Category Archive: Family Fun

Top 5 List of Father’s Day Gifts

Father's Day 2012: Top 5 List of Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day 2012:  Top 5 List of Father's Day Gifts

Father’s Day:  What He Really Wants  (Hint:  It’s Not a Tie!)

It’s that time of year again when we honor the great husbands and fathers of the world.  In case you haven’t looked at the calendar lately, Father’s Day is this coming Sunday — June 17th. If the man in your life is anything like the vast majority of them out there, if there is something he really wants, he likely already has it.  Anything else (shirts, ties, BBQ tools, etc.) is likely to be appreciated but perhaps you want more of a reaction than what any of these ho-hum gifts are going to bring.  If you want to plan something really unique and special for your guy that is also going to get him legitimately excited, we’ve got some unique Father’s Day gift ideas for you.  Here’s our Top 5 list of Father’s Day gifts that the man in your life is absolutely going to love!

1. Beer Night:  You know he wants to do it, so just roll with this one as a unique gift to give him on his special day.  Invite his favorite buddies over for a night of beer, BBQ and video games, apps, or even an action packed dude flick.  Buy all sorts of man food for the guys to grill up and stay out of the man cave as much as possible while the boys do what they will do.  It may not be pretty, but he’s likely to have the time of his life.

2. Poker Night:  Get your guy and a few of his friends some poker chips and set up a poker table just for this event.  Have on hand plenty of beer, wings, pizza, chips and dip.  (Nothing fancy, this is a men-only night!)  Take the kids out of the house for a movie so the men can have the place to themselves.  A fully loaded Kegorator nearby might even make grown men cry!

3. Sports or Concert Tix:  You know your guy best and you know which concert or sporting event he wants to go see badly.  If it’s one you have been resisting going to, that’s even better because he won’t be expecting such self-sacrificing altruism.  You can plan to suck it up and attend with him, or better still, buy him enough tickets for him and his best buds to see the event all together.  Everyone scores with this gift!

4. Outdoor Activity: Pack a backpack filled with water bottles, granola bars, etc. and gear up your guy for a hike into one of his favorite localities. If fishing is his game, plan a day for him out at his favorite fishing hole.  If you have the funds, upgrading his rod and reel is a cool surprise, too.  There’s plenty of great gear out there for the golf nuts, too- (real or wannabe) so get him outside doing something he loves with something new in hand to up his game a bit.

5. Biking Day:  Most men have bikes (or other types wheeled toys) so plan an outing to someplace cool in your locality that the entire family can enjoy and take a part in.  After a day of tearing up some new territory on bikes, plan to BBQ outside, but let him take over the reigns and cook it up caveman style.  Find his favorite cuts of meat for him to cook while he lets out a bit of his primal side.  Let him relax in the evening with his favorite luxury alcohol that he will consider a rare and special treat.

Let the men in your life know how special they are by planning a unique day that has some memorable and serious man-fun attached to it.  Not only is he going to have the time of his life, but you are likely to score some major points, too!

Moms – The Ultimate Superheroes

Moms-The Ultimate Superheroes

Moms-The Ultimate Superheroes

Moms-The Ultimate Superheroes

The Avengers is thrilling moviegoer’s as well as rabid comic book hero fans this week with record breaking box office sales. This long awaited movie promises to bring together one of the most exciting group of characters ever with it’s eclectic all-hero cast.  The Avengers, a band of a half a dozen super heroes, essentially comes together because the world needs them to fight off a dastardly enemy, and of course, save the world.  One of the hottest superhero movies of the summer, The Avengers promises to be a huge hit with audiences everywhere.

Not all superheroes wear a cape, however.  In honor of who may be the biggest superhero of them all (and with Mother’s Day quickly approaching — this coming Sunday May 13th), we would like to honor the truly heroic figure that seems to have been left out of The Avengers and all other superhero references as well.  The true ultimate superhero: Mom.

Moms are Powerful:  You know what I mean.  Mom’s all have what’s known as “the look”.  When you get it, you know you are in for it and she didn’t even have to say a word.  It’s better than x-ray vision and it definitely gets its point across. She also has an eagle eye and see’s things you didn’t even know were there. 

Moms know Everything:  It’s an innate thing that is common amongst all moms.  It’s like built in inner radar that’s part of her psyche, or perhaps it’s truly a sixth sense  that is only given to mothers.  But moms know things.  Things you probably don’t want them to know but somehow they still do.  It’s all for your own good for the most part, but very little can slip past your mom.

