The first time I saw a girl walking in the street wearing a choker I had to a double take – is it 1990 again?
Nope, it’s 2016, and chokers are back in style.
Instead of the plain black tattoo designs I use to wear around my neck as a young girl, chokers are now available in gold, silver, pink, and have so many different creative designs to fit your personality!
Who knew chokers would come back in such a fashionable way? I didn’t think so, but they are back and I don’t think they are leaving anytime soon.
This made me think, “What other ’90s styles are coming back?” One search on Google and my question was answered. So, here are my top four favorite styles coming back this season:
Chokers are the perfect accessories for fall.
Chokers
Of course, chokers were my number one choice. I absolutely adore chokers, and they look fabulous with any outfit. Caitlyn Kirkland, owner of Rubie & Jane Boutique in Lufkin, said when she went to market chokers were everywhere. They just aren’t for everyday attire; look for them when you go shopping for formal wear. Luckily, they aren’t hard to find, you can buy them anywhere: local boutiques, Forever 21, and Claire’s to name a few. Wear them on their own or style a choker with a few longer necklaces for a layered look. Whatever your style, there is a choker that is designed for you!
Berry Lips
Honestly, I usually slap on some chapstick everyday for my lip wear, but it’s just not cutting it anymore. So, I’m adding this in to promise myself to wear more color on my lips – berry lips. Here are a few tips I picked up from Allure magazine on wearing berry lips: Pick your berry right! There are different shades ranging from blackberry to raspberry to boysenberry. It all depends on your skin tone. Since I have light skin, I’ll choose something that’s dark, but sheer. Medium skin tones can get away with a richer, truer berry, and those with dark skin should choose a deep color that won’t blend in with their skin. Go ahead and try this look, let me know what you think!
Berry lipstick is the go-to lip shade for the season.
Floral Skater Dress
Dresses are my favorite thing in the world, and then mixed with florals – ah, heaven! Floral patterns are making a huge splash this fall, specifically the sunflower and daisy prints. I’m absolutely loving this look! Skater dresses fit perfectly on any size, coming in at the waste and popping out with a flare. It’s a fantastic dress for any date night with your boo, or just the right fit for a day lunch with the girls. Plus, on the colder days pair the dress with tights and your favorite boots this fall!
Big, Blown Out Hair
Well, this is an easy one – we live in Texas, and big, blown out hair has never gone out of style. Just feather my bangs back and I feel like Farrah Fawcett as the wind blows. One technique to get big, blown out hair is to flip your hair over, spray hairspray, and then flip it back over – volume at its finest! Another technique to get big hair is to roll your hair with a curling iron at least with a two inch barrel to get the big curls and waves in your hair. Then don’t forget the hairspray, at least that’s what my mama always says!
Backstreet Boys in concert.
Since chokers, scrunchies, berry lipstick, and the famous platform shoes are back in my every day wear, I had to find out what happened to my favorite ’90’s guilty pleasure – Backstreet Boys. Another search on Google, and I found out my favorite boy band is playing in Las Vegas in 2017 at The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
So, I better perfect the big hair flip, find the perfect floral skater dress, and put on that berry lip because Vegas, I’m coming for you!
Angelina County residents celebrated the Heritage Festival Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center in Lufkin. The annual festival is put on by Main Street Lufkin and other local supporters, and it always features acts and booths from local people, organizations, and businesses that present information and give-aways celebrating the different cultural backgrounds of residents of Angelina County.
Jewish traditional dancers from the Messianic synagogue Beth Simcha teach a dance at the Heritage Festival Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center in Lufkin.
“The majority of the people who present are from Angelina County, and the Heritage Festival is very important because we need to continue to share and respect our different beliefs,” said Barbara Thompson, director of Main Street Lufkin.
Featured at the festival this year were students from Susan’s Studio of Dance, Roy Cox on the harmonica, Mina Patel and the Indian Dancers, Congregation of Beth Simcha, and the Soul Street Dancers.
Many door prizes were given away during the festival, and a game of musical chairs with adults and kids ensued. The Civic Center was lined with booths from local shops, individuals, organizations, and more.
People peruse the booths set up by local shop owners and peddlers, personal individuals celebrating and informing about their culture, and organizations at the Heritage Festival.
“You get to experience different cultures,” Grace King, owner of GG’s Place, said. This is King’s eighth year to have a booth at the festival. “It’s always something fun and exciting. They do something new every year.”
