1: WAS MAX THROWN IN THE TRASH?

As we all know, the Grinch lives at the top of Mount Crumpit. This is where the Who's dump their garbage. We know from several Grinchy rants that the Who's are rather wasteful and throw away their "toys" when they get bored of them not long after Christmas ends.

We do know that the Grinch goes into town in the live-action movie and in the newest animated film, so it is possible he could have picked him up in town. However, this theory seems more likely when you realize that the Grinch really doesn't care for anything sweet, including a pet who loves as unconditionally as Max.

2: WHERE IS THE BABY THAT GOT KNOCKED OFF COURSE AT THE BEGINNING?

During the live-action Grinch movie, Cindy Lou Who is interviewing the Grinch's adopted parents. One of the ladies says "a strange wind blew that night." We see the bassinet carrying the Grinch knock into another bassinet which seems to get thrown off course.

3: ARE THE WHO'S CANNIBALS?

For the longest time, I truly thought that the narrator was talking about roast beef, but if you listen closely, the narrator says "roast beast." ​Now, in the old cartoon, the "roast beast" has two legs, but is red when you cut into it, meaning it can't be poultry.

But, this theory was put to rest by Dr. Seuss's team. They posted a Who Roast Beast recipe on the Seussville website which calls for boneless strip loin roast. Then again, that recipe would never yield something that looked like the one in the movies. I guess we'll never truly know!

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Let's talk about Christmas songs. There's a lot of interesting facts that go behind the story of these holly jolly tunes. Today, let's dive in to the stories behind some of the most popular Christmas songs on the charts!

"YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR. GRINCH"

We're all familiar with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and the song, "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch." ​The song is wildly popular, but you probably didn't know the the original singer of the song, Thurl Ravenscroft, is also the voice behind Tony the Tiger, the mascot for Frosted Flakes! He's also voiced a number of un-credited characters in various animated feature films at television shows! So, if the voice seemed familiar, now you know why.

"SIMPLY HAVING A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME"

A popular conspiracy theory has been circulating lately, especially on TikTok. The theory goes that the beginning of this popular Beatles song may be the start of a seance or spell. The lyrics say "the moon is right/the spirits up/we're here tonight/and that's enough," before breaking into the cheerful next line.

"WHITE CHRISTMAS"

The movie of the same name is my husband's favorite, so I was personally surprised to learn that the first recording of "White Christmas" featured Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers, and the John Scott Trotter's Orchestra.

"ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU"

Everyone loves to hear Mariah's whistle-tones in this classic 1994 Christmas song, but did you know that a cover of her song placed higher on the charts in coming years? In 2011, Carey recorded a duet of the song with Justin Bieber, which hit the third slot on the top charts.

"I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS"

When this song debuted, the Roman Catholic Church in Boston was outraged, as they felt the song mixed sexual affairs with Christmas. The 13-year-old boy who sang it, Jimmy Boyd, met with the Archdiocese to explain that the song simply meant that Santa Clause was  really the child's father

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SHARKNADO - CRINGE

There was always something so ridiculous to me about the whole Sharknado franchise. It was hard for me to believe that people actually thought the idea was plausible enough to warrant one movie, let alone a whole series. This costume may be great for fans of puns and of the series. Overall, it looks hard to walk in and itchy! I cringed when I saw this. What did you do?

PUMPKIN PI - LAUGH

This is such a funny idea to me, especially if you're a math teacher. It is witty and easy to put together. I laughed when I saw it because it is "punny" but not in a "dad joke" way, at least not to me. I don't find it to be corny, I guess.  What do you think? Do you like this pumpkin pi costume?

GRANDMA SITS ON PUPPY - CRINGE

A fat joke, old person joke, and animal neglect joke rolled into one, this whole outfit makes me uncomfortable to say the least. When I look at this, it just makes me think that this is something the guy who thinks he is funny at your office would wear to a costume party. But maybe it is just me! What do you think?

CHICK MAGNET - LAUGH

To me, this is another punny AND funny costume that would be so good for Halloween.  This highlights your funny side and should be relatively inexpensive of a costume. It seems like it would be comfortable enough to wear to events or for photos, too.

