C2H: Halloween Party Food

Oreo Pumpkins from Charmed Life Diva

Halloween Parfaits from the Butterfly Jungle

Halloween Cheeseburgers. (I couldn't find the original post for credit)

Pumpkin Cheese ball from BHG

Pumpkin Veggie Tray from Taste of Home

A Spooky healthy snack from Pimp My Dinner

Ghost Cookies from Delish

Pumpkin Eggs from Foodista

3 Ways to Use Formula Cans In Your Birthday Decorations

As you know my daughter had her 1st Birthday Luau last month and I had these projects I wanted to share. I had a ton of empty formula cans and I wanted to somehow use them at her birthday party. Here's 3 ways I used her empty formula cans as decorations at the party:

Here's part of the table centerpieces. I glued Luau garland all around the can then taped those cute pineapples and Luau girls to the top of the can to help make them taller.

I used a few cans as a holder for the leis. I just covered the can in scrapbook paper and put the leis inside. Every table had one of these.

I had one of these very small cans that was a sample from my pediatrician. I covered it in paper and used it to hold the silverware at the food table.

C2H: My Favorite Halloween Themed Movies

How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

On the same night I cleaned my hairbrushes earlier in the week I also cleaned my makeup brushes. So I thought I would show you how I keep those clean. I have been using this method to clean them for years now and I can't really remember where I first saw it or who told me about it. But it has kept my brushes in great shape. And you don't need anything fancy like the brush guards. This is a deep clean method that I try to do about once a month. I have a simple spray cleaner from Clinique for in between quick cleanings. 

You will need:

• Dirty makeup brushes
• Dish washing liquid
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A long bath towel

First fold your towel like the picture below. Roll one side up a couple of times. This is so your brushes can dry tilted down and the water won't stay in the barrel.

Next fill a bowl with 3 parts dish washing liquid to 1 par EVOO. Swirl your brush around in the bowl to get all the old makeup off. Then swirl the brush around on the palm of your hand to really get the pigments off. Rinse the brush completely under lukewarm water. Squeeze out any extra water and re-shape your brush with your hands.

Once you've cleaned your brushes lay them on the towel with the brush part tilting down. You want to dry the brushes on an angle so the water will run out the fiber end of the brush. If the water sets in the barrel of your brush it can loosen the glue and your brush will start to shed. So this is very important.

Then I like to fold the towel over the brushes while they dry. I like to let them dry completely overnight so this keeps them protected. And you are done! Perfectly clean, like new makeup brushes using household products.

C2H: My Favorite Halloween Kids Books

Today's "Countdown 2 Halloween" post is a list of my favorite Halloween books!! These are all books I enjoyed reading around Halloween when I was a little girl and I can't wait to carry on the tradition with my daughter starting this year. 

"Clifford's First Halloween" by Norman Bridwell

I loved the Clifford books as a kid! And this is a great one about the first Halloween Clifford experiences.

"The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Forest" by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Who didn't love these books? I loved them all and enjoy reading them to my daughter. This one is a little scary but funny because Papa Bear tries to play a trick on the kids while camping by scaring them and ends up scaring himself. 

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" by Charles M. Schultz

This is my must read the night before Halloween. I love this book and I love the movie. My husband and I both have fond memories of Charlie Brown and Snoopy around the holidays growing up and we can't wait to pass this tradition on to Jada.

"The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" by Linda Williams

0nce upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . CLOMP, CLOMP, SHAKE, SHAKE, CLAP, CLAP. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!

"It's Halloween" by Jack Prelutsky

I remember the librarian at my elementary school reading this book to us on Halloween day. This books is full of poems about Halloween and the illustrations are fabulous.

September Favorites!

1. NBC Revolution - This is a new show coming on NBC Monday nights at 10pm. Only 2 episodes have aired so far but I'm already sucked in! I love dystopian movies or television shows so this is right up my alley. Reminds me a lot of the show Jericho.
2. Sally Hansen Flirt - I have had this nail polish for a really long time and never really used it but I have been loving it this month! It's a lot more red and darker then the picture shows.
3. Maybelline 24 hour Color Tattoo Eye Shadow - These cream eye shadows are amazing. I have been using one everyday all over my lid for a simple work look and it seriously lasts all day. No creasing or fading at all and you don't need a base. My favorite color is Bad to the Bronze. I cannot say enough about these! And my Target sells them for only $5.24. The only thing I've noticed is the brighter colors like blue or purple are not very pigmented but the neutral colors are amazing.
4. Baby Aquaphor - Jada has had some bad allergy problems all month with a runny nose and she likes to wipe her arm all across her face resulting in rashy cheeks. This has been a miracle product for that. One thin coat really helps.
5. Maybelline Baby Lips Grapevine - Baby lips are tinted lip balm. The grapevine version has lived in my pants pocket all month long and it makes my lips feel so soft and gives them a little tint of color too.
6. Honey Nut Cheerios - I have never really been a fan of cereal but earlier this month I was craving it and I have been eating a bowl every day. Honey Nut Cheerios is my favorite.
7. Tulle - My craft favorite of the month! I have been so into tulle and Hobby Lobby has had it on sale practically every other week!! I have used this stuff on everything: wreaths, birthday banners, strings of lights, everything!

Welcome October!!

Happy October 1st! October is my favorite month of the year. I love the arrival of Fall and colder weather, I love Halloween, and I love the promise of the holidays coming up! All month on the blog I will be featuring posts all about Halloween. I have lots of exciting things planned and I hope to be posting every day during the week! So join me this month as we Countdown to Halloween!!!