Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen




... Saint Anything preview (via Netgalley) that I’ve had on my kindle


A few months ago I saw that Sarah Dessen was releasing a new book in May and knew that I needed to pre-order it to my kindle! On May 5th it was delivered and I had it read by the end of the day on May 6th! 

Although Sarah Dessen's books are considered "young adult" I enjoy every second of them. Her novels are easily relatable and make you feel like a high schooler again. There is so much complexity to that age that is hard to describe and Sarah always makes you feel understood. 

This book revolves around Sydney a girl who has consistently lived in the shadow of her older brother and not in a good way. Sydney's brother Peyton has been in trouble with the law and because of that her parents have always been involved in his life and not cared as much about hers. Sydney switches schools, makes new friends, and enters in a relationship that changes her world for the better.

This book was one of my favorites that Sarah Dessen has written and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has read even a single book by her in the past!

Have you read any great books lately? I have a list that I've read recently to review so make sure you stay tuned for more book reviews! 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

April Birchbox and Review

In April I was excited to find a few amazing products in my Birchbox! I have had the chance to try all of them and am finally ready to share my thoughts with you! (I think my May box will be here by the end of the week...so I'm ready for some new products!)




I have recently just finished up my shampoo and conditioner stockpile so I was excited to receive these little samples of Beaver Professional Shampoo and Conditioner. I really enjoyed these products, they made my hair soft and silky and didn't dry out my hair which is always appreciated. Although I found them to be great additions to my hair care routine I don't believe I would purchase them in the future simply because I know there are great drugstore shampoo and conditioners that are much cheaper (and I can often find for free). I don't want to spend money on something such as shampoo and conditioner if it's not entirely necessary, so since these have been finished up it's time to say goodbye!


Peace Be Still by Templespa is a calming face and body balm. This lotion was slightly scented with a light, minty scent and did not do any damage to my skin. I actually felt comfortable using this on my face and have done so several times. I didn't find it to perform miracles on my skin, but it didn't do any harm either. This is something that I will finish up, but I will not be purchasing in the future. Again, I don't like to spend money on products unless they are something incredible  which I am still on the lookout for.


When I first opened my box I thought "Oh awesome a nail polish!"
I've learned that I'm not great at reading the card that comes inside my Birchbox because this Jelly Pong Pong Glow Glitter is a luminizer! When I pulled out the brush I was shocked to discover this was not nail polish. I am not a huge luminizer person, I would have much preferred a nail polish. This is not something I would wear every day, and I'm not sure I would wear it even on a special occasion because I feel a bit silly even trying it on in the first place. We will see!


I love a good eye cream and I love Supergoop! After trying their sunscreen last year I have been a huge fan and this eye cream is no exception. The consistency is similar to that of a sunscreen but it makes me feel that the area around my eyes is super protected which is great since that area is so sensitive. As the weather gets hot and I spend more and more time outside I need to remember to religiously apply sunscreen before leaving the house in the morning. I am not the type of girl who doesn't have to wear sunscreen, my pasty white skin gives me no choice! (Well the choice is pasty white with sunscreen or burning red and in pain...) So I will use up this whole sample and may perhaps purchase this in the future!

What did you get in your last Birchbox? If you don't receive Birchbox, what beauty products have you tried lately?

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Moneymaker at CVS!


In case you're not a crazy coupon person like myself you might not be aware that there is a MoneyMaker at CVS this week!


The small Nivea lotions are buy two get a $5 ExtraCare Buck. You are spending less then $5 to buy these lotions and are making money by walking away with $5 ExtraBucks! Don't you just love couponing without coupons?!

The only trouble is, you can only do this deal once! Two lotions is all you're going to get unless you have multiple CVS cards and split the lotion into multiple transactions.

So get over to CVS and pick up your free lotion before Sunday this deal only runs through Saturday at midnight!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Life Lately

Hi friends!

So this is what happens when I take a two week vacation from blogging...I have so much I want to write about and so much I want to say.

A week ago I was feeling un-inspired. I had nothing new to share with the blogging world and felt that all I would do was bore you if I came to share my nothing-ness. Now I'm back! Although my life isn't as exciting as plenty of other peoples, it has been pretty good lately.


I had the opportunity to go with a friend to a local production of Dirty Dancing! Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies of all time so I was super excited to see how they would turn it into a play. Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) did a fabulous job and the dancing was absolutely incredible. There were a few changes in the plot and a bunch of scenes were added that I didn't love but it was a great show and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great show. Unfortunately it was only playing for a limited time in the Rhode Island area- so I hope you got to go see it if I you're nearby! 



After Dirty Dancing my friend Blythe and I headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for a delicious dinner and an even better dessert! I am a huge fan of the Oreo Cheesecake and loved every second of this mouthwatering dessert.


Roxy is doing alright. She is blind as a bat and continually wanders the yard, running into things as we yell "Careful!" She's been eating homemade meals that my friend Kaitlin recommended. We've been mixing either ground beef, ground turkey or chicken in with brown rice and vegetables to create a yummy meal for her that's gentler on her stomach and it helping with the kidney stones she recently acquired. This poor dog has been through so much and she's such a sweetheart =)



My friend Kayla had a baby shower for her newest addition! She will be giving birth to a baby girl in June and I'm so excited for her and her boyfriend Jared. (As well as her son Brayden who will be a big brother!) Laura and I went to the baby shower together and it was so nice to spend time with her and Kayla. The three of us don't get to hang out together nearly enough.



I've been loving simplicity this spring in both my outfits and hair. Flowy tops, light sweaters, skinny jeans and simple flats. No big jewelry or anything crazy; just a simple outfit. I've been wearing my hair curly quite a bit lately. I love my Conair Youcurl Wand and find that when I use it to curl my hair I can get it done quickly and my hair will stay for more then one day. (In fact I have to say that my hair always looks better with second day curls. Another reason to not wash your hair every day!




I've been spending quite a bit of time down by the beach. Taking walks along the water, taking drives to the beach and just being on the coast in general. The weather has been pretty nice the past week and it has been absolutely fantastic. My mom and I discovered a new secret place where you can look out over a local saltwater pond and it is such a beautiful place. Any excuse to be by the water...I'll take it!


My workouts have been great recently. I've been doing a lot of walking outside which has been great. I've also been religiously going to Saturday step class as well as Zumba classes almost every Monday and Friday nights. Tonight I snapped the above picture after doing a run on the treadmill and realized that I was all alone in the gym. I guess it's too nice outside to be inside the gym!

I'm looking forward to incorporating some outdoor workouts into my regular exercise routine. This coming Saturday I will be volunteering at a 5K and will participate by walking the 5K after I'm done volunteering. I also want to make plans to hike and kayak this summer, there are so many fun things to do when the weather is nice!

I have a lot more to share but I'm going to cut this post off before I share everything. I have several book reviews to post as well as a couponing post. I also have a organizing post planned in the near future too....

Until next time!