Maintain the Knowledge, a free tutoring system for grades one through five, had a booth in the festival. Hot dogs, beans, hummus, and more cultural food was served. A bouncy house and a popcorn machine helped to entertain the many children who ran and played in cultural garb. People from all ages had on traditional, cultural clothing.
Participants play a game of musical chairs at the Heritage Festival.
The festival was much like you would imagine a modern day bazaar to be; an announcer kept the crowd entertained while people chatted amongst themselves and perused the booths.
“Here at the Heritage Festival, we make everybody happy,” Thompson said onstage during the event.
The Soul Street Dancers from Houston demonstrate and explain the many forms of dance at the Heritage Festival.
The congregation of Beth Simcha, meaning house of joy in Hebrew, brought their dance team with ages ranging from 14 to 73. The team performed traditional Jewish dances and taught the crowd a dance.
The Soul Street Dancers, a dancing troupe from Houston who recently finished a national tour, performed many different kinds of dances and invited the crowd to interact through clapping and shouting lyrics.
The Soul Street Dancers began as a group of high school drop outs who found a reason to finish school through dance. They showed off house dancing, based off of tap dancing without the tap shoes; capoeira, a Brazilian martial art style; and breaking or b-boying, a style of street dance originating somewhere in Puerto Rico or Africa performed to the breaks in a rapper’s beat boxing.
For more information on the background of the Heritage Festival, check out our previous article here.
Wild game meats are often prized, I believe, not only because of their flavors in several dishes, but due to the fact that you care for the product yourself from field to kitchen table.
Jerky is but one way in which to preserve the harvest and share with others. Jerky is a lightweight, dried meat product. It is meat that has been salted, seasoned, and dried until most of the moisture is removed. Because of its very low moisture content, it can be stored for several weeks without refrigeration.
Jerky is a handy food for backpackers, campers, and outdoor sports enthusiasts. It is suitable for school lunches and backpacking. It is popular as a snack. Jerky can be made from almost any lean meat, including beef, pork, venison, or smoked turkey breast.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Angelina County is pleased to host “Jerky Making 101” as part of our Monday Evening Educational Series on October 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 2201 S. Medford Drive in Lufkin. Retired county agent, avid hunter and jerky maker Mike Whiteman will share his wealth of knowledge on preparing jerky at home, either from meat harvested in the field or bought at the grocery store. The seminar will highlight safe, effective methods for homemade jerky, including handling meat, various preparation methods, and equipment needs. Cost is $10 and no advance registration is required.
When making your own product, choose lean cuts of meat with as little fat as possible because fat can cause rancidity and off flavors. Avoid highly marbled cuts. Lean flank steak and round steak are good choices for making jerky. If making jerky from ground beef, choose ground round, lean, or extra lean ground beef.
To prepare the meat for drying, remove as much fat as possible; this prevents “off” flavors. Remove any visible fat, connective tissue, and gristle from the meat. It is easier to cut partially frozen meat. Slice slightly frozen meat into strips that are ¼ to 3/8-inch-thick, 1 to 1½ inches wide, and 4 to 10 inches long.
Heating the meat to 160 degrees before dehydrating assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed. Cook the meat strips to the necessary 160 degrees by baking them in the oven or simmering them before drying. Using the oven method, place the prepared strips of meat on cake racks with baking sheets underneath, and bake in a 325 degrees oven. Check the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer to make sure the meat has reached 160 degrees. To simmer jerky in a marinade, prepare two to three cups of your favorite jerky marinade and bring it to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add a few meat strips, making sure the marinade covers them. Reheat to a full boil.
There are several recommendations concerning marinating jerky before cooking it. The National Center for Home Food Preservation allows you to marinate the strips of meat 1 to 2 hours or overnight before cooking it to 160 degrees in the marinade but cautions that meat marinated for several hours may be very salty. Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Do not reuse marinades. Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor the jerky before dehydrating it.
After simmering or baking the meat to 160 degrees, place the strips in a single layer on drying racks. Avoid overlapping or touching pieces. Dry the strips at 140 degrees in a dehydrator, oven or smoker. Maintain a constant dehydrator temperature of 140 degrees during the drying process.
You can also dry the jerky in the oven. The temperature of the oven should not exceed 170 degrees and the door should be propped open 2 to 6 inches. Circulation can be improved by placing a fan outside the oven near the door. It will take 5 to 6 hours to dry.
