Wordful Wednesday: Halloween 2013 #Costumes

You know I love dressing up my kids in themed costumes for Halloween. And I'm going to keep doing it for as long as I can get away with it! Here is Marlie and Desmond as Minnie and Mickey Mouse. Get ready to be overcome by the cuteness!

Minnie Mouse Costume: Etsy; Mickey Mouse Hat: Etsy, Black Onesie: Amazon, Red Pantaloons: Ebay

Our neighbor came out to take pictures of the cuteness

They have their pumpkin baskets and are ready to go trick or treating

We went to the Fairy Land Jack o Latern Jamboree with our friends

Desmond found another Minnie Mouse to flirt with

What are your kids going dressed as for Halloween?

Mohawk Stain Resistant Carpet Gives You License to Spill

Before we moved into our first house the previous owner had brand new Berber carpeting installed on the stairs and in the upstairs bedrooms. It was beautiful. Then we had two kids and I quickly discovered that not every stain resistant carpet is created equal. Years of spilled juice and potty stains that I could never get out turned me into a person fearful of carpeting. I developed a real anxiety about carpet!

Last weekend I visited the Mohawk Flooring booth at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival where I learned about their SmartStrand technology and was cured of my carpet phobia. This is the first thing I saw when I arrived:

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you! Those kids are stomping strawberries, chocolate syrup and Halloween candy into carpet. Oh, the horror!

Not to worry though because that is Mohawk SmartStrand carpet. Unlike other brands that use topical stain protection treatments, SmartStrand's stain and soil resistance is built into the carpet fiber. And it lasts the lifetime of the carpet!

While the kids played Monster Mash on the pretty carpet, I got to meet some very cool celebrities. Chef Ryan Scott was cooking up his famous sloppy joes (no worries about that spilling on your carpet if you have SmartStrand!). Samantha Harris from DWTS was there to cover the event for the BetterTV Crew. I got to talk to her for a bit. We are total BFFs now.

Samantha Harris introducing Chef Ryan Scott's cooking demo for the BetterTV Crew

Me and Samantha Harris discussing kids and the weather.

So back to the Mohawk Monster Mash carpet. It got some much needed TLC after an hour. I was amazed by how easily the stains cleaned up with just some water and mild detergent!

The Mohawk staff gave me my own SmartStrand swatches to take home so I could perform my own demo. I smeared one with lipstick in homage to the carpet in my mom's bedroom that I ruined when I was twelve. I also poured ketchup and sherry on it for good measure. I followed the carpet cleaning tips and used a spray bottle filled with soapy water and a dish rag to blot. The proof is in the photos. There is a faint mark from the lipstick that probably needs a more powerful detergent since it is oil-based, but the other stains vanished! 

I can see why their carpet is rated #1 in customer satisfaction. Mohawk is the world's largest flooring manufacturer. They make their products right here in the USA and sell them through retail partners. Go enter to win your own 6’ X 9’ SmartStrand Silk bound carpet rug from the Mohawk License to Spill National Tour!

Come back and check out the rest of my time at the festival in my Google + album!

What I am Watching on #Netflix

I have a backlog of recommendations for you! But only so much space. Here are my picks for this week from Netflix Instant Watch

TV Show:
Hit & Miss. Mia is a pre-op transsexual contract killer with a weakness for saving people. Her life is interrupted when her former lover dies and she is named guardian of the four children, including her son. Each jarring episode reveals the Mia's inner torment as she tries to manage her role as professional assassin, caretaker, and love interest of a handsome local. Another superb British import. It's a crying shame that they did not make a second seson.


Movie:
Hot Coffee. This eye-opening documentary explores the "hot coffee lawsuit" of the 90s and how it became the butt of late-night comic jokes and deemed frivolous in the court of public opinion. The film deconstructs why McDonald's invested heaps of money into the PR spin machine to sway public opinion and how we are now living with the results of the aggressive tort reform campaign led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, namely damage caps and and indemnification of doctors from malpractice suits in some states.

Introducing 9thandElm.com: Daily Deals for Fashionistas + $400 Giveaway

Are you a diehard fashionista shopping on a bargainista budget? Then 9thandElm.com is the daily deal site for you!