Moms are Courageous:  There is nothing more powerful than a mama bear; everyone knows that.  Moms will fight off a band of robbers, bullies, bad guys; you name it, all in the name of saving the youngins.  You’d be much better off fighting off any assorted number of cretins than a pissed off mom, trust me on this.  You likely already know this, too.  Mom doesn’t need a large letter “M” emblazoned on her chest, or a fancy cape flying in the wind.  She can pack a wallop with a well-aimed shopping cart or even just her purse.

Moms have an Iron Gut:  There’s nothing squeamish about a mom.  She’s wiped up countless boogie noses, bloodied knees and elbows, and hundreds of blown out dirty diapers that would scare even the most seasoned HAZMAT crew.  The thanks she’s usually given comes in the form of some pretty sassy backtalk and by handing her stuff like banana peels and sticky candy wrappers.

Moms have a Cool Head:  Moms can think on their feet and in the moment of crisis seem to have the wherewithal to know exactly what needs to happen.  If something bad is happening, you naturally and almost always want your mom–there’s a reason for this because of course, she knows exactly what to do.  She always does. 364 days a year we take her for granted.  Make this Mother’s Day “her” day.  She’s your hero, after all.

Happy Mother’s Day to the greatest superheroes out there: Mom’s!  

Pictures with Santa

Santa Claus

Santa Claus

Plan now to make your upcoming holidays as special as possible and make sure you have the photos to keep those memories alive. Using costumes as well as holiday themed accessories will add character as well as originality to your celebrations and will make this year’s family gathering the one everyone really talks about for years to come.

It almost seems like it happened overnight, but it only takes one brisk fall morning to remind you that we are knee deep into autumn.  The days are getting shorter and shorter and although (last time I checked) there are still 24 hours in a day, it’s a little bit difficult to stay motivated when you have less daylight to work with and cram everything in that needs to be done.  Make the most of your time by planning ahead for your holiday season.  Crossing some things off your Santa to-do list can only make your life in the ensuing weeks that much easier. 

One of the most treasured things we do during the holidays is take family pictures and portraits.  It’s fun to reflect back on family gatherings and holidays from days gone by and these events are recorded for posterity through our family photograph collections.  Inevitably with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, you will be taking plenty of family photos and will be recording your very own personal history for future generations to come.  We have a few ideas to give your family pictures some extra panache and festive holiday style this year that you won’t want to miss out on!

With all the relatives gathering for a Thanksgiving meal and obviously many pictures being snapped in the process, why not dress up the family in some appropriate holiday attire?  We have many costumes that are perfect for any Thanksgiving celebration.  Pilgrim costumes as well as Native American costumes will accentuate your holiday and put your entire family in a festive mood.  And as for the pictures that will follow–well, with authentic looking Thanksgiving apparel on some or all of your family members–this years Thanksgiving is likely to go down in your family history as one to be remembered.  You may even start some new traditions of your own!

While we are on the subject, be sure to start thinking about those Christmas pictures you are going to want as well.  Perhaps you want to take an extra special picture for your Christmas card or just want to capture your children’s excitement on film when they get a visit from Santa Claus.  You can easily recreate all of these special holiday moments if you wear one of our amazing Santa Claus suits.  Even if you don’t have children around, what a great Christmas card picture it would make to have your sweetie dressed in full Santa attire and you dressed up as one of his very sweet and sexy helpers, or even as Mrs. Claus herself. 

Plan now to make your upcoming holidays as special as possible and make sure you have the photos to keep those memories alive.  Using costumes as well as holiday themed accessories will add character as well as originality to your celebrations and will make this year’s family gathering the one everyone really talks about for years to come.  Start planning your holiday photo album now!

Extreme Pumpkin Carvings

Another very detailed extreme pumpkin carving. Where do people come up with these ideas?

Here we are, in the heart of the 2011 Halloween season. Halloween is a little more than a week away (sooner for many weekend party goers). Halloween decorations are up in neighborhoods around the country and haunted houses are attracting thousands of visitors daily. And for most of the east coast, midwest and northwest, Fall is in the air. And with Fall, comes pumpkins. One popular Halloween tradition is pumpkin carving. In the “old days”, pumpkin carving was simple. Carve out the center of a pumpkin, add a couple of eyes, a nose, a mouth and you’re done. If you were really ambitious, you might add some ears or perhaps a single tooth in an otherwise toothless mouth. That was it. Your pumpkin was ready to be displayed. Well, those days are long gone. Pumpkin carving has become an art form for some. In fact, pumpkin carving has become downright EXTREME! Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself. We’ve gathered some extreme pumpkin carving photos. Some people are even carving pumpkins underwater! Go figure. To each his own.

