AFA Merry Christmas Buttons & Yard Signs

This is the time of year to start ordering your Christmas buttons and yard signs from the AFA! Say "Merry Christmas" to your friends, your church, your school or your whole community by wearing and sharing these beautiful Christmas Buttons. Order now to have plenty of time to give them away. Quantities are limited!


Say "Merry Christmas" to your friends and neighbors by displaying this beautiful sign in your yard. The more you buy the more you save! The Christmas Yard Signs are 26”x16” and printed 2-sided on high gloss plastic and can be assembled and in the yard in minutes. Each pack comes with durable metal and plastic frames that are easy to insert in the dirt and signs which are weather-resistant plastic that slips easily over the metal frame. The yard signs are available for pre-order now - but will not ship until October 1!

Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Debut 10/5/13

Hallmark is getting ready for the Keepsake Ornament debut Oct 5-13th. Below are some of the Ornaments that will be unveiled, but be sure to visit Hallmark's website for more details!

Check out this Keepsake Christmas Ornament Tree weekend-only offer (October 5–6). $29.95 with a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament purchase of $50 or more (regularly $49.95). A perfect way to display your favorite Keepsake Ornament collection or series!


LIMITED QUANTITY ORNAMENTS ~ Limited quantity, unlimited fun. Get there early and collect 'em all! Get there early and collect 'em all! Limit one of each ornament per customer, while supplies last, beginning October 5.




SPECIAL OFFER ~ Weekend-only offer (October 5–6), get a FREE Magic Cord with the purchase of any Magic Cord Hallmark Keepsake Ornament (regularly $5.95). Limit one offer per customer. The Magic Cord can support up to seven ornaments total, or six ornaments and a tree topper. Connect select Keepsake Ornaments to the Magic Cord for a synchronized sound and light show.


SANTA MAGIC ~ Prepare for a jolly old visitor by starting family traditions you'll look forward to year after year. Each unique ornament includes an element of surprise that brings the magic of Christmas to life.

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 9/24/13

Not a great number of Holiday releases this week, but this Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-Ray boxset is high on the list. Also we have a Blu-Ray, 35th Anniversary release of John Carpenter's classic movie, Halloween. And for the kids we have Scooby-Doo: 13 Spooky Tales Ruh-Roh Robot.

~Halloween~

The Best Haunted Attractions in America

Who doesn't love a good scare? If you're anything like us, then you've made it a yearly tradition to seek out the best scares in your area. Well if you're really in the mood to get your blood running, do we have the list for you! Below is a list of some of the most terrifying, bone chilling and exciting haunted attractions across America. Some are hosted by world class amusement parks, some are put on by local businesses or even private companies made up of individuals who just have a passion for fear. Enter at your own risk, and don't say we didn't warn ya!

ALABAMA

The Haunted Lester Hospital (Lester, AL): Enjoy exploring a haunted hospital with paranormal scares around every corner


ARIZONA

13th Floor Haunted House (Phoenix, AZ): Featuring two attractions that thematically span classical horror to modern day zombie apocalyptic carnage. 60,000 square feet of Halloween terror.


CALIFORNIA

Pirates of Emerson (Pleasanton, CA): Enjoy a haunted trip back in time to the 15th century where pirates ruled the seas. enjoy tunnels, vortex mazes, strobe lights and a pirate ship.

Knott's Scary Farm (Buena Park, CA): California’s largest, most haunting Halloween experience. 160 acres of horror with a series of over 1,000 monsters, 11 mazes and a series of scare zones!

Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland (Anaheim, CA): Held on select nights and continues past regular Park hours. Dress up and trick-or-treat at the ultimate neighborhood. Also enjoy select entertainment and events.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios (Hollywood, CA): Survive all-new haunted houses, spine-chilling street experiences, outrageous live shows, and more.

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride (Los Angeles, CA): LA's most buzzed about Halloween Attraction. Located at Griffith Parks OLD ZOO, the grounds here are reported to be really haunted!

The Haunted Hotel (San Diego, CA): The Haunted Hotel, located downtown in the Gaslamp District, is the longest running haunted house in San Diego. It was named by Haunt World Magazine as one of the top 13 haunted houses in America and has been featured in “America Haunts IV” on The Travel Channel in 2009.


COLORADO

Curse of the Slaughterhouse Gulch (Aurora, CO): Jason, Freddy, Mike Myers, Leatherface and more are all waiting for you at the slaughterhouse since they have been cursed to live there for eternity.


FLORIDA

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World (Orlando, FL): Don your favorite costume and get ready to trick-or-treat at this Halloween-themed event held in Magic Kingdom theme park.

Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios (Orlando, FL): Survive all-new haunted houses, spine-chilling street experiences, outrageous live shows, and more.