9thandElm.com was founded by Clay and Elly Bethune in the spring of 2013 with a mission to bring it's members fabulous fashion from the best handmade and independent designers. We realize it is extremely difficult to sort through and discover handmade fashion geared towards the "fashionista". Search no longer. Exclusive deals handpicked by our buyers will be delivered daily to our users inbox. This site is a multiple designer site.

I was invited to shop at 9thandElm.com and share my experience with you. I warn you that browsing 9thandElm.com is seriously addictive. I am glad that everything is discounted!

I ordered this Aurora Borealis Peacock Necklace for $44 (a $5 savings off the original price). It is made of beautiful vintage glass rhinestones set in vintage brass crown settings by designer Lilis Gems. The oval shaped vintage glass cabochons change color depending on how the light hits. I wear this at least once a week and all my co-workers want one!

My next purchase was this Crochet Dolman Sleeve Pearl Collar Blouse for $26 ($8 savings off the original price). It is a stunning that feels more like an piece of art than clothing. It is also versatile. I wore it with jeans, but I can see myself wearing this with a long chiffon skirt to Christmas dinner since the fashion police has declared it okay to wear white after Labor Day!

My items arrived super fast because orders ship directly from the vendors. I was happy the process from order to arrival. I cannot wait to shop again! I better get started on referring some friends so I can earn $25 credit for every referral who makes a first time purchase. I am going to get you hooked too!

Connect with 9thandElm.com on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Giveaway 

Here's your chance to win a shopping spree to 9thandElm.com!

Event Prize: 3 Winners $400 Total Value! (1) $200 Gift certificate and (2) $100 Gift Certificates. US AND CANADA ONLY.

By entering this event, please note that you are agreeing to be subscribed to 9thandElm.com newsletter.
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Macy's #HHM13

Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up this weekend, and I got the chance to celebrate in style at Macy's in San Francisco on Thursday evening. Macy's cultural events are known for combining music, fashion and cuisine is a festive mix. Macy's salute to Latino culture, history, vibrancy and their 2013 Icon of Style, Thalía did not disappoint!

When I arrived, the DJ was already hard at work filling the air with Tejano and reggaeton. Servers passed around wine from Esterlina Vineyard and appetizers. Shoppers were treated to some extra perks: copies of Thalía's CD, Vanidades magazine, and the book Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes.

Sadly, Thalía did not attend in person but Alisa Valdes made sure her spirit was present when she discussed how Thalía inspired her to write Dirty Girls Social Club (soon to be a feature film!) because she busted stereotypes by being shrewd artist who took control of her business dealings. I have already added the book to my reading list!

The highlight of the evening was the fashion show which was a tribute to Thalía's style. The must-haves for the fall is faux-leather and boots!  

Which look do you like the best? What fall trend are you most excited about?

Proskins SLIM 28 Day Challenge: The Final Results

Mama has been a bad girl. I didn't post my final results for the Proskins challenge that ended two weeks ago. I know some of you were waiting to see my outcomes, and I am sorry I made you wait. To make up for it I created a collage of my favorite Proskins wearable moments:

Proskins are the perfect accessory to give your fall and winter outfits an extra edge! I still wear mine to workout and relaxing around the house, too. Oh, and I didn't forget the main reason for participating in this challenge to reduce inches and cellulite from my legs. Here are my week 4 results:

		Baseline	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
	Hips	41"	40"	40.5"	40"	40"
	Top of thigh	25"	25"	24"	24.5"	24"
	Widest part of thigh	23"	22.5"	21.5"	22"	22"
	Above knee	15.2"	15"	15"	15"	15"
	Below knee	13"	13"	13"	13"	13"
	Widest part of calf	12.5"	13"	13"	13"	13

I didn't lose a significant amount of inches, but I also didn't gain any so I consider this experiment a success!
 

Orange Pumpkin Bread Recipe #FreshFinds

I am an eater, not a baker. But given the right motivation I can take on a cake (or cookies). I recently had the opportunity to check out Lucky Supermarket and shop their selection of fresh-from-the-farm pumpkins for an original recipe challenge.

Being new to the West Coast, I had not heard of Lucky Supermarkets before and was surprised that there was one not far from my house. I took my sous-chef with me and we had fun picking out pumpkins. I bought three. One for the recipe and two for carving Jack-o-Lanterns. I couldn't resist...they were 3 for $9.99! That is the best deal on pumpkins I have seen in these parts. Marlie also picked up a mini pumpkin for herself.

