When I told you all to keep your eyes open for a giveaway this week, I wasn't lying! When I reached 400 followers, I wanted to thank you all by doing another giveaway, and what better time to do a favorite things giveaway than now!
I had a really hard time narrowing down my favorite things, since I have a lottttttt of favorite things. But, I think I picked five really amazing items that I use on the regular. One lucky lady will win the following:
{1} A $10 Starbucks Gift Card {2} The Body Shop's Mini Coconut Body Butter {3} Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo {4} eos Sweet Mint Lip Balm {5} Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Detangler
I'm going to make this giveaway super easy to enter. Use Rafflecopter below and complete the two entries for your chance to win!
And don't forget that as another little thank you all of my ad spots are 50% off with the promo code THANK YOU. Just click on my Sponsor tab to check out my already super low priced ad options!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
All That Glitters
Who wouldn't want all of those diamonds? Us girls love our jewelry, especially anything that sparkles. Whether it be your engagement ring, those diamond studs your parents gave you as a gift, or that ruby ring passed down from your grandmother, the dirt and grime of daily life can really dull the sparkle. A lot of jewelry stores will clean your jewelry for free, but why make an unnecessary trip when you can clean your jewelry at home! I found this cleaning method on Pinterest (obvi) and ladies, it's so simple. All you need is dishwasher detergent, warm water, and a soft bristle toothbrush.
| We buy our dishwasher detergent at Sam's hence it's ginormous size, and yes, I bought that toothbrush at Kroger. |
| Okay, so you can't capture sparkle on an iPhone, but I promise my bling is blinding me after using this cleaning method! |
Monday, October 8, 2012
Weekend High & Low
Before I get into my weekend highs and lows, I have some exciting news! Last week I mentioned that I had a job interview on Thursday for a Family Services Worker position through the county's Head Start program. Welp, my interview was awful. The questions were really vague and my answers were beyond awkward, but lucky for me, the director of Head Start had already made up her mind after my current bosses recommendation, and she offered me the position on the spot! You have no idea how relieved I was. I'm really excited for this new opportunity and I really think I'm going to love it. So thank you to every single one of you for your prayers and good ju-ju.
And now...
The highs and lows of my weekend...
High
*I talked Justin into going to an apple orchard on Saturday, which really wasn't that hard to do. What a good fiance! We saw some adorable animals, picked up some apples for an apple pie, and Justin even let me take a silly picture of him...
*I ordered LiLash Purified Eyelash Serum and it finally arrived this weekend! Bring on the long and luxurious lashes. I've heard good things about this "liquid magic" so I'll keep you all updated!
*I got to fill my belly with my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup this weekend. Really, it's the small things in life...
*Yours Truly finally hit 400 followers this weekend! (Thank you, Kelly!) In honor of 400 followers, I'm offering 50% off all ad spaces until I feel like deleting the promo code. My ad prices are already super low, so take full advantage of it! Click here to check out my ad packages and use the promo code THANK YOU to get 50% off! Also, keep your eyes open for my Favorite Things Giveaway later this week! Just another way to thank all of you beautiful ladies.
Low
*I'm sick. Boo!
What are your highs and lows from the weekend?
And now...
The highs and lows of my weekend...
High
*I talked Justin into going to an apple orchard on Saturday, which really wasn't that hard to do. What a good fiance! We saw some adorable animals, picked up some apples for an apple pie, and Justin even let me take a silly picture of him...
| My Betty Crocker moment |
*I got to fill my belly with my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup this weekend. Really, it's the small things in life...
*Yours Truly finally hit 400 followers this weekend! (Thank you, Kelly!) In honor of 400 followers, I'm offering 50% off all ad spaces until I feel like deleting the promo code. My ad prices are already super low, so take full advantage of it! Click here to check out my ad packages and use the promo code THANK YOU to get 50% off! Also, keep your eyes open for my Favorite Things Giveaway later this week! Just another way to thank all of you beautiful ladies.
Low
*I'm sick. Boo!
What are your highs and lows from the weekend?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Love Your Locks
We all want beautiful and healthy looking hair and we'll go to just about any length to get it. All of those products and treatment's can get pretty expensive, and before you know it, your hair looks nice but your wallet is pretty empty! Why spend hundreds of dollars on salon products and treatments when you can make your own with things you have in your kitchen? I want to share with you some of my favorite DIY hair masks that will make your hair look healthy and beautiful and keep your bank account full.
Egg and Olive Oil Mask
The egg and olive oil mask will not only make your hair super soft and shiny, but the protein in the egg promotes hair growth! Mix two egg yolks with two tablespoons of olive oil and dilute the mixture with a cup of water. Massage the mask into your scalp and hair and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo! Just a warning, you might want to wrap a towel around your neck while letting the mask sit, unless you're cool with olive oil and egg dripping all over you. I did this mask last night and my hair instantly felt so soft.
