Friday, November 28, 2014

High Five for Friday 11.28.14

Good Morning,

I am going to make this short and sweet because I have a couch, coffee and fireplace calling my name! Jason headed out super early this morning to do some Black Friday shopping and when he comes home I will be doing the same, in the meantime I am soaking up being at home and seriously loving every single second of it!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! Lets jump into things!!

1. Monday in Jersey City was absolutely GORGEOUS! Tanya and I had to go to the Post Office and it was WAY warmer than I had expected it to be. After the post office we stopped at Au Bon Pain for an amazing (an cheap!) peppermint latte and than walked all along the boardwalk. It was an absolutely amazing day to be out walking about, it was almost like Spring and Tanya and I kind of hoped we just woke up and had missed winter? Wishful thinking.




2. WE ARE HOME!!!!!! Honestly I cant tell you how much I looked forward to coming here and how happy I am to be here! We got up super early in the morning (before 2am) and got on the road. Believe it or not the drive did not seem nearly as bad as it usually does. Generally when we get here I lay on the couch for awhile because I am just exhausted but that was just not the case yesterday. We did some running around and came home and relaxed all day! It was amazing!! This was my view all day...


3. We have a favorite grocery store right by our house and as silly as it may sound I look so forward to going there when we come home because its sooo clean, sooo cheap compared to the North and the people are absolutely amazing! It is actually one of the things I miss most about being home.. shopping there. Anyways we went over there yesterday to get a few things we needed for dinner and a few things we needed for our stay and when we got in line the cashier said.. "Wow, welcome back guys! When did you get into town??" Let me just say we DO NOT live in a small town, we just live around amazing people! This is why I want to be here all the time, the people are just amazing!

4. My hubby cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner yesterday! I'm sorry I was so busy watching football in front of the fire place I didn't take a single picture! He literally cooked the entire meal himself which naturally I am extremely grateful for and it was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed an amazing dinner together in our home and I honestly cant tell you how Thankful I am for that. 

5. Finally I must say, after having dinner last night, doing all the clean up and being up since before 2am we decided to head out and check out the pre Black Friday sales! Jason was determined to go to Walmart and let me tell you I hate that place on a good day!! We had to park illegally like literally everyone else on a sidewalk and the place was a complete madhouse! Jason and I went our seperate ways and somehow I managed to get through the entire store and through the line before Jason got through a quarter of the store, he ended up meeting me just as I was paying and giving me the stuff he managed to pick up! As if Walmart wasn't bad enough we braved Target which obviously was amazing and we managed to get more things and never had to wait in line! Now after that I INSISTED we head to Ulta which was probably a mistake! There was a line up outside before the store opened, people brought friends and were instructing who was to go for what (straight out of the movies!!) and when the doors opened people went nuts! I managed to get a bunch of stuff.. I ended up buying less than I wanted to (my mistake, shopping with Jason) but we waited in line to pay for almost 40 minutes! Naturally that was our last stop, we came home and went to bed!


Sorry for the crappy quality, I was being pushed.. it was a mad house!!! I have never seen anything like the mess that was Walmart last night! 

The line outside of Ulta! People we mostly friendly there, it was kind of fun I wont lie. 

Well that is pretty much it here, I'm sorry its mostly about our time home but get use to that because next week will probably be the same. I cant even think about leaving yet, I just sob.. I hate that we cant be here all the time... but that's no secret. Jason has been gone for hours so I am going to go and get ready so when he gets home I can head out! 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, I didn't know if I would get here today for sure but I am glad I did. I have a post ready for Monday so look out for that! In the meantime enjoy your leftover turkey sandwiches!!!

Today I am linking up with:


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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thankful

Good Morning,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I am hoping by the time I am posting this that we are at home safe and sound with the fire place on watching the Macy's Day Parade! I managed to get some posts written up for the next couple of days, although I am sure most people wont be posting over the holidays I just wanted to make sure I had something out there as I have been quite slack lately!

So today I am stopping in quickly to tell y'all just a few things I am thankful for this year, as this is the time of year we celebrate on the basis of gratefulness! I do however feel that we should be thankful all year round. We all have crap things that we deal with but there is always good, and we really need to focus on that!

This year I am thankful for....

Jason, of course! Jason is my best friend and although we don't always agree (what couple does?) I feel so lucky every single day that we are married and get to spend the rest of our lives together. He makes me lifes better in every single way and when things get tough I can always count on him. We are different in so many ways and where I lack he always picks up the slack. He knows exactly how to make me feel better, he makes me laugh like no one else and even after being married for 4 years I still cant wait to see him every night when he comes home from work! I am more thankful for Jason today than I was the day I married him and I didn't think that would be possible.

Cue the cheese.. feel free to stop reading now! Ha!

Our Home, Although it literally breaks my heart that we don't get to be there and owning our home truly is the biggest of the double edged sword knowing its there makes me happy. We travel so much and when we didn't have the house I never looked forward to having time off because we would just be shuttled around visiting and it was really hard for me. I love that I can look forward to going home and let me tell you I look so forward to going home every single chance we get. Every time we go there I instantly feel at home and could see us there every single day. WE have made amazing memories in the short time we have spent there and I look so forward to the memories that will come!

Friends & Family, we have actually got in a decent amount of visiting time this year with people and although we don't see everyone as often as we would like we are so thankful for everyone in our lives. We really love that people make the effort to keep in touch with us when we know its not easy, that when we come home everyone makes the effort to see us and make our time there special. We are super lucky!

