Tuesday, October 30, 2012 Trick or Treat By Fatima Olive Although most Halloween parties and events happened this past weekend, the big day (or should I say night?) is tomorrow. If you are still undecided on what you should be or received a last-minute invitation and need a costume,  I will let you in on a little treat not everyone knows about: Norcostco.

Norcostco began its operations as Northwestern Costume Company in 1884 and served theatre companies with costumes, eventually expanding to accessories, technical lighting, and stage draperies. Norcostco, as it is now known, is right in our backyards: Golden Valley. Don't let the unassuming exterior of the building fool you: when you walk in you will find literally everything you need to be anything you want.

If you haven't already decided on a Halloween costume, here's an easy and fun idea. I have always been attracted to the bright colors and festivities of the Dia De Los Muertos, a Mexican celebration that remembers and honors the dead. Calaveras (decorative candy skulls)  are one of the traditional symbols of this festival and are a perfect costume. Paint the face, wear (warm!) black clothes, and voila! You are a floating candy.

As the leaves change and begin to drop, my lips immediately take a turn for the worse. You could say my lips become as dry and flaky as the leaves crunching underfoot.

As the elements become harsher, we pile on the sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves to protect and insulate ourselves against the weather, but we often forget to do a little extra for our skin—especially our lips. Add to this the combination of dry outdoor air and the lack of humidity indoors and—yes, your mom was right—licking, and it all adds up to dry, dehydrated lips. And once lips become fragile, they develop tiny cracks and tears, which equal chapped lips.

So what to do? Well here's the good news: There are so many great moisturizers for lips that act as a protective layer to keep moisture in and dryness out.

Co-in-ci-den-tal (adjective): happening or existing at the same time. This is one of my daughter's vocabulary words. I am not sure if it's coincidence, but I believe good thoughts have the power to affect reality.

Last week I wrote about how important it is to reach out and help a woman going through breast cancer and some things you can do to help. Coincidentally, I also volunteered my services at an event called Lunch on the Lawn, a fundraiser for the Patient Assistance Program at the Piper Breast Center at Abbot Northwest hospital.

I didn't know anything about the program, I just knew it was a fundraiser for breast cancer, and I had just talked about doing what you can to help out someone in need, especially if the results have an immediate impact.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For me it's a month of celebrating the survival of my dearest friend Becky Sellers, as well as my friend and mentor Sonia Kashuk. It is also a month of remembering and honoring my mother and my aunt, who lost their fight with breast cancer. It's not that I don't think about these people all year long, but this year is especially significant because over the past year, Becky was diagnosed and treated.