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Halloween! Create the Perfect Chucky Costume for your Toddler

Pulling off a great Halloween costume can be a challenge but I promise this one is inexpensive, practical and a guaranteed hit!  But most importantly, this costume does not take a lot of time to perfect the look. This is perfect for the moms who don't have time to hand sew and dye fabrics to perfection. This is not a project that will stress you out, trust me.

You only need a few key items to pull off the Chucky look and the great thing about this costume is that you don't need the exact costume the murderous doll wore in order to nail the look. Ever since the 90's a set of overalls, a striped shirt, crazy orange hair, and scars equal a killer Chucky costume.

I searched the web (mostly Pintrest), to get ideas on how to pull off the look. Here is what I came up with.

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Click here for step by step instructions! 

The makeup sensei you need in your life NOW

The other day a good friend of mine posted a status on facebook, reminiscing about college nightlife and fun times getting ready with our girls before bar hopping. This quickly turned into an epic thread filled with throwback pictures of our younger selves, eyelids smothered in gaudy eyeshadow, ungroomed brows, foundation that didn't match and outfits that were questionable, to say the least.

As I looked at these pictures I came to realize that my current makeup skills, although still modest, have come leaps and bounds from my college days. During the past few months, I have kicked up the intensity on my journey to master make-up. An instrumental influence in this journey is none other than Youtube's Jackie Aina.

Formerly known as PumpkinPie05, Jackie has been doing makeup tutorials for almost 10 years now! I remember following her under her former YouTube name and, I have to be honest, I didn't like her makeup looks! I think it was the eyeshadow... there was a lot of it... everywhere. Even she has since admitted that some of her old looks were a little.... wild but honestly, my distaste had more to do with my extreme introverted, shy personality and low self-confidence back then.

My Favorite Family Halloween Costume ideas

Halloween has always been my top 3 favorite days of the year. The haunted houses, pumpkin patches, scary movies and costumes just warm my heart. October definitely softens the blow the harsh Chicago winters the directly follow the fall. Now that I have a husband and child I'm even more hype to celebrate! It took me a long time and a lot of searching to choose our costumes (of course we are all dressing up) and in that time I saw a lot of costumes for families that I love.
Here are my favorites and possibly your next choice for Halloween!

Family Halloween Costume Ideas

1. The Flinstones - cute DIY for smaller families (1 or 2 children)
This was the runner-up behind the costumes we ultimately went with this year. I love this id

image Source: Mandi Johnson via Babble

ea because it can work for couples with one boy or girl child. If you have a daughter, you all can dress up as the Flinstones: Fred + Wilma + Pebbles. If you have a son, you all can be the Rubbles: Barney + Betty + Bam Bam. I also love the fact that the adult costumes can be bought online at pretty much any costume store or easily made yourself. Hello DIY! 
The only downside is that if you want a little Pebbles or Bam Bam costume you will either have to pay around $40 bucks to have it shipped to you from Etsy or Amazon or you'll have to make it yourself. These aren't sold on websites like Party City or Spirit Halloween. 
This is a great idea for those of us who live in warmer climates or if you plan to do your Halloween partying indoors. Otherwise, invest in tights and fleshcolored long sleeves for your little ones. 

DIY Halloween Care package

My over the top, Halloween inspired college care package was inspired by none other than Pintrest and my strange love of all things Halloween. If you have a college kid who would love a spooky surprise you should give this DIY a try!

The Box
The project was inexpensive and easy to put together. I reused a box I already had and decorated it with print-outs, Halloween scrapbook paper and faux spider webs from Jo-Ann Fabric store but don't limit yourself! You could paint, use glitter and much much more! Another cool idea would be to decorate the box with images and sayings from the recipient's favorite scary movie. 

Bye-Bye Wedding Day Emergencies!