My Mom, My Mom and I fight like cats and dogs but in the end when I'm having a bad day I call my Mom. When I'm sick my Mom text me to see how I am feeling and tell me what to do.. haha in a good way of course. My Mom is the one who makes sure we get awesome Birthday and Christmas gifts, she goes above and beyond for us all the time and I only wish I could do half as much for her, because she truly deserves it.

OK and a few more trivial things...

- Football
- Starbucks
- Target (OF COURSE!)
- Thin mint coffee creamer
- Warm granny sweaters
- Bath & Body Works candles
- FOOTBALL!!!
- Living by the ocean
- The amazing view from our apartment
- Autumn Weather
- The fact that we haven't had snow yet when 70% of the US already has.
- Warms drinks that instantly warm me up!
- Pillow talk with my hubby
- Those moments when we can laugh until we cry
- Nights out with friends
- The Christmas season
- Our fantastic neighbors at home!
- This here blog and all of you who grace it with your presence!

There are so many things that I am thankful for, just my life in general and all the wonderful people and things that I have! I honestly can't say that I love Thanksgiving, I don't particularly care for a big meal and I definitely don't care for the clean up after but mostly I think we should be thankful every single day!

So that's what I am thankful for this year, I hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving Day and all the wonderful things it brings!!

I also cant wait for Black Friday tomorrow!!! Stay safe out there, people trample people the day after saying how thankful they are for their life.. crazy!!

I will be back on Monday at some point, I will make sure to have a post ready as I anticipate getting back late Sunday night and having a ton to do on Monday!

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

My Current Morning Skincare Routine

Good Morning,

I really thought about taking pictures during my morning skin routine and I truly encourage all women to feel gorgeous in their skin.. meaning without makeup! Having said that I don't know how comfortable I feel about posting pictures of myself sans makeup at this point. As well I would have to get Jason to take pictures for me and honestly we just don't have that kind of time. I don't mean that he couldn't take pictures but I would have to deal with his peanut gallery antics and we would laugh and in the end I don't see us succeeding with what I would be looking for. A good time would be had, no doubt but that's not really the point. None the less I really wanted to share my current morning skin care routine because right now its really working for me.

I am feeling really good about my skin right now and therefore I think I will be sharing my night time skin care routine as well, I'm not saying this is necessarily what will work for you as everyone has different skin types, but I am really liking these products right now.

Lets get started shall we?

I am absolutely NOT a morning person, I wake up extremely slowly and don't like to be talked to or rushed.. rushed especially. I have always been this way, since I was a kid my Mom says! When I wake up I tend to spend some time exploring my Instagram and reading blogs before getting out of bed. The first thing I go for is coffee, because I take so long to wake up and get moving I shower at night so I have more time to wake up in the morning. Sad, I know.

After my coffee I head to the bathroom to start my morning routine.

I start off my morning with Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser I have used this stuff forever and I really like it. I rinse my face with warm water, put some cleanser in my hand (a portion about the size of a quarter at most), I rub it around in my hands to evenly distribute and then massage it into my face. I do this until I feel like I have evenly distributed the product all over my face and feel like I have gotten a good clean. Approximately 2-3 minutes.


Once I feel like I have really cleansed my face I rinse my hands off in warm water and then rinse off my face. I pat dry with a towel and then move on to my next step! I have mostly dry skin, especially in the winter months so at this time of the year I really try and do as much as I can to keep as much moisture in my skin as I possibly can. 

At this point I spritz my face with MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Charged Water Revitalizing Energy, you can use whatever facial spray you want to. I have used a bunch of different once, I really like the ones that are also infused with chamomile as its really calming to the skin but this is the one I have on the go right now. I really like this stuff, I think its really affordable and I do notice a difference when using it. If you are interested in trying a facial spray I do recommend this one but you can also peruse Ulta for something a little cheaper if you are interested.


While this is soaking in/ drying on my face I tend to brush my teeth or get my makeup out.. basically putter! This doesn't take but a few minutes to dry so its not like you are wandering around for 10 minutes killing time.. however if you want to, feel free!

After I feel like my facial mist has set in I move on to moisturizer! This is probably the most important part of my skin routine. I good moisturizer is always important but for me especially in the winter as I feel I am constantly fighting dry skin. I really like the moisturizer I am using now but I do need a new one and haven't decided if I will repurchase this one again or not. I don't know why I feel like that about it as I really do love it and its really affordable, I suppose I am always just looking for the PERFECT product, but I must say I have no complaints at all about this one. 

So I jump into my moisturizer, Olay Fresh Effects Dew Over Hydrating Gel Moisturizer. I really do love this whole line of products and have nothing bad to say about this product. I take a few dabs of this and place it all around my face and neck. Guys seriously, when moisturizing your face don't forget your neck, its important too! After I have a few dabs of moisturizer around my face I massage it in all over! Another great thing I will say about this moisturizer is that it allows me to apply my foundation seamlessly, it really works as a great base! 



If you haven't tried any of these products I really do recommend all of them, they have been working wonders for me! 

Before moving on to my makeup I do have one more step that I have recently added to my skincare routine that is generally much needed. I usually choose between two products that are used for the same thing, under eye brightening! 

My usual go to is the Olay Fresh Effects Bright on Schedule Eye Awakening Cream, this is in the roller ball form which I love, it evenly distributes the products and I never have to go back and smooth it out with my finger or anything. I really do see a difference in my dark under eye circles when I use this. 


Like I said I do use this product all the time but recently because I received a sample I have been loving Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Morning Eye Cream. I absolutely LOVE Caudalie products and honestly I wish they were more affordable because I would probably use them all. This product in full size retails for $34.00 and although a little does go a long way I am not sure I would purchase it, even though I love it because I see the same results from the Olay Fresh Effects version which is $12.99.