GEORGIA

Netherworld (Norcross, GA): Netherworld haunted house is a walk through dark attraction filled with live actors, special effects and incredible monsters.


ILLINOIS

Eleventh Hour Haunted House (Melrose Park, IL): Voted #1 Halloween event in Illinois 4 times in the last 5 years!

Realm of Terror (Round Lake Beach, IL): Defy fear, and attempt to escape the haunted house that is recognized by the world as one of the most "Over-the-Top" Haunted Houses to ever exist.


INDIANA

Haunted Hotel 13th Floor ( Huntington, IN): Explore this haunted hotel that has been scaring people for over 45 years. 


MARYLAND

Bennett's Curse Haunted Attraction (Jessup, MD): The legendary Bennett's curse boasts three terrifying haunted houses under one roof.

Nightmare Screamplex (Boyds, MD): Enjoy the Nightmare Forest, Lost Asylum  & Field of Terror.


MICHIGAN

Erebus (Pontiac, MI): Erebus is a 4 story Haunted House that was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest Walk-Through Haunted Attraction from August 2005 - September 2009.


MINNESOTA

Scream Town (Chaska, MN): Experience a nuclear power plant going up with ooze and fumes.


NEVADA

Asylum & Hotel Fear ( Las Vegas, NV): See why were are SCARIEST Haunted Houses in Las Vegas! Asylum is the longest continuously running Haunted Attraction in Vegas, The Hotel Fear is the second!


NEW JERSEY

Bane Haunted House ( Rockaway, NJ): The newest, most terrifying haunted attraction in NJ!

Night of Terror (Mullica Hill, NJ): One of New Jersey's Premier Haunted Attractions, Night of Terror creates an unforgettable experience.


NEW YORK

Headless Horseman (Ulster Park, NY): Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted house has over 6 haunted houses, a mile log hayride and much more.

Bayville Scream Park (Bayville, NY): Terrifying attractions such as terror in the woods, Zombie pirates, Funhouse of Fear and more.


OHIO

Cedar Point's HalloWeekends (Sandusky, OH): The spooky chills of Halloween combine with the thrills of the world's biggest collection of rides and roller coasters. 10 haunted houses and tremendously terrifying nighttime attractions, a parade and lots of daytime fun for kids, special entertainment and decorations.

OREGON

The House of Shadows (Gresham,OR): Get scared in the Maze of insanity and Psycho's Crypt in one of Oregon's top haunted attractions.


PENNSYLVANIA

The Bates Motel (Glen Mills, PA): When you check in to the Bates Motel, be prepared for the creepiest trip you'll ever take. Whether exploring the hotel's gruesome interior of computerized lighting and high-tech special effects, hopping aboard the 20-minute haunted hay ride through a forest of nightmarish ghouls, or getting lost in the spine-tingling aisles of the corn maze, visitors are sure to be spooked.

Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, PA): Six haunting attractions behind the walls at Eastern State Penitentiary.

ScareHouse (Pittsburgh, PA): A team of Pittsburgh haunters work year round to create one of America's Scariest Haunted Houses. ScareHouse has been ranked as one of "America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions" by Travel Channel and featured in multiple online and print publications including USA TODAY, Forbes, AOL News, Yahoo, Funworld, and Money magazine.


TEXAS

ScreamWorld (Houston, TX): Houston's longest running haunted attraction and has been voted Houston's scariest haunted attraction. It is comprised of 5 attractions, which include many animatronics and highly detailed scenes.

Hangman's House of Horrors (Fort Worth TX): Based on the legend of "Hangman," a 19th-century murderer who killed his victims by hanging them along the banks of the Trinity River until he was killed by an angry lynch mob ... or was he? When the gravedigger arrived to bury his body, it was nowhere to be found. Hangman's House of Horrors features 3 additional attractions: The Cirque de Fantomes, Hillbillies Revenge and the 3-D Funhouse.

Thrillvania (Terrell, TX): 4 haunted attractions to enjoy such as the world famous Verdun Manor, Cassandra's Labrinth of Terror, Sam Hains trail or Torment and Thorn Hall to scare you this Halloween.

Screams Halloween Theme Park (Waxahachie, TX): A full night of chills, thrills and guaranteed moments of terror for one price, featuring 5 Haunted attractions which are all included in your admission price along with live music, Scary-Oke and roaming characters that may find you anywhere! Plus, we offer games, human-powered rides, food & drink, and much more.


VIRGINIA

Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens (Williamsburg, VA): Haunted houses, monsters, shows and Halloween scares in Busch Gardens!

Nightmare Mansion (Virginia Beach, VA): A walk through haunted house located in the strip of Virginia Beach. A very intense haunted experience.


WASHINGTON

KUBE 93 FM Haunted House at the Georgetown Morgue (Seattle, WA): What could be more sinister than a Morgue at night? How about one filled with anguished spirits and frenzied fiends and enough blood to start a bank?