There is a little rumor going around that weddings are stressful... Well, I'm sorry to break the news to you, but this is an understatement. The planning of a wedding is an emotional roller coaster, full of dips, turns, and surprises, sometimes unpleasant ones. This mega theme park of a roller coaster ride ends by tenaciously pulling you, your future spouse and wedding party up a steep track and dropping you down the other side, i.e. your actual wedding day.
There will be so much to do and think about that day that you would be doing yourself a huge favor by doing as much preparation as possible and being prepared for small mishaps. This is where a wedding emergency kit comes in handy. Before my wedding day arrived I tasked my maid of honor with the duty of putting together a few supplies we may need on the big day.
A wedding day emergency kit is not something I invented. This is a really popular idea that I actually discovered on Pintrest. In case you aren't familiar, a wedding emergency kit includes all of the supplies you need in case of an unexpected accident on your wedding day, mainly concerning your dress/ personal needs. It can't help you if the DJ isn't on time!

Bridal Emergency Kit by Ray

An emergency kit is a great DIY project you can do yourself but in the event that you don't have time for that you can purchase a pre-made kit. Enter the Bridal Emergency kit by photographer Ray Alvarez. This kit is sold online for $19.99 and includes a wide array of products you may need on your wedding day in the event of an emergency.

Not-so-Naughty Bridal Shower gift Ideas

 When it comes time to buy a bridal shower gift everything thinks of one thing. Lingerie: Duh. But maybe you want to go a different route. I know when it came time for my bridal shower my mom and a few of my aunts felt slightly uncomfortable gifting me with g-strings and skimpy things. If you find yourself in this situation, for what ever reason, here are a few alternative for you.

5 Nice, not Nasty, Bridal Shower Gift Ideas

1. Cute Pajamas
Every night for the new bride won't be a lingerie kind of night, and she must be prepared for those as well. So if you don't feel comfortable buying crotch-less panties you can still get the bride to be some nice bed-wear. I would suggest you buy her some really cute pajamas for her new life as a wife. Target is one store that always has really nice pajama sets. Make sure when you are shopping you are thinking comfy meets effortlessly sexy. Go for shorts/ cami sets made of really soft fabrics. Lace trim and mesh backs are always a good idea. If you are able to spend a bit more money check out Victoria's Secret's sleepwear. They have really simple, yet sexy sleep shirts and nightgowns.

2. Bride gear
Every bride will like literally anything you get her with the words "Bride", "Team Bride", "Wifey" or "Mrs" stamped on it, so you have my permission to go crazy. Think t-shirts, mugs, phone cases and stationary but anything cute and shiny will do! Again Target has a bunch of bride gear. Products in stores can vary but online usually has a better selection. Amazon.com and Charming Charlie also have really cute bride gear. Shop around and be careful of shady sites. I like to stick to trusted brands to make sure I get exactly what I am looking for.

The Novice Mom: Flying with your Toddler

I recently took my 17 month-old toddler, Baby P, on her first flight. I was very excited but also nervous about this so during the weeks leading up to this I did a lot of research. I watched several YouTube videos and read a lot of articles to help me prepare. When the trip came I felt very prepared and now that it is over I feel confident enough to share some tips and tricks!

6 Tips for Flying with your Toddler

1. Get a great stroller
Having a great stroller really made navigating the airport a lot easier. For this trip I purchased the Summer Infant 3D lite convenience stroller and it truly is convenient! Baby P sat in the stroller during long lines at check in and while waiting at the gate. The only time I needed to take her out of the stroller was to go through TSA screening. This process actually wasn't bad. The stroller easily collapses and opens so I was able to get her in and out of it quickly and without help from others.
I suggest keeping your stroller with you and checking it at the gate right before you board the plane. Be sure to stop at the gate attendant to have your stroller tagged for you. We dropped the stroller off right at the door of the plane during family boarding and picked it up at the door as soon as we got off the plane. I collapsed the stroller and carried her down the ramp to the plane so that I could drop it off at the door and board the plane seamlessly. These other parents boarding with children can be a little hasty, so this will help you board without losing your place. I did not buy a stroller bag for this trip but I did buy a travel bag for my car seat from Amazon. There was no damage done to my stroller or the car seat during the flight.

Continue reading on my new site SheisWright.com 

8 Big Ways to Save on Your Wedding Day

Here are the 8 methods I used to save big money on my wedding. If you are in the process of planning a wedding and looking to trim some fat, take a look at my list!

