Confession: I’m actually not all that big on Halloween, especially not the way most people seem to celebrate it. Honestly, I think my pagan acquaintances, with their celebration of Samhain, have a healthier observance of the end of harvest and the beginning of the “darker half” of the year, along with traditions of paying respect to those who have already passed beyond this life. How that celebration morphed into the disturbed glorification of gore and grossness that seems to accompany so many “traditional” Halloween festivities is quite beyond me.
BUT…rest assured I’m not a complete party-pooper 
While I don’t go in for scary or gory at all, I’ll do kinda creepy and pseudo-spooky. My kids dress up (although I do try to discourage gross costumes, with varying degrees of success) and go trick-or-treating; I myself have a jack-o-lantern t-shirt and a funky wig, but that’s the extent of my dressing up <G> I did do a Halloween-themed mani (of course): China Glaze Orange Marmalade with OPI Black Shatter.
I really should’ve done two coats of OM, but I was feeling pretty lousy yesterday so I only did one—it doesn’t look super-fabulous, but it works.
My camera did something really weird with the flash here, but I thought it looked very cool in a pseudo-spooky Halloween-y kinda way
This year for treats I decided to get several different bags, each of one type of candy, instead of the huge bags of mixed candy I’ve bought in years past. I cannot seem to find a mix that doesn’t have something in it that I don’t care for, so I figured I’ll pay the extra $3 and make sure I get things I like (yeah, like YOU don’t eat the leftover candy ). I’m a chocoholic, so of course all of my candy picks are chocolate-covered something-or-other: Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (my fave), Nestle Crunch, York Peppermint Patties (pumpkin shapes with bright orange mint filling—not as weird as it sounds), and Butterfingers, all in “fun size” for best variety (I know when I was growing up I would rather have gotten a dozen little things than four big things—quantity over quality prevails when you’re a kid <G>). I still can’t bring myself to give out pencils or plastic rings or little games and whatsits, but I certainly don’t mind that other parents contribute goodies like that to my kids’ Halloween hauls.
I even have a Halloween playlist this year, too! Something for everyone (and yes, my music collection really is that eclectic)—check it out:
I’m not fixing anything disgusting for dinner, or even anything that “just” sounds disgusting (you wouldn’t believe some of the Halloween “recipes” that are out there, YUCK!!). We’re having “cheaters” cheese fondue (because my experience trying to make real fondue was too scary to repeat ;\ ), which my kids love, plus it’s got plenty of cheese and bread to help minimize the sugar rush from digging into some of their candy tonight.
What are some of your Halloween traditions? Whatever you do, be safe tonight, and have fun!
Estradiol? Borderline, even with my current Rx for bio-identical estrogen. Progesterone? Borderline, again even with an Rx for bio-identical (and a pretty hefty dosage at that). Testosterone? Too low (no Rx…yet :\ ). Wait, there’s more! DHEA (the most abundant circulating hormone in humans and a precursor of other hormones including estrogen and testosterone)? Borderline, again with an existing Rx for bio-identical.
I have high hopes for this new incarnation, since they’ve retained Kristen, the original owner of AL, as their consulting Creative Director. Kristen’s genius brought us some incredible products, particularly eye shadows, and I hope that, under Miss K’s tutelage, the new owner(s) will follow in her creative and innovative footsteps. As part of clearing out old inventory to make room for new products, they’ve just released a new limited edition “transition” collection, 
I’m just glad that my doc has me loaded up on a cocktail of supplements instead of synthetic chemical drugs.
