Mousai Industries
The air is getting crisp and the spirits are ready to come out and play! With Halloween only days away, here are just a few of my favorite fall traditions.
10.) Trick Or Treating / Passing out Candy: For most of us, our love for Halloween started when we were kids. So, what better way to relive your childhood than to revisit the age-old traditions of trick-or-treating and/or passing out candy? Seeing kids come to the door in costume brings back memories of being young and carefree. A nice thing to do is to not only provide kid's favorite candies, but to also have small safe toys on hand for children with food allergies or too small to eat candy. You're never too old for some Halloween fun! Believe it or not, most people don't mind seeing adults come to their door after the kids make their rounds. Don't be ashamed to throw on a costume and get some left over candy for yourselves! Your tummy will thank you later!
9.) Fall shopping: Personally, I don't believe in fashion rules such as, certain colors going with certain seasons. If you enjoy wearing a certain style or color, you should be free to wear it whenever you like! If you enjoy wearing "autumn colors" such as, black, red, orange, deep purples, maroons, brown, etc. and "autumn styles" such as, boots, sweaters, long sleeves, leggings and pants, now is the time to stock up on your favorite items! Sometimes items that are hard to find or are more expensive during other times of the year tend to be more readily available and even on sale in October. Looking for some fierce fishnets and tights? Try places like the 99 cent store or dollar tree rather than the mall to save some cash before the holidays!
8.) Picking apples: Picking apples is the perfect way to get into the spirit of fall, especially since apple season starts in October. If you enjoy the crisp and refreshing taste of apples, there are various places across the US to visit an orchard and pick apples of your very own! In southern California we have places such as, Riley’s Farm Fort Crossing in Oak Glen where you can pick from a wide variety of Braeburn apples, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, McIntosh, Red Fuji and Standard varieties. Don't forget to pick up their famous apple pie! Another great place to go apple picking in Oak Glen is Willowbrook Apple Farm. At Willowbrook you can even learn to press apple cider. Yum!
7.) Spooky playlist: Music can go with any occasion or any mood you happen to be in. Feeling spooky with Halloween only days away? Why not put together a perfect Halloween playlist? Of course, you have to include some of the classics like "I Put A Spell On You," the theme song to horror greats such as Halloween and The Exorcist, "The Monster Mash" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and, of course, anything by Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and Danzig. But why not add a few surprises? Some of my favorites include "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds,which is featured on the Scream movie soundtrack "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell. For more great tunes to get you in the Halloween spirit check out the playlist entitled "Halloween" by JonScissorhand here: https://open.spotify.com/user/jonscissorhand/playlist/2IhrIlLnrucvR04otnSfmZ
6.) Carving pumpkins: Carving pumpkins is one of the most famous Halloween traditions. Personally, I enjoy picking out my pumpkins from a pumpkin patch because you get more of an authentic experience being surrounded by hundreds of pumpkins, gourds, hay barrels and rides. While picking pumpkins I like to get ones with long, curly stems for a whimsical effect! White pumpkins are great for painting and orange ones are great for carving. While carving pumpkins, my friends and family also like to snack on the pumpkins seeds by roasting them in the oven and adding a dash of salt for flavor. This year, I free-handed my pumpkins. But using a stencil helps with accuracy. Good safe pumpkin carving tools can be found at places like Target. But don't forget smaller businesses in your neighborhood that also sometimes carry the supplies you will need sometimes cheaper!
5.) Watching new horror films in theaters: Few things scream "Halloween" more than a good scary movie! October is prime time for new horror films to be released. Every year Hollywood creates new ways to try to scare us silly just before the big day. This year, Crimson Peak (a Gothic romance/ghost story) was released in theaters. The movie was visually stunning and I highly recommend it. Another film that was just released to limited audiences and has received very good reviews is Goodnight Mommy. I hope to catch this psychological horror film before the end of fall. Many new eerie films are also on demand. Check out Tales of Halloween, Final Girls, Knock-Knock and A Christmas Horror Story. You can read up on more of the latest chills and thrills in movies here: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/28/seasons-craziest-scary-movies
4.) Classic horror TV shows, movies and episode marathons: Who doesn't love gathering our friends and family around the TV to watch our favorite Halloween shows, classic movies and episode marathons? Some of my favorite yearly "must-see" specials and films include 90s gems Hocus Pocus and Casper and the classic tv special It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I also enjoy horror films its as Halloween, Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Bride of Chucky, The Ring, Ginger Snaps, Saw and more. There are also newer film favorites including: Houses October Built, The Conjuring, The Gallows, Unfriended and Trick R' Treat. No October would be complete without re-watching iconic horror films such as Dracula, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Black Lagoon and funny men Abbot and Costello's run ins with some of these famous characters. Every October for the last five years I have looked forward to the amazing American Horror Story on FX to keep me entertained. I'm really enjoying "AHS: Hotel" so far this year!
3.) Decorating: In my opinion, decorating for Halloween is not just a tradition, it's a hobby! Visiting stores such as Spirit, Party City, Halloween Town, Target, Halloween Club, Michael's, Big Lots and more, glancing through the isles and picking out items that catch you eye is a blast. Turning your home into your own personal "haunted house" really can become an art form. I enjoy not only decorating the outside of my apartment for passersby and trick-or-treaters to enjoy, but the inside for my family and I to enjoy as well. For us Halloween lovers, the only thing we dislike is that we can't have every single item at the store to add to our collection! ...and who says you can't leave some up all year?
2.) Dressing up: What is Halloween without a good costume?! Every year no matter what I have planned I like to pick out my costume far in advance. For me, picking out a costume isn't just about what's popular, it's about channeling a character I can relate to in one way or another. A lot of the time my costume will reflect on the past year. Some of my favorite costumes that I've been include Eric Draven from The Crow (2014), Little Red Riding Hood (2013) and Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd (2011). This year, I will be Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. What are you going to be for Halloween?
1.) Theme Park Horror Events, mazes and haunted houses: My all time favorite thing to do during the fall is to visit horror events hosted by local theme parks and famous locations. Knott's Scary Farm (Knott's Berry Farm), Mickey's Halloween Party (Disneyland), The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor, Six Flag's Fright Fest, the Haunted Hayride and more make you feel like you're living in an actual horror movie! My favorite event in California would have to be Halloween Horror Nights. Between the terror tram on the Universal Studios Backlot, multiple mazes based on horror films and TV shows and tons of scare zones and rides, it's impossible not to have a "screaming" good time! If you happen to be in Texas this Halloween season be sure to check out my favorite out-of-state haunt, Cutting Edge Haunted House! Not only are they affordable, their haunted house is interactive, has a variety of in your face scares and will fill up your night and nightmares. Visit, (http://www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com) for more info!
What is your favorite place to be scared this Halloween? What are some of your favorite fall traditions? Send us photos of your Autumn memories for an RT at @MousaiIndustry on Twitter and have a safe spooktacular Halloween!
