I love me a good martini, and this one is fantastic. In fact, it’s so good, it’s wicked! See what I did there? I crack myself up!

If you’re looking for the perfect signature drink for your next Halloween party, I highly recommend trying this cocktail. It’s both naughty, and nice. But, beware – it goes down like candy, and after one or two the alcohol will TOTALLY sneak up on you!

Before we go any further, let's please the FCC shall we? This post does contain affiliate links. If you buy anything via these links, I'll receive a small commission to help pay my bills without any additional cost to you. Thanks in advance for your support! Okay, disclaimer out of the way! Back to the fun stuff!

Wicked Green Ice Cocktail

Ingredients:

• Malibu® Coconut Rum
• Midori® Melon Liqueur
• Blue Curacao
• Sour Mix
• Pineapple juice
• Dry ice (optional, but man it makes for a sexy drink! I mean seriously – look at all that smokey goodness!!!)

Prep:

• Carefully place a couple of small pieces of dry ice in the bottom of two martini glasses. Do NOT use your hands to do this – either use a special glove or tongs! Side note: Call around to ask who sells dry ice in your area. I know a couple of Publix stores carry it here in Tampa Bay, but I’m honestly not sure who else does. In the event you can’t get dry ice, add a couple of cubes of ice to your martini glass for the name sake. Might I recommend these skeleton ice cubes: Again – I prefer dry ice, but if I can’t use dry ice – these ice cubes are hilarious in a cocktail!

• Pour one shot (about 2 oz) of each of the above ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. If you like your drinks a little stronger, cut the sour mix and blue curacao measurements in half.
• Shake and strain into a martini glass

Should make two drinks.

Here are a few of my other favorite cocktails for Halloween:

• The TAMP-O-LANTERN cocktail
• Kinky and The Brain Cocktail
• Zombie Virus Shots
• The next three are all available at THIS LINK:
  • Pumpkin-Spiced Pudding Shots
  • Dracula’s Kiss
  • Zombie Killer

If I’m REALLY honest…I could drink any of these drinks all year long. I truly love a good drink, and each of these are quite tasty.  What are your favorite Halloween cocktails?

I haven’t really talked much about my dad publicly lately, but yesterday some conversations about him unearthed a lot of feels that I tried to pretend didn’t affect me.

I can’t stand how much anger, sadness, resentment and frustration I still harbor towards him and what he did…

Then, just a few moments ago something triggered the hell out of me, and now I’m sitting here typing this through tears even though it’s been an otherwise really lovely day.

I wish he had chosen to save himself. I wish he had chosen to get help – he had soooo many opportunities and encouragement. I wish he hadn’t left the way he did.

I wish I could let go of all the guilt I feel even though I know deep down nothing I could have said would have changed anything – ultimately it was his choice…everything in his life was his choice….even taking his own life was his choice… I wish so many things that will simply never be.

I was given a free Halloween costume from TV Store Online in exchange for this post and social media love. While the costume was free, it has not impacted my review. All opinions below are my own. I also could receive a small commission should you choose to purchase via my links in the post at no cost to you.

I love Halloween. A lot! Dare I say it’s one of my two favorite holidays – second only to Christmas.

One thing that I looooove about Halloween is dressing up in fun costumes. I love these clever halloween onesies, as they are scary and comfy at the same time. I would have loved to have worn something like them at work for Halloween. Unfortunately though, when I worked at many of my day jobs, we weren’t allowed to dress up. I wish that TV Store Online had been around back then because I could have celebrated despite the rules with their costumes that aren’t really costumes.

Case in point – my new Power Rangers jacket that doubles as a Power Rangers costume. Oh yes… Check out this gloriousness:

Yep- it’s a hoodie…but it’s ALSO a costume. WHAT?!? Mind blown! I’m so in love with this thing it’s kind of ridiculous. But, I don’t care that’s ridiculous because it makes me sooo happy.

Had I owned something like this – I could have secretly dressed up all the days at work, and no one would have been the wiser unless they looked at me and said, “Hey Ashley! It’s Morphin Time!” And, I totes would have zipped this bad boy up and been like, “Yes! Yes it IS Morphin Time!”

Okay, other than this badASH hoodie/costume – why should YOU consider TV Store Online for your Halloween costumes?

I’m so glad you asked! They sell all the things! Men’s costumes, women’s costumes, even group costumes!

Wanna be the shark from Super Bowl XLIX when Katy Perry performed? You can do that!

Prefer to dress up like Forrest Gump? You can do that too!

Your group can even dress up like the Average Joe’s team from Dodgeball. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball! BOOM!

TV Store Online has so many fun costumes to choose from. Yes, even kids costumes!

What if your boss is a jerk and won’t let you dress up?

