5 Frightfully Cute Ideas To BOO Your Neighbors

In 2009, we were told by the US Army to report to Fort Campbell, KY. We arrived to Gandy Court in July of that year, and quickly made friends with our new neighbors. What we weren't prepared for was the fun, annual traditions that would come from living there for three years. The first of many was getting BOO'ed by our neighbors. Have you ever been BOO'ed?? 

We were sitting at the table enjoying dinner, and we had a knock at the door. When we opened the door, no one was there. But, on our front porch was a basket full of FUN Halloween goodies! Every year that we were there, we were BOO'ed by our neighbors. And, we joined in and began BOO'ing our neighbors, too. 

What keeps one house from being BOO'ed more than once? When you get a spooky, but FUN package on your doorstep, you put a sign on your door. This way the fun can spread throughout the neighborhood, and no one gets BOO'ed twice. Fun, right?!?

I've gathered a few FRIGHTFULLY cute ideas for you. These will give you some helpful tips on what to put in your BOO basket.  But, you can put whatever you'd like in it. Make it fun. Gear it towards the family you're BOO'ing. 

This idea from Eighteen25 is genius! I never thought to add a balloon to your basket, so the unsuspecting recipients see it when they look out the peephole. BOO!

This BOO basket is geared towards the kids in the neighboring family. Grab some stickers, a juice cup, and some silly straws, and you're all set!

The idea of a cone-shaped "basket" is unique. You could hang this on the door for the neighbor to come home to after work. Sometimes people need a nice surprise after a hard days work.

If you don't have a basket, you can use a colored paper bag. Add some scrap paper, buttons for eyes and draw on a few details. The cutest, spookiest BOO gift of all!

Are you crafty? Grab some scrapbooking paper, ruffled ribbon, make a small sign for the front, and you've got yourself the cutest BOO basket on the block!

Have you ever been BOO'ed? Do you BOO your neighbors? Tell me in the comments what you like to put in the baskets you give. What's been the most favorite item(s) you've been given in your BOO basket?

WORLDS Gift Idea for Allstar Cheerleaders

This post contains affiliate links. What does this mean? It means, when you click through the links and make a purchase, I get a small commission. 

Last week, the gym that McKinley cheers with had a send-off for the Senior 5 team. They were heading to Orlando for Worlds. What is Worlds? It is THE competition that every cheerleader dreams of going to; it's like the Super Bowl or World Series of cheerleading.

We have a few girls that we wanted to give gifts to, for encouragement. (Don't worry, tons of other mom brought gifts, so no one was left out.) When I started to think of what we could get these girls, I was at a loss. A few suggestions were given, but nothing really sounded like something I wanted to give. So, I grabbed McKinley and she and I went to Michael's for a little inspiration. I mean, it's a craft store, I was sure to be inspired.

We walked the aisles and found nothing. And then, in one of the dollar bins, at the front of the store, I noticed the "Yes, You Can!" notebooks. I wanted to write each of them a little note, so these would be perfect to write that in. I also bought a metallic gold Sharpie and hand lettered each of their names on the front. Girls love anything with their name on it!

On my way to the Sharpies, I found the little world stress balls. PERFECT!! These were more of a fun little filler, but really, Worlds and stress kind of go hand in hand. (You can find the same balls here.)

I knew I also wanted to add some candy, since I see these cheerleaders eat a ton of candy before and after they hit the mat. I bought a big bag of Starburst, since they are all SHINING STARS, filled a handmade zipper pouch, and popped that in their gift bag, too. Oh, and I gave them a small bag of chips. Snacks are HUGE for cheerleaders. Heck, snacks are a big deal for everyone!

For the gift bag, I created an image in PicMonkey and sent it to my local print shop. I was just going to have it printed on card stock, but when I told the guy what I was doing with it he suggested sticker paper. What a great idea! 

Now, it was time to go home and assemble the bags to take to the gym. We couldn't wait to see the girls perform their routine for us one more time, before heading to Worlds, and then give them their gifts. 

Certainly, more could have been added to this gift. And I could've added a little note with the Starbursts that said they were STARS, but I wanted to keep it simple. What kinds of things would you put in a gift for a cheerleader? I'd love your ideas for next season!

Handmade pouches can be found here.

Similar YES YOU CAN notebooks can be found here. 

Gold Sharpies can be found here.

Gift bags can be found here.