This is the point where I would jump into my makeup routine which is generally the same most days. It is my intention to follow this post at some point with my night time skin routine as well as what my makeup routine looks like as well. 

I really enjoy these videos and posts from other bloggers and vloggers, I feel like its great to know what people are using and why it works for them. I feel like my morning routine is extremely simple compared to what a lot of people do but this is what works for me. 

If you have any questions please feel free to comment and I will make sure to answer them the best that I can! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their day, I am going to be packing and getting ready to leave. We are planning on getting up at 1:30am and get on the road, I wont lie I am extremely worried about the kind of weather we are going to encounter on our trip but I am sure we will make it safe and sound. 

I plan to post something tomorrow but I know that people will be busy with their Thanksgiving visiting and of course football so for those of you who will not be around the blogsphere tomorrow I wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving, eat lots and give thanks for all the wonderful things in your lives!



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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Whats in my Bag?

Good Morning,

I have been wanting to do a post like this for such a long time and I wish I could tell you there was a good reason why I haven't but I just haven't. In all my recent Youtube watching I realized that this post is popular in general, people are just dying to know what you carry around in your purse!

I will say my purse is not all that interesting right now because I haven't actually been carrying it, because of my shoulder its just really impossible to carry a purse around so I have a wristlet with me generally. My purse also tends to hold a lot more when I am traveling.. so tomorrow my purse will have about 10 other things in it as I will be throwing it in the truck with me.

So lets get started shall we?

So this is the purse I am using right now. I got it as Ross last October for $20 I believe. I have a lot of purses I wont lie and my preference generally is a big purse! I like the brown leather, although this is my first brown leather purse so I didn't know how I would feel about it at first, part of why I decided to try it out with a $20 purse. Having said that you would never know it was a $20 purse, I absolutely LOVE it.  

(Does anyone else using blogger have issues rotating pictures, I mean that heck?) I love the paisley print inside this purse, the lining it seriously amazing! As you can see there is plenty of room in this baby which is what I like! As I mentioned in a few days it will have a heck of a lot more stuff in it so the room is needed. When I fly generally this thing is over flowing, and by the time I arrive at my destination my arm is ready to fall off (you wonder why I have shoulder issues) so recently I bought a backpack for travel!

So lets dive in to what exactly I carry in this thing!

I believe I have mentioned this before, it is the AromasArtesanales de Antigua Grapefriut Tangerine Hand cream. I bought this at World Market for $4.99 and its extremely hydrating but can take awhile to actually sink into your skin. I like it in my purse because generally if I am flying or walking around I am not on my phone so the time it takes to soak in isn't super annoying. I always like to have hand lotion, especially in the winter as I have eczema on my hands and just get really dry in the colder weather.  

My ride or die! I live for these things, I have them absolutely everywhere! I am a super freak about germs and therefore if we are shopping or whatever I like to be able to wipe my hands after being to a few stores and touching a bunch of stuff. I have a pack in the truck as well for the same reason, or if we are out shopping and decide to stop and eat I want to sanitize my hands before I touch food. Call me crazy but I should own stock in these things!

This is a really old make up bag I believe, it may have come with travel size stuff in it I don't exactly remember! I know that I have had it for years and it works for me! I like to have a little bag like this in my purse for makeup items, tampons (TMI?), and whatever else I can think of that I might need but I don't want to make a mess in my purse. I generally have 50 hair ties in the there, etc but naturally somehow those always end up swimming in the bottom of my purse as well. In general it does hold things that I need but don't want to have to dig for. I need a hair tie or bobby pin I grab this thing and can grab what I need. 

My sunglasses! I swear this case is the reason I cannot carry a small purse! A friends mother once asked why I had a small loaf of bread in my purse, haha! These are Oakleys and I got them quite a few years ago, sadly the frames are discontinued. I absolutely love these glasses though, and they are necessary all year round!

My wallet, this is from Coach and Jason bought it for my for Christmas a couple of years ago and since then its the only wallet I have used. Its really convenient, I like the setup of it and the quality is amazing. I like that its grey because it may not exactly match my purse but it pretty much goes with everything. I am not the person that believes my wallet absolutely needs to match my purse perfectly and this baby was expensive so I figure I should make it worth it. 

Again with my germ worries! I always have hand sanitizer somewhere as well, living here we tend to use the subway a lot and I feel like its just necessary. I know I probably worry more than most people but with Ebola and stuff like that existing I feel it more and more necessary to be cautious. This is from Bath and Body Works and I believe they are $2.00 or less. They come in all different scents if you aren't a fan of the alcohol smelling ones. 

Do I really need to say anything about this? Strawberry and cream tic tacs.. just necessary!

Again with the rotating issues. I don't know what the deal is BLOGGER, BUT I'M OVER IT!. 
Sorry. So this is just a Nine West wristlet, my Mom bought it for me last year at Burlington Coat Factory for $7.00 I believe. I have a Coach one that I love as well but my phone doesn't fit in it. Since my shoulder has been a mess and I cant carry my purse I take this little guy with me wherever I go. I just throw the cards in there that I need, my phone, keys and a lipstick. All I really need right? Not really but its all I can carry so what choice do I have?

Hair ties and bobby pins! They are suppose to be in that little makeup bag but what can I say. I always have 100 of these laying around because, well.. have you seen my hair? I need all the help I can get! I like these thin hair ties with no metal strip thing because they hold my hair best, but I wont lie I maybe get 10 uses out of these and they are stretched and ruined. Good thing they are cheap!

