It’s Halloween week, which means it’s time for parties – and partying. Here’s a few things you’ll want to check out. Let’s Get Monster Smashed… It’s the perfect title for this book: Let’s Get Monster Smashed, Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time . It’s put together by Jon and Marc Chait, and the book is as colorful as the drinks. It all starts with a great breakdown of liquors and liqueurs, everything from vodka to Lillet Blanc. You’ll also find a section listing all the tools you will need to make these deliciously monstrous drinks, as well as “Satanic Syrups” you need to know how to make. I highly recommend adding this book to your bar. Here’s a few of my favorites: Monkey Brain (peach brandy, cream liqueur and grenadine), to drink during Faces of Death; Pazuzu’s Puke (brandy, dark rum, milk, vanilla sugar, green food coloring and corn flakes), to go with a night watching The Exorcist; and Big Fishbowl Punch (white rum, blue curacao, lemon lime soda and shark gummies), ...

First and foremost, I’d like to give a shout out to Tishbi Winery for a most memorable experience on my recent trip to Israel. If you make it to the Tel Aviv area this place is worth a trip for both the wine and food, but you don’t have to go there to experience the wine as it is exported. You can’t go wrong with anything here, but the Brut Sparkling and Viognier are my favorites. Donnafugata One of the most memorable things I ever did was to spend a weekend in a cottage in the middle of a vineyard. It was on the property of Donnafugata in Pantelleria , Italy. During those three days, and in the following days at their Marsala winery, I was able to taste and enjoy many Donnafugata wines. I recently received some of Donnafugata's latest vintages and they are even better than ever. They are also still readily available in the U.S. so pick up… Sedara -A bit of fruit and a bit of spice make this red, made mostly with Nero d’Avola grapes, easy to pair with an...

The rain has finally stopped in the Midwest and the temperatures have started to soar. Summer is definitely here. With the season has come a lot of products I don’t usually get. So, pull up a chair and get ready to take some notes! Timi & Leslie Bag When I was first asked if I wanted a sample of the Timi & Leslie diaper bags – used by many celebrities – I was quick to turn it down. Then, on the PR rep’s urging, I took a look at the bags on the site and I was sold. They are beautiful and functional as both diaper bags and travel bags. I recently took my Hannah Pastel bag on my Croatia trip and I loved it. It has a separate zippered sac and clutch purse, and lots of pockets. I loved the outside pockets for my water bottle and cell phone. For those of you that actually need a diaper bag, it also has a changing pad, an insulated bottle tote, and a stroller strap. Pick up your own Timi & Leslie bag here . I love the lilac and navy. InsectLogic Natural...

My longest lasting relationship in the last few years has been with the FedEx guy. I’m always smiling when he comes to the door and all he requires from me is a signature. Here’s some of the latest and greatest from my deliveries… Salted Caramel Kahlua For those of you that love the combination of sweet and salty, this one’s for you. I’m not a big salt eater and I still found Salted Caramel Kahlua to be a delicious treat that should be on every bar. Another thing I love about this spirit is that it doesn’t require any work. You can throw it in Coffee or hot chocolate for a wonderful warm-up, add some vodka for a special martini, or just serve it over ice with or without club soda. If you do want to get more creative, here’s an idea I find especially appealing… Colorado Bulldog 1 Part Salted Caramel Kahlua 1 Part Absolut Vodka 1 Part Cream Cola to top Shake the Kahlua, vodka, and cream with ice. Strain into a short glass filled with ice, leaving roo...

Once in a while, something comes into my inbox that I just can't resist. That happened this morning when I found out about MyFly Bag. I've seen offers of customized luggage before, but they are always either priced very high or require you purchasing a large quantity (or entire set). MyFly Bag is nothing like that. You can order one piece of carry-on at the very reasonable cost of $129.99.  With MyFly Bag, you can choose from more than a dozen colors or you can upload a photo onto your luggage. The photo can be of your family, favorite destination or family pet. You can even put your company logo on the luggage and/or add your own line of text. The MyFly Bag is 22 x 13.5 x 9, meeting the carry-on requirements of most major airlines. It is a lightweight shell with multiple pockets inside and 360 degree spinner wheels. I'd love to see some of the interesting custom suitcases so send me a photo after you design one!

for Your Holiday Shopping List... It’s that time of year. We’ve put away the turkey and taken out the holiday shopping list. It seems to get easier every year to shop online and the deals this year are simply amazing. Skip the search for a parking spot, save some gas, and even save some money by shopping online. FIRST STOP Before you even think about shopping online, sign up for Ebates . You will immediately earn a gift certificate and then you will start earning money every time you shop online. It gets even better – they have coupons. So, you click on Ebates , find the store you want to shop in, see the coupons for the store and then you will get more money back at the end of the quarter. SAVE A TREE I have vowed to dramatically cut down on paper this year and it’s working great. I love my Apple iPad for everything from reading magazines to catching up on television shows, to taking notes so I don’t have all those pieces of paper. My mom is spending all her time on ...