As we all know it’s during the Halloween holiday when spending for costumes is at its highest, but did you know that there are other holidays that costume sales skyrocket?  Christmas of course is always popular with Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes, as well as Santa’s helper’s and the famous Frosty the Snowman.  The snowman is a perfect costume for Flordia or California.  My sister lives in Florida and last her she got the Snowbaby costume for her 2 year old son and all the neighbors loved it.  There he was in his snowball costume with the big floppy black felt hat and plush red scarf around his neck looking all bundled up, but instead of snow boots he wore a pair of flip flops.  It was the perfect accessory for a Florida Snowman!

Another Holiday near and dear to my heart is Thanksgiving.  It’s during this holiday that many grade school children give plays depicting the historical Thanksgiving feast at Plymouth Plantation with Colonial Pilgrim and Indian costumes.  The children look adorable all dressed up in these historical costumes.

Halloween will be here before you know it then right around the corner is Thanksgiving and Christmas!  There are so many great holiday costumes to pick from here at HalloweenExpress.com that it’s hard to pick just one.  In that case, go with a group of friends as Santa, Mrs. Claus and one or two of Santa’s helpers.  Or make it a group Thanksgiving effort with Pilgrims and Indians of all shapes and sizes.  This year bring a new holiday to Halloween by wearing one of our great holiday costumes!  

Don’t you remember when you were little and used to pretend you were a princess or a fairy Godmother or the little boys who dreamed of being a cowboy or an astronaut?  Halloween is that one time of year that you can pretend and have it come true!  That’s why Halloween is so exciting to young children.  They get to dress up, trick-or-treat for candy and just “pretend”.  Now that I’m all grown up, it’s still fun to pretend on Halloween.  It brings out the child in me.   

Today many people aren’t happy with their chosen career paths.  Wouldn’t it be nice to switch jobs with someone that’s in a career that you know you’d love and “pretend” to be that person?  Maybe you’ve always dreamed of being a doctor or a nurse – maybe a fireman or police officer.  Well Halloween gives you the chance to “try on” someone else’s occupation.  Girls, how cool would it be to become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader  for the night or guys, what about an   Old Tyme Baseball Player like in the movie, “Field of Dreams”.  If there is something you’ve always wanted to be then go for it!  Halloween Express has so many wonderful career and occupation costumes to pick from you’re bound to see something you like! Career and Occupation Halloween Costumes   

Speaking of careers and occupations, have you seen the show “Dog, the Bounty Hunter”?  Now that’s one career I’d have to leave to the professionals!   Duane "Dog" Chapman – the world’s most famous bounty hunter hunts down fugitives with his wife Beth and his fearless Posse giving them that one-of-a-kind dose of tough love only Dog can provide.  My dad never misses an episode!  If you’re looking for that perfect, and I do mean perfect, couple costume – look no further!  Dog, the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth would definitely be the hit of the party!

Each year the Halloween season gets bigger and bigger.  Did you know that Halloween is one of the most popular holidays – second only to Christmas?   It’s estimated that consumers will be spending more this year than last year on costumes, decorations and candy.  Total Halloween spending for 2007 is estimated to reach $5.07 billion! 

Speaking of spending, have you checked out our “Super Saver” costumes yet?  I talked about them in my blog last Wednesday.  They are great costumes and only $19.95 each and have been flying off the shelves.  So if you haven’t got to check them out yet, you better hurry before they’re all gone! Cheap Halloween Costumes

I think it’s hard to find a costume you like if you’re a teenager.  It used to be once you hit maybe your junior or senior year in high school, teenagers felt they were too old to dress up in costumes and go out trick-or-treating. There is no law saying you have to be under a certain age to trick-or-treat and I think as long as you’re dressed in a costume and having a good time, you can be any age to ring a doorbell on Halloween night and get candy.  Who doesn’t like candy?   Gone are the past Halloweens when teenagers felt they didn’t have a really cool costume to wear.  Today, all that’s changed with Halloween becoming so popular and all the great costumes out now specifically made with teenagers in mind.