I generally wear lipstick but what I am wearing depends on the day so whatever I choose I will throw it in that morning. These are just always in there just in case. I have a Blistex because its just a regular chapstick and I have to have something Jason can use and this is amazing stuff. I have a Smoochies (I cant remember the shade but the packages are all different so you can find it by the fuchsia color packaging) because its the perfect tinted lip balm, good for anytime anywhere and I absolutely love it. I also have an Essence Stay with me in a gorgeous pink, this is the only lip gloss I have ever used the entire thing and got another one. Its a great color, great coverage and not sticky at all.. everything I look for in a lip gloss. Not to mention extremely affordable!  

You know, just in case! I always have one of these in my purse because if I don't need it someone else will!

A random receipt.. it says Clifton Springs on it and I don't even know where that is. I think the last time I used my purse was when we went home in October so who knows where this is actually from. 

I'm sorry.. blogger and I are at war apparently. Gum.. I don't like fruity gum at all.. honestly I don't really love gum in general. I will chew it for a few minutes and then spit it out.. I just don't like it but Jason is a gum freak and so I always make sure to have some. 

Random cards, business cards, points cards from stores, I see a Light Rail ticket in there. I generally keep all my points cards info on the Key Ring App on my phone. If you have a lot of points cards, I highly recommend this app for you!

Lens wipes! I wear glasses and sunglasses and lets be honest by this point you know how I feel about dirt and germs. These are from Walmart I believe, its $4.00 for a box of 100 I think and they are well worth it. I will say the smell of alcohol that comes off of these is absolutely crazy and I don't like that but I know that its super cleaning my glasses and I love that. 

Empty! Check out all the pockets and stuff.. I couldn't love it anymore! This purse really works for me, its everything that I would want in a purse.. but I'm not going to lie even though I'm not even carrying this I am getting the itch for a new one. Black Friday sales?

So there you have it, not a ton of junk compared to what some people carry but none the less enough! Again if I am traveling I will most often have my passport, even if I'm not traveling out of the country I don't like just leaving it unattended. I will also have my iPod because I am all about a good dance party, my camera.. just in case. There is a good chance you may also find a book (or my Nook), a magazine, lipsticks, water, etc. I like stuff and options.. in most aspects of life!

So that's whats in my bag! I am running late now and need to get moving ASAP to meet Tanya! I got a call this morning for my MRI, I am going on the morning of December 10th which is a lot faster than I had expected and thankfully its a lot closer than I had expected which is even better!

I really need to run, I lost the football pool last night if anyone was wondering.. Thanks Drew Brees!! THANKS!!!

Have a great day!!!


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Monday, November 24, 2014

I'm Excited...

Good Evening All,

I forgot to post this morning, there is really no excuse for it but none the less I am going to give you one or two to make myself feel better, you're just going to have to deal with it. I stayed up late last night (until after midnight) watching Christmas movies, I cant help myself. When I saw the doctor last week they gave me some pain pills for my arm and those babies knock me out.. so I took one before I went to bed and I slept QUITE soundly, that is until the fire alarm started going off in our building EARLY this morning. I swear the fire department is here at least once a week, but I didn't smell smoke and I was tired and in bed but once it went on for awhile I finally got up and checked the hallway for smoke.. nothing.. so I went back to bed. I figured there wasn't really a fire and if there was someone would eventually come knocking on my door, or so I assumed. Who ever said 'better safe than sorry' anyways.When I got up I threw our bedding in the wash and got ready to head the post office with Tanya.

Let me tell y'all it was absolutely GORGEOUS out today, if not the absolute most perfect weather! They were calling for rain today but I guess it rained so hard all night that it was done with. Tanya and I went to the post office and then headed to Au Bon Pain for an amazing Peppermint Latte (beyond good and half the price of Starbucks, if not less! Go get yourself one!) and sat and chatted awhile before walking the boardwalk home. It was the perfect day for a walk, so nice to be out without freezing your ass off which is what has been going on recently... have I mentioned how much I hate winter?

This afternoon I managed to get a lot stuff done around the apartment as we are leaving to head home early Thursday morning (1:30am) YAY!!!!!!!! I seriously CANNOT WAIT, I have been so home sick lately and although I know leaving is going to be really hard I just cant wait to get there. But when you are going away for a couple of days there are always a few extra things you want to get done before you leave. I managed to get all our Christmas cards filled out and addressed which was a feat, I swear every year I say I will not be sending out Christmas cards and every year I end up buying a pack of cards, but they are done now and I will send them out when we get back.

By the time I was done with the cards I started dinner and all that good stuff and before I knew it I looked at the clock and it was 6:00pm, I'm not going to lie I didn't think about blogging at that point either. However once Jason finished dinner and headed to the gym a light bulb went off. I swear Tanya and I talked about it while out today and it was my intention to come home and blog before anything else, but between talking about it and getting home it just slipped my mind, big surprise!

So I'm here none the less with nothing all that exciting but making an appearance all the same. I called the doctor this afternoon and my x-ray came back clean so there is definitely nothing broken which I expected. While I was on the phone with the doctor I asked where we go from here and although she seemed somewhat unaware the receptionist said they would send my information to the hospital and they would contact the insurance for MRI approval and then they would get back to me with an appointment. I was quite surprised to hear that I would most likely get a phone call today or tomorrow letting me know the situation. Having said that I don't know how long one would wait for a test like that around here, so I am curious to find that out. I'll keep ya posted!

I'm going to try and get some posts written before we head home, at the very least a Friday post. We will be gone until late Sunday night, I'm not going to lie I would fight to stay longer but with the weather getting inevitably more and more questionable as time goes on I would hate to get stuck there (kind of, haha) and we have tickets booked for December 2nd to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.

