Spooky Fun Facts About Halloween

It's almost Halloween weekend! To get you in the spirit of this spooky day, Isla Del Sol has gathered some fun facts about Halloween and it's origins. No tricks, just some fun facts about the spookiest holiday brought to you from the best waterfront condos at the Lake of the Ozarks! 

Fun Facts For Halloween!

- Halloween's origins come from a Celtic festival for the dead called "Samhain." They believed that ghosts could roam the earth on this day, so people would dress in costumes and leave food and drinks on their front doors to appease the roaming spirits. 

- During the celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long, hard winter. 


- The Celtics would dress up as ghouls to disguise themselves from demons and spirits. They believed this would allow them to escape the notice of the real spirits wandering the streets during Samhain. 

- Jack-o-lanterns were once made out of turnips, beets and potatoes, not pumpkins. The Irish carved scary faces into these items to scare away a spirit named Jack who was condemned to wander the Earth. He would wave a lantern to lead people away from their paths. 

- Owls are often associated with Halloween because in Medieval Europe owls were thought to be witches. 


- Halloween is short for Hallows Eve or Hallows Evening, which was the evening before All Hallows Day or Hallowmas on November 1. 

- The word "witch" comes from the Old English word wicce, meaning "wise woman." The plural form of the word is Wiccan. Wiccans were once highly respected at one time. 

- The average candy sales in the United States average about $2 billion dollars. 

- Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday behind Christmas. 

- The fear of Halloween is known as Samhainophobia. The fear of witches is known as Wiccaphobia, a fear of ghosts is phasmophobia and a fear of cemeteries is called coimetrophobia. 

- "Souling" is a medieval Christian precursor to the modern-day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (November 1), the poor would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. 

- Pumpkins are not just orange. They also come in white, blue and green, which are great for making unique, scary faces for scaring off those spirits! 

- The famous magician Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926, from a ruptured appendix after being punched in the stomach three times. 

- Chocolate is one of the most popular choices of candy for trick or treaters.

- The heaviest pumpkin weighed in a whopping 2,323.70 lbs. it was weighed in at the European Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off in Ludwigsburg, Germany. 

- The most pumpkins carved in one hour goes to Trevor Hunt who gave 109 pumpkins a mouth, nose and eyes. 

- Both Salem, Massachusetts and Anoka, Minnesota, are the self-proclaimed Halloween capitals of the world.

Celebrate Halloween at Isla Del Sol

Happy Halloween from Lake of the Ozarks' best waterfront condo. If you are going out celebrating this weekend, please be safe, but don't forget to have fun! 

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7 Tips For Keeping Your Condo Toasty This Season

Although the weather has been pretty nice these last few weeks, we cannot outrun the cold forever.  Whether you live at the Lake full-time or you use your condo for weekend getaways, you want to keep your place warm without breaking the bank. Luckily, there are severals things you can do to make your luxurious condo at the Lake of the Ozarks nice and toasty throughout the cold season. Check out these seven ways you can keep warm in your Lake of the Ozarks waterfront condo:

1. Let It Shine!

If it is a nice, sunny day, take advantage of it. Once the sun is up, you want to capture as much of the heat as possible. Before you leave for the day, keep your curtains open and let the natural sunlight warm up your room. 

2. Close Up At Night

Although you want to keep the curtains open during the day, once the sun goes down, keep the heat inside by closing the drapes. You could go as far as keeping insulated curtains for the winter season. They'll keep the heat from escaping through the windows. 

3. Use Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats can help your furnace from being overworked, and it will keep you feeling warm while also being efficient. By programming your thermostat to certain temperatures during different times of the day, you can keep your house cool while you're away and warmer while you're home without having to fiddle with it every time you leave. 

4. Seal Up

One of the best ways to keep your home warm during the cool season is to ensure the heat is not escaping. Take a walk around your condo and ensure all the windows are sealed up and that air is not escaping. Hold your hand up to where the window and the wall meet. If you feel a little breeze, take some caulk and seal it up so no more heat escapes. 

5. Switch The Fan On

Although you may think you don't want your ceiling fan on during the winter months, it could actually keep you warm! Most ceiling fans have a "winter" setting. Actually, it is just a switch that versus the spin direction. Since heat rises, you want to have your fan rotate clockwise to push the heat back down to your room. Just remember to keep it spinning at a low speed, so it doesn't cool the air too much. 

6. Close The Door

A lot of warm air is lost through gaps underneath doors and windows. Replace the weatherstripping underneath the door if it has come loose or if it is cracking. If that is not enough, invest in a door snake. You can place it at the bottom of the door to prevent warm air from escaping. You can also use the same technique for the bottom of the window.

7. Cover Bare Floors

Rugs are not just beautiful decorations, they can also keep your home warm! Floors account for nearly 10 percent of heat loss if they are not insulation. If you have bare floors in your condo, consider adding some rugs. Not only will they keep your home warm, they can keep your toes toasty too! 

Keep Warm At Isla Del Sol

These are just a few of the many different ways to keep your waterfront condo at the Lake of the Ozarks warm this season. Luckily, Isla Del Sol is already efficiency-optimized and move in ready! You can still use any of these tips to keep it even warmer, however, we bet you'll find your Lake of the Ozark island paradise already energy efficient when it comes to keeping you toasty!

