Jen A. Miller Consulting

Author: Jen A. Miller

11 Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies to Watch this October

A List of Classic Halloween Movies that Pack More Fun than Fright

I love Halloween for exactly two reasons. The first reason is the costumes. I absolutely love a good excuse to dress up. If I’m being honest it’s at least part of the reason I joined a sorority in college (theme party anyone?). It’s also why I was the president of the drama club in high school and why I adore my trips to Burning Man. How could you not enjoy the liberating feeling of getting to be anyone/anything you want even if just for one night? Anyone who has seen my oversized costume duffel bag can attest that I get behind themed endeavors.

The second reason I love Halloween is the candy. Though I consider myself fairly stable minded with a good head on my shoulders and a strong will, something happens when chocolate enters the room. Throw in a great excuse to eat as much of it as possible and all diet bets are off. Halloween only comes around once a year right? The snack sizes are so small! No one is counting, everyone is doing it, just one more piece won’t hurt…. Excuse word vomit takes over my brain and I’m totally okay with that in celebration of the season.

Now that we’re clear on what is good about Halloween, I can tell you that what I hate the most about the holiday is the scary movies that it brings about. If it were up to me, even the trailers to horror movies would be banned from playing in public. I catch 20 seconds of one and I can’t sleep for nights. That’s not to say however, that I don’t enjoy a good seasonal film. I just prefer that they don’t leave me cowering under the covers.

For those of you who, like me, want your Halloween movies to teeter on the tame side, I’ve compiled a list of 11 flicks that pack more fun than fright. Read on to see the list!

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October 23, 2014
The 52-Week Challenge: I Failed, But Mission Accomplished

Serial monogamist Kristelle Siarza made a promise to herself to stay single for one year. Read on to find out how she did.

On October 22, 2013 I crossed unfamiliar territory. I became a single woman, moved out of my ex’s house, and decided to write a piece on this fabulous blog to challenge myself to remain single. When I had mentioned the piece to friends and family, they all gave me the same response: “Yeah, good luck with that.” My ex even laughed in my face about it.

Well, ladies, I am happy to report that I failed. I dated a few times, made some promiscuous decisions, broke a few hearts and accidentally met the perfect guy.

Although I didn’t stay unattached, I did accomplish my mission to be superbly single.

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October 22, 2014
3 Things I’ve Learned on My Way to Turning Thirty

As her 30^th birthday draws near, Lauren reflects on the important lessons she’s learned along the way

By: Lauren Sanchez

In 136 days, at 5:05 p.m. CST, I’ll be turning 30. How’s that for a countdown?

In all honesty, I’m not counting—I had to Google this information. But as I’ve gotten a bit older, I’ve noticed that with the passing of each year comes more awareness of age and the stereotypes that come with it. I think about it like this: when I turned 21, it was a “rite of passage.” No longer was I at the mercy of my roommate to buy me that bottle of peach wine on her weekly trip to the grocery store. I could walk into any bar and happily order whatever drink I wanted, and when asked for my ID, I was quick to flash it, because now, it meant something: freedom.

Then all of a sudden, I was 25. I had graduated from college, even finished graduate school, and had experienced all the nerves and anxiety of landing my first job. I was now a “young professional”. Life was about happy hours with colleagues and starting to become an adult. I say starting because in hindsight, I was still a bit clueless. I was still eating frozen dinners and had stupidly applied for my first store credit card. But life at 25 was surprising, even adventurous, as I began to navigate the world of online dating and started cultivating my persona as the single, fun-loving wedding guest at the couples’ table. I was still enjoying that intangible yet incomparable gift that I’d been given at 21: freedom.

Which brings me to now: I’m 29, and in less than five months, I’ll be 30. So, what have I learned? What poignant points of wisdom could I share?” Well, here goes…

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October 20, 2014
6 Stylish Halloween Costume Ideas + Asos GIVEAWAY!

Score the Award for Best Dressed with These 6 Creative Costumes & Your Chance to Win a $25 Asos Giftcard

“What should I be for Halloween??” It’s the question we’re all asking ourselves right about now. This year we’re teaming up with Asos to bring you a set of costumes that will meet your highest of demands. These looks are easy to put together, won’t cost you an arm and a leg, AND they’ll have you stylin’ without having to bare it all.

To make this year’s Halloween costume hunt even better, Asos is throwing in a $25 gift card to one lucky Single Diaries reader. All you have to do is like us on Facebook and comment below letting us know which costume you’ll be rockin’ this Halloween.

Let’s be honest, we all want to be the best dressed girl at the party. With a little inspiration from us and a gift-card to boot, there’s no doubt you’ll walk out the door with the best dressed award. Read on to see our looks then head on over to Asos to pick up the pieces you need to create those awesome costumes of yours.

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October 17, 2014
Apartment Design Inspiration | Single Girl at Home

Jen Shares How She Turned Her New House into a Home

Last month my boyfriend and I made the big decision to move in together. We weighed the pros and cons of living with one another and in the end, felt that it was the right step for our relationship. Once we had made our decision, we turned our attention toward finding the perfect place. In LA finding a home that fits your budget, is in the location you want, and is some place you actually like is a tall order. We were fortunate to find a place that checked all the boxes- an idyllic home nestled just steps from the sand in Venice Beach.

Two big decisions down, one to go–how to decorate our new home. Since this was the first time we were living together we needed to find a way to design our space in a way that we both found suitable. That meant no dark leather bachelor pad as he would have it nor a pretty pink palace as my old place had been done up.

Here I’m sharing the process we went through to turn our house into a home we both love–not too manly, not too girly, just right.

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October 16, 2014