That's whats going on, I know lately not much worth reading has been going on around here and I really do apologize for that. I wish I could find my will to write and have at least a few posts under my belt (in my drafts) for days when I don't feel like writing.

I'm going to do some dishes and get ready to watch some football tonight! I'm in the running still to win our weekly football pool so naturally I am a little more anxious! I have absolutely SUCKED this year so whenever I get this close my hopes sky rocket! I'll stop rambling now.

Hope everyone has a good night!!

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Friday, November 21, 2014

High Five for Friday 11.21.14

Good Morning,

Here are the highlights of my week, I hope you all had a wonderful week and have a great weekend ahead of you!!

1. I officially fell into the Christmas spirit and I just cant get enough!


Jason has been working later and with the chilly weather and not getting much sleep while waiting for Jason to get home I curl up on the couch. Well he was so late the other night that I ate dinner without him (I don't like eating super late) and curled up on the couch, found a Christmas movie and got comfy. WELL.. the Christmas movie enticed my to get out some of my peppermint M&Ms which then led me to make a hot chocolate with a touch of Girl Scout thin mint creamer... that was pretty much my demise! I have been watching every Christmas movie that comes on, decorating the apartment as much as possible or rather as much as Jason will let me. We bought our Christmas tree and Christmas cards.. I am in the spirit people!! #cantstopwontstop

2. Sunday Football at O'Hara's Downtown Bar & Grill


Pumpkin beer! If they had Christmas beer I probably would have drank that but I am sticking with the pumpkin stuff until after Thanksgiving at least and then I will drink Woodchuck Hard Cider Winter Ale.. its my all time favorite beer. BUT this isn't about that, its about Sunday! We got up and lazed around before meeting the McMann's at a local watering hole for the game and some beers. We snacked and drank and enjoyed the game.. it was great! They had all been there before but it was when I was at home so I had only heard about it, and I really liked it. The food was great and cheap, the beers were great and a variety was available.. service was good, great way to spend a Sunday!! 

I have HILARIOUS pictures of Jason and Tanya and as tempted as I am to post them I wont, they hadn't even drank much which was the best part.. so funny. 

3. Chestnut Praline Latte


Please don't let this fool you, I am by no means impressed that this guy above replaced my beloved Eggnog Latte, having said that it is pretty darn good! I am thankful that Starbucks at least replaced the eggnog latte if they were going to do away with it because otherwise I wouldn't have had one holiday drink to enjoy throughout the season and what a piss off that would have been. Plus I won't lie I really do love the holiday cups. Tanya and I took a break from Christmas shopping the other day, grabbed a coffee and sat and chatted for awhile, it was great. 

4. The way it looks outside... Autumn at its finest. 


I don't know what happened here but we never really got fall weather, it stayed so warm and then it got damn cold.. I don't know what went on but it is what it is. Having said that now that it has finally gotten cold the leaves have really changed and the trees and everything are just absolutely gorgeous! Nothing makes me happier than to see beautiful red and orange trees and leaves decorating the ground with their beautiful color and texture. I love to hear the leaves crunching under my feet, the crisp smell in the air.. I just love it. I know it seems late to be posting about how gorgeous fall is, but I took these this week, we haven't entered the awful world of snow yet so I am going to enjoy every single second of it. 

5. Homemade chicken noodle soup. 


This week has been COLD, the coldest it has been all year and the coldest I have experienced in quite some time. Nothing seems better than a bowl of homemade soup when its chilly out so yesterday that is exactly what I did, I made a huge pot of chicken soup! I would play around a little more with soups and make different kinds but y'all know what a fuss pot Jason is so chicken noodle it is. I'm not complaining, it was absolutely fantastic, we will definitely be eating a lot of soup this cold weather season!

So ladies & gents that's that! I am off for my x-ray and then heading with Tanya to get her hair done. I was going to get my hair cut but they are discriminating against me because I have a lot of hair and I just wont stand for it, $50-$60 for a trim is absolute bullshit! But none the less Tanya is going to get hers done, maybe I'll share a picture! HA!

Have a great weekend!!

Today I am linking up with:
Kait @ CommuniKait
Brooks @ Girl Brooks

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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Doctors...

Good Afternoon,

I should have came here earlier but let me tell you this day just got away from me, I cant even believe its already 4:30pm! I woke up this morning and my shoulder was absolutely killing me so I said screw it and walked down to the walk in clinic! I know I should have gone a long time ago yada yada yada but I didn't and now I am still no better so I finally went today and I do believe that's what we should be focusing on.

I'm not going to lie part of my resistance all this time has been that I am not a huge fan of American healthcare and all the insurance crap! Its all confusing to me personally and although we have good insurance it all still cost money, a lot of it too! Living in Canada I use to think it was crap that they charged so much for parking at a hospital, I mean how dare they prevent people from seeing their loved ones or getting treatment and so on by charging an arm and a leg for them to park their car! That now seems extremely trivial living in a country where they charge you for care!! I will never ever understand the fact that people die strictly on account that they can afford treatment, it seems a little pathetic to me. BUT that is just my personal opinion and I know a lot of American's are all about their system.

Anyways I went to the doctor this morning and although I basically filled out nothing (no medical history or anything) I saw the doctor basically immediately which was extremely surprising, I explained my symptoms and what has been going on. She did a mild exam and said that I will need to go for an X-ray, it seems stupid because we both know its not a bone issue but she said basically we don't have a choice because the insurance isn't going to approve the MRI needed unless we rule everything else out.. money grab? So I got an appointment for an x-ray tomorrow morning and then I will have to go back to the doctors on Tuesday (and pay!!) to have them tell me nothing came back on the x-ray and hopefully tell me if the MRI was approved.

