Goodwill Has Halloween Costumes Galore

I recently had the opportunity to head to a local Goodwill store (in Tustin for those of you in SoCal) with a group of other bloggers for a fun-filled day of Halloween ideas. When you think of costumes, do you think Goodwill? You should, because it's their busiest holiday of the year! I was BLOWN AWAY with the selection. They have everything from costumes, to individual pieces you can use to build a look, to accessories - and all at affordable prices. I stopped buying costumes years ago because I was tired of forking over $50 for a one-time use. But now I know about Goodwill's selection, I can get psyched about Halloween parties again!

Partnered up with other bloggers, we were given several rounds of costume challenges including TV show themes, classic scary characters, and celebrities. With 10 minutes each time, we were to pull together looks. Mine included a vampire and Paris Hilton circa 2002 (which I won a prize for, that's hot!)

The costumes that were created were amazing! Just look at that group pic above - Madonna, a clown, even JLo - all pulled together within 10 minutes. That's how easy it was to develop various costumes.

I fell in love with these beautiful masquerade masks. Such a simple, cheap piece to create a fun look.

And don't forget the home decor. There's lots of black and orange, creepy, and crawly decorations!

Maybe the best part of all of this is the mission behind Goodwill. There are a lot of charities out there that claim to do good, but don't exactly have the reputation they advertise. Goodwill "spends about 83 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need." That money helps people find jobs and better their situations. In fact, 261,875 jobs in 2013 to be exact. I have been unemployed since February, so I understand how tough it can be. Luckily I have an amazing support system. But if I didn't, I could very well be homeless or in a bad situation. So the work that this non-profit does is really touches me.

This year, make Goodwill your one-stop-costume-shop. And if you can, donate your old clothes, toys, and household goods to them. I bet it'll make you feel pretty great.

Photos via Goodwill and me