Category Archives: holiday

Wacky Hair Ideas for Film, Theater, and Crazy Hair Days

Here’s a list of funky, silly, and creative hairstyle ideas for wacky or crazy hair days at school, in plays, in movies, and on holidays.

You and your kids can have fun being as creative as possible.

Wacky Hair Ideas

Getting creative with crazy hair days or designing wacky hairstyles for film or theater is so much fun. It is the best part of being a kid at heart. I found many great ideas for girls and boys, but I will only share my favorites with you.

I found it interesting that most of the boys’ wacky hair ideas aren’t very inventive. The girls are much more creative in designing wacky hairstyles.

Pipe cleaner hairdo

1. Pipe Cleaner Hairdo

Blue Skies Ahead shows some wacky hair photos. It’s not a pipe dream because the hairdo is so wacky and manageable to create, yet it fits any crazy hair day. Moms only need to take a trip to the craft store and buy lots of multicolored pipe cleaners.

With that, you put the hair up in a cute, tight bun. Take a bunch of pipe cleaners and twist each one around your fingers until they’re all curly. Then, stick the pipe cleaners around the bun with the elastic band. If you have a lot of really long hair, make several tiny buns, and do the same thing with the pipe cleaners. The cleanup will be a breeze, and more likely, your daughter or son will want to do the same wacky hairdo for the next event.

Each pipe cleaner hairdo is different because the pipe cleaners never bend or attach to the hair the same way.

Spider web hairstyle

2. Spider Web Hairstyle

It’s a bit scary for some girls. If you tell them they look cute, it might work for Halloween night. Or you might have to wait until they are a bit older to appreciate the fun of wearing such a wacky, scary hairstyle.

The expert says it is easy to do. The giant spider web hairdo looks like a classic. You can find the designer through the link in the image.

A&W soda

3. A&W Soda

I loved A&W root beer when I was this girl’s age. I am impressed with this crazy hair day winner. The wacky style looks easy to do. The originator does not explain how to do it. By looking at the photo, I guess you place a hole in the side of an empty soda bottle and string the ponytail through it, so it seems like the hair is flowing into the plastic cup. You clip the plastic container onto the hair with a hair clip.

Our Daily Ideas brought this design to my attention, and I am happy to share it with you.

Doggy hair

4. Doggy Hair

Kelly found this doggy hairstyle for me. The only problem with having the wacky dog facing you is that you will miss each person’s first impression of the hairstyle. Don’t be surprised if a couple of hound dogs end up following you.

I couldn’t find the hairdo’s originator, so I guessed the designer made a super-tight bun and twisted a smaller bun for the nose. She cut a piece of red fabric in the shape of a dog’s tongue. Using a black Sharpie, she drew a black line down the center of the cloth. The eyes and dog ears you can get at any craft store. The eyes can be hot-glued to hair clips and attached to the hair.

Birds and butterflies

5. Birds and Butterflies

Melanie shared this with me, and I think it is so wacky. It is the wackiest of hairdos ever. I am sure it took four hours to create this crazy hairstyle. I tried to find the tutorial, but there isn’t one. I am sure she used wires to keep her hair bent like that, which is fantastic. Only girls with long hair can do this wacky style.

Adding birds’ nests and then butterflies throughout the hair reminds me of French 18th-century hairstyles, but crazier and less symmetrical.

6. Christmas Tree Hairstyle

I love the idea of making a Christmas tree hairdo. It’s a lot of work, but worth it. With the latest easy-on hair dyes, dying your hair green shouldn’t be difficult.

Doughnut hair

7. Doughnut Hair

The doughnut hair fits wacky hair ideas for long hair. Get ready for wacky hair day pictures with this hairstyle. All the hair is up and off the shoulders, which looks comfy. The crazy hairdo comes from Make It & Love It. You start with a ponytail that is super tight from the top center of the head. It would be best if you pulled it as high as possible. Don’t hold back on the gel or hairspray. The hair needs to be slick on all sides.