Olive Oil and Honey Hydrating Mask
Now that the colder seasons are upon us, we'll be turning the heat on inside our homes and cars before we know it. You may have noticed that heat sucks the moisture right out of our hair. Well, now you don't have to worry about dry hair anymore! Mix equal parts of olive oil (warmed in the microwave) and honey and apply to wet hair. Put your hair in a shower cap to keep warmth in. If you don't have a shower cap, wrap a plastic bag around your head, just don't be stupid and put it over your face. Let the mask sit in your hair for 15 minutes. It's recommended that you rinse your hair and condition as usual, but with my fine hair, I need to shampoo! Otherwise, I look like I dipped my hair in some french fry grease.
Avocado Mask
We all know avocado is a super food and super good for you, so naturally it's good for your hair too! This mask will make your hair so soft and shiny, everyone will be asking what your secret is! Mix one mashed avocado, one tablespoon of olive oil, and one tablespoon of honey together in a bowl. Spread the mixture all over damp hair and slip on a shower cap (or a plastic bag...safely! I don't want people suffocating because of my blog post!). Let the mask sit for half an hour, rinse, shampoo, and condition.
VOILA!
Now you have gorgeous, healthy, and shiny locks! Do you have a DIY hair mask that you love? Please, share so I can try it!
Peace, love, and gorgeous hair!
Egg and Olive Oil Mask
The egg and olive oil mask will not only make your hair super soft and shiny, but the protein in the egg promotes hair growth! Mix two egg yolks with two tablespoons of olive oil and dilute the mixture with a cup of water. Massage the mask into your scalp and hair and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo! Just a warning, you might want to wrap a towel around your neck while letting the mask sit, unless you're cool with olive oil and egg dripping all over you. I did this mask last night and my hair instantly felt so soft.
Olive Oil and Honey Hydrating Mask
Now that the colder seasons are upon us, we'll be turning the heat on inside our homes and cars before we know it. You may have noticed that heat sucks the moisture right out of our hair. Well, now you don't have to worry about dry hair anymore! Mix equal parts of olive oil (warmed in the microwave) and honey and apply to wet hair. Put your hair in a shower cap to keep warmth in. If you don't have a shower cap, wrap a plastic bag around your head, just don't be stupid and put it over your face. Let the mask sit in your hair for 15 minutes. It's recommended that you rinse your hair and condition as usual, but with my fine hair, I need to shampoo! Otherwise, I look like I dipped my hair in some french fry grease.
Avocado Mask
We all know avocado is a super food and super good for you, so naturally it's good for your hair too! This mask will make your hair so soft and shiny, everyone will be asking what your secret is! Mix one mashed avocado, one tablespoon of olive oil, and one tablespoon of honey together in a bowl. Spread the mixture all over damp hair and slip on a shower cap (or a plastic bag...safely! I don't want people suffocating because of my blog post!). Let the mask sit for half an hour, rinse, shampoo, and condition.
VOILA!
Now you have gorgeous, healthy, and shiny locks! Do you have a DIY hair mask that you love? Please, share so I can try it!
Peace, love, and gorgeous hair!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
OHP
It's Hump Day, which also means it's OH HOW PINTERESTING DAY!!! But before I get into that, I have some exciting news to share...
So those of you who read my blog on the daily know that I am going to be losing my current job at the end of October. I absolutely love what I do and am devastated about this change, but we lost our funding so there's nothing much we can do. That's the life of a non-profit!
I've been getting really discouraged about the job hunt. Two of my co-workers already have new jobs and another has been interviewed and was offered a position, and lil ol me was just waiting and waiting until....
On my walk home from the gym last night I received a phone call from the county's Head Start! Head Start is a federally funded preschool program that promotes school readiness for low-income children. I am qualified for the Family Services Worker position, and which my supervisor highly recommended me for. I have my fingers crossed and am saying lots of prayers because I want this job so bad! It's exactly what I want to be doing after I leave my current position and the plus side?...a lot of the preschool children enrolled in the program I'm currently working in will be transitioned to this particular Head Start! The only downfall is that as of right now, the position is 25 hours a week. Obviously, I would prefer a full-time position, but begger's can't be chooser's. I will be getting paid quite a bit more than I'm making now, and there is potential for this position to be moved to full-time status once the grantee is changed. I have an interview tomorrow afternoon, so all you pray-ers out there, send up a prayer for me! And if you don't pray? I'll take all the good ju-ju I can get!
Moving on...
What goodies have you found this week on Pinterest? Link up and share! And while you're on Pinterest, don't forget to follow me!
So those of you who read my blog on the daily know that I am going to be losing my current job at the end of October. I absolutely love what I do and am devastated about this change, but we lost our funding so there's nothing much we can do. That's the life of a non-profit!
