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Halloween 2021 Sneak Peeks

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So we flew through the first 6 months of 2021, had a pit stop on the Fourth of July, and we all know what comes next: HALLOWEEN!

If you’re like me, you’ve been eating up any Halloween news that you can find, from treats to movies to new decor. I’m so freaking excited this year. Maybe it’s because this will be the first Halloween since 2016 that I’m not either pregnant or someone’s primary source of nutrition. Whatever the reason, the excitement is almost too much to bear.

Like for real. I almost teared up when I saw Dollar Tree’s announcement for their mini Halloween garden line. May have had an almost panic attack. These are truths.

Anyway, since we’re in the transition period, I thought I’d just list what we’ve seen so far.

STORES

At Home is playing like a champ and already putting out their Halloween decor. My store is slowly getting everything on the shelves, but I was able to purchase a few skull decor items and a sweet Halloween garden gnome. I’ll be checking back this weekend (if I can even wait that long).

Spirit Halloween is slowly bringing out their Halloween line. Their YouTube channel released a teaser for The Graveyard Shift about 3 weeks ago, so we know they’re about to release something fun. Store locations aren’t quite out there yet, but we can expect them at least by July 27th, which is the date they list on their store locator.

Dollar Tree’s main page advertises Spooky Halloween Fairy Garden sets (mentioned above with my panic attack), and they look super fun. Very tempted to buy multiple sets for some repaints. And I say tempted, but what I mean is I’m definitely getting multiple sets. I’ve also seen a few other new items at the Tree this year on their website, namely some sweet see-hear-speak no evil skeleton figures and palmistry hands. They’re definitely going all out once again.

Home Depot is reportedly coming back with the must have 12-foot skeleton this year, except this time around, he’s got some skin and a pumpkin face. Looks pretty sweet. Their website says they’re still counting down to the release of all their items, but I’m on pins and needles for their announcement. We all know Home Depot has become a big Halloween destination point.

Michaels and Joann have both been quickly clearancing out their summer items to give them room for their new spooky decor. Both of my local stores are clearing aisles to make way for their Halloween wares, and I’m so excited. Just call me Jessie Spano. (Ugh. I’m aging myself.)

TREATS

We’ve seen a few sweet announcements – pun intended – for new Halloween-themed treats coming our way this year. General Mills announced their monster cereals will unite for Monster Mash, which looks like a tasty mix featuring Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Yummy Mummy, and Fruit Brute. Skittles announced Skittles Shriekers, Cookies and Scream M&Ms are coming back! I’ll be adding to my workout routine for sure.

ENTERTAINMENT

Can I get a big round of applause for the Halloween Kills trailer?! It was released a few weeks ago, and I think it looks amazing. Jamie Lee Curtis and fam look super done with it, and it looks gory and intense as hell. Very exciting stuff. October 15, 2021 will be epic.

American Horror Story: Double Feature premieres on August 25 with their initial episode, Cape Fear. It’s always a wild ride, and I love seeing how weird and twisty everything plays out. Also worth mentioning is the new spinoff streaming series, American Horror Stories, which starts this week. Check out Hulu on July 15.

Fear Street: 1994 and Fear Street: 1978 have already premiered on Netflix, but we also have Fear Street: 1666 to look forward to this week! These movies are so fun, and I love the nostalgia involved. I was INTO that series in high school. So great.

That’s the rundown for now, but I plan on updating the site and this list as I see things come my way. I hope everyone is getting pumped! And make sure to follow me on Facebook for store decor pics and other fun things

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How to Prop Up Your Tombstones Quickly and Easily

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This past weekend, I set up my graveyard in preparation for the great month of October. I’m working on making some homemade tombstones, but currently, I’m using my store-bought, thin, foam versions.

If you have some of these (and I’m sure you do), you know they come with those small, flimsy ground stakes that break off if your yard isn’t muddy soft. I’ve long since abandoned these, so I thought it would be a good idea to post a quick tip about how I easily prop up a foam tombstone.

Now, for those who have the deluxe tombstones that you’ve lovingly made yourselves, you might have built in some PVC pipe inside the tombstone to set on rebar. Or maybe you have your tombstones attached to wood bases or some other genius, sturdy set-up.

Those methods are all great, but if you’re stretched for time, there are easier ways to make sure your tombstones aren’t going anywhere.

This method might not be popular, but it’s crazy easy. And I’ve had some success with it the past few years. It’s very simple. All you need are bracket sign holders and outdoor duct tape.