To determine the dryness of the jerky, allow a strip to cool five minutes and bend it. Strips should crack but not break when bent and should not contain any moisture or underdone spots. Refrigerate the strips in an air tight container overnight and check again for doneness. If necessary, dry strips further.
To store the jerky, blot off any excess fat. The jerky may be wrapped in a paper towel for several hours to absorb grease. Because jerky will absorb moisture very easily from the air, be sure to store it in an air tight container. Glass is a good long term storage container that is moisture proof and will prevent odors from escaping. Store in a cool, dark place. Depending upon the meat used, jerky should be eaten within one to three weeks. For longer storage, freeze the jerky to prevent rancidity.
For more information on the seminar or making jerky, contact Joel Redus at joel.redus@ag.tamu.edu or (936) 634-6414 x101.
The day many dread and many anticipate. The day retail employees hide and customers camp out. The day some see as a blasphemy against Thanksgiving, and the day some have come to add to their annual holiday tradition.
“Black Friday” was first used during the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. Two men, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, bought out as much of the nation’s gold as they could, and when the conspiracy was discovered, the stock market plummeted. Hundreds were bankrupted.
The most commonly circulated story that links Black Friday to retailers is that retailers, after going a full year of operating as a loss or in the red, stores would supposedly begin to earn a profit or go into the black on the day after Thanksgiving. This was proposed because holiday shoppers would blow so much money on merchandise on sale. However, this story is an inaccurate account based on accurate terminology.
Historically, the true story of Black Friday is rather black and gloomy. Masses of individuals would flock to the city of Philadelphia in 1950 the day after Thanksgiving to attend the annual Army-Navy football, and police would use the term Black Friday to refer to it. Police officers in Philadelphia would have to put in long hours and deal with looters who were taking advantage of the chaos.
Black Friday took a while to reach the rest of the country, however, and it wasn’t even popular as early as 1985. Retailers used the red to black connotations to change Black Friday from negative to positive. Now an estimated 135.8 million Americans plan to shop over Thanksgiving weekend, and even more say they will shop on Cyber Monday.
If you are from Texas, then you most likely have seen or have reaped benefits from natural gas production, also known as fracking. In the most recent years, fracking has become a popular way for energy companies to drill for natural gas while keeping the U.S. number one in production. What many people don’t know about fracking is that methane leaks are more likely to occur, contributing to sicknesses and climate change across Texas and the world.
Fracking is a method of receiving natural gas by drilling a mile down into shale, horizontally or vertically, and pumping high pressure liquid to make the gas flow to the top of the well. Big corporations like Chesapeake Energy or Devon Energy sell the gas, unconcerned that the drilling they are doing is creating methane pollution.
The Barnett Shale region in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas is a large contributor to both natural gas and massive methane leaks. With more than 25,000 natural gas wells, the Barnett Shale is prone to have some sort of leak, but in the past few years, Barnett has leaked over 500,000 metric tons per year. To put that in perspective, that is more than 700,000 homes’ energy use for one year or over 8 billion pounds of coal burned. Instead of the methane going to power homes or cars, it is going into our atmosphere and into our bodies.
Methane itself is a very powerful gas that is very toxic to inhale. In towns near gas wells, families are getting sick, asthma is a higher risk, and they even have a possibility of birth defects. Not only is the gas terrible for us humans, but it’s even worse for the atmosphere. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane traps over 80 times the heat in less amount of time. With numbers like that, imagine how much heat will be trapped in the atmosphere within 10 to 20 years.
Texas officials and lawmakers that are supposed to look over the business ignore the methane leaks because most of them are supporters or receive donations from large corporations in the fracking industry. The state is also part of the reason why these methane leaks are hardly mentioned in the media or by Texas officials. Oil and natural gas production is the economic foundation of this state so no one in power ever wants to talk about the unethical outcomes that occur. This territorial protection Texas has on fracking can be seen when the Environmental Protection Agency released new methane regulations and Texas sued for “federal overreach”.
The unbelievable part of all of the methane pollution is that fracking is not slowing down or stopping any time soon, even with all of the warnings. The money and benefits that these large corporations are getting from fracking blinds them so much from seeing what they are doing to the environment. At the rate we’re going, by the time we have a satisfactory amount of energy in the world, we won’t be around to use it.
Finding the perfect formal wear is a tradition for many East Texas high school students as homecoming season is among us.
