Happy Fall! The Halloween season has officially begun and instead of posting a horror movie list this month, I thought I’d share a list of best Halloween candy alternatives.
Anyone who’s been to the grocery store lately has noticed prices are up. Between cocoa and sugar shortages, trump’s stupid tariffs, rising manufacturing and packaging costs, and corporate greed, Halloween candy prices are also up again for the sixth consecutive year.
Now, I’ve always tried to keep optimistic about the over-commercialism of Halloween. I love how Halloween brings out the creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit of some people, but left’s face it, sometimes capitalism goes too far.
Turns out kids actually like getting little Halloween novelty toys and glow sticks in lieu of candy. So this list is for those looking to please trick or treators without breaking the bank this season.
Silicone or rubber slap bracelets, squishy toys and fidget toys are all the rage. Many of these items can be found at dollar stores or Oriental Trading Company (OTC), a popular seller of bulk novelty, party, and craft supplies store that offers dozens of options of Halloween alternative items.
Bulk Halloween Character Rubber Duck Assortment – 60 pc $24.99, OTC
Personally, I’m more into eco-friendly wooden Halloween pencils, Halloween notepads, and cute little Halloween stickers or temporary tattoos.
Halloween pens, pencils, notepads, OTC
Cash and coins are still cool, but not good if your neighborhood hosts a lot of trick or treators. Naturally, quarters are preferred over dimes and pennies, but hey, if you’re about to spend $40 on miniature candies and have around 150 trick or treaters, financially it works out about the same anyway.
Halloween Rubber bracelets, 32-pc $49, Kohl’s
Keep this mind, glow sticks, rubber bracelets and tiny plastic toys may provide instant happiness and are great candy alternatives, but they’re also not biodegradable, and that’s bad for the environment and unsafe for wildlife.
Halloween pencils, 16-pc set $1.50, Dollar General
Ask yourself if you’re looking to be more budget conscious or be environmentally or sensory friendly this season. There are so many alternatives about there!
Sensory-friendly Pop Fidget Toys, $1.50 Dollar General
Before you forego your candy treats, first determine your budget and the number of expected trick-or-treators you anticipate this year.
Free Halloween Printables from iHeartCraftyThings.com
There are still plenty of reasons and ways to celebrate Halloween without spending gobs of money. Don’t forget, you could always mix and match.
Whatever you decide, I wish you a Happy Halloween!
Happy Caturday! It’s the last day of Fall and the last shopping weekend before Christmas. There’s no guarantee you’d get any of these gifts by Christmas day without paying exorbitant shipping costs, so I included some spooktacular digital gifts to give to your favorite Halloween and horror fan this Christmas.
Halloween season may be over but you can still find these adorable limited edition Scrub Daddy Halloween sponges online or in stores. They make great stocking stuffers!
Severin Films Horror Enamel Pins, $12
Last week, I mentioned these Severin Films enamel pins of famous horror directors and actors. I just needed to reiterate you could buy a beautiful enamel pin of horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. These are so incredible! If only they had Vincent Price, we could’ve had the horror trifecta in our stockings this holiday!
Ototo Designs: Vino, Corkscrew and Bottle Opener, $22.95
Every Halloween I post pictures of pizza skulls and every year people wonder how to get their hands on the coolest pan they ever saw. The “skull pan” is Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet pan and they have tons of other cool pans for all the other holidays too!
Lego Halloween Wreath, $32.99
Legos are the gifts that keep on giving. Building Legos are calming and therapeutic. They’re collectible and you can rebuild them over and over and never get bored. The kid in us won’t allow it. Any spooky set makes a great gift, but this Halloween Wreath is fangtastic! You could get different results each time, it covers two holidays, and with 500 pieces, it shouldn’t take much time at all to complete.
Fangoria Classic Logo Tee, $25
The classic Fangoria.com T-shirt is good ole fashion horror supporting casual wear. Fangoria is one the first true magazines to celebrate horror movies, so we should give back by keeping them alive for generations of future horror fans.
