Do you have other videos that must be seen? Share them in the comments below, or tweet us @ruelala.

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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.

Bite-Sized Baking
No matter your preferred taste – sweet or salty, nuts or toffee – trick-or-treat bags are sure to offer a complement to every craving. Use sugar-loaded confections to create candy-recycler blondies, Halloween candy cookies, white chocolate candy corn cookie bars, peanut butter and toffee candy bark, or frozen peanut butter cup banana pops (the fruit makes them healthier, right?). With these desserts on hand, you’ll wish All Hallows’ Eve came around more than once a year.

By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer

Have any Halloween-inspired treats made it into your recipe box? Share them in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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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.

Sleepy Hollow. Two words: Johnny Depp.

Halloween. The movie that launched Jamie Lee Curtis’s career may not be the first slasher movie, but it’s definitely one of the best.

Psycho. Because no scary movie marathon is complete without a little Alfred Hitchcock.

By Keriann Coffey, Associate Blog Editor

What movies make your Halloween hit list? Share them in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.

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Move over, Shark Week – it’s International Dinosaur Month, and we’re ready to celebrate.

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.

Our Little Rue Celebrates International Dinosaur Month Boutique opens Wednesday, October 17, at 11AM ET.

By Sarah Stanley, Staff Writer

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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.

By Emily Gibbons of LuckyLittleLove.com, Staff Writer

Have a favorite pumpkin DIY? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala. 

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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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