Happy Halloween From Frankenstein And His Bride

Happy Halloween. Hope everyone has a great one.

Here's a funny picture of my husband and I about 12 years ago as Frankenstein and his bride. It was the picture I used on our wedding website. I love it. Hope it gets you all in the Halloween mood.

Go forth and be frightful!

Halloween on The Hub

The Hub invited my daughter and I to a great Halloween, The Haunting Hour and My Little Pony screening party the other night. If you're looking for Halloween shows for your kids these are great options, see below for air times.

The Haunting Hour is a R.L. Stine series, who you may know from the Goosebump series. It is a bit more scary though. They've sent me some stills of it but I don't want to give anything away. So watch it with your kids (7 and up) and make sure not to throw the popcorn when you jump.

For the younger set there is My Little Pony's Halloween episode. My 7 year old loved it equally but differently, obviously.

I gotta say the Hub is one of my favorite channels for my daughter, from their game shows to the series it is universally quality programs.

Here are some of the highlights of “The Haunted Hub” weekend schedule:


• Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m. ET - “My Little Pony Friendship is Magic” (encore presentations throughout weekend). The Halloween-themed episode “Luna Eclipsed” centers on the Ponyville celebration of Nightmare Night. The celebrations are in full swing when Princess Luna comes to Ponyville determined to change her frightening public image. Produced by Hasbro Studios.

• Saturday, October 29, 5 p.m. ET - “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series,” All-new episode (encore presentations throughout the weekend). Frankie Jonas (“Jonas” TV series) and Kacey Rohl (“The Killing”) guest star in “Pumpkinhead,” a new Halloween-themed episode that follows three siblings as they visit a spooky pumpkin patch. But the patch’s sinister farmer seems to have more tricks than treats in store for the kids in this spooky episode of the live-action series produced by Haunting Hour Productions, Ltd. and inspired by the master of children’s horror himself, R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”).

• Saturday, October 29, 3 - 9 p.m. ET - “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series” Marathon (with different episodes airing Monday, October 31, 5 – 7 p.m. ET). Anthological storytelling returns to television in this half-hour, live-action children’s series that embraces the thrill of the chill taking viewers, young and old, on a new and creepy adventure every week. With back-to-back episodes to celebrate the Halloween holiday, this is the show kids won’t let their parents watch by themselves! The series is produced by Haunting Hour Productions, Ltd. and inspired by the master of children’s horror, R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”).

• Sunday, October 30, 3 – 7 p.m. ET - “Goosebumps” Marathon (with different episodes airing Monday, October 31, 3 – 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET) Based on the award-winning “Goosebumps” books written by R.L. Stine, the anthology series is set in a strange reality where nothing is ever as it seems. The marathon will feature highlights of the eight scariest episodes of the series including iconic Halloween episodes “The Haunted Mask” and “The Haunted Mask II.” Produced by Scholastic Media.

Disney Video Games and Halloween

Last week my whole family was invited to play Disney video games and trick or treat at the historic Disney Studio to start the Halloween season with a bang! My seven year olds was over the moon. There were so many great treats and all of the great games set up, including Lego Pirates of the Carribean, Cars 2, and Disney Universe. Her favorites were virtual worlds:Pixie Hollow, and Club Penguin and the video game Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension .

There was cookie decorating, which was eaten before I could get a picture of it. Then there was Club Penguin sketch class. My daughter is still practicing her Puffles and Penguins every day, and teaching her classmates. ANd if that all wasn't enough there was lots of yummy food and desserts.

Thanks Disney Interactive.

Earthquake in Turkey: Be Prepared

After seeing all the terrible destruction and loss of life in Turkey from their 7.2 earthquake this weekend, I'm reminded to update my earthquake supplies.
The Los Angeles Fire Department Earthquake Guide is an excellent and comprehensive guide to all the things you should know how to do and have on hand in case of earthquake.

Several years ago I took the C.E.R.T.(Community Emergency Response Team) course and learned a lot of important things. Everything from how to triage the injured to where to keep your earthquake kit. I highly recommend taking the classes.

Here are some less obvious things I learned that really stood out for various reasons:

1. Keep a pair of comfortable shoes, sweater, and flashlight in your car. Not to mention a little food and water. You may have to walk home if streets are impassible after a quake.

2. Keep shoes under your bed. If objects have fallen during a quake and the lights are out you may need to walk across a lot of broken glass in the dark. I remember the teacher saying some huge amount of people after a quake come into the hospital with badly cut feet.

3. Have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and lots of kitchen plastic trash bags. Should you loose water this will be your toilet.

4. Now this wasn't in the class but I think any good earthquake kit should have at least a little booze, for medicinal reasons of course.

Please leave your best disaster tips in the comments

Free Agents on BBC America

If you enjoyed Free Agents on NBC, that is now cancelled, fear not. BBC is coming to our rescue with the original British version of Free Agents. It started at the beginning of October, so I'm a bit late, but since we only got 3 or 4 of the American version it might be just right.
Anyway, it airs Saturday nights on BBC America. Check your local listings.

Still, I'll miss these guys. Truth be told I have a little thing for Hank Azaria. Though I may not know how to spell his name.

Update: You can catch all The BBC Free Agents on On Demand