With your Thanksgiving guest arriving next week, why not dress up your front door to welcome them in for the get-together? We’ve got some easy ideas on how to create a welcoming path for your guests!

Wreaths

Hanging a pretty wreath on your front door is a great way to create a welcoming beacon to your home. You can always buy one, but it doesn’t take much longer just to make one!  Head on over to your local crafts store for inspiration, ideas and supplies.

A simple and inexpensive twig or grapevine leaf can be the form of your wreath.

Using the grapevine wreath as your basis, you can get really creative with the project. You can use faux–or real–fruits and leaves of the season on your wreath by merely hot gluing them onto the wreath in a pretty pattern. Oranges, cranberries, and holly are all good to use. Or, glue pieces of dried corn husks and wheat to the wreath.

A really unique, beautiful and functional idea is to create a birdseed wreath. You’ll only need a few materials, and it’s actually a quick and easy project.

Swags

An even easier way to dress up your door is to make a quick swag to hang on your front door. Items you might consider using include dried wheat and cornhusks. You can even add in some dried or faux sunflowers. Simple tie a pretty and festive ribbon around the bunch, tie to the door and Voila! You’re all done! What could be easier?

Cornucopias

You can make a simple cornucopia to hang on your front door by using a natural sap bucket, wicker cornucopia basket or cone shaped tin can. Use dried flowers, faux fruits, pinecones and grasses in your cornucopia.

Other Ways to Welcome Guests In

-Decorate your front steps with gourds and potted Autumn plants like Chrysanthemum
-Get your kids to help make simple pumpkin cutouts or turkey crafts to decorate windows with
-Use kids crafts like these garden turkeys in flower beds
-Fill wicker baskets with faux lowers, fruits and cornhusks, tie with a pretty bow and leave on your front steps or porch
-Make a scarecrow with old clothes, a pillow, a hat and straw
-Set out bales of hay with gourds on top and beside them

We hope we’ve provided you with some fun, festive, affordable ways to welcome your Thanksgiving guest in. Happy crafting!

When it comes to hanging on to the beauty of fresh flowers, you have several options. You can dry or press your flowers; both of these methods yield gorgeous results. Another way to preserve your flowers is to wax them. Wax flowers are beautiful and lend themselves to all sorts of crafts, decorations and projects. It is actually an easy process–read on for details!

What You’ll Need:
Double boiler
Fresh Flowers
Scissors
Spoon
Toothpick
Tweezers
Tray lined with parchment paper
Paraffin wax
Thermometer
Floral foam
Rubber bands
Small cup (optional)
Display dome (optional)
Candle pillar (optional)

1. Use fresh flowers that are completely opened. Flowers with firm petals are best—delicate petals disintegrate. Good choices include roses and lilies.

2. Melt a pound of paraffin wax in a double boiler. Keep in Mind: Never melt paraffin directly over a flame!

3. Temperature is key here. Heat wax to 130 to 150 degrees. Maintain the ideal temperature throughout process with a thermometer. Wax will not coat flowers effectively at a low temperature and a higher temperature will scorch them.

4. Cut all flower stems to at least 2 to 3 inches.

5. Take your fresh flowers, holding each flower by the stem end and dip the flower head completely into wax. When waxing them, you will want to use a slight angle instead of straight on, and be sure not to touch the sides of the double boiler. Immediately lift out, allowing excess wax to drip into pot. If you’re waxing a flower with many petals you might want to spoon wax into flower middle to fully cover. When waxing small blooms you can insert a toothpick into the center and dip into wax, or use tweezers.

6. Cool the flowers by placing each blossom’s stem in floral foam or on its side on a parchment-paper-lined tray. It will cool and harden completely in 5 minutes. Be sure to handle the flowers carefully!

7. Now it’s time to finish the process by waxing the stems. When the blooms have hardened, wax their stems by holding the bloom this time and dipping the stem in wax.

8. You have endless options when it comes to displaying these waxed flowers. You can showcase them on their own, make cards with them, display them in a centerpiece, use them when wrapping a gift, arrange around a candle…the sky is the limit! One way you can showcase them is to display them in a simple, small cup and put them under a glass display dome or bell jar. Just snip your flowers to a few different lengths and secure with a rubber band. Fill the small cup with floral foam and—using care—arrange the flowers in the cup. You can add decorations like ornaments if you wish.

Enjoy, and stop back by for more tips about how to showcase the beauty of flowers!