I've been getting really discouraged about the job hunt. Two of my co-workers already have new jobs and another has been interviewed and was offered a position, and lil ol me was just waiting and waiting until....
On my walk home from the gym last night I received a phone call from the county's Head Start! Head Start is a federally funded preschool program that promotes school readiness for low-income children. I am qualified for the Family Services Worker position, and which my supervisor highly recommended me for. I have my fingers crossed and am saying lots of prayers because I want this job so bad! It's exactly what I want to be doing after I leave my current position and the plus side?...a lot of the preschool children enrolled in the program I'm currently working in will be transitioned to this particular Head Start! The only downfall is that as of right now, the position is 25 hours a week. Obviously, I would prefer a full-time position, but begger's can't be chooser's. I will be getting paid quite a bit more than I'm making now, and there is potential for this position to be moved to full-time status once the grantee is changed. I have an interview tomorrow afternoon, so all you pray-ers out there, send up a prayer for me! And if you don't pray? I'll take all the good ju-ju I can get!
Moving on...
What goodies have you found this week on Pinterest? Link up and share! And while you're on Pinterest, don't forget to follow me!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Back On The Fitness Bandwagon
Am I the only one who has completely jumped ship on the whole fitness thing? I'm pretty sure I forgot how to run for a month or so. But good news everyone, I'm back on board. No need to worry, this gal will be working off those love handles in no time.
I'm so glad Justin finally popped the question, because now I actually have a real reason to get my butt in tip-top shape! {If you're like me and the other 90% of the female population, we need a legit reason to get to the gym.}
So now that I'm all motivated, I'm keeping track of my daily calorie intake thanks to the MyFitnessPal app. I like this app because it keeps me accountable to the amount of food I'm eating. Let's be honest, most days I eat what I want. But when I have to log everything I eat, it makes me think twice about picking up that donut! I definitely don't starve myself and I don't believe in diets. I simply use this app to help me not snack (or gorge myself) on foods that I don't really need.
I've been all about the cardio lately. We have a nice elliptical and stationary bike in the teeny-tiny fitness room in our apartment complex, so I normally go between those two. I know a lot of you love to listen to music when you're working out. When I'm running outside, that's definitely my go-to in order to forget that I'm torturing myself. Lately, I've been bringing my Kindle Fire to the gym so I can read while I'm doing my cardio, and before you know it, I've already done 6.5 miles! Obviously, if you're running outside, you might look like a freak reading your book, so try and refrain from that. But all you book-lovers, if you're having a hard time staying motivated while on a bike or elliptical, try reading!
Like I briefly stated above, I don't believe in diets. Not only do I think they're completely unhealthy, but sorry to break it to ya, they don't work! They work like this: you diet for a couple months, see results, and then once you're off your diet, you're right back to where you started! The real trick? It's called a Lifestyle Change, people! It's all about portion control and healthy choices. You better believe this girl indulges! I love chocolate and mac and cheese like the rest of them! And seriously? It's so hard for me to control my portions because I love to eat! I'm going to need prayers and good wishes in this category!
I wanted to share this little flavored-water recipe I stumbled upon while on Pinterest. It's known as Sassy Water. I mean, just the name alone interests me!
Ingredients
2 liters, water
1 teaspoon, freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves
Combine all ingredients and let flavors blend overnight
Simple enough, right? The Sassy Water recipe is part of the Belly Fat Diet. Well, you know I'm not a fan of diets, but the water alone has a lot of health benefits. Ginger, cucumbers, lemon, and spearmint have all been found to help aid in digestion and gastrointestinal health. Spearmint is also believed to help curb your appetite, something we could all use when all we want to do is snack! And let's not forget to mention the water! We all know how important it is, whether you're trying to lose weight or not, to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. It is suggested that one drinks the entire 2 liters in a day in order to receive the full benefits of the water. Yours truly will be picking up some ingredients today after work so I can whip up some Sassy Water. I'll keep you all updated on my experience with this little gem. I'm hoping for a miracle and a flat belly by morning, but I'll settle for slower results if I must!
Well, if this post wasn't a book and a half, then I don't know what is. Kuddos to you for making it through all of this mumbo-jumbo.
Happy Tuesday, lovelies!
I'm so glad Justin finally popped the question, because now I actually have a real reason to get my butt in tip-top shape! {If you're like me and the other 90% of the female population, we need a legit reason to get to the gym.}
![]() |
| I NEED this! |
I've been all about the cardio lately. We have a nice elliptical and stationary bike in the teeny-tiny fitness room in our apartment complex, so I normally go between those two. I know a lot of you love to listen to music when you're working out. When I'm running outside, that's definitely my go-to in order to forget that I'm torturing myself. Lately, I've been bringing my Kindle Fire to the gym so I can read while I'm doing my cardio, and before you know it, I've already done 6.5 miles! Obviously, if you're running outside, you might look like a freak reading your book, so try and refrain from that. But all you book-lovers, if you're having a hard time staying motivated while on a bike or elliptical, try reading!