  1. Start by laying your tombstones face down on the ground.
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2. Place a bracket on the back of the tombstone, keeping the bottom cross bar in line with the bottom of the tombstone.

3. Place strips of outdoor duct tape across the top, middle, and bottom of the bracket.

4. Place another strip vertically over your three pieces of duct tape in the center.

5. Place two more strips of duct tape vertically on each side of the bracket over your existing duct tape strips.

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That’s it! You’re all done. It might not be pretty, but it really works. And I cannot stress this enough, MAKE SURE YOU USE OUTDOOR DUCT TAPE. The regular stuff just does not work for any type of weather conditions. If you notice all the previous tape marks on the backs of these tombstones, that’s when I didn’t realize outdoor duct tape was a thing and was just using the regular stuff. I finally got smarter.

Do any of you have a quick tip to set up a tombstone or make an easy Halloween decoration? Let me know in the comments. And if you like this post, make sure to share it on Facebook and Pinterest. I’d really appreciate it.

Movies

5 Horror Movies to Get You Ready for Fall

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It’s the first day of Fall, my favorite season! The leaves are turning, the weather is getting cooler, and the best holiday ever is right around the corner, followed shortly by the food fest that is Thanksgiving.

I’m in the mood for fall all year long, so when it hits, I’m ready. But some of you might be in warmer climates, or maybe you’re just not feeling it. Well, why don’t you watch some horror movies to improve your mood?

  1. Children of the Corn (1984): Stephen King’s tale of some youngsters leading a religious cult in the midst of corn fields in the Midwest, backed by “He Who Walks Behind The Rows,” is a great movie to start with in your quest to get in the fall spirit. Corn mazes are a symbol of the season, and a supernaturally charged one is just a no-brainer.
  2. Halloween (1978): This one is obvious. Of course you should watch Halloween to get in the mood. No discussion needed.
  3. Trick ‘r Treat (2007): I love this movie so very much. If you haven’t seen it, I sincerely hope you add it to your normal rotation of horror movies. It’s an anthology of Halloween stories, and it’s got a lot of great moments. And a cool soundtrack. If you’ve seen it, you know the best scene has a little Manson playing in the background. Not a huge fan of his, but the song fits so well, and – well, you just need to watch it.
  4. Sleepy Hollow (1999): Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up in this retelling of the classic story by Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This has always been one of my faves. The spooky tone Burton sets really makes you think of chilly weather, jack o’ lanterns, and apple cider.
  5. You’re Next (2011): Yeah, technically this one takes place during a wedding anniversary, but it just really gives off a Thanksgiving vibe to me. Just watch the mayhem, and hope that your Thanksgiving celebration doesn’t turn out that way. A drunk uncle or two? Whatevs. Multiple masked killers? Maybe not.

That’s definitely just the tip of the iceberg for fall-themed horror movies, so if you’re still not feeling it, I recommend you get into some sequels. Seriously, I’m pretty sure there are at least 34 sequels to Children of the Corn. And we all know you’ve got additional options with Halloween.

What are your favorite fall horror movies? What gets you in the mood for the season? Let me know in the comments!

Halloween, Product Review

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Walgreens

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I don’t typically go to Walgreens on a regular basis, but I always make an exception when it’s time for the spooky stuff. You can find some really cool items.

So let’s get into their selection:

My local stores usually only have one aisle of decorations and costumes plus one aisle for candy. So that being said, their selection isn’t huge. I was pretty impressed with their little Day of the Dead section (the bride and groom were pretty cute), and they have a good selection of affordable masks if you’re looking to make an easy costume.

But what were my favorite things?

Favorite Finds at Walgreens

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  1. Spell Bottles: I always like spell bottles, and I thought these were especially cool with the toppers added. I’m going to be using these as inspiration for some I’m making this year.
  2. The Nightmare Before Christmas Hangers: I’ve seen Jack everywhere, but it’s Jack. I love him. And I loved that they have an Oogie Boogie version because usually, you only see Sally accompanying the Pumpkin King.
  3. Baby Alligator Skeleton: I love all the little animal skeletons, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else selling a baby alligator. He’s pretty cool.
  4. See/Hear/Speak No Evil Skulls: I have a set of see/hear/speak no evil skull candleholders. I just like the theme.
  5. Creepy Planters: These planters seem to be big this year. Target has a full line of them, and I really think they’re a great addition to any Halloween decor theme. (Note: the big black spot on the one on the left is my attempt to take out my reflection.)
  6. Dragon Sand Timer: I’ve loved sand timers ever since I was a little kid. This little item actually lights up
  7. Skeleton Wine Holder: This thing is really cool. It would be great holding extra bottles of wine at a party. And who doesn’t love a drunk skeleton? Or extra wine, for that matter?

