Halloween Decor

Happy Halloween friends!  Are you getting all dolled up or is that just for the kids?  My little guy will be a Star Wars Stormtrooper, but we are expecting a major rainfall, so we might just have a little party inside.  I got a few goodies, some black and orange balloons, a scavenger hunt skeleton and I'll be making these fun Mummy Hotdogs. 

via Damn Delicious

I put up a tiny bit of Halloween decorating this year, which is more than I can say for the last three years combined.  But, I've had this giant spider forever (in anticipation of decorating for Halloween that never happens) and I felt like he finally needed to be showcased somewhere. The webbing was found in the grocery store Halloween aisle for a couple bucks and is just pinned to the wall.  I affixed the spider to the wall with a piece of ribbon around his neck that I also pinned with thumbtacks to the wall.  

I found a Halloween metallic spiderweb runner at Homegoods and liked it because it goes with our giant spider.  Maybe it's his baby;)

Ceramic orange elephants have nothing to do with Halloween, except the color, and I thought he looked cute here. Candy corn, on the other hand, is kind of a Halloween staple- except I don't like it, do you? It's sitting inside a glass nut bowl.  Easy access if you want some. 

We don't get many trick-or-treaters, but for those that come knocking, my son thought they would like Angry Bird gummies.  

Oh my gosh, there's a teeny ghost stealing the candy now! Hmm . . . .

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

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Thank you to everyone who entered the Polyvore Project Decorate Contest.  The winners are SHARMARIE and MAGDAFUNK! Polyvore will be in touch to explain how to claim your prize.  :)

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On Honey We're Healthy:  Finishing 2013 Healthy & Strong!

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Some Royal Mail Share Certificates Issued In Error

The Telegraph reports that an employee of Equiniti, the firm handling Royal Mail shares bought via the Government's website, has admitted that a software error was responsible for investors being mistakenly issued with share certificates, according to one shareholder.

The shareholder contacted The Telegraph to say that a member of the company's call centre staff, had "spilt the beans" about the error on the Equiniti web page on which customers chose how they wanted to hold the shares.

The receipt of physical certificates can delay the speed at which an investor wishes to sell/receive the proceeds from the sale of his/her share allocation.

When asked previously about the large numbers of people who claimed to have received unwanted certificates, Equiniti said:

"We have investigated cases which have been brought to our attention and in these cases our records show that share certificates were opted for."

Halloween Costume & Blog Announcement

First, let me apologize for having to truncate my posts (causing readers to have to click the somewhat annoying "read more" to read the post in its entirety) because my blog content has been stolen by some unidentified person with a domain registered in India.  Thank you Leanne for letting me know- I had no idea.  Back in August 2012, several well-known bloggers started truncating their posts because "scraper sites" had been stealing their blog content.  I never worried about my content being stolen and didn't want my readers to have to deal with that extra step of having to click a link to read the whole post, so I never did that with mine (and I still read truncated blogs). But I have chosen to truncate now too.  My health blog- every word and photo has been scraped and is now appearing as original content on another blog.  So annoying! And the worst part is, I haven't yet figured out what I can do about it.  So, I just wanted to explain why I'm now also truncating my posts here- apparently this makes it much harder for the thieves to copy the content.  I'm happy to share by blog posts and photos with links back to my blog and credit given, but this is completely different.  I hope you'll keep reading even with the truncation.  My apologies!     

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So as not to give any more energy to that unfortunate situation, I'm turning my attention to Halloween which is, yikes, tomorrow! 

We went to a costume party over the weekend at our friends' block party. They do it up right every year with hay rides, bounce houses, slides, DJ, delicious food (Greek this time) and drinks.  Everyone (including and especially the kids) have a blast. 

My little storm trooper didn't know what to think of a brunette mama at first. :) So fun to get to look different for a night!  I got my costume at a local store in Houston, Frankels, but also found it on Amazon HERE.  THIS looks like the wig I found. 

Have a fun and safe Halloween!  

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On Honey We're Healthy I'm sharing some tips to help you finish 2013 healthy and strong including two of my go-to healthy recipes.