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin Feargrounds (Waukesha, WI): Named the Number 1 "Must See" Haunted House in America by Haunted Attraction Magazine for 2011. The Wisconsin Fear Grounds consist of 3 Haunted Houses, Morgan Manor, Torment and Unstable.


If you know of an exceptional haunted attraction in your area that you'd like to have added to this list, contact us by email and let us know about it!

Happy Fall!

It's the official first day of Fall and time to wave goodbye to those lazy, hazy days of Summer and hello to changing leaves, pumpkins, hayrides, trips to the cider mill and all things Halloween! I don't know about you, but I welcome it wholeheartedly. We have lots of posts planned for you as we enter the Holiday season and hope you will join us as we celebrate the best time of the year!

Saying Farewell To Summer

There are some of us (like me) who embrace the idea of Summer leaving and the cool, crisp Fall air making it's way. But there are many who get sad at the thought of the summer days and barbecue nights taking a farewell for many months. I was able to locate a nice poem courtesy of Family Friend Poems to share for those that are a bit down about summer ending. I hope this can put a smile on your faces!!

SUMMER POEM

the grass so green,
the sun so bright,
life seems a dream,
no worries in sight

tans and tank tops,
laughter and bliss,
each moment passes,
without even a miss

friends and cookouts,
memories and laughs,
good times to remember,
but how long will it last

the grass soon fades,
leaves begin to fall,
school replaces sleepovers,
oh I'll miss it all

Forever Fun Holiday Collectibles For 2013

Some of you may recall that many years ago a company called Memory Lane released a line of holiday collectible figures of the Peanuts and Rankin & Bass Rudolph characters. I bought quite a few of the Charlie Brown Christmas and Great Pumpkin set, but they eventually dropped the line and it was discontinued. A few years later a company called Forever Fun popped up, which not holds the rights to the designs. They started releasing some of these sets and even added new pieces each year. They have not been as easy to find as I would like, as I think their products are excellent, but one sure place I have always found them in CVS and sometimes Toys R Us. Every year I look forward to seeing what they put out for the holiday season and have gotten many of their items. So, I thought I would share some of their new line up with you, as seen on their website. You can also follow them on their Facebook page for more product updates!








Also posted on their Facebook and blog are photos of these items:



Many of these collectibles can be found at the following retailers:

• BJ's Wholesale Club
• CVS Pharmacy
• Diamond Distributors
• Family Christian Stores
• Johnson Smith
• Kmart
• Kraynaks
• Mardel
• Meijer
• Sears
• Shoppers Drug Mart
• Time & Space Toys
• Toys 'R' Us

Ahoy! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Shiver me timbers, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day 'n t' honor such an occasion I wants t' let all me Maties know that thar be plenty o' booty t' be plundered! Sail on over to Long John Silvers and if ye say 'ARRRR!' ye be getting a free piece of classic white fish.


Then hoist the sail 'n head o'er t' Krispy Kreme who be givin' away a FREE Original Glazed Doughnut t' all who talk like a pirate, but better yet, if ye dress like a pirate ye be gettin' a whole dozen!


Now fer a wee bit o' fun! Below are some jokes ye can tell ye hearties today (though they may force ye t' walk th' plank), courtesy of PirateJokes.net. 'n if ye too would like t' speak like a genuine pirate, check out the FREE Pirate Translator below! Simply enter in any text ye wants 'n 'twill automatically transform it into Piratenese.


Q: What's a pirates favorite kind of fish?
A: A GOLDfish!

Q: Why did the pirate go to the Apple store?
A: To buy an iPatch!

Q: How does a pirate feel about his spouse?
A: Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's wife for me!

Q: What's a pirate's favorite letter?
A: You think it's the RRRRR, but it's the C that they're in love with!

Q: What does a pirate say when he has a heart attack?
A: Arrr! Me heartie!

Q: Did you hear about the pirate who took up boxing?
A: He had a killer left hook!

Q: What's the difference between a hungry pirate and a drunken pirate?
A: One's a rumbling tummy, and the other's a tumbling rummy!

Q: How much did the pirate pay for his piercings?
A: A buck-an-ear!

Q: Why did the pirate have trouble keeping his car on the road?
A: Because the road was SCURVY!!!

Q: How much did the pirate pay for his peg leg and hook?
A: An arm and a leg!

Q: What do you get when you cross a pirate with a zuchnni?
A: A Squashbuckler!!!

Q: What happened when Redbeard the Pirate fell into the Blue Sea?
A: He got Marooned!

Sleepy Hollow Premiere Review

On Monday night the first episode of the new series, Sleepy Hollow, aired on Fox. Sleepy Hollow is of course based on the classic story by Washington Irving, but is given a new modern twist. In this version of the story Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) is a Revolutionary soldier who is the one responsible for the Headless Horseman losing his noggin in 1781. He suddenly wakes up in 2013 and is puzzled as to how he came to find himself in this future world.


