Wow, it is cold today here in Northern Kentucky!  I can’t believe that the Cincinnati Reds have their opening day game and the temperature is only getting to 39 degrees!  Plus besides the wonderful drizzle of rainfall we might get snow flurries!  And they say this is Spring? 

Well that’s the fun of living in the midwest!  You never know what Mother Nature has planned.  I’ve been to opening day games where it’s been absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the 70’s and plenty of sunshine and I’ve been where they had to stop for a few innings because they couldn’t see through the snowfall!  No matter what the weather, opening day here in Cincinnati, Ohio is always a blast.  With the parade, a brand new state-of-the-art scoreboard and the first pitch thrown out by Nick Lachey, what more could you ask for?  At least we’re playing the New York Mets and this weird weather won’t be new to them.  They always get what we get just a couple days later!

At least school spring breaks are still going on and families are heading to warmer climates such as Florida or out west.   A week of sunshine would be wonderful about now.  We’re one of those lucky families because not only do we get to head to a warmer climate, but we get to visit our much-missed family as well.  I’m looking forward to relaxing on the beach while watching the kids have a blast in the ocean with my husband.  Me, I’m fine just sitting on the beach!  As much as I love the beach, I don’t like the ocean at all!  I can’t stand not being able to see what I’m stepping on and the salt – well, that’s just got to go!

I am looking forward to spending Easter with everyone though!  Mass in the morning then a great day with a neighborhood Easter parade, our own family Easter egg hunt, lots of ham sandwiches, plenty of fatening desserts and a visit from the Easter Bunny!  The kids are going to love it!  The Easter Bunny costume that my sister’s neighbor is wearing is perfect!

If you haven’t got your Easter Bunny costume yet, there’s still time at HalloweenExpress.com!  Make this Easter one that the kids will always remember! 

Wednesday was April 1st or better known as April Fools Day (or All Fools Day).  A big day in the calendar year for all you jokesters out there to play pratical jokes on your family and friends.  Did you kow that in some countries such as; UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa the jokes only last until noon?  After that anyone who plays a trick on someone is call an “April Fool”.  Of course in the US, Ireland and France the pranks last all day!  So if you’re still in that “prankster” mood check out all the great pranks and gags accessories at HalloweenExpress.com.  There’s something to scare the living daylights out of just about everyone you know!

Today is Friday, April 3rd and there’s only one more Friday (Good Friday) to go before Easter.  Spring is in the air and the tulips are in full bloom.  Another thing in the air is rain – lots of it!  I guess the old adage is true ”April showers bring May flowers”.  It started storming last night and is still raining outside now.  I do love to sleep in a good thunderstorm, though.  I do hate when the lights go out during storms but at night when you’re getting ready to go to bed it’s dark anyway, so I don’t mind if we lose electricity at night. 

Today is also the first day of live racing at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.  They only have live racing (actual horses running on the track) during April and November.  My nephew goes to the University of Kentucky and a big group of them are all heading over to see the horses and place their bets.  Going to Keeneland is a long running tradition at the University of Kentucky.  Live racing goes through April 24th so if you love horses, love the excitment of the race, and  want to see one of the most beautiful race tracks in the country you have to go to Keeneland!

You still have time to order that Easter Bunny costume I’ve been talking about for weeks to save yourself the headache of waiting in line at the mall for pictures with the Easter Bunny.  Have a family member or friend be your Easter Bunny this year with a great costume from HalloweenExpress.com.

There are so many fun things to do as a family during the Easter holiday and a lot of it has to do with eggs!  The annual Easter egg hunt at the local park, the annual Easter egg hunt for the family in the backyard and the coloring of Easter eggs are the three most important things on my kids Easter “to do ” list.