The girls want to wear captivating costumes and the guys usually think the scarier the better when it comes to what they want to wear.  Well you’re in luck because Halloween Express has them all!  The girls can be a beautiful Pirate, ( Pirate Halloween Costume)  a gorgeous Pharrah, (a new take on the old mummy costume – Pharrah Teen Hallowen Costume)  or a Gothic Nurse (Gothic Nurse Halloween Costume)   The guys could go as an evil Devil, (Evil Devil Halloween Costume)  a ghoulish Pirate Zombie (Pirate Zombie Halloween Costume) or a gruesome Killer Clown (Killer Clown Halloween Costume).   There are so many other costumes for teenagers to pick from so be sure to check out our entire line here:  Teen Halloween Costumes

We’re getting closer and closer to Halloween night – only 24 more days!  I think a lot of people are getting a little nervous because they still haven’t decided what they want to be for Halloween.  They want to make sure they have plenty of time to order their costumes online and get it shipped to them before they need it, depending on whether they need it for a costume party or for trick-or-treating.  There are so many great costumes to pick from for both adults and children alike that it gets harder and harder each year to decide on that one perfect costume.  And believe me, younger kids have an even harder time deciding than the adults!  My sister called me yesterday all worried because her six year old little girl still hasn’t decided what she wants to be for Halloween.  For the longest time she wanted to be a Princess Bride, then it was a Cheerleader, but now since the whole Hannah Montana craze has started, she thinks she wants to be Hannah Montana, but she’s not for sure.  It’s funny, because my daughter Sydney is going through the same thing, although I think she’s pretty much made up her mind now on the “Mega Star” costume. Mega Star Halloween Costume    I told her we could put the blue colored iGlow hair gel Glow in the Dark Hair Gel in her hair and make her look like a real pop star. 

The top two children’s costumes this year are:

1. Princess
2. Spider-Man

There are so many variations of the children’s Princess costume I couldn’t even begin to tell you all of them. They range from your classic Princesses such as; Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White to the other end of the spectrum such as; Goth Princess,  Goth Princess Halloween Costume,  Spinderella Child Halloween Costume, Devil Princess Halloween Costume  or Princess Vampire Halloween Costume  Check out our entire line of Princess costumes at  Princess Halloween Costumes.

Spider-Man has been a favorite for trick-or-treating for as long as I can remember.  He has got to be one of the coolest Super Heroes there is – with all his web slinging and building jumping.  Little boys love insects so the fact that they took a spider and made it into a Super Hero is right up their alley.  My son, Caden dressed as Spider Man two years ago for Halloween.  I just loved the costume because it came with the foam muscle chest built into the costume so when he put it on he felt as big and strong as if those were his real muscles.  He loved it!    Spiderman Halloween Costume   

Have you ordered your Halloween costume yet? 

In yesterday’s blog I talked about some of my favorite humorous food costumes for adults.  And what would be the perfect compliment to all those food costumes?  You guessed it – our beverage costumes!

How can it be a Halloween party without a beer keg?  Not an actual beer keg (although those are really nice to have), but the Beer Keg Costume!   Halloween Beer Keg Costume  A lot of guys love this costume because it is the ultimate “man” costume.  It’s a silver foam keg that has “BEER KEG” written on the front.  But the best part is that the canister headpiece holds almost two cups of liquid making it an actual working tap.  My brother, John wore this last year to a costume party and of course couldn’t wait to fill the canister headpiece with that precious small amount of beer.  Instead of walking around all night holding a cup, he’d just take a drink right from the tap on his costume.  Needless to say his costume was a big hit with all the partygoers.

If it’s a beer theme you’re looking for then there are a few more costumes you need to check out.  How about going as a Beer Mug Beer Mug Halloween Costume, a Beer Bottle Beer Bottle Halloween Costume, a Beer Can Beer Mug Halloween Costume or how about the so-called Superhero, “Beer Man”? Beer Man Halloween Costume   This costume is hysterical, complete with cape, tights and a beer holder belt!  “Never fear, Beer Man is here” – I can just hear that being bellowed across the room this year at my girlfriend’s annual Halloween costume party! 

Maybe you would prefer being a little classier going as a sexy Martini or Margarita?  All of these costumes and more delicious drinks can be found here: Food & Beverage Halloween Costumes.    