Or you could buy a year subscription and get this fancy free t-shirt instead.
Subscribe now and get a free t-shirt while supplies last
HORROR MOVIES
Horror fans love horror movies. Full stop! Sure, we love little trinkets and memorabilia, but what we love most is the very thing that captured our attention and hearts in the first place, HORROR MOVIES! So, when in doubt, buy scary movies, either DVD or Blu-Ray or a streaming service for a couple of months, (doesn’t even have to be a whole year, but that would nice!)
They can even be those cheapass bad two to five dollar bin finds. In fact, that might work out better! Trust me, we horror movie fans are a special bunch. We’ll even watch the small, indie, made in your backyard horror. We may not love it, but we’ll watch it and talk about it cuz we love talking about the spooky films we saw. So, yep, even bad horror movies make great gifts!
It’s about time that Blumhouse started releasing box sets of their movies. I’d be happier to see Happy Death Day in its own box set, but at least it’s included here. Get Out, The Purge, and Split are also three of best “new” horror Blumhouse has ever produced anyway, so it’s in good company.
LAST MINUTE DIGITAL GIFTS
No time to shop. No time to wait. Gotta have it now, here you go:
Gifting instant access to thousands of scary movies is always a great idea! The two horror movie channels are very similar, except Shudder is little older, more established, maybe has a better selection. Debatable. However, a Screambox yearly subscription is cheaper, even if it has more ads because of it. Really comes down to your patience and wallet.
Bloody Disgusting’s own Screambox Yearly Subscription, $59.99
Shudder Yearly Subscription, $79.99
Foxblood Clothing E-gift Card, starting at $25
Give a e-gift card from Foxblood Clothing in Los Angeles to your fave Halloween and horror fan and let them shop all the after Christmas sales and get exactly what they they really want!
A Gothic Universe Digital Gift Card, price varies
Give the gift of ‘go shop for your own gothic ware’ from A Gothic Universe a fa-boo-lous retailer for goth merch. It’s a win-win!
Calm Subscription, $79
Help your anxious fan relax with the Calm.com app and hundreds of hours soundscapes, sleep stories, meditations and more. Calm may be normal but a well-rested goth has more time to go do cool spooky shit.
Concert Tix for 2026, price varies
Give the gift of live music. SoCalGoth.com has a great chart of all the goth bands out on tour next year in SoCal, but I’m sure you can use it to look up if these bands will play in your area or maybe plan a little trip. SoCal is lovely all times of the year.
Happy Holidays everyone! Wishing you all safe and happy New Year, may 2026 be kinder to us all. Be safe out there!
Earlier this fall, Toho Co., Ltd. celebrated the 70th anniversary of Godzilla, King of the Monsters. I wanted to do something a little better than a birthday shout-out to one of my favorite SciFi creatures, so I came up with a list of cool gifts for Kaiju lovers this holiday season.
Most of these are collector items, so if you’re looking for kids toys or less serious items, maybe try your local toy store. There’s no particular order to the list either, nor do I have any affiliation to any companies. My gift giving guides are always simply to help like-minded fans find awesome collectible gifts to buy for their loved ones.
10 Gifts for Kaiju Lovers
Godzilla Enamel Pins by Tom Whalen and others from Mondo Shop, $10
Enamel Pins make great stocking stuffers and Mondo Shop has several monsters, not just Godzilla.
Bandai’s Godzilla Store Limited Movie Monster Series Action Figurine from Godzilla.com, $32
Figure based off 1964 movie Mothra vs. Godzilla.
Pre-order Godzilla x Misfit Fiend T-shirt and Exclusive Apparel from Godzilla.com, $32
Two legendary icons brought together. This t-shirt is sure to become its own icon.
