This is a four-minute gem that we guarantee will make your Thursday infinitely better. For Halloween this year, Ellen DeGeneres dressed up as an (almost) exact version of Sofia Vergara. And we’ve been giggling hysterically at our desks since we first pressed play.
Do you have other videos that must be seen? Share them in the comments below, or tweet us @ruelala.
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Happy Halloween! Whether you’re spending the evening passing out treats or taking the young ones for a costumed stroll around the neighborhood, your kitchen is soon to become a repository for piles of fun-sized goodies. But before the kids chomp it all down, borrow a handful for your own use – and share in the sugar high.
Sweet Salad
Remember Waldorf salad? This easy-to-prepare candy bar apple salad has the same idea – luscious flavors doused in a creamy dressing. Rather than the Waldorf’s classic combination of grapes, walnuts, and marshmallows, this one uses apples, SNICKERS®, and vanilla pudding to create a caramel apple–flavored treat.
Substitute with abandon to suit your tastes (or your pantry). Some suggestions include using a mixture of SNICKERS and HEATH Toffee Bars, pears rather than apples, and different flavored puddings.
Delicious Drinks
When your little monsters return home with bags stuffed full of colored candies, look no further than Skittles®-infused vodka. With each flavor individually bottled and ready to drink, you won’t have to search for a sweet end-of-day treat. But if chocolate and peanut butter is more your style (or you’re only in the mood for a quick nip), try a peanut butter cup martini.
While the main draw of Halloween is easily the candy (who doesn’t love a holiday dedicated to sweets?), watching scary movies is a close second. From scare-you-out-of-your-seat classics to family-friendly varieties for the kiddos, these frightening flicks are essential to a horror movie marathon (just add popcorn).
Hocus Pocus. Between Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, this movie is a Halloween classic that NEVER gets old.
A Nightmare on Elm Street. If you weren’t an insomniac before, you will be after watching this movie. “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you…”
The Witches. This Jim Henson production (yes, you read that right) teeters on scary-movie territory, so it’s perfect for not-quite-ready-for-horror-flicks kids.
BeetleJuice. Full of wit, whimsy, and sometimes creepy moments, this cinematic masterpiece shows why Tim Burton is the king of the strange and unusual.
The Shining. This iconic Stephen King–inspired thriller haunts you long after you hit the stop button. Spooky fact: Jack Nicholson’s famous “Heeeere’s Johnny” line was actually ad-libbed.
Ghostbusters. Because every thrill-fest needs a side-splittingly funny break.
Poltergeist. The fact that this 80s film franchise is said to be cursed (due to premature deaths among the cast and crew) just makes it that much more scary.
The Exorcist. Simply the kind of movie where you spend half the time under a blanket.
Casper. When it comes to a family fright fest, this ghost story should be at the top of your list.
Friday the 13th. Hockey fans beware: watch this movie, and you’ll never look at a hockey mask the same way again.
Even eons later, the world’s still just as into dinosaurs as it was 251,000,000 years ago. In fact, there are countless ways to get the kids (and/or yourself) even more in touch with these beloved prehistoric pals, this side of the Stone Age.
1) Re-rent Jurassic Park. While the once-groundbreaking “special effects” may be lost on the Pixar generation, there’s no denying that that velociraptor scene (the one in the kitchen) was downright terrifying. They’ll respect it. We promise.
2) If a natural history museum is within reach, pack a lunch and spend a Saturday there. Larger-than-life skeletons will put the dino’s grandeur in full perspective.
3) Rotate dinosaur eggs into snack time. (The kids don’t have to know they’re healthy…)
4) Dress your little one as a dinosaur for Halloween. Millions-of-years-old reptiles always get more candy.
5) Archeologists in training can hone their skills by digging for dino bones online.
6) If this dinosaur expert doesn’t have all the kids’ questions (“Why are dinosaurs so big?”) answered, this video from National Geographic surely will.
7) Shop our Little Rue Celebrates International Dinosaur Month Boutique! It’s packed with dinosaur-inspired toys, books, and more, sure to keep any budding paleontologist blissfully occupied for hours.
Been there, done that. When it comes to carving pumpkins, I’ve tried it all – spooky castles, wicked witches, and everything in between.
So, when it came to those two perfect pumpkins I picked out at the local farm with help from my four-year-old niece, we focused on polka dots – her new favorite obsession. Stickers in hand, we decorated one pumpkin with multi-size round stickers, then spray-painted the surface black. For the second, we cut off the top, scooped out the seeds, and used a drill to make holes all over.
Materials:
Two pumpkins
Black spray paint
Circular stickers
Drill and 3/4-inch bit
Knife and spoon (to prep pumpkin #2)
One tea light candle
Directions:
1. Wipe down both pumpkins to rid surfaces of any dirt. 2. Start with pumpkin #1. Add stickers as shown above and douse in black spray paint (one coat is all it needs). 3. Once dry, peel stickers off pumpkin #1 and revel in your polka-dotted finished product. 4. For pumpkin #2, cut off top and remove seeds. 5. Drill holes where desired. 6. Add the lit tea light candle, replace top, and display.
Our copy team gathered last night to celebrate autumn with an all-too-seasonal pumpkin party. From sinfully sweet treats to hearty, savory delights (emphasis on the former), the writers brought some serious culinary competitors to the well-adorned table. Here are some quick tips to help you throw a gourd-themed bash of your own:
Décor
Start your décor off right with these beautiful DIY Pumpkin Planters that are so easy to make (plus you have seeds left over for a quick-baked snack). Add themed serving platters and – of course – more pumpkins, and the mood will pretty much set itself.
Activities
Pumpkin carving, while the ultimate October activity, is logistically tricky. Instead, pick up some medium-sized pumpkins and set out paint pens, mod podge (equal parts glue and water), tissue paper, stick-on moustaches, and whatever else appeals to you, then let your guests decorate to their hearts’ content. No messy goop to clean up, and everyone gets to create their own take-home favor.
Food
A variety of dishes is the key to hosting a successful meal, so decide on a theme and ask guests to bring a favorite to share. Our spread included baked brie with pumpkin butter, salad topped with pumpkin seeds, pumpkin-stuffed ravioli, and enough delicious, pumpkin-infused baked goods to cover a tabletop. Offer mulled cider, red wine, or pumpkin spice martinis, and you’ll be glad that, by the time your guests say good night, you’re already at home.
By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer
Have a great pumpkin-themed party idea? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.
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