With the President’s Day long weekend right around the corner, as well as the GOP primary elections heating up, in honor of all things presidential we’ve compiled some bizarre as well as interesting factoids about our elected presidential leaders, both past and present.  They say that truth is stranger than fiction–we think you will absolutely agree!

John Adams-It is said that John Adams and his family wandered aimlessly for hours before finally figuring out how to find their way to their new home, The White House.  (Perhaps a map was in order?)

Thomas Jefferson-When old Tom wrote his own epitaph he failed to even mention his time as president.  (Apparently it wasn’t a big enough deal…)

William Howard Taft-Weighing in at well over 300 big ones, President Taft holds the distinction of being the heaviest man to ever be the United States president.  Sadly, Taft once got stuck in the White House bathtub.  To avoid a repeat of this embarrassing gaffe, a new (and 4 times larger) bathtub was installed.  (It’s likely too, that this was prior to the Presidential physical fitness program!)

William Henry Harrison-This president, considered by many to be one of the most long winded when it came to giving speeches, gave one of the longest inaugural addresses in history, in spite of the fact that he was standing outside in very inclement weather without a coat or hat.  He died of pneumonia about a month later.  (Didn’t your mother warn you about not taking your coat?)

James Buchanan-When the Prince of Wales visited the White House with a ginormous entourage of people; President Buchanan was actually forced to sleep out in the hallway! (No respect…whatsoever…)

Grover Cleveland-President Cleveland enjoyed answering incoming phone calls to the White House himself. (That’s one way to screen your own calls…)

Woodrow Wilson-Enjoyed raising sheep for their wool during his stint in the White House. (so baaaad)

Warren G. Harding-President Harding had the distinction of having the biggest Presidential feet–rumored to be a size 14.  (But at least he didn’t get stuck in the bathtub…)

Calvin Coolidge-President Coolidge absolutely refused to use the telephone during his Presidential term. (Can you say paranoid?)

Herbert Hoover-President Hoover was known to donate his entire salary made as President to charity. (awwwwwesome.)

Harry S. Truman-This musical president was known to rise long before dawn each day to practice the piano for about 2 hours. (Such inspiration to budding politically inclined musicians everywhere!)

Gerald Ford-Gerald Ford’s former jobs include being a fashion model and also working as a Yellowstone park ranger. (Strike a pose…with bears…)

Jimmy Carter-President Carter was considered an expert speed-reader and was purported to be able to read approximately 2000 words per minute. (War and Peace in 60 minutes flat…)

Barack Obama-President Obama was known as O’ Bomber during his high school basketball days.  Obama is also known for collecting Spiderman memorabilia as well as Conan the Barbarian comic books.  (Now there are some interesting allies…)

Want more?  Here are a few tidbits of trivia on the GOP candidates:

Mitt Romney-Was named Mitt after his father’s cousin named Milton Romney.

Newt Gingrich-Was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1995.

Rick Santorum-Karen Santorum, Rick’s wife, wrote a book about etiquette for children.  (And mother’s everywhere are still grateful…)

Ron Paul-During his career as an OB/GYN he delivered more than 4,000 babies.  He enjoys gardening and growing his own crops when he is at home in Texas. 

Be sure to check out our collection of President’s Day costumes and accessories.

As you are busily gearing up to get out and celebrate Halloween with your friends and family, perhaps you’ve actually wondered where on earth did this somewhat bizarre holiday come from?  Who thought of trick or treating?  Why do we dress up in costumes anyway?  For all you curious folks, we’ve compiled a top 10 listing of the most important details of the history of Halloween.  The holiday has changed a lot through history but one fact will always remain the same, Halloween is one of the most beloved holidays we celebrate every year and is considered to be the 2nd most commercially successful holiday celebrated in the U.S.  As you don your best Halloween costume and hit the streets to do some serious trick or treating, here are some fun facts for you to keep in mind! 

