Halloween Costume Ideas You May Not (or may) Have Thought of Already

Y'all - Halloween is in ONE WEEK!!!!!!
Do you guys know what costume you're wearing yet? 
I don't. 
Last Year I wrote This Post about Halloween Costume Ideas to help with anyone struggling for something to wear. 
Ever since I published it, I've continued to think of more and more costumes, and have spent the last year compiling part two! 
This is a little late this year, but if you're anything like me you've been putting it off until the week of and need some inspiration. Hope this helps!

For You:

TV Characters: Louise from Bob's Burgers (or Tina), Laura Palmer (Or Any Twin Peaks character - maybe get your beau to be Dale Cooper), Wonder Woman, Kenneth Parcel the NBC Page, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Don Draper, Honey Boo Boo, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Who, Walter White - In the Green Shirt & Underwear

Movie Icons: Dirty Harry, Jack Nicholson from The Shining, Lilu Dallas from The Fifth Element, Any of Alfred Hitchcock's Heroins: Tippi Hedren from The Birds, Kim Novak in Vertigo, etc, Ace Ventura, Django Unchained, Carrie (Blood & Everything), Angela Hayes covered in Rose petals from American Beauty, Forest Gump - the Running Version, Eliot with ET, The Bride of Frankenstein, Elle Woods

Rockers: Lana Del Rey, Dolly Parton, Willy Nelson, Bob Dylan, Nicki Minaj, Jimi Hendrix, Any version of Katy Perry or Cher or Lady Gaga or Madonna (LOTS to choose from there), Prince, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, Diana Ross, PATTI SMITH
Annnnd 
David Bowie: Labyrinth Bowie, Ashes to Ashes Bowie, Diamond Dogs Bowie, Ziggy Stardust Bowie, Dancing in the Streets Bowie, Aladdin Sane Bowie, Clean-Cut Bowie THERE's SO MANY! 

A Painting: Mona Lisa, American Gothic, Andy Warhol's Marilyn or Jackie O or Elizabeth Taylor, Magritte's Son of a Man, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Banksy's Bouquet Thrower

Fictional Character: Alice in Wonderland (bring along the Mad Hatter or White Rabbit), 

Historical Figure: Abe Lincoln, Cleopatra, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Vangogh, Mozart, Teddy Roosevelt (What a Baller), YOUNGER YOU! 

For You & Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend:

 - Calvin & Hobbes (Jake & I did this last year & it was SO fun! Would also work for a pair of friends)

- The Maitlands from Beatlejuice

- Burt & Mary Poppins

- Yourselves in 50 years

- John Lennon & Yoko Ono

- Beyonce & Jay-Z (Bonus points for Blue Ivy)

- Juno & Paulie Bleeker

- Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera 

- Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters from The Jerk

- Han Solo & Princess Leia

- Clark Kent & Lois Lane (Hint: Wear a Superman Tee underneath)

- Joe Dimaggio & Marilyn Monroe

- Fantastic Mr. & Mrs. Fox

- Pebbles & Bam Bam

- Ash & Pikachu

- The Duo from Risky Business (for those girls and guys who want something risqué)

- The SNL Spartan Cheerleaders

- Charlie Brown & The Little Red-Haired Girl

- Ferris Beuler and Sloan Peterson (Can also be Ferris & Cameron for Buds)


- Mulder and Scully from X-Files

- Maeby and George Michael from Arrested Development

- Kermit & Miss Piggy

For You & a Buddy:

- Ren & Stimpy

- Mary & Rhoda from The Mary Tyler Moore Show

- Daria & Jane

- Trey Parker & Matt Stone in Drag at the Oscars 

- Nirvana 

- Mario & Luigi (also cute for a couple - or with Princess Peach)

- Spock & Kirk (Or Spock & Uhura for a Couple) 

- The Burglars from Home Alone

- Pete & Pete

- White Swan & Black Swan

- Will & Grace

- Abi & Ilana from Broad City

- Maverick and Goose

For You & a Group of Friends:

- The Muppets

- The foursome from The Wizard of Oz 

- The group of 4 from American Hustle

- Game of Thrones characters


- Josie & The Pussycats

- Alien & the girls from Spring Breakers 

- The kids from The Sandlot (Squints & Wendy Peffercorn would be a cute couple too)

- Harry, Ron & Hermione

- KISS

- The crew from Saved by the Bell

- The guys from SNL's Sprockets

- The Brady Bunch

- The Golden Girls

- Pussy Riot

Hope some of these provide you with inspiration!
Let me know if any of you try any of these!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Summer of the Braid!