Godzilla Minus One Blu-ray Deluxe Japan Collector’s Edition, from Godzilla.com $65
An amazing collector’s boxset for this incredible reboot film, which showed big studios how to properly make a Godzilla film and brought in a whole new generation of fans.
Godzilla: The First 70 Years Art Book (Hardcover) from authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, published over at Abrams Books, $75
Written with love by kaiju super fan, Steve Ryfle, this is no mere coffee table book. A legendary giant needs a giant book to cover 70 years of narrative and visual history featuring exclusive behind the scenes photography, production materials, and other artwork.
From the 70 Years of Godzilla exhibition featuring artists from around the globe in conjunction with Spoke Art Gallery and Ghost X Ghost, you can find poster size prints for your wall.
Matt Taylor “Godzilla ’54” 24″ x 36″ print, $70
Dawn of the Monsters Video Game from 13am Games, prices vary by system
“Dawn of the Monsters is a co-operative kaiju beat ’em up out for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Dawn of the Monsters is a co-operative kaiju beat ’em up out for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X, and Stadia.”
Perfect for gamers and anyone who wants a little more interactive kaiju experience. I haven’t played myself to be honest but I hear this game is the most fun. You get to play as a kaiju!
Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 Collector’s Blu-Ray Set, from The Criterion Collection, $225
Godzilla and friends get The Criterion treatment with this one of kind Collector’s boxset featuring remastered original cuts of all the monster kaiju films, from the beginning to when the big studios started to rule the world.
Criterion films specializes in preserving only the best of the best in film history, and Godzilla is the best, he’s the king of the monster films! This is the most incredible boxset I’ve ever seen!
Happy Creepmas! Looking for last minute virtual gift ideas? No stress! You can pull up your phone and have an amazing gift in less than 5 mins. Check it out!
Give the gift of knowledge! I mean, there is no better gift than that. The online classes are easy, interesting, and fun. Your giftee can take classes at their own pace and pick whatever topic they want to study, there are over 200 to choose from! It’s fantastic for new budding writers.
Loot Fright Box from Lootcrate ($34.99 per crate)
Gift a bimonthly horror box filled with officially licensed and exclusive cool collectibles, apparel, and other horror goodies. It’s the gift that keeps on giving
A gift for two people! Support independent artists, creators, influencers, musicians, and podcasters by gifting a fan with a Patreon subscription.
You need to set up a free Patreon account in order to gift someone but they have made gifting is easy, click here for more info.
Artists like Diana Levin of Ghoulish Bunny use Patreon to connect with fans.
Calm 1-Year Subscription ($69.99)
Gifting wellness is a beautiful gift and shows how much you care. Everyone deserves to be happy and feeling good about their mental health, but sometimes it’s challenging and people don’t know where to start. A Calm subscription is unimposing way to ease into caring for oneself.
Online Gaming Subscription or Gift Cards (price varies)
Plenty of spooky games are available for horror fans on PC, Playstation, XBox, or Nintendo Switch.
Buying a year long online gaming subscription service is an amazing gift. Gaming subscriptions are costly and more and more game companies are adding online play to their games.
Image by Playstation
There are hours of online entertainment to enjoy, but it helps to know what system your giftee is on. Just ask, “hey, what gaming system are you on?” Below are the big ones:
Playstation Plus Digital or Gift Cards ($25-$100)
Xbox Game Pass Digital or Gift Cards ($10-$50)
Nintendo Switch Online Digital or Gift Cards ($3.99-$19.99)
You can purchase digital subscriptions online, or even give physical gift cards that can be found at any grocery store, retailer store or pharmacy store.
Dying Light I & II
Amazon Prime 1-Year Subscription ($139)
Free to watch Prime movies, TV, online books, music, and free shipping for a year! Best gift ever! Now, Amazon has made it a little difficult to gift an actual membership. You have to purchase a gift card instead and then the person uses it to buy themselves the membership. Taken from website: “Amazon no longer offers the ability to directly gift an Amazon Prime membership, but you can use an Amazon gift card to purchase a Prime membership.”