Pumpkins:  Pumpkins are plentiful in the U.S. and are actually indigenous to the Western hemisphere.  Normally harvested in October, pumpkins are most commonly orange, but these members of the gourd family also can be found in green, yellow, white, blue and tan!  When the Irish immigrated to the U.S. they had been formerly making lanterns with scary faces in them out of turnips to use on ‘All Hallows Eve’, but they quickly switched to pumpkins because they were far easier to carve than turnips and were more readily available.  A Halloween tradition was born!

Jack-o-Lanterns: The legend of the Jack-o-Lantern is actually based on a man named Jack.  Legend states that a miserly, angry as well as evil man named Jack liked to play pranks on his fellow townspeople.  One day Jack decided to mess with the devil himself and tricked him, trapping him up in a tree.  Jack circled the tree trunk with crosses and other religious symbols and would not let the devil escape until he agreed that he would never take Jack’s soul into hell.  Of course the devil had no choice but to agree to this bargain and he was allowed to go free.  When Jack eventually died, he was far too evil to go to heaven but the devil was true to his bargain and did not take Jack’s soul into hell.  Jack was forced to roam the earth for eternity.  The devil did leave Jack with an endlessly burning ember, which Jack placed inside a turnip lantern to carry on his way as he eternally searched for his final resting place.  The tradition of the lit Jack-o-Lantern carries on to this day!

Halloween Parties:  Back in ancient days, villagers would gather on All Hallow’s Eve for a celebration called Samhain, which marked the end of the Harvest and the beginning of their new year, which was November 1st.  Large bonfires would be made and various rituals would be performed around these, including throwing the bones of slaughtered animals into the fire as an offering.  This celebration was also thought to honor the dead, which these people believed could roam the earth freely in spiritual form on this night.  It became commonplace to dress as one were dead in an effort to fool the spirits in hopes that any malevolent amongst them would leave them alone.

Immigrants:  Most of the traditions we have surrounding Halloween come from the Irish or other European immigrants who brought their ancient customs with them when they immigrated to the U.S.  Halloween is an eclectic mixture of customs of the Irish, Catholic and the Romans.  In particular, the highly superstitious Celts gave us many of the ideas for what we now know as Halloween.  The Celts believed that the lines between the living and the dead were completely blurred on October the 31st and they were fearful of any mischief or problems that might be caused by these spirits when they returned.

Ghosts:  Because of the ancient beliefs that the spirits of the deceased were out running rampant on All Hallows Eve, Halloween will always have a close association with ghosts and spirits.  Throughout history it has been common to tell ghost stories and folk tales involving spirits around the time of Halloween.  These traditions have carried on today and it is common for people to create and visit attractions that are designed to appear ‘haunted’ as part of a way to celebrate Halloween.

Monsters:  Aside from ghosts, over the years many other monsters have become associated with Halloween.  Two of the most common are vampires and werewolves.  Vampires are part of ancient folklore that tried to explain away why random plagues would cause groups of mysterious deaths in various villages.  Superstitious people thought that these deaths must be due to a newly deceased person being actually ‘undead’ and rising from the crypt in order to feast on the blood of the living in order to maintain their life force.  Potential werewolves, another mythological being, were picked out from amongst others by features such as uni-brows, hairy palms and having a middle finger that was longer than the other digits.

Costumes:  The first Halloween costumes were made in Ireland and were made of various types of make up and animal heads or skins.  These costumes were made in an effort to ward off evil spirits, but during the celebration of All Hallows Eve, were also used in the ceremonies that were performed during various festivities.  Fortunes were often told and it was common for various rituals to be performed during this time.  Nowadays, although scary costumes are still worn on Halloween, the variety of costumes you will see cover many different categories including superheroes, pop stars, humorous costumes and historical figures as well.