1. Cut Paper Costs:

There is a lot of paper in weddings. Engagement party invites, save the dates, bridal shower invites,

not to mention that the actual wedding invites often include Reception info cards, RSVP cards and envelopes. Even if you shop around, the cost of this can get pretty expensive, especially if you plan on inviting more than 30 guests.
Trust me, I looked at many websites; wedding paper divas, shutter fly, tiny prints, FedEx and Vista Print to name a few. None of those companies gave me the look that I wanted for the price that I could afford.
This is when I decided to attempt printing my own invitations. I found the blank card stock & laser cut invite holders I wanted on amazon.com, designed my own invites on word and printed them myself. Click here to check out my blog & companion video on my invite process for more in-depth info.

Stroller show down: Graco Vs Summer Infant

In preparation for my New Orleans vacation with Baby P, I purchased a new umbrella stroller. During my search, which lasted quite some time before I settled, I realized that many parents often have more than one stroller. When registering for my baby shower I had no idea that this was the case. I figure that $300 travel system we received would be our stroller for this baby and the next but now I see that 1 is just not enough.
The Graco FastAction Jogger is a great stroller to have and we have used it a lot but our new Summer Infant 3D lite Convenience stroller is a game changer. Think of this as an upgrade to your $20 grocery store umbrella stroller.
Let's compare these two stroller to give you an idea of which may suit your life style better.

My first Fashion Nova Purchase

Check out the details on my first fashion Nova purchase. I saw a bunch of things that I might like to order but I chose to just order 1 thing to test out the company.. I'm glad I did.

My purchase:

I bought the Kick Push Jumpsuit in the color Dusty Rose/White. I comes in a least one other color (Navy Blue/ White) that I saw but there are other similar styles with different colors on the site. I got a size small. I based my size decision on the sizing chart provided and the customer reviews.  

The price of the jumpsuit is $29.99 each but I used a promo code and got 25% off. The shipping cost is $6 and you get free 2 day shipping for orders over $75. After the promo code and shipping I paid $28.50 total. 

I submitted the order on May 18th, it shipped on May 20th, and I received it on May 24th. It isn't my free 2 day shipping from amazon prime (I'm clearly spoiled) but it was just fine. 

My Wedding Day Look: Head to Toe

I looked and felt amazing on my wedding day! I had a very short engagement and my wedding was on a B.U.D.G.E.T girl, so it took a lot of planning and skill to pull this off! Yes, at times I was stressed and unsure, but here I am, a young woman who got the look for less hunny!

If I can do it you can too! It is totally possible to look AMAZING on your big day without spending thousands of dollars. So I'm going to break down my wedding look, head to toe, and show you exactly how I pulled off this fabulous look for less than $1,500, dresses included!

I have hunted down purchase and info links for you to use just in case you are interested in any of the things listed below. Be sure to click the hyper links to be taken directly to the site you need.

Toddler on the go: What's in our Baby Bag

When it comes to diaper bags, backpacks are the way to go. We received one at our baby shower and have been using it exclusively up until the last few months. The older my child got, the more I realized that I no longer needed to leave the house with a bag packed with everything but the kitchen sink. I came to this realization slowly over time.
As my baby got heavier and more active, I no longer had the desire to carry her and a 20 lb baby bag. It took this realization for me to finally look inside the bag and really decide if I needed everything I was toting along. Now that we are mostly weaned I no longer needed to carry around my manual pump and empty bottles. Baby P rarely spits up anymore so carrying a burp cloth was unnecessary. Now that she eats a lot of solid food we rarely have blow outs anymore, so I really don't need to carry an extra outfit if we are only going to be out for a few hours. I ditched the changing pad as well.

The Novice mom: Surviving the First 6 Months of Breastfeeding.

I know this isn't the first or second post I've made about breastfeeding, and it probably won't be the last. To be honest, breastfeeding is a huge topic for new mothers because it is one of the most important aspects of your new life as a mother.

With all of the natural, mother nature & life giving that breastfeeding is, surprisingly it isn't an easy thing to do. By no means am I a pro, I only have one child, but now that Baby P and I have made it this far I'd like to share a few tips and tricks that got me through the first 6 months.

