Fiesta Friday/Real Party - Sugar And Spice Autumn Baby Shower

I'm taking a break from holiday posting to share the baby shower I helped with back in October (yikes how time flies!) A dear friend is having another baby,  her first baby in over a decade,  and I needed it to remind me why I'm not having any more babies.  Love her like Della Reese's Pieces, but she's around my age and just thinking about being pregnant again is exhausting.

Hanukkah 2012

Next Saturday, December 8, marks the beginning of Hanukkah and in the flurry that is the madness of Christmas season,  I can't forget my Jewish peeps!

Hanukkah is a joyful holiday that comes with its own rituals, foods, games, songs and stories which makes it easy to throw a party. Here's a round up of great ideas to help you and your family celebrate  The Festival Of Lights.

I love this DIY and kid-friendly menorah from Yum Food & Fun For Kids; it uses battery-operated votives found at any party store and candles made from plastic hair rollers covered in colored paper!

A lovely dining room setting from HGTV...although I'm a little iffy on the Christmas tree. I know it's for those who celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, but still...

A Hanukkah playdate from Libby Lane Press.

Download free printables from Printabelle on Catch My Party.

Check out Williams-Sonoma's guide including Ina Garten's menu and tips on hosting a latke party.

Need more inspiration? Flashback to past posts...

Last year's is chockful of beautiful tablesettings.

A great cookie menorah and printable round-up in Put On Your Yamulke, Here Comes Hanukkah.

Martha's Festival Of Lights.

Another awesome round up in Eight Crazy Nights.

Tuesday Tip - Brewing Up With Mr. Coffee® Café Latte Review

With the holidays in full swing, it's time to add another weapon to your arsenal.  Actually, it is perfect year round but you'll really want one now.  Especially if you a. love your coffee and b. spending $3-$4 on one at your favorite coffee spot hurts your soul.

My husband is the morning-coffee drinker at our house and being that he leaves butt-crack early for work, it's a necessity.  But we have a sad, little (and I kid you not, sheer coincidence) Mr. Coffee® 4-cup coffee maker.  When friends come to visit, they bring their fancy-schmancy coffee and espresso machines because they know better.   So, when I was offered the chance to try the new Mr. Coffee® Café Latte, I jumped.

Tuesday Tip - RetailMeNot Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

Not only is Thanksgiving in two days, but the next day begins the craziest shopping time, Black Friday! According to a recent survey, consumers expect to spend an average of $171 per person on gifts this holiday season, yikes!

Today's post may help you bring down that dollar amount! RetailMeNot.com, the largest online coupon site in the United States, is your number one resource holiday season. Their mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. The RetailMeNot team will be working around the clock to bring you the hottest coupons, deals and promotional codes from their database of 500,000+ coupons from tens of thousands of merchants!

Fall Y'all On Pinterest

Can you believe November is almost over? For me, anyways...after Thanksgiving it's simply 'Christmas' until December 25.  If you are looking to prolong autumn or need a few last minute ideas for Thanksgiving, check out my Fall Y'all Pinterest board.  Here are a few of my favorites...

Fiesta Friday - Lumberjack Fiestas

Nothing screams fall like being in the woods and roughin' it!  But it's perfect all year round; a woodsy theme is perfect for the man/boy/man boy who insisted no tissue poms  for decoration. Don't worry, there are plenty of details to take care of your party fix.

West Elm Holiday Entertaining 2012

I am a big fan of West Elm so I was more than thrilled for the opportunity to share their holiday entertaining guide.  Have you heard of them? They are part of the Pottery Barn/Williams-Sonoma family, so think of them as the hip older sister.

Minted's First Inspiration Board Challenge

A Merry And Colorful Christmas board by Dawn. See more Minted.com

I'm excited to introduce Minted's first Minted's Inspiration Board Challenge!  Readers get the chance to create a beautiful inspiration board inspired by one of Minted's Holiday Cards.

Fiesta Friday/Real Party - Flurry Of Fun Boy Bash On A Budget

I love a good challenge and Stephanie of Spaceships & Laserbeams has a great one going, the Boy Bash On A Budget. Participants must put together a tablescape for $20 or a dessert table for $50 and use any of the SSLB shop themes. There have been so many amazing submissions and I've been dying for a hole to open up in my schedule so I could join in on the fun!

No one had used her Flurry Of Fun collection for the challenge, so of course, perfect timing! It's a fun collection and of course, there are so many snowman ideas out there! It was hard not to throw everything into it, but that is what partying on a budget is all about; focus on what you can afford.

ShopStyle's Grand Redesign Review

I so love being in the know...when I was offered the chance to have an early, exclusive, sneaky peek at ShopStyle's redesign before it went live today, how could I say no? I've been a big fan, and excited to see what changes they had on the horizon.

Fiesta Friday (On A Wednesday) - Did You Know It's Movember?

The breasts may have October, but the prostates have November! What the devil is Movember? Check out my Today's Mama's post for all thing mo-tastic and find out how you can support your local Mo Bros or Mo Sistas.

Tuesday Tip: Entertaining With White Tableware

I get a lot of emails about what I use when I entertain, and I thought to myself, 'Self, you should have a post or two where those questions can be answered'.  So today I'm sharing a few of my secrets, starting with today's tip...white tableware.

It is always a safe bet; white serving dishes allow the colors of the food to stand out and can be used with any color palette or party theme.  Here are my 'basic black' go-to pieces; as you can see, you can find great, affordable pieces everywhere and make those pieces multi-task!

Drink Of The Week - Cranberry Sparkler

I hope you remembered to roll your clocks back today, or you will be an hour early everywhere! We are now on the official Thanksgiving countdown and today's D.O.W. is ready to get you started.  This very lovely Cranberry Sparkler from Tokyo Terrace has 5 variations that can carry you through any holiday party. Visit for all the recipes...

Fiesta Friday - Election Themed Fiestas

Can you believe it's been 4 years since we elected President Obama? I still remember Election Night, the crazy excitement of it all! In a few days, we'll be going through it all again, so of course I had to do a special Fiesta Friday inspiration board for your own Election Night party!

How sweet is Wren For President's first birthday featured at On To Baby?