So while Walgreen’s might not have the other stores beat in terms of size or variety, they do have some nice items that you might want to check out.

Have you been to your local Walgreens? Anything awesome I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!

Halloween, Product Review

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Walmart

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I’m sure I’m not the only one that has a love-hate relationship with Walmart. Too many reasonably-priced items right next to my groceries. It never turns out well.

And now they have Halloween stuff out, so there goes my next few paychecks.

Walmart’s Halloween selection is always pretty good. Nothing earth-shattering. You can find a lot of similar items elsewhere, but Walmart does have everything priced really well.

They have a really good selection of Nightmare Before Christmas items out this year, and since I use those mostly for my Christmas decorations, I hope I’m able to catch some sales on November 1.

You’ll also be able to find a wide assortment of inflatables, party supplies, jack o’ lanterns, costumes, home decor, props, and children’s books.

Although I said a little earlier that they have nothing earth-shattering, they do have a few items that they haven’t carried in previous years. Let’s get into my favorites.

Favorite Finds at Walmart

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  1. Bone Lantern: This is one of the more unique items to see at Walmart. Most of the Halloween merchandise in stock is very similar to items found at any store, but this one is really unique. They have this bone version and another metallic version. I really liked the bone lantern the best.
  2. Dragon Skeleton: So everyone is branching out into the mermaid/unicorn/dragon skeleton thing this year. I really liked this version of a dragon skeleton. Super cute.
  3. Ghost Girl Dress: This is a very simple prop, but it would look really cool in a dark graveyard scene or hung with fishing line at the end of a dark hallway. Good job, Walmart.
  4. Assorted Body Parts: Walmart doesn’t usually do gory, so I was pleased to see this item at my local store.
  5. Cobra Skeleton: I’ve seen a lot of snake skeletons at local Halloween stores, but this is the first cobra I’ve seen. I like that it’s different.
  6. Talking Head: This guy is a little funny looking, but I thought he was still creepy. He does say some funny things, but it’s not too hokey for me.
  7. Parrot Skeleton: Like the cobra skeleton, I liked that this bird skeleton was different the the typical one seen in past years. Parrots are cool.
  8. Victorian Skeleton: I’m not one for cutesy Halloween decorations, but I just loved this little chick. She just stood out to me. I don’t know where I’d put her, but I’m thinking about getting her.

So check out Walmart’s selection the next time you go grocery shopping. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that’ll benefit your holiday.

Let me know what your favorite find is in the comments! And be sure to check out my other 2019 Halloween Merchandise Review posts.

Halloween, Product Review

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Depot

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*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Home Depot is one of my favorite Halloween shopping destinations.

There. I’ve said it.

Out of every store that sells Halloween items (besides Spirit Halloween and Halloween Express), Home Depot is the one I check on the most when the season gets close so that I can be one of the first ones to check out their stuff in person.

I love their selection! They always have a ton of cool animatronics set up in store, and their prices are really reasonable for most of their items. They’ve really been great the past few years. This is just some of what I found at my local store:

Home Depot’s animatronic offerings are as good if not better than some you can find at Spirit Halloween or Halloween Express. And you can find a ton more options online. Their Animated Cauldron Trio of witches (shown above) is particularly adorable. They also have a great variety of human and animal skeletons to choose from, and they have other cool home decor and prop items.

That being said, it was really hard to pick my favorite items this time. But I finally narrowed it down, so…

Favorite Finds at Home Depot

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  1. Sandworm Inflatable: I love Beetlejuice, and I was so happy to see this guy when I walked in. He’s HUGE! I love it so much, and they offer another Beetlejuice-themed inflatable that pairs the sandworm with Beetlejui- Whoa! I’ll stop there for obvious reasons. Anyway, it has the sandworm atop his tombstone with a projected scene from the movie. It’s awesome, but it sadly wasn’t at my store.
  2. Macabre Witch Animatronic: THIS. IS. MY. FAVORITE. WITCH. ANIMATRONIC. EVER. That is a bold statement, but you’ve got to go see this lady. She’s got a Cajun accent, and she says some great stuff. I just love her so very much.
  3. Towering Animatronic Werewolf: This guy looks especially creepy in person. He is super tall and looms over you, snarling and moving his head. Love it, and I really need a werewolf for my yard. He might be it.
  4. Ghost Girl: They have two versions of this one: a hanging one and this stand-up animated one. I like the stand-up because she’d be creepy just standing in the corner of a room with maybe some scary toys scattered around.
  5. Lighting Effects: These are just two of the LightShow effects Home Depot offers, but I really like them. The eyes blink, and the skeleton’s head moves back and forth. Really neat.
  6. Talking Raven: This was a simple little prop, but I like the way the bird moves. A little jerky, like a real bird. He’d be right at home in a witch scene.
  7. Glow-in-the-Dark Skeletons: I bought one of these last year and really liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I’ll probably pick up a few more this year.
  8. Skeleton Solar Light: This is so cute, and I really regret not buying it when I saw it because it’s hard to find now. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and they’ll get another shipment soon. Fingers crossed!