Going store to store on a busy week day can be a daunting task to find the perfect formal dress, and pinning hair styles and makeup tips on Pinterest can be overwhelming. To help in the search, Texas Forest Country Living reporters talked to several beauty and style professionals across East Texas to find out the latest trends in formal wear and beauty tips to help you find the attire that will look best on you this season.
Eye-shadow trends are leaning towards shades of mahogany and golden metallics.
Makeup
Eye-shadow trends are leaning towards shades of mahogany and golden metallics, said Ashley Conlon, licensed esthetician and makeup artist. She added that darker shades of lips, such as warm browns, berry, and dark mauve, are the go-to look for fall.
“I love Aveda’s eye-shadow trio in Golden Jasper, eye-shadow in Illumination, Tarte’s In Bloom eye shadow palette, and of course, you can’t have too many lip colors,” she said. “Go bold!”
Conlon also advised those doing their makeup at home who “don’t think you can pull of a sassy smoky eye” to stick with subtle and golden eye-shadow with a classic winged eyeliner and bold lips.
“Easy and glamorous,” she exclaimed.
To make an appointment with Conlon, call (936) 635-4710. She is located at Bella Salon in Lufkin. More of her work and services can be viewed at styleseat.com/ashleyconlon.
Romantic curls are a popular hairstyle this fall.
Hair
Stylist Christina Proctor said most girls do either updos or half-up half-down dos for homecoming, adding that braids and curls are involved in almost every hairstyle.
Other hair styles popular this year include: romantic curls, side twists, baby buns, sleek bump, twisted Mohawk, a double-knotted updo, a fishtail braid, and twisted flower crowns are making a big comeback this fall.
Proctor advises homecoming attendees to browse Pinterest for ideas, but “hairstylists always add their own twist to a hairstyle to make it their own.”
For styling at home, she advises girls to use hairspray before each curl because they will hold longer.
To make an appointment with Proctor, call or text her at (936) 645-2065.
Floral patterns are a huge hit this fall for formal dresses. Available at Rubie & Jane Bridal in Lufkin.
Wear
Floral patterns and velvet dresses are some of the big trends this season, said Caitlyn Kirkland, owner of Rubie & Jane Bridal.
“This year we’re carrying over the same trends from last year, such as high neck, low back. Most of the dresses have a halter top or maybe an illusion neckline across or the front and then a keyhole back or beads on the back,” she said. “As far as colors, they’re really all over the place on colors – bright colors, then fall colors, too. In the fall, you get a lot of the deeper jeweled tones and a lot of girls don’t get that for prom time, so they are looking for it for homecoming.”
Color blocking is also another big trend, Kirkland added.
“You may get a black laced top and a red bottom, just something opposite,” she said. “Of course, floral print has carried over. They’ll color block with that, as well. You might have a blue floral skirt and the top will be a solid blue, or champagne to kind of match.”
She also added there are several fun bow-ties for the boys to wear to the dance.
Kirkland advises those shopping for the perfect attire to be open to different styles and looks to choose from.
“Walk through the racks and pick out some things you think are cute, and after you try on a few I’m going to bring you a few styles that I really think you should try on,” Kirkland said. “You should be open to see what we think, just because we’ve seen them on different people and we know what they look like on.”
To view trends and styles available at Rubie & Jane, visit the bridal store at 104 S. First Street in Lufkin.
Andrew Krupski, Hudson Band Director, shows off the 1st Division Trophy.
Hudson High School Band took honors at the UIL Region 10 Marching Band contest held at Port Neches-Groves High School with a 1st Division rating. Other Texas Forest Country area bands making 1st Division Ratings include: Kountz, Silsbee, and Woodville.
Editor’s Note: October 15 is a special day for many mothers and fathers as they remember the little ones that are gone too soon. It is known as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the entire month of October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
“When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them,” Reagan said. “This month recognizes the loss of so many parents experience across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirths, birth defects, SIDS, and other causes.”
Please join us tonight at 7 p.m. as we light a candle in honor of those precious lives that were taken to soon.
Laura Lockhart nurses her eight-week-old baby, Everly Grace, on a weekday morning as she talks about the long road she has walked to get where she is today – a new mother, who lacks sleep, but is incredibly in love with her new daughter.
“It was rough,” Laura said as she recalled life almost two years ago – January 2015.