There are only 26 more days until Halloween – do you know where your Halloween costume is? 

I love the Halloween costumes that make me laugh.  Every year when we go to my friends Halloween party we see some of the funniest costumes.  I think more adults go for the humorous costumes where as the kids are more serious about theirs (there’s no such thing as a funny ninja).  However, there are a ton of adult humorous costumes to choose from, especially food items!  

Does anyone remember eating the cereal Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Lucky Charms when they were growing up?  I do, that’s why I about fell over when these two guys walked into the party dressed as Count Chocula and Frankenberry, the characters from the cereal box.  It was hysterical!  You don’t see the cereal Frankenberry around all that much anymore, but during the month of October a lot of stores stock up on it just for the Halloween season (Boo Berry cereal too).  It’s just neat when you’re my age to see a “blast from the past”. 

Some other funny food items that make great Halloween costumes are:

1. Slim Jim
2. Hot Dog
3. Ice Cream Cone
4. Pez Dispenser
5. Deluxe Burger King Costume
6. Deviled Egg
7. Wheaties Box

There are so many “funny food” costumes out there.  Check out our “food and beverage” costumes at Food and Beverage Halloween Costumes and see for yourself. 

Order your Halloween costume soon!

Ok, today I have a lot of “FYI” and survey information about the Halloween season I think you’re going to find pretty interesting. 

With the year’s spookiest holiday approaching, consumers are looking to celebrate. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2007 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, consumers are expected to spend more on Halloween this year than last year.  Total Halloween spending for 2007 is estimated to reach $5.07 billion!  Wow, can you believe it!  That’s a lot of Halloween spending!

Children aren’t the only ones who will be celebrating this Halloween; their furry friends will actually be joining them on Halloween night in the search for treats.  An estimated one in ten people (or 7.4 million households) plan on donning their beloved pet in some sort of costume this year.  Many consumers who own pets think of them as family members and they will go all out to include dogs, cats and other critters in Halloween festivities, including trick-or-treating, handing out candy or even celebrating at a friend or family member’s house.  I love this survey because I’ve always dressed my two dogs in Halloween costumes every year.  It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in this!

The survey also ranked top adult and children’s costumes. Once again, little girls everywhere have ranked princess as their top choice for dressing up this year.  Spider-Man comes in second, followed by a pirate, witch and fairy. New additions to the list this year include Disney’s Hannah Montana, which comes in at 23rd on the list, immediately followed by the wizard himself, Harry Potter.  

Top 10 Children’s Costumes:

1. Princess
2. Spider-Man
3. Pirate
4. Witch
5. Fairy
6. Disney Princess
7. Star Wars Character
8. Pumpkin
9. Ghost
10. Power Rangers

Top 10 Adult’s Costumes:

1. Witch
2. Pirate
3. Vampire
4. Cat
5. Princess
6. Fairy
7. Wench/Tart
8. Clown
9. Angel
10. Nurse

Top 10 Pet Costumes:

1. Devil
2. Pumpkin
3. Witch
4. Princess
5. Angel
6. Pirate
7. Hot Dog
8. Bat
9. Black Cat

So there you have it – - a list of some of the more popular costumes that adults, children and pets will be wearing this year.  Halloween Express has all these costumes and more.  If you’re looking to add a little spice to any of these classic adult costumes be sure to check out our Exclusive Leg Avenue costumes at Sexy Halloween Costumes by Leg Avenue.

Only 28 more days until Halloween, but you have to remember that if you need your costume for a Halloween party those are usually held the weekend before Halloween – which makes it only 24 more days.  In addition, if you are thinking about buying a costume on our website make sure you give yourself enough time for shipping/handling – which means to be on the safe side you have only 14 more days to decide what costume works best for you.  We have so many different shipping methods to choose from making it very convenient:   Halloween Shipping   Plus if you spend over $75 you can qualify for FREE Economy Shipping!  Check out our shipping information at   Halloween Free Shipping Offer  to see if your address qualifies. 