1. Baby steps: Make it through the first week.

The first week at home with your new baby will be full of firsts.This is the time when you will be figuring out how to be a mom and care for your infant without the help of a 24/7 staff of doctors and nurses. If you are a first time mom, this can be stressful, especially when you throw breastfeeding into the mix. In my personal experience, BF in the hospital was pretty easy, and even when it wasn't I had a lactation consultant just a few feet away. Once I got home we struggled, but just like my mom and so many other women told me, things got easier once we got past that first week.

At one point I did consider going to formula because my nipples were cracked and bleeding, feeding was painful and frustrating for us both and I had no clue if she was getting enough milk. Besides practice and getting the right gear, my mentality helped me through this. If you are mentally

Wedding Reception dress: Yay or Nay?

You may not be aware of this, but a lot of women are choosing to have an outfit change during their wedding day. The Reception Dress was a very controversial topic when it came to my wedding. I asked opinions, got varying responses and did a lot of research before I came to the decision to get one. Depending on the type of wedding and the gown you have you may want to consider getting one. Obviously I am in favor of them so here are my 5 reasons to get one.

1. Comfort

My wedding dress was a huge ball gown with a long train & Corset. I felt like the most beautiful bride while wearing it but after doing the first dance and eating I was hot, the dress felt tighter and I tired of dragging it around. To be honest, when I bought a second dress but I wasn't sure that I would actually wear it, I was bringing it just in case. When the night came I was so happy that I had something to change into. After I changed, I was able to easily navigate through tables to meet guests, dance and move more freely. I made sure all the important pictures were taken while I was still in the dress and after that I changed into my reception dress and flat sandals.

Wig Weigh In: Perm Romance Vs Vera

Sensationnel Stocking Cap Quality Custom Lace Wig

"Perm Romance"
Color: 1B
$29.99 Sistawigs.com
Style:
Length:Very long, past bra strap length.
Texture: yaky, low luster
Cap fit: stocking cap quality, very comfy

Pros:
-The cap is stretchy and very comfortable.
-You can easily change parting by rotating the wig. No ear tabs so it is comfortable any way you wear the wig
-The texture and sheen is very natural

Cons:
-The parting is very tight. A decent a
mount of plucking is needed
-Ends tangle really bad. After wearing for 5 days the tangles were pretty serious. I had to snip some of the knotted ends.
-Curls are mostly in the front. The back is mostly loose waves.
-Curls fell after only a few days of wearing
-some shedding

David's Bridal Gown Preservation Kit review

So far I am very pleased with the David's Bridal Gown Preservation kit. I purchased this right after my wedding in November. Luckily, I caught this kit on sale for $99 because it's regular price is $189.99! I must admit, this is high in my book but, I didn't look into alternative companies or bridal boutiques to preserve my gown so I don't know if this is a good price compared to other places on the market. I went with the David's Bridal kit because I could 1. get it on sale and 2. I didn't have to do too much work to get it done.

DIY Wedding Backdrop

Ceremony set up with DIY backdrop

This wedding backdrop is another Pintrest inspired creation brought to life! Every wedding won't need something like this but I think it is a nice touch for those of us who are looking to really customize the space we are given to work with.

Our ceremony and reception took place in the same room at a banquet hall, which meant the ceremony was on the dance floor of the room, that was also set up for the following reception/ dinner. Although the venue was very nice, I wanted to make a better use of the space by bringing in my own backdrop. I wanted to create the feeling of two separate spaces, the ceremony space & party space, even though it was the same room. In my opinion, the back drop really pushed the look and feel of the ceremony to a higher level and it made our pictures look amazing!

Winter Protective Styling: Wigs & Weave!

Wedding hair styled by Nicolette Shegog

Originally I wanted to wear my natural hair for my my wedding last November, but I ended up getting a sew-in instead. Outside of my hair being beautiful and the style lasting all night, I was very happy to have my hair tied up in a protective style when Chicago got hit with a cold snap right after! 

Protective styling is not something I did with any consistency or intention outside of just wanting to change my hair for the hell of it. So, often times I did get caught out in the winter with my Afro or puff exposed to the harsh weather. On multiple occasion my hair actually froze in the wind! That, coupled with the fact that no hat or hood will fit over my fro at this point pushed me to the decision to protective style all winter.