Halloween costumes can be those interesting possessions that you like to carry on keeping for long. More so, if you have spent a lot of money in designing and developing of your special costume for the Halloween event. However, adequate precautionary measures are essential to keep your dress in good condition â?? and without any slight fading of the tint of glitz and style.

 

Here are some easy ways to make your Halloween costume remain looking good after years too:

 

Identify the Damage Elements:

Any costume that you wear is affected by acidic constituents of sweat. Spray your Halloween costume with antiperspirants while keeping it in store for next use. Perfumes or deodorants act against bacteria as well as help the sequins and stain fabrics of your costume to remain fresh for long. You can also drape your costume with a cloth or a towel to protect its shine.

 

Keep it Clean:

Some Halloween costumes are hard to wash due to the fabric used in their construction. In those cases, it is advised to clean the dirt by a soft brush.

Follow Instructions:

While cleaning your Halloween costume, you should follow important instructions given by its manufacturer.

 

Store it properly:

If you donâ??t store your costume in the proper way, chances are that external agents like heat, dust and microbes like fungus or bacteria may cause severe harm to your costume. To enhance the life of your costume, you must opt for airtight enclosure to store your costume.

 

Keep your Halloween costume out of the reach of humidity, microbes and mice. Dry wash them before packing them for a long-time storage. Also, keep your costumes out of direct sunlight and check them after every time interval.

 

Your smart Halloween costumes would always remain yours in the most beautiful form that it was in original.

 

Be mysterious this Halloween by buying face masks for the entire family! One thingâ??s for sure you wonâ??t be short of options. You have online sites that market face masks in hundreds. There are options for adults, children and even pets. If you home in further, there are several other mask options to be had for teens, which include those of joker, pinhead, skull ruler, ghost rider, zombie doctor and Family Guy Stewie Teen. All the options are exclusive of costume outfits of Spiderman, Spider Girl, Wolverine Muscle, Batgirl and Teen Sexy costume.

Look at the options for a Halloween face mask for men. Of the several choices, there are ones in the classic category, as well as spooky, witches and monsters categories. The movies category has plentiful of choices as well.

And then there are sub categories! Just to make sure that you get what you want, there are sub categories under horror themes, Star Wars themes along with options of dresses for skeletons and zombies, nurses and doctors, pirates and kings, Batman and clowns.

You have Simpson’s, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Zorro, Medieval, renaissance, sports and vampires and cowboys and devils! If you check out the options under the spooky variety, you will get Darth Vader, Grave Reaper, the Tattered Gauze Ghost, the Shrieking Soul and the Gauze Zombie with the Flashing Eyes! You also have the predator, the Gangly Gang Vampire, the Master of Fire and a really scary Halloween face mask called Double Trouble!

Womenfolk also have a rich picking in face masks! They can select from classic, sexy movie-based character costume options. Ladies can take their pick from Lady Zorro, Captain America, Spider Girl Sassy or the Cheshire cat, the Mystery Hero with Hat and Robin Plus masks. Women could also go in for the Sexy Z or the Bad Kitty face masks!

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Although present day Halloween activities revolve around trick-or-treating and costume parties, historically masks were worn to placate the evil spirits. You may not be frightened by pumpkins carved into eerie faces nor believe in witches and goblins. But when is the last time you thought seriously about the “ghosts” that have been haunting you far too long?

The negative feelings that you may be experiencing – from time to time or perhaps more regularly – could be due to normal unhappiness, stress from overload, situational sadness, or even clinical depression. When there is no obvious trigger for emotional symptoms, they are often minimized, ignored or dismissed. But did you know that one in four people suffer from depression at some time in their life? Close to 50% don’t receive treatment yet, in the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the use of antidepressants – 120 million prescriptions were filled in 2005.

If you have had feelings of extreme sadness, helplessness or hopelessness for more than two weeks, you should consider scheduling an appointment with you family practitioner or internist. After discussing your symptoms, you will most likely be referred to a specialist. Psychiatrists are medical experts who are trained to evaluate clinical depression. This can take some time, especially if anti-depressants are indicated. There may be a process of trial and error while you are being regulated on the appropriate medication and proper dosage with the least side effects.

In the meantime, there are several non-medical actions you can take as you begin to better understand and cope with your moods. After reading the following suggestions about self care and social support, implement the ones that best fit your personal situation:

1. Honor your body by focusing on what makes you feel physically and emotionally better – pay attention to your exercise routine, what you eat, your sleeping habits and what gives you pleasure. Reduce the situations that cause stress and increase the ones that make you feel more relaxed or alive.

2. Create a balance between caring for the well being of others and nurturing your personal needs. Make time each day to nourish yourself – you may even need to make a schedule until this becomes a routine that is factored into your daily life.

3. Knowledge is power. Gather information about ways to deal with how you are feeling – explore Internet search engines or the self-help section of bookstores. Talk with friends and family whose opinions you respect.

4. Gratitude is a powerful emotion. Use it to your advantage. Tell those who are important to you what you think of them. Watch their reaction and see how that makes you feel. Practice what you have learned in the past about being resilient. Release tension through humor and watch yourself begin to bounce back

5. Support is a valuable tool. Find a class or workshop through your local university extension program or mental health center. Join an ongoing group or attend a weekend retreat to share concerns, problem-solve and gain new perspective. A therapist or a coach can be a sounding board, validate your perceptions, support your ideas and help you follow through with your plans.

It can be difficult to maintain a sense of optimism when emotional circumstances are complicated and painful. Focus your thoughts on what you can accomplish rather than on what you cannot. Recognize the insight and skills that are already an integral part of you. And notice how your character strengths support what you do and who you are.

Beginning to talk about depression can increase awareness, reduce the stigma and mitigate symptoms. Think about exorcising your “demons,” once and for all. Don’t disguise yourself in costume, no matter what time of the year. This Halloween, take off your mask and commit to feeling more positive about yourself.

(C) Her Mentor Center, 2007