DIY Halloween Costumes

It's finally here! Halloween weekend has approached us and all of the haunted festivities are about to begin. To me the best part of Halloween is getting to dress up. Who doesn't love getting to be someone else for a least one night?

However, as many of us know, costumes can be really expensive, especially for women. So instead of buying a costume for $50 or more, I've used my friends and I as inspiration for great DIY costume ideas.

Housewife: This costume can be done in different ways as either a classic 1950s housewife or a modern day "desperate housewife." The modern approach is a bit easier and less expensive which makes it perfect for a Gen L member.

What You'll Need:

1. Apron
2. Pearls
3. Spatula/wooden spoon
   
4. Little Black Dress (LBD)
   
5. "Diamond" ring

This costume is easy to pull together by starting off with something every girl has in her closet: the little black dress (any dress color will do as long as it is solid). Next, you will need an apron. These can easily be found at places such as WalMart, Target, or Meijer. I found my apron at target for $13.99.

For accessories you want to use a lot of jewelry and also kitchen utensils. I suggest going to the dollar store or party store and buying a fake engagement ring, the bigger the "diamond" the better. Another housewife staple are pearls. If you don't have a set of either fake or real pearls you can find these at places such as Forever XXI or target for under $10. Finally, a spatula or wooden spoon is a must to give the costume its full effect. These can easily be bought at the dollar store for anywhere between $1-3.

Finish off the look with lots of curls, reds lips and a pair of great pumps and you have a fun and simple costume for around $25!

Nerd: You may be wondering how you can make a nerd costume cute. Well a friend of mine found all the essentials to make the perfect geek chic costume for

Halloween.

What You'll Need:

1. High- waisted shorts
2. Suspenders
3. Glasses
4. Bow tie
5. T-shirt

The base of this outfit are the shorts and shirt. You want to get a pair of

high-waisted shorts in either black or grey. If you don't already have a pair you can use a regular pair of shorts as well. Next, pair the shorts with a white t-shirt. The shirt can remain plain or you can write a message on it like "I Love Math" or "I Love Nerds," the more creative the better! Another option is to buy a graphic tee with a message on it that goes with the theme. These usually run anywhere between $10-15 and can be found at Target, Forever XXI, or most clothing stores.

The final touches of this costume are the accessories. Large rimmed nerd glasses and suspenders are a must. Add your own touch by wrapping tape around the center of the glasses to making it really nerdy. Tie it all together with adding a bow tie. These items can be found at your local party store for $15 or less in total.

All together you can achieve the perfect nerd costume and show off your creativity for no more than $30.

Construction Worker: This costume is a different approach to your typical construction worker making it female friendly for the holiday.

What You'll Need:

1. Jean shorts
2. White tank top/t-shirt
3. Work boots
4. tool belt
5. hard hat

To start off this costume you will need a piar of jean shorts and a white t-shirt or tank top . The shirt can be one you have or you could buy one on the cheap using a shirt or tank from Hanes.

Next, you will need all of your construction essentials such

as a hard hat and tool belt. Make sure that these accessories match i.e. all orange or all yellow. You can usually buy a set at a party store or at a Halloween store ranging about $20-25. Last you will need work boots. If you don't have work boots any brown boot will do to give the right effect.

To add your own touch to the costume, feel free to write on your shirt according to the theme. Sayings could be funny such as "Screw You" or "Get Hammered" to give your costume an extra something.

This costume is simple but super cute and when combining some of your own items with the accessories the look can be achieved for around $30!

Hopefully these DIY ideas will help you make the best budget friendly costumes for the Halloween season.

Hair-Do's and Don'ts

Today I did one of my favorite things. Got my hair dyed. For those who know me this isn't a surprise. I often dye my hair usually changing it from blonde, to brown, to dark brown, red brown etc...You name it I've dyed it (well almost). The only problem with keeping my hair color fresh and new is the cost. Professionally dying your hair can cost $75 and upwards depending on your hair length, highlights or full dye and of course the salon. However, over the years I have come up with a few key rules to follow and some special tricks to help keep my color vibrant and cut down on cost. Here are my Hair Do's and Don'ts.