Life’s short–that’s why it is so important to let those around us know how we feel. It’s the little things we do that make a difference.

Why not let someone special in your life know how much you appreciate all they do? There’s nothing like a heartfelt surprise to add a little sunshine to any day. Read on for a few ideas about how to do just that!

1. Your Sweetheart

There’s no reason to wait until special occasions to let your true love how much you care. Why not surprise that special someone with a bouquet of beautiful flowers delivered right to their home or office for no other reason except to let them know how much you love them? Pretty multi-colored roses are a sweet choice; cheerful daisies are a sunny option, or choose Stargazer lilies for their sweet fragrance and beautiful pink blossoms.

2. Your Mom

She’s always there for you–why not show her your appreciation, gratitude, respect and love? Don’t just wait until Mother’s Day or her birthday! A great idea is to send her a flower arrangement that captures the feeling of the season. For example, this Rustic Autumn bouquet is a festive choice for the season.

3. Your Best Friend

Your friends are there for thick and thin, but it’s easy to take them for granted. Sending your BFF flowers out of the blue will definitely let him or her know just how much you appreciate their friendship! Take time to choose an arrangement that reflects their personality. This Go Green bouquet exudes modern style.

4. A Crush

Single? Have you had your eye on someone for a while and are too shy to make a move? Here’s an idea: send a pretty flower arrangement with a note asking for a little bit of her time. Be sure to choose something casual–don’t choose a huge arrangement of red roses! This sunny arrangements of bright sunflowers is a perfect choice.

We hope we’ve given you some ideas about how to surprise someone special in your life! So, get to it!

Did you know that people have been dressing up for Halloween for around 2,000 years? Historians think that the ancient Celts, who founded many of the Halloween traditions we still practice today, would dress in costume on the night of Oct. 31 to disguise themselves from spirits of the dead roaming around. These days, most of us probably aren’t worried about encountering unfriendly ghosts on Halloween night, but picking the perfect costume is still of utmost importance.

Kids’ Costumes

For kids, Halloween costumes go hand-in-hand with trick-or-treating. Since boys and girls will probably be walking around in their costumes all night, parents should keep safety in mind when helping them pick one out. Adorable superheroes and fairy princess should make sure that their capes and dresses aren’t dragging along the ground. Any fancy footwear should also fit well and not pose any tripping hazards. In addition, masks can block visibility, so makeup might be a safer alternative.

This year, the National Retail Federation predicts that the five most popular kids’ Halloween costumes will be princess, witch, Spider Man, pirate and pumpkin. Other classic characters such as cowboys, rock stars, athletes and animals are also cute choices.

Adult Costumes

Dressing up isn’t just for kids, however. More than 50 million American adults donned Halloween costumes in 2008. When selecting a costume, older partygoers should first consider where they’ll be wearing it. Halloween shindigs in a family or work atmosphere call for more all-ages outfits like famers and friendly witches. But if you’re heading to an adults-only fiesta, the sky’s the limit.

If you’re interested in a unique Halloween getup, you might want to stay away from the most popular adult costumes. For 2009, those are witches, vampires, clowns, pirates and wenches. Can’t think of anything interesting to be? Maybe a personality from a favorite movie, television show or band could be fun to dress up as. Or, perhaps political figures, famous couples or supernatural creatures (zombies, ghosts, etc.) are more up your alley.

Once you’ve come up with the right Halloween costume idea, think of ways to personalize it. Wigs, makeup, fake teeth and prosthetics can all transform a generic dress up outfit into a one-of-a-kind costume. Just don’t get spooked about being creative and get into the true spirit of Halloween!

It’s 9:00 in the morning. You walk into the office, headed for your cube. As you walk down the rows, nobody stops to say Good Morning. Flashforward to lunch. Nobody asks you to go to lunch with them, so you end up eating in the break room all by yourself while other co-workers chat at tables around you. As 5:00 closes in, you hear the buzz about Happy Hour. As your colleagues head out, nobody invites you.

Sound familiar? Do you feel a little like the odd one out at your office? Are you having flashbacks to the middle school cafeteria? No worries–turn that frown upside down! Here are some tips to win more friends at work. And be sure to smile–after all, nobody likes a case of the Mondays!

1. Bring Donuts!
Don’t forget to bring enough for everyone in your area. Put them in a central location, then be sure to let people around you know.

2. Smile and say “Good Morning!”
Seriously, this works. Oh, and attaching that with their name and a little conversation like “How’s it going?” Or, “Any weekend plans?” is always a good thing.

