In addition to apple cider and pumpkin carving, visiting a haunted house is a time-honored fall tradition. If you love a good fright and want to find the best places to visit near Avana Woodridge, these websites can help.

Find a Haunt
Simply type your address, city, or zip code into the simple search feature on Find a Haunt, and you’ll be met with a list of all of the haunted houses in your area. In addition to traditional haunted houses, the site’s database also includes haunted hayrides, pumpkin patches, and other Halloween activities nearby.

HauntWorld
HauntWorld’s haunted house news and events blog features the latest information about new haunted houses across the country, and it also enables visitors to search by state to find haunted attractions in any region.

HauntedHouse.com
This spooktacular site offers an interactive map that pinpoints the best haunted houses, trails, and hayrides in every state in the country. It also provides lists of the best haunted attractions for dedicated haunted house aficionados who don’t mind traveling a bit for some frightening fun.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Artiom P

If you’re bored with the usual night out, plan an evening with Merlot 2 Masterpiece in Spring. These BYOB guided painting classes are a fun way to get in touch with your creativity in a relaxed party atmosphere.

For about $50 you will get all the supplies and instruction necessary to create your own artwork, and past participants have found the instructors to be encouraging and helpful. Everyone works on the same painting for each party, and there is a wide range in their course offerings from portraits to landscapes and whimsical or abstract. At the end of the three hour event you’ll have your very own masterpiece to hang in your home or give as a gift. It’s also a great idea for birthday parties and other special occasions.

Merlot 2 Masterpiece
6915 Cypresswood Drive
Spring, TX 77379
(832) 482-2591
www.yelp.com/biz/merlot-2-masterpiece-spring

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Jeff Kubina

You likely already know that you can use baking soda to freshen your refrigerator, but there are a wide variety of other uses for this kitchen staple. From cleaning your home to washing your body, baking soda can replace a number of more expensive products in your life. Here are just a few simple ways to use baking soda.

1. To keep flowers fresh. Add a few sprinkles of baking soda to your flower vase to lengthen the lifespan of fresh flowers.
2. As a deodorant. Simply apply baking soda to your underarms with a powder puff to use it as an all-natural deodorant.
3. As an antacid. Baking soda is great to help relieve heartburn, sour stomach, or acid indigestion. Check the instructions on your brand's package to determine the specific measurements.
4. To soothe irritated skin. Whether you have insect bites, athlete’s foot, or just seasonal dry skin, baking soda can help soothe skin irritation. Just add 1/2 cup to your bathwater and settle in for a long soak in the tub.
5. To scrub counters. Instead of using harsh, potentially harmful bleach to clean your kitchen surfaces, create a baking soda soft scrub. Sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge, then scrub the grime from counters, tile, and sinks. Be sure to rinse the residue thoroughly afterward.

75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda [Life Hackery]
31 Baking Soda Uses [All You]
51 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda [Care2]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Karen Lee