PRO TIPS For HALLOWEEN Hair + Makeup For You And The Kiddos!

Whether you're going for super scary, super cute, or super slutty, these Pro Tips For Party Perfect Halloween Hair + Makeup are super easy to pull off.

HALLOWEEN MAKEUP

These makeup ideas are so cool and so easy!

Use Fishnets as a stencil for perfect Mermaid Scales

Use your natural line to guide a closed, big-mouth Cheshire Cat look. 

Use your upper lip line and chin as a guide for an open mouth!

Use white to draw an extensive outline under your lower lash for cartoon eyes, and finish the look with fake eyelashes.

Use liquid eyeliner to make precise lines that last! There are so many colors available today; the possibilities are endless.

For the crazy eye look, without wearing irritating contacts, incorporate design on eyelids. Hold closed for photos and shock factor.

Make sure the makeup you use is safe for little faces. Crappy makeup can end a Halloween before it starts.

Now that the basics are out of the way, here are a few tutorials that look complicated but are easy to recreate!

First: Double Vision

Oooohhhhh Cheetah! 

 A Skeleton perfect for boys and girls! 

Spoooooooky

Need a look that you can go from work to party fast? 

HALLOWEEN HAIR

These Halloween hairstyles will scare, mystify and even melt a few hearts.

Create a ponytail, then wrap a mummy, spider, or doll... you get the point.

Turn your child's hair into a spooky spiderweb.

 Mmmmm Cupcakes! 

 Tie strips of tulle to a plastic headband for homemade Troll Hair! 

Don't forget the boys! 

5 Star Chili Recipes: Vegetarian to Meat Lovers to 8-Alarm

Happy Fall, Y'All! 

Waking up to crisp morning leaves falling at my feet and flocks of birds flying south, this can mean only one thing, fall-food season is upon us! So just in case, you were feeling the same, I thought I would share a few of the championship 5-star chili recipes I've saved to make this season. From vegetarian to meat lovers to eight-alarm, here are the best of the best.

30-Minute Chili. Yes, 30-minutes, total! With 5-minutes of prep and 25-minutes cook time, this 30-minute Chili from Southern Living had the reviewers swearing by it as their go-to for quick dinners and potlucks. Kid-approved, too!

This Blue Ribbon Chili recipe has over 2,200 reviews 95% are 5stars and ZERO one star. That means even the shittiest of chefs can pull this one off! Of course, it helps there's a video walkthrough. I'm totally giving this one a try. It's smooth Chili, as opposed to ultra-bean-y Chili. (see above)

This 5-star, 5-step chili recipe from Betty Crocker is super easy and ready in less than 2 hours!

This Vegetarian Chili with Avocado cream from Martha Stewert had the reviewers going wild. One reviewer said, "I was so skeptical of this recipe - fennel and all that CELERY??? I was wrong. This is one of the best vegetarian chilis we've ever made."

Did you know there's an International Chili Society? Every year, ICS holds the world championship Chili-cookoff. So whether you like Texas Chili or 5-alarm, the ICS has a complete list of winners and their championship Chili recipes. To see them all, click here! 

This Creamy White Chili from Taste of Home makes it to the table in under an hour, has 552 5-star reviews, and has one reviewer, a college student, singing its praises. "I got this wonderful chili recipe from my sister-in-law, who made a big batch and served a crowd one night. It was a hit. Plus, it's easy and quick, which is helpful since I'm a college student. In all my years of 4-H cooking, I've never had another dish get so many compliments."

Why stop at 5-alarm? Epicurious is bringing out the fire department for their Ding Dong 8-Alarm chili. Yes, EIGHT! How you wouldn't have to ice down your mouth and ass for 24 hours after a spoonful, I don't know, but if this is your thing, or you hate someone and are going to their potluck, have a go at this insanity.