You know another funny thing about American healthcare that you PAY FOR, I had to call and make my own appointment for an x-ray, partly I assume because I had to find an in network doctor but mostly because she basically said they have too many patients to do all the leg work. Ok then?

So that's where I stand, I got a prescription for pain killers.. the same ones I had last time so I will also fill that tomorrow so I can get some sleep at night maybe. I am not at all excited about having to deal with all this but I obviously need to do something about it because its not getting better on its own and I'm also tired of dealing with that.

After the doctors I came home and ordered a few more Christmas gifts, made a list of Christmas cards to send out even though every year I say I'm not going to send Christmas cards! I have been getting stuff ready for dinner, doing laundry, all of that good stuff! I definitely feel like although the day flew by I got a lot accomplished which is a great feeling. All I suppose but a decent blog post sadly, like I have said I have a huge list of post ideas and I don't know why I cant just sit down and write. I will get there, I'm sure of it.

In the mean time I have my blog post for tomorrow ready so I can guarantee its coming! I will keep you all posted on this medical journey of mine, at the very least I assume it will be entertaining and costly! This whole have a test so we can prove you need another one really kills me, but whatever. Can you also believe that there is a chance the insurance will decline the request for an MRI?? They can demand I go for physical therapy, etc before they approve it! Its just unreal. Oh how I miss Canada some days!

Have I mentioned how cold it is here? because it is and I am not loving it. Its even freezing in my apartment all the time, when I am home I am clothed in layers of over sized apparel, Jason thinks I'm ridiculous but whatever, he wont let me turn the heat on!

Alright I am going to make dinner!

Hope y'all had a great day!!!

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

If We Were Out for Coffee...

Good Morning,

Apparently no sleep puts me in the writing mood? I haven't been sleeping well lately which isn't necessarily unusual it usually goes in spells and lately it just hasn't been good. I wish I could tell you there was no reason for it but truth be told I am the worst stress ball ever and although I wish so bad I could change and not let things get to me as bad as they do I have resigned myself to that absolutely never happening. I feel like if you asked me what was bothering me the list would be endless right now, but honestly if you asked me I would probably just tell you everything is fine because I just don't want to talk about it because it makes it worse. There's no real winning here, if I don't talk about it I stress internally and don't sleep and constantly feel in a state of inner turmoil, but if I talk about it than it gets worse and brings up points that I probably wasn't worrying about at that moment and then I have new things/points to go over and over again in my head. Fabulous right?

I've cut out my afternoon coffee which I'm not going to lie I enjoy so much especially now that its cold and I have a bunch of fancy new coffee creamers I'm in love with. Still I find myself sitting up at midnight watching beauty vloggers on Youtube. If you can't sleep at night and are the least bit interested in beauty vlogs than I highly recommend:


  • Essie Button - My absolute favorite, shes hilarious and informative!
  • Jaclyn Hill - This girl has amazing tutorials that will simply every look for you! She is a professional makeup artist, recommends products, etc. 
  • Nicole Guerriero - Extremely popular beauty vlogger, great tutorials and product reviews. 
  • Kathleen Lights - I have just recently started watching her channel and I really like her a lot, she provides a variety of content and uses a lot of drugstore products versus high end which is more affordable for the everyday gal!
Anyways this morning I was laying in bed reading blogs that I follow and I came across Geez, Louise and she posted a blog that I have seen floating around the blogsphere for quite some time and I have never participated but I figured why not?

The concept of this post is to talk about the things I would say to you if we were out for coffee, I like it because naturally I drink coffee, I like going for coffee with friends.. I feel like its a relaxing environment to sit and chit chat and catch up. In fact Tanya and I see each other all the time, generally walking about and naturally we chat about things but yesterday we went and sat at Starbucks and had coffee, I don't remember the last time we did this and I really enjoyed it. Its completely different to sit across from someone and have a conversation versus running errands and chatting away.. am I crazy? Don't you agree?

So getting on with it...

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that I am almost done my Christmas shopping which is a huge accomplishment for me and I couldn't feel better about it. With that said because I feel so good about my purchases and know that I have eliminated the stress that usually comes with the holiday season I am really into the holiday spirit! I am listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, peppermint M&Ms and hot chocolate are officially staples in my diet until the new year! 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that it is officially winter weather here and as much as I told myself that I could deal with it and it might even be a nice change, I was obviously temporarily insane. I absolutely hate winter, I hate the cold and I can't even go home because somehow the South is in some sort of record setting deep freeze and its actually colder there than here. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that although I am really despising the winter weather I have to be thankful that 70% of the United States has seen snow or currently has it and we are not one of them, and we are definitely in the North. #winning. 

If we were out for coffee... I would ask if I could try yours, providing we got something different. 

If we were out for coffee... I would ask how things are going with you, life, Christmas shopping, work, school, whatever you may having going on because I honestly care and want to know. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that I am pretty sure we are going to go home next weekend for Thanksgiving and the thought thrills me to know end. I have been extremely homesick in the last few weeks and just want to sleep in my bed, use my Keurig, sit on the couch in front of the fire and watch Christmas movies. I want to decorate the house for Christmas and have friends over for drinks. #travelproblems. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that I forgot about the whole winter finale for my Thursday night shows and it totally sucks! I thought the Thursday night shows started off a little bland but they have gotten so good and now they are going to go away for two months! Bah!

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you to go to Bath & Body Works, run actually and buy as many of their holiday candles as you can carry. I would even offer you a coupon because I have a ton of them. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you how impressed I am that stores are having amazing sales which I didn't expect with Black Friday around the corner but I believe its to try and avoid the trampling of other humans that generally takes place on Black Friday. 