3. Learn the art of the segue!
A segue is defined as “smooth transition from one topic or section to the next”. So, when you have to discuss a work topic or upcoming project with a co-worker, take advantage of this opportunity! If you’re at their desk and you see a picture of their dog, then let them know how cute the dog is and ask questions–about the breed, how old he is, if he’s playful, etc. etc. Take any opportunity you can to make conversation.

4. Make the most of meetings
Ok, so let’s face it–most of us hate meetings. Especially 8:00 Monday morning meetings, or 4:00 Friday meetings! But take advantage of having a group of your co-workers together by starting up a conversation before or after the meeting. With the exception of 8:00 meetings, of course…

5. Cook something and bring it in
Bring out your inner Betty Crocker–or Pllsbury dougboy–and cook something to bring into the group. Whether it’s your Grandma’s homemade oatmeal cookies or brownies out of a box, it’s the thought the counts. Let your co-workers know to help themselves.

6. Compliment!
Who doesn’t like a compliment? Find opportunities to–sincerely–compliment your co-workers. For example, if you’re in the elevator with a co-worker and you like her handbag, let her know. Or, if you are in the parking lot and a co-worker pulls up in a shiny new car he just bought, make conversation and let him know how much you like it. This will lend itself to an entire conversation. This works best for co-workers of the same gender…after all, you’ll sound creepy if you’re a guy complimenting a woman’s handbag!

7. Participate!
If your office does community outreach, then participate. If someone is selling Girl Scout cookies, then buy them. If there is a collection in for a wedding gift, then pitch in. You get the point–don’t be a Debbie Downer!

8. Lure them with candy
Are you noticing a theme here? Put a huge, overflowing candy bowl on your desk just wait. This will definitely make your desk more popular!

8. Offer to get coffee
Headed to Starbucks? Then ask a few co-workers immediately around you or on your team if you can get them anything. Stopping by the supply closet? Ask if anyone needs a new legal pad or pen. You get the point!

10. Be outgoing!
Don’t be a wallflower! If you’re in the break room, don’t just sit there eating your ham sandwich all alone and looking all forlorn. Ask a table next to you “Mind if I join you guys?” And, join in their conversation instead of being silent. Say you’ve noticed someone you think you would have a lot in common with–for example, you’ve heard him/her talk about a band you also like. Well, don’t be shy, ask him or her to lunch! It’s as easy as “Hey, wanna grab some lunch?” It never hurts to try!

Now, get out there and make use of these awesome tips! Oh, and I’ll take a grande Vanilla Latte.

Fall is here, and so are the wonderful outdoor activities it brings with it–like hiking, camping and biking. But as the weather cools off and the days get shorter, getting out of bed is getting that much harder. The urge to snuggle up on the couch with a good book or movie is starting to get more appealing than going out on the town. Don’t fight the urge–get comfy! Read on for some inspiration.

Warm up with yummy Fall recipes

The summer days of frozen margaritas and ice cream are slowly but surely transitioning to hot cider and apple pie. If you’re a gardener, you may be harvesting your tomatoes and peppers now. Why not use some of the fruits of your labor–or of the grocery store–and try one of the comfort-food recipes below tonight?

1. Chili

There are as many variations of chili as there are tastes. The basic, core ingredients are pretty much standard though: tomatoes, peppers, onions, chili powder and beans. Of course, many of us choose to include meat–usually ground beef or turkey–but there are many flavorful meatless versions. You’ll find a quick and easy chili recipe here; for you more advanced chefs here is a recipe with more exotic ingredients, including chocolate! Do you have a chili recipe you swear by? Post it in the comments to share!

2. Chicken soup

With Fall marking the start of the cold and flu season, it’s always good to get your daily dose of vitamin C. But, if you do happen to fall sick then nothing is better that some homemade chicken soup–although it’s delicious even if you aren’t sick! Be sure to load yours with tons of nutritious vegetables!

3. Pot roast

This pot roast recipe is cooked in a slow-cooker, so it simmers all day and you come home to a delicious meal that sticks to your ribs! Serve with bread for a delicious and quick weeknight meal.

4. Apple pie

The ultimate in comfort-food deserts! Although there are a ton of more unique–and time consuming– versions out there, here is a tried-and-true old fashioned apple pie recipe. Serve it over ice cream for a real treat!

5. Hot chocolate

Sure–instant hot cocoa is always yummy and convenient, but nothing beats homemade hot chocolate! Pair with some classic sugar cookies–either from scratch or a mix–yum!