I love coloring Easter eggs and can remember doing it with my brothers and sisters when I was little.  It was a big deal then and still is today with my children.  I buy three dozen eggs (one for each child) and after boiling and cooling them, the fun begins.  I’m still pretty old fashioned when it comes to coloring eggs.  I like the tried-and-true Paas Easter Egg coloring kit where you drop a colored tab in a mixture of water and vinegar and use the bendable egg holder to drop it in and get it out when it’s done.  I love the wax crayon that comes with it so the kids can write their names on the eggs before dropping them into the color.  Today though there are so many different ways to color eggs.  We’ve tried them all, but my favorite is still Paas.

The city park always has a big Easter egg hunt every year and the kids love it.  It’s a lot of fun to go to but can be overwhelming for the little ones.  When they tear away the ribbon and all the kids take off it’s mayhem!  But the kids love it and the parents are all cheering them on from the sidelines (and of course telling them where the eggs are).  My favorite part is the Easter Bunny himself.  The same “Easter Bunny” has been doing it for years and he is wonderful with the children.  It’s the most amazing Easter Bunny costume and you’ll never believe where they got it??  Of course…HalloweenExpress.com! 

Another fun Easter egg hunt is the one we have for all my children, nieces and nephews at our house every Easter.  We have a big Easter party later on in the day so that all the kids have plenty of time to get their Easter baskets at home and have time to enjoy playing with their treats.  Also there’s always Easter mass on Easter morning to go to.  Once everyone is here the kids all go downstairs while the adults hide a ton of those plastic Easter eggs with different things in them all over the backyard.  For the little ones, it’s candy and for the older kids of course nothing would do but cold hard cash.  It’s all small amounts, some eggs with ten cents other eggs with $1 or $5.  It’s always so much fun watching them take off and find the eggs.  Each child gets the same amount of eggs so that we don’t hear, “That’s not fair!” 

So this Easter try a little “egg” fun!  Whether it’s coloring them or hiding them around the yard, the kids will really be glad you did! 

Yea, it’s finally here – the first official day of Spring!  Now we can look forward to beautiful flowers, trees budding, green grass and the best sound in the whole world after a nasty winter, the birds singing!

And what a nasty winter it was here in Northern Kentucky.  I am more than ready for warmer weather!  However, I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that it’s the first official day of Spring, because it’s only 37 degrees here today!  What is up with that?  I will admit that the 10-day forecast doesn’t look too bad with it warming up into the 60’s and 70’s next week.  I’m so ready to begin working in my yard and seeing the flower beds overflow with vivid spring colors.

Easter will be here before you know it, only 23 more days until the Easter Bunny comes to town!  Do you know where your Easter Bunny costume is?  Easter is one of my favorite holidays, (1) because it brings to mind springtime, (2) the Easter Bunny runs a close second to Santa, and (3) who doesn’t love to get a basket full of candy!   I have two favorite Easter candies that I just can not live without during the holiday – Whoppers malted milk ball eggs and Peeps.  My son Caden has taken my love of those wonderful marshmellow Peeps to a whole new level this year.  Every morning I find a Peeps chick or bunny on my desk (that was not there the night before) and I have a feeling Caden is the mystery Peeps man.   I haven’t called him out on it yet because I know he loves to surprise me and I think it’s adorable that he cares enough to surprise his mother every morning with her favorite candy.  Who am I to pass up a marshmellow bunny with my morning cup of coffee?  Did you see where they now have Chocolate Mousse flavored Peeps – there is a God!

I did however notice that HalloweenExpress.com has the absolute cutest costume for infants size 12 – 24 months.  It’s a yellow chick Peeps costume and if my children were younger you can bet they would have that costume.  But since they’re a little too big to fit into it I’m just going to have to get one for my twin nephews (or two since they’re twins).  They will look adorable as Peeps!     

HalloweenExpress.com has a huge selection of great Easter costumes and accessories for everyone!  Get yourself or someone you love a fun Easter costume today! 

With Spring right around the corner people everywhere are getting ready for the Easter Bunny.  Kids are getting their baskets ready and coloring Easter eggs.  Pretty soon the Easter Bunny will be at your local mall and your kids are going to want to be there getting their pictures taken.  Or for an easier way of doing it for mom just buy an Easter Bunny costume from HalloweenExpress.com and have a friend wear it over to your house and surprise the kids by having the Easter Bunny come to them!

