough to have a cell phone with internet capabilities you can head to http://www.oxfordpress.com/scare on it and get all the scoop on area haunted houses. It’ll tell you what it’ll cost you to get in (and park if there’s a cost), when they’re open, where it is and more.

And if you don’t have a GPS handy, you can get directions texted to you free from google (text message rates apply if that matters to you). Here’s how:

For all queries you’ll send your text message to “466453” (google). Once you type in the following, hit send and within a minute or so you’ll get a return text message with what you need to know. I’ve found through use that it’s pretty flexible with how you type stuff in as long as you’re close. If it doesn’t understand, you’ll get a reply asking for clarification.

From Google: To get driving directions, enter your start address then ‘to’ followed by your destination address (ex: 94040 to 94043, pasadena ca to los angeles).

And while you’re at it, it’ll give you answers to random questions (you’ll need to win that battle you and your friends are having while you drive out to the country), movie showtime info (you know in case you chicken out on the scares and decide to see a movie instead) and more. Find out what it can do for you and see examples.

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6 ft Grim Reaper for $20

By Hillary McNabb | Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 11:45 AM

While most animated and life-size spooky figures found this time of year are in the $100+ range, I found a great deal on a 6 foot tall animated (talks, eyes light up and head moves) Grim Reaper figure at The Flower Factory. On sale for $20.97+tax it came in a box ready to assemble.

Photo from flowerfactory.com

The box says it “sets up in minutes” and while that’s true, it’s nearing 30 of them to get it together the first time. But 3 AA batteries and 30 minutes later I had a Grim Reaper that is taller than me in the kitchen. The voice on it is not too scary and not too nice either so while the figure itself is pretty terrifying, the voice won’t haunt little kids’ nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Other goodies I picked up at Flower Factory were a fake chain and skulls with creepy bloody cloth hanging from them for $9.95, a new fog machine for $14.95 (usually the cheapest I’ve seen these is $20), 25 ct. sleeves of 12 oz. styrofoam cups for 81¢ and glass apothecary jars of several shapes and sizes for $2-$5 each.

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Fear of Freddy… Krueger that is

By Hillary McNabb | Monday, October 6, 2008, 12:05 PM

I love Halloween and I’ve even been known to enjoy a haunted house or two in my lifetime, but I do have one very large fear (in addition to fears of the dark, confined spaces, snakes and spiders) that always rears its head this time of year. And that is a fear of the Freddy Krueger character.

When I was little and the movies were new, my older sister tended to torment me with taunts of “1, 2, Freddy’s after you…” to the point where I ran screaming from a store because there was a Freddy doll no larger than my hand staring me in the face. Rational? No. Scary? Yes.

Because of that I hate not knowing if there’ll be a Freddy lurking in a haunted trail and the very thought of encountering him terrifies me for the entire time.

So what’s your fear? What makes you run screaming?

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Spooky tunes for your phone

By Hillary McNabb | Thursday, October 2, 2008, 11:14 AM

When you call up your friends these days, not only do they get a song playing on their end to alert them it’s you callling (ringtones being what they are) but you often hear a song instead of the traditional ringing on your end as well.

A choice of ringback tones are available from most cellular carriers for a small fee for service plus the cost of each song you buy.

So why not put everyone who calls you in the mood with a spooky or Halloween theme song. And while you’re at it, make one your ringtone as well so you get in on the fun!

Don’t know any scary or Halloween songs? Here’s a quick list of possibilities to get you started:

The Addams Family Theme (you know, the snapping one!)
Twilight Zone Theme
The Exorcist Theme song
The Monster Mash
Love Potion #9
Thriller
Toccata And Fugue
I Put A Spell On You

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