Witches:  The word witch comes from the Old Saxon word ‘wica’, which actually means ‘wise one’.  In ancient days, witches were originally considered to be healers who were very familiar with the use of herbs and other remedies to help the sick and otherwise afflicted.  As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the church clergy unfairly labeled these ‘healers’, calling them devil worshipers or sorcerers, even though that was hardly the case.  Early immigrants that still believed these old ancient superstitions regarding witches brought these rumors with them into the U.S.

Trick or Treating: In the ancient days of Scotland and Ireland, it was common practice on All Hallows eve for the poor or less fortunate to go to the homes of more affluent people and offer prayers for the dead in exchange for food or money.  This practice was once again brought to the states by immigrants and eventually evolved into the custom of trick or treating, as we know it today.

Candy: Candy is the preferred ‘treat’ of trick or treaters, the most favored of all being chocolate bars.  The number one chocolate bar favorite amongst trick or treaters is Snickers.  Consumers will spend over two billion dollars on Halloween candy this year. Over twenty five percent of all candy purchased annually in the U.S. is bought for Halloween purposes.

Halloween is one of the most beloved holidays out there.  Knowing a little bit of the facts surrounding its magical history will help you to understand and enjoy it all the more!  Happy Halloween!

Ahhh, Halloween. It’s almost here. This is the time of year when excited children run around their neighborhoods dressed up as pirates, superheros, ghosts and witches shouting, “Trick or Treat” – gathering candy and other treats as they go door to door. It’s also a time for visiting a local haunted house, decorating homes with eerie looking Halloween decorations and of course attending one or more costume parties. It’s all terrific fun for young and old alike. A tradition that millions of people look forward to each year. And indeed, for 99.99% of the population Halloween is good, clean fun. Sadly, there is a darker side to Halloween which is not so nice. Here’s an infographic that takes a look as some of the darker sides of Halloween in history. Let’s hope that for Halloween 2011, calmer minds and cooler tempers prevail so everyone has a ‘Happy Halloween’!

Today, April 15th marks the release of the 4th movie in Wes Craven’s Scream series.  If the first trilogy made the hair on the back of your neck stand up, Scream 4 is bound to do the same.   With most of the old characters back as well as some new, younger faces, this movie will take you right into the heart of darkness and redefine what fear is. This latest chapter in the Scream series is out just in time for a good Spring Break scare.   After you’ve seen Scream 4, check out our list of the Top Ten Scariest Movies of all time.

TOP 10 SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)- This classic horror flick gets started with the ominous line “based on true story” which pretty much makes a chill go down your spine every time.  Whether it’s Leatherman’s human skin mask or that hideous chain saw sound—this is the perfect slasher movie for those that aren’t afraid to be scared or grossed out to death.

The Ring (2002)- Naomi Watts takes on some really freaky chick that would actually really like to climb out of a well, kill people and eat their guts.  Freaky Stuff.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) -This sci-fi thriller will leave you very disappointed if you like happy endings.  If your family starts acting strangely it may make you wonder a bit, too. 

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)- This sequel to the “Night of the Living Dead” brought new life to the zombie genre and with good reason.  This horror flick has some of the goriest scenes ever recorded on film—definitely horrific enough to get it banned in 7 countries. 

Halloween (1978) -Jamie Lee Curtis stars in what might be the best movie she ever made–at least while screaming through the entire thing.    You will never forget Michael Myers as he truly epitomizes the ultimate zombie-like never can die bogeyman.

The Shining (1980)-Heeeeere’s Johnny!  If you want to see Jack Nicholson traipse around a haunted hotel wielding an axe while acting like a complete lunatic this might be the perfect movie to scare the bejesus out of you.  

The Exorcist (1973)-By today’s standards this movie might be considered to be tame.  With spinning heads, buckets of vomit and not so subtle religious undertones—well, this film is still pretty scary stuff. 

The Silence of The Lambs (1991)- You may not ever feel the same about your glass of Chianti after watching this psychological thriller but it’s a good one with quite a few jump right out of your skin scenes. 