KFC COLONEL & A BUCKET OF CHICKEN - CRINGE

I don't know why, but this just makes me cringe. Maybe it is just the ridiculousness of the colonel and how so many way overdo him, or if it is the fact that someone is literally dressed up like meat, like 2000s Lady Gaga. Either way, I think this is a little cringe!

FACEBOOK TROLLS - LAUGH

Now that I'm at the bottom of the list, I see that I like puns as costumes. I think it is just because it seems more creative than just dressing up as a traditional character. I like this one because trolls do exist all over the internet, and adding on the hair just made me cackle a little.

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BAILEY SARIAN

KENDALL RAE

DANELLE HALLAN

BROOKE MAKENNA

ELEANOR NEALE

BELLA FIORI

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1: LEFT 4 DEAD/LEFT 4 DEAD 2

This game is an OG favorite of mine. It follows four survivors who are trying to work together to get to a safe zone while fighting their way through the zombie apocalypse. My favorite characters in the first game are Zoey and Francis. If you ask any of my friends who have seen me play, they’ll tell you that I’ve made up a love story between the two! ​ In the second, my favorite character is Ellis. He’s a country boy working alongside three other players who are also trying to escape the grasps of brain-hungry zombies.  The game features regular zombies as well as special ones, such as spitters, boomers, smokers, hunters, jockeys, tanks, and witches. I like that each character has their own background, and the weapons options are great.

2: BENDY AND THE INK MACHINE

I watched this playthrough partially before Jonathan and I bought it for PS4. It basically follows a guy who returns to his old animation studio to find that no one is there. He quickly finds that the animations he used to love have come alive and taken over the lives of some of his old coworkers. ​ He must find a way out of the animation studio, but creepy things continue to happen as he scurries through the maze.

3: THE EVIL WITHIN 2

Probably one of the most difficult horror games I’ve ever played, this game has an amazing storyline and awesome quests that will leave you rattled as you continue to fight through the map. ​ The story follows Sebastian, an ex-detective who learns that his daughter – who he thought had died in a house fire – was inserted into a STEM program as its core. He must enter the program to find his daughter. Because she is used as the core and is missing, the makeshift town ends up falling apart and spawning nightmarish creatures Sebastian must fight. The story features three or four main “bosses” you must defeat in order to return to the real world with Sebastian’s daughter.

4: THE WALKING DEAD

So, I had this game a long time ago on my computer. It features Lee and Clementine, a newly-arrested man and a small child with no guardian respectively. They work together, alongside some other stragglers, to find safety during the zombie apocalypse. I think I like this game because it combines a unique fighting style with decision-making that impacts the result of the game. ​ It has several parts, and the art style is amazing. Would definitely recommend if you haven’t tried it yet.

5: DYING LIGHT

Finally, this zombie game is one of the best in the genre. Jonathan (my husband) loves this game and has replayed it several times). You play as Kyle Crane (mainly referred to as Crane), who is a GRE operative who has come to an island to do recon.  ​ You meet people who live in this tower, some of whom are sick, and you need to get a temporary medication that will keep them from turning. Again, there are special zombies and regular infected. You have to work through the game to help save the people on the island.

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PICK SOME PUMPKINS One of my favorite things to do during the fall is visit a pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins and to go on a short little hay ride. This photo was taken in 2018, but we go almost every year when we can. ​We also like checking out the other things these farms sell such as jellies and jams. I'd love to check out an apple orchard one year, too, but we haven't done that just yet!

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE?

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1. SELF-IDENTIFYING FOSSILS

Blathers, the owl who runs your island’s museum, is responsible for identifying the fossils for you. Until the fossils are identified, they cannot be sold for their true worth at the Nook shop.  If you’re anything like me, you try to fill up your museum as fast as possible, donating all of your fossils as soon as you get them, and only selling repeats. But what happens when you donate all of the fossils. You have to continue to go back to Blathers to get them identified so they can be sold for their true worth.

2. AN INDEX FOR THE ART

Currently on the phone apps, we have a way to identify and find information on the bugs and fish we have caught. What would be beneficial for me is to have an index of the art I’ve purchased.