I remember my first turkey chili. I was floored when I found out it was made with turkey instead of beef. I HAD NO IDEA! Truth be told, I pretty much only use turkey in my Chili now. It's low-fat, heart-healthy, and NO ONE knows the difference. This 5-star turkey recipe is the clear winner with thousands of 5-star recipes. 

This weekend I'm making the turkey chili. Which is your favorite? 

Halloween Eats and Treats The Entire Family Will Love!

 

Thanks to Covid-19, this Halloween will be like nothing we have experienced. And most likely, not in a good way. I keep praying for torrential rain to blame Mother Nature for ruining Halloween, not the pandemic. Still, we can't ignore Halloween. Our kids won't let us! So, to bring a little cheer to the holiday fear... below are some yummy Halloween eats and treats to make the day as memorable as possible, and I'm not talking about hot dogs that look like fingers. Been there. Done that.

Edible pumpkin candy bowls 

Halloween Tie-Die Bunt Cake

Ultimate witch's hat cupcakes!

Super simple Cheese puff pumpkin bags. You can buy decorative bags at the grocery or dollar tree and fill them yourself. Cheap and easy!

Pumpkin patch cupcake poppers. 

Monster Marshmallow pops: So easy, the kids can make them...

Ear wax (caramel) marshmallows: SO gross and so easy to make!

Skeleton Cheese Skull

Halloween Bark

Spider PB&J! I love Healthy Halloween-inspired treats.

This Monster Meatloaf is so gross. I'm totally feeding it to my family.

Pumpkin drink cooler: GENIUS!

Coffin Bread Bowl: SO EASY! No directions are needed...

Homemade gummy worms: We make these a few times a year. Fun and easy!

What's your favorite? Have you ever tried any?

Check out my Halloween Pinterest Boards for more Halloween inspiration, from costumes to decorations to more eats and treats.

11 Fall Fun Facts Worth Knowing

While spring and summer are my favorite seasons, Autumn isn't really that bad. After all, it's a time for football, chili cookouts, boots, cozy sweaters, hoodies and leggings and eleven other things you will never believe!  Keep reading for Autumn fun facts totally worth knowing...

DID YOU KNOW:


1. Levels of testosterone in both men and women are at their highest in the fall. Scientists speculate the surge may be a result of ancient mating instincts (e.g., the fall “rutting season”) or that decreasing daylight somehow triggers it.

2. According to NASA, autumn is “aurora season” because geomagnetic storms are about twice as frequent as the annual average during the fall.

3. Cooler temperatures and less light during the autumn months signals the tree's leaves to stop producing chlorophyll, or the green pigment that helps capture sunlight to power photosynthesis. As the green fades, the leave’s other pigments shine through. 

4. Red and purple leaves are caused by the presence of sugars from sap that is trapped inside of the leaves. 

5. The word “harvest” comes from the Old Norse word, haust, which means “to gather or pluck.” As people moved to the cities, “harvest” fell out of use and city dwellers began to use “fall of the leaf,” which was shortened to “fall.

6. The shorter days and cooler nights tell the animals to begin storing food in their nest/dens and fat on their body, before winter's death freeze arrives.

7. Research suggests that low levels of vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) can lead to weight gain during autumn and winter. Lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage. Take a supplement before even consider sunbathing. It's safer, faster and healthier.

8. Autumn holidays include Labor Day, Grandparents Day, Patriot Day, Autumn Equinox, Columbus Day, Halloween, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving.

9. Each autumn, monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. to Mexico and some parts of Southern California. They fly at speeds of 12 to 25 miles per hour. Monarchs are the only insect that migrates during the winter to a warmer climate...  2,500 miles away!

10. The autumn equinox, or the 'First Day Of Fall' signals the aurora borealis--the Northern Lights--geomagnetic storms are twice as likely to occur during the fall due to cool evening weather.

11. The pumpkin or should I say, Pepon, which means 'large melon', was first named by the Greeks,”

FYI: How a Pumpkin grows!

What's your favorite thing about Autumn, Fall, Harvest?