Father's Day Gift Guide {with UncommonGoods}

Father's Day is right around the corner. June 21st will be here before you know it. I don't know about you, but I struggle every year with buying something fun and unique for my husband, you know, because he's Dad to our rowdy bunch! I struggle right up until the last minute, and then he gets nothing, except a handmade card and a great big hug! Ha! This year, I am armed with a website that is chock full of amazing gift ideas for him! Whoever the special man is in your family...he doesn't have to be your dad, he can be your husband, your brother, your friend, UncommonGoods has lots of great gift ideas!

I've found a few fun gift ideas from UncommonGoods for dads, and I want to share them all with you!

/1/ Places in America Map - This interactive artwork by Oliver Jeffers offers a unique way for you to map your travels around the United States. The image is a print of a rustic map that Jeffers painted and lettered, in shades of blue and turquoise, onto a background of reclaimed wood. It's printed onto high quality paper and is signed by the artist. For a unique, "library chic" appeal, the artwork comes with sturdy binder clips for hanging. Also included is a tin of 102 round-headed pins--100 orange pins, a red one for your home location, and a blue one to mark your next adventure, your birthplace, the location of a loved one, or whatever you desire. Made in Brooklyn, NY.

/2/ Eye Glasses Holder - I love the story that goes along with this fun gift piece! A group of craftsmen in India is trying to help you find your glasses. This hand-carved wooden statuette is perfect for holding your glasses when you're not using them. No more searching around blindly, or trying to remember where you last put them down.

And this friendly face also has a story to tell: it was created by HSSS, a non-profit in India that helps underprivileged artisans, who suffer hardships with physical handicaps, illiteracy, extreme poverty, or being in lower castes, find markets for their wood products.

Handmade of sustainable sheesham wood, native to the Indian subcontinent, bought under supervision and quota from the government of India (which sells the wood of dead trees).

/3/ West Coast Style IPA Beer Brewing Kit - Home brewing has become a pretty popular craft among men. I'm willing to bet the man in your life would love to brew his own hops! Isn't it time you made the leap from beer drinker to beer brewer? Get off the sidelines and turn your kitchen into a craft brewery where you're the brew master and your friends and family are the master taste testers! Makes one gallon, or ten 12 oz bottles. 

/4/ Men's Cork Watch - I personally have the Cork Watch for women from UncommonGoods, and I LOVE it! I'm wearing it right now. It's hip and fresh and not everyone has one like it. Dare to be different! You might think of a tree as nature's timepiece. They don't rush through the day like humans do, trying to account for each minute. And yet the passing of time becomes a part of them, kept locked away in the rings at their core. 

Feel some of that chronological transcendence for yourself with this elegant watch. Its band is made from all-natural cork, derived from the sustainably harvested bark of the Cork Oak. Cork is durable, flexible, and naturally water resistant. It's paired with a casing made from biodegradable corn resin, and a mercury-free battery. Pair that green pedigree with its stylish looks, and you have a watch that is both timely and timeless.

/5/ USB Typewriter - Think back, do you remember the last time you used a typewriter? Do you recall the resonant click clack of the keys as you plugged in every letter, eventually forming words, sentences, paragraphs, even whole manuscripts? What about the delight you felt sliding the carriage back into place with a zip and ring whenever it was time to start a new line of copy? Even a tech fanatic can admit that there was something uniquely exciting about using a typewriter that you just can't replicate typing into a smartphone, an iPad or a computer. 

The thrill of using a typewriter may be passing from memory, but Jack Zylkin's groundbreaking innovation brings this mechanical marvel out of retirement and offers a nod to its influence on the development of modern automation. For ardent admirers of the look, feel, and robust quality of an old-fashioned manual typewriter, the USB Typewriter^TM allows you to use this once obsolete tool as a keyboard that plugs into any USB-capable device, such as your PC, Mac, or even your iPad! Plus, this new-and-improved gadget features all the advanced functions of a modern keyboard, such as ctrl, alt, esc, and arrow keys, so your typewriter is ready to keep up with your twenty-first century demands.

These are only a handful of the fun and unique gifts that are available at uncommongoods.com. There are hundreds of other gifts that will be perfect for the dad in your life. Hundreds. You'll find great gifts for more than just dad. There's something for EVERYONE!! Mom, sister, best friend, kids, anyone you are looking to buy a gift for. You know that person that has everything? You'll FOR SURE find something for them at Uncommon Goods!

{This is my watch. I wear it everyday.}

Disclaimer: I received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own!