In what’s become a long-standing tradition, TBS is running their 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story. Based on a story by author Jean Shepherd, the tale of little Ralphie who only wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas has become a modern day classic.

The film’s cult-status has inspired Christmas conventions at the Tremont House in Cleveland, OH where A Christmas Story was filmed. Even better, from November until January, the house is turned into a museum open to the public with all sorts of props and memorabilia from the movie. All of the familiar items from the flick, including Randy’s toy zeppelin and of course, the Red Ryder BB gun itself are on display. There’s also a gift shop to purchase your own leg lamp! The house also features a Griswold wing, modeled after another favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in which Clark Griswold, Cousin Eddie and the whole family bungle their way through the holiday season!

If you can’t make it out to the A Christmas Story house or convention, dress up as your favorite character and watch the movie on Christmas Day. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so since TBS runs it from 8PM on Christmas Eve throughout Christmas day. Plenty of time to guard your turkey from the Bumpus hounds and watch the film with friends and family.

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I suppose I should not be surprised to learn that there is a new twist to getting a Christmas tree this year. In certain parts of the United States and Canada it is actually possible to rent a Christmas tree. Los Angeles is just one city in the United States offering Christmas tree rentals. This new concept has sparked our own thoughts on a costume. Sure you have Christmas tree costumes, but why not make it a Christmas tree rental costume where you have the burlap sack at the bottom and full decorations?

Christmas tree rentals are an eco friendly option for the holiday season. The service will bring the Christmas tree to your home for the holidays. They will then return during the first week in January to pick up the tree. They will replant the tree, shape it and keep it growing for another twelve months. Next year someone else can take advantage of that tree. It is a great method if you hate to see a tree cut down and never reused. It is also possible to purchase the tree to be replanted some where else in a donation.

Remember the Smurfs? They stood no more than three apples high and were tiny blue critters that lived in mushroom shaped houses in the forrest. They used the word “Smurf” as a noun, verb, and adjective in each of their sentences? They scampered through the forrest singing “La, la, la, la-la, laa! La, la, la, la-la!” Well, those little blue creatures that children of the ’80s grew up with are making their way to the silver screen, sometime in 2011. The film is scheduled to be a mix of 3D animation and live-action performers.

Among the actors attached the project are John Lithgow as the voice of Papa Smurf, the kind, yet authoritative leader of the tiny creatures and character actor, Wallace Shawn (Cyrus on Gossip Girl) as the evil wizard, Gargamel, who wants to destroy the Smurfs.

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The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a holiday tradition. Broadcast on NBC every Thanksgiving morning, this past year marked the 83rd time the Parade made its way down Broadway in New York City. Always entertaining, the parade mixes beautiful floats with popular characters and gigantic character balloons that fly overhead above the all-ages throngs of those in attendence lining the parade route.

A great barometer of what’s new and hot in animated fare, as well as Broadway shows with a dash of nostalgia mixed in, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade offers some insight into some possible costume choices for the year ahead. As always, some of the classics were on hand including Sesame Street, celebrating its 40th anniversary, Snoopy and his pal, Woodstock, and Spongebob Square Pants.

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Prince of Persia joins the ranks of video games like Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, and many others to make the jump from the polygonal realm to that of a live-action theatrical film. The popular game has been made into a new feature film called Prince of Persia: Sands of Time starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role.

The story follows the original game with a young street urchin in ancient Persia adopted by the Sultan himself for a show of bravery. The Sultan declares the youth, Dastan, his heir. After a instrument of the gods called “The Sands of Time” falls into the hands of an evil nobleman (played by Academy Award Winner, Ben Kingsley), Nizam, Dastan has to recover the object and restore order to the kingdom. Additionally, there’s a princess and a creepy, leperous looking character that skulks in the shadows on the trailer.

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December is usually a month filled with great movies, which offer us some great costumes to choose from for holiday parties. This year is no exception. While the month begins a little slow for costume ideas it soon explodes with a couple of great hits.

The first movie you might be interested in for costumes is called Avatar. Avatar begins with a paraplegic ex-marine war veteran who ends up on a planet called Pandora. Unfortunately he finds himself in the mists of a war with the Na’Vi race in order to save humankind. This latest release is going to be a 3-D Sci-fi epic with top costume ideas. Avatar costumes are already flying off the shelves in the virtual world, so why not put a face to them from the movie. This year for a costume party consider becoming a little blue with an Avatar costume.

December is also bringing back Alvin and the Chipmunks. If you are looking for the perfect holiday costume Alvin just might fit the bill. This year the chipmunk costumes are ready and waiting for your holiday party. You can have Alvin costumes with the red shirt and A or you might choose Simon. Just don’t forget that furry look!

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Are you looking for a different costume to wear to your next party? Maybe the recent release of PS 3 game Dragon Age of Origins will offer you some perspective on a costume. Children’s stories have always been ripe with tales of mythical creatures such as Dragons and this new video game brings the concept back.

Dragons are as old as time, having been prominent mythical creatures since the early man. The story of Beowulf was one of the first tales to bring dragons to the forefront and combine it with another type of mythical monster. Many movies and books based on the Middle Ages bring Dragons along for the ride. No matter how you picture Dragons they are always fearsome and powerful animals.

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner; well okay it is November 26th, 2009. Still the holiday will be here before you know it and if you are not ready with a costume you might just miss out on all the fun. Who says you have to just dress up in costumes at Halloween. Sure most of the Thanksgiving costumes are worn by children for their school pageants, but that doesn’t mean you cannot have some fun too.

This year instead of the traditional holiday where you wear regular clothes consider spicing it up with some great Thanksgiving costumes. You have the pilgrim costume and the Native American costume, or you could go for something a little more fun.

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Each year it is a tossup of what you will see on the streets during Halloween evening. This year I was able to view over a hundred costumes along a local street. During my escapades I was amazed, disappointed, and laughing. The disappointment came from the ten or so pirates I passed, mostly because they all looked alike. But it was the fun costumes that made me laugh and some were just plain amazing for the ingenuity they could offer.

My top favorite costume for the Halloween Trick or Treating experience was the ‘Staples Easy Button.’ The individual wearing this costume went all out. It was not just a button attached to a sweat suit, and unfortunately I did not have a camera. He created the easy button with cardboard, paint, and other materials. First the costume was square and on the front was the round red and white easy button, however it got even better. If the button was pushed little sensors would go off flashing. Now that is what I call genius!

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If you are from Colorado like I am you may be a little tired of hearing about the supposed publicity stunt created by the Heene family. A few days ago the news was alive with a boy missing supposedly on a homemade air balloon. Many went out to help search for the missing boy and one person even managed to tackle the balloon in hopes of rescuing the boy. However, Falcon Heene was never in the balloon instead he was in his family home up in the attic.

Little Falcon was on CNN with his family and he let it slip to the media that the event was for “show.” His father supposedly planned the entire event. Colorado news media has suggested that the DA will be bringing charges against the family for the danger they could have caused as well as brining out rescue teams that could have been needed elsewhere. Nothing has been set yet regarding the criminal charges, but one thing has come from this massive hunt for a missing boy.

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