If we were out for coffee... I would rave about the beautiful wool sweater I got at H&M last week because it was their weekly deal and it cost me $4.95. Ya you read that right, beyond an amazing deal, an amazing sweater and no sales tax. Happy shopper right here. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that I ordered the book Love Anthony by Lisa Genova weeks ago, got about 15 pages in and haven't picked it up since. I love all the other books I have read by Lisa Genova but I just cant get into reading mode. Sadly I know if I would just pick it up and start reading I would get into it and not be able to put it down. I would probably also ask you what you have been reading lately and if you have any recommendations. 

If we out for coffee... I would ask you when you thought it was too early to put up the Christmas tree? I have been trying to convince Jason to let me do it this weekend but he refuses as Thanksgiving is a huge thing in the States. Generally I agree that before Thanksgiving is too early but I am just really into the Christmas spirit and I want to enjoy the tree as long as possible. 

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that Jason and I booked tickets to the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall for our anniversary and I couldn't be more excited!! We went the year we lived in New York and it was absolutely amazing, last year we saw Elf in theater while we were at home and I cannot wait to go! If you are in New York over the holidays this really is a must see!

If we were out for coffee... I would tell you that my shoulder was starting to feel a lot better and now its really painful again, I would probably take your advice to see a doctor. 

If we were out for coffee... I would probably get another coffee, if not to enjoy with your company but to go.. like I said I'm not getting much sleep these days. 

If we were out for coffee... I swear it wouldn't be all about me! You can talk to. 

Alright I think its time to start the rest of my day, I am going to make another coffee and try and do something with my hair because its a mess. I am heading to Target and then getting stuff to make homemade chicken soup for dinner because its cold out and soup is fabulous in the cold weather. 

I hope you all have a fantastic day, get yourself a coffee!!



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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Rambles

Hi guys,

I seriously don't know what is wrong with me, I have a list of blog post ideas and everyday I sit down to write and I just cant seem to bust out a post worthy of posting (not that I feel like this one is going to be much better!).

So instead of trying to write about something in particular I figured I could at the very least come and chat about whats been going on lately and it wouldn't sound half as lame.. or hopefully not.

As I have mentioned I feel soooo good about our Christmas shopping! We have basically finished shopping for all of our family but my Dad and we know what we want to get him we just haven't actually ordered it yet so I feel so great about that. Usually my Mom is the hardest to buy for and this year I found a million things for her, I feel like not only have we finished our shopping early this year but we have bought really great things that I think people will love. I already feel that I am enjoying the holiday season way more because the stress will not arise.

Having said that the holiday season has made my home sickness about a thousand times worse, buying a crappy tree and not decorating the house. There are so many things I would love to buy to decorate the outside of the house and the inside for that matter and none of it seems worth it in this crappy little apartment. I need to go home, I need to be in my house but I wont lie I don't know how I will come back. I don't hate it here, but I feel like I am wishing life away just wanting to go home. After a visit before Christmas Jason will get really busy at work and I don't know when we will get back and that thought just kills me, I refuse to go anywhere else but home when we have the time because I miss it so much.. I don't care how unreasonable that makes me. Seriously.

So I guess the good comes with the bad.

Speaking of good and bad, I was pretty excited when Starbucks holiday drinks appeared again as I don't really care for the fall drinks. So a couple of weeks ago Jason and I made our way to Starbucks in New York and I asked for my all time favorite eggnog latte and the guy told me they didn't have it and they would be bringing it back this year. I stood there silent reminding myself not to shoot the messenger! What in the mother effing hell is going on??? WHY WOULD YOU NOT BRING THAT BACK??? Ya, so much for the whole messenger thing. He didn't really have a good reason for why it was gone, actually he didn't have a reason at all. I'm not going to lie I avoided Starbucks for awhile after that. I know, I could just have a white hot chocolate or something and I like that but it doesn't have any caffeine and if you know me at all.. I need caffeine! Earlier this week Tanya informed me that Starbucks released a new holiday drink, the drink that stole the place of my beloved eggnog latte. Asshole. Either way I tried it today, the Chestnut Praline Latter. It was good, different.. not as good as the eggnog latte but whatever. I'm not bitter at all, I swear.  

Also its really cold here today, but because 70% of the US has snow or has seen snow and we haven't I am extremely thankful. I am also extremely thankful for my basically brand new winter jacket that I am learning is so warm. I got it for Christmas when we lived in Alaska but I barely used it because I worked all the time and had a different jacket for work, then we went to a warm climate and last year I definitely didn't need it.

That's really it around here, we bought our Christmas tree last night and I am stocked up on Christmas candles from Bath & Body works.. all good things in my book. I have been trying to convince Jason to set up the tree this weekend but he isn't going for it. Last Saturday really turned me into holiday mood.. Christmas movies, hot chocolate, the whole bit and now I just want to put the tree up, wrap present and be merry! What can I say, Christmas just doesn't last very long so why not live it up! I'm about ready to bust out my iPod with my Christmas music play list!

Besides Christmas I got nothing! Jason's phone is all messed up for some reason so we are going to take that in tonight to Verizon and see what can be done about it because he's close to panic mode on said subject. Its cold out and suppose to be all week so I think we might make our way over to the grocery store tonight and get the stuff for me to make soup tomorrow.

I will try again tomorrow to post something of substance, my apologies for the last two weeks!

Stay warm friends!!

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Monday, November 17, 2014

Birch Box November

Good Afternoon all,

It is miserable and rainy out today which I suppose is better then the snow that everyone else is getting, having said that I don't think we are going to avoid that mess for very much longer. Tomorrow is suppose to be the coldest day that we've had and the wind is suppose to be really bad, which makes me anxious on account that the wind is always bad here.

