e-Tips http://blog.hgtv.com/etips Smart shopping expert Elizabeth Tipton shares her shopping advice for gifts, decorating, cooking, entertaining, baby and children. Have a shopping dilemma? Ask e-Tip! Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:59:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Give thanks for Thanksgiving http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/30/give-thanks-for-thanksgiving/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/30/give-thanks-for-thanksgiving/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:53:56 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2134 As of tomorrow, Halloween is behind us. Time to take up your ghosts and goblins, and time to move towards the harvest celebration. I have tons of turkeys I put out this time of year. I have turkey platters, harvest linens, pilgrim knick-knacks and all sorts of fun Thanksgiving decor.  This year, I challenge you to decorate somewhere new. Hang some pressed leaves in your window, or cut out the words Give Thanks and add them to a wreath.  Consider placing some pumpkins or gourds in a bowl in your bathroom. I love these fun turkeys, and am trying to come up with new places to display them. Thanksgiving is such a great time to simply stop and appreciate your life and family before the mad Christmas rush starts!

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/30/give-thanks-for-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 Thanksgiving Style http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/23/thanksgiving-style/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/23/thanksgiving-style/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:55:36 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2136 I am not sure what happened to 2009, but Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. If you are looking for some holiday inspiration, check out the HGTV Thanksgiving Styleboards. Choose from creative styles like Green and Serene, Modern Motif, Autumn Spice, or Totally Traditional. Even if every item isn’t your style, these boards are a great place to start planning your look for a fabulous Thanksgiving celebration. Click on any of the featured items to see all the styleboards.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/23/thanksgiving-style/feed/ 0 The Kids’ Table http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/16/the-kids-table/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/16/the-kids-table/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:56:43 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2138 I wish I were still allowed to sit at the kids’ table at holidays. The fun of no responsibility would be a welcomed change. Instead, as adults we get to throw the party and set up the table for the children. That is also fun, especially with all the neat products available. Look at this adorable tablecloth with the appliquéd turkeys, Mayflowers, and fall trees. There are also cute melamine kid-friendly plates, table runners, placemats, and a Thanksgiving countdown calendar. The saying is true: it is more fun at the kids’ table.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/16/the-kids-table/feed/ 0 Pumpkin Art http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/10/pumpkin-art/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/10/pumpkin-art/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:57:34 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2140 Pumpkin carving has gone to a whole new level. The triangle eyes and snaggle-toothed mouth just don’t cut it in this day and age. I have carved some pumpkins using these tools, and they make anyone an artist. Visit HGTV’s Halloween Ideas to download our carving templates here, and watch our video with tips and tricks here.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/10/pumpkin-art/feed/ 0 Skulls and Bones http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/03/skulls-and-bones/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/03/skulls-and-bones/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:58:16 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2143 Martha Stewart has some great glittered Halloween products. These will add some glitz and glamor to your holiday decorating.  The skulls and bones are definitely a little more adult decor than your average Halloween decorations. They look especially creepy under dimmed lights.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/10/03/skulls-and-bones/feed/ 0 The Final Countdown http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/23/the-final-countdown/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/23/the-final-countdown/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:51:58 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2108 Halloween has gotten to be as celebrated a holiday as Christmas. The new thing is Halloween Countdown for the kids. This cute, wooden,  haunted house has 31 little doors that open to reveal tiny spaces. You can put stickers, candy or special notes in the holes. This will make a fun family tradition.  The Halloween Countdown House is priced around $130.
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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/23/the-final-countdown/feed/ 2 Bee Towels http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/22/bee-towels/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/22/bee-towels/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:59:41 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2038 To go with yesterday’s Bizzy Bee Doormat, you won’t get stung with these adorable bee-themed hand towels. The 100% cotton set of two Bizzy Bee Embroidered Guest Towels feature an embroided bee with a pot of honey on one towel, while the other towel shows a bee with honeycomb. These towels are perfect for your home or a great little gift for your favorite bee fan. The Bizzy Bee Embroidered Guest Towels are priced around $15 for the set.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/22/bee-towels/feed/ 0 Busy little bee http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/21/busy-little-bee/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/21/busy-little-bee/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:58:52 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2041 This is the hardest decorating time for me. It isn’t summer anymore, but it isn’t quite fall. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems just a little early to put out Halloween and Harvest items. During this lull before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have been trying to pick out some neat, transitional things. This Bizzy Bee doormat seems like a perfect transition item. It has fall colors, but can still be utilized year-round. The mat is made of bleached coir and printed pigment dyes. The Bizzy Bee Coir Doormat is priced around $30.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/21/busy-little-bee/feed/ 0 Pop up bags http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/18/pop-up-bags/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/18/pop-up-bags/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:23:27 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2033 If you don’t have tons of leaves, these pop-open leave bags are great for yard clean-up. Each bag folds flat and springs open for easy use and storage. Simply unclasp the two toggles and this carryall springs open, ready to haul grass clippings to the compost bin, or piles of sticks to the shredder. Get one for yourself or any of the other gardeners in your life. The Pop-Open Tip Bags are priced around $20.

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]]> http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/18/pop-up-bags/feed/ 1 Get organized http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/16/get-organized/ http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/2009/09/16/get-organized/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:58:23 +0000 Elizabeth Tipton http://blog.hgtv.com/etips/?p=2010 Since my daughter started school, I grabbed my own 3-ringed notebook and decided to get organized. We had dozens of important papers and schedules that I was expected to keep up with all year long. I took tabbed notebook dividers and made a section for each of our activities. I threw in a years worth of monthly calendar pages and blank notebook paper for notes. It has been a life saver.

This 3-ringed zippered notebook is perfect life organizer since it includes pockets and several interior compartments to hold business cards, pens and other small items. The 100% cotton cover of the notebook can be monogrammed for even more personalization.  The Zippered Notebook from Creative Containers is priced around $25.

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