Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a fun (and safe) Halloween! I will be passing out candy and then heading out on the town. So if you see me in my Greek Goddess outfit say hello!

Soap Not on a Rope

This may be random, but I came across these really cute bars of soap. I would give them as a hostess gift! Staying overnight at someones house for the holidays? Don't show up empty handed. Show up with these fun bars of soap. Random? Maybe. But unique, fun and everybody can use a bar of soap, right?

A Tree Grows Here

I found these cute little Shadow Projectors on UncommonGoods.com. Light a candle behind them and they project shadows on the wall. I just thought it was a brilliant gift! How great would these look on a mantle? A simple candle will not do...make a statement!

I Heart Boots

If you know me at all, you know how much I seriously do not like winter. Here is my list of things I do enjoy about winter:

1. Christmas

2. Wearing a scarf

3. Movie Marathons on cold Sunday afternoons

4. Boots that keep my toes toasty!

So, as you can see, the list is short. But, the #4 on my list is boots! My co-workers tend to make fun of me because I wear my winter boots into work and then change into dress shoes. If my toes get even slightly cold in the mornings, then they won't warm up until I get into bed that night. So toasty toes are a priority for me!

It's not too early to start looking for new boots for the winter weather. And what is better, these boots are from Target.com, so they are cute and affordable!

Show Off Your Pics!

My friend bought her little girl a personalized picture frame, and it is so cute! She has it on her dresser and I love looking at it every time I walk in the baby's room. So, get your own personalized photo frame at PersonalizationMall.com, will make a great gift!

Bracelets

I found these awesome winter bracelets on etsy.com. These bracelets just look warm and cozy to me. They are made of Soft Merino wool that is hand dyed. There are a ton of amazing colors and if they were all layered, I think it would look gorgeous. Think of it as bangles for the winter!

Not your Grandmother's Candy Bowl

Target now has all of their Halloween stuff on Clearance! I was thinking that I need a candy jar or bowl for my trick-or-treaters! Since I just moved into a house after years of apartment living, I am expecting a lot of little kiddos ringing my doorbell next Friday night. I found many cute candy bowls in Target's Halloween section. So get yourselves into Target and get ready for Halloween!

Pretty Purse!

If you need to get me a Christmas gift this year (ok, so that wasn't so subtle) please feel free to get me a purse like this or this. I ran over this website, called KissMyStyle.com and they have the cutest (handmade) things. So, you are welcome for another awesome website to mark off some of the ladies on your list (hint, hint!).

What season are you?

With the definite change of the seasons in the air (yes, I am in mourning...I am packing away all of my summer clothes this weekend), have you ever thought about what season you are? Well, wonder no more! Here is a fun little quiz I found that answers this question for you.

If you are a friend of mine...be prepared to be dumbfounded! I am Autumn! Yikes! Who would have ever thought? Maybe I am just so excited for this Autumn as I am leaving for my Mexican cruise in 2 weeks and 3 days! (Be Jealous!)

Hot Pink & Handy

I found this Hot Pink Tool Set on LadiesToolsOnline.com . My mom gave me a tool set one year for Christmas and I use it constantly. My set is green...totally wish it was pink! Every strong, independent woman should have her own tool set!

And Mary Kay parties are so 1987. You can now be a Ladies Tools Online rep! Who would have thought!

"of the Month"

Some co-workers and I were discussing alcohol over dinner. Not sure why, probably because we would have cut off our right pinkie finger if we could have got a bucket of beers or bottle of wine. But, since it was a "working dinner", long into the evening, and we still had a long night ahead of us, we were discussing intead of chugging. One co-worker, from Georgia, told me that one year she gave her friend a "wine of the month club". How awesome of a gift is that? Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!!

So, I started thinking about other "of the month" clubs that I have heard of. Soap of the Month, Candle of the Month, etc. Well, surely there are cool "of the month" clubs out there. So that brings me to the website, club-offers.com. Now this is the gift idea that I have been dreaming about! A lot of shopping done in one swoop! They have the best clubs....Micro brew of the Month, Pizza of the Month and my personal favorite, Dessert of the Month!

That impossible person to buy for....well, here you go! You're welcome! ;)

LBD

You can thank Audrey Hepburn. The Little Black Dress is a wardrobe staple that every lady should have in their closet (I have two!). Anyway, RealSimple.com is giving us 5 options for LBD's for a realistic price! So, party season is coming up...do you have a LBD hanging in your closet?

Autism Speaks

As some of you know, my sister is an elementary school autism teacher. She has 5 wonderful kids who inspire her (and test her) every single day. This weekend is the Autism Walk at the Speedway. You can see Ms. Myers' class and their home page here. Donate Money, or come and walk with us on Saturday!