Find a small colored paper plate and cut a medium-sized hole in the center so the ponytail fits through the hole.

Create a plain bun by using a mesh bun or twist, and then wrap the ponytail into a bun, which is the doughnut.

Create the frosting by cutting a piece of colored fleece, felt, or any leftover fabric. Make sure it fits on the doughnut. Using a hot glue gun, squeeze squiggles onto the material, and immediately press colorful sprinkles into the hot glue before it cools.

You need to attach the frosting to the bun, so take some leftover fabric and cut it into three strips. Using hot glue, take each strip’s ends and glue them onto the non-sprinkled side of the frosting. You should have three loops so that a single bobby pin can slide through and firmly attach the frosting piece to the bun.

Dragon hairstyle

8. Dragon Hairstyle

The hair color with the jewels for the dragon hairstyle at Lou Lou Girls is wacky and adorable at the same time. The creative ladies at LouLou Girls call it perfect for crazy hair day, and I agree. It takes some planning to get this hairstyle done on time.

You will need two hair colors, craft jewels, hairpins, and hot glue.
They suggest using hairpins to keep the jewels in the hair. The day before doing the dragon hairstyle, you need to attach the gems to the pins with glue.

In the end, they added bright, colorful hair extensions. I like the idea of wearing this hairstyle to How to Train Your Dragon movies or parties.


4 Colors Temporary Hair Color for Kids, Gifts for Teens, Girls, Boys, Gifts for Kids, Temporary Hair Dye, Hair Color Spray Green Red Blue Purple Hair Dye Hair Wax Color, Instant Color Wax Halloween Party

Four hair coloring waxes prepare me for Crazy Hair days at school. We even use them for Halloween. Easy to color and easy to clean. I can create the hair color my kids want anytime, anywhere—fast. Safe for kids to DIY.

A hairstyle that the boys can do for crazy hair day or wacky hair day.

9. Surfer Dude

Spiky hair is for boys who like to be surfer guys. The hairstyle creates the highest wave, provided his hair is the color of the ocean. You take blue hairspray and shape the wave curl.

Add a little white hairspray to the tips to create a massive wave. The surfer action figure stays on when you apply it to the hair while it is still wet from the spray.

Boys and girls take on the bugs

10. Bugs in the Grass

Green hair spray with short hair creates grass bugs like ants, centipedes, spiders, and caterpillars. Grab plastic bugs at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or the Dollar Store.

Using hot glue, attach them to hairpins. This wacky hairstyle will turn heads on the school day.

The black bugs on the boy’s forehead attach with glue for eyelashes or anything easy on the skin. For longer hair, you can use the same hairspray or gel.

If it’s for a girl, consider using butterflies, flowers, and caterpillars.

Anyone can pull off this crazy hairday style, but you need long hair.

11. Cherries

Dinah from DIY Inspired shared the hair-cherry look. The items you need to make the crazy hairstyle are red hair spray, two hair ties, some bobby pins, a green pipe cleaner, a piece of green construction paper, clear tape, and a black marker.

Take the hair and create two high buns, then secure them with bobby pins on opposite sides of the head. Spray each bun red to make it look like a cherry. Cut a piece of green construction paper into a leaf shape. Draw the leaf veins on the leaf-shaped paper. Bend the green pipe cleaner, fold it into red buns to look like cherry stems, and pin them to the cherries with bobby pins. Tape the leaf to the top of the stem. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure the wacky hairstyle stays in place.

Monster do

12. Monster Do

Even though a boy has the monster hairstyle, girls can do one! Courtney Constable at DIYs.com shared a simple but great way to style your kid’s hair. You need hair wax or gel, green hair coloring, two large googly eyes, and face paint.

Spike the hair up and do so until it’s stiff. Blend in green hair paint while spiking the hair.