Hey Gang!
Summer is in full swing, and that means so many things - including frizzy, messy hair.
I just got back from a week-long trip on the East Coast (which was amazing! More on that later), and while I had the best time, the humidity and my hair did not get along. So I embraced the moisture and just rocked maiden braids the whole time. 
I decided that this summer I'm not gonna to settle for the same frizzy up-do every day, that I am going to conquer a whole handful! 
Here's a gathering of some of the looks and how-to's I'm going to attempt in the coming months. 
Long live the summer of the braid!

First off - General Tips for Braiding

Barefoot Blonde's Hair Tutorials are outta sight! 

Three current favs are:

 

The Triple Braided Bun           The Twisted Braid     The Double Fishtail Bun

ABM's Maiden-Braid Crown steps it up while keeping it simple 

For a more delicate look try out Mara's Wrap Around Braided Bun

From A Cup of Jo:

Braided Top Bun                   Mermaid Tail Braid

And I'm loving these 8 ways to wear a ribbon!

 

What are your summer up-do plans? Got any fun ones you think I should try??

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the best.

Champagne is the best.

What if there was a way you could combine the two?

Oh Wait - THERE IS! 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I discovered: Pink Champagne Cupcakes!

O. M. G, You guys. 
These are SO bomb!
Basically all you have to do is buy boxed cake and replace the water with champagne, and voila! Champagne cupcakes!
These are so easy and delicious, so lemme break it down for you how to make these for your valentine (Or your co-workers.) (Or all for yourself...)

Cake Ingredients:

- 1 Box White Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker)

- 1 1/4 Cups Champagne

- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

- 3 Egg Whites

- 4 to 5 drops Pink Food Coloring

How To Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with foils

2. In a large bowl, mix cake mix and champagne. Then add oil, egg whites & food color. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. 

3. Pour evenly into cups. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then frost. 

Frosting Ingredients:

- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar

- 1/2 Cup butter, softened

- 1/4 Cup Champagne

- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

- 4 to 5 drops Pink Food Coloring

How To Make It: 

1. In a Medium Bowl, beat frosting ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, then frost your cakes!

(A Mere 3 Months ago I was a Frosting-From-Scratch Virgin, and then I learned how easy and delicious it is and I can't get enough!

Try these cupcakes on their own or finish that bottle to wash them down! 

Enjoy!

Shake It Up!

Guys, it's happened - I've become a Juicer.
Or I guess more like a shaker. Or Extractor...er. 
Anyways. 
No matter what we're calling it, I'm here today to drop some mad knowledge on you today.

I have become obsessed with making these juice-shake-smoothie mixes. 
Whatever it is, I am SO into it. 

After a friend convinced me to get on the juice-train recently, so I went out and bought the NUTRIBULLET 900! (Not the first of my impulsive, expensive Bed Bath & Beyond purchases)

Lemme give you a little NutriBullet 101:
It's not a juicer. - Juicers spit out the pulp of your fruits and veggies, which (from what I'm told) is the most important part!!
It's not a blender. - Blenders just mix things together without maintaining the nutrients. 
This thing turns regular food into SUPERFOOD!
I KNOW, RIGHT?!
I've read good things about the regular nutribullet, which is also $50 less, but I chose to get the 900 because it's the one my friend recommended, and has more power (you can throw basically anything into this baby and it will blend). 

ANYWAY. Moving on from my infomercial.

I decided to start juicing blending extracting because I'm really focusing on getting healthier and putting more conscious food into my body. 

And apparently basically everyone who's ever juiced loses like 83 pounds and lives to be 105. Just sayin. 