Anyways I thought I would stop in today and chat about my most recent Birch Box. I have been planning a post about the products I have received and what I think about them but I just haven't used all of it yet, so in the meantime I thought I would talk about this months box in the meantime.

Before we get into that though I am going to make this post a little more versatile and side step the makeup stuff for a second and discuss Sunday football. We went out and watched the afternoon games yesterday and let me tell you they didn't play out as I had predicted in my weekly picks, although if I am being honest this isn't necessarily unusual. Naturally we Patriots fan in this house so we were most looking forward to the night game when they took on the Indianapolis Colts.

I will say the game didn't start off as we had hoped, after the first interception was thrown I figured it was a good time to have a quick shower before the game got too far in. When I got out of the shower I heard Jason say "This is the worst thing I could have ever imagined.." I thought he was on the phone and I was worried something bad had happened, so I flew into the front room and he was talking to himself about Brady throwing another interception!! I couldn't help but laugh, not at the way the game was going but how personally Jason takes it all.

Needless to say if you watched the game you know that the Patriots turned things around in true Patriots fashion and whooped the Colts in Indianapolis! Brady and Gronk were stars as usual but I have to give a shout out to someone you probably hadn't heard of until last night, Jonas Gray! Where have the Patriots been hiding this rock star?? Gray scored 4 TOUCHDOWNS!!!! Seriously. If you get a minute read THIS article, its pretty impressive! This guy is not only awesome, he's humble! Hello typical Patriot (minus Gronk usually, haha!). 45-20 win for the Patriots!! THANK YOU JONAS GRAY!!!

OK, I'm done! But seriously.. this was his 4th NFL game I believe and he scored 4 touchdowns, I mean its crazy!

Back to Birch Box stuff though, the actual point of this post.. I knew I would ramble when I started that rant but I couldn't help myself, it was ramble worthy as far as I am concerned.

So last week I got another Birch Box from the subscription Jason got me for my birthday and I was extremely excited. Tanya actually got her box first and opened it while I was with her and she got some great stuff, it made me extremely excited to get my own box. I was extremely happy with what I got this month and am excited to share it with you!

(my apologies for the crappy pictures, I am not dealing with the best lighting today!)

Curl Keeper by Curly Hair Solutions
This water based gel, new from the brand adds definition and hold to curls and waves. Apply to wet hair and comb through, let air dry. To reactive hold later, slightly dampen hair. 
This is obviously the sample size but it retails in full size from $9.99- $17.50. 

I have yet to try this product but I was super excited to get it, as you know I have out of control curly hair and I think this could be a great product for me. There is quite a bit of product which is also great as I do have a lot of hair and sometimes sample sizes just aren't enough product for me. I will let you know what I think of this when I try it! 


(blogger pisses me off when it wont post the pictures the way they appear everywhere else)

dr. brandt Pores no more, vacuum cleaner.
Award winning gel that degunks pores for few blackheads and smoother skin. Two or three times weekly, apply thin layer to areas of concern. Rinse after 5-10 minutes. This is obviously a sample size but again there is a ton of product here and I think it will last through quite a few uses. This product retails in full size for $45.00. You see this is the hard thing about Birch Box, you find something you love and fall in love with it.. then have to pay a fortune if you want to continue using it. 

I have yet to use this product and I wont lie my skin is EXTREMELY sensitive so I am always really anxious about trying new products in fear I will break out but I was really excited to see this product and will definitely report back! 



Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
Originally made for nursing moms, this ultrahydrating balm is a makeup artist fave. Dab onto parched lips, cuticles and elbows if needed. This product retails in full size for $14.50. 

Let me just say this product totally creeped Jason out! I left my Birch Box out and when he came across that his reaction was priceless. I have actually heard really great things about this stuff and plan to put it on my bedside table when the one I am using is currently gone. I like to use a super hydrating lip treatment at night because the cold weather makes me really dry and I think this is going to work great. Again, I will report back. 


Not Soap, Radio - Awash in a field of four leaf clovers body wash
This cleanser is infused with real four leaf clover extract and green tea. Massage generously into damp skin then rinse away, or add a dollop to your bath.

As you can tell I have actually used this product and I'm not going to lie, I don't like it. I was excited to give this a try because I absolutely love bubble bath and I needed some! Well I don't really know what to say, this stuff doesn't have a scent, it definitely doesn't create bubbles, the few it does don't last more than 5 minutes. This product retails full size for $16.00, but let me tell you I wouldn't waste my money. Sorry. 



theBalm Cosmetics - Cindy- Lou Manizer
This shimmery, soft pink highlighter perks up your features with a natural looking glow. Sweep onto cheekbones or eyelids, or lightly dust onto face for a luminous look. 

I was super excited to see this in my Birch Box, I have wanted to try the Balm cosmetics for a really long time because I have just heard the best things about it and this is a super exciting product. I love that its versatile and has more than one use, it really is such a pretty color and its not powdery at all. I think that it would make a great highlight shade but is buildable and could be used for a gorgeous eye shadow shade or high light for the brow bone. I cannot wait to use to product and have no doubt it will live up to all my expectations!

I also got a little bonus chocolate, pink himalayan crystal salt caramel which in full size retails for $20! I'm not going to lie though, as much as I am not a big fan of chocolate I would pay the $20.00 for that baby!

There you have it folks, my November Birch Box! If you are interested in purchasing a Birch Box you can visit their website HERE, or if you are interested in any of the products I have shared you can find them on their website at all. 

I hope you all have a great week, I do plan to be back around these parts tomorrow! 





















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