Life Favorites - July

1, Pens - Last Month I mentioned my favorite planner and every planner needs a good set of pens! I absolutely love these Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens. The colors are vibrant, the ink writes very smoothly and they don't bleed through my pages. I picked these up the first time at military clothing while my husband was trying on new boots or something. That's what happens when you're a military wife surrounded by dull browns and green uniforms. You find the one little tiny spark of color. But seriously. I've had these about a year or so and they haven't dried out and I still love them. I've used other pens off and on but I always go back to these. They come in a plastic case that is sturdy and pretty handy too. 

2. Bluetooth Speaker - My latest obsession is watching live TV on my ipad while I'm doing various things. (We have a Dish Network Hopper which allows us to watch our DVR and live TV). The only downside is sometimes I can't be tethered with my earbuds and if I'm doing something like washing dishes, the noise drowns out what I am trying to listen to. Our family owns several Kindles and a Kindle Fire which occasionally has really awesome deals if you are subscribed to special offers. One of these deals was a Jabra Solemate Wireless Bluetooth Portable speaker for 20 bucks. Yes. Twenty bucks. It's normally $199. I never would've paid that for it so luckily I was one of the few that was able to get the deal. It is durable and rugged. The sound quality is clear and crisp (and loud). Had I known how awesome it was going to be I would totally have spent the money to buy itI did sign up for text notifications when a special offer was coming up.These typically sell out in seconds but I have been quick enough to get the bluetooth speaker and a Kindle Paperwhite for my daughter for only 19 bucks.

3. Book - Last Month I read Panic by Lauren Oliver which I loved. I heard about Delirium from the same author and decided to read it too and man oh man. I am about halfway through it and I love it! It's the first book in a Trilogy and apparently there was a pilot for a TV series based on the books on Hulu but I missed it. If you are looking for a good summer read I highly recommend both of these books from Lauren Oliver. She is a great author. 

From the Book Description - In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistakes.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

4. Water Flavor Enhancer - I have a static goal to drink more water every day but unless I'm outside in the heat or working out, I don't really like drinking plain water. My favorite flavor enhancers right now are these Arizona Tea Water Enhancers. I really like the Mucho Mango and the Strawberry Lemonade. My husband is a fan of the Arnold Palmer Half & Half. I want to try the Fruit Punch but I haven't spotted it in any of the stores around here. 

5. TV Show - Of course it's Big Brother! I live for this show every summer. I always subscribe to the live feeds early now so I can peek in and see what the houseguests are up to. I used to stay up late to watch Big Brother After Dark when it was on Showtime but I don't like watching it on TVGN. Too many beeps if you know what I mean. They are currently on the 16th Season. I'm also a HUGE fan of Survivor. Go figure. 

6. Water Tumbler - It's probably not surprising that I own a Big Brother Tumbler. I have it in Turquoise but it appears to be sold out as of right now. Last summer the houseguests all had these in various colors that they drank from. It's 22 oz and encourages my goal of drinking more water because if I like what I'm drinking it out of, I'll drink more? Seems like perfect logic. 

7. Lotion - I am loving the Endless Weekend Body Cream and Fragrance Mist from Bath and Body Works right now. It's very light and fresh. My all time favorite is Pink Chiffon. I never actually go to BBW with the intention of buying lotions. It starts out as a candle buying trip but the smells and deals get me every time. I do prefer the cream to the regular lotion because it's thicker and more hydrating. 

8. Camera - Have you seen the latest Cat Photos?  I like taking photos of my cats, my kids, the trees outside. Really anything. It's just a hobby and I am far from a professional but I've always wanted a DSLR camera but never wanted to fork out that kind of cash. I finally bit the bullet and bought a Nikon D5100 DSLR camera. The price wasn't as much as the newer models which I liked. The camera itself is a good one. I still haven't learned how to use it to it's full potential but I have definitely gotten my money's worth. If you are in the market for a DSLR I recommend looking at previous models to save a little money. They are still good cameras but won't hurt your wallet as much. 

The One with More Cats

I woke up at 3 am this morning. Someone was crying. My husband told me once it must be mother's ears because I can hear the kids crying, laughing, whispering (you name it) and sometimes he doesn't hear them. It's just years of experience. It's been a long time since I was awoken in the middle of the night for crying though. At least from a child's cries. So what was the crying I heard in the middle of the night that woke me from a dead sleep? The cat. Just like I've trained my ears over the years to hear the slightest whispers from my children, I think I have trained my ears to NOT hear the cat meows in the middle of the night. Most of the time I instead hear someone yelling "Shut up Sammie!" but his meows don't bother me. Except for last night. He had something serious to tell me evidently because instead of just roaming the hallway seeking attention, food, petting..who knows...he decided he was going to meow loudly whilst standing on my chest and putting his nose right in my face. Really Sammie? Really?