Halloween "treats"

In anticipation for Halloween, I have been perusing the Halloween aisles in my local Target store and preparing for my trick-or-treaters. So, I randomly googled the most popular Halloween candy, and guess what #1 was? Tootsie Rolls. Isn't that odd? I would have thought it would have been candy corn. Whatever.

Anyway, one of the websites I came across, KeepKidsHealthy.com gave ideas for great Halloween treats, not just candy! (Dentists nation wide are probably applauding.) Anyway, here are some ideas, including: Halloween-themed pencils, temporary tattoos and stickers.

1st Birthday Gift

My mom was telling me tonight that one of the ladies she works with is having a hard time coming up with great 1st birthday gifts for her daughter. Well, I actually bought this birthday scroll for my friend Morgan on her 1st birthday! She loved it and it looks gret hanging in her purple bedroom!

Anyway, you can find them on BirthdayExpress.com. There are many, many different designs for both girls and boys. You simply put in the birthday kid's Name and DOB and it does the rest! Enjoy!

Poo-Pourri

How funny is this? I came across these hilarious bathroom sprays today while wandering. I think it is great for any gift, office gag gift, birthday gift, etc. I haven't tried them out, so I can't personally vouch...

The site is PooPourri.net and the product is Poo-Pourri. Tired of embarassing smells? Spray into toliet before using the bathroom and it smells fresh and clean. They even have travel size!

A Note From Me.

You know how I said I had already started my Christmas shopping? Well, this site helped out a ton. VistaPrint.com helped me order some very cute, personalized note cards for several people on my "To Buy For" list.

You can pick out what layout you like, and personalize with the recipient's name. I actually have several kids to buy for this year, so I thought it would be a super cute idea to give them their own cards! Perfect for those after Christmas thank you notes.

These cards are very affordable, going for less than $4! And who doesn't love personalized stationary? Again, thoughtfullness is the key to gift giving! Oh, and while you are on there, order a couple of boxes for yourself!

What I Know For Sure...

My friend Aimee sent me this is an email today. It is from O Magazine, and whether you love Oprah or hate Oprah, you have to admit, homegirl is good! Anyway, it is a good read about what Oprah knows for sure. Some things I agree with, some things maybe not...but I thought about what my list of "What I Know For Sure" would look like. Maybe one day I will put my list together and share.

Friendship Balls

I found these Friendship Balls on OliveBarn.com. If you are like me, you are probably asking "what in the world are friendship balls?". Well, here is the deal: The "Old English Friendship Ball" is traditionally known as a symbol of friendship. The ball is a circle with no beginning, no end and keeps us together just like our circle of friends. It sparkles in the light the way a good friend brings sparkles into your life. The colors swirl and blend across the surface of the ball enhancing one another just like the talents and varied personalities of friends. Each piece is handmade and unique.No two balls are alike, just like no two friends are alike.

So, if you need to get a gift for that friend who already has *everything*, you might check these out. They are unique and have meaning behind them.

Get Organized

In the endless quest to be able to fit everything in my closets, I am always looking for genius ideas to squeeze every last inch out of my closet space. So, where do I look? The Container Store. They have the coolest stuff, I wish I could afford to totally pimp out all of my closets...but that is a wish I will keep on wishing. In the meantime, check out this idea... those cheapo double hooks that you can get at any hardware store, can mask as a shoe organizer. Check it out! Any other brilliant ideas that I should have come up with long ago here.

People Contest

Everyone knows I have a ridiculous obsession with People Magazine. Well, while I was catching up on all of the news that happened overnight while I was sleeping, (Paris Bennett had a baby, David Duchovny left rehab for his sex addiction and Tina Fey signed a book deal) I also ran across "The People's Vote". You can enter contests such as "Sexiest Mom", "I'm a Celeb Look-alike", "Best Baby Face" and more! So make sure you let me know if you enter so I can go on there and vote for you 500 times a day. (That is how many times, between my sister and I, that we visit People.com each day!

Hallelujah!

The Limited is offering online shopping! Yeah!

Women's Empowerment Bracelet

Avon is a huge supporter or women's charities. They are selling

Women Empowerment Bracelets

for only $3!

Bracelet proceeds will be used to create a new Avon Empowerment Fund. The first $500,000 from bracelet sales will be matched by the Avon Foundation for a total donation of $1 million to UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, for projects that will empower women around the world.

EZ Carmel Apple Dip

A friend of mine gave me this fall recipe that is so easy, it is ridiculous!

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 tub carmel dip
1 package toffee bits

Smooth the cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate
Pour carmel dip over the top of the cream cheese
Spread the toffee bits over the top of the caramel

Heat in the oven until warm
Serve with sliced apples

Halloween Costumes for the Kiddos!