Just writing all this makes me want to go back and look at everything again. And don’t worry if they don’t have some of these items at you local store. Many of the items above and much more are available online! Just head to Home Depot’s website and type ‘Halloween’ in the search bar. They offer free shipping for so many items, or you can buy online and pick up in store!

Have you gone to your local Home Depot yet? What was your favorite find? Let me know if the comments, and please be sure to share this on Facebook or Pinterest!

Movie Reviews, Movies

IT Chapter 2: A Movie Review from a Lifelong Fan

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I just got back from one of the early showings of ‘IT Chapter 2’, and the movie was so fun. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you probably know that the 1990 It miniseries holds a very special place in my heart. It was one of the first real horror movies I got to watch (being only 5, I wasn’t too wordly yet). And I loved the first installment of the remake (Check out my review here).

For fans of the book, I really think this movie will hit a lot of high notes. I was very happy that it tackled some of the scenes left out of the miniseries (Paul Bunyan, anyone?). And I enjoyed all of the cameos and references sprinkled in here and there. Yes, it was almost 3 hours long, but I thought the runtime was justified. There was a lot of ground to cover.

Let’s get into it.

WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS

The Adults

This cast was a home run for me. I think every actor did a wonderful job playing off the characters started by the children from the first chapter. I love James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and Jessica Chastain, so when they were cast, I did a little happy dance. I know the actors from the miniseries were big in their time, but I never expected some of my favorite people to be in the remake. So happy.

Then you have the Old Spice Guy (Isaiah Mustafa) playing Mike, the Deputy from the Sinister series (James Ransone) playing Eddie, and the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast tv series (Jay Ryan) playing Ben. Great jobs by everyone.

I especially loved Hader and Ransone’s barbs at each other throughout. So many laughs. I really think Hader was a wonderful choice for Richie.

The Children

So it took a while to get this movie made, and in the time that passed, the young Losers Club had kind of aged too much. I mean, I’m going to assume youve seen season 3 of Stranger Things. Finn Wolfhard definitely is looking older. So to mitigate this, the filmmakers used the new de-aging tech to make them young again.

I already knew they had used it, so I was looking for the signs. If you’re looking for it, you’ll see that there were some weird things going on with the faces of pretty much everyone. It stood out the most to me in young Richie and young Ben. If you’re not looking for it, you will probably still notice something seems off, but it’s good enough that it didn’t really bother me.

And with this new tech came the ability to do a few more scenes with the children that really added to the story. I loved that they were able to give us a little more scary moments the Losers Club experienced as children. I was hoping that the Paul Bunyan statue would come into play since it was shown in one of the trailers, and I wasn’t disappointed. Richie’s tangle with the murderous statue in the book was one of my favorite scenes, and I really liked how they did it here.

The Clown

Bill Skarsgard killed it again. His portrayal of Pennywise is so different from Curry’s version, but I love it almost just as much. He’s different. A little less comical, but a little more conniving. And they show him actually murderous and bloody, which I enjoy.

The Cameos & References

The man of the hour, Stephen King, made an appearance! I was so happy. He might not be on the Stan Lee level of cameos, but I was still expecting to see him. Loved that they were able to include him.

Another cameo I was happy to see was Brandon Crane. Crane played young Ben in the original miniseries, and here he plays an employee at new Ben’s architecture firm. It was a surprise to see him, but a good one.

There were multiple references to King’s work. The Shining stands out the most with Bower’s “Here’s Johnny” line. Chastain’s blood-drenched scene seemed to link to Carrie, and there were various references to the It book. The turtle model in the school, the theater, and the Ritual of Chud all made an appearance.