He used to like to cuddle at night. He'd crawl up in bed with me, usually lay on my legs, kitty patty cake himself  (and me) to sleep or clean himself which also has the same effect on me. It's like he's rocking me to sleep. Now it seems as though he is becoming a night owl. He sleeps most of the day and just as I'm getting up in the mornings, he chooses that time to hop in bed with me and cuddle. He's great for my procrastinating self. What does he do in between? He wakes me up in the middle of the night. Meowing. Right now he's laying under my desk on his not so fluffy anymore pillow cube. And sleeping.

Zoe used to not meow much. In fact, it's pretty safe to say we could go a full day without hearing her meow at all. She would purr. Loudly. She finally found her voice after she reached a year old. It was the cutest little meow I had ever heard. It was one of those moments where everyone in the house would stop and say "Awwwwwwww!" Those were good times. Sammie has taught her his bad ways. The little chirpy meow she started with is still there. It's only slightly louder but the frequency..man oh man. Sammie talks to birds. He sits at the window and chirps at them. Zoe never shown any interest. Now? She's usually the one that initiates bird talking moments and Sammie runs to see what's going on. 

Sammie spent the first half of his life around a dog. My mother had a dachshund and I've said before that I think Sammie picked up some of his habits from him. For example. When a dogs owner leaves or goes outside, I've seen dogs bark at the door wanting, begging, to go along. Well, when my kids go outside, Sammie goes to the door and meows his overly loud obnoxious meow. Zoe used to sit quietly on the windowsill and watch the kids outside. Sammie has taught her his bad ways. She now goes to the door and not only does she sit and meow wanting to go outside, she also scratches and paws the door hoping it will magically open. 

We moved to Kansas recently at the request of Mr. Army. I didn't know until we got here how bad the flies would be. You know that movie The Birds? In Kansas it would be called The Flies. Don't leave the door open too long because if you do, many flies will join you inside. I thought about buying a fly trap but those things emit awful odors even if they are effective. Turns out, I don't have to because Zoe is my fly catcher. It's almost macabre. Sometimes she kills them swiftly but sometimes she injures them slightly and then proceeds to stare them down, taunt them and paw them around the house. I usually intervene and put the poor fly out of its misery. This teaching thing though works both ways. Sammie used to show zero interest in flies. Zoe has now taught him her wicked ways and we have two fly catchers in the family. For the most part, they keep our house a fly free zone.

For some, all the aforementioned are merely annoyances meant to drive them insane. For cat lovers, it's like an endearing hug. It's your loved one saying I love you. It's a conversation (admittedly sometimes two ways. Yes I talk to my cats). I'm not a dog person but my cats are my world. My cats mirror the love I have for them. People that say cats are dumb or mean, don't love cats. Because my cats learn. They learn everyday from me, from my children and from each other. They learn good things, bad things, funny things and they learn to love. Happy Caturday!

Birchbox July 2014

July's Birchbox has arrived! I just have to say that it seems Birchbox has listened to their customers because these samples are getting better and better. Almost like the Birchbox I signed up for years ago! Like other subscriptions services, for $10 a month you get 4-5 deluxe beauty samples. Birchbox has an awesome points/rewards system that beats probably any other subscription service out there. You get 10 points for each product in your box you review and for every 100 points you get 10 dollars to spend in their shop that carries alot of top brand names. I really wanted to try a perfume once but just couldn't spend that much so what did I do? Used my Birchbox points! 

Birchbox partnered with Women's Health this month for the July Box. Included was a free one-year subscription to Women's Health magazine. 

This months box had a Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Mask, a Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy lip Stain in Sugar, a Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Nude, a NAOBAY Body Radiance Lotion and a Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel. The sizes were decent although the Jouer was a bit small. Other than that I am super happy with this box and am looking forward to trying all the products.

If you would like to see my previous Birchboxes you can click here.
If you would like to try Birchbox you can sign up here.

Ipsy July 2014

My July Ipsy bag is here and I think for the first time, I don't like the bag. It's super bright, pink, (more fluorescent than the photo shows) and was quickly taken by my teen. I guess she liked it! The skinny on Ipsy is it is a monthly subscription service. For $10 a month, you get a (usually) cute little bag and 4-5 deluxe size makeup samples. Ipsy usually has pretty generously sized samples.

