– Shoppers will spend $86.27 on average celebrating Halloween
– 72% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids
– 68% of people will celebrate Halloween
– 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween
– U.S. confectionary and nut stores that sell candy, employ over 23,000 people
– Skittles are the top Halloween candy- followed by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, MM’s, Snickers, and Starburst
– The most popular children’s costume is princess, with 7.9% of children going as a princes for Halloween
– Following princess in popularity is Superhero, with 6% of children choosing to go as their favorite superhero
– 8.9% of adults who dress up go as a witch
– 17% of people dress up their dog for Halloween
– What do those dogs dress as? Pumpkin (9.3%), Hot dog (7.2%), and Superhero (7.2%)
– 1927 is the year when the phrase “Trick or Treat” first appeared in the US
– The word “pumpkin” showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella
– 2x more children die as pedestrians on Halloween than the average day
– Halloween in 2020 will have the first full moon since 2001- watch out for werewolves!
– The most Jack O’Lanterns ever lit at once were 30,581
– Top planned Halloween purchases: Candy 95%, Decorations 72%, Costumes 67%, Greeting cards 35%
– The world’s largest Halloween parade is New York Village’s Halloween Parade which draws 2 million spectators and more than 60,000 people in costumes
– 2 Billion lbs of pumpkins are grown in the US every year
– Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times.
– Back then, it was known as “guising” in Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and asked for food or money in exchange for songs, poems, or other “tricks.” Today, the tradition has morphed into children to getting dressed up and asking for candy.
– The potato famine, and the mass immigration of the Irish into the US helped spread Halloween in the US.
– Sugar rationing during World War II halted trick-or-treating.
– Consumers spent approximately $9 billion (!) on Halloween last year.
– Some shelters adopt out 0 black cats for the month of October.
– The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
– More than twice as much candy is sold for Halloween as Valentine’s Day.
– The haunted attraction industry makes between 500 and $800 million a year in ticket sales.
– Owners of haunted attractions spend more than $100 million annually in props, such as fog machines, lighting equipment, costumes and more.
– Jack O’Lanterns used to be carved out of turnips, potatoes, and beets.

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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Now, Pumpkin Carving 101 presents the fun stuff–carving your pumpkin!  Using your tools, you will find creating your pumpkin art is easier than you may think!  A few days before you will be displaying your pumpkin, gather everything you need, and follow these tips:

Cleaning out the pumpkin is messy, and best done on a paper-covered table or done outside.  Before you get started, wipe the outer shell with some kind of disinfectant cleaner to help stop the growth of natural germs that break down the pumpkin.  Instead of cutting out the top for a lid, remove a circle in the bottom or a square in the back.  This will make placing your light much easier.  Use your carving tool kit’s scraper to remove the fibers and seed from the inside of the pumpkin.  Once the inside is clean of seeds and pulp, use a solution of ten parts water to one part bleach to spray the inside of the pumpkin to help stop it from molding quickly.

Traditional jack o’ lantern faces are great and always a hit, but if you are looking for a little more for your carving, use a template!  Choose from these printable templates available from SheKnows, or create one of your own!  Your stencil should be complementary to your skills, or if the kids are helping, find an easy one, and print.  Tape it to your cleaned-out pumpkin, and use a push pin to create a dot-to-dot line.  This creates a dot-to-dot pattern. Saw along these lines using your kit’s small saw or any pointed serrated knife. You may find more scraping necessary to remove the thick inside of the pumpkin once all of your cuts have been made.

Once the carving is complete and the mess is cleaned up, it will be time to preserve your giant squash as well as choose a light source. Battery-operated tea lights are perfect for lighting your jack o’ lantern, and last for several hours, as well as being safer than a traditional candle.  Once you purchase an inexpensive pack, replace the batteries when the old ones die, as the LED bulbs inside last much longer than any wax tealight candle.  Find more tips for keeping your jack-o’-lantern fresh and lighting ideas in this article from HGTV.