DON'T: Dye your hair from a box. Now I know that many people live by their box dyes but in my experience, talking with professional stylists, box dyes are bad for your hair. The color in the dye has no benefits to your hair and most contain ammonia. These straight chemicals can easily damage your hair which in turn cause your color to fade quicker. Although boxes are a lot cheaper you are damaging your hair and having to dye your hair more spending almost the same amount of money in the long run.

DON'T: let the sun and UV rays damage your hair. Now you may be thinking how is that possible? Don't worry I'm not suggesting you bust out your umbrella like Michael Jackson, but there are ways to help. Which brings me to my DO.

DO: Wear protective headwear when in the sun/UV rays. I'm really talking to my tanning fans out there. Now I know a lot of us hit the tanning beds every once in a while although they may not be the best for us. Well the UV rays from the bed can strip the color from your hair. My suggestion: wear a solid color shower cap in the tanning bed. This may sound silly but it really helps with protecting your hair color and also helps keep your hair up in the bed.

DO: Get a Malibu treatment. I recently learned of this procedure when I had my highlights for summer and was completely satisfied with the results. A Malibu treatment is an easy treatment that can be done at salons to help remove color build up and toxins in your hair. The process is simple. You go to the salon and get a shampoo treatment then sit under a dryer 40 min. The treatment is usually around $20 and when you're finished your hair is healthier and your color is more vibrant. This treatment not only enhances your color but also allows your hair to hold color longer saving you money.

DO: Buy color protection shampoo. This may seem like a no brainer but many people don't realize how beneficial these products are. By buying color treatment shampoo you can elongate the life of your color which allows you to spend less. These products don't have to be top of the line either. Drugstore shampoos such as John Frieda Brilliant Brunette and Sheer Blonde will do the trick.

So there are my Do's and Don'ts for hair care. Follow these tips and tricks and you'll be spending less time and money at the salon and still have beautiful hair.

**More Beauty Less Bucks**

Photo: Google Images

Calorie-Cut Caramel Corn

When you think Halloween you think CANDY! There is candy corn and candied apples and bags and bags of candy! But how about treating yourself to a different kind of sweet treat that has substance and is still a Fall staple? Enter caramel corn. This sweet popcorn is perfect for the holiday season whether its for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or your winter celebration.

Caramel corn was never a recipe I ventured into but changed my mind when I stumbled upon a simple recipe in Cooking Light magazine. Cooking Light is no stranger to my household as my mom often refers to the magazine for guilt-free recipe ideas. So I picked up their Halloween issue and found the perfect caramel corn....well almost. The recipe is titled Peanut Butter Caramel Corn, however I switched it up a bit and made a more classic approach with my own personal spin.

The following recipe is from Cooking Light magazine and can be found online at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-butter-caramel-corn-50400000115814/

MY CHANGES: No peanut butter, pecans, and microwaveable popcorn

What You'll Need:

Cooking spray

1 bag of plain whole grain microwavable popcorn

1/2 cup of pecan halves

2/3 cup of light corn syrup

2/3 cup of packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250. Line a pan with parchment paper and spray with the cooking spray.

Cook microwaveable popcorn according to the directions then spread cooked popcorn evenly onto greased pan. Sprinkle pecans over popcorn.

Next combine corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt in pot and cook until it boils stirring occasionally. Cook time roughly 4 minutes. Remove from the stove and add teaspoon of vanilla. Stir mixture until smooth.

Pour mixture over popcorn and spread evenly coating all pieces. Bake popcorn for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

This popcorn is a great gift for friends and family and at 122 calories per serving it is the perfect guilt-free Halloween treat that keeps you away from the candy!

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Help with the Hunt

Sometimes when applying for jobs it can feel hopeless. You think to yourself "Are these places even hiring?" Or you wonder "How many people are they willing to take on?" In most cases today companies are sporadically hiring with limited positions. Luckily there are some helpful sources to help us narrow down the places who actually seek employees in a downward economy.

A friend of mine passed along an article to me to me today that equated to a light at the end of the tunnel. The article was Forbes' "10 Hot CompaniesThat Are Hiring Like Crazy." The article, as the title implies, lists companies that are expanding despite the current economical state. The list describes companies ranging from the healthcare industry to the food industry.

I thought I'd pass the article along like a friend did for me and hopefully it will bring all of us a little luck in the job search.

