Boo-tterscotch & Ghoulish Ghosts

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Mars, Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #SpookyTreats #CollectiveBias

Halloween is one of my most favorite times of the year! The crisp fall air outside, fun decorations, and the excitement people get with all the holidays just around the bend is infectious. My home is always an open spot for last-minute hang outs, which is why I aim to make my main living areas as festive and comfortable as possible. 

Lots of big comfy pillows, cozy throws, and festive items to look at make for a more inviting home. The final touch I add is holiday themed candy bowls, because guests love to grab something to munch on while they are cozied up on the couch watching scary movies on in the backyard by the bonfire!

I picked up my M&M'S Boo-terscotch White Chocolate, DOVE Milk Chocolate Ghosts, and Starburst Halloween Mix with this Cartwheel coupon from Target. I got a little lost in the Halloween section ;) Here's some steps on how to create a cozy Halloween home! 

Lots of big fluffy pillows and throw blankets

I switch out my pillow and throw blankets for each season, but make sure they are all cozy enough to cuddle up with and watch a movie. 

Place candy bowl by the front door with M&M'S Boo-terscotch White Chocolate

This delicious treat is exclusive to Target! I placed this near the front door so that it is easy for my guests to grab a small handful and walk through the house and check out the decor. 

Place another candy bowl farther into the living space with various candy

I picked up another exclusive treat from Target, the DOVE Milk Chocolate Ghosts, with the Cartwheel coupon they were 10% off! I also included the Starburst Halloween Mix in the same candy bowl to give a fruity variety. I spread out my candy bowls throughout the living room so wherever they end up chilling for a conversation they can snag a treat. 

Fresh flowers in fall colors

I feel like fresh flowers in festive shades should be on my grocery list every week, it makes me so happy to see bouquets throughout my home!

Think of eye-line from the front door 

Lastly, when decorating I think about what my guests see from the front door. It's the first impression, and I want to make sure it makes an impact! Since there is a look-through from the dining room into the kitchen, I decorated the shelf and on top of the fridge! 

What treats will you snag from the Target Halloween Shop for your home? 

Halloween House Tour + Festivities

I am finally getting around to posting these Halloween decor pictures! Growing up my parent always went all out with Halloween and Christmas decorations, which definitely got passed down to me :) When my parents were in town, my mom helped finish the front of the house with this adorable wreath we made with stuff from Hobby Lobby. Late night crafts fueled by Sodalicious! 

I took these front room pictures right before my birthday party, and during the whole month of October I kept on adding more and more decorations. I love having people come into my home and instantly feel the Halloween spirit! 

On Halloween night Ryan was working until 9pm, so I dressed up as Minnie Mouse and passed out candy to trick-or-treaters. I only got about 5-6 groups of treaters the entire night and was a little bummed because a couple years ago we had non-stop kids at our front door! I think it's because all the local malls and shops were hosting trick-or-treaters all day long, so then parents didn't want to drag their kids out at night for candy. Lammeeeeeee.

A few weeks ago my friend Jess hosted an awesome Halloween party with a spook alley entrance and everything! Ryan and I snagged costumes last minute to be from the Top Gun movie, which is his favorite. Next year I'm definitely taking more time to find something as fun and creative as our Mario/Peach costume from last year. 

Finally here is our pumpkins from our group date night with our friends! We did the Jack Skellington pumpkin, Lo & Kev did the pirate kitty, and Ariel & Connor made the minion. Jess & Dallin ended up joining us later for bonfire, hot chocolate, smores, roasted pumpkin seeds, games, and 2am Dominos pizza. The night was a serious BLAST. I haven't laughed that hard in so long! I'm sad to see October go, but I'm excited to see my family for Thanksgiving then to start decorating for Christmas :)

Spooky Skulls

I love the fun spookiness of Halloween! Ryan grew up in Hispanic culture and is (still) afraid the coocooey is gonna come out and snatch him at night haha. Which means I have to stick to cutesy Halloween decor and leave the really spooky stuff to our front porch! Poor Ryan ;)

I'll take any opportunity to get into the Halloween spirit, so I snagged this skull skirt and was super excited when Made by Jewls gave me these adorable bat earrings! 

Coupons.com is giving you the chance to win $100 in daily prize giveaways or a grand $3,000 prize until October 31st with their Coupons.com Halloween Creepstakes! Who doesn't need some extra cash to stash away for the upcoming holidays?

Coupons.com also has an adorable online magazine that features Halloween Ideas on The Good Stuff; such as Halloween kid treats, costumes inspired by TV shows, and simple spooky crafts. It's such a fun online place to search for cute holiday inspired crafts and treats! I'll definitely be referring back to The Good Stuff for last minute costumes and fun treat ideas for my upcoming Halloween parties!