Keep the pumpkin-carving safe:  supervise younger children, and even help them when they want to use tools to cut the pumpkin’s new face.  Most children love cleaning out the “guts” of the pumpkin, so for a healthy treat, have them pick out some seeds for washing and roasting.  Most of all, have fun, and make memories!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Gone are the days of using Mom’s best kitchen knife to carve a simple jack o’ lantern with triangle-shaped eyes and a toothy grin.  Pumpkin carving is an art for many, but even those who are not so talented in that department can fake it with all of the tools and tricks available!

Pumpkin carving kits are available at many retailers, and you do not have to invest more than $20.00. Basic kits usually contain a utility saw, hand “drill,” and scraper.  Pumpkin Masters is the leading producer of carving tool kits, and you can be certain your kit will be perfect for the beginner or the experienced carving artist!  Their basic toolset, along with other decorating kits, can be purchased for less than $15 at Lowes home stores.

If you are in the market for a beginner kit, such as a child-safe set, Best Products has a list of beginner sets, as well as other gadgets and tools that would be more fitting for adults.  All of these items are $25 or less.

If you are ready to step up your carving mastery, there are plenty of tools that are not necessarily made for carving large orange squashes but work well for creating a professional-looking piece of pumpkin art. Check out these picks from Bustler,  which includes a set of pottery tools, a cookie-cutter kit, and a power drill set, all perfect for creating the perfect jack o’ lantern.

Different tools create different results:  children can use metal cookie cutters to punch out shapes; for a lantern look, use a power drill and different-sized bits; and if you want to make your pumpkin look like a work of art, use a set of linoleum tools.

Gathering your pumpkin and tools are just the beginning! Stay tuned for more Pumpkin Carving 101, when we discuss choosing a template, carving your artwork, as well as keeping your jack o’ lantern fresh!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Ready for cooking and dining al fresco? If so, it’s time to make sure your grill is ready to cook up some tasty food! 

Charcoal Grills 

• A dirty grate needs to be deep-cleaned:  burning off the caked-up food/grease is your first step.  Start a fire in the grill, wrap the grates in foil, put them in place, and close the lid.  Once the fire is out and the grates are cool to the touch, rub off the burnt stuff with the balled-up foil or a wire brush. 
• Once the worst is off the racks, use a baking soda/water paste and a strong scrubbing pad or brush to remove as much of what’s left. Wash with warm water and good dish soap, and rinse well. 
• Rub the grate down with a towel soaked in vegetable oil to start the seasoning process for non-stick cooking. 
• Inspect the outside of the grill for over-wintered insects, debris and rust. If you find rust, wipe away as much as you can w/ a surface-appropriate cloth, and use a cloth dampened with a half-water, half-vinegar solution to remove the rest of it. Keep the grill covered to avoid moisture and more rust. 
• Any baked-on grease or carbon flakes on the lid or bottom of the grill should be removed with a wire brush. This build-up can cause uneven heating, and as a result, uneven cooking. Wash the lid and bottom of the grill with warm soapy water, and allow to air dry, but wipe any pooling water off with dry paper towels. 

Gas Grills 

• Before you get started on cleaning, check your propane line for leaks.  Learn how to do this simple test from this video from Weber. 
• The grates on gas grills are normally made of cast iron and can take a steaming to clean them:  heat up the grill, and when the grates get hot, turn off the heat. Wearing a grill glove or mitt, use a wet grill brush to scrub and steam off any cooked-on build up. 
• Grill burners can be unclogged with the straightened end of a paper clip, scrubbed with a wire brush, then wiped down with soapy water. 
• Scrape the grease pan clean, and if it’s removable, wash it in hot, soapy water; if the pan is stationary, clean it as best you can using dry paper towels to remove as much grease as possible, then follow with hot, soapy water. 
• Once the pan and burners are clean, wipe out the interior with a damp cloth, or scrub pad. Replace the burner covers and grease pan. 