Like I briefly stated above, I don't believe in diets. Not only do I think they're completely unhealthy, but sorry to break it to ya, they don't work! They work like this: you diet for a couple months, see results, and then once you're off your diet, you're right back to where you started! The real trick? It's called a Lifestyle Change, people! It's all about portion control and healthy choices. You better believe this girl indulges! I love chocolate and mac and cheese like the rest of them! And seriously? It's so hard for me to control my portions because I love to eat! I'm going to need prayers and good wishes in this category!
I wanted to share this little flavored-water recipe I stumbled upon while on Pinterest. It's known as Sassy Water. I mean, just the name alone interests me!
Ingredients
2 liters, water
1 teaspoon, freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves
Combine all ingredients and let flavors blend overnight
Simple enough, right? The Sassy Water recipe is part of the Belly Fat Diet. Well, you know I'm not a fan of diets, but the water alone has a lot of health benefits. Ginger, cucumbers, lemon, and spearmint have all been found to help aid in digestion and gastrointestinal health. Spearmint is also believed to help curb your appetite, something we could all use when all we want to do is snack! And let's not forget to mention the water! We all know how important it is, whether you're trying to lose weight or not, to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. It is suggested that one drinks the entire 2 liters in a day in order to receive the full benefits of the water. Yours truly will be picking up some ingredients today after work so I can whip up some Sassy Water. I'll keep you all updated on my experience with this little gem. I'm hoping for a miracle and a flat belly by morning, but I'll settle for slower results if I must!
Well, if this post wasn't a book and a half, then I don't know what is. Kuddos to you for making it through all of this mumbo-jumbo.
Happy Tuesday, lovelies!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Weekend Highs & Lows
Happy Monday lovelies! Before I get into my weekend highs and lows, I need any of you Michigan bloggers to help a sista out! Does anyone know a fabulous yet affordable photographer in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area? I want to get engagement pictures underway, but the only photographer I found that doesn't take super cheesetastic pictures is not only booked until November, but she charges and arm and a leg. And while I'm on the topic of cost, all you married/engaged ladies, if you don't mind me asking, how much did you spend on engagement pictures? I have no idea what I'm doing with all this wedding planning shiz and I need all of your tips and tricks!
Moving on...
In college, my friends and I used to do daily highs/lows during dinner's in the dining commons. If you've never participated in high/lows here are the rules (because they're rules for everything apparently!):
1) You share the high of your day and the low of your day.
2) You can have multiple highs and lows, BUT you must have more highs than lows. Positivity, people!
And that's that!
The highs and lows of my weekend...
High
*Justin and I finally got to take some time to celebrate our engagement, just the two of us. I love going on dates with that man.
*Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion. Oh, I love that hot mess. Could Teresa be anymore of a psychotic lunatic if she tried?
*I had good intentions of being productive on Saturday, but only did half of what was on my list. I LOVED IT! It was so nice to spend my entire afternoon laying on the couch watching Giuliana and Bill.
Low
*I almost bought the perfect Michael Kors sweater dress at Marshall's on Saturday, until my conscious kicked in and I felt guilty for spending $50 on a sweater dress when I need to be saving for a wedding. Ugh, I'm not good at saving...
Now it's your turn! Share with me your highs and lows of the weekend.
*If you're looking for a new blog to sponsor for October, I would be honored to have you as a sponsor! Click here to check out my super low rates! Let me help your blog get more exposure!*
Moving on...
In college, my friends and I used to do daily highs/lows during dinner's in the dining commons. If you've never participated in high/lows here are the rules (because they're rules for everything apparently!):
1) You share the high of your day and the low of your day.
2) You can have multiple highs and lows, BUT you must have more highs than lows. Positivity, people!
And that's that!
The highs and lows of my weekend...
High
*Justin and I finally got to take some time to celebrate our engagement, just the two of us. I love going on dates with that man.
*Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion. Oh, I love that hot mess. Could Teresa be anymore of a psychotic lunatic if she tried?
*I had good intentions of being productive on Saturday, but only did half of what was on my list. I LOVED IT! It was so nice to spend my entire afternoon laying on the couch watching Giuliana and Bill.
Low
*I almost bought the perfect Michael Kors sweater dress at Marshall's on Saturday, until my conscious kicked in and I felt guilty for spending $50 on a sweater dress when I need to be saving for a wedding. Ugh, I'm not good at saving...
Now it's your turn! Share with me your highs and lows of the weekend.
*If you're looking for a new blog to sponsor for October, I would be honored to have you as a sponsor! Click here to check out my super low rates! Let me help your blog get more exposure!*
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