Again, TV Store Online has you covered there too! They have t-shirts in the following themes:

• M&Ms Candy Characters
• Power Rangers
• Thing 1 & Thing 2
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Crayola
• and many others

TV Store Online has a sweet offer if you buy through one of these sexy red links – FREE shipping on U.S. orders over $50.

Yes! You can get all your Halloween costumes shipped directly to your house for FREE! And, the prices of the costumes aren’t too bad. Like, at the time of this writing there was a Spider Man t-shirt that could totes double as your costume for just $5!

And they have costume accessories that are between $3 and $20 that you could easily create a costume of your own with. I’m looking at you $9 feather boa- pair that with a red dress and fishnet stockings and a fake microphone from Dollar Tree and you’re an instant lounge singer for Halloween. You can take that idea if you want – you’re welcome.

The website makes it super simple to find your perfect costume too – they break them down by movies, TV shows, comics, music and games. Or, you can search by gender, product type, or size. Not gonna lie though – my favorite feature is that you can order all your Halloween goods and have them delivered to your door. Everyone knows how much I love not having to put on pants!

So, if you’re stuck for a Halloween costume idea, or can’t wear a costume but want to be themed anyway – head over to TV Store Online and check out all the awesome options they have to offer. Who knows? You might even find t-shirts and accessories you want all year round! I know I did!

I’m attending FLBlogCon September 29 at Full Sail University. It has become one of my favorite blogging events, and I look forward to it every year. This year I’m not only speaking, but I was given some tickets to give away!

I hosted a giveaway on Instagram recently, and two of my bloggy friends won one ticket each. Today, I’m hosting a second giveaway where two more bloggy friends will get the chance to snag a free entry to the event.

But, before we get into that, let’s chat about why you should attend whether you win tickets or not!

5 Reasons to Go to FLBlogCon

1. Meet bloggy friends in real life

This is by far my favorite reason to attend FLBlogCon!! You get to meet the people you normally just stalk, er I mean follow online up close and in the flesh! Who doesn’t love the opportunity to hang out with cool people in real life?!?

I know you can be friends online, but there is something extra special about being in the same room with them physically. Am I right, or am I right, or am I right?

2. Meet NEW bloggy friends

Networking, collaboration opportunities, the chance to simply make a new connection – you never know who will be there! I love the mystery of who will show up. It’s so exciting, isn’t it?

3. You could win some sahweet swag!

The conference peeps are giving away a Ricoh Theta 360° Camera! And, sometimes there are other freebies that float around. One year I got a back up battery pack, and a Ford Mustang Lego kit.

4. Parking, snacks, water and coffee, and the after party are all included! But wait…..there’s more!

Oh and there is a yummy lunch from Tijuana Flats included with admission as well. Wanna taco bout that?!? Because I totally wanna taco bout that. Fill up my plate please!

The after party is also going to be an amazing shin dig filled with virtual reality, augmented reality, and of course delicious adult dranks! I’ll take two, thank you!

5. You might learn something new from the speakers.

There are bloggers and content creators from all walks of life coming to speak at this event. You’re bound to learn at least one or two new tricks for your blog or social media pages. And if not, I’ll bet you weren’t paying attention. Just sayin…

I’ve added a few new tools to the old mental toolbox at past FLBlogCon events. I can’t wait to add a few more.

A bonus reason to come? I’ll be there, and speaking! Yep! I’m speaking on FREE ways to promote your blog. A little extra traffic never hurt anyone! So come on down to learn all the secrets and not so secret tips I’m revealing.

Alright, now for what you really came for…the giveaway!

Here’s how to enter to win ONE Free ticket to FL Blog Con (2 winners of one ticket each):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. Open to U.S. residents 18+ only. Confirmed Winner(s) (selected by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. This blog is not responsible for product shipment, delivery, or fulfillment. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social media sites.

This disclosure is made in accordance with the FTC 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address, and/or Facebook account. Anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admin of the giveaway if the winner has met the rules or not.

I used to think that money was the most important thing in business. After all, you have to be making money to have a business. Right? But, at some point, money is not enough of a drive. It’s certainly not enough to motivate you to get out of bed when the last thing you want to do is work that day.

Nope, you need something bigger than money. You need to understand your WHY! Why do you do what you do? Why do you need to be running this business?

More Important Than Money: Understanding Why You Really Do What You Do

What do super-successful coaches and small business owners all have in common?

It’s not experience.

It’s not extraordinary skills.

It’s not even a powerful drive.

Although all of these things can definitely help your business grow, they’re not a prerequisite for success. After all, no one is born with experience or skills, and plenty of successful people lack drive.

The one thing that does make a difference, though, is your “why.”

Why did you decide to become a coach?