Click here to check out the article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2011/10/19/10-hot-companies-that-are-hiring-like-crazy/

Spooktacular Treats-Graveyard Cake

Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping and Fall is in full swing! It won't be long before Halloween is here. And I have the perfect treat for Halloween fun: Graveyard Cake.

My mom has been making graveyard cake for years and it has always been a staple in my Halloween festivities.

This quick and easy recipe is a crowd pleaser for only $20 and can be served anywhere from children's parties to adult parties or just a festive treat to serve after a Fall Sunday dinner.

Here is what you will need:

2 packages(4 servings) of instant chocolate pudding

4 cups of skim milk

1 Large tub of light whipped topping(unthawed)

Package of Fall blend candy corn with pumpkins

20 chocolate sandwich cookies

6-8 milano cookies

Tube of decorating gel(black or red)

Marshmallow ghosts (optional)

Directions:

In large mixing bowl combine both packets of instant pudding with 4 cups of milk and blend with a whisk. Let pudding stand for 5 minutes or longer until it sets.

While pudding sets take 20 chocolate sandwich cookies and

smash into crumbs. Use a heavy pan to hit the cookies while inside a plastic bag to make the crumbs. Use hands to break down the rest.

After pudding sets fold in 3 cups (abo

ut 1/4 of the container) of thawed whipped topping into the pudding. Throughly blend to distribute topping evenly. Color should become lighter.

Next add 1/4 of the smashed cookies into the mix and blend together. Mixture will become thicker in consistency.

Take a 13 x 9 in pan and spread the pudding mixture evenly. Take remainder of cookie crumbs and spread evenly on top of mixture. Cover and refrigerate until serving. (Refrigerate 1 hour or more).

While pudding chills decorate milano cookies with decorating gel. Use short phrases like RIP or BOO. Or get creative and make funny tombstones. You can also draw pictures or make borders on cookies. Let gel dry on cookies.

To Decorate: place dried cookies into the cake 1/4 of the way through. Take candy corn and make a border around the pan in alternating colors to make a fence and scatter candy corn pumpkins around graveyard scene. Last to make ghosts use a spoon to dollop whipped topping on the cake, use gel to make eyes if desired. For a simpler solution to ghosts or to add to the cake, place marshmallow ghosts against cookie tombstones.

To Serve: Spoon portions on to plate and enjoy!

Take Me to the Movies

Unemployment can be tough on the wallet, but being a twenty something you still want to enjoy the things you always have.

So when your friends suggest heading out to the movies don't panic. There is a solution to the insanely high $10 to $12 dollar movie ticket prices.

Introducing Value Days! Regal Entertainment Group now has a weekday alternative to high priced movie stubs by providing its customers with Value Days. Every Tuesday moviegoers can see the flicks they want for only $6! Thats half the price of traditional tickets.

The best part? There is no catch! Just show up to your Regal theater of choice and see the movie you want at a more reasonable price. There are even discounts on concessions when signing up for their rewards card.

With movies like 50/50 and Ides of March in theaters theres no reason to wait until its $1 on Redbox with a deal like this! Tuesday movie days---make it your new thing!

**Simple Tips to Save You More**

To find out more go to http://www.regmovies.com/specialvalues

Now What??

Congratulations Class of 2011!

Graduating college had all of the excitement I expected it to have: walking across the stage, receiving my diploma and celebrating with my friends. But there was one thing that didn't seem to fit the picture. My status of unemployment. Now 4 months and a creeping load of debt later here I stand amongst the 9% of the U.S. population without jobs.

The New York Times described my current situation perfectly in the term they coined as "Generation Limbo." Us Gen L folks are recent college graduates stuck in the rut of debt while seeking our dream job(or any job really). However with the catch 22 of not having enough experience in an entry level job theres not a lot of wiggle room to get our foot in the door. Instead we are the part-time workers and the "funemployed" all waiting for our big break.

Realizing that my current new expertise was being unemployed I thought I would take the spare time, that I always seem to have, and put it to good use by sharing my tips on how to make the best of the current situation. On this blog I will share what I do to keep myself busy after the daily job search. I will share recipes, money saving tips, DIY decorating and entertaining ideas, entertainment news, article posts and more.

I know that I am not the only one out there feeling a bit defeated and I hope my blog will bring optimism to those in my shoes and will bring insight to those who are not.

So please follow me and read my blog! I'll be posting soon!