We went inside to checkout and I immediately noted how neat the store was. The staff was super-friendly too. A nice cashier helped me use the self-checkout and looked up the codes for the pumpkins. We were in and out in under 5 minutes.

Back home, I cut one pumpkin in two and admired the rich color. Then I wrote out my ideas for a fresh pumpkin recipe. I knew I wanted it to be free of artificial ingredients and healthy. Pumpkin is such a great food. I was determined to do it justice. After a couple of drafts, I had my recipe for pumpkin bread. It took two tries to get it right, but it was worth it! I am so proud of this recipe because it is guilt-free. I ate a slice for breakfast with a cup of chai tea. But you can serve it as a dessert with a side of vanilla bean ice cream if you want to be naughty!

Guilt-free Orange Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients 

• 2 cups unbleached flour 
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp allspice 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree* 
• 1 egg 
• 1/4 cup applesauce 
• 1/2 cup raw honey 
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 
• 1/4 safflower oil 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

*To make pumpkin puree, Cut a pumpkin in half and scoop it clean. Carve into pieces, place them in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until tender. Remove skin and place softened pumpkin into a food processor. Pulse until pureed.

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan with olive oil or cooking spray and set aside 
3. Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl 
4. Gently blend pumpkin puree, egg, applesauce, honey, OJ, and oil in a mixing bowl 
5. Add dry ingredients and nuts to the pumpkin mixture and stir 
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for 60 minutes until a toothpick poked through the center comes out clean. 
7. Remove from pan and let cool on a rack

Yield: Makes one loaf. Servings: 10

Visit Lucky Supermarkets online for more ideas for your fresh finds!

Fall 2013 #FashionistaEvents Giveaways Are Open for Entries!

I am taking a fashion staycation this week so that I can take a trip to the The Fall Fashionista Giveaway Event! Starting today through October 9, I will be entering giveaways to win $26,000 in clothing, jewelry, shoes and other fashion prizes. Join me!

The Fall Fashionista Giveaway Eventis hosted by The Chief Blonde at Still Blonde After All These Years and Katy from ModlyChic. K Squared Glamour is our co-host! All Fashion! Only FASHION event! It is the largest Fashion Giveaway event on the internet with $26,000+ in prizes, 100+ participating blogs and 3/4 million entries. Each individual blog has a minimum of $125 prize!

My Giveaway (open to US/CAN):
Oh, and I am hosting a giveaway too! My prize is this stunning sterling silver Edmon starfish necklace, valued at $230. It's perfect for your Christmas in Key West or your upcoming Caribbean cruise! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. After you enter mine, scroll to the bottom of this post for the linky to hop to other Fashionista Giveaway Event blogs!
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The Main Event:
For every giveaway in the Fall Fashionista Event that an entrant enters, they gain one entry toward the FALL Fashionista Events Main Event Prizes. Go here to enter Main Event==> $1000 in Main Event Prizes including a $300 prize from Coupons.com

• Prize #1 Coupons.com will be providing $300 Pay Pal Cash to Main Event entrants.  They want to make sure you know that they are not just a coupon site, they also have great shopping deals all through the year as well.  Check out their ever-changing shopping codes page  that is PACKED with shopping deals.  Also, they have an incredible Coupons.com blog  which summarizes their hottest deals for the week.  Be sure to follow along!Prize
• #2 — $100 black and white diamond necklace by Rarities: Fine Jewelry with Carol Brodie.
• Prize #3 — $400 Mountain Khaki gift certificate
• Prize #4 — $189 Ju-Ju-Be Be Prepared Bag in Black and Silver

LEGAL Stuff: 18 years of age or older to enter. Open to residents of US/CAN Only! Read Instructions carefully because rules vary from contest to contest. Make sure to provide a correct email address so we can reach you if you win. You have 48 hours to respond once contacted. Still Blonde after all these YEARS, Modly Chic, K Squared Glamour , Fall Fashionista Events Giveaway or the Fall Fashionista Events Giveaway bloggers are not responsible for sponsors/bloggers that do not fulfill their prizes or for any product failure or harm caused thereby. In most cases, shipping of prizes is the responsibility of the the sponsors who will be sending prizes to you directly. Your prize should arrive within 30 days, let us know if it doesn’t and we will TRY TO HELP OUT! The writer of this blog is self-sponsoring this giveaway. This Giveaway is not affiliated with, associated with or promoted by Facebook. Happy Entering!