Why do you spend too many hours in front of your computer every week?

Why do you stay up too late and get up too early, just so you can work on growing your business?

The “why” is what ultimately drives us to success, but here’s the thing: it’s different for everyone. Your why is not my why, and my why is not her why. It’s a deeply personal choice that can have great meaning…or not.

For example, a survivor of domestic abuse might happily spend 60 or 70 hours each and every week mentoring other victims of abuse, or counseling couples on how to break the cycle. Her big why is a strong desire to prevent other women from suffering in the same way she did.

A mother of small children may be saddened at the thought of sending her kids to daycare just so she can go to work to (barely) pay for it. Her big why is a drive to spend as much time with her kids as she can, while still supporting her family.

A young, fresh out of school entrepreneur might resist taking the same path her parents took, working for a corporation for 40 years, only to retire and find themselves with barely enough to live on. Instead, she dreams of having the income (and the time) to see the world while she’s still young enough to enjoy it.

So what’s your big “why”? It might be the freedom to travel, the option to spend time with your family, the ability to take weeks off at a time to care for a sick family member, or even to earn enough money to support a charity that’s close to your heart.

Whatever it is, your “why” is the driving force behind every action you take. When you’re deciding whether or not to take on a new client, ask yourself if it’s aligned with your “why.” When you’re setting goals for the year, ask yourself if those goals are moving you closer or further from your big why. Thinking of branching out into a new business venture? Make sure it’s in alignment with your big why, and success is suddenly much more attainable.

If your goal for the year is to start or advance a business, then you’ll want to make sure that you set some business goals. Every business needs goals, just like people do. To help businesses achieve these goals, many will begin to debate whether OKRs vs KPIs will be better for their company. To achieve any goals in business, it’s always good to set goals and then track your progress towards them, which is why both OKRs and KPIs seem to work so well together when growing businesses.

Yep, I said it! And, I stand by it!!! Big hairy audacious goals Trump SMART goals any day of the week, and twice on Sundays!

Lately, I’ve been more about setting BHAGs than SMART ones. Why? Because they are more exciting. They rev me up and get me pumped to go after them.

However, I must say that I’m also careful to breakdown my BHAGs into ones that are attainable. Read on to learn why SMART goals are not my jam as much as they were before…

Beyond SMART: Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right?

After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years. The only thing that matters is that your goals are specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and timely.

While that looks great on paper—and clearly it’s easy to remember—it doesn’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things.

Think about it. Do you want to be stuck with “attainable” and “realistic” goals when what you really dream about is a 3-day workweek, frequent international travel, and enough money to fund a mission trip (or three). Seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals aren’t going to get you there.

In fact, they might even do worse than simply “not get you there.” They may actively hold you back.

Consider what happens when you set an “attainable” goal of earning 10% more than you did last year. You might work 10% more. You might spend 10% more on ads or product creation. You might even reach out to 10% more potential clients.

And you’ll likely earn about 10% more.

“Not bad!” you say. After all, that was your goal.

But did that 10% goal inspire you to work harder? Or did it create a subconscious ceiling on your earning potential that you’re unable to break through?

Rather than focusing on goals that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in creating lofty goals that feel out of reach—maybe even UN-attainable.

They don’t strive to earn 10% more than last year. They want 50% or even 100% more. They stretch themselves. They find new—and better—ways to do things, so they don’t have to work twice as hard, but they remain open to the possibility of doing so—at least in the short term—when it’s necessary.

Of course, you cannot simply declare crazy goals and expect the universe to hand them to you. And that’s exactly why putting aside those smart goals is so…smart. When you shun the attainable in favor of the “holy cow, how will I ever do THAT?” goal, you push yourself beyond those self-imposed limits and reach for the stars.

Sure, you might not double your income, but you’re almost guaranteed to do better than a mere 10% increase. So push your boundaries. Set big, audacious goals. Even if you fail, you’ll be much further ahead than those smart goals would leave you.

Is it better to give than receive? That is a complicated question. When it comes to manifesting your dream life, giving can sometimes be the key to doing just that. However, you can’t just give away everything you own and expect the Universe to deliver all that you want to you. It’s not that simple. So, let’s break it down further to help you figure out the true power of giving when you do it the right way.

The Power of Giving

There is so much confusion surrounding the power of giving. Some people think they have to give everything away in order to be liked, loved, and respected. Other people think they need to hold on to everything because there is scarcity or lack. Neither approach is good and neither have the key component of balance.

It’s not necessary to hoard and it’s not necessary to give everything away either when it comes to wanting more. Here are a few tips on giving and receiving and how they balance each other out.

It’s Okay to Want More

Once you recognize your underlying feelings associated with wanting more, you may be able to open up to abundance like you’ve never seen. Just about everyone you know probably has some feelings of guilt associated with wanting more.

