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!

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!

Post Holiday Heartache

Well, here we are again.
It's the week after Christmas, and I've fallen into my annual post-holiday depression.
The gifts are given, the carols are sung, and I am inconsolable.

I had a beautiful holiday with gifts galore, lovely family, delicious food and flowing booze. But now I'm facing the return to reality, and I don't like it. 

I have no eager anticipation, no more holiday cheer, just the post-Christmas blues. 

My wallet has flies coming out of it, my friends have all returned home to their (presumably more exciting) lives, and my (significant) excess Christmas weight has nowhere to hide. 

And along with all of this, a New Year full of it's own hurtles is coming at me like a train off it's tracks, and I'm SO not ready.
I have nowhere to look but forward, and return to the daily angst (WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?!) that I've been blissfully ignoring all month.

Time to write down my (copious) resolutions - only half (quarter) of which I'll realistically keep (I've been vowing to floss more regularly since the early 2000's), and re-focus on the "real" stuff.
Time to dust off my running shoes, give my weary credit cards a break, cut back on the alcohol (HA!), and get down to business.
And maybe, just maybe, I should stop playing fucking angry birds and inhaling Christmas chocolates while I'm at it.

Jesus, this is reading like the first chapter of a Bridget Jones book...

This is going to be a big year for me. I'm facing a move to a new big city, which means leaving the comfort I've grown accustomed to, and finding a new apartment, new job, and spending a considerable amount of time with no foreseeable friends or money. 

I'll continue the search for what I want to do and who I want to be (copyright title for my unreleased Young Adult novel), and let's all keep fingers crossed that I can come up with some answers. 

I'm filled with anxiety about having too many (half-baked) ideas and too little (free) time to execute them all.
I'm filled with anxiety in general.
I can't decide if it's anxiety, or just what it means to be a grown-up (although I still refuse to refer to myself as one). 

BUT - on the other half-full, silver-lined hand, I'm stoked for new adventures, new challenges, and new experiences. 
I'm looking forward to pushing myself and pushing away the negativity (and carbs). 
I'm excited about accomplishing things I have yet to try and to get better at things I've been not so awesome at in the past (like giving up carbs). 

Anyway.
We shall see. 

How the fuck does Beyoncé do it?

DIY Holiday Armadillo Ornament

In our household, among our many obsessions, Friends is a pretty big deal.
We own the whole series and watch it basically on loop year round, quote it incessantly, and basically love it like woah. 
Along with the giant collection of Christmas movies we watch every year, we also have one very important tradition: The Holiday Armadillo episode of Friends.
If you're not familiar with it, I won't get into the details (kinda need to see it), but safe to say it's effing hilarious. I decided to commemorate this genius with an ornament. 

Using these instructions, you could make an ornament in any shape you find, using any image you want! Personal photos, favorite Christmas images or memories, anything! My bestie made me one years ago with a photo of fireworks from a time we went to Disneyland! Think of favorite memories or inside jokes to make your tree extra personal!

Check it out!

Materials:

- Printed Picture

- Cardboard Ornament (check Michaels)

- Glue Stick

- Scissors (not pictured)

- Pen

- Mod Podge

*Optional: Glitter!

Step One:

Save and Print the Picture:

Step Two:

Trace the shape of your ornament on the image

Step Three:

Cut out the picture to fit your ornament

*NOTE: Even though they didn't fit on the star, I cut around the ears for them to stick out, so if you have something like that make sure to not forget about it

Step Four:

Glue the cut out Image to your ornament! 

If you've kept the ears (or whatever you have sticking out) Tape them front and back with some clear masking tape to support them

Step Four:

Cover the image with Mod Podge and let dry (If you want glitter add it before it dries!)

And you're done!

Hang on your tree and be the envy of all who view it! 

OR make these for last minute gifts for people! 

Happy Ornamenting!

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!