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)-Freddy Kruegger, who is one of the scariest claw clad horror freaks of all time goes after the children of the lynch mob that killed him.  Johnny Depp stars as one of his potential victims.  

The Amityville Horror (1978) -This horror movie is also based on a true story and the book by the same name.  An ordinary family moves into a not so ordinary house where some very frightening things begin to happen.  If you like movies where things go bump in the night—this ones for you.

When I was a little girl I was absolutely obsessed with Barbie.  Yes, I am talking about the teenage fashion doll made famous by toy maker Mattel.  She was blonde, beautiful and had an extremely glamorous life.  Not to mention she also had lots of really cool clothes and costumes.    Barbie has been a doctor, an astronaut as well as a Racecar driver—just to name a few.  It almost seems absurd to think it that it would ever be enough just to play in that imaginary Barbie world.  I think on some level I wanted to actually be Barbie.  And what young girl wouldn’t want to be this girl that seemed to become anything she wanted to be and look simply gorgeous while doing it?  Barbie epitomizes so many young girls dreams, realistic or not.   As far as I was concerned she had the perfect life.   In fact, she had more than the perfect life—she had several perfect lives all being lived simultaneously.  I wanted to be her—yet as impossible as it was it was still always fun to delve into childhood dreams for a while and live Barbie’s life in my imagination.  No one ever told me that Barbie was a ridiculous fantasy—and that you could never be that perfect or live such a great and fantastic life.  Real life would actually turn out to be much more difficult, far less glamorous and certainly more mundane.  But no one would ever try to squelch the dreams of that 7-year old and back then I loved being a Barbie girl. 

Barbie has evolved quite a bit over her 52 years.   Barbie skipped infancy and childhood and was born as teenage beauty with a stunning figure any girl would envy yet no one could possibly emulate.  Back in the 60’s when I fancied myself a “Barbie girl” I only owned one bathing suit clad doll and later added one of her friends (Midge) to my collection.  Barbie outfits were sold separately and I do remember owning many and mixing and matching Barbie’s wardrobe extensively in various combinations.  My earliest thoughts toward a career in fashion were probably inspired by Barbie but back then it was just fun to imagine dressing her for every possible event.  This included of course her wedding and I’m sure I married Barbie off to Ken dozens of different times.   Nowadays if you want a new outfit for your Barbie you usually have to buy a new doll along with it.  It wasn’t always that way and I had a Barbie sanctioned clothing trunk that conveniently stored all her (very high end) fashions on tiny plastic hangers.  The matching and ridiculous little plastic shoes would go on her forever tippy toed feet–to stay on for all of a about a minute.  (I guess those high-heeled shoes hurt her feet as much as they do mine today!)  I recall my Barbie often wearing a hat as well—she dressed as if she were British Royalty—pretty good for a girl named Barbra Millicent Roberts that supposedly hailed from Willows, Wisconsin.  Barbie also had a thing for boas—not really sure why but my Barbie had several. 

Not much has ever been said about where Barbie got her education but obviously there must have been a period of intense study for her at some point to end up being both a teacher as well as a nurse.  Who knows how she ever managed to find the time to tool around town in her Pink Mustang convertible with her gorgeous and sexy boyfriend, Ken Carson. Ken never was allowed to drive Barbie’s car in my world—he rode in the passenger seat, probably one of the few guys in the world that wouldn’t mind riding shotgun in a flaming magenta Mustang.  Ken had male model good looks and was also always impeccably dressed (looking back on it he was a little too perfect), certainly like no man I’d ever known.   It didn’t help that I was the owner of a first edition “Malibu Ken” so he also had a deep orange-ish tan.  I’m sure this made him look that much better as he sat silently happy in the pink Mustang.   My childhood clearly was setting myself up for many disappointments later on in life.  In my 7-year old mind Ken was the perfect boyfriend because he sat in the car and didn’t utter a word while Barbie drove him around.  She talked endlessly about her various careers and shopping expeditions.   I don’t actually recall my Ken doll doing much of anything else—certainly not the endless torturous and childish acts akin to my two younger brothers.  Oh no—Ken was a much more civilized male being.

