Curly Q Design has some adorable gifts for babies and children, including personalized onesie and hat sets, tshirts, bibs, burpie cloths, blankets, and tooth fairy pillows.

They have lots of cute, coordinating fabrics and appliques, and they have a number of cute fonts so that you can get your perfect, personalized look!

And for those without small children, Curly Q Design offers other personalized gifts like these amazingly cute travel mugs.

My husband loves chocolate Hostess Cupcakes.  As a kid I was always partial the yellow orange-flavored ones myself, but now I’ve grown to love the chocolate too.  A few weeks ago I found this recipe on The Brown Eyes Have It.  And I just had to try it out!

These were very delicious! And they tasted quite similar to the Hostess ones, maybe even better! You should definitely give them a try!

Cupcakes: For the cupcakes I used a Devil’s Food Cake Mix and baked as directed. The only change I made was to add a few spoon fulls of sour cream. This makes the cupcakes come out extra moist! 

1 cup whipped vanilla frosting 

1/2 cup marshmallow creme 

Frosting: 

1 cup whipped chocolate frosting 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

2 tsp. corn syrup 

3 Tbsp. whipped vanilla frosting (for the loops) 

Directions: Bake cupcakes. Cool completely. (I placed my in the freezer to speed up the process)

Using a cupcake corer or the end of round handle of wooden spoon, make a deep opening in the center of the cupcakes. 

In small bowl, mix 1 cup vanilla frosting and the marshmallow creme. Place in a piping bag (if you don’t have one, use a sandwich bag with a corner clipped off).  Insert tip of bag into each cupcake and squeeze bag to fill.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate frosting, chocolate chips and corn syrup uncovered on high for 30 seconds or till melted.  Stop the microwave every 15 to 30 seconds and stir to prevent scorching. Once the chips are melted, stir well. Dip the top of each cupcake in the frosting. Let stand until frosting is set.  

Then take remaining white frosting and pipe the loops on to the cupcake tops.

The Signature line of Julian & Co  is the baby hand and feet jewelry adorned with Tania’s son Julian’s own hand and feet prints.  But the company has expanded to carry many more pieces like their Silhouette Insignia, initial jewelry, religious jewelry, and more!

I’ve been scrambling around doing some last minute Halloween decorating, which reminds me how much easier the holidays are when you organize and plan ahead.  So today I’m posting some holiday planning tips.

1.  Buy Now.  I know it’s tempting to hit all those great holiday sales.  But unless your looking to get a great deal on toys and big ticket items, I recommend that you start shopping now.  There’s a relative calm in the stores right now, but a month from now there will be chaos as the Christmas shoppers fill the aisles. So buy as many gift items (and even holiday grocery supplies) as you can before Thanksgiving.

2.  Cyber Monday. Another way to avoid the long lines at the store is to skip the Black Friday sale, and do your shopping via the internet on Cyber Monday.

3. Christmas Cards.  Get an early start on your Christmas cards.  Online sources like Storkie allow you to order personalized, festive Christmas cards in classic and contemporary styles.

4. Gift List.  Lists are such a helpful tool for organizing. Each year I write down the names of everyone I have to get a gift for.  Next to each name I write down some gift ideas I have in mind for that person, and on this same sheet I plan out my budget.

5. Thrift Store Decor. I’m always finding great deals on Christmas decorations at the thrift stores. There may be a lot to sort through, but you can often find really good Christmas balls, ornaments, and even some cute wreaths. The thrift store is also a great place to find craft supplies to make your own Christmas decor.

6. Menu Planning. If you do a lot of cooking around the holidays, it’s good to plan your menu.  Even if you just make a few dishes to carry to potlucks, you can greatly simplify the task by writing down what you plan to make, and then creating your holiday grocery list ahead of time.

7. Gift Wrapping.  Get plenty of wrapping paper, tape, bags, and other supplies so that you don’t have to make extra trips to the store. Be sure to get an entire roll of paper or a giant gift bag for large children’s gifts.  Also, reuse bags when you can, and shop for your supplies at the dollar store to save money.

8. Make a Calendar. Use your planner or print out special calendars for November and December so that you can write down dates for parties, Christmas pageants, and events that you and your family will participate in. 

9. Holiday Chore List. Make a list or use your calendar to organize and plan all the holiday chores that need to be done: decorating, cooking for a particular event, cleaning house, etc.

10. Sales and Coupons. If you can’t buy now, be sure to plan your holiday shopping around sales and coupons. Companies that sell baking supplies and other seasonal items will soon start issuing coupons for the holiday season. Also, places like Hobby Lobby have lots of great Christmas stuff, and they have sales every week, so it’s easy to get a good deal if you just plan ahead.  

If you’re a regular visitory to my blog, you probably know that I’m participating in A Harvest Halloween Blog Tour, hosted by Savey Spender.

For the giveaway, I’ve got a great Harvest Halloween prize pack with items from 4 different Etsy shops!

Prize: Posh Props is offering their Fall Pumpkin Beanie to the winner. ($22 value)

Prize: Peach Tea Couture is offering any Halloween onesie or t-shirt of the winner’s choice. ($16 value)

Paramore Art Works is a great shop that that sells vintage-inspired, handmade gift tags and word banners. And for your Halloween decorating fun, they have some unique potion bottles and goblets. And they even have witches’ wands!

Prize: Paramore Art Works is offering a potion bottle of “Moon Dust” decorated with crusty gauze, twine, moss, and a spider. ($12 value)

Enjoy the rest of the hop!