Curl Up on the Couch with a Good Book

Snuggling up on the couch with a good book is always comforting. Although it’s always nice to enjoy a good movie, we sometimes forget about books. Learn something new, read an interesting biography, a suspenseful mystery or a page-turning novel. Get some inspiration from the New York Times Bestseller List or Amazon. And don’t forget about your local library! It’s a wonderful–and free!–source for books, music and movies.

Learn to Knit or Crochet

Did you know that knitting is cool now? Well, it is! Knitting books with cool patterns and easy-to-follow instructions and knitting ‘parties’ have sparked a resurgence in this pastime. Try it–it’s fun! I won’t lie; it’s not as easy as it looks. But the payoff is great! And it’s very calming to sit on the couch and knit up a cozy creation. Start with a basic scarf–take it from me and my beginning disasters!

Fun & Games

Take out that dusty old Scrabble and Monopoly and enjoy a fun night with friends or family.

Movie Marathon

On a rainy–or just lazy–day, there’s nothing better than watching movies on the couch. So, put your chores off for once (the dishes will just get dirty again and the leaves will just keep falling!), clear your day, grab someone you’d like to snuggle up with, and have a movie marathon! Don’t forget the popcorn.

We hope we’ve inspired you to slow down, relax and get comfy!

You rejoice in your manliness—whether it means flexing in the mirror to show off your ‘guns’, ordering that single malt scotch to let the ladies know you’re a man of fine taste, bragging about your golf game to anyone who will listen, or making sure to rev your engine when at a red light. But what’s in your manly web-toolbox?

Ok, so you have every Van Halen album on vinyl—but does your iPod have any songs in rotation that were released in the last decade? Maybe you strive to be a saint by sending your lady roses every anniversary, but do you really think she wants to receive the same red roses every single year of your marriage? Perhaps you’re wearing the same ripped up Old Navy cargo shorts from 2006. You may think they look fine, but do you really think the ladies do? You can recite every engine spec for the Trans Am you drove in 1979, but do you know what the manliest cars are on the market today?

Have no fear, Gentlemen! I’m here to provide you with a strictly objective list of what sites you should be reading, bookmarking and digesting. From music to news to TV to cars to how to woo the ladies, I’m here as your neutral—and non-manly—tour guide. Become a better man: read on!

Manliness

What manly man couldn’t always strive for even more manliness? Check out these sites that give you the skills to pay the bills.

Art of Manliness
The Art of Manliness is a virtual hub for all things manly. The site covers areas such as Dress and Grooming, Money and Career, Relationships and Family, Health, and more—all packaged up in a fittingly manly-designed site. Check out the Manly Skills area for tips about everything from building basement shelves to tying a proper knot.

American Mustache Institute
Need I say more?

Men’s Health
Required reading for men everywhere, this staple covers fitness, style, women and more.

Man Institute
The Man Institute bills itself as “Your Source for Everything Manly”—you decide if it lives up to such a bold statement. A variety of topics is covered, including funny pranks, manly movies and Man Myths. Take a gander.

Marvel and DC

Real Men Still Read Comics!

Cars

Are you a motor-head? Whether your passion is for muscle cars, tricked out imports, shiny new sports cars, rugged utility vehicles, or flatbed pickups, I’ve put together a reading list for you.

Jalopnik
Jalopnik is the big daddy of car sites. If you are ‘Obsessed with The Cult of Cars’—as so many of us humans are—then you this is definitely the site for you and you’re slipping if you aren’t currently reading. Car reviews, new cars, classic cars, car crime, car news, car gadgets…they’ve got it all under one roof, or should I say, one server.

Car and Driver
Your favorite car magazine is online and ready to dish out car buying tips, reviews, news and more.

AutoTrader
How could I forget–this is a no brainer! Do your car research, sell your car buy a new or used car…we all know AutoTrader is your one stop site.

Ladies

Ok, so maybe you don’t want to admit it, but what manly man doesn’t need a little help in the ladies department? I’m here to tell you that there’s always room for improvement, guys.

FromYouFlowers.com
Ok, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that we ladies love to get flowers. But, did you know that many of us find red roses passé? Send tulips, orchids, lilies and other unique choices to really get her swooning. And—please!—don’t just send her flowers only on anniversaries, birthday, and to express your apology for your most recent mistake. Send your lovely lady flowers on an ordinary day and watch her melt like butter.