Peel off the sticky backing of the googly eyes and place them like eyes in the hair above the face. Using face paint, draw a monster mouth on the forehead with two menacing arms and hands coming from the hair.

Easy Wacky Hair Ideas

If you are like me, you wait until the last moment and see what you have available the night before wacky hair day at school. If you are a planner, then some of these ideas are perfect for you. I have shared some crazy, wacky hair ideas that are pretty easy as long as you have all the materials.

“Texas Chain Saw Massacre” in 4K Remastered

Dark Sky Films releases the long-awaited UHD release of the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the groundbreaking thriller that has often been imitated but has yet to equal. The film arrives in the 4K restored version, complemented by a frightening array of bonus materials.

Directed by Tobe Hooper, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a classic horror film released in 1974. The film follows a group of friends, played by Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail and Teri McMinn, on a road trip through rural Texas. They stumble upon a family of cannibalistic psychopaths. 

The film has a low-budget, gritty style and extreme gore and violence, which boosted its popularity since we’ve had horror films like The Blair Witch Project, Friday the 13th, Halloween and Night of the Living Dead

The group of friends intends to visit an old family homestead. On their journey, they pick up a hitchhiker who manifests strange behavior. The stranger eventually turns on them, attacking them, which leads to a harrowing chase through the Texas countryside. 

They arrive at a farmhouse and meet cannibalistic killers, including the iconic Leatherface with a mask of human skin and a wielding chainsaw. Michael Myers copied the masking technique so beautifully on Halloween. 

The horror film was controversial during its release because of its graphic violence, which doesn’t compare to Coen Bros. films or the SAW franchise. Subsequently, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre shines as a cult classic and the most influential horror movie of the genre. 

It generated many sequels and remakes, influencing countless horror films that tried to deem worthy. 

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arrives in deluxe 4K UHD and 4K UHD Steelbook editions, each containing a bonus disc containing a wealth of supplemental materials. 

Disc 1 holds the 4K UHD feature film and four commentary tracks:

  • Writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl
  • Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A. Partain, with production designer Robert Burns
  • Tobe Hooper solo
  • Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou 

Disc 2, a Blu-ray, contains the new, never-before-seen feature-length documentary The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and several featurettes. These include “The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER,” a conversation about the film between Tobe Hooper and The Exorcist director William Friedkin; “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”; “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw”; a tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen; “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn”; and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman.”

The generous package I enjoy the most. It has deleted scenes and outtakes, a blooper reel, trailers, vintage TV and radio spots, and much more to thrill fans, old and new.

“The Honeymooners: A Christmas Carol”

“To the moon, Alice” is a familiar phrase of Jackie Gleason, as Ralph would say to his wife, played by Audrey Meadows. The Honeymooners was one of the first situation comedies of the 1950s. A half-hour show began as a segment on Cavalcade of Stars, then emerged even better on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955.

The show developed with cast leavings, cast changes, and edited versions of close to 70 incarnations of what we call The Honeymooners. The series ended in 1971. If you look over the show’s history, you’ll realize it wasn’t a show, but it had stamina — popularity that people still recognize. So, it became a TV Sitcom.

Between 1976 and 1978, Jackie Gleason and his co-stars, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Jane Kean, were filmed in color with a live audience. Four shows were produced and filmed in Miami, Florida. The Honeymooners: A Christmas Carol was the second one made. It’s now available for your Christmas movie library.

The show opens with Ralph boasting about taking a trip to Miami with Alice as a Christmas vacation. Until his boss, played by Gale Gordon, asks Ralph to find a director for his wife’s Christmas charity play. The money raised gives homeless cats in New York City a feline Merry Christmas.

Ralph has concerns that the guy who takes the director’s job gets bumped up to the traffic manager. So, he accepts the task and tries to convince Alice that the charity play is more important than going to Miami. Charles Dickens’ play, A Christmas Carol, comes to mind, and Ralph rewrites the classic. The result is hilarious as it’s nothing like the original when Ed takes on the job as the inexperienced director. The best scene is when Ed plays both Scrooge and Tiny Tim.