I've been replacing one meal a day with a nutriblast (Their term, not mine) for the last week and a half or so.  And the results have been interesting.
After the first couple days which involved being STARVING, I've started to level out. 

I definitely feel healthier, but it's taken some getting used to. 

Things I've Learned:

1. The first few days of replacing food-food with a juice are a roller-coaster of emotions. You're hungry and your body is like give me foooooodddd and you might get really cranky (and might take it out on those nearest you. Sorry guys.) BUT - it gets better, and your body gets used to it and THEN your body's like Yeah, Man! GIVE ME VEGGIIIIEEEEES!

2. Put Banana or Avocado in EVERYTHING! It makes things way creamier and better, and makes you feel like you're not just drinking kale water. Peanut Butter amps it up too.

3. It's definitely better right away, but taking them to go and having them for a meal later is awesome if you have a fridge to keep them in. 
4. The powder stuff you can get to put in them (flax, protein powder, maca, all that jazz) does make a difference in how you feel and how filling they are. 
5. I know it looks weird to drink all this green stuff, but it's actually kinda awesome. 
6. It's been important for me to have really crunchy snacks so I have the chewing sensation that's missing from the replaced meal. 
7. Berries, Berries, Berries!

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Dump ingredients in nutribullet. Blend. Enjoy.

So. 

Here's the deal with the Nutriblasts.

Put in 50% Leafy Greens & Veggies, 50% Fruit. 

Then you add whatever kind of powders/grains/add-ins you want.

Then throw in some almond or rice milk, some water and you're good to go! 

I tested out a bunch of different blends for you to try if you're so inclined.

(NOTE: I would assume most of these will work in a blender/magic bullet/food processor. But I can't say for certain, and if yours breaks while trying this, I renounce all responsibility.)

1. Erin's Blast

This was invented by my friend Erin and is a great breakfast, very smooth & filling!

Ingredients: Banana / Stalk of Celery / Handful of Spinach / Rice or Almond Milk / Tablespoon of Peanut Butter / Powder

Energy Boost: 

This is a good one for an energy boost. It's also nice an citrusy, so tastes a little more sweet. For an extra kick, add some maca or boost like that!

Ingredients: Pear / Almonds / Spinach / Pineapple / Avocado/Maca Powder

Green Machine:

This is my favorite one I tried, and I've been having some version of this most days. (Take this recipe but swap the pear for strawberries & blueberries & it's my JAM!)
It's the creamiest (Hello banana AND avocado!), and feels like a real super-food. 

Ingredients: Kale / Spinach / Avocado / Cucumber / Green Apple / Banana / Rice or Almond Milk / (Super Powders.)

MY EVERY DAY RECIPE:

After making all of these, and trying out a carillon different blends, here is the combo I've landed on as my every day fave:

- 1/2 an Avocado

- 1 small/med Banana

- 1 small cucumber

- Handfull of Spinach

- Stalk of Kale

- Blueberries

- Strawberries

- Almond Milk

- Flaxseed Powder & The Nutribullet SuperBoost powder

YUM!!!

I ALSO did a bunch of research in blog world and found some other articles that are great for reference:

-  This Recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny (She herself is a newly-found juice maniac)

- Deliciously Ella's Favorite Green Smoothie

- I also yanked a bunch of recipes from A Beautiful Mess since they are also big on juicing and smoothies. I started with Juicing 101 and looked at Their 5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge , and Six Fresh Juice Recipes. 

Got any good juicing/shake tips? Send them my way!!

Give A Little Love

Ok Guys, just a little over a week left until Christmas, but this is my favorite guide yet!
At the beginning of this month I shared with you a series of Holiday Gift Guides for all the special people in your life! Here's One, Two and Three! 
And while I love spoiling people rotten and finding the perfect present for everyone in my life, it's also important around this time of year to think about those less fortunate than we are. 
As Charles Dickens says in A Christmas Carol (and I paraphrase) "Christmas is the one time of year when men and women freely open up their closed up hearts and do awesome things for other people."

So, in the spirit of Christmas, Here is a gift guide to help you think about different ways to give presents while also helping mankind. 