3. LIST OF DONATED MUSEUM ITEMS

In older Animal Crossing games, we could click on a sign outside of the museum to see what we’ve donated. Maybe that would be better within the phone as its own app?

4. LAYING TILE/BRICK UNDER BUILDINGS

I don’t know about anyone else, but I HATE the thin trim of grass that comes along with the shops and houses. I want to be able to lay a complete foundation and move a building on top of it for a more seamless look. ​

5. MORE UPGRADES TO THE NOOK STORE

I don’t know if it is because I time travel, or if it is simply something within the game, but I tend to get the same pieces of furniture over and over again in my shops. I know that there are others, due to the fact that some pieces are needed in order to DIY other pieces. I also see the cool furniture my neighbors have but can’t find them anywhere. In New Leaf, the store eventually upgraded to a three-story mega store. It had a ton of furniture selections, and I miss that.

6. A COFFEE SHOP

I liked the addition of Brewster’s coffee shop in New Leaf. It gave you another little mini game to do, and you got some pretty sweet merch for helping him out. Plus, I always get jealous seeing my neighbors walking around with a can of soda or an ice cream, and I don’t get that option!

7. MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS

So far, I haven’t really been seeing a lot of community events. One community event I really miss is the yard sale event. You could go into a neighbor’s house and ask to purchase their furniture. Additionally, you could wait in your own home for people to come in and purchase your items. It always was so hard to find some of the furniture my neighbors have, so it would be great if that event could happen again.

8. ABILITY TO THROW PARTIES

I think it would be so cool if you could throw parties, send out invitations, and choose a theme (birthday, girls night, etc.). ​You could set the dress code (I.e. “Cute”) so that all of the invitees come dressed appropriately. You could choose from some venue set ups, or just host it in your house.

9. GETTING BFF's PHOTOS MORE EASILY

I haven’t witnessed it myself, but legend has it that you can indeed still get pictures of your best friends in the game. ​I have been talking to and exchanging gifts with Roald the Penguin for quite some time, and I still don’t have his picture!

10. USE CUSTOM DESIGN DOWNLOAD FOR FLAG

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CHRISTMAS JEOPARDY

I played this one during our office Christmas party this year, and everyone had a ton of fun. Divide your family in two and let them go down the line and answer each question.  Make sure you have a prize for the winning team. You can find the one pictured here at https://jeopardylabs.com/play/christmas-jeopardy-2158.

CHRISTMAS CHARADES

Charades is a fun game you can play where you act out a word or phrase. However, put a Christmas twist on it and choose Christmas-themed objects or sayings. Some examples are: gingerbread man, dashing through the snow, Rudolph, and so on. Write these out and put them in a hat. Have the whole family guess what the actor is acting out. You'll have a ton of laughs by the end of the night.

BOARD AND CARD GAME NIGHT

This is a perfect option if you have a large family get together with people of varying ages. Have everyone bring one of their board or card games and set one at each table. Allow the family members or friends who come to go to whatever table they want throughout the night. My mom historically always purchased my brother and I an activity we could do, usually a game, together on Christmas Eve! Lots of fun!

CHRISTMAS TRIVIA GAMES

There are a ton of ways to play trivia nowadays. You could use Kahoot, which is a free website where you can make trivia quizzes or use one that is already made. You use the browser on your phone to play! There are also a number of trivia options on YouTube. Watch them for free and play along. Perhaps the winner could even get a prize!

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To name just a few, Disney owns ABC, ESPN (about 80 percent of it), Touchstone Pictures, Marvel, A&E, Lifetime, and much more. Until now, these movies and shows were available to Netflix streamers. But, starting on Nov. 12 (just four days from now), these movies will be offered only on Disney Plus.

With a lot of people predicting the inevitable downfall of this digital dominator, I recently found a scrap of evidence that is either a manifestation of a good plan, or a great plan that Netflix should consider. A curious title that was recently listed caught my attention.

I'm pretty sure my demographics of age reach are similar to my age. Tell me this: If you could watch everything from CatDog, to Drake & Josh, to Zoey 101, wouldn't you say subscribed? ​Not to mention the pull that Netflix could get from the current shows on the channel.

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