There was also a reference to one of my favorite horror movies of all time, The Thing. Young Stan’s head rolls out of the fridge in the house on Neibolt Street and sprouts spider legs. Richie says, “You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me,” immediately after. Cracked. Me. Up. But I was the only one in my theater that got it, it seemed. Sadness.

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So would I recommend ‘It Chapter Two?’ Of course, I would. If you loved the book, you’re going to get a lot more out of it, but even if you haven’t, I still think it’s pretty enjoyable.

Just make sure you run to the restroom beforehand. Three hours is a long time.

Halloween, Product Review

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Lowe’s

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It’s time for another Halloween Merchandise Review post, and this time I’m reviewing one of my favorite home improvement stores – Lowe’s.

Lowe’s generally has a pretty good selection for Halloween supplies, especially in recent years. Home Depot has upped their game so much in the Halloween department that I don’t think Lowe’s really had a choice.

They have large props (though not as many as Home Depot), inflatables, pumpkin carving supplies, home decor, skeletons, and more.

You can see from the pics above that their Halloween section is pretty full. At my local Lowe’s they had quite a few Nightmare Before Christmas items, so if that’s your theme (or if you want to stock up fro Christmas decorations), you might want to check them out. They also have a large variety of pumpkins and jack o’ lanterns – from smaller craft pumpkins to stacked light-up jacks to inflatable versions to a huge lighted pumpkin perfect for your yard.

If you have a desire for the more cutesy stuff, they have you covered there, too. I saw various scarecrow items (the smiley kind), pretty printed pillows, and other decor for fall and what I’ll call Halloween-light.

So now that I’ve given an overview, let’s get into my favorite finds.

Favorite Finds at Lowe’s

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  1. Werewolf Prop: I love a good werewolf prop (currently in the market for the right-priced one), and I really like this one. He growls, moves his mouth, and turns his head. He’s really cool, and my son liked him, too. He might be added to my collection soon.
  2. Skeletons: Now, these skeletons aren’t really any different than others I’ve seen, but they are cheap. They’re priced at $29.98 right now, so if you’re lucky enough to get one when they’ve marked everything half off, you’re going to get a heck of a deal.
  3. Radioactive Barrel: This collapsible barrel is only $14.97, and I really liked it because it’s so much easier to add to a toxic theme than a full-sized barrel. I just don’t have anywhere to store one of those, so I like that this version can easily break down and stack on a shelf.
  4. Inflatable Haunted House Entryway: I don’t really have a lot of inflatable items, but this house is a really good addition to a kid-friendly yard.
  5. Ceramic Jack-O-Lanterns: Lowe’s has these every year, and I always love them. They are sturdy and great for a garden or flower bed. If your neighbors have a problem with early Halloween decorations outdoors, I can’t imagine they’d complain about this. Baby steps.
  6. Witch Prop: This is the new Gemmy Witch product for Lowe’s this year. She’s cute and witchy and a little spooky. Great find.
  7. Inflatable Mayor: I am a huge fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and I always enjoy seeing all the new inflatables and other themed decorations each year. I was really happy to see this inflatable (sorry for the poor pic) because you don’t see many with The Mayor. He’s pretty cool, and Lock, Shock, and Barrel are crawling on him. He’s great.
  8. Glow-in-the-Dark Bones-in-a-Bag: You can’t have too many bones for your graveyard, and now your can have some that glow! I haven’t seen them in stores before (maybe I just missed them), so I thought they were pretty awesome. I’ll be picking up a bag because glow-in-the-dark stuff is just a no-brainer.

I had a hard time limiting my favorite things here because the selection was great. I’ll be picking up a few items there for sure.

What was your favorite thing? Let me know in the comments.

And be sure to check out my other Halloween Merchandise Reviews for 2019!

Halloween, Product Review

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Dollar Tree

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One of my favorite places to go when Halloween rolls around is Dollar Tree. There are two reasons for this:

  1. They have some really cool stuff.
  2. I’m really cheap.

You can really find some great items here, so let’s take a look at what they have.

They have a good variety for their relatively small selection. Costume pieces, party supplies, props, general decor – they’ve got it all. They even have skeleton animals now (i.e, rats, birds, bats, & spiders). And everything is only $1!

That’s both good and dangerous. I can’t stop myself from buying $1 Halloween supplies. I lack that kind of will power.

Anyway, I can always count on them to have some really cool things that will fit in with my Halloween style. Luckily, at only $1, even things that might not fit or might look a little too cheap can be modified with little investment. For example, see my post about the different ways to use a Dollar Tree skull.

And speaking of the skulls, let’s get into my favorite finds.