Gift Cards (price varies)
The good ole standby gift. It may seem impersonal but it’s not. People love getting giftcards. If you know their favorite stores or online shops, it helps, but a Visa giftcard that works anywhere, still the cherry on the top of an ice cream sundae.
Happy Creepmas! Christmas is a mere 5 days away. It’s crunch time to get a spooktacular gift for your favorite Halloween and Horror lover. Books are the answer!
Kindle Yearly Subscription
Normally, I would recommend a hard or soft cover physical book since I love the feel of real book in my hand, but these days, it’s all about the convenience.
Audible Yearly Subscription ($149.00)
Totally worth it for those voracious readers. You get a credit back each month which is really nice. But, there are lower priced tiers, and if the subscription is canceled, readers keep anything downloaded or bought with a credit.
Book Gift Ideas – These spooky audio or ebooks will make great gifts!
Rob Weldon – The Omnist Series (Soft Cover, Kindle, Audible)
If you’re into magical noir, then this your jam! Get lost in this engaging, funny urban fantasy world featuring endearing characters that you want to root for.
Maria Alexander – A Bloodline of Yule Trilogy (Soft Cover, Kindle)
If you love a dark creepy Christmas, then this series is for you. The first novel, Snowed, won 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
Paul Tremblay – A Head Full of Ghosts (Soft Cover, Kindle, Audible)
This spooky psychological thriller will leave you guessing up until the very end.
Stephen King – You Like It Darker (Soft Cover, Kindle, Audible)
The King of Horror returns to form with a new anthology of short horror fiction.
They’re calling it feminist witcherature, and honestly, I think we need more! I’m just enjoying three stories of three different women experiencing the same b.s. in a span of 100 years. It gives you the feels.
I love this story. I was swept away by this dark enchanting thriller set in the 1950s. Another classic with themes of enpowerment and independence. This cover was best too. Such mood.
Happy Friday! This week’s gift guide is for the witches. Whether you’re a baby witch or a seasoned enchantress, witches need tools and toys to practice their craft. These gift suggestions are general and meant for everyone. Obviously, if the giftee has a specific practice in mind, like they want to be a kitchen witch or moon witch for example, you’re gonna want to find the tools, toys, and books geared towards that.
I listed some cool items from shops I like, but this is only a tiny guide to inspire you in finding the perfect gift for your favorite witch, even if it’s yourself. Happy Creepmas!
400 Page Large Grimoire leather journal, Print Tree of Life Journal, Blank spell book book of shadows Leather Celestial Gifts For Him Her ($48.99) – Amyracraft (Etsy)
Happy Creepmas! We’re coming up on the first weekend of December and if you’ve got a Halloween and horror fan on your holiday shopping list, I’ve got some great gift ideas! Now, truth is, Halloween and horror fans are pretty easy to buy for, anything Halloween or Horror related, even the smallest of items, makes us really, really, really happy. But, if you need more ideas and inspiration, then, check out these items:
Shudder Streaming Movie Subscription ($4.99 monthly) – Shudder online or streaming devices
Shudder is horror fan’s best friend. It’s a comfort zone. There are horror movies, thrillers, foreign films, TV shows, documentaries, old classics, new favorites, and curated collections. No yearly commitment, cancel anytime. it’s worth every penny!
A Christmas Carol Characters – Pop! Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Glow) ($12) – Funko
Honestly, I had to boycott Pop! Funko before I went bankrupt, but these Christmas Carol funkos…
Fitz Alice Cooper’s a Haunted Party Night 350 Scary Cards Family Horror Movie Box Game ($24.99) – Macy’s
Last year I finally had the pleasure of seeing Alice Cooper in concert and holy smokes, it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Mr. Cooper is master showman and horror maestro, it’s only fitting that he’d make his own horror party game.