• Get the grates ready for future cooking by seasoning them.  Turn the grill on high heat for about ten minutes, and after turning off the heat, rub the grates down with paper towels or a grill towel soaked with vegetable oil. Doing this before and after every grill session will keep them clean and virtually non-stick. 

Cooking on the grill should be not only tasty, but safe! Use the right tools, and follow the guidelines in the owner’s manual.   Once the grill is cleaned up, it’s ready to help you create great Summer meals and memories! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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While school is out, and there will be days when the rain and bad weather will keep us inside, why not set aside time for some crafty activities with the kids? If possible, head out to your local discount store, and stock up on crayons, construction or cardstock paper, glue sticks,  child-safe craft paints, simple craft items (stickers, pompons, googly eyes, chenille stems, etc.), then bring on the smiles with these fun ideas: 

The Younger Set 

• Introduce your toddlers to coloring with crayons! Having a set of the thicker crayons are perfect for little hands, give them some plain paper, and let them scribble away! 
• Make these toddler-safe watercolors, have your older children help, and sit the younger one in a high chair and let them paint away, and if a little goes in their mouth, no harm! 

• All your preschooler needs to make the sun shine bright is a paper plate, yellow pipe cleaners, yellow paint and a bit of glue! 
• Bean art is back! Use a variety of beans to create animals, and paint over them with craft paint. 
• A lint roller for crafts? Why not?! Attach foam craft sticker shapes to the adhesive side of the roller, dab some paint on each shape, and roll across any kind of paper. 
• Everyone will probably enjoy making scented playdough! This involves a bit of cooking, but the older ones can be involved and help you choose color and scent combos. 
• Fastest homemade pompon ball ever; all you need is a new skein of inexpensive yarn, string, and scissors. (This craft is best for those who can use larger scissors.) 

Older Kids 

• String art is a fun craft from beginning to end for the older set, and they just might be willing to set up some for younger siblings to try. 
• Create a garland:  plastic eggs (make sure they have those tiny holes!) can be thread on thin twine or fishing line and made into a fun Spring garland. Or, for something to decorate the bedroom, cut small shapes out of colored paper or old greeting cards, and glue them together on either side of the string, and allow to dry. 
• Do you remember making friendship bracelets? Introduce your kids to this nostalgic craft! 

• Jazz up flowerpots with decoupage! Cut from magazines or print images of flowers, and using decoupage medium and a foam brush, adhere the images all around the outside of the pot.    
• A small coat hanger can become the base of a mobile! Follow these instructions to create a friendship theme, but the possibilities are endless!                   
• Origami is a craft that’s truly an art form. Older children can create many things, from tiny boxes to boats to float and animal faces.  Origami Instructions website is the perfect place for beginners to experts–all you need is origami paper or cut your own! 

Be sure to protect clothes from paint with an apron or even an old button-up shirt, keep scissors out of reach of the younger ones, and use only kid-safe materials.  Have patience when showing them a new skill and make clean-up a game after your project is over–think of it all as time spent together!  

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Small businesses are the backbone of our country’s economy, and many of them–namely in the food service industry–are hurting right now. What can individuals do to help them now? Don’t think of it as helping a business stay open but helping friends and neighbors during a time of crisis! 

• Do you already have a monthly purchase at a local boutique or a pedicure in your budget?  Go ahead and call them and buy a gift certificate/card/credit in that same amount. Using it for the future would be great, but once everything is back to normal, give the gift card to someone else, and continue your normal shopping with the store. 
• If those same establishments have their own merchandise, why not buy a t-shirt, mug or car sticker along with your gift card purchase? 
• If it’s allowed, order takeout from your favorite restaurants, whether it’s lunch or dinner. Many eateries are bundling dishes into family meals and offering curbside delivery, making it easier for you to order. 
• Some local businesses have online shopping available; if so, do your shopping that way. Most business owners are certain that everything is handled properly and will offer shipping or pick-up at the door. 