Shortly after waking up he begins to explore and runs into a female lieutenant cop, named Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), who is terrified after watching her partner and mentor beheaded by the Headless Horseman with the mark of a crossbow on his hand. It appears it too has awoken in this new era. From this point the story only becomes more wild, making it difficult for the police captain (Orlando Jones) to believe the tall tale from Ichabod Crane. He considers him a suspect in the murder and orders him to be shipped to a local nut house. Abbie is intrigued by his story and believes he may have the key to who murdered her partner, so she goes to speak with him.


Abbie defies orders and takes Ichabod to the where he first awoke, to look for clues. While there he finds an old Bible that belonged to George Washington and was brought with him from the past. He quotes a marked passage, which seems to be pieced together from Revelation, chapter 6, "And there before me stood a white horse and his rider held a bow. And his name was death. And then a voice like thunder said, "come and see!", a reference to the four horses of the Apocalypse. A clue that this whole occurrence may be tied to the coming of the end times.


While Abbie is with Ichabod, a minister at a nearby church is beheaded by the Horseman, a man who also appears in Ichabod's flashbacks from the 1700s. The police captain is furious that Abbie has disobeyed orders and has Ichabod transported to the psychiatric hospital at once. Despite her skepticism, Abbie goes to see him and decides to give him the benefit of the doubt. While it is a kindness only she is willing to extend, her motive is partly based on the fact that she too experienced something very strange when she was a young girl and was not believed. She shares a story with Ichabod about an encounter she and her sister had while walking through the woods. They saw 4 stark white trees and a demonic looking entity. They both woke up a couple hours later on a curb. As a result her sister went insane.


SPOILER ALERT!!!
Scroll to Final Thoughts if you do not want to know the ending
After discussing the matter further, Abbie decides to go to the office of her former partner and look for answers. While looking at a framed picture of herself on a shelf, she notices a key attached to the back of the frame. She quickly looks for any locks the key might fit and comes to a large filing cabinet. An audio tape reveals that between 1712 and 1816 that 100 witches were burned at the stake in Sleepy Hollow. Town records indicate that two different covens integrated into the populace (one good and one evil). They appear to be tied to many unsolved cases of murder and disappearances throughout the east coast. This audio also indicates a connection between her own incident as a young girl and an identical incident with a farmer in 1882 in the same location. The farmer believed the four trees represented the four horses of the Apocalypse, tying in her own experience with Ichabod's. Abbie is now fully convinced that something significant is happening and takes a huge risk to break Ichabod out of the psych ward.


While in the hospital, Ichabod has a vision of his wife Katrina, who is trapped in an alternate universe by an evil power. She confesses to being a witch and claims responsibility for hiding him away all these years through a spell. She then tells him he must find the Headless Horseman's skull, which is hidden in her grave, because only by finding it will he become whole. Abbie arrives and they promptly go to the burial place to remove the skull to keep the Horseman from finding it. Meanwhile, the Horseman is informed of its location by one of Abbie's co-workers, who is clearly involved in some way.


The Headless Horseman show up at the graveyard and fights Abbie and Ichabod in effort to retrieve its skull. As daylight approaches, a slew of police officers show up and begin fighting the Headless Horseman as well. Things get a little wild when the usual axe-wielding Horseman grabs a gun and begins blasting away at the cops. After getting them to back down he rides off to fight another day. Abbie and Ichabod are vindicated as there have now been many witnesses, so this is the set up for next week's episode.


FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I would have to say the production for the show was top-notch and that the effort is ambitious. This first episode was action packed and set a nice mood, despite the fact that it takes place in modern times. It's still in keeping with the dark gloomy atmosphere you would expect from this tale, though not quite to the level of Burton's film. The gore was minimal, which is good or bad depending on your preference. Personally, I didn't mind that is was more suggestive than graphic. As for the story, I'm not sure what I think of this direction they are taking it in. It seems like many aspects of the original story and characters has been altered to fit this Biblical Doomsday scenario, which frankly, is a bit of a stretch. The mixing of witchcraft and religion is a little unsettling, but if you accept it as total fantasy, you may be able suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it for what it is. Personally, I am still on the fence as to whether this is going to be something I tune into every week. It doesn't quite feel like the story of Sleepy Hollow I have known, but then again, the Tim Burton film took plenty of liberties as well and I love that movie, so it's not that I can't accept some changes. I will most likely need to see more episodes to form a true opinion, which I plan to do!


Sleepy Hollow airs Mondays on Fox at 9/8c. Visit the website to watch full episodes, video clips, photos & more (fox.com/sleepy-hollow)!