1000 Piece Halloween Puzzle ($24.99) Woodbests
Christmas break is long and my patience is short, I consider puzzles to be relaxing, self-care tools that should be covered by flexible spending plans. Ya know, if we all band together and try to make it happen, it might.
UNITED” 3 x 5 ft. Large Halloween Flag by Rhode Montijo BACK IN STOCK ($25) – Rhode Montijo
Back in stock! Hurry! Why are you still here? Click the link and buy! This is a Halloween fan must-have item! And Rhode Montjo is the most amazing artist and an awesome person!
Late for the Sky: Boooo-Opoly Monopoly Board Game ($31.99) – Target
As a Halloween fan and mini knock-off Monopoly game collector (I think I own 15 different game sets) I’ve been eyeing this one and I better get allllll the candy when I land on Free Candy or there’s gonna be board flipping!
On Set With John Carpenter: The Photographs of Kim Gottlieb-Walker ($39.99) – Barnes and Noble
If you’re a fan of the Halloween movie franchise or legendary horror John Carpenter and his movies, you’re gonna want this sprawling 176 page photo book for your coffee table. Packed with behind the scenes photos, anecdotes, commentary and stories from the horror maestro, crew members, and celebrities.
Dracula Book Phone Case ($35) – Once Upon a Book Club
Never be afraid to drop your phone again with these cool book phone cases from Once Upon a Book Club. They have other novels and a really kickass subscription box service too. Old phone, new phone, don’t worry, the list to match the correct size phone case is pretty extensive!
Phantom of the Opera Scarf ($49) – Storiarts
I have loved watching Storiarts grow. They make gloves, scarves, t-shirts, totes, and blankets of all types of classic novels. These scarves are like the classiest way of declaring your love for horror classics I can think of.
Smile 2 Limited Edition Steelbook Pre-release set for January 21, 2025 ($44) – Target
One of creepiest films of 2024 should be in your film library, if only for Naomi Scott’s memorable frenetic performance.It will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
I’m blown away by attention to detail of these limited edition collectibles featuring the Universal monsters. NECA makes other spooky characters too, but I’m just a sucker for anything featuring the old monster movies and those little interchangeable heads! C’mon! Who doesn’t want Larry Talbot on their shelf!
Make umbrellas and parasols great again! Look, it’s even orange! ahahahaha alright, alright, unlike incoming convict-in-chief, these Halloween umbrellas are dainty and elegant. They really can punch up a plain black goth dress and they protect from the sun, so you won’t turn to ashes. They ARE great!
3D Halloween Castle Wood Puzzle Large 250-300 pieces with Wooden Box ($34-$100) – Woodbests
Woodbests puzzles are colorful laser etched onto natural wood and beautiful. It’s like you’re putting together a piece of art!
**After reading some reviews, I thought it best to put up a warning to Read Carefully when purchasing Woodbests Puzzles as there’s different size puzzles and prices, gotta buy a box separately, and the kit separately, otherwise it will all come in a plain bag and will be seriously disappointing. Then again, if you’re looking to save money and have another display plan for the puzzle, you might love the fact that you can just buy the pieces and that’s it. The products are really cool, just pay attention. It’s a bit like buying flowers online.**
So, there you go, happy haunting and good luck crossing off your list. I’ll have another gift guide next week! Stay tuned!
Hello! Today is Shop Small Business Saturday. This new annual tradition of supporting the mom and pop local businesses in your own town follows Black Friday every year. Today, I’m celebrating the last day of November with one of my favorite small businesses.
Backstitch Bruja
It’s been a joy to watch Yvette’s business grow from a small online shop into a real brick and mortar store in San Dimas, CA. This busy entrepreneur still makes time to travel around to Halloween and horror conventions and spooky events around the SoCal area. Follow her on Instagram for details on appearances.
This is just a small taste of what’s offered up this Creepmas season. It seems that everything pictured is still in stock, but merch moves quickly at Backstitch Bruja.