• Leave a review for your favorites at any online review site, business Facebook page, or other social media. Everyone needs the encouragement, plus, it helps others decide whether to do business with the establishment in the future. 
• Don’t forget your local produce stands and farmers’ markets! Grocery store chains must wait for deliveries, so if they’re out of your favorite lettuce, call around to the local stands to see what’s available. 

Many businesses are offering free shipping for online orders and are making it easier to shop via social media. It may take some creativity, but we can all do our best and do our part to help our local businesses, our local economies, and our neighbors. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Gardening–no matter if it’s a veggie garden or a landscape filled with flowering plants, it’s no small undertaking. Many first timers spend a great deal of money on plants, fertilizer, and tools, only to find that their plants die or simply don’t produce as they’d planned. There are a lot of factors to a successful garden or landscape, and the basics are covered here in these tips! 

• Start talking to gardening friends and family now. They have been where you are and know it’s not easy to have a magazine-worthy garden the first year. Find out what grows best in your area and choose a few vegetables to try. 
• Your first plot needs to be small and in a part of your yard that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. Shade in the evening is great to help cool plants on those hot Summer days, but full sun is best during the day. 
• A soil test is important and is most easily done through your local cooperative extension service. The results normally include recommendations for improving your soil quality. 

• Consider using a raised bed for your first attempt! It will make soil-amending easier and gives you more control of water retention/drainage.   
• Purchase seedlings from your garden center instead of starting everything from seed. You’ll have a head start on the harvest!  
• Don’t forget to add some flowering plants to your vegetable garden! Planting a few companion plants will bring pollinators and beneficial insects that help keep the bad bug population down. 

    Flower Gardening 

• Once again, talk to your neighbors; look at what they are growing in their landscapes and flower beds, and ask them what is the easiest to grow and care for. 
• Soil prep is just as important for blooms as it is for the vegetable garden; test the soil from the areas you’re planning on planting. 
• Flowering plants have different needs when it comes to sunlight. While geraniums thrive in full sun, impatiens need mostly-to-full shade. Take care to note the sunlight recommendation on plant tags when you’re making your purchases. 
• If you don’t have time to lug the water hose or sprinkling can all over the yard, you might want to plant in one main area, or purchase a soaker hose that will stay put so you only have to turn the water on. 
• Planning is important, and you’ll save time in the nursery if you decide what you’d like to grow before you go. Check out this list of easy-to-grow flowers from HGTV. 

Virtually all gardeners have learned by trial and error, and it’s likely you will, too. Don’t let a few failures keep you from falling in love with growing plants and vegetables. It’s such a rewarding undertaking, and recent studies are even looking at how digging in the dirt can improve your mental health as well! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Simplifying your life should be, well…simple.  But it’s not. It will probably take some time and effort, but if you take the following steps, you will be on your way to a more peaceful life. (Click on the links for inspiration!) 

• CLARIFY  

What is important to you?  Prioritizing is a first step in determining what you want out of life. Determining True Life Values 

• CLEAN UP 

Clutter is not your friend. A tidy, organized space makes life easier.  If you’ve ever spent twenty minutes searching for your keys, that is time you will never get back. Taking the time to declutter your life will pay off in big ways!  How to Declutter Your Home 

• CUT BACK 

Having too many material possessions can complicate life more than you can imagine.  They drain your bank account, your energy and your time.  They can keep you from truly experiencing life as it happens because you’re always in search of the next “thing”. Time invested in removing extraneous possessions from your life will be well worth it. Don’t Just Declutter, De-own! 

• SAY NO 

Learn the power of saying no.  Say yes to invites and activities that matter to you…that inspire you.  Say yes to spending time with people you care about.  But learn to say no when the event or activity does not serve you in some way.  A polite “no thank you” will save your time and energy for what is meaningful to you.  Learning to say No 

• DISCONNECT 

We spend more and more time plugged in.  When you are obsessively checking your email and social media accounts, life is passing you by.  Technology is wonderful, but it shouldn’t replace real life experiences. So, take time to disconnect from technology and connect with your surroundings and the people you care about. Disconnect! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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