This month was the Sensationally Sunkissed bag. Inside was a Benefit They're Real Mascara, Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass, Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08, Lavilin Jojoba Gel Cream and Bare Minerals 5-n-1 Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15.

The Elizabeth Mott Tint & Sass is like Benefit Cosmetics tint line. Since I already own those, my teen snagged this one. I am super pale by choice so I doubt I'll be using the Tanning Oil, though when I smelled it it brought back fond memories of my youth. The Lavilin Gel Cream says that it hydrates skin following intensive physical activity. My teen is a cheerleader in high school so she snagged this as well. That leaves me with the Benefit They're Real Mascara, which I absolutely love and can always use extra of these, and the product I was the most excited for (and actually made me squeal like a little girl) and that's the Bare Minerals Cream Eyeshadow. It claims to be be long wearing (12 hour), priming (stays in place and won't budge, smudge or crease), brightening (brightens dull, discolored eyelids for a wide-awake, youthful look), smoothing (smooths delicate eyelids while diffusing the look of lines and wrinkles) and protecting (broad spectrum SPF 15). I had just added this to my list of beauty things I wanted to try the day before so I was super excited to get this. I got the shade Divine Wine. I'll have to see if it does all the things it claims.

And that's that. If you want to see my past Ipsy Bags you can click here. If you would like to try Ipsy yourself you can click here to sign up.

Wantable Unboxing June

My June Wantable box arrived. Wantable is like other monthly subscription services except instead of samples you get 4-5 full size products for $36 or you can just get one box for $40. They also have a jewelry box and an intimates box neither of which I have tried yet. Wantable also has awesome customer service and you can return any box you are not satisfied with for a full refund.

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This month's box contained a Mariabella Eye Shadow Duo with a nifty palette to put them in with shades I can actually use, a Mirabella Lip Colour (my list says the shade should've been coral but it was actually Heat. I was a little disappointed but maybe they ran out? I would much rather have had coral but it wasn't worth returning the box.), Pla Beauty Glam Lip Gloss in Coral (it was actually the coral) and a Chromographic Lip Color in the color Kiki by Eddie Funkhouser which if you have read my blog you know I love love love Eddie Funkhouser. I did a review of the line here. I was super excited to see one of his products that I didn't own in my box and the color is gorgeous. I was a little disappointed however that I got THREE lip products this month. I mean a girl loves lippies but I think Wantable and I got our wires crossed. I will have to check that connection lol. Overall, it was a good box and I will use everything in it. What did you get in your box?

If you would like to try Wantable you can sign up here. If you want to see what was in my previous Wantable box you can here.  The value of this month's box by the way was 85.99 so not terrible for $36.

Glossy Box Unboxing June the Stars & Stripes Edition

It's a few days late, but its GlossyBox time! Every month, I love these more and more. The boxes are good quality and gorgeous and the products inside are good size samples. So the skinny on Glossybox, it's $21 a month and you get 5-6 deluxe samples. This month gearing up for Independence Day was a Stars and Stripes theme. On a side note, I don't know why I get my boxes at the end of the month. It must be when I initially signed up for the service. I need to look into it because I would much prefer getting them at the beginning of the month that way I can give you these posts much sooner!

In this month's box there was Strangebeautiful Colorbloc nail polish which I used on July 4th and I don't always review these products, but these polishes were vibrant and the formula was so smooth and lasting. There was also Rusk Texture Dry Finishing Spray, Ayres Patagonia Body Butter, Camille Beckman Platinume Gold Imperial Repair Hand Therapy (which to me smells just like the Bath and Body Works Lemon Mint Leaf Candles) and a Sumita Beauty Champagne Eye Shadow Pencil which is also amazing. It goes on smooth, it's pigmented, doesn't crease on me, lasts forever and the color is perfect with my brown eyes. If you want to give Glossybox a try you can sign up through this link. 

If you would like to see my previous Glossybox you can click here.

The One on Independence Day 2014

One of the great things about living in military communities over these many years are the celebrations. And it's not just Independence Day. We've been at Fort Riley a few months now and already there have been several occasions to celebrate and the Army does it in style as always, but the real fun is the way they involve the surrounding community and seeing the community embrace them. This Fourth of July parade was even more special because it was the first time my youngest had ever seen a parade that she remembers, and it was also the first parade my oldest was in. She is a cheerleader at Junction City High School and they marched in the parade. It turned out to be an absolute gorgeous day and I remembered what I use to love about small towns. Even if I am still a city girl at heart. Maybe this Kansas business won't be so bad. I think we really loved the horses! Hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July. Happy Birthday America!