Bonus features include an interview with Jane Kean and an extra episode from the 1960s sitcom.

The release gives the younger generation a chance to see how clean and straightforward a television show is possible. The Honeymooners: A Christmas Carol is everything you’d expect from a live television show of the 1960s. But this 1977 most likely will not garner fans. But if you are familiar with the show, you are in for a special treat. “Recapture my youth? If I keep this up, I’ll lose my old age!”

Hallmark’s “Ice Sculpture Christmas”

Ice Sculpture Christmas DVD-f

Sometimes it is just nice to sit down and watch a new movie that so many others enjoy in Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” program.

More than raising my expectations, I had a wonderful time watching Ice Sculpture Christmas as a whimsical movie. I found viewing the original ice sculptures in the movie was the most enjoyable part.

Directed by David Mackay, the movie follows a young woman, Callie Shaw, played by Rachel Boston. Her unwavering childhood dream is to be an accomplished chef. Trying to get her foot in the door, she nabbed a lowly job at a country club washing dishes with the hope of working her way up the ladder where the real cooking happens – in the kitchen. David Manning, played by David Alpay, is a well-off childhood friend who works for his father. The two meet up again by chance, and the scene is entertaining to watch.

The movie cuts back and forth between their childhood friendship and their present budding romance, which makes it pleasurable and attractive. The well-rounded cast adds more to Callie and David’s story and shows how David lives a very different lifestyle from Callie in terms of money and success. He never abandons his feelings for Callie, even though she struggles with her own financial problems while trying to work her way into the country club kitchen.

Without her consent, David enters Callie in a two-person team competition for an ice sculpting contest. He knows she is more than capable of adding her talents. Her self-esteem is heightened, yet David is not that talented or helpful with sculpting. Callie senses there could be a problem, particularly when she finds out who her direct competition is.

Of course, the ending is predictable, but that makes Hallmark movies so much fun to watch. You can always count on a happily ever after ending.

Hallmark Christmas Movie: “‘Tis the Season for Love”

Tis The Season For Love DVD-f

Hallmark movies usually have a holiday theme in mind when they tell a story. ‘Tis the Season for Love definitely warms up to the countdown to Christmas.

Directed by Terry Ingram, we meet a New York actress named Beth, played by Sarah Lancaster. She is vying to land a role in a David Mamet play. After the audition and not hearing anything final, she receives a perfect gift from a close friend. An airline ticket back to her small hometown she left ten years ago.

Feeling like she needs a good rest, she arrives and soon finds her mother planning all of the Christmas things that the two need to do together.  She rather not do so much stuff, but compromises and visits the town’s Santa Claus, played by Gary Chalk. This simple visit may seem unimportant, but he does have a secret that leaves Beth wondering what the mystery is.

Along comes and old friend, Dean, played by Brendan Penny. He had a crush on her in High School, but didn’t act on it because she was dating Barry, played by Andrew Francis. Dean never felt the two belonged together since they had different interests. Dean is now divorced from Melinda and has twins while working as a firefighter. Beth now finds him even more appealing. He boosts her self-confidence after she fails to nab the acting roles she desires. The town’s Santa Claus is up to something inexplicable, and situations get a little out of kilter.

Beth gets involved with a local theater production and really enjoys herself. The seed has been planted, and she is pondering whether to stay in her small hometown for good. Confusion is the end result of her indecision, and it will affect her future.

You can’t go wrong with a Hallmark movie because they follow a formula for each production. Like ‘Tis the Season for Love, each movie is simple but direct, and a love story is sure to flourish.

“Get Santa” Must-See Christmas Movie

GetSanta

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw Ridley Scott as executive producer in the opening credits of Get Santa.  