Ok, so you know the story of Peter Cotontail and all the original Easter shows, but this year I think we girls should put a little twist on the old Easter Bunny look.  Of course we’ll keep the tried and true Easter Bunny for our children, but maybe you want to try something different and exciting for your significant other.  Make this Easter one holiday that your husband won’t soon forget. 

Become a sexy bunny right before his eyes. 

At HalloweenExpress.com you’ll find a great selection of sexy bunny costumes.  From your classic Playboy Bunny costume to a sexy French Maid Bunny costume.  Your husband will love it!  The bunny costumes are great and it’s just one less costume you’ll have to buy at Halloween because you can wear it then as well.   So what are you waiting for??

Wow, dejavu on the Friday the 13th date.  Didn’t we just have one last month?  That’s pretty rare because sometimes it only happens once a year!  Consider yourself lucky or unlucky since it is Friday the 13th!

Well college spring break is in full swing and the beaches down south are hopping!  With this little cold front that just swept through the midwest this week it’s freezing here!  Monday it was in the 70’s and today we’ll be lucky to hit the mid 40’s!  My sister lives in Ft Myers and she said it’s been in the 80’s all week.  I’m seriously considering moving! 

The first official day of Spring is one week from today!  Even though it doesn’t feel like it now, it looks like we’ll be warming up by this time next week.  Is everybody ready for St Patrick’s Day?  Only four days away and everything will be coming up green.  Green lakes, rivers, food and most importantly beer!  Pick up any last minute accessories or St Patrick’s Day costumes right here on HalloweenExpress.com.  Do you have your Leprechan hat or green beads? 

A couple weeks after that we go right into Easter!  That gives you plenty of time to pick up that Easter Bunny costume you’ve been wanting.  You’ll be the hit of the neighborhood and the kids will love it!  Don’t forget your bunny teeth and jumbo carrot!  What about your little one?  Don’t you think they’d look absolutely adorable in a Tom Arma Bunny costume?   I do!

Have fun this Easter and dress up your whole familiy in Easter Bunny costumes!  HalloweenExpress.com has every size you need from infant and toddler to kids to teens to adults.  Order yours now and make this Easter one to remember!

 Over the Christmas holiday I wrote a blog about the wonderful idea of taking my children to get their pictures taken with Santa Claus at the mall.  Well, maybe the thought behind it was wonderful but the waiting in line for hours just to have my youngest daughter change her mind right before sitting on Santa’s lap was not.  Although a few years down the road I may look back on that holiday picture (two of my children smiling happily on Santa’s lap while my youngest screams her head off) and smile, I definitely would not want to go through that again.  Hence my blog about Santa costumes and the benefit of having Santa come to your house for some great holiday memories!

Well it’s Easter time again and the same thing can apply to the Easter Bunny!  I know the lines aren’t as long at the mall to get your children’s picture taken with the Easter Bunny but you still run the risk of your child losing it on the Easter Bunny’s lap. 

At HalloweenExpress.com you’ll find everything you need in the way of Easter Bunny costumes to bring the Easter Bunny to you.  My sister’s neighborhood has an Easter parade every year where the kids wear their Easter best and form a little parade down their street.  At the end of the parade route the Easter Bunny is there to greet the children and the kids love it!  I think this is a great idea! 

Whether you have the Easter Bunny come to your neighborhood or your home, your children will be more relaxed and really enjoy getting their picture taken and “hanging out” with the Easter Bunny for awhile.  How many kids can say they’ve hung out with the Easter Bunny?  Last year we did the whole Easter Bunny thing at our house and my neighbors thought it was such a cute idea that we’re expanding it to our neighborhood this year.  The Easter Bunny is going to have his hands full this year!

My last blog I talked about Spring Break and you know what comes with that…Easter!  This year Easter falls on Sunday, April 12th and I’ll be celebrating with my family in Florida.  I love going to mass on Easter and seeing all the little girls dressed in their Easter dresses and bonnets and the little boys look adorable in their shorts and vests. 