I also shared my pregnancy weight loss journey on the great website What To Expect.  If you'd like to read it, you can do so HERE. 

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Bloggers & Lowe's in the City

I'm so grateful for the friendships blogging has brought into my life.  You might know that I met two of my closest friends (Cassie and Courtney), though this blog.  We all began blogging about the same time and met early on and just clicked.  We are all unique and different in our own ways, but the three of us together just fit.    They are like the sisters I've never had.  Since we are scattered throughout the country, we keep up mostly via email and phone chats- and LOTS of text messages.  Last week, we were thrilled to get to meet up in person in New York for Lowe's Holiday Ready Home event.  And we also got to meet up with Jen, whom we all love and whose blog we get to contribute to.  I felt truly blessed to make this trip because I didn't get to go to Haven and this trip just came together in a couple of weeks. 

Cassie and I arrived first on Tuesday afternoon, so we had a little time to explore Times Square and Rockefeller Center like tourists with our big cameras.  Cassie did a fashion recap on her blog, she's a master at putting outfits together.  I have those same camo pants and would never have came up with that outfit. 

When Courtney and Jen arrived, we walked down to Hell's Kitchen and chatted over wine and pizza.  It's so good to just sit and relax and talk face-to-face for a change.  If you've ever had a long distance relationship, you know what I mean. 

Since we had most of Wednesday to ourselves, we spent the day exploring the city.  First stop Starbucks! Then, Cassie got us on the subway where we headed to Central Park- after getting on the wrong train and having to reboard.  

The below shot is definitely getting framed.  Isn't the fall foliage gorgeous?! 

The below scene is how I will remember us getting around the city- Cassie "in control" of the map and the rest of us mostly looking puzzled.  We made the most of our time, seeing Soho, Little Italy, China Town, the World Trade site, and (ahem, Court) the Statue of Liberty.  

We barely had 30 minutes to freshen up and change for the Lowe's event, which was a blast.  It was held in a cool loft space and several bloggers/designers each designed a room fit for the holidays.  To see the rooms they designed, you can go to instagram  and search #holidayreadyhome

Oh Happy Day

Design Mom

Curbly Contributors (Paper N Stitch & The Artful Desperado)

Brit + Co

Little Green Notebook

P.S. - I made this . . . 

And we got to meet some very cool and fun people.  These ladies have so much positive energy and just liveliness.  It was great to be around.  I'm only bummed I didn't get to meet all the bloggers that attended (just too short on time) and didn't get that many pics.  Here are a few. 

Me, Jen, Cassie, Courtney, Laura, Dusty, Tracie

John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino, aka The Kitchen Cousins and Cousins Undercover couldn't have been more genuine and down-to-earth.  They took time to sit and have a drink with us after they were done filming and were just regular (albeit super cute!) men. They talked about how they got started in television and about their construction business that keeps them very busy. Too bad Cassie missed most of this because she was having an in-depth conversation with one of her design idols. Or maybe she was at the bar?! hmmm . . . 

I was so excited to meet a blogger I've been a huge fan of for years- Stefanie!  She was also great and we got to talk about her adorable daughter and her awesome travels.  We also met Amanda, a New Yorker and mom to a sweet baby girl.  

New York & Lowe's, thank you for a wonderful time!

Cassie and Courtney posted their recaps today too.  I love seeing the trip through their eyes and the beautiful pictures of the city they captured.  They also featured the rooms the designers created, which are really worth seeing.  

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Fun Medicine Cabinet Organization & Labels

We don't have a traditional medicine cabinet, the shallow kind that hangs on the wall with a door that opens.  Instead, we keep our medicine up high in a cabinet in the bathroom. To keep everything organized, I use my favorite InterDesign drawer organizers and put the medicine into different sections depending on what it's for.  I use those organizers in almost every drawer in our house- they are clear and have lots of different sizes to fit everything from kitchen tools to bathroom supplies.

Over the weekend, I decided to make labels so that we could quickly tell what medicine goes where.  When I went to print the labels, I figured I'd have some fun with it.  (I use a Brother PT-1880 Labeler and Martha Stewart file labels).