On our website you can find great deals on some of our quality Men’s and Women’s costumes under our “Super Savers” in which all the costumes have been marked down to $19.99.  For that low price, the men can transform themselves into:  a noble Mark Antony, a brave Knight, an unruly Convict, an evil Devil or a blood-sucking Vampire.  The women can become:  an exotic Egyptian Princess, a Buccaneer Beauty, a sexy French Maid, an evil Countess or a racy Saloon Girl.  There are many more “Super Saver” Costumes to choose from so check them all out at  Quality Halloween Costumes at a Special Low Price. 

Enjoy looking at these “Super Saver” Costumes.  They really are such a great deal!   They’re great too if you’re looking for a couples costume to wear with your wife/husband or boyfriend/girlfriend.  Some of them would go perfect together.  But hurry, these great costumes won’t last for long – quantities are limited!

Today, there are so many great costumes to choose from when buying one for your child.  Characters from television shows, movies, cartoons, superheroes, pirates and the list goes on and on.  For Halloween, a lot of young children want to be whatever line of work their mom or dad may be in, such as a police officer, fireman, doctor, astronaut, etc…  Kids always look adorable going with one of these classic costumes.  It’s funny too, how when they put on that police officer or swat costume their whole personality changes and they are in that cool cop mode.  I remember when my son, Caden was four years old he went trick-or-treating as a ninja.  Let me tell you he was all about it!  In his mind he was the ultimate ninja warrior.  Of course when he started hitting his little sister with his nunchucks I had to quickly put a stop to that.  And believe me he didn’t feel very “warrior-like” sitting in the time out chair!

Halloween Express just received the new official Mr. Postman Letter Carrier costume for children.  If you haven’t seen this one yet, you have to check it out.  It is adorable!  It even has the hat and mailbag included with it.  Postman Letter Carrier Toddler Halloween Costume . While you’re at it, check out all our classic children’s costumes at Classic Halloween Costumes for Boys.   

Just think of all the wonderful, brave soldiers we have over in Iraq today (and all over the world for that matter).  We are so proud of them – and if you and I are proud of them just think how proud their children are!  So proud that I’m sure there will be a lot of “mini me’s” walking around on Halloween night dressed in Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Special Forces uniforms so that they can be just like their mom or dad.   Check out our military/law enforcement costumes for kids at Military and Law Enforcement Halloween Costumes.  They really are adorable!

You only have 29 more days until Halloween!  So get out to one of our stores or since you’re reading my blog you must be on our website – just click over to the costumes and see what you’re missing!

October is finally here and now the official countdown to Halloween can begin – 30 more days!  The weather could not be more perfect than it is today.  Beautiful blue skies, crisp air and the Autumn trees with their picturesque leaves ready to fall.  Ok, so you get the picture that I love Fall (was picturesque a little too much)??

Halloween is in the air!  Today we’re going over to our storage unit to get all our Halloween decorations out so we can begin the transformation of our home – inside and out.  My kids are so excited to help my husband decorate the outside of our house.  I’ll start decorating the inside while they tackle the yard. 

My favorite decorations inside or out are definitely anything that is animated.  I love having Count Dracula Count Dracula Halloween Prop standing in my foyer.  His eyes follow you as you walk past.  Or the Grim Reaper  Grim Reaper Halloween Prop  who’s lantern lights up and has that ghoulish presence in your entry way.  I even love the smaller props that shake or move as you walk past.  Check out all our animated props and decorations that will make your house one that all your neighbors will talk about this year at Animated Halloween Props and Decorations.

Decorating the outside of your house is so much fun.  You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want.  The one staple on our front porch every year is Mr. Pumpkin Head.  We did it at our house when I was growing up and I made sure to keep it a tradition with my family.  We take a pair of my husband’s old jeans and tie rubber bands around the bottom of the leg openings then stuff them with crumbled up newspaper.  Then we do the same with a long sleeved flannel shirt.  We put the pants on the porch swing then place the stuffed shirt on top making it look as if a body is sitting there.  Then we stuff the pant legs into a pair of work boots.  For the head we buy a plastic pumpkin and attach it to the top of the shirt by cutting a small hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and pulling some of the shirt through to anchor it.  Then the kids either put a baseball cap or a big floppy hat on the pumpkins head to give it that finished look.  It’s so easy and the kids like changing around the outfits every year.  Give it a try at your house this Halloween!