Since we’ll be visiting my sister in Florida she’s decided to have a big Easter party for us.  The Saturday before Easter her neighborhood always has an Easter parade where all the children in their Easter finest carry baskets and walk down the sidewalks getting candy.  It’s sort of like Halloween on Easter.  What’s neat about it is that all the neighbors sit at the end of their driveways and give out candy instead of the children having to go door to door. That way it looks more like a parade.  Kids decorate their wagons, bicycles and scooters with streamers and balloons.  At the end of the parade everyone meets at the community pool where the Easter Bunny is there for the children to get their picture taken.

My sister’s little girl just turned one and she already bought her the Tom Arma White Rabbit costume from HalloweenExpress.com for her to wear in the parade.  She sent me a picture of her in it and I can’t even begin to tell you how adorable she looks!  I can’t wait to see her in April!

My favorite Tom Arma Costumes for Easter are:

• White Rabbit
• Sheep
• Flower
• Monarch Butterfly

Of course the Flamingo is a must if you live in Florida!

Tom Arma has the most adorable costumes for children and they’re not just for Halloween.  Any day of the year these costumes are perfect and so unbelievably cute!  And remember you can only buy Tom Arma Costumes exclusively through HalloweenExpress.com.  So don’t delay order your’s today!

Good Friday is observed every year on the Friday before Easter.  It is a holy day celebrated by many Christians around the world.  On this day, Christians commemorate the suffering and death on the cross of Jesus Christ.  It’s called “Good” because of all the wonder and meaning that flowed from it – “love is stronger than death”.  This is the day when Jesus was handed over for trial, tortured and forced to carry his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, nailed to the cross on a hill known as Calvary, and allowed to die a slow and agonizing death while being mocked by the crowd. 

Holy week began last Sunday with:

• Palm Sunday – Jesus entry into Jerusalem
• Maundy Thursday – The Last Supper
• Good Friday – Crucifixion
• Holy Saturday – Day of waiting
• Easter Sunday – Resurrection

I remember going to church with my family when I was little and getting so excited about the Palm fronds that you would get on Palm Sunday.  My sisters and I would each get a Palm and take it home to braid and hang over a picture of Jesus we had in our hallway.  My brothers, of course used their Palms to smack each other with on the ride home from church, that is until my mom would take it away from them and they would get in trouble.  Easter is two days away and I’m looking forward to my family getting together in celebration.  I love the early morning when the kids get up and are wanting to go downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny left for them in their baskets.  Spring is officially here and the weather is finally getting warmer.

 Happy ”Good” Friday!! 

Wow, can you believe Easter is only 10 days away?  This year is already moving way too fast!  Many college Spring Break’s are happening at this very moment and I’m pretty sure a lot those college students headed south to enjoy some fun in the sun.   The first official day of Spring is one week from today on March 20.  We had a few “spring-like” days here – just enough to have me looking forward to warmer weather and putting all this cold, ice and snow behind us.

However, Mother Nature had a different idea in mind.  I don’t know about you, but we were right in the middle of that blizzard snow storm that blew through the Midwest this past weekend dropping over a foot of snow!  I couldn’t believe it!  Here it is the month of March and I’m more than ready to put away my winter clothes when ”surprise”, we get the biggest snowfall in years!  Thankfully, it was quick (but not painless) with only two days of lots of snow and bitter cold temperatures on Friday and Saturday.  By Sunday the sun came out and when I look outside my window today there are only small patches of snow to be seen – except for in my front yard.  During the massive snowfall my son and his friends (with the help of my husband) decided to build the biggest snowman ever measuring in at a little over seven feet tall.  To this day that snowman is refusing to melt so we decided to make it a Snow Bunny to go along with our Easter decorations.  With the help of bunny ears, a bunny tail and a jumbo carrot that we found at Halloween Express we have ourselves the Easter Snow Bunny!  

Don’t forget to get all your Easter costume accessories soon!  Halloween Express has everything you need to make this Easter one to remember!