Goofy but fun. :)

How's that for a Monday laugh?! Be back tomorrow with highlights from my trip to New York with some fun pictures with other bloggers to share.  Hope y'all had a great weekend!

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If you need a little encouragement today, head over to Honey We're Healthy.

Rodan + Fields GIVEAWAY

Happy Friday friends!  I'm feeling extremely blessed today to have gotten to spend a couple days in New York with some of my closest blogging friends.  If you're interested, you can check out my Instagram (@honeywerehome) for some pictures.  I may or may not have gotten to meet a couple of super cute, talented, and extremely gracious men too. :) I plan to do a full recap post soon. :)  Thank you to Lowe's for the opportunity. 

Also, I wanted to thank Leanne (Away We Go) for sharing her Healthy Yogurt Station on Honey We're Healthy.  I definitely love Greek yogurt and this organized set-up is perfect for a quick snack.

I recently became a food contributor for a wonderful blog Somewhat Simple- have you heard of it?  It's a beautiful blog full of lifestyle articles including DIY and home, holidays, organizing, food, sewing,  crafts and more. My first post (Quinoa Caprese Salad) was published on Thursday. I love this easy to assemble meal- healthy, colorful, and delicious.  I hope you like it. 

Today, I've got a GIVEAWAY from Rodan + Fields!

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Have y'all heard of Rodan + Fields skincare line? I hear people raving about these products all the time, but it wasn't until my friend Heather became a R+F consultant that I got to learn more about it and the business opportunity. 

She is so genuinely happy using their line and with the supplemental income she's earning that I wanted to share it here. I think the world of Heather (our sons were born at the same time so we definitely relate to each other), and I wanted to support her in her endeavors. 

Heather is giving away some sweet things:

1) A Redefine Eye Cream (a $59 value).

To enter, click HERE for the Solution Tool to find out what Regimen is best for you, then come back and tell us in the comments with your email address. I will choose a winner at random.

This Giveaway ends on November 3, 2013. 

2) A $20 Visa Gift Card

To enter, become a Preferred Customer and Heather will pay the one time $20 fee in the form of a Visa gift card. Make sure to email Heather that you signed up via Honey We're Home.

This Giveaway ends on November 3, 2013. 

3) A Free Mini-Facial

Email Heather to learn more about the business and she will send you a FREE mini-facial.  

No expiration date!

About Heather

I live in the great city of Austin, TX, born and raised in Texas. I have a 1.5 and 3.5 year old, handsome hubby and a full time busy career. I've always been on the lookout for a great business opportunity and honestly thought direct selling was out of my comfort zone. R+F fell in my lap and it's the most fun job I've EVER had. My income keeps getting bigger each month and it's literally catching up and chatting with all the people I know! I've been able to easily fit this into my full time jobs as mommy, wife and career woman! I really wish someone would have told me about this a year ago, but the great news is that R+F is just now getting started; markets are not saturated and the products JUST WORK. People are starving for products like this.

Please contact me with product questions or to decide if this venture would be a good fit for you!

Email: heatherbern19@gmail.com

Website: http://heatherbern.myrandf.com

The Scoop:

The Doctors that created Proactiv® Solutions, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, have set out to do the same for anti-aging and ALL skin types. The products were the top selling clinical skin care line in Nordstrom and other high-end retailers until they changed the business model and you can now only get the products through a consultant. The products are multi-med therapy…you use the right products in the right order, and BAM, you have amazing results. All this without a visit to the dermatologist. The products are clinically proven and truly transformative.

I have had 2 customers to come to me to tell me their husband said they looked "RADIANT" and "GLOWING”! That makes my heart pitter-putter!

And the BONUS:  All products come with a 60 day money back guarantee!

The MAIN product line-up:

DO YOU HAVE WRINKLES OR WANT TO KEEP THOSE LINES AWAY?

BROWN SPOTS OR DULLNESS?

WHAT ABOUT ADULT ACNE OR ACNE SCARS?

SKIN SO SENSITIVE, YOU GET RED JUST THINKING ABOUT IT?