It didn’t start out rough though, when she received a plus sign on a pregnancy test taken at home in the beginning of that New Year. With excitement, Laura called her husband, John, who was interning in Austin, and showed him the positive test. He closed work for the day and made the five hour drive to Silsbee, so they could tell family the happy news that weekend.
“The moment I saw the plus sign I started bawling,” she said. “I was almost in disbelief and kept looking back and forth on the instructions and stick to make sure I was reading it correctly.”
A photo of John, left, and Laura Lockhart.
Less than 10 days later that excitement would soon grow into unknown as Laura noticed brown spotting while getting ready one morning. Concerned, she called her two sisters, Kim and Lydia, who are both nurses, for advice. Lydia convinced her younger sister to come stay the weekend with her in Lufkin so she wouldn’t have to be alone, as her husband was still away.
Monday morning came and Laura completed blood work at her obstetrician Dr. Sheila Hill’s office in Lufkin, but by that point she stopped spotting and said she “didn’t think much about it” since it was only a small amount. She then drove back to Jasper to her mother’s when she received a call from her doctor’s office. They noted her progesterone level was low and sent a subscription for progesterone in for Laura to start right away. She was to return the next day for more blood work. So, she did just that.
“I’ve been pretty emotional the last few days. I think it’s a combo of missing John, being pregnant and hormonal, and now worrying about miscarriage,” Laura wrote in her journal at the time. “But I will try to keep my spirits up and not freak out anymore, until I know what could really be going on.”
Her mother drove her to college class in Beaumont that evening due to the effects of progesterone making Laura lightheaded. As she opened the door to exit the car, at that very moment she received a call from her doctor telling her the results from her blood test.
[pullquote]“She was telling me in the sweetest, monotone voice that it wasn’t looking good,”
-Laura Lockhart[/pullquote]
“She was telling me in the sweetest, monotone voice that it wasn’t looking good,” she said. “My numbers weren’t going up; this doesn’t look like it’s a good pregnancy, that most likely I will miscarry. She even made mentioned that it could be an ectopic, too…. I just sat there and the tears were just rolling.”
The next morning, Laura woke up to cramping and pain, thinking she was miscarrying. She noticed it was only hurting on one side, but didn’t pay too much attention to it.
The doctor told Laura to come in immediately.
“They took me straight back to the Ultra Center, and I remember when the tech was doing the ultrasound it hurt so bad when she was putting it in certain positions,” Laura recalled. “I remember lying there in pain and tears. I was not wanting to look up at that monitor; I wasn’t wanting to see anything myself to notice if something was up.”
[pullquote]“I remember lying there in pain and tears. I was not wanting to look up at that monitor; I wasn’t wanting to see anything myself to notice if something was up.”
-Laura Lockhart[/pullquote]
Soon Dr. Hill came into look at the ultrasound, and with a sigh, she told Laura the pregnancy was an ectopic pregnancy, meaning the embryo implanted in a Fallopian tube. She also said there was fluid in Laura’s abdomen. Normally, they would give a shot in the case of an ectopic pregnancy to kill the cells that are growing or multiplying too quickly. However, Laura’s pregnancy had ruptured and she was hemorrhaging. She would need surgery immediately.
“I started bawling my eyes out at that point,” Laura said. “I have never had surgery or a hospital procedure before, and I was so scared.”
I remember at that point, you kind of get in this zone to where you know what’s going on around you but at the same time it just flies by,” she continued. “I remember signing the paperwork, my mom driving me across the street to the hospital, and she bought me in. …I remember I was getting in the bed, I was shaking. It was cold, but you don’t know if you’re shaking from cold or from being nervous. I remember lying there, nurses, people coming in and out doing the vitals, charting, questions, and confirming I was the correct patient for the correct procedure. I remembering feeling my body stopped shaking. I remember them pushing me through the hallway, getting to the operating room. I remember them lifting me and transferring to the bed, and I remember the lady telling me to scoot down, and after that I was out.”
The surgery went well. The pregnancy was at the end of the Fallopian tube, so Dr. Hill was able to do laparoscopic surgery. But the hard part was waking up and realizing the reality of the situation.
“After the surgery, you can’t really put into words exactly how you feel, waking up, and having on my very mind everything that just happened, and that void and loss you feel,” Laura said.
[pullquote]“After the surgery, you can’t really put into words exactly how you feel, waking up, and having on my very mind everything that just happened, and that void and loss you feel,”
-Laura Lockhart[/pullquote]
The weeks that followed were filled with rest and coming to terms with her loss. Laura said the only time she left was to teach dance, and through it all her husband would make the drive from Austin every weekend to be with her. She recalled the moments she was angry at God and “being completely puzzled at the whole circumstance.”