(Some of these are pretty groovy - Literally 10 have made my giving-list!)

WAYS TO GIFT 

1. TOMS

Want to give an actual gift but still do some good? You can never go wrong with TOMS, awesome shoes that give a pair to someone in need for every pair you purchase. With tons of colors, prints and styles, there's something for everyone on your list (and they now make sunglasses too!)

2. Laughing Man Coffee & Tea

Founded by super hunk (and super human) Hugh Jackman, Laughing Man sells coffee, tea, chocolate and accessories to help entrepreneurs around the world. All of the revenue goes toward entrepreneurial education and community development. Yum yum yum. (I'm talking about the coffee AND Hugh.)

3. Heifer International

Give a family the gift of changing their lives. This charity group works towards ending hunger and poverty all over the world. Give a donation in a loved one's name, and you'll learn exactly where your money went - financing the purchase of a cow to change the finances of a family, or to a harvest basket to feed a family of four. There are gifts to promote women's empowerment, help impoverished people build their own businesses, support sustainable farming and more. 

4.  Invisible Children's Store

Get everything from tote and messenger bags to jewelry to shoes & apparel and more from this non-profit group working to bring a permanent end to the Lord's Resistance Army and Joseph Kony in Africa. The organization employs victims of war and mothers affected by the LRA to create items for its Mend line of bags and totes, providing them with an ethical workplace, education and counseling.

Each Tote bag in this year's collection has the name of the woman who made it sewn inside.

5.  Lush Charity Pot

This amazing (delicious) lotion by Lush made with Fair Trade organic cocoa butter is good for the skin and the soul. Minus the taxes, 100% of the proceeds from this product go to a variety of over 350 charity organizations around the world that support environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights!

6. FlameStower
Give this gift to the nature-lover in your life! This amazing new invention (created by my good friend's brother!!) is a portable USB charger that sources energy from an open flame! No matter where you go, or what time of day it is, you can remain connected while still staying off the grid. And the bonus is that this group is working with companies in Africa and India to supply families with power on their devices even when there is no electricity. (Watch the video of how it works! It's crazy-cool!)

7. LSTN Reclaimed Wood Headphones
Not only are these headphones made from reclaimed wood, BUT proceeds go to the Starky Hearing Foundation which helps others hear music for the first time!

8. 31 Bits Jewelry 
This Company, founded by 5 young women, aims to use fashion and design to empower people to rise above poverty. They work with beneficiaries in Uganda to create fashionable, quality products, and through this they earn an income enabling them to provide for their families. They also care for them holistically through counseling, health education, finance training, and business mentorships.  Everything they do is funded through product sales, so  every time you make a 31 bits purchase, you have a direct impact on women’s lives in Uganda.

9. Denik Notebooks
This company produces notebooks with artwork on the cover from artists of every kind all over the world. From High School Students to Professionals, Sketches to Photography, there are a ton of different kind of covers! AND 1$ from every (12$) notebook goes towards building schools through the Mali Rising and 5% of the sale goes directly to the artist. 

10. A Miir Water Bottle

This awesome company improves your water drinking experience with new water bottle technology AND what they do for the world. The purchase of a Miir Water Bottle provides one person in the developing world with clean drinking water for one YEAR!

11. ONEHOPE Reserve Blanc de Blancs
Like the idea of helping provide water for those who need it, but want something more festive than a water bottle? Pop the bubbles with this Sonoma Coast Reserve. HALF the profits of this sparkling wine go to help provide clean water where it's needed! 

12. A Giving Key Necklace
The Giving Key group works to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and pay it forward. Neat, huh?

13. Silver Lake Candle
This Fair Trade Candle is made by Raven + Lily, a company that currently helps employ marginalized women in Ethiopia, India, Cambodia and the US at fair trade wages to give them access to a safe job, sustainable income, healthcare, education, and a chance to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and families. Every product from Raven + Lily is handmade, fair trade and eco-friendly. The USA Collection currently features hand-poured soy candles, infused with incredible scents of the woodsy outdoors or tropical fruits, empowering formerly homeless women in Los Angeles.