Jim Broadbent plays Santa, who ends up in jail because he tried to release his reindeer from the animal shelter. How they got into the animal shelter is about as sane as the movie gets.

The movie is a bit crazy and fun to watch compared to most traditional Christmas movies that are about the meaning of Christmas. Some are set around Christmas but really have nothing to do with the holiday. On the odd occasion, Hollywood releases a movie about the spirit of Christmas like Miracle on 34th Street,  A Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life. Get Santa touches on the spirit of Christmas, but presents the story in a refreshing, hilarious and playful way.

Written and directed by Christopher Smith, Get Santa is strictly a British movie. The tale is filled with dry humor, in which Santa asks for help from a young father, Steve, played by Rafe Spall, and his son, Tom, played truthfully by Kit Connor. Santa needs them to go to the North Pole, ask the Elves to help them get the reindeer back to his sleigh. Then, Steve, who just finished serving time in jail, can help Santa break out of jail and deliver the presents to all the boys and girls around the world before Christmas.

The movie is full of crazy, offbeat characters that keep the story moving along.  I had a great time watching it with my family. Broadbent is a master at his craft. He plays the most believable Santa I have seen in a long time.  Not the usual Christmas sentiment, but still, the message is clear: believe in Santa, so get a copy or watch it on Netflix.

“What We Did on Our Holiday” Scottish Comedy

whatwedid

There are several things that I really liked about What We Did on Our Holiday. It is a Scottish comedy, and it takes place in the Scottish Highlands.

The subtle jokes are funny, but you have to be a Scot or familiar with the culture to really understand them. The movie follows three children of estranged parents.  All played wonderfully by Emilia Jones, Bobby Smalldridge, and Harriet Turnbull.

The movie has two directors, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin. After the notable success of their BBC series Outnumbered, they weave an unsteady story about a family visiting their children’s grandfather, played truthfully by Billy Connolly. He is dying of cancer, so his whole family is celebrating his 75th birthday with a huge weekend bash as a final good-bye.

The parents of the three children, Doug, played by Harry Potter’s (David Tennant), and his wife Abi, played by Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike, are divorcing and hope to keep it a secret from the rest of their family. They tell their children not to let anyone know about their pending divorce while visiting them over the weekend. Keeping a secret or lying about one’s parents affects the children, and they end up telling their grandfather the truth.

The parents are constantly battling over issues such as telling the truth, even if the truth is sad or shocking.  It is not just Doug and Abi who are having a rough time.  The children’s aunt and uncle (Doug’s brother and sister-in-law) are going through some rough times in their marriage as well.

The story really gets interesting when the children go to the beach with their grandfather, and he passes away there. Before he passes away, he tells them he is a descendant of the Vikings, and he wants to be burned out at sea as his Viking ancestors did a long, long time ago.

So, the oldest daughter goes back to the house to tell her parents that her grandfather has passed away. But their parents are arguing, as is the rest of the family. They are so busy arguing that they don’t even know the daughter is there and needs their attention. She decides to go back and handle the remains of her grandfather instead. The children honor his wishes and burn him at sea like a Viking, with repercussions in the 21st Century Scotland.

Other theatrics involving the repercussions of the Viking funeral and other family problems are quite funny. The fast-paced editing keeps the story moving and ties together nicely, like the ending of a Scottish tale.

“Christmas Trade” Similar to “Freaky Friday” and “18 Again”

christmastrade

Directed by Joel Souza, Christmas Trade is similar to 18 Again or Freaky Friday. Only this time it’s during Christmas.  Mitch Taylor, played by William Baldwin, is a workaholic attorney and widower with a 12-year-old son, Robbie, played by Michael Campion.

Of late, Mitch has been having a hard time balancing his life as a dad and a breadwinner. He is really trying to be a good dad, keep his demanding, hard-nosed boss happy, and make partner at the law firm.  Even his impatient girlfriend is a great effort for him to maintain the relationship. He feels he can’t keep up with it all.