Favorite Finds at Dollar Tree

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  1. Plastic Eyeballs: I love items that I know I can use in other places. Plastic eyes are great for large props. For instance, I’m thinking of adding them inside some of the masks I use for my larger props. You could make easy glowing eyes with a string of lights and a craft knife, or you could use them as filler for a vase. Lots of options here.
  2. Hanging Witch: They haven’t had much in the way of hanging props in previous years, so I was happy to see this chick on their wall. She’s pretty bland right now, but with a little paint and some added creepy cloth (not pictured, but Dollar Tree also has multiple colors to choose from), she’ll look pretty great.
  3. Chains: Who couldn’t use more chains in their Halloween display? Right. No one.
  4. Skulls: Back to the skulls. I always pick a few of these up every year because they can be used in so many ways for so many props. Love these things.
  5. Skeleton Garland: This can be used to make some really cool centerpieces or maybe to decorate a mantel. You could take them apart and make miniature displays.
  6. Skeleton Glasses: These are, of course, plastic, but if you’re throwing a Halloween party, these would come in handy and look really cool.
  7. Skeleton Tongs: I love these guys. They are actually really good quality. They’re plastic, but they’re quite sturdy. You can use them as intended or even stick them out of the ground for some grave decorations.

So if you couldn’t tell already, I highly recommend Dollar Tree. I’m going to be posting later about some of my item makeovers, so check back soon!

What is your favorite find this year at Dollar Tree? Let me know in the comments!

Halloween, Product Review, Uncategorized

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Joann

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As foretold in my previous post, I am back with another Halloween merchandise review. This one is for another craft store I’m quite fond of: Joann.

I give Michael’s the win over Joann in terms of cool indoor decor, but Joann does have some good items. They have a wide variety of craft and strangely-decorated pumpkins (I especially like the guy below with the teeth), and their animal skeleton game is on point. I mean, just look at the chicken! And the eel! I love them.

Now, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced skeleton, I would go somewhere else – probably Home Depot or Lowe’s – because their normal human skeleton is quite expensive. They go on sale frequently, though, so you can still probably get a good deal on one if you just have to get your skeletons there.

One place Joann definitely has an advantage over Michael’s is the fabric selection. Michael’s doesn’t carry fabric (at least the ones I’ve been to don’t), and Joann has a really great selection of costume fabric. I’m not the type to make my own costume, but if you are, check it out. They have everything from cutesy stuff to bloody, shredded fabric, so there should be something for everyone. You can also buy patterns for costumes there!

I’m also quite fond of the selection of food craft goodies Joann carries. They have a pretty big line of Wilton Halloween products -sprinkles, candy melts, cupcake holders, treat bags, candy molds – you name it. They also have that sweet Jack’o’lantern cake pan you can see in the pic above and a gingerbread haunted house kit. Super fun for kids.

While Michael’s might be more my thing in terms of decor, I do think Joann’s selection this year has some merits. They always have really fun pumpkins and new types of animal skeletons, and their fabric selection is pretty great. So what do I think are the best finds at Joann?

Favorite Finds at Joann

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  1. Foam Body Parts: I think this is the first year I’ve seen this. Joann usually has foam craft heads or busts, but this year they have a full skeleton! In pieces, of course, but it would be fun to get this and make it your own.
  2. Stone Skull Planter: I collect skulls. I love skulls. I anticipate this will be part of my collection. Just look at how cool it is!
  3. Vintage Framed Art: My husband and I actually said we liked this a lot at the same time, which doesn’t usually happen with Halloween stuff. I just like the cool vintage look to the print. It would look great on my wall (and probably will).
  4. Yoga Skeletons: These are a repeat from last year, but I freaking love them so much. In fact, I loved them so much last year that I dragged my sister around Fort Worth, TX to find them. They weren’t at my local store, and since we were going to be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a BTS concert (which was AMAZING, by the way), I had to stop on our way back to pick these cute little guys up.
  5. Roasted Pig Skeleton: I haven’t really seen many pig skeletons, and I love that this one has an apple in its mouth. Super cool.
  6. Rooster Skeleton: Like the pig, I think this is the first chicken skeleton I’ve seen. He might make his way into my collection, too.
  7. Bone Pumpkin: I love all the cool pumpkins that Joann has, and this was my fave. It’s just really unique and very my style.

All in all, I say at least take a trip to your local Joann and see what they have to offer. Who knows? You might luck out and get there when they have a really good sale.

So what do you think about Joann’s stuff this year? Hit or miss? Let me know if the comments!