**I used this one on my 15 month old daughter and it cleared her eczema up in 3 days flat!



THE MACRO-EXFOLIATOR

This handy dandy tool, the MACRO-E, is so popular that the beauty editors are obsessed with it. It is clinically proven to visibly improve skin texture after only one use. And in the 4-week clinical trial, 100% of the participants saw an improvement in their skin's texture and overall appearance. Pores looked smaller, lines were reduced, skin was more even. It essentially takes the place of office visits for micro-dermabrasion and literally removes 5 million dead skin cells in one use! Who doesn't want that?

THE BEST SPENT MINUTE IN SKINCARE IS COMING BACK!

Sneak Preview for new customers for a limited time. 

Sign up as a Preferred Customer by the end of October and get this amazing little roller at WHOLESALE price. This is pretty exciting news, this little roller packs an amazing punch for elasticity and wrinkles! And it won't be officially back on the shelves until next year if you miss this flash deal! Be the first to get compliments about your skin at Turkey day and order today.

It's called the Rodan + Fields AMP MD Micro-Exfoliating Roller and it basically "aerates" the top outer most layer of skin. Simply put, it allows the renewing serum (that comes with deal) to absorb deeper and more effectively, allowing your skin to rejuvenate by producing more collagen and elastin.The pictures say it all.  The system comes with a two month supply of peptide and retinol NIGHT RENEWING SERUM pellets that you apply after rolling. The final step is applying our OVERNIGHT RESTORATIVE CREAM or other skin treatments. Even the media is all over it... The ingredients in the serum and creams work faster and deeper because, "you've created a pathway for it to travel into the skin," says dermatologist Ranella Hirsch from Allure Magazine. Your products are delivered more effectively this way.... 

The AMP MD and serum combo help to create stronger, healthier more youthful skin ridding it wrinkles and increasing elasticity. It can even be used on your stretch marks. 

RODAN + FIELDS OPPORTUNITIES



1. Get affordable, clinically proven skin that works:

Get 10% off and Free shipping when you sign up as a Preferred Customer and have the best skin in town!

2. Make money on your terms and get paid to use fabulous skincare:

I am looking for coachable, bright people to join my R+F Executive team who either want side income to fund their shameless shoe addiction, pay their mortgage or achieve replacement income. I am growing big…but the sound of covering the cost of your skincare and an extra $1000 a month may be all you want. This company hasn't even gone global yet, and we are predicted to be the next global billion dollar brand. It's happening...we are becoming a house-hold name! Just look at all the free press we receive! Let’s chat if you want to DIVE in and own your piece of the BOOMING Anti-Aging market!

3. Refer someone my way: 

I have a referral program. If you know someone that could use life-changing skin products (that sounds cheesy, but it's true!) or if you know someone looking for an extra stream of income that is motivated, money driven, a giver, coachable, goal oriented they might just be perfect for this business.

...and if you're still reading, here's a little more...

About Rodan + Fields:

Rodan + Fields is growing in triple digits year after year. We grew our number of six figure annual income earners in triple digits last year. We recently won the American Business Awards, were a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Direct Selling Association gave us more awards collectively than they've given in their 100 year history. We are now a top 100 global direct selling company, and we aren't even global --- YET! Rodan + Fields is launching into Canada in 2014, so we haven't even scratched the surface! We have a whole globe to launch! Our opportunities are limitless...can you imagine where you'd be if you partnered with Dr. Rodan + Fields when they created their first big global brand, Proactiv? NOW is your chance to partner with them as they create their next big global skincare company! You can share in the profits.

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Have a great weekend!

UK Economy Grows By 0.8%

ONS statistics published today show that Britain's economy grew by 0.8% between July and September of this year, that is the best performance since Q2 2010. The services sector accounted for the majority of the growth, itself growing by 0.7%.

It is encouraging to note that Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, has said that the Bank will not rush to raise interest rates or withdraw support for banks.

Now if the government could only bring itself to simplify the tax system, and indeed lower taxes, we might be assured that this growth can be maintained!

The Dangers of Contactless Cards

There has been some controversy over the security of "contactless" payment cards (which don't require Pin numbers, merely contact with a reader for payments of up to £20).