If you say you want more money, you are known to be greedy. If you say you want more food, you can be called a glutton. The simple act of wanting more is not greedy or selfish. It’s okay to want more. When you realize that, you set yourself free.

If you want more than anyone else, however, and are not willing to share or do good with your abundance that is what falls into the category of greed, not the simple act of wanting and being more. Don’t feel guilty about wanting more.

Giving Abundantly

When you give abundantly without hesitation and with no fear or guilt involved, that is where the magic happens. Try with small doses at first. Start by cleaning out a closet and giving your gently used items that you no longer use to charity. Buy a gift for someone just because and watch them smile.

Then become more aware. Become more aware of how you snagged the last, only parking spot right outside the store when it was pouring rain. Say thank you now. Be grateful for the reciprocal abundance.

Be Aware

Every time you receive something good pay attention and be grateful. When things don’t go your way, pay attention to that too but don’t spend too much time on it. Don’t talk about it a lot, don’t focus or dwell too much. Chalk it up to a life experience and make it go away as quickly as it came. Find a solution and move on.

Receiving

When someone does something nice for you or wants to help you, tell the truth, do you tell them it’s not necessary or they shouldn’t have? Let people give to you and be gracious and accepting of it. When you allow people to give to you, it teaches them to be better receivers and let’s the power of giving flow back and forth.

Giving without Expectation

Make certain when you give whether it is money, time or help that you give without expectation of anything in return. Also, make certain that you have no specific set of outcome attachments to your giving either.

Don’t expect the end result to look a certain way or have a certain outcome.

Giving has a powerful way of returning to you if you don’t expect anything in return and if you are aware that you receive blessings in other ways.

Today is my actual birthday. Yep, I’m celebrating another trip around the sun. And, to be honest, earlier this month I was super bummed about it.

Why? Because I got to thinking about my age and all the things I haven’t done yet. In truth, I was thinking too much about all the things society said I should have done by now…

Then, a heart to heart with my husband made me realize that not only am I being negative, I’m being negative because of what other people think I should do with my life rather than the things I actually want to do. So this is how I decided that we should treat everyday like it’s our birthday. Now I’m not saying we should get presents from JACOBS THE JEWELLER every day, as much as I’d love to. They have the most beautiful pieces there and I’ve always got my eye on something or other from their site. And I’m not saying you should hire a band everyday either, but I mean you should celebrate the little things.

Celebrate Like It’s Your Birthday

Needless to say, the conversation the hubs and I had lead me to quite the journaling session where I started thinking about how freaking lucky I am to have all the things I have.

I’m also really lucky to have had the experiences I’ve had like going to Cancun, traveling to Belize, visiting Thailand, and the wild stories each destination gave me.

I’m also grateful as can be that I’ve designed a dream job that allows me to work from home. The lack of a commute alone makes me insanely grateful.

By the end of my journaling session I came to one glaring realization. As adults, every day can be like our birthdays. And, we should celebrate them as such.

Every day that we wake up – that’s the gift. Any day that we’re not six feet under is a great day my friends. Because no matter what we face that day, we got the opportunity to face it.

While I was thinking about this… I stumbled upon this silly music video by artist Futuristic called “Everyday Is My Birthday.” The lyrics that stood out to me the most go like this:

Every day is my birthday, yeah
Get the cake, get the cake
Every day is my birthday, yeah
Feeling great, feeling great
Make a wish, so it all come true
Close your eyes, and it all come true

Party Like It’s Your Birthday

Though the video is silly, and the concept might seem silly too – the lyrics hit me right in the feels. Every day we wake up, we get the chance to make our wishes come true.

By that logic, every day is our birthday. We should celebrate! I know I for one certainly plan to!

I’ll close with an excerpt from this article aptly titled Everyday is Your Birthday, by Katelyn Reiss:

“It is so easy for us to fall victim to our stress and feel like everything we are doing is for nothing. It becomes difficult to find true meaning and be happy with ourselves each day when we feel held down by all of our duties.

“Our birthday is a day of joy. People who we haven’t spoken to in months reach out to us to let us know how much they love us and miss us. We feel like we are important, but truth be told, we are important all of the time.

“We find happiness in being able to relax on our birthday and surround ourselves with good company. Why shouldn’t we do that everyday? Why shouldn’t we have that slice of cake or reminisce about old times?

“Birthdays are supposed to be a time of relaxation, reflection, happiness and feeling good about yourself. Why should all of these great things be limited to one day out of 365? They shouldn’t. We should feel plentiful each day and treat others as if it is their birthday too.”

I agree wholeheartedly Katelyn. So, with that said – Happy Birthday everyone. Here’s to celebrating you!