But don’t fret if something sells out. If you can be patient, get yourself a Backstitch Bruja giftcard. They usually restock.
If you’re looking for great books to gift your spooky loved ones this season, keep reading!
Most of these suggested books I own myself or totally plan on buying. I love classic horror by all the greats and I’m also proud to support indie writers and I hope you will too. I’ve marked the ones available in digital format that make great last-minute gifts or stocking stuffers.
Best Indie Urban Paranormal so real you might go looking for these people and places series:
Consumia’s Spiritual Emporium, Book I of the Omnist Series by Rob Weldon* – $6, $16, $26; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Monster Fantasy Turned into a Video Game and Hit TV Show Series:
Blood of Elves, Book I of the Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski* – $9, $12, $25, $60; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available (Complete Boxset shown in image below) via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Steamy Indie Paranormal Romance:
Hex and the Single Witch by Roxanne Rhoads – $12 paperback via Amazon
Best Indie Fantasy-Horror-SciFi:
Cast a Cold Eye by Derryl Murphy and William Shunn* – $2, $35 Kindle and hardback via Amazon
Best Classic Halloween Story:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury* $5, $15; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Best Fun-Sized Stories to get you into the Halloween spirit:
We Bleed Orange & Black: 31 Fun Sized Tales for Halloween by Jeff Carter* – $7 paperback via Amazon
Best Comprehensive Halloween History book I can’t wait to own:
The Better Days Books Vintage Halloween Reader by Various authors – $23 paperback via Amazon
Best and Fastest Way to Understanding Halloween Folklore and Traditions:
Creating Your Vintage Hallowe’en: The folklore, traditions, and some crafty makes by Marion Paull – $15 hardback via Amazon
Best Compact Taschen Icons Picturebook:
Halloween: Vintage Holiday Graphics Edited by Jim Heimann, Forward by Steven Heller – $17 paperback via Thriftbooks
Most Comprehensive, Deluxe Hardback Halloween Picturebook Collection:
Vintage Hallowe’en: Tricks, Treats & Traditions by Robert Pandis – $75 hardback
This sought after vintage Halloween picturebook is typically sold out, but I included it here because sometimes you can find it selling on secondhand markets online.
Best Someday I’m gonna own that Book:
Dracula,1897, 1st edition by Bram Stoker – $200-37,000
If you ever come across an ugly little book that looks like this, keep it!!!
*Makes a great last-minute gift or stocking stuffer!
Not sure what you gift your favorite Halloween lover this Creepmas? Well, you came to the right place. It’s going to be a Christmas to dismember with these cool and creepy holiday gift ideas!
Bundt Haunted Manor Cake Pan from Nordicware $36 – For the Halloween Baking Lover
Trick R Treat Sam Bitten Lollipop Bag from Trick or Treat Studios $59 – For the Halloween Lover on the Go
Elvira’s Very Scary Xmas 8″Clothed Figure Collectible by NECA $60 – For the Elvira Halloween Horror Collector Lover
Wednesday Nevermore Loungefly Mini Backpack, Pre-order Exclusive from Entertainment Earth $69 – For the Trendy TV Halloween Lover
Spooky Shoes like Chocolaticas Widow Heart – Mary Jane Flats by Hot Chocolate Design $85 – For the Halloween Spider Lover
6-Ft Pre-lit Purple Halloween Christmas Tree $92 from Costway at Target – For the Halloween Christmas Lover
Halloween Glass Ornaments from Christmas Traditions Store 19.99 for 12 or $9.99 for 6 – For the Halloween Christmas Lover Who Needs Ornaments for the Tree
“Dome of Doom” Light-up Haunted House Sculpture from Bradford Exchange $119 – For the Classy Yet Fun Halloween Decor Lover
Gothic Halloween Tea Sets from Angioletti Designs $165-185 – For the Gothic Halloween Tea Drinking Lover
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