Rouxbe
How can you get even more brownie points other than sending flowers? Cook her dinner! Rouxbe touts itself as the first online cooking school. More than just recipes, it has videos that actually show you how to prepare the meals. Very cool.

Need some romantic date ideas? Check out the next blog entry for the ultimate summertime date list.

Sports

Pick your passion—golf, baseball, football, mixed martial arts, basketball…these sites have got you covered.

ESPN
The granddaddy!

SI
More than just the swimsuit issue, SI has always been a tried and true source of real-time sports info, news and more.

Fantasy Football

If you aren’t already wasting—I mean, joyfully spending— hours of time on Fantasy Football, sign up here. Football season is right around the corner—do you have your fantasy team together yet?

UFC
The popularity of the extremely manly sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting has skyrocketed—to put it lightly—in the last few years. UFC is the ultimate—no pun intended—authority on MMA fighting. Packing thousands of screaming fans into every fight venue, the UFC has turned itself into an absolute worldwide phenomenon and has also brought on a successful empire of apparel, magazines, reality shows….even jewelry! Start at the source for your UFC fix.

Extreme
All things extreme sports are covered on this powerhouse of a site.

Shopping
It’s time to throw out those old and ratty and cargo shorts and sweat-stained t-shirts, fellas. Impress the ladies with some new fly threads and decent skincare.

Uncrate
This cleanly designed site covers all kinds of essentials spanning gear, entertainment, manly products and more.

Banana Republic
Dress to impress with this classic—and somewhat affordable—source for quality apparel. Whether you’re looking for the perfect suit, softest t-shirt, or a new pair of jeans, stop by for a solid collection of wardrobe essentials.

Kiehl’s
Carrying high quality men’s essential products since 1851, you cannot ever go wrong with Kiehl’s. An absolute standby for shaving cream, soap, cleanser, shampoo and more, they’ve got everything you need to look and smell good! Sure beats Irish Spring…

Men.Style.com
Check out this stylistically created website to really impress with the latest looks off the runway.

Music

From 8 tracks to vinyl to tapes to CDs to MP3s, the music industry sure has come a long way. If you can’t live without music then check out this list of essential music reading—and listening.

Pandora
In my humble opinion, Pandora is the coolest music website to emerge in the past few years. Completely customizable, Pandora lets you listen to the music you love and even find out new music based on your favorites. And their awesome mobile application lets you listen to your favorite artists on the go. A must!

Rolling Stone
An oldie but a goody! Music news, interviews, reviews and more are solid—and their interviews are always unique and compelling.

Hypem
Hypem scours the web for the hottest music blogs—then compiles the results all in one place. A search engine for music blogs with a cool user interface and handy media player, this site is sure to please.

Technology

There has never been a better time to be a nerd! Geek chic has gone worldwide and the evidence is everywhere you look—music, fashion, movies and more. Celebrities are Tweeting and your Grandma’s on Facebook. Embrace your inner geek—after all, geeks shall inherit the earth!

Slashdot
“News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters.” Indeed! Catch up on all the latest gadgets and news here.

Mashable
If you work on the web, you need to be reading this site. Social media news, tips and more, the site is chock full of information.

TechCrunch
A standby bookmark for techies everywhere.

Games Radar
Get your game on with reviews, articles and previews, all written from a true gamer’s perspective!

Family

Great Dad
The ultimate sign of a manly man is—without a doubt—being a great dad. And this site is full of helpful articles, resources and tips from the unique fatherly point of view. A must read for dads everywhere!

News

Turn off The Family Guy and catch up on the latest news so you can actually have an informed conversation about world events!

NPR
One of my all time favorite sites all around, NPR is overflowing with articles and news—National, Music, Life and Global—and has tons of really cool features, like listening online, podcasts and more. An absolute must on your bookmarks list!

BBC
Essential news website to help you stay informed.

Movies and TV

Hulu
How awesome is it to watch your favorite TV shows online?! And, even cooler, they are FREE! You’re slipping if you don’t have this site bookmarked.

Rotten Tomatoes
Movie reviews and more—you may not always agree with them, but the ‘Tomatometer’ is a cool concept nonetheless!

Movies.com
Find showtimes, trailers, reviews and more on this hub for movie fans.

Whew—I’m worn out from scouring the web for all things manly! I’m sure I’ve left out quite a few–after all, I am a girl–so speak up fellas. Tell me your favorite required reading. Class dismissed—go back to your whiskey, cigars, and pumping iron.