Uncategorized – Hoots of a Night Al

Fall Home Decor at Walmart

September 5, 2022 2 Comments

I have basically been ready for fall since May, so I am busting out the pumpkins and leaf garland ASAP over here! I made sure to check out the fall decor options at Walmart, since they have been stepping up their game the past year but have great prices. Click on the picture below to find links for all of the items pictured!

https://www.shopltk.com/explore/hootsofanightal/posts/a70b9279-20d2-11ed-92f0-0242ac110003

I tried to gather items that have a similar, traditional autumn feel. You could purchase any combination of these to create a cozy, fun, fall vibe in your house!

The stack of pumpkins would be perfect on a front porch to add height and whimsy. You can also incorporate the hay bales to add height for smaller items like real pumpkins, gourds, or lanterns.

A wreath or garland are perfect ways to dress up your front door for fall! I also love to use leaf garland on my mantel and incorporate fairy lights for a warm glow.

Also, a fun centerpiece is the easiest way to jazz up your dining table or coffee table in an instant. This pumpkin centerpiece is only $12, and it looks beautiful! This cream pumpkin option is only $10, and it would even look cute on a bookshelf, too!

I found some fun Halloween decorations at Walmart, if you’d like me to share those as well, let me know!

Happy shopping and happy (almost!) fall!

Ali

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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At Home Game Night with Hues and Cues

September 15, 2020 2 Comments

If you’re anything like me, you’re spending lots of extra time at home these days. For us, that has thankfully led to more family game nights! I was thrilled when The Op Games offered to send me a new game to test out, and I thought you’d enjoy hearing about it as well!

Hues and Cues is a vibrant game of colorful communication where players are challenged to make connections to colors with words. Using only one and two-word cues, players try to get others to guess a specific hue from the 480 colors on the game board. The closer the guesses are to the target, the more points you earn. Since everyone imagines colors differently, connecting colors and clues has never been this much fun!

As you can see, the gradient board is simply beautiful; all of the colors are a feast for the eyes! As someone that loves color, I found it so fun to describe all of the different hues. It was so interesting to see how everyone’s mind works differently. For example, if I say “apple,” do you picture red? Green? Yellow? What about “rose?” Pink? Yellow? Red? You can see how this game leads to fun discussions about how everyone sees the world a little differently!

Hues and Cues is meant to be played with 3-10 players aged 8 and up. Each game takes around 30 minutes, so at only $24.99, it’s the perfect addition to your family game nights! It can be a risk and a challenge to get enough people together for game nights these days. The good thing, is you can totally play Hues and Cues over video chat!

Even though the recommended age is 8 and up, I think this game could still be fun for younger kids who are learning their colors. They could team up with an older player, so the whole family can play together. The word association may even help them learn new colors quicker!

Overall, Hues and Cues is beautiful, simple to learn, and fun to play. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to add a new rotation to their game night! Follow the link above if you want to order your own, and thank you again to The OP Games for this thoughtful treat!

Beauty, Uncategorized

Best BeautyBlender Makeup Sponge Dupe! Sonia Kashuk Makeup Blender

September 26, 2018 No Comments

Lately, I’ve been on the hunt to find a replacement for my BeautyBlender. While I love that makeup sponge, it’s hard for me to spend $20 every time I need to replace it (which means I usually end up using it for MUCH longer than you’re supposed to… 🙈). Thankfully, I stumbled upon these Sonia Kashuk Makeup Blender sponges, and they’re only $7! I loved the idea of saving 65%, but only if the quality didn’t suffer.

My first thought was that I loved the chic design. It’s a black and white marble pattern, and I actually loved it so much I resisted using it for almost a month! I didn’t want my makeup to dirty it up.😂 It has a flat base perfect for applying foundation and a pointed tip great for areas like under the eyes and around the nose. If you remember, the Flower Beauty sponge didn’t have a tapered enough tip for me to apply makeup to those areas well, so I was hoping this sponge performed better.

As you can see, this thing is HUGE. Like, comically huge. I included my (quite dirty) BeautyBlender for comparison, and I’d estimate the Sonia Kashuk sponge is almost twice as large. On the left is the sponge dry, and on the right is the sponge after I dampened it. If you aren’t familiar with beauty sponges, most of them are recommended to be used when damp. When wet, they absorb less product and allow for a more even, sheer application.

I ended up loving how huge the sponge was, since it cut down my application time by almost half! My foundation and concealer went on smoothly, and the sponge worked great with my setting powder as well. I pumped my favorite foundation directly on the sponge, and I used less product than usual but got wonderful results. Even though the tapered side was large, the shape was still perfect for using under my eyes and around my nose.

No exaggeration here, people. This is my favorite makeup sponge I have ever tried…BeautyBlender included. As far as I can tell, it’s only sold at Target, which is an added perk as I’ll take any excuse to go there! For a fraction of the cost, perfectly applied makeup, a quicker application time, and a beautiful design, I couldn’t ask for anything better! This will definitely be my new go to makeup sponge!🙌🏻 Do you have any other BeautyBlender dupes I need to try out? Comment below and let me know!

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A Farewell to my Baby Tooth.

June 18, 2015 3 Comments

Dear Baby Tooth,

I’m sorry we finally had to part ways. You were so faithful and dutiful. It wasn’t your fault that a permanent tooth never developed to replace you. You just carried on amongst your bigger peers as though you were meant to be there.

I’ve seen you getting grayer over the years. The x-rays showed what I always feared; your roots were dwindling. Some dentists told me I needed to have you pulled. Some dentists said you could last my entire life wedged between my other teeth. I felt like you were in it for the long haul. That was until we met with Dr. Gies. (Pronounced ‘geese’…may or may not be pictured below.)

He took some ~~glamour shots~~ photos up close that displayed my worst fear. You were decaying. He said over time you would probably spread your decay to my other teeth and then crumble away. I didn’t want to admit it to you, but I knew it was time to say farewell.

I made the appointment, and the following morning, we had a little photoshoot together before heading into surgery.

Some numbing gel, oral sedation pills, shots, and nitrous oxide (what? I was nervous!) later, Dr. Gies placed the forceps around you and removed you from me forever. Minutes later, I had an implant screwed into my jawbone and a temporary tooth attached.

Just know that even once my implant is osseointegrated and I get my new porcelain crown, nothing will ever take your place in my mouth. We smiled together, enjoyed delicious meals together, and made so many memories. You were with me before any of my other permanent teeth, and I’ll never forget you.

Thanks for everything, baby tooth. <3

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100.

October 19, 2014 8 Comments

100 posts I’ve written here,
Of things that interest me.
100 different posts to read,
And more pictures to see.

The topics that I wrote about,
Have ranged both far and wide.
From city to city and state to state,
It has been quite a ride.

My Beauty Blurbs contain reviews
Of makeup products tried.
I love to share things that I loved!
(Lack of makeup skills aside…)

Sometimes I write of Disney,
My favorite place to be.
The parks, the shows, the rides and food,
Things are better shaped like Mickey.

Occasionally I cook a bit,
Though the kitchen’s not my domain.
I’ve shared a couple of recipes,
Easy enough they didn’t drive me insane.

Here and there I travel around,
Louis is always there, too.
Whether it’s close to home or far away,
I try to share it with you!

Hoots of a Night Al has been fun,
Thank you kindly for reading each post!
I’m very happy to have you around,
I hope I’m an adequate host!

I have some exciting things coming up,
That I can’t wait to share.
Come back soon to read more posts,
Until then, please take care!

See you soon!

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