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What To Do At The Lake This October

Although the busy, summer season is over, there are still many fun activities happening all over the Lake area this fall. From fall festivals and pumpkin patches to golf and fishing tournaments, there is something for everyone this season! When you have a second home at a luxury waterfront condo at the Lake of the Ozarks, you can enjoy all that the lake has to offer year round! Isla Del Sol has all the information on some upcoming events this October:

Fall Events at the Lake of the Ozarks

Photo Credit: FunLake.com

Apple Butter Day & Fall Festival

When: October 14 - 15

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: Camden County Museum; 204 South Locust St. Linn Creek

HOWL-O-WEEN Festival

When: October 15

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Where: Dogwood Animal Shelter; 1075 Runabout Drive Osage Beach

Pumkin Chunkin' Palooza 5K Fun Run

When: October 15

Time: Race begins at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Ozark Amphitheater; 2629 N. Business Route 5 Camdenton

Pumkin Chunkin' Palooza 

When: October 15

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Where: Ozark Amphitheater; 2629 MO HWY 5 Camdenton

Photo Credit: FunLake.com

Kids Harbor Benefit 4-Person Scramble

When: October 22

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Where: Tan Tar A Golf Club; 494 TanTarA Drive Osage Beach

Lake Regional Cares For Kids Festival

When: October 22

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Where: Lake Regional Hospital - Lot B; 54 Hospital Drive Osage Beach

Alhonna Fall Classic Open Bass Buddy Tournament

When: October 29 - 30

Time: 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday & 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sunday

Where: Alhonna Resort; 677 Outer Drive Lake Ozark

Pumpkin Patches at the Lake of the Ozarks

Photo Credit: MeccaFarm.com

MECCA Family Farms

When: Saturdays & Sundays in October

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where: MECCA Family Farm; 425 Delmar Roach

The Cave Pumpkin Patch

When: Saturdays & Sundays in October

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where: 123 Swinging Bridge Road Brumley

Pumpkin Patch at Hy-Vee Hollow

When: Saturday and Sundays through October 25

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Where: 929 State HWY D Osage Beach

Second Home Living at the Lake of the Ozarks

When you own at second home at the Lake of the Ozarks, the fun doesn't stop when summer is over. The Lake area has many events and festivals this October for you to enjoy. If you want to enjoy Lake life year round, Isla Del Sol offers luxury, waterfront condos at the Lake of the Ozarks. For more information about our condos, call 573-552-8418 or visit us online at www.IslaDelSolLakeOzarks.com.

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5 Fall Decorating Ideas

Autumn has set in at the Lake of the Ozarks. The leaves are slowly changing and the nights are getting chilly. If you live at the Lake of the Ozarks year round, or if you are still visiting your second home during the fall, you will want to spruce up your living space for the new season. Isla Del Sol has a five fall decorating ideas to get your condo at the Lake of the Ozarks ready for the season.

1. Greet Your Guests

Greet your guests before they come in with a beautiful wreath. Whether it is store bought or homemade, adding this decorative piece to your front door will get you ready for sweater season in no time. With fall leaves and other autumn favorites, a decorative wreath is a great way to brighten your entrance way. 

2. Get Creative With Pumpkins

Pumpkins are a traditional favorite when it comes to fall decorating ideas. Even if they're not carved for Halloween, pumpkins will sure bring in the autumn season. There are a bunch of different ways to decorate pumpkins, so you will be sure to have a variety on your porch or deck. Pumpkins can be painted, carved, decoupaged, the list could go on. No matter what your fall decorating theme is, you will be sure to be able to decorate your pumpkin to match. 

3. Mums The Word 

Nothing says autumn more than a bunch of mums beautifully planted in front of your home. Mums are great for condos, as they do well when planted in pots. Whether you have them indoors or outdoors, they are the perfect way to add a pop of color. They are relatively easy to take care of, as they are a hardy fall plant. With the proper care, your mums could last many years in a pot. 

4. Bring In Spices

Not all fall decorating has to be visual. One of the best ways to bring in the season is to have the scent of autumn sweeping through your home. Candles are an easy way to achieve this and can add to the look of your decor. However, to quickly transport your home into autumn you can boil a pot of spices, such as cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg. 

5. Light It Up

Exterior lights are always a great way to add easy curb appeal to any home, including condos! Stringed lights are a great way to add extra light to your covered deck during the summer. However, in the fall, change it up with more decorative lights or adding a fall garland. Autumn is the time when it gets dark early, so adding lights is not only decorative, it's practical too!

Decorating both the inside and outside of your condo is a great way to dive into the new season. When you live in a waterfront condo at the Lake of the Ozarks, you'll want to decorate your deck as well, so boaters can enjoy your seasonal decorations too. At Isla Del Sol, we love seeing the Lake transform into fall. If you want to join us in seeing the leaves change colors, call us today at 573-552-8418 to schedule a viewing of one of our gorgeous, Lake of the Ozarks waterfront condo. 

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