Beauty Favorites - June

1. Sunscreen - Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 with PureScreen  is my goto SPF. It doubles as a pretty decent moisturizer. It absorbs quickly and is broad spectrum. I use the sensitive skin version not because I'm prone to breakouts but because as I age I've noticed my skin  is just becoming more sensitive and fragile. I don't use this every day but I use it when I know I'm going to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time. 

2. Moisturizer - I have dry skin so most of my skin care routine contains products for dry skin. Sometimes it is an hour or more between when I put on moisturizer and when I do my makeup. I love to use Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream For Dry Skin right before I apply makeup on those areas that are more prone to dryness. It absorbs super fast and helps my skin be more prepared for product application. If you have dry skin, I recommend trying this. I would not recommend it as a stand alone moisturizer for dry skin though but I love it for a little extra moisture.

3. Serum - I was looking for something to work with my skin's natural rejuvenation at night and decided to try Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I had never tried it before mostly because it's fairly expensive, but I had heard lots of glowing reviews. I used my gift card to Bergdorf Goodman that I got in my Glossybox and finally bought it. This stuff is amazing. My skin looks more plump and fresh in the morning. It is a staple in my nighttime routine now and I will forever repurchase it. 

4. Eye Shadow - It's summer (in case you didn't know) and that means heat, humidity, sweat and swimming none of which play well with makeup. I love using my Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Eyeshadows in the summer. They are pretty inexpensive, great quality, blends well, doesn't crease (on me), looks gorgeous and lasts forever. There are matte and shimmer shades. Both wear well alone or as a base. My favorite shade is Bad to the Bronze.

5. Cleansing Tool - If you wear makeup daily, then you know how important cleaning your face is cause let's be honest. I don't care how much makeup you put on you must, must, must take care of the skin underneath. I love my Clarisonic Mia 2 . I use the sensitive skin brush heads. It doesn't irritate my skin, deep cleans, gently exfoliates and I can use it in the shower. If you have super sensitive skin, I wouldn't suggest using this every day but every couple of days. I use it usually 3-4 times a week. 

6. BB Cream - Because it's summer, I don't like to wear heavy foundation during the day but alot of tinted moisturizers and BB creams are just too sheer. I picked up Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream in the shade Light/Medium on a whim and I just love it. It claims to have 10 beauty benefits which are smoothing, moisturizing, protecting, firming, priming and filling, perfecting, concealing, brightening, line-softening and long-wearing. It does most of those things. I still use an undereye concealer and I'm not sure how much brighter my skin is. But it does last most of the day. It is more coverage than I anticipated and I think you could go too far really easy with it but if you watch how much you use, then it is awesome.

7. Bronzer - I am super pale, mostly by choice. Because of that, most bronzers look orange or muddy on me. I found the Honey Bronzer by The Body Shop and it's basically my favorite bronzer of life because it does none of those things. It warms my skin, it's not shimmery, and I love it. I use the shade 01 Light Matte but if you have any hint of color to your natural skin tone or you self tan, it would be too light for you. I'm not sure how the darker colors translate but for fair skin this bronzer is terrific. 

8. Setting Spray - You know how scents and sounds can bring back memories? For me using this is like hearing a song on the radio that reminds you of the first time you wore a bra. No, but seriously. One of the first things I bought from MAC was the Fix + spray. I've tried other setting sprays and I use them but I always come back to this one. It just makes me feel like I am spraying luxe all over my face. I can't explain it. But the product is nice for setting your makeup, spritzing a bit of moisture onto brushes for a wet application and let me tell you, it is fantastic during the summer for removing that look of powder on your face. 

9. Lip Gloss - I'm on a 'makeup that stays on my face even though this heat tries like crazy to melt it all off' kick. The Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain lip glosses are my new favorite. I have some lip glosses that even if they manage to stay on for more than 5 minutes, your lips start looking like a snake that is shedding. My lips don't do it with these. It is moisturizing, long-er lasting than some and the colors are vibrant. It's definitely a favorite this month and you can usually get them at your local drugstore on sale. 

10. Hair Product - My hair is naturally very frizzy and curly/wavy. There is no taming the mess that is my hair unless I use a straightener which I do every couple of days when I wash it. Using the high heat on my hair makes the ends of my hair very dry. I use deep conditioners and hair oils after I wash it or at night but most of those are too heavy for daily use or repeated use. I got a sample of Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist and it is amazing. I can spritz it on the ends of my hair, it tames the frizz and leaves my hair smooth without being oily or greasy. I purchased a full size and can not be without it.