All well and good, so long as the right card makes the payment and the wrong one doesn't make a payment when it merely passes by a reader (primed to deduct a payment) because it is in someone's pocket/wallet.

The banking industry have denied there is such a problem.

However, First Direct has written to its customers, as per the Telegraph:

"We have made changes to clarify that if you have a contactless debit card you must remove it from your wallet or purse before using it to make a contactless payment."

A spokeswoman said:

"If you don't remove cards from your wallet there is a danger the payment may be taken from the wrong card. It could be a bit of a nightmare if it came from a card where there wasn't enough money."

In other words there is a potential problem with these cards, not least the possibility that a suitably well positioned felon (ie standing near a person who has a contactless card) with technical knowledge could electronically pick your pocket!

Nailhead Lacquer Box

Sugar Paper is one of my favorite paperie stores.  They have the chicest and most stylish stationery around.  Years ago, I entered a giveaway on a blog (maybe La Dolce Vita?) and won a pink lacquer recipe box and other paper goodies from Sugar Paper.  

I don't usually write my recipes on index cards, but I LOVE the box and it's been sitting on my bookshelf forever.  I was thinking that maybe next year I'll use the box to create one of those one-a-day perpetual calendars.  

I recently embellished the box lid with square brushed gold nailheads that I found at Hobby Lobby.  They are meant for ironing on, but I used hot glue to affix them to the box.  A tiny dab works perfect and if you mess up, let the glue dry and peel up the nailhead.  I used my fingernail to scratch off the few bits of excess glue from the box. 

Of course, then I started looking around to see what else I could glue these babies onto! How about my Inslee calendar gifted to me by a very thoughtful woman.  Washi + nailhead = cuteness!

What would you use this nailhead trim on?  Love the idea of putting it on a cell phone case.  I know they sell these, but you could DIY if you can keep them in a straight line!

via Small Shop Studio

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Greece's Budget Deficit Falls

Apparently, if statistics from eurostat can be believed, Greece's budget deficit for 2012 has been revised down from 10% of GDP to 9%

However, before popping the champagne corks, it should be remembered that debt stands at 156.9% of GDP.

Halloween Treat Bags // Take Out Containers

Our preschool Halloween party is at the end of the month and I'm helping some of the other moms with the food, decor, and treats.  We brainstormed a few cute ideas that I thought you might be interested in. Of course, we turned to Pinterest for lots of inspiration.  

The party is short, just after the costume parade, but we still wanted to make it special.  For food, we'll be bringing these adorable Witches Hat Cupcakes.  Looks like a white cupcake with white icing, a brown ice-cream cone hat, licorice hair, candy corn nose and two chocolate dot eyes. 

via Amy Atlas

Popcorn Hands - the spider ring really adds a fun touch. 

via Perkins

Mummy Juice Boxes - just wrapped in white tape with googly eyes.

via Happy Little Kiwi

I'm bringing some party favors in the form of a Halloween Take Out Box.  I found the containers at Michaels and they have lots of varieties. 

To create name tags, I purchased a few mini take-out boxes and cut them into flat pieces. 

Jazzed them up with a "made with love" stamp.

And simply hand wrote each child's name in orange and black and tied it with a ribbon.

Inside the boxes are treat bags personalized with the initial of each kid's name. I got my bags on Amazon (25 for $5.75)- left over from Valentine's Day.

The bags contain a plastic jumpy frog and fangs and sit on top of Halloween colored crinkle paper.

I enlisted my son's help in stuffing the bags. He got about halfway done before he lost interest. But, he made sure to put "a black fang and black frog" in his bag. 

I'm also putting Lollipop Ghosts in the boxes, but haven't gotten to that yet. Shouldn't be too hard, just cup up an old white sheet into squares, tie with ribbon, and dot with marker for the eyes. 

via Woman's Forum, via Flicker - Michael Fletcher 

The letters were so easy to affix to the bags- just peel and stick, then iron for about 15 seconds. 

Didn't take long at all. 

I hope the kids like them!

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On Honey We're Healthy lately:  Discussing the Vitamix blender & faith.