“I didn’t have high risk pregnancy factors for it to become tubal,” she said. “So, my thoughts were, ‘How did this occur? What in the world happened?’ I thought my body was supposed to be the safest place for my baby, and my body is what killed my baby.”
However, it was through prayer that allowed Laura to return to a regular lifestyle. She said having the love and support of friends and family helped, and not feeling forced to get back into the swing of things allowed her to heal and return to a routine.
“Nothing anyone tells you in that moment will help,” Laura said. “Don’t feel bad for being angry. Don’t feel bad for the emotions you’re feeling, it is perfectly normal. I think our Heavenly Father would want us to be comfortable and open with him with how we feel. …It’s just good to be honest with yourself with that and through that you will get real healing. Just try to take your time, and push forward, and take it day by day. The healing will come.”
Laura and John took the rest of the year to heal and focus on their lives before trying again for a baby.
“I just remember going that whole year, at times I would want to try again, but I didn’t. I was scared, I was worried,” she said.
A photo of Everly Grace Lockhart.
Then towards the end of 2015, the couple decided to try again. Just a couple of months later she took a pregnancy test and it was a positive sign.
“For that moment I just lit up and felt peace. I didn’t worry in the moment if it was ectopic or not. Granted until later I got to my doctor’s appointment, I was thinking ‘I wonder if this is a good one,’” she said. “I went in and I did blood work; the blood work was looking good. They did an ultrasound at six weeks; she was placed in the uterus and not the tube.”
On Aug. 16, 2016, Everly was born with a head full of hair and captured the hearts of her two parents.
“I think as hard as that experience was for me, it makes me more grateful to be a mother,” she said “Being a mother, especially the first month or so is rough, because you’re adjusting to this new lifestyle, this complete lack of sleep, all of that. In the past, if I had lacked sleep for anything, I was grouchy, I was grumpy, I couldn’t deal, but because I lack sleep with her, it’s actually not as rough as I thought it would be. I smile at four o’clock in the morning when I am feeding her, when I see her little smile. The lack of sleep is just totally worth it, and I like I said, going through the rough time like that and getting to the point to be able to have a baby, it is worth it. You know you will never take these moments for granted, even when its rough, you’re still grateful for those moments to have.”
Always check clearance and sale racks first to find budget friendly clothes!
You don’t have to sacrifice all the money in your wallet for cute clothes. I’m here to give easy tips and tricks this week on how to look fabulous without breaking the bank.
One of the first tricks is to always check clearance and sale racks first (typically located in the back of the store). Old Navy, along with Forever 21, have a section in the store that stays full of clearance items. Old Navy always has great deals on items that are still in season. This fall they have had flannels, leggings, stylish tunics, and much more on sale all ready!
Next trick is to sign up for stores’ daily deals. When you sign up you can get daily text or emails with different sales that go on each day. This may sound annoying to have extra emails or text come each day, but the deals are worth it. Trust me! Some of my favorite daily deals are Old Navy, Target, Bath and Body Works, and Ulta! Ulta has had some great sales this month. All you have to do is sign up to be a member! It’s completely free, and Ulta is the perfect place to get copper eye-shadow which is really in this fall.
Shop at stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Burlington. They carry name brand items for so much less.
My last trick is coupon, coupon, coupon every chance you get! If you get the stores’ catalogs they typically have coupons in them, or you can get coupons online through the stores official website or apps like ShopKicks or Groupon.
Have fun finding great deals this week! Comment below any fun sales you find!
Have a great week and check back next week for more how-to tips and tricks!
I love the fall weather, the colorful leaves, football games, cool mornings, hot apple cider, and of course, Halloween. Our house and neighborhood is the place to be on Halloween. We always host a party at our house for our older teenagers and their friends. So, today I am excited to share how to host a fun BOO Party, with a Party Inside Cake, lots of party tutorials, and I’m sharing how to make a fun BOO it Forward BOO kit. Your guest will have so much fun secretly delivering these BOO kits throughout the neighborhood.
Alright, let’s get to that BOO party! Oh, where should we begin? Let’s start with the party favors!
All you need for these adorable party favors are: candy, paper cups, American Greetings tissue paper, and vinyl lettering.