14. West Elm Mugs
These fun designed mugs each correspond with a different charity organization including St. Jude, Teach for America, Oceana, Doctors Without Borders, and many more. Pick out your favorite mug for your favorite charity, and West Elm will donate 50% of the purchase price! Sip your coffee knowing you did something good. 

OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
Done with your shopping but still want to contribute to those in need? Here's some ideas of specific ways you can help make the world a better place. 

- Glamour's 31 Days of Giving
Every year, Glamour magazine does this special that I LOVE! 31 different ways to fill your holiday season with giving. Check it out and look into the loads of different ways they offer to help!

- Donate to Umoja Women's Village
From their site: "Umoja is a women-only village, founded with the mission to improve the livelihood of its members and the Samburu community through education and poverty alleviation." Help women in this village overcome obstacles and lead to a better life. A $10 donation funds a woman’s visit to the medical clinic, while $60 fills up the water tank in the village!

- Toys for Tots
Help a child believe in the magic of Christmas by giving them a christmas present. The goal of Toys for Tots is to provide less fortunate children with Christmas presents. By collecting, wrapping and distributing gifts to children in need, TFT tries to play an active role in "our nation's most valuable resource: our children" and give them a message of hope that will "assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens."

- Wounded Warrior Project
The WWP is a program that hopes to aid and empower wounded service members. By making a donation, you help the group provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members while raising awareness end enlist the public's aid for these needs. Their mission is to "foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history."

- American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is overflowing with ways to donate to help people. 25$ can provide TWENTY-FIVE kids across the world a vaccination. 15$ can provide an entire day's worth of emergency shelter for a disaster victim. Look at their Gift Guide to give the gift of aid as well. (And remember, they always need Blood Donations! - I'm looking at you, O Negatives!)

- Family-To-Family
Family to Family is a non-profit national hunger and poverty relief organization that helps some of our country's poorest areas. They are "dedicated to connecting, one-to-one, families with enough to share to impoverished American families with profoundly less." Some sponsors take on the responsibility of weekly shopping trips, while others opt for food drives or monthly donations. They also have programs devoted to mentorship and literacy!

OTHER SOURCES:

• Always think about local Food Banks and Toy Drives near you! Food and toys are always incredibly important around the holidays!

• Help give aid or donations to Homeless Shelters in your area by checking out information at The National Coalition for The Homeless 

• Need a little more guidance? Charity Navigator helps you figure out the way to donate and help out that works best for you. Here is their Holiday Giving Guide

**And for more tips, you can check out my post from last year: How To Do Good that has a ton of different ideas for both financial and hands-on help you can give!** 

What are you doing to give back this holiday season?

No-Bake Homemade Tagalongs!

It's the Holidays!
Tis the season for projects, parties, present shopping, annnnd homemade baked goods.
But where's the time?!
I discovered these cookies the other day and they're amazzzinnnggg! Imagine Girl Scouts Tagalongs... but better.
And THEN I found out they don't even require any baking!
Done and Done. 

Here's how to make these delicious and easy morsels!

This Recipe makes 20 Cookies

Ingredients:

- 40 Ritz Crackers

- 3/4 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter (Something Like Jif or Skippy)

- 8 oz. Chocolate (I used 4 different kinds: Milk, Dark, SemiSweet and Dark Sea Salt!)

* Optional: Sprinkles, Sea Salt, Chopped Roasted Peanuts to sprinkle on top

How To Make Them:

1. Make 20 peanut butter & Ritz sandwiches, using about 2 teaspoons of peanut butter in each sandwich.

2. Melt the chocolate bars in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each.

3. Dip each Ritz sandwich in chocolate, coating completely. Use a spoon to turn the sandwich over a few times, making sure it's totally covered. 

4. Set chocolate covered cookies on a baking sheet (cover with wax paper to minimize cleanup). If you want to, take this time to garnish with sea salt or whatever topping you want. 

5. Put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm. Once they're firm, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.

6. Bring to friends and wow them leading them to think you're more skilled in the kitchen than you actually are. 

Enjoy these in all their deliciousness! Lemme know how they turn out if you make them!