Photography by Les Dedrickson Photography

Bat Button Earrings c/o Made by Jewls

Top: American Eagle

Skirt: Brickyard Buffalo

Wedges: Shoedazzle (old)

Necklace: LA Fashion District

*Post sponsored by Coupons.com, all opinions are my own. Thank you for reading the sponsored posts that help support my family!

Halloween Leopard Tutorial + The Best Makeup Remover

DISCLAIMER / FTC: This post is sponsored by NEUTROGENA®  I only recommend products I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. Some of the products mentioned were purchased by myself AND/OR some were provided by NEUTROGENA® for this post. #CollectiveBias #NeutrogenaFaceOff

I am obsessed with leopard print, so obviously I had to create a leopard makeup tutorial for this upcoming Halloween! I used a ton of different makeup products on my face, which meant in addition to picking up all the goodies for this look I needed some stellar makeup wipes to help keep my skin clear and healthy afterwards.  I used (1) black creamy eye liner pencil, (2) black liquid liner pen, and (3) gold glitter liquid eye liner to bring this catty look to life. 

1// I'm all done up with a smokey eye, black liquid liner, fake lashes, and berry lipstick before starting my leopard transformation 

2// With a black creamy eye liner pencil I outlined a kitty cat sniffer on the tip of my nose utilizing curvy lines

3// I filled in my nose with the creamy eyeliner, to make it shiny and last longer then do a layer of liquid liner over the top

4// With liquid liner mark a few dots between your nose and mouth, then use the liquid liner pen to make some cute whiskers

5// I did my leopard spots in a "V" formation on my forehead and then did some on my cheekbones. Draw "C's", "U's", circles, and short lines in between with the creamy eye liner to create the leopard spot pattern

6// Fill in the open spaces of the leopard spots with gold glitter liner or you can also use gold eyeshadow 

This look would look best with some leopard ears from Walmart (only about $2!), black leather leggings, a black blouse, stiletto heels, and a furry scarf! I picked up the Neutrogena Cleansing Towlettes from my Orem Walmart, and they're an absolute lifesaver! I've been using these makeup wipes for a few months now, and I love how they don't leave a trace of makeup on my face but also make my skin feel so soft and clean afterwards. With only one towelette! 

Make sure to grab some for yourself before going all crazy this Halloween, you want to make sure you still look fresh afterward the festivities and not too spoookkkkky ;) Join in the #NeutrogenaFaceOff challenge to show off the before and after of your Halloween look, then share at the Twitter party on 10/29 at 11AM-12PM EST!

Give a Spooky Lindt HELLO

Halloween is one of my absolute favorite holidays, and I love to share the spooooky spirit with delicious Lindt HELLO chocolate and a quick note! Ryan and I enjoy getting to know other young married couples in the area, and reaching out with a simple hello has already led to pretty awesome friendships. Meaning we host some rockin' parties at our home with all the fun friends we've accumulated with an easy hello! 

The cheeky sayings on Lindt HELLO's chocolates are too adorable! Plus the array of flavors made me feel like a kid in a candy store ;) I picked up Caramel Brownie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Salted Caramel, and Cookies & Cream. Yummmm! I'll definitely make some pretty good first impressions with these fun and delicious chocolates.

Lindt HELLO has weekly videos featuring ways in which your favorite YouTube stars and celebrities  show how they spark new connections with one another. It's super cute, make sure to drop by and check them out! It'll inspire you to spark more of your own connections :) 

Lindt HELLO is all about you creating connections with others, which is why they are hosting a sweepstakes with activities to enjoy with the special ones in your life! Good luck!

To enter the sweepstakes, visit the Lindt HELLO Sweet Connections Sweepstakes page and enter your email address. Entries can be made daily for additional chances to win the below prizes. 

5 Weeks of Prizes – Connect with Someone You Love, or Someone New!

Week 1: Table for Two (9/10 – 9/16)

• Dinner & a movie with the +1 of your choice!

Week 2: Double the Fun (9/17 – 9/39)

• Say HELLO to a fun double date night + Lindt HELLO chocolate for dessert

Week 3: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (9/24 – 9/30)

• Enjoy a shopping spree with the girls + yummy Lindt HELLO Chocolate!

Week 4: Sweet Staycation (10/1 – 10/7)

• Lindt HELLO treats you to a pampered night in – movies, books + chocolate!

Week 5: Besties Reunion (10/8 – 10/14)

• Reconnect with your bestie at the spa for a day + Lindt HELLO chocolate to sweeten the deal.

* No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 years or older (19 in AL or NE and 21 in MS).  Void where prohibited. See Rules at  for weekly sweepstakes entry periods, prize descriptions, odds and other details. Ends Noon on 10/14/14. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc., One Fine Chocolate Place, Stratham, NH  03885.

*Post has been sponsored by Lindt HELLO. Opinions are all my own!*