As shocking as it seems on March 9, Barbie will turn 52 years old.  She doesn’t look a day over 20 though and from what I can see her 36-18-33 measurements are still pretty much intact.   Even though she and Ken were rumored to have split up back in 2004, the lovebirds rekindled their romance in 2006 after Ken reportedly got a complete makeover.  (Hey, even I can’t make this stuff up!)  I wish them well—for as many times as I myself walked an ebullient Barbie bride (along with a perfunctory silent Ken) down the aisle, it seems only fitting that they should stay forever young standing by one another’s side.   So here’s to you, girl– Happy Birthday Barbie!   To eternal youth and ridiculous perfection!  I’m also pretty darn sure your fifty-second birthday looks much better on you than it does on your old pink Mustang.   It’s good to know you’re still out there still living that perfect life that seems to elude the rest of us.

PS: For more history on Barbie, visit the official Mattel website.

Both groundhogs, Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck did not see their shawdows this morning.  However, due to the horrible winter weather in Wisconsin, Sun Prairie’s groundhog Jimmy, didn’t come out at all!  He’s not stupid, I’m sure he’d much rather stay inside his nice little home than come out early in the morning on a day like today!

No matter what the groundhog shadows say, or don’t say, Mother Nature has her own plans and winter is not leaving any time soon!  We’ll be bundling up in frigid temperatures for awhile to come!

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.

Dr. Seuss is one of the most beloved children’s authors around the world.  Children everywhere love to read Dr. Seuss.  As a child my mom used to read Dr. Seuss books to me and I followed the tradition and read them to my children and they’ll read them to their children and so on, and so on, and so on…

If you have a lot of children in your neighborhood a great idea is to throw a Read Across America party!  Get all the children together and use the theme of Cat In The Hat to decorate with props and costumes.  Have the children play games and just let them have fun.  When all the games are done, have all the children sit around the room while a mother or father reads aloud from a Dr. Seuss book.   Let them feel like they’re part of it by having them repeat special phrases aloud with you.  

HalloweenExpress.com can help with all your party needs.  Have all the children wear Cat In The Hat Deluxe Hats as they come in the house.  The mother or father who reads to them can add fun to the night by dressing in a Cat In The Hat adult costume.  The children will love it!!  

Dr. Seuss understood how important it is that children love to read.  Now we can do our part by supporting literacy in our own community!   

According to German folklore, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2, the Christian holiday for Candlemas, winter will last another 6 weeks, and that’s exactly what happened this morning in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania at approximately 7:30am.   Every February 2, people gather at Gobbler’s Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney (btw – Punxsutawney is located in Western Pennsylvania, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh), to witness Phil, the groundhog, emerge from its burrow to predict the weather.

I just love the whole idea of this “holiday”.  I’ve always known about Groundhog Day, but never really thought that much about it.  Well that’s not the case in Pennsylvania!  I had no idea that cowds as high as 40,000 people have been gathering together to celebrate Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney since 1886.  And this year they have even more reason to celebrate with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Superbowl 43 last night in Tampa.  

Here are some more fun facts about Phil the infamous Groundhog:

• His full name is actually “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary”.
• For most of the year, Phil lives in a climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library.  He is taken to Gobbler’s Knob and placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out to make his prediction.
• Phil is reported to be more than 100 years old.
• His wife’s name is Phyllis.

Don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is in a couple weeks!  Men, it’s still not too late to pick out a sexy outfit for that special lady in your life.  From sexy to sassy HalloweenExpress.com has what you’re looking for!  And ladies if you want to surprise that special man in your life, well you’ve come to the right place.  Check out all the beautiful Valentine’s Day costumes that will make this February 14th a night to remember!