Fun LifeStyles

Do you nurture the friendships that you have? Do you make an effort to assure that your friends know that you care about them? I have to admit that there are times when I allow work; tasks and life get in the way of taking the time to let the people I care about know that they are special. That is when I realize that I need to take a time out and get my life back into perspective. It is easy to forget that the important things in life are the relationships we make along the way.

A few weeks ago I realized that I had not talked with my best friend for close to a month. We had emailed each other, but we had not spoken on the phone or seen each other for quite some time. I called her and suggested we spend some time shopping together. When I called her we were both at work. We were comparing schedules and having a hard time coming up with a date and time that we were both available. She announced that she had compensation time coming from work so she could go during the day. I told her I had worked several hours over time also and could take time. We impulsively decided to meet that day. We would take off for an early lunch and not go back to the office. My friend said that she needed to get a present for her mother’s birthday so it would be perfect to go shopping. She said we needed to look for womens clothing.

We met for lunch and spent almost two hours catching up on events in each other’s lives. We then went shopping for womens clothing for her mother. Her mother has had issues with her weight for most of her life. Due to this she has a difficult time buying clothes. My friend said that misses sizes no longer fit her mother so she needed to go into the womens clothing section. Her mom tends to pick out things that are over sized to help hide her weight. This causes her to look even bigger. My friend wanted to get her a jacket that she could leave opened with a shirt underneath.

As we were shopping in the womens clothing my friend was surprised to see the nice selection of clothes available in larger sizes. There were many updated styles to choose from. My friend was having a hard time making a decision on which jacket to buy and what size to get. I suggested a gift card to the womens clothing store and a lunch date for her mom. My friend decided that spending the time with her mother would be the nicest gift of all.

Quick, let’s hear it; your favorite day of the year! I knew it. I also said Halloween. Okay, well for those of you out there who did say Halloween, I hear on that one. I too love this frightful occasion that only comes once a year. It’s not just about the candy! I mean sure, I consume a hefty load of the treats my eight-year-old daughter acquires on October 31st, but there’s so much more to this special day. It’s about coming out of your shell, literally. Finally you get to be who ever you wish to be. Whether it’s a monster, ghoul, goblin, fairy, spy, or just some beautiful goddess, who frolics about in fancy dress costumes, you can be it. If nothing else, you have to love the escapism Halloween night provides.

Last Halloween I spotted hundreds of costumes in my neighborhood alone. I can’t help but wonder if children from numerous other subdivisions hit-up ours as well. Yeah, I’m on to those little candy munchers. They’re all out trying to fill their bags to the very brim with sweats and various treats. What am I saying? I did the very same thing when I was little. Anyway, let’s talk costumes. Is it all about the fancy dress costumes or the terrifying monster get-ups? From my experience, I’ve noticed that the fancy dress costumes on girls produce the most goods. Seriously, if you’re a small girl with a princess costume, you can’t lose. It doesn’t matter if an old woman comes to the door or a 30-year-old man. All will bow down to the sweet, innocent little females in their fancy dress costumes. They’ll smile with a benign light in their eyes and say something like “Here, you take as much as you need.” It’s a certain power that all little girls and their fancy dress costumes should embrace. I watched my little girl do so and it worked every time.

Sure, you can hit-up the local Halloween stores when September roles around or rent fancy dress costumes from the year-round costume shops, but I suggest a simpler route. Get online and take a surf. This is where you’ll encounter the best collection. Take your pick from countless costumes, masks and Halloween props.