Add to the fact that Robbie has troubles of his own with the school bully. Robbie has become the bully’s most recent target.  That is not all. There is a girl he likes while trying not to be a complete geek in front of her.  There is nothing he can do as he has unwillingly been cast as the lead role in the Christmas Pageant.

Robbie hopes his dad will celebrate Christmas the way they should, but he didn’t last year and isn’t certain about this year. They both think the other has the best life, from growing up and being independent to being young without any responsibilities. Then, a strange toy mysteriously causes them to switch bodies. The father and son are required to experience what it’s like to spend the holidays in each other’s bodies.

This was an amusing, family-friendly movie in tandem, but the acting was not impressive. The story was enjoyable and brought a bit of fun to an evening with my family.

Christmas Movie “Paper Angels”

paper angels

During the holidays, we will notice Christmas tree displays with paper angels hanging from their boughs. If you look closely, you will see the name of a child. Below the child’s name is a list of items the child wants or needs for Christmas.  The idea is for you to take one and buy the items on the list.  You, then, return the gifts to the location of the Christmas tree display.  The heartwarming tradition has been done for at least a hundred years.

Directed by David Winning, Paper Angels is based on the book of the same name by Jimmy Wayne, a Billboard Top Ten country music artist.  The movie is a gorgeous look at what happens to an abused wife, played by Josie Bissett, who leaves her alcoholic husband and moves with her children to another town.

The story follows her son Thomas, played by Rustin Gresiuk, as his mother tries to build a new life for her and her children.  Thomas sees her experience many of the challenges the whole family faces.  That is where the paper angels come into play. The Salvation Army enables a child to enjoy a blessed Christmas through its traditional paper angel program, which they run every year.  Thomas fills out a paper angel in hopes of making life easier for his mother.

Thomas encounters a disillusioned businessman, played by Mathew Settle, who picked his name from the tree.  As the story unfolds, we see through Thomas that there is more to a person than how they look on the outside.  The story gives us hope, resolve, love, commitment, and thoughtfulness. Sure, Thomas experiences disappointment, hurt, and anger. In the end, it is an uplifting story that highlights the season’s spirituality.

Paper Angels is one of the best Christmas TV movies I have seen in a long time.  It is well worth your time to watch and share with your family and friends.

“Christmas at the Cartwright’s” Charming Hallmark Movie

christmascartwright

Like most Hallmark movies, Christmas at Cartwright’s is a charming holiday film that airs each year around Christmas. Cartwright’s is a fine example that Hallmark movies are innocuous, amusing and heartwarming to watch.

Directed by Graeme Campbell, the story follows Nicky Talbot, played by Alicia Witt, who is a single mother and, without prior notice, becomes unemployed.  With Christmas just around the corner, being without a job is going to be tough. Finding a way to earn money to give her daughter, Becky, played by T.J. McGibbon, an engaging and cheerful Christmas with a few gifts.

Nicky learns that a local department store, Cartwright’s, is hiring extra staff for the holiday shopping season. She applies for a position. Nicky is happy because it appears she will have a job, but Fiona Aldrich, played by Gabrielle Miller, a senior executive at the store, puts the kibosh on her plans and turns her down.  Fiona is jealous of Nicky because she has seen her with Fiona’s would-be boyfriend named Bill.  Gabriel Hogan plays Bill, who is the store manager.

Along comes Harry Osbourne, played by Wallace Shawn, who suggests Nicky work as the store Santa. That way, she can keep her identity hidden from the other workers.  We are talking Hallmark magic here on the storyline. It is a little unbelievable for a young woman playing an older man as Santa. It gets funny at times, but still hard to believe.

Christmas at Cartwright’s is a fun movie to watch with the whole family.  All the actors are great. Their roles are believable and engaging. The movie is timeless because it is like a fairy tale, where you have to believe what is happening to get into the holiday magic. Like all fairy tales, the story is worth seeing again every Christmas.