Happy Halloween!

While this isn't exactly a pumpkin carving, we thought it was a clever use of three pumpkins!

 

Butt or Bust? Another clever use of pumpkins to celebrate Halloween.

 

Underwater pumpkin carving? Are you kidding me? Now this is EXTREME!

 

This is an interesting twist on extreme pumpkin carving.

 

Now we're getting to the really cool stuff!

Now we're getting to the really cool stuff!

 

Love the detail in this extreme pumpkin carving!  Wonder how long this took to do?

Love the detail in this extreme pumpkin carving! Wonder how long this took to do?

 

Someone had a lot of extra time on their hands to this pair of pumpkin carvings!

Someone had a lot of extra time on their hands to carve this pair of pumpkin!

 

Wow!  Look at the detail in the face of this pumpkin carving.

Wow! Look at the detail in the face of this pumpkin carving.

 

Anyone feel like 'phoning home'?  Very nice pumpkin carving.

Anyone feel like 'phoning home'? Very nice pumpkin carving.

 

Another very detailed extreme pumpkin carving.  Where do people come up with these ideas?

Another very detailed extreme pumpkin carving. Where do people come up with these ideas?

Help for Halloween Minimalists

Spider Eyelashes

Halloween isn’t just for the youngun’s anymore.  Halloween has become immensely popular amongst ‘big kids’ too, for a number of reasons.  It’s fun dressing up in costume, at least for most people.   Finding just the right character that expresses ones personality and reaches out to the inner child within is a positive throwback experience for many of us.  Even with Halloween being as popular as it is and it also being a universally celebrated holiday by kids of all ages, there are still those that are reluctant to participate.  For these less than eager folks, dressing up in costume creates undue stress, embarrassment or effort.  Let’s call these people Halloween minimalists.  If you can relate to what I am saying here, you don’t need to fret, you can still participate in your neighborhood or office party without much effort, expense or commitment.  The best part is that you won’t have to wear that “This IS my Halloween costume” t-shirt to another Halloween function. 

 

Costume Kits:  These handy “kits” have some really cool basics and accessories that you can use with your own clothes to turn every day street wear into a not only acceptable, but down right respectable costume ensemble.  With choices such as Jack Sparrow, Buzz Lightyear and The Green Lantern, it’s simple to bring both popular as well as familiar movie characters to life very easily.  For a more traditional Halloween look, there are kits available to recreate pirates, vampires and devils.  For a costume that is a little goofier that you can really throw your personality into, try a nerd look or perhaps even a silly nun, pig or kitty.  All the critical accessories have been put together for you so putting your costume together with little effort is a breeze.  No point in stressing about being a minimalist, with these simple looks you will get maximum results.  See how easy that was?  Halloween is fun again! 

 

 

Costume Masks:  Another cool way to get really big impact with very little effort on your part is to wear a really amazing mask.  These life-like masks come in a huge array of characters from the silly and whimsical to the really scary as well as gruesome looking ones.  Consider who is going to be at your party.  A super gory mask at a party with very young kids is really not a great idea unless you want to tick off a few mommies.  With the addition of simple clothing, however, a fantastically realistic mask can be a really quick and easy costume solution for all of you minimalists out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costume Accessories:  Sometimes it’s just a matter of a few well-chosen accessories to pull off a costume look.  This can include make up, hats, contact lenses, etc.  A makeup kit that transforms your face into some sort of Halloween monster can be combined with simple dark clothing for an amazing look.   Scars, wounds and other faux body damage can be created easily through make up and prosthetics.  With a severe look like this you often need very little else with it to get your Halloween point across.  Animal looks can easily be obtained through simple make up as well.  A pair of mouse ears is a fun and easy way to take simple clothing pieces and create a Mickey or Minnie Mouse look.   As you can see, a few well-chosen accessories or a make up kit can go a long way in getting your Halloween look out of the minimalist doldrums and right into the spectacular zone.

No more making silly excuses on Halloween!  Get into the spirit of it easily by using some of these inexpensive as well as quick and easy costume tips! 

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