If your kids were anything like I was when I was younger, they are all about their Halloween costumes! I was at a wedding over the weekend and I asked one of my best friend's daughter what she was going to be for Halloween. Well, how can you pick just ONE thing to be? She couldn't decide whether to be Belle, Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. One thing she did know? Her baby brother is going to be a frog!

I was flipping through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog that magically appears in my mailbox every now and again and found many cute costumes for kids. So, ask the kids what they want to be, and if they just happen to say "I want to be a big weiner", then here is the outfit for you!

Christmas Card Labels

It is never too soon to start preparing for Christmas. The girls at work and I were talking about Christmas today and I told them about this webiste I know of that sells the cutest labels. So, what did the girls do, went directly to the site and ordered Christmas labels! I (of course) already have mine, so you better get on it and get prepared, becase you will be licking those Christmas card envelopes quicker than you think!

Colorful Images has much more than just Christmas labels. Need labels for year-round letters? You can find it all here!

10 Basics for Beautiful Skin

Dove's 10 Basics for Beautiful Skin has great tips on how to make your dermatologist proud. The best thing, it doesn't have any "tips" that make you have to spend $150 for .8 oz of cream in a jar. These are simple, everyday tips that will help your skin and keep those wrinkles away.

And a bonus, Dove is giving away free products!

Gotta Man who needs a Gift?

Got a special man in your life that needs a gift? Looking for something stylish and cheap without walking the busy hallways of a mall? Well, here you go (and you are welcome).





The website is called DoubleValue.com and it is currently running a mega clearnance on men's ties. I am talking MEGA clearnace. So knock some of your Christmas list down by just a couple clicks of your mouse.

A little help from Hobby Lobby

I ran to Hobby Lobby yesterday to get some last minute things for an Engagement Party I am throwing in a week, and of course walk out spending a lot more than the $5 I had intended (I technically only needed some yellow cardstock). I found my new Fall Wreath to put on the front of my house. I have been searching high and low to find one that would look perfect, and (if you ask me) it looks pretty phenomenal. I made my sister get off the couch last night to go outside and look at it, I was pretty much bragging all night about how great it looks.

I told a co-worker of mine that I would go to HL with her tomorrow over lunch to look for cute gifts for a Bunco party she is hosting next weekend. They have super cute Halloween and fall decor, and the Christmas trees are out, with twinkling stars and the whole bit! ( I don't have the strength to look for my perfect Christmas wreath quite yet)

Anyway, make a trip to Hobby Lobby this weekend to pick up some new decorations for the house. Here is a 40% off coupon, just a bonus reason to hit up HL!

heelarious

My friend Beth, who is already a huge fan of my new blog, sent me this cute link to heelarious-her first high heels website:

hee • lar • i • ous [he-lair-ee-uhs] - noun:
Extremely funny, completely soft shoes for babies 0-6 months designed to look like high heels. Not intended for walking (heel will collapse with weight). Not intended to harm children in any way.

WARNING: May cause extreme smiling and hysterical laughter when in use (this is completely normal).

I can totally see some of my friends (Beth included) putting their baby girls in these shoes. Any diva-in-the-making who wore this stylish footwear would be the envy of any playgroup!

Colorful LOVE

How awesome is this print? I came across this fantastic website, etsy.com in my endless Internet wanderings. What is better? It comes in many colors and it can be yours for the low, low price of $25! How cute would this be for a birthday gift for a friend, or even a baby gift! If you are tired of giving boring baby gifts that only include burp rags and baby bottles, you should check this out. It is different, colorful, gorgeous and sure to be loved by any recipient.

A Month for Pink

You should know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please be aware of the risks, by visiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation . There is also some very cool stuff out there you can buy with money going to Breast Cancer reserach and funding.

Susan G. Komen for the cure- Warriors in Pink Scarf

Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Store-
Fight Like a Girl Postcard

White + Warren Wristlet Bow Glove

Festive Wallpaper

Looking for a new wallpaper for your computer? The first of every month I get excited because I get to change it up a little and add the new calendar wallpaper from Give Simple. This month (of course) is Halloween themed, so get excited about an entire month of pumpkins, witches and goblins.

Yes, I started a blog

Ok, so I have started a blog. It all started when a co-worker and I were discussing Christmas shopping. She was bewildered to find out I had started my shopping in July. I told her several of my Christmas gift ideas, and things that I have already bought or ordered and she said to me "Hilary, you come up with the cutest ideas. Can you make me a list of all of these ideas so it will make my life easier?"



So that made me think...I love searching the net, catalogs and coming up with my own ideas for cute gifts, decorating, clothes and accessories, so why not get creative and put it all in a blog? So that is what I am doing...The Sweetest Things will be a place you can come time and time again for cute and unique ideas, gifts, decorating, fashion and beauty topics (and a whole lot more!).



I hope you enjoy. Make sure to tell all your friends, and come back often...I have tons of ideas and can't wait for your feedback.