First, I applied the vinyl lettering to my cups. If you don’t have a vinyl cutter, you could always use a sharpie to do this part.
Aren’t they cute?
Next, I grabbed some candy (lots of candy)!
Inside each cup I put one 7 inch square of tissue paper in the bottom, and then one each of a SNICKERS Fun Size, M&M’S Fun Size, TWIX Fun Size, Skittles Original Fun Size, Starburst Fun Size, and Life Savers Gummies Fun Size.
For fun (to go along with our BOO themed party) I added a small sheet of American Greetings ghost stickers in each cup. BOO!
Cute and easy! Am I right?
Moving on to a super easy Halloween pennant banner.
For this project you’ll need: six American Greetings gift bags, pennant banner die and die cutter, pom pom ribbon, paper trimmer, and tiny black clothespins.
First, you will trim the bottom of the bags off with a paper trimmer. Set the bottom aside to use for another creative project.
Next, I used a die cutter to cut out some pennants. You could also use a paper trimmer or just scissors to cut out triangles.
Next, I gathered up the other supplies that I needed.
I used the clothespins to attach the pennants to my banner. Too cute and too easy!
Set your projects aside. It’s time to make a cake! I love this recipe. It is perfect for this BOO party and would be equally as fun at a birthday party! I call it the Party Inside Cake. Let’s get started!
You will need: cake mix, eggs, oil and water (amounts as directed on the cake mix box), can of chocolate icing, eyeball sprinkles, and lots of M&M’S. You’ll also need two 8 inch cake pans and a large circle cookie cutter. Bake your cake as directed using the 8 inch cake pans. Let cool. Level of the top of the bottom layer and cut a circle right in the middle with the cookie cutter.
Next, put the top layer on and cut out another circle. Set aside.
Fill your cake with the M&M’S (almost to the top).
I cut the piece I took out of the top layer in half long ways and we made a lid for the top of the cake.
Then I iced the cake as normal with chocolate icing.
Then I decorated the cake with the eyeball sprinkles.
It looks a little spooky. Doesn’t it?
The real fun starts when you cut it open and the M&M’S come tumbling out of the cake! It’s always a hit!
For our party entertainment, we made BOO Kits for our neighbors. It’s one of our favorite Halloween traditions. (You could make a BOO kit for anyone – your favorite teachers, your local firefighters, or police officers or co-workers.)
I love the BOOItForward.com campaign. It encourages everyone to make a BOO Bundle, secretly deliver it (that’s my favorite part!) and then you’ll encourage the recipient to BOO it Forward to someone else. TIP: You can download and print out a #BOOitforward card right {HERE} to include in your own BOO kit. At our party I had some fun supplies set up for my guest to make BOO kits.
I included things like: American Greetings Halloween stickers, American Greetings tissue paper, American Greetings gift bags, American Greetings cards, Halloween scrapbook paper, adhesive, “You’ve been BOOed” vinyl, ribbon, hot glue, shred, drink carrier, and of course, lots of candy!
I’ve been saving these drink carriers for a long time, and I’m sure glad that I did! These make the perfect BOO kits. They have a convenient handle that will make delivery so easy, and best of all these containers hold tons of goodies!
First, I covered the front with scrapbook paper, vinyl lettering and stickers.
Next, I stuffed the kit with shred.
Then the last thing I did was fill plastic bags with tons of candy and tied them off with ribbon.
Then we stuck everything in the BOO kit, stuck in some fun American Greetings Halloween stickers and a BOO It Forward card. Now this BOO kit is ready for delivery! Make several at your party and let the fun begin as you deliver these to families in your neighborhood who will hopefully BOO It Forward to someone else.
One more quick party tutorial for you – spider ice cubes. There is nothing more spooky than finding a spider in your drink! I used orange soda for our party (also known as pumpkin juice). So the day before our party I made orange soda ice cubes. Before I stuck them in the freezer, I added a few plastic spiders on each one and then let them freeze into the ice cube. Eek!
Alright, now check out our BOO party spread! You can let your guest dig in either before or after the BOOing happens. My guest chose before!
Remember you can find everything you need to throw THE perfect Halloween party and ingredients for a fun BOO kit at Walmart. Look for everything there! You can also visit walmart.com to have all the ingredients for perfect BOO kit delivered right to your door. It’s easy!
Let me know if